U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Jamestown Water Incident - Removal Polrep
Initial and Final Removal Polrep
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region VIII
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Subject:
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POLREP #1
Incident and Removal Action Summary
Jamestown Water Incident
Jamestown, WY
Latitude: 41.5568960 Longitude: -109.5118170
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To:
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From:
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Steven Merritt, On-Scene Coordinator
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Date:
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6/9/2010
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Reporting Period:
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04/09/2010-04/13/2010
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1. Introduction
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1.1 Background
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Site Number: |
08TT |
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Contract Number: |
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D.O. Number: |
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Action Memo Date: |
4/19/2010 |
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Response Authority: |
CERCLA |
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Response Type: |
Emergency |
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Response Lead: |
EPA |
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Incident Category: |
Removal Action |
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NPL Status: |
Non NPL |
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Operable Unit: |
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Mobilization Date: |
4/9/2010 |
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Start Date: |
4/9/2010 |
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Demob Date: |
4/10/2010 |
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Completion Date: |
4/13/2010 |
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CERCLIS ID: |
WYN000802802 |
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RCRIS ID: |
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ERNS No.: |
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State Notification: |
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FPN#: |
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Reimbursable Account #: |
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1.1.1 Incident Category
Classic Emergency Response Action - Drinking Water Utility Suspected Contamination Event
1.1.2 Site Description
The Site is a 200,000-gallon drinking water storage tank owned by the James Town / Rio Vista Water and Sewer District. The tank is connected to the water treatment plant and distribution system that serves over 600 people throughout the unincorporated communities of Jamestown and Rio Vista, Wyoming.
1.1.2.1 Location
The site is located atop a hill approximately one-half mile north of James Town, Wyoming. The James Town / Rio Vista Water and Sewer District Municipal Water Treatment Plant is located adjacent to the Green River, approximately one-half mile south of the storage tank. The coordinates for the tank are Latitude: 41.5568960 Longitude: -109.5118170.
1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
Mike Boling, the operator of the Jamestown / Rio Vista Water and Sewer District, notified EPA on April 9, 2010, of an act of vandalism and a breach to the drinking water storage tank for his utility in Jamestown, WY. He was concerned about the potential that something had been added to the tank in an effort to contaminate the local water supply. The tank was found with the hatch open, the lock removed, and a rope hanging down to the ground from the top of the access ladder. Local authorities were contacted and the Sweetwater County HazMat Team and Sweetwater County Sheriff responded to the scene to investigate.
The Sweetwater County HazMat Team used a portable gas meter, an IR instrument, and a radiation detector to test for potential contaminants in the water supply. Finding no evidence of contamination with their limited detection capabilities at the scene, they recommended to Mr. Boling that he begin sampling and have the water from the storage tank tested for a variety of potential contaminants. Mr. Boling contacted an adjacent water utility and had them collect some samples from the tank that could be analyzed for Bac-T, disinfectant residuals, and other indicator water quality parameters.
1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
Subsequent to this discovery and initial notifications, a Unified Command (UC)
was
assembled to manage and support this incident and the UC sent word to
customers of the Jamestown / Rio Vista Water and Sewer District to
immediately discontinue using their water supply until further notice.
The EPA Region 8 Phone Duty Officer (OSC Merritt) and EPA Region 8
Public Water System Regulator for Wyoming (Mr. Jack Rychecky) were
invited by the UC to participate in a conference call to discuss the
incident and formulate a response plan at 2200 hours on 04/09/10. OSC
Merritt dispatched the Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team
to the site and discussed the support EPA planned to provide in sampling
and analyzing for a variety of potential contaminants in the drinking
water supply.
Given the water supply served a community of more than 600 residents and
the potential for deliberate contamination existed, an Emergency
Removal Action was determined to be warranted to provide alternative
drinking water supplies until the water utility was found to be safe for
the public. The Sweetwater County Sheriff, following a preliminary
investigation, determined that the act of vandalism at the storage tank
could have resulted in the introduction of a foreign contaminant into
the water supply and additional testing was necessary to rule out this
potential. As a result, EPA coordinated with the local water utility to
provide a supply of bottled water to the community, as outlined in NCP
Section 300.415(b)(3) and 300.415(e)(9) as part of the CERCLA Emergency
Removal Action, while sampling and analysis of the samples proceeded.
On April 9, 2010, EPA dispatched a START team to the incident scene to collect a variety of samples from the storage tank. The OSC was in contact with the UC, the water utility, state and local response agencies, and analytical laboratories to ensure that results were reported back to the UC in a timely fashion. Meanwhile, the utility began purchasing alternative drinking water supplies to provide to customers per the direction of the UC. The utility expressed concerns about isolating the tank and backwashing the filters if turbidity in the Green River increased significantly. The UC discussed the potential timelines associated with taking the utility offline or overfilling temporary storage in ponds while samples were being analyzed. The UC agreed that no decision would be made to lift the “No Use” ban on the water supply until preliminary results indicated that no contamination was present. The utility worked to provide water quality data for the storage tank and the distribution system.
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2. Current Activities
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2.1 Operations Section
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2.1.1 Narrative
The response actions taken by EPA in support of the UC for this incident are fully described in the EPA's Response Protocol Toolbox (RPTB) for Drinking Water Incidents, which outlines the procedures for confirming or ruling out a credible threat to drinking water systems. Discussions with law enforcement and local agency representatives indicated that the threat to the drinking water system in James Town was relatively low, but the UC decided that the preliminary testing and analysis of the water should be undertaken in accordance with the RPTB, to ensure the safety of the community.
2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
START arrived on scene and began collecting a set of two samples
for laboratory analysis in the early morning hours of April 10, 2010.
