Pollution/Situation Report Profile

Malpaso Asphalt
Fort Collins, CO - EPA Region VIII
POLREP #1
Initial POLREP

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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Malpaso Asphalt - Removal Polrep
Initial Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region VIII

Subject:

POLREP #1
Initial POLREP
Malpaso Asphalt
Z8D3
Fort Collins, CO
Latitude: 40.6973315 Longitude: -105.2551174

To:

From:

Craig Myers, OSC

Date:

8/30/2009

Reporting Period:

1030 August 25th thru 1700 August 30th, 2009

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:	Z8D3	Contract Number:
D.O. Number:		Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	OPA	Response Type:	Emergency
Response Lead:	EPA	Incident Category:
NPL Status:	Non NPL	Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date:		Start Date:
Demob Date:		Completion Date:
CERCLIS ID:		RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:		State Notification:
FPN#:	E09807	Reimbursable Account #:	2009 HR 08L0XD3 302D91C Z8D3

1.1.1 Incident Category

Classic Emergency

1.1.2 Site Description

On August 25th at approximately 10:30 AM, a tanker truck carrying hot asphalt crashed through the guardrail 7 miles up the Poudre Canyon on Hwy 14 Northwest of Fort Collins, Colorado. The trailer ruptured spilling 5,200 gallons of the 5,700 gallon load directly to the river. The accident site is located on US Forest Service land.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

The OSC arrived on scene at approximately 17:30 on August 25th after EPA's assistance being requested by the Colorado State Patrol (CSP). The road, Colorado Highway 14, was closed at the junction of US 287 and CO 14. Poudre Fire Authority (PFA) and Belfor Environmental (the PRP's contractor) had placed containment booms across the river at two locations downstream of the accident to attempt to contain material that was floating down stream. PFA and Belfor were attempting to pump out the trailer prior to hoisting the trailer out of the river. Just after the OSC's arrival, the contractor completed boring the hole in the trailer and found that the remaining material had cooled to the point that it was no longer able to be pumped with the equipment available. At that time, the Incident Commander decided to have the crane set up and hoist the tanker out of the river. EPA, CSP, and PFA representatives all agreed that the remaining asphalt would probably help hold the tanker intact and posed little risk of additional release. The tanker was hoisted out of the river at approximately 11:30 that night, with the tractor being hoisted shortly after. PFA and CSP demobilized at approximately 1:30 the next morning, turning the scene over to EPA.

The next morning, EPA and EPA's START contractor surveyed the river to located any product that had migrated downstream. Nine distinct strands were observed between the accident site and a bridge approximately 800 feet downstream.

At 08:30, EPA met with PFA, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, the Colorado Department of Wildlife, the US Forest Service, the municipal water systems with intakes on the river, and a private irrigation canal company to discuss the impacts to the river. All involved agreed that the drinking water intakes would remain closed and that the river flow could be dropped by approximately 30% for one week to facilitate clean up. All involved agreed to start said reduction the morning of Thursday, August 27th.

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

2.1.1 Narrative
Starting Wednesday, August 26th, Belfor's crew began to experiment with the most effective ways to cut up and remove the taffy-like asphalt from the river. They started with saws, which proved to be ineffective. Eventually, home-made grappling hooks made from hay hooks, rope, digging bars and axes were found to be the most effective.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
August 25th
CSP, PFA, and Belfor arrange for the tanker to be hoisted from the river, securing the release.

August 26th
EPA and Belfor experiment and brainstorm on the best and most efficient ways to remove the asphalt. EPA's START contractor survey's the river below the accident to locate and GPS all strands of asphalt that need to be removed. Belfor has a small crew of 5-8 on scene.

August 27th
Belfor ramped up to a crew of 19 and began asphalt removal in earnest. They removed what was estimated to be 30% of the material remaining at the accident scene from the river. The material was bagged in drum liners and staged along the river bank.

August 28th
Belfor ramped up further to a crew of 25. They removed an additional 40% of the material remaining at the accident scene. Material continued to bag the material in drum liners, carrying the material by hand up the embankment and staging it for transportation down the canyon to awaiting roll-off containers. Belfor's crew also installed diversion screens in the river below the accident scene as a fail safe to catch any strands of asphalt that may break loose before they can be recovered.

EPA and Larimer County Sheriff's Office discovered three ducks that had become trapped in an asphalt strand on a rock overnight. The EPA OSC and LCSO cut the birds free, contacted CDOW, who took custody of the impacted birds and took them to a rehabilitation center. At this time, the OSC believes that two of the three have survived.

August 29th
Belfor maintained the crew of 25, removing nearly all of the remaining product at the accident scene from the water. Belfor loaded the staged bags of material on to stake bed trucks and transported them down to the roll off containers. Approximately 18 cubic yards of material was transported and loaded into the roll offs. Crews also finished the diversion screens by setting sealed sand bags on both sides of the wire screen to seal off the river bed and create a "cascade boom" like structure to either catch or divert any asphalt to the river bank where it can be collected.

August 30th
Belfor finished removing all asphalt from the river at the accident scene and continued working on cleaning the bank of oiled plants/shrubs. More material was transported down to the roll off containers, filling both available containers - 15 cubic yards each. Additional material - approximately 6 cubic yards - was staged near the roll off containers on a plastic liner awaiting additional roll off containers. Approximately 10 cubic yards of material is staged at the accident scene awaiting transportation down the mountain.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

Malpaso Trucking is the Responsible Party. Their insurance company is the one that hired Belfor. No order was issued.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

Waste Stream Medium Quantity Manifest # Treatment Disposal

asphalt product 25 cu yds

impacted shrubs 15 cu yds

2.2 Planning Section

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
Belfor plans to begin removing strands of asphalt that have wrapped around boulders on Monday, August 31st. This will involve placing crew members in deep water and potentially high current. Rafts and other transport mechanisms are being considered to transport the material down stream to a location where it can be loaded into stake bed trucks and taken to the roll offs.

2.3 Logistics Section