Pollution/Situation Report Profile

MultiChem Chemical Fire
New Iberia, LA - EPA Region VI
POLREP #1
Initial & Final

Printer Friendly | PDF

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
MultiChem Chemical Fire - Removal Polrep
Initial and Final Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region VI

Subject:

POLREP #1
Initial & Final
MultiChem Chemical Fire
A6BG
New Iberia, LA
Latitude: 30.0328000 Longitude: -91.8626000

To:

From:

Bryant Smalley, FOSC

Date:

6/17/2011

Reporting Period:

6/14-16/2011

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:	A6BG	Contract Number:
D.O. Number:		Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	CERCLA	Response Type:	Emergency
Response Lead:	PRP	Incident Category:	Removal Assessment
NPL Status:	Non NPL	Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date:	6/15/2011	Start Date:	6/15/2011
Demob Date:	6/15/2011	Completion Date:	6/15/2011
CERCLIS ID:		RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:		State Notification:
FPN#:		Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category
Emergency Response

1.1.2 Site Description
At approximately 3:45 PM on June 14, 2011, the Multi-Chem plant located at 401 West Admiral Doyal Drive, New Iberia, Iberia Parish, Louisiana, caught on fire and subsequently several explosions occurred. The fire caused a large plume of smoke. The Louisiana State police and local officials issued an evacuation for a 1 mile radius of the facility. Multi-Chem is an oilfield production chemicals company. At 8:30 pm EPA R6 received the NRC report(# 979692), regarding the incident. The Multi-Chem facility is an RMP regulated facility. At the time of the report, no injuries had been reported. LDEQ’s representatives were onsite conducting air monitoring. Additionally, Louisiana State Police had taken the role as lead responding state agency deciding to let the fire burn overnight and ordering an evacuation of a 1 mile radius. The prevailing winds maintained the plume toward the Northeast, decreasing the number of residences in the plume path.

1.1.2.1 Location
The facility is located at 3401 West Admiral Doyal Drive, New Iberia, Iberia Parish, Louisiana 70560. There are approximately 100 residential properties in the 1 mile evacuation zone. The site is located within an industrial area and adjacent to the Acadiana Municipal Airport and the University of Louisiana Primate Research facility. The research facility reportedly has 6,800 primates on site.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
Oilfield Chemical Storage Fire. The chemical storage are consisted of tanks, totes and drums of Xylene, Methanol, Toluene, Butyl Cellusolve, Ethylene Glycol, Triazene and various solvents.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

2.1.1 Narrative

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date

EPA arrived on scene at approximately 11:30 am on June 15, 2011. After initial briefings, EPA accompanied the LA State Police on an overview flight and verified locations and integrity of fire water runoff and retention dams. Eagle and Oil Mop were hired as Multi-Chem’s environmental response contractors and were on site. The contractors had built retention dams in the surrounding ditches to contain fire suppression runoff. Vac-trucks are being used to collect the runoff and store it in frac-tanks. The PRP is collecting samples of the run off to determine proper disposal. LDEQ will also coordinate soil samples to determine if soil remediation is necessary.

The fire continued to burn until 2:14 PM on June 15, 2011, when the last tanks were extinguished. The evacuation was not lifted until the next morning, June 16, 2011. At that time, the exclusion zone was reduced to a 2 block area around the remains of the facility bounded by Fox St, Vortex St and Admiral Doyle Blvd. LDEQ offered to monitor the interior of all 100 homes, prior to reentry. Home occupants will be asked to sign a reentry form showing they want or don’t want the monitoring. LDEQ will have 4 teams involved in the monitoring.

In addition to the air monitoring being conducted by LDEQ, Multi-Chem hired CTEH to conduct monitoring/sampling (air, water & waste). CTEH deployed 3 AreaRae monitors at fixed locations, and 1 mobile (roving) AreaRae (analytes sampled with the Area-Rea are CO, LEL, O2, VOCs, and NO), and 3 minican canisters were taken. Air monitoring was also conducted with handheld MultiRAEs and an AM-510 (for Particulate Matter). The highest particulate reading was 0.7 mg/m3. The MultiRAE included CO, LEL, NO2, VOCs, and O2. Air monitoring locations included location surrounding the facility and residential areas (at the animal testing facility, prison, and incident command). The minicans were at the three corresponding AreaRAE stations with one grab sample taken within the smoke plume the first night. The minicans will be analyzed for TO-15 + TICs. CTEH also deployed a Manta II water quality monitoring unit for pH, Temperature, Conductivity, and DO in Spanish Lake, to assure there was no impact from particulate fallout.

EPA demobilized from the scene at approximately 5:30pm.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
Multi-Chem Group, LLC

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

Waste Stream Medium Quantity Manifest # Treatment Disposal

2.2 Planning Section

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
No additional EPA response actions are anticipated. EPA will maintain contact with LDEQ and LA State Police to keep abreast of any change in status that may impact the public. LA State Police is focused on identification of drum and containers remaining at the facility.

2.2.2 Issues

2.3 Logistics Section