Pollution/Situation Report Profile

Wolf Creek Pass Tanker
South Fork, CO - EPA Region VIII
POLREP #4
Progress

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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Wolf Creek Pass Tanker - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region VIII

Subject:

POLREP #4
Progress
Wolf Creek Pass Tanker
Z8D7
South Fork, CO
Latitude: 37.4748581 Longitude: -106.7816162

To:

From:

Pete Stevenson, OSC

Date:

4/26/2011

Reporting Period:

Sincer 11/14/09

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:	08Z8	Contract Number:
D.O. Number:		Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	OPA	Response Type:	PRP Oversight
Response Lead:	PRP	Incident Category:	Removal Action
NPL Status:	Non NPL	Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date:		Start Date:	12/4/2009
Demob Date:		Completion Date:
CERCLIS ID:		RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:		State Notification:
FPN#:	E10802	Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category

1.1.2 Site Description

The tanker accident occurred 11/14/09 at milepost 179, US Hwy 160, Rio Grande County, (approximately 4 ½ miles south of South Fork), Colorado. An estimated 3,800 gallons of gasoline drained from the overturned tanker across and under the highway into wetlands between the highway and the South Fork Rio Grande River.

1.1.2.1 Location

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

Groundwater contamination and at a minimum dissolved BTEX in river. The product continues to bleed out of the bedrock below the highway into a wetlands immediately adjacent to the river. The river is thought to be habitat for the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout. There are many water users downstream. The wetlands is on property administered by the US Forest Service, Rio Grande National Forest.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

2.1.1 Narrative
11/18: PRP-contracted clean-up contractor arrived on Site for initial recon, followed by crew mobilization.
11/19: Clean-up contractor initiated detailed surface and sub-surface survey(s) in the wetlands beween the highway and the river, and along riverbanks downstream of the accident site.
12/01: Clean-up contractor initiated installation of monitoring / recovery / extraction wells and trenches.
12/03: Clean-up contractor initiated recovery of free-product from various wells and tranches via bailing, pumping, and sorbents.
12/21: Contractors temporarily ceased on-site activities due to inclement weather and holiday road restrictions.
Clean-up contractor notified down-stream water users of activities via posted flyers.
01/08/10: Interceptor trench completed, including liner installation and insulating blanket coverage.
01/11: START collected co-located water samples with PRP clean-up contractor. Analytical results are reasonably consistent with PRP sample data.
01/14: Additional monitoring trenches installed. One additional recovery hole dug.
02/01: 3-4' of additional snow on-site; many monitoring wells iced up.
02/02:   PRP contractor recovered approximately 1500 gals of product/water mixture into a vac truck. Another recovery hole was excavated, which by mid-day was producing gas/water with a very strong gas odor. Downstream boom frozen in.

March 2010

PRP clean-up contractor(s) continue to recover free product from the various wells and trenches, constructed in the wetlands, between the spill site and the river channel. The clean-up contractor reports measuring up to five inches (5”) of free product in various monitoring wells as well as elevated PID readings at various monitoring stations.  Dissolved phase product continues to be detected in the river.  Due to ice cover it cannot be determined if a sheen or product is present.

April 2010

Contaminated water recovery continues. A meeting was held with interested parties on 4/13/10 to discuss issues related to spring runoff and high water potentially inundating the Site. The OSC suggested sandbagging the Site torotect it from the river as a first stwp. Clean u contractor collected soil gas data for bioremediation proposal.

April 2011

After another winter, the gasoline continues to bleed out of the bedrock. The site appeared abandoned, with trash all around. The interceptor trench needs to be maintained, the sand bag berm needs to be rebuilt, and contaminated water needs to be pumped out of the recovery holes weekly. Sampling has to be completed bi-weekly, and the PRP contractor needs to provide weekly reports- the last one received was dated 3/30/11. Photographs of site conditions were taken. US FS personnel are considering revoking the special use permit. EPA is considering issuing a violation notice pursuant to the clean up order. EPA is also considering Federalization of the site. At a minimum, START will put together a design for an automated pump and treat system to be installed this spring or summer. PRP contractors are scrambling to comply after receipt of an email from OSC.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
See above
2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

Administrative Order pursuant to Section 311(c) of the Clean Water Act issued to J C Hunt Trucking on April 19, 2010

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

Waste Stream Medium Quantity Manifest # Treatment Disposal

gas/water     500 gal 001334768 Arvada TreatmentCtr LLC

gas/water 1,500 gal 001334763      "              "

gas/water 1,500 gal 001334765      "              "

gas/water many frac tanks NA Air stripping Alamosa WWTP

2.2 Planning Section

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
• PRP will continue coordinating plans and activities with representatives of CDOT, CSP, USFS, BLM, and EPA/8 OSC.
• Clean-up contractor will fix the sand bag berm around the oil spill Site in the wetlands to protect it from the river flow and to isolate the contaminated ground water as much as possible.
• Clean-up contractor will continue recovery of product from constructed recovery wells and trenches.
• Clean-up contractor(s) will perform maintenance on all booms.
• Survey crew(s) will continue monitoring downstream environs, addressing any downstream product release, if such release occurs.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
EPA/8 OSC will continue oversight of PRP-lead clean-up activities pursuant to the 311(c) Order. EPA and USFS will confer regarding site control and future action at the site.
2.2.2 Issues

PRP contractor initiated inquiry regarding bioremediation. OSC provided information regarding the NCP and the NCP Product Schedule. PRP contractor submitted request to bioremediate the Site. Partial activation of RRT determined that the request was premature. PRP was provided copy of RCP Annex 9 on 4/13/10, as they expressed continuing interest in pursuing bioremediation. No further submittals have been received as of 4/26/11

Monitoring wells ice up over winter and the site basically freezes. The location in a canyon and does not get sun except for about 1000 hrs to 1500 hours. Working conditions are difficult at best. The site is 4-5 hours from Denver over mountain passes, and the less than ideal responsiveness of the PRP contractor all lead toward an increase in oversight costs. The site is on land administered by the US Forest Service, and the river is thought to be habitat for the Rio Grande Cutthroat trout. There are many water users downstream. Groundwater within 40' of the river is significantly impacted, with dissolved BTEX in the river at a minimum. Peak flow in the river will occur during the months of May and June. Mean flow (80-82 years of data) for February 10 is 39 cfs, with a peak flow on June 8 of 980 cfs.

2.3 Logistics Section