Oil Michigan. Spill Cleanup

Transcription

1 Oil Michigan Spill Cleanup Update by MDNRE During the early morning hours of Monday, July 26, 2010, residents along the Talmadge Creek near Marshall were awakened by a strong smell of petroleum. While investigating reports of a possible gas leak, Consumers Energy workers discovered crude oil flowing in the Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. Further investigation revealed the source of the oil to be a rupture in a 30 inch pipeline owned and operated by Enbridge Energy Partners, Inc. Known as the Lakehead Pipeline, Line 6b, the pipeline carries oil from storage and refinery areas near Gary, Indiana across Michigan and to Sarnia, Ontario. Initial estimates revealed the volume of crude oil spilled to be approximately 819,000 gallons. Later, when the leak area was excavated, it was found that the oil had leaked from an approximately four foot long longitudinal crack in the pipeline. Immediately, the USEPA, MDNRE and Enbridge Energy personnel responded. The strong smell of crude oil and volatile hydrocarbon fumes permeated the air for miles between Marshall and Battle Creek. Over 30 residences near the Talmadge Creek and in areas along the Kalamazoo River where crude oil accumulated were evacuated. Inverted pipe dams and containment boom were installed in the creek and in the Kalamazoo River immediately downstream of the confluence in an attempt to contain the oil. Vacuum Trucks were rushed to the site to remove the oil as quickly as possible. With creek and river flows swollen from recent heavy rainfall and oil two or more feet deep in the creek, however, the flow of it to the Kalamazoo River could not be prevented. In the first 24 hours of the response, resources were mobilized at a staggering rate. Containment boom, vacuum trucks, skimmers and oil absorbent materials were brought to the area to contain and remove the oil. Within hours of the discovery of the spill, however, black oil was pouring over the Ceresco Dam, nearly six miles downstream of the Talmadge Creek, and could be seen in Battle Creek, over 15 miles downstream. By the third day, a sheen from the spilled oil was flowing into Morrow Lake just upstream of the City of Kalamazoo, over 35 miles downstream. Implementation of ICS On day four of the response, the USEPA, in their lead role for response oversight, implemented the Incident Command process. This process was instrumental in organizing and directing the equipment and human resources needed for an effective response and cleanup. A Unified Command, made up of federal, state, local, and Enbridge officials, was put into place to assist in directing and facilitating the work that would be required to respond to the spill. At the peak of the response, the organization involved in the cleanup grew to over 2,000 workers. This included staff from USEPