1.1.1 Incident Category

OPA response.

1.1.2 Site Description

The Turkey Brook Oil Site is a property with an inactive commercial building located at 20 McLennan Drive, Oakville, Connecticut.  At the time of EPA's response, the building contained an automotive parts manufacturing business. The business operated on the property as a tenant.  Subsequently, the tenant relocated the business to another nearby building.

1.1.2.1 Location

The site is located at 20 McLennan Drive in Oakville, Connecticut. The site is immediately surrounded by industrial properties with residential properties within 1/4 mile radius. It is bordered to the west by Turkey Brook and various industrial properties, to the north by McLennan Drive, the east by industrial properties, and to the south by residential properties. According to the information in GIS ArcMap 10.1, there are 768 people within 1/4 mile, 1,999 people within 1/2 mile, and 6,468 within 1 mile of the site.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

Due to various oil releases at the facility over time, there is currently a layer of oil on top of the groundwater underneath the facility. This is causing oil to escape out of the banks of Turkey Brook resulting in a sheen on the water. Until October 2013, there was a temporary system in place to separate and collect the oil from the groundwater. During the month of October, the contractor that was hired by CTDEEP to install and maintain the system removed the system from the site due to lack of funding to support the system. The removal of that system allowed a small sheen to continue to develop on the surface of Turkey Brook. The absorbent boom installed by EPA during the Emergency Response action prevented the sheen from traveling downstream. The threat of and actual discharge to Turkey Brook will continue until the source area is properly addressed and removed. Turkey Brook is a navigable waterway which leads to the Steele Brook which leads to the Naugatuck River.   Disposal of recovered oil, oil-contaminated boom and sorbents is ongoing.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

On October 25, 2013 a site walk was performed with EPA and its contractors, the Superfund Technical Assessment Response Team (START) and the Emergency Rapid Response Services (ERRS) to assess the condition of the discharge area and develop a plan for the plume investigation activities. During the site walk it was determined that more efficient and functional boom was necessary to prevent the oil from migrating downstream. Since the removal of the oil collection system, the absorbent boom had been monitored and maintained as necessary by the ERRS contractor. The rate at which the absorbent boom was being changed out was deemed inefficient by the On-Scene Coordinator (OSC). Therefore, the OSC requested that the ERRS contractor provide a boom that would more efficiently contain the release of oil over an extended period of time and that would require less maintenance. 

A site investigation plan with the START contractor was conducted from November 20 to November 22, 2013 and included Geoprobe soil borings around the outside of the building, soil borings inside of the building through the concrete floor, soil characterization of each of the cores, and soil and water sampling. The investigation confirmed the presence of floating oil on the groundwater interface, resulting in the release of oil to Turkey Brook.  Refer to the report entitled  Removal Program Preliminary Assessment /Site Investigation for Turkey Brook Site, Oakville, CT dated February 2014.

On August 31, 2012 a sheen sighting was reported in Turkey Brook to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP).  To the east of Turkey Brook is Quality Automatics and to the west is Rintec Corporation. The CTDEEP sent a responder to the scene to gather more information and investigate the potential source of the spill. Upon arrival at the scene, the CTDEEP deployed absorbent boom to mitigate further impact from the spill. The CTDEEP responder and the CTDEEP Site Assessment and Support Unit performed a subsurface investigation to determine the source of the oil released. They were able to confirm that the oil released was coming from oil floating on top of the groundwater which was migrating from underneath the building occupied by Quality Automatics at 20 McLennan Drive, making the operator of this facility the Potentially Responsible Party (PRP). Following the subsurface investigation, CTDEEP met with the owner of the business and toured the facility to observe operations. While observing the operations at the facility, a 55 gallon drum was knocked over by an employee. The employees promptly cleaned up the spill by sweeping the oil into a corner of the building then proceeded to apply speedi-dry. The CTDEEP representative expressed concern regarding their clean up procedures and investigated the area where the oil and oily debris was stored. The CTDEEP representative noticed a gap between the floor and the wall which would provide a pathway for the oil to migrate into the soil and onto the groundwater. It was determined that this clean up procedure had been in place for a length of time and that the amount of oil that had been released over time was unknown. In addition to the questionable clean up procedures, the operations and oil storage in the area appeared to be contributing to the problem via a cracked oil hose that was leaking product onto the floor in this same area. The owner of Quality Automatics assumed responsibility for the release and agreed to implement clean up and remediation actions with CTDEEP providing agency oversight.

On October 9, 2012, the PRP contacted the CTDEEP, notifying them that they were financial unable to continue clean up actions at the site. CTDEEP reported to the site, noticed a visible sheen on the water, and called the National Response Center to report the incident. CTDEEP assumed control of the response and proceeded with boom deployment and associated clean up actions. Clean up actions consisted of continual replacement of absorbent boom in three locations on Turkey Brook and the installation of an oil recovery system. The oil recovery system includes two wells with an oil sensor and a pump which pumps oil off of the surface of the groundwater when the sensor is triggered. This system collected approximately 250 gallons of oil which is currently being stored in a secure location on site in 55 gallon drums.

On July 25, 2013, CTDEEP requested assistance from the US EPA with the source removal actions currently on going at the site. After obtaining signed access agreements from the tenant and the property owner, US EPA and CTDEEP performed a site walk on August 21, 2013. The EPA On Scene Coordinator (OSC) observed a sheen on the water that was being contained by two layers of absorbent boom. The absorbent boom in two of the three deployment areas was completely saturated and potentially contributing to the current sheen. The water level of Turkey Brook was observed to be low, providing a conduit for additional oil to be released from the banks of the brook. The CTDEEP and EPA met with the tenant and property owner where they provided verbal confirmation to have EPA assume responsibility of the clean up actions due to a lack of funds and resources from both the PRP and the CTDEEP. On August 22, 2013, the OSC initiated an emergency action to remediate the visible sheen on Turkey Brook and to prevent further oil from migrating and contaminating areas downstream from the site. On August 23, 2013 the tenant and the property owner signed the Notice of Federal Assumption of Responsibility (NOFAR) which allows EPA to conduct response activities as appropriate to mitigate the actual release and the threat of further release at the site.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
 
(Refer to the previous POLREPS for additional information on activities prior to June 2014.)

In November 2014, EPA installed a new oil recovery system at the site.  A recovery trench was excavated between the building and the brook, and two 8" recovery wells were installed.  Each of the wells was outfitted with a belt skimmer.  Operating conditions for the system have been optimized to intercept and remove oil before it discharges into Turkey Brook.  Under current conditions, the operation of one of the two skimmers for a period of two hours per day has effectively controlled the discharge.

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

The owner of the property has been identified as a PRP,  as has the tenant, who owns Quality Automatics, which has relocated to another building across the street. 

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

EPA will continue operation of the oil recovery system, and will continue to deploy sorbent boom to collect any oil that may discharge to the brook.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

Continue to recover oil from current wells and maintain sorbent booms as needed.

2.2.2 Issues

No issues have been identified at this time.