Incident Category:  Transportation-Related Incident Category: Spill from pumping station.

Location:  The site is located in Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas (30.266389 latitude. -95.352222 longitude) at a operating pump station owned by the Responsible Party (RP), Explorer Pipeline Company. 

Description of Threat:  An maximum estimated 960 bbl. of "ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel" was released from a separated fitting the pump seal flush system on one of the 2 pumps on site.  The pump station is located in a rural area, but with residences adjoining the properties to the west.  There are 12 homes in the vicinity (within a 0.1 miles of the facility).  Within 1 mile of the facility it appears to be approximately 100 homes. The MSDS for the product identified no detectable levels of benzene in the diesel.  The release was to the ground surface and the closest water appears to be connected to the West Fork of Crystal Creek, approximately 1,800 feet (linear distance). Crystal Creek itself is approximately 1.1 miles from the facility based on the spill path.  The spill contactor (SWS Environmental)  worked with the local Caney Creek Fire Department to monitored for vapors.  The reported levels of vapors did not necessitate any evacuation nor shelter-in-place actions.

The spill occurred to the ground surface in drainages leading to the West Fork of Crystal Creek, the west Fork of the San Jacinto River.  The San Jacinto River flows through a number of small lakes through Lake Houston and Lynchburg Reservoir to Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.  

Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results:  On 01 April 2016, EPA's technical assistance contractor, START, arrived on the site observed the spill response operations  and the fitting that had failed.  The START assessed the site and identified to the RP areas where the product had traveled beyond the furthest boom. 

Response Actions to Date:  In addition to the RP's personnel, the RP hired SWS Environmental as the cleanup contractor.  They also hired Wild Well Control to provide direction.  There are three 500-barrel Frac tanks onsite, four 70-barrel vacuum trucks and a crew of 25 working on the site.  The local fire department (Caney Creek) had visited the site and determined evacuation was not required due the low fire hazard of the product.  The main pickup points were the northwest corner of the site where trenches to accumulate product have been dug into the clay soil and where the drainage crosses Johnson-Mallard Drive to the west of the site.  It is estimated that 20 barrels crossed Johnson-Mallard Drive and crews are working to recover that product using absorbent booms. The DOT (Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [PHMSA]) also visited the site. 

On 03 April 2016, an additional 31 persons were added to the crew to cleanup the product west of Johnson-Mallard Drive. Activities to excavate contaminated soils began.  An estimated 523 barrels of product had been recovered by 2045 hours on 02 April 2016.

On 04 April 2016, the gauging of recovered product was determined to be 537.8 barrels.

On 11 April 2016, the RP determined that the cutting paste used to gauge the amount  of recovered oil was defective.  Therefore, the amount of recovered diesel fuel was revised to 345 barrels  Hand digging is occurring around the facility and Oil Shark Fence has been deployed to contain the sheen and channel it to pick up points.  Free product was no longer being recovered, except for padding with absorbents.  .

Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs):  The RP is Explorer Pipeline Company and they are conducting the spill cleanup using contractors. 

Planned Response Activities:  Recovery activities are expected to continue. No rain is expected in the near future.

Next Steps:  The RP will continue the diesel fuel recovery and continue the cleanup of the impacted soil and vegetation.

Issues:  Continue to monitor the situation to ensure that waters of the United States are not impacted by product and local residents are not impacted by vapors from the spill.

Caney Creek Fire Department

Department of Transportation (DOT) - Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)

Internet location of additional information/report:  https://www.epaosc.org/ExplorerOilSpill_Conroe