1.1.1 Incident Category
Emergency Response.

1.1.2 Site Description
County Drain (Miner Drain and Miner Extension Drain) in rural/agricultural setting. Approximately 2.5 miles of surface water impact in County Drain system between Mason Road and King Road in Owosso, MI.

1.1.2.1 Location
1999 North Wade Road, Owosso, MI.
County Drain known as Miner Extension Drain and Miner Drain between Mason Road and King Road.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
Oil in County Drain threatening Shiawassee River.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
U.S. EPA arrived on scene at 2230 hrs on 11/26/2015 and observed oil in County Drain along Wilkinson Road.  

See PolRep #1, #2, #3, and #4 for additional information.

The County Drain impacted is known as the Miner Extension Drain between Mason Road and Wilkinson Road and the Miner Drain from Wilkinson Road north to King Road. The Miner Drain Extension begins underground on the north side of Mason Road and becomes a surface water body just north of Mason Road. Two drainage tile pipes were observed on the south side of Mason Road that flow through a culvert under Mason Road and into the catch basin for an underground section of the County Drain. Oil staining was observed in one of the drainage tiles and oil stained vegetation and sheen were observed at the catch basin. The interior of the culvert connecting the drainage tile outfall and catch basin was observed to be stained with oil. Approximately 300 gallons of oil were estimated to have been released into the County Drain from an unknown source south of Mason Road.

Access from all property owners along the impacted section of the County Drain, hereafter referred to as drain, has been granted.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
12/07/2015 - The owner of the property where the oil is suspected to have originated from excavated and replaced a pipe that connected an underground storage pit to the drainage tile that outfalls at Mason Road. It is believed that during an electrical repair a sump pump in the pit was inadvertently activated and pumped oil from the pit to the pipe that connects to the drainage tile. The pipe was replaced to ensure no threat of any residual oil entering the drainage tile. On a previous day, the oil found in the underground pit was pumped out and the sump pump removed.

12/09/2015 - U.S. EPA assessed the containment boom locations at King Road, Cronk Road, Wilkinson Road, and at the concrete outfall, as well as the section of drain south of Wilkinson Road. No oil or sheen was observed at King Road and only minimal sheen was observed at Cronk Road. Small amounts of oil were observed to be accumulating at the containment boom at Wilkinson Road and along stretches of absorbent boom in the drain south of Wilkinson Road. A crew was called to mobilize to the site on 12/10/2015 to perform maintenance on the boom and remove recoverable oil from the drain.

12/10/2015 - A crew removed and replaced absorbent boom in the drain as needed and recovered oil that was collecting at the containment locations. The containment boom will remain in place through the weekend and will be inspected on 12/14/2015 to determine if boom needs to stay in the water for a longer period of time. The excavator and skid steer were demobilized from the site.

The owner of the property where the oil is suspected to have originated from performed flushing operations within the drainage tile on the south side of Mason Road and within the underground portion of the drain that begins at the catch basin on the north side of Mason Road and outfalls roughly 1/3 of a mile north of Mason Road near the cow pasture. Supplied water was flushed into the catch basin on the north side of Mason Road and a vacuum truck was staged near the concrete outfall where the drain becomes a surface water body and recovered the water being flushed through the drain. Supplied water was also pumped into the catch basin where the drainage tile originates and was captured via a vacuum truck staged at the drainage tile outfall on Mason Road. The purpose of the flushing operation was to ensure no residual oil remained in the drainage tile or underground portion of the drain that could be released into the system after a rain event.

12/14/2015 - U.S EPA assessed the drain and determined that a significant amount of oil was present in the wooded area of the drain just north of the cow pasture. A crew was mobilized and arrived on-site shortly before noon. The crew removed oiled vegetation and oiled leaf litter from the wooded section of the drain between the cow pasture and Wilkinson Road. Oil and sheen were observed in the cow pasture in areas that were previously addressed and within the containment boom at the concrete outfall. It is suspected that additional oil, potentially residual, from within the underground portion of the drain was flushed into the drain from the weekend rains. No oil or sheen was observed at the containment area at King Road. Minor oil and sheen was observed to have accumulated at the containment area at Cronk Road. Oil was observed to have accumulated at the containment area on the south side of Wilkinson Road. A small amount of sheen was observed at the drainage tile outfall at Mason Road.

12/15/2015 - The crew continued to remove oiled vegetation from the drain on the south side of Wilkinson Road. The crew also recovered oil that accumulated at the absorbent boom and replaced oil saturated absorbent boom. Water levels in sections of the drain dropped from the previous day and there was little to no flow in certain areas. As a result, oil and sheen in certain areas, mainly on the south side of Wilkinson Road, is not flowing to the containment due to the stagnant water. The concrete outfall was inspected and no sheen was observed to be collecting within the containment area. The drain on the north side of Wilkinson Road to Cronk Road was inspected and oil and sheen was observed to be accumulating at all locations with absorbent boom deployed. The sections of the drain between the absorbent booms appeared to be free of oiled vegetation. The crew will recover oil and replace the oil saturated absorbent boom on 12/16/2015. The containment areas at King and Cronk Road were again assessed. There was no change at the King Road containment area. More oil has accumulated at the Cronk Road containment area and a small area of oiled vegetation was identified on the north side of Cronk Road that the crew addressed at the end of the day. In addition, the crew recovered oil at the Cronk Road containment area and replaced oil saturated absorbent boom.

12/16/2015 - One roll-off box was delivered to the site in the morning and one roll-off box was shipped off-site for disposal. The crew began recovering oil and replacing oil saturated absorbent boom on the north side of Wilkinson Road. The crew also utilized leaf blowers in sections of the drain with little to no water flow to push oil and sheen to containment points for recovery. The catch basin at Mason Road was assessed and weathered oil and sheen was observed on standing water. Members of the crew were sent to deploy additional absorbent boom and to recover the oil and sheen with absorbent pads. Upon investigation, the crew discovered oil in the soil surrounding the catch basin. The crew used shovels to dig out a section (roughly 4x4x1 ft) of oil impacted soil between the culvert and the catch basin.

12/17/2015 - The crew began removing sections of absorbent boom from the drain to allow any oil and sheen remaining in the system to flow to the containment areas at Wilkinson, Cronk, and King Road. Some absorbent boom will remain deployed in certain sections of the drain between the containment areas to aid in collection of oil and sheen. Absorbent boom, in addition to hard boom, will remain at the containment areas established at the concrete outfall at the cow pasture, on the north and south side of Wilkinson Road, on the north and south side of Cronk road, and on the south side of King Road. These areas will be inspected on 12/21/2015. If necessary, a crew will be mobilized to perform oil recovery and boom maintenance. The areas will continue to be inspected on a weekly basis until the determination is made that containment areas are no longer necessary.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
U.S. EPA and MDEQ are investigating.

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
Monitor containment areas and perform oil recovery and boom maintenance as needed.

Dispose of oily waste as needed.

Decontamination of equipment as needed.

Remove absorbent and containment boom as needed.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
Dispose of oily waste.

Decontamination of equipment.

Inspection of containment areas.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
Dispose of oily waste.

Decontaminate equipment.

Demobilize equipment.

2.2.2 Issues
No issues identified during this reporting period.

2.5.1 Safety Officer
The OSC is fulfilling the role of Safety Officer.

2.5.2 Liaison Officer
The OSC is fulfilling the role of Liaison Officer.

2.5.3 Information Officer
The OSC is fulfilling the role of Information Officer.

3.1 Unified Command
N/A

3.2 Cooperating Agencies
Shiawassee County EM
MDEQ

6.1 Internet location of additional information/report
www.epaosc.org/waderoad

6.2 Reporting Schedule
Additional PolReps will be provided as needed.