Pollution/Situation Report Profile

Aliceville Train Derailment
Aliceville, AL - EPA Region IV
POLREP #8

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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Aliceville Train Derailment - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region IV

Subject:

POLREP #8
Aliceville Train Derailment

Aliceville, AL
Latitude: 33.0882930 Longitude: -88.1418120

To:

From:

Jordan Garrard, On-Scene Coordinator

Date:

3/6/2015

Reporting Period:

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:	Z4XB	Contract Number:
D.O. Number:		Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	OPA	Response Type:	Emergency
Response Lead:	PRP	Incident Category:	Removal Action
NPL Status:	Non NPL	Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date:	11/8/2013	Start Date:	11/8/2013
Demob Date:	12/9/2013	Completion Date:
CERCLIS ID:		RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:		State Notification:
FPN#:	E14410	Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category
Emergency

1.1.2 Site Description

1.1.2.1 Location
Mile Post 683, County Hwy 2
Aliceville, Al

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
A 90 car unit train carrying crude oil derailed over a slough at the head waters of an unnamed tributary of the Lubbub Creek, which discharges into the Tombigbee River.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

A total of twenty six (26) rail cars derailed into the slough discharging oil and ignited.

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

2.1.1 Narrative
A little past 12:00 am on Friday November 8th, a 90 car unit train carrying crude oil enroute from Amory, Mississippi to Walnut Hill, Florida derailed near Aliceville, Al. Twenty six (26) tanker cars filled with crude oil derailed into a wetland slough at the head waters of on a tributary of Lubbub Creek. Lubbub Creek discharges into the Tombigbee River.  Shortly after the derailment the rail cars began discharging oil, which caught fire.  Approximately 11 cars were or are currently aflame.  The rail line was closed from mileposts 680-685. Emergency responders from local agencies evacuated a nearby residence initially but allow the resident to return home.  Due to the danger and difficulty first responders would face getting to the railcars, it has been decided to allow all the cars that are on fire to burn themselves out.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
11/8/2013
Unified Command made the decision to allow the remaining tank cars to continue to burn instead of attempting to extinguish the fire. The rail line continues to be closed from mile posts 680-685. CTEH began conducting work place and perimeter air monitoring. CTEH was monitoring for VOCs, Benzene, Toluene, Xylene, NO2, SO2, H2S, CO, and Particulates. Preliminary air monitoring results indicate workplace VOC concentrations of 0.1 ppm. Perimeter air monitoring results were negative for all constituents, except for particulates. A maximum concentration of 0.124 mg/m3 of PM 2.5 particulate was observed north of the derailment. The maximum concentration is below the action level of 0.150 mg/m3. USES was able to place containment boom downstream to contain oil which has discharge from the tank cars from entering the tributary of Lubbub Creek.    B&P Enterprise continue site preparation activities for rerailing activities and oil recovery operations. RJ Corman personnel arrived to assess and prepare for rerailing of derailed cars and the removal of the impacted tank cars.

11/9/2013
Multiple rail cars remain burning. The rail continues to be closed from mileposts 680-685. Rerailing and oil recovery operations began on Saturday, November 9th. Two (2) engines were rerailed and removed. Five (5) additional tank cars were uprighted and are ready to begin transferring remaining product from the tank cars into frac tanks. The 5 uprighted cars have an estimated 70,000 gallons of crude oil remaining. Two (2) of the four (4) tank cars on the northside of the derailment were inspected and removed. Crews have begun spraying water of burning cars to cool the tank cars. The Federal Railroad Administration continues its investigation. Work place air monitoring conducted by CTEH indicated particulate concentrations as high as 2 mg/m3, and benzene concentration of 0.3 ppm. Perimeter air monitoring indicated peak particulate concentrations of 385.1 ug/m3 and VOCs concentrations 2.6 ppm downwind of the derailment.  None of the 1 hour or 8 hr TWA action levels were exceeded. I preparation for 24 hour operations two (2) USCG Gulf Strike Team personnel were requested to provide safety oversight during nighttime operations.  Two (2) additional START personnel also arrived to continue perimeter air monitoring activities during nighttime operations.

11/10/13
The rail line is still closed from mileposts 680-685. Rerailing, fire fighting, and oil recovery operations continue. The remaining rail car fires were extinguished by 15:30 to allow for wrecking and rerailing activities to continue further into the derailment. Workpads have been constructed on the east and westside of the rail crossing at Hwy 2 in preparation for future product transfer and scraping operations. Frac tanks and pads have been constructed at the G&W rail yard in Aliceville, Al. The recovered crude oil from the derailed cars will be trucked to these frac tanks for temporary storage and disposal. Five (5) cars were moved off the rail line and prepared for the product transfer. While moving a 6th car at 17:00, a pressure relief device on the railcar activated and a flash fire ignited. The second flash fire occurred approximately 20 mins later. All operations were ceased and a safety stand down for the evening was issued canceling night operations. No workers were injured.

