OSC Adams and START were mobilized on July 1, 2010 to the US Oil Recovery site in Pasadena, Tx in response to a call by Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services (HCPHES) to the National Response Center (NRC 946255) and a call by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to the EPA Hotline. The site is located at 400 N Richey, Pasadena, Tx, with an affiliation called MCC (USOR#2) located at 200 N. Richey, Pasadena, Tx. OSC Adams activated ERRS on July 2, 2010 for additional response resources. Concerns are based on severe weather causing overflow of on-site containers and containments flowing into the adjacent Vince Bayou. The response effort stabilized the site by container assessment, segregation, and organizing; containment and mitigation of offsite migration of hazardous substances from overflow and leaking of site containments and the parking area; and the disposal of recovered hazardous substances. This response was completed on August 2, 2010, and the site was left in the hands of the Receivership.
A second incident was reported to the National Response Center (NRC #959001) on November 4, 2010 by HCPHES for an ongoing discharge from the facility into Vince Bayou. The TCEQ was contacted to confirm site condition. TCEQ contacted the EPA on November 8, 2010 after visiting the site a few times and requested further EPA assistance. OSC Adams was activated along with START and ERRS contractors to respond to the new incident on November 8, 2010. This incident involves damaged containers in the warehouse and the overflow and offsite migration of hazardous substances from the US Oil Recovery facility containments into Vince bayou.
On February 3, 2011 START was contacted by OSC Adams to conduct a site visit at USOR due to recent rain events and forecasts for additional rainfall. Upon arrival to the site START documented less than 1-inch of free-board within both the North and South Tank Farms, approximately 2-inches of free-board within Bay 36, and approximately 2-inches of freeboard within Bay 48. Based on site conditions and weather forecast, OSC Adams tasked START to transfer liquids from the North Tank Farm into Bay 34 for temporary storage until a response action could be conducted. On February 5, 2011 START and ERRS contractors mobilized to the site to conduct a pump down of the liquids contained within the North and South Tank Farms and Bay 36.
START-3 returned to the USOR property in late February and in early March 2011 under the direction of EPA OSC Adams to conduct environmental sampling of off-site soil, sediment, surface water, and waste to support the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) package being prepared under a separate Technical Direction Document (TDD). START-3 additionally conducted site visits to the properties in April, May, June, and July, August, and September 2011 under the direction of the EPA OSC to check the status of the Site.
