U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Tar Creek Oil Spill - Removal Polrep
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region IV
|
|
Subject:
|
POLREP #2
Response Continues/Ceiling Increase
Tar Creek Oil Spill
Crosby, MS
Latitude: 31.2743700 Longitude: -91.1052500
|
|
To:
|
|
|
From:
|
Leo Francendese, OSC
|
|
Date:
|
6/7/2015
|
|
Reporting Period:
|
6/5/2015 thru 6/7/2015
|
|
1. Introduction
|
|
|
1.1 Background
|
|
|
|
|
Site Number: |
|
|
Contract Number: |
|
|
D.O. Number: |
|
|
Action Memo Date: |
|
|
Response Authority: |
OPA |
|
Response Type: |
Emergency |
|
Response Lead: |
EPA |
|
Incident Category: |
Removal Action |
|
NPL Status: |
Non NPL |
|
Operable Unit: |
|
|
Mobilization Date: |
6/4/2015 |
|
Start Date: |
6/4/2015 |
|
Demob Date: |
|
|
Completion Date: |
|
|
CERCLIS ID: |
|
|
RCRIS ID: |
|
|
ERNS No.: |
|
|
State Notification: |
|
|
FPN#: |
E15437 |
|
Reimbursable Account #: |
|
1.1.1 Incident Category
This is an emergency response to a spill of oil to waters of the United States.
1.1.2 Site Description
The Site consists of a production well and impacted waters of the United States. Approximately 20 bbls of oil have been observed in the intermittent creek and the immediately adjacent Tar Creek near Hwy 33. The area is wooded forestland adjacent to several nearby residences.
1.1.2.1 Location
The nearest town is Crosby, MS. The coordinates for the Site are 31.27437N 91.10525W.
1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
Oil has discharged to waters of the United States from a production facility. The initial discharge has been secured.
1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
An anonymous report to the NRC indicated approximately 20 bbls of crude had entered into Tar Creek. The SOSC confirmed the quantity of oil on the evening of 6/5/2015. The EPA OSC joined him shortly thereafter for a debrief concerning the assessment.
An intermittent creek is immediately adjacent to the facility which enters into Tar Creek, then Foster Creek, then Homochitto River and then the Mississippi River. The distance to the Mississippi River is approximately 50 miles.
Early and yet to be substantiated information received on-site indicate that the spill occurred in mid May and may have been as large as 200 bbls lost from the facility and 100 bbls lost to waters of the United States. The OSC will continue the investigation as per the National Contingency Plan.
The PRP was unable to secure the necessary response resources and further action will be conducted by the OSC and SOSC in Unified Command.
|
|
2. Current Activities
|
|
|
2.1 Operations Section
|
|
|
|
2.1.1 Response Actions to Date
The EPA OSC and MDEQ SOSC are working under Unified Command to ensure the following priorities:
1. Safety of the public and responders.
2. Protect the environment.
3. Prevent additional migration.
4. Minimize property loss.
5. Facilitate production facility recovery.
6. Maintain public/media confidence.
Unified Command will execute:
1. Adequate environmental response resources of approx 10 responders to provide mostly hand recovery tactics of booming, herding, padding and debris removal of recoverable oil as well as accessible downstream containment.
2. Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Techniques (SCAT) activities, as needed, to document sensitive ecosystems, threatened and endangered species, extent of impacted waters and recommended response techniques
3. National Incident Management System (NIMS) documentation on an initial 24 hour operational period.
4. Approved health and safety plan including as needed air monitoring.
5. Approved waste management plan.
6. Operations and maintenance plan once bulk removal of recoverable oil has been achieved.
Limits and Constraints:
1. The RP is unable to secure adequate response resources.
2. The terrain is difficult to access, dense woodland, requiring primarily manpower driven tactics.
3. Sensitivity to the nearby residences concerning access and use of a narrow public road.
4. Frequent precipitation.
5. Venomous snakes in the impacted area.
The above activities are being funded via a PRFA with MDEQ. The PRFA is approved by the OSC. Verification of activities performed will be conducted by the OSC with assistance from the USCG GST.
6/5/2015 thru 6/7/2015
Additional details concerning the actions taken can be found in the documents section. These documents include SCAT reports, IAPs and response action plans.
With approval of the EPAOSC, the MDEQ SOSC activated a response contractor on 6/4/2015 to mobilize to the response by the morning of 6/5/2015. A crew of approximately 10 response techs worked the impacted intermittent ditch with manual recovery techniques throughout the course of the day on 6/5/2015.
At the end of the days operations on the 5th, both the operator (Array Operations) and production well owner (Pipeline Oil and Gas Company) agreed to replace the Goverments' contractors by the morning of the 6th.
The replacement contractor mobilized required resources on the 6th and subsequently began operations throughout the course of the day. These operations were continued thru the 7th.
The response continues to be manged under Unified Command. The USCG GST continues to support the EPAOSC with field oversite of health and safety as well as verification of contractor progress.
The EPAOSC made notification to the USFS trustee contact on the 7th. Original notification to DOI had taken place via the NRC report. The EPAOSC is also in coordination with State trustees. Plans have been made for the State to conduct a field assessment walkthru of impacted resources and sensitive ecosystems.
Impacts to wildlife have been identified as of the 7th. Both a turtle and a fish have been identified as dead. They have been geolocated and preserved for the trustees.
2.1.2 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
Originally described as Big River Oil Field Supply, the names of the PRPs have been changed to include Array Operations and Pipeline Oil and Gas Company.
The EPAOSC issued a written Notice of Federal Interest (NOFI) to the Unified Command representative of the PRPs on the 6th. This notice was a followup to the verbal notification that was given by the EPAOSC.
|
|
|
2.2 Planning Section
|
|
|
|
2.2.1 Planned Response Activities
The EPA OSC will continue the investigation concerning original quantity discharged, time, and cause of the discharge. MSOGB is also conducting an investigation. To date, MSOGB estimates that approximately 125 bbls remain unaccounted. The EPA OSC will receive a final report from the MSOGB within the next 72 hrs.
Bulk removal response actions are initially expected to take place over the next 5 days. Maintenance operations are planned for residual oil.
The EPA OSC increased the ceiling to 115,000 on the 5th in anticipation of potential complete federalization of the response. The PRP has agreed to provide the necessary response resources and is in discussions with the contractors used by the Government to assume costs to date. The EPA OSC will continue to fund both State provided services and USCG GST support.
|
|
|
2.3 Logistics Section
|
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
2.4 Finance Section
|
|
|
|
No information available at this time.
|
|
|
2.5 Other Command Staff
|
|
|
|
No information available at this time.
|
|
3. Participating Entities
|
|
|
USEPA
MDEQ
MS Oil Gas Board (MSOGB)
USCG GST
|
|
4. Personnel On Site
|
|
|
.
|
|
5. Definition of Terms
|
|
|
.
|
|
6. Additional sources of information
|
|
|
.
|
|
7. Situational Reference Materials
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