11/12/13
The rail line is still closed from mileposts 680-685. Rerailing activities have been completed. All the rail cars have been moved and staged for product transfers and FRA inspections.  Manual oil recovery activities continue on the west and east sides of the rail line.  Access roads are being constructed on the west and east side of the rail to allow for mechanical oil recovery operations. Night time EPA air monitoring and response activities have been suspended.

11/13/13
Product transfer from damaged cars to frac tanks began during the afternoon and were completed that evening. An estimated 19,800 gallons of product was removed from one rail car. The access road along the westside of the rail line was completed. Approximately 2,500 bags of absorbent materials have been collected for disposal. Rail reconstruction operations commenced after the product transfer was complete.  Water flushing of the banks and vegetation continue.

11/14/13
Rail reconstruction operations continue 24 hrs a day. Mechanical oil recovery operations began with drum skimmers along the east and west sides of the rail line. Drum skimmers collected 30 barrels (1260 gallons) of oil on the westside of the rail line and 20 barrels (840 gallons) along the eastside of the rail line. Approximately 30 yds of absorbent material was collected today. Crews continue to flush oil from banks and vegetation to central collection points on both sides of the rail line.  Product transfers from damaged cars was ceased for the day due to limited access and will begin again of 11/15/13.

11/18/13
A Clean Water Act 311 C Order was given to Alabama Gulf Coast Railway (AGR) outlining a scope of work and deadlines for completing specific tasks including transferring oil from damaged cars, removal of rail cars from the water, excavate impacted soils, and complete oil recovery operations.

12/9/13
All field activities outlined in the 311 C Order were completed by the required dates. The site entered operation and maintenance (O&M) phase with continued oversight from USEPA and ADEM. O&M included the inspection and changing of absorbent materials surrounding the spill site every two (2) weeks.

3/18/14 -4/12/14 - AGR removed excess soil and rock from the wetland areas and additional petroleum impacted soils near the derailment site. A interceptor trench was installed along the west of the rail tracks south of the culverts to collect oil seeping from railbed and ballasts. The interceptor trench was then gauged during the biweekly inspections and vacuumed when needed.

6/26/14 - OSRO personnel completed high volume low pressure flushing of the sediments of the eastside of the rail tracks to remove residual oil seeping to the surface of the slough.

7/8/14 - A onsite meeting with AGR, EPA, and ADEM was held to inspect the progress of the cleanup. Based on the field observations the following items were agreed upon :
- Absorbent fencing will be removed from both sides of the wetlands.
- Hard boom will be removed from the west side of the Site. Soft boom will remain in place from approximately 20’ south of the second interceptor trench riser to the north end of the Site.
- Hard and soft boom will remain “as is” on the eastern portion of the Site at this time.
- A second interceptor trench will be installed on the east side of the tracks in the vicinity of grid A-8 (north of culverts). Interceptor trench will be installed in a similar manner to the one installed on the west side and will be approximately 60’ in length.
- Impacted material in the vicinity of the new trench will be disposed of offsite.
- Stained surface soils on the west side of the tracks adjacent to the interceptor trench will be removed and disposed of offsite.
- EnviroScience will distribute the latest surface water sampling results. Based on a review of the results by ADEM, a reduction or elimination of sampling will be evaluated.

7/14/14 - ADEM reviewed the surface water sampling and determined that further surface sampling is not required, however if additional intrusive work is required to remediate residual oil additional surface water sampling may be required.

8/11/14 - A second interceptor trench was installed along the eastside of the rail tracks.

The As of July 24, 2014 the amount of product estimated to have been contained in the 26 tank cars was 748,703 gallons.  Approximately 208,952 gallons were recovered from the tank cars once the fire was extinguished and 11,932 gallons were skimmed from the surface water.

2/18/2015 - EPA, ADEM, CTEH, and AGR personnel met on-site to conduct a walk through and evaluate current site conditions. The water level in the swamp area has risen from the previous site walk. No visible oil was observed on the surface water along the track bed. No recoverable oil was detected in the interceptor trenches installed along the east and west side of the railbed. Based on the site conditions during the site walk the following recommendations were agreed upon by EPA, ADEM, and AGR personnel:

· - The remaining soft boom on the west side of the Site will be removed, excluding a small section in front of the culverts.
- Absorbent boom on the east side will be removed from all sections excluding the area adjacent to the eastern interceptor trench (approximately 75 feet) and the area where sheen was observed south of the culverts (approximately 75 feet).
- The boom remaining onsite will be limited to a semi-circle along the edges of the roadbed.
- All pom-poms will be removed.
- No additional fluids will be removed from the interceptor trenches at this time.
- EnviroScience will draft a letter to the USACE for project completion.
- An Inspection will be conducted in April of 2015 by EnviroScience/CTEH to check Site Conditions.
- A follow up Site meeting will be conducted in May with all parties to determine if any further action is needed.

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

Genesse & Wyoming Rail
DBA - Alabama Gulf Coast Railway (AGR)
201 19th Street North
Columbus, Mississippi 39701

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

*Waste Stream*	*Medium*	*Quantity*	*Manifest #*	*Treatment*	*Disposal*

2.2 Planning Section

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

Continue with O&M of booms and absorbent materials.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

2.2.2 Issues

2.3 Logistics Section