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Plains Pipeline Oil Spill

All POL/SITREP's for this site Plains Pipeline Oil Spill
Pocahontas, IL - EPA Region V
POLREP #5
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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Plains Pipeline Oil Spill - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region V

Subject: POLREP #5
Plains Pipeline Oil Spill

Pocahontas, IL
Latitude: 38.8317351 Longitude: -89.5980074


To: Mike Buss, City of Highland

From: Andrew Maguire, OSC
Date: 7/15/2015
Reporting Period:

1. Introduction
  1.1 Background
   
Site Number:      Contract Number:  
D.O. Number:      Action Memo Date:  
Response Authority: OPA    Response Type: Emergency
Response Lead: PRP    Incident Category: Removal Action
NPL Status: Non NPL    Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date: 7/10/2015    Start Date: 7/10/2015
Demob Date:      Completion Date:  
CERCLIS ID:    RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:    State Notification: IEPA
FPN#: E15520    Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category

Emergency Response related to an estimated 4,200 gallons of crude spilled from the Plains Pipeline pump station near Pocahontas, Illinois reported on Friday, July 10, 2015, with oil reaching Little Silver Creek and ultimately into Silver Lake. The oil is a bottomless Canadian Sour Crude Blend, an MSDS is located in the documents section of the website @ www.epaosc.org/PlainsPipelineOilSpill .

1.1.2 Site Description

At this time, the Plains Pipeline (MP-29) Release ER Site encompasses a 12 mile stretch of unnamed ditches combined into Little Silver Creek which ultimately discharges into Silver Lake.

1.1.2.1 Location

The Plains Pipeline Release ER Site address is 17720 Baumann Road, Pocahontas, Illinois.  The release site is at a petroleum pumping station.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

While the upper most portions of the release site is in a rural agricultural environment, crude oil was observed approximately 8 miles away in the upper portion of Silver Lake.  Currently there is no sheen seen in Silver Lake. The Highland, Illinois, Silver Lake is a 574 acre water-body for not only water and city.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

Please refer to POLREP # 1, 2 & 3.

2. Current Activities
  2.1 Operations Section
    2.1.1 Narrative

The Operations Branch is divided into 5 Divisions and 2 Groups to support the objectives of the response.  Divisions A-E are divided geographically and cover booming, recovery, remediation, and pipeline repair operations.  The Environmental Group provides air monitoring, environmental sampling and shoreline assessment throughout the response.  The Waste Management Group supports waste collection and characterization for disposal.

Specific operations covered during the reporting period of this polrep are in the next section.

A situation map delineating the Divisions and showing shoreline assessment results is attached to this polrep.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date

Division A:
Heavy oil contamination and sheen is still present in the majority of the creek below underflow dam #2 however conditions have improved.  Crews continue to maintain boom and recover pooled oil from several locations along the creek.  Crews are working in the ditches and creek to remove impacted vegetation and substrate.  Flushing operations proceeded to downstream of underflow dam #1.  Remediation of the contaminated facility substrate continues and confirmation sampling will take place in the next operational period.
Resources deployed - 200' of boom, 30 personnel, 1 vac truck, heavy equipment and hand tools

 Division B:
Sheen and oiled vegetation sparsely present downstream of booming location 3.  Crews continue to maintain boom and recover pooled oil and sheen from several locations along the creek.  Crews are removing impacted vegetation from the creek. 
Resources deployed - 350' of boom, 30 personnel, 1 boat, 1 vac truck and hand tools

Division C:
Sheen is sparsely present.  Crews continue to maintain boom.  
Resources deployed - 50' of boom, 8 personnel, 2 boats and hand tools

Division D:
Sheen and oil is still present in spots along Little Silver Creek.  Crews are herding oil to the collection areas and continue to maintain boom and recover sheen and oil from the booming location at the IL-160 bridge.  Other booming locations continue be monitored and maintained.
Resources deployed - 1500' of boom, 47 personnel, 11 boats, 1 vac truck and hand tools

Division E:
No sheen is visible in Division E however protective boom continues to be monitored and maintained at the I-70 bridge and water intake.
Resources deployed - 600' of boom, 4 personnel and 2 boats

Environmental Monitoring:
Initial shoreline assessment is complete.  Current conditions are displayed in the attached map.  The results of the assessment is being used to drive recovery operations.  A total of 44 surface water and 28 drinking water samples have been collected with preliminary results from 7/10, 7/11 & 7/12 showing no detections of crude oil constituents.  A total of 89 air samples have been collected with results pending.  A total of 1338 monitoring readings have been taken with no detections of Benzene, Hydrogen Sulfide, Hexane, Toluene, VOCs, or LEL.  \Resources deployed - 30 personnel, air monitoring and sampling equipment

The City of Highland continues to use the drinking water intake in Highland Silver Lake.  An emergency source of drinking water has been set up from a different watershed should it be needed.

Unified Command held the Command and General Staff meeting at Highland City Hall today.  It was at the request of the city to display a real life ICS process to City Officials. 

.An IAP has been developed for the next operational period (7/15/2015-7/17/2015)

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

A Notice of Federal Interest was issued to Plains Pipeline on 7/11/2015.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

Waste Stream Medium Quantity Manifest # Treatment Disposal
Oily Liquids  Recovered Oil & Water  78,837 gallons    NA at this time NA at this time
Crude Oil Impacted Solids    201 cubic yards    Land Applied Landfill
Crude Oil Recovered  Subset of Oily Liquids 143 gallons      


  2.2 Planning Section
    2.2.1 Anticipated Activities  

Develop remediation and disposal plan for impacted areas

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

The following tasks are anticipated to continue into the next operational period:
  • Monitoring of protection boom at drinking water intake in Silver Lake
  • Monitoring and sampling of drinking water intake
  • Containment and recovery of oil within ditches, Little Silver Creek and Silver Lake
  • Assessment of extent of contamination
  • Continue water sampling around water intake
  • Conduct continuous air monitoring per approved plan
  • Conduct environmental sampling per approved plan
  • Monitor waste streams and reporting to UC daily
  • Determine scope of next operational period
  • Continue participation in the ICS structure to plan, strategize and execute objectives and tactics as related to current and next operational period for logistics and planning requirements.  
  • Perform Rapid Shoreline Assessments of Divisions C.
  • Flush ditches near site to remove oil from surfaces and collect at underflow dams. 
  • 2.2.1.2 Next Steps

    Continue the aggressive protection of the municipal water supply intake.

    Pending approval, considerations are being made to return the pipeline to full operation. 

    Identify response milestones to move into recovery phase. 

    2.2.2 Issues

    At this time, no recreational boats will be allowed to access Silver Lake.  The City of Highland has elected to close the Silver Lake Park area due to concerns of safety from vehicular traffic. 



  •   2.3 Logistics Section
        No information available at this time.

      2.4 Finance Section
        No information available at this time.

      2.5 Other Command Staff
        No information available at this time.

    3. Participating Entities
      3.1 Unified Command

    US EPA
    City of Highland
    Plains Pipeline
    IL EPA

    3.2 Cooperating Agencies

    PHMSA
    Illinois Department of Natural Resources

    4. Personnel On Site
     
    USEPA     2
    START     3
    RP           20
    RP Contractors 200

    5. Definition of Terms
      No information available at this time.

    6. Additional sources of information
      6.1 Internet location of additional information/report

    www.epaosc.org/PlainsPipelineOilSpill
    www.mp29response.com


    6.2 Reporting Schedule

    POLREPS will be reported in conjunction with operational periods.  A 48 hour cycle at this time.  Next POLREP expected on 7/16/15

    7. Situational Reference Materials
      No information available at this time.