Pollution/Situation Report Profile

(E13611) Exxon Pipeline Mayflower Arkansas Oil Spill
Mayflower, AR - EPA Region VI
POLREP #5
(Progress)

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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
(E13611) Exxon Pipeline Mayflower Arkansas Oil Spill - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region VI

Subject:

POLREP #5
(Progress)
(E13611) Exxon Pipeline Mayflower Arkansas Oil Spill

Mayflower, AR
Latitude: 34.9638070 Longitude: -92.4286530

To:

From:

Nicolas Brescia, OSC

Date:

4/3/2013

Reporting Period:

April 2 - April 3, 2013

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:		Contract Number:
D.O. Number:		Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	OPA	Response Type:	Emergency
Response Lead:	PRP	Incident Category:	Removal Assessment
NPL Status:	Non NPL	Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date:	3/29/2013	Start Date:	3/29/2013
Demob Date:		Completion Date:
CERCLIS ID:		RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:		State Notification:	12713
FPN#:	E013611	Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category

Transportation-Related: Pipeline Spill

1.1.2 Site Description

1.1.2.1 Location

The pipeline spill occurred in a residential neighborhood in Mayflower, Faulkner County, Arkansas (34.963807 Latitude, -92.428653 Longitude). Approximately 21 homes were evacuated in the neighborhood due to elevated VOC readings and due to the amount of oil present on the ground and in the street.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

The damaged pipeline released Wabassa Heavy crude oil into the North Woods Subdivision. Crude oil then flowed west along N. Starlite Road, into a bar ditch adjacent to a Union Pacific Railroad line, into an unnamed creek, and into a tributary to a cove of Lake Conway. Lake Conway is a tributary to the Arkansas River. Local residents have been evacuated from 21 homes due to elevated levels of VOCs and benzene detected in the source area of the spill.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

The source was a Pegasus Line that connects Patoka, IL to Nederland, TX, approximately 850 miles long. The 20-inch pipeline has a capacity of 95,000 barrels per day. The pipeline is buried 24 inches deep with a distance of 18 miles between isolation valves. The pipeline release began Friday afternoon 29 March 2013. The break in the line was isolated and the pipeline stopped leaking oil at approximately 0300 hours 30 March 2013. The RP is estimating approximately 2,000 bbl of oil has been released.

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

2.1.1 Narrative

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
April 02-April 03, 2013

The RP continued to conduct recovery operations in the three geographic divisions, Alpha, Bravo and Charlie. Division Alpha continued to remove free product and impacted soil from the neighborhood. Approximately 35 percent of impacted soil has been removed from this area. Division Bravo continued removal of free product and oiled vegetation along the spill pathway following the UP rail line and the impacted area between the East side of the UP rail line and I-40 W. Division Charlie continued recovering free product in the creek area and maintaining containment of the free product in the creek and wetland area adjacent to the Lake Conway cove area.

The RP is now estimating the amount of oil released to be between 4,000-7,000 bbl.

The RP has increased their personnel and assets on site. The RP currently has 513 response personnel on site conducting the cleanup operation. The RP has approximately 17 vacuum trucks and 46 frac tanks on site. To date, the RP has deployed approximately 1,900 feet of hard boom and 9,040 feet of soft absorbent boom throughout the spill area and in Lake Conway. Approximately 16,329 bbl of oil and water have been recovered on site from vacuuming operations. The oil/water mixture has been placed into frac tanks. Approximately 60 Federal/State/Local personnel are currently on-site.

Fourteen oiled ducks, five turtles, 6 snakes and one muskrat have been recovered for treatment. Eleven ducks have been cleaned and five ducks have been found dead.

The EPA met with local residents to give a general update to the response. After the general update, EPA met with only the evacuated residents to answer any questions they had and address their concerns. EPA comments focused on air monitoring operations.

EPA plans to collect oil samples from the source tomorrow for fingerprinting purposes.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

The Pegasus pipeline is operated by ExxonMobil Pipeline Company.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

*Waste Stream*	*Medium*	*Quantity*	*Manifest #*	*Treatment*	*Disposal*
Oil and Water		16,329 bbl

2.2 Planning Section

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

Continue recovery of pooled oil, Maintain area air monitoring to identify levels in the residential areas adjacent to the spill and evacuated areas. Continue removing water from the cove and manage water volume in the cove to prevent breaches to Lake Conway.

EPA plans to collect oil samples from the source on April 4, 2013 for fingerprinting purposes.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

Continue oil recovery in heavily impacted areas. Continue air monitoring and sampling for VOCs. Monitor containment areas to prevent oil migration into Lake Conway. Contrinue excavation of oil-impacted soils around the impacted homes.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

Continue oil recovery and air monitoring.

2.2.2 Issues

Rain is expected for the next 2 days, which may hamper recovery/response operations.

2.3 Logistics Section