These samples were taken immediately back to Denver for analysis at the
EPA Region 8 Laboratory and at a couple of contracted private labs.
Samples were analyzed for VOCs, SVOCs, pesticides, cyanides, metals,
organometallics, radiologicals, chemicals, and biologicals. Preliminary
results about VOCs and SVOCs were received that evening and appeared to
be free of contamination. The utility continued providing bottled
water to the community and backflushing the filtration system, storing
the filtrate in temporary holding ponds.
On Sunday, April 11, 2010, the UC discussed the other preliminary
results received from the EPA Region 8 Laboratory regarding SVOCs,
Nitrates/Nitrites, and the BAC-T sample results received from the Green
River Water Utility, all of which were negative. Mr. Boling expressed
concern about the capacity of his temporary filtrate holding ponds and
the difficulty continuing to provide bottled water to the community
should the analytical results indicate the need to continue the “No Use”
order. The UC asked EPA to prepare to support contingency operations at the facility.
EPA contacted ERRS to place them on standby to provide temporary
storage tanks and potable water to the community in the event it was
needed, but no DO was issued.
On Monday, April 12, 2010, samples for commercial laboratories were
shipped to the respective labs. EPA OSC Merritt and Mr. Boling
discussed granting a contingency exemption from the NPDES permit
requirements in the event he needed to overflow his filtrate holding
ponds and discharge the filtrate back into the Green River to keep the
utility online, as outlined in NPDES Section 122.3(d). This exemption
would be granted, as necessary, to prevent the utility from issuing a
prolonged boil order due to overloaded filters once the question of
potential water contamination had been addressed. The utility continued
providing alternative water supplies to area residents, as directed by
the UC and EPA.
On Tuesday, April 12, 2010, the UC lifted the “No Use” ban following
word from EPA that preliminary analytical results showed the water was
free from any other potential contaminants. Mr. Boling provided the OSC
with receipts for all alternative water supplies and EPA pledged to
reimburse these costs.
2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
The Sweetwater County Sheriff's Department notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation about the threat to critical infrastructure. Sweetwater County Sheriff's Department also initiated an investigation into the tampering of the tank, which resulted in obtaining confessions from two juveniles who had been in the area on ATVs and had climbed up onto the tank. The juveniles have not yet been charged with a crime by the Sweetwater County Attorney's Office.
2.1.4 Progress Metrics
Analytical results confirmed that no removal of hazardous material was necessary. As such, the only progress metric associated with this site is the 384 cases of water provided as alternative drinking water supplies to the customers of the James Town / Rio Vista Water and Sewer District.
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2.2 Planning Section
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2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
No additional activities are planned at the site.
2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
No additional activities are planned at the site.
2.2.1.2 Next Steps
The removal is complete. The EPA Region 8 Response Program is working with the EPA Region 8 Laboratory and the EPA Region 8 Drinking Water Program to work through the issues and lessons learned during this response to enhance readiness for future drinking water system deliberate contamination events.
2.2.2 Issues
1. Ensuring adequate response supplies are rapidly deployable from the EPA Region 8 Warehouse and are sufficient to perform screening and analytical characterization of all potential drinking water contaminants, as outlined in the RPTB.
2. Ensuring that the EPA Region 8 Laboratory is prepared to support infrequent emergency analytical characterization of drinking water contamination incidents that could occur anywhere in the region.
3. Ensuring that the Drinking Water Program and the Response Program in EPA Region 8 are consistent in their approach to notification about potential drinking water system contamination incidents and that response resources can be rapidly deployed to an incident when necessary.
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2.3 Logistics Section
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No issues.
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2.4 Finance Section
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No information available at this time.
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2.5 Other Command Staff
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2.5.1 Safety Officer
No issues.
2.6 Liaison Officer
No issues.
2.7 Information Officer
2.7.1 Public Information Officer
No issues. Sweetwater County Emergency Management handled all JIC functions.
2.7.2 Community Involvement Coordinator
No issues.
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3. Participating Entities
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3.1 Unified Command
Mike Boling, James Town / Rio Water District
Lyle Armstrong, Rock Springs Fire Department
Major Dennis Claman, Sweetwater County Sheriff
Judy Valentine, Sweetwater County EMA
Dr. Jean Stachon, Sweetwater County Public Health
Janet Gerken, Sweetwater County Public Health/Community Nursing
Karla Roich, Sweetwater County Public Health/Community Nursing
Dr. Tracy Murphy, Wyoming Department of Health
Shawna Dereemer, Wyoming Department of Health
Gale Stevens, Wyoming Department of Health
Bob Benson, U.S. EPA Region 8 Drinking Water Program
Jack Rychecky, U.S. EPA Region 8 Drinking Water Program
Steven Merritt, U.S. EPA Region 8 Response Program
3.2 Cooperating Agencies
Jamestown - Rio
Vista Water and Sewer District
Green River
Fire Department
Rock Springs Fire Department
Sweetwater
County Emergency Management/Homeland Security
Sweetwater County
Sheriff's Office
Sweetwater County Public Health/Community Nursing
Sweetwater
County Search & Rescue
Wyoming Region IV Regional Emergency Response Team
Wyoming Department
of Health, Wyoming Homeland Security
U.S. EPA Region 8
Federal Bureau of Investigations
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4. Personnel On Site
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Kent Alexander - START
Kim Ohlson - START
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5. Definition of Terms
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No information available at this time.
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6. Additional sources of information
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6.1 Internet location of additional information/report
See links and posted documents at http://www.epaosc.org/JamestownWater.
6.2 Reporting Schedule
This is the final POLREP, no additional reporting is necessary.
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7. Situational Reference Materials
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No information available at this time.
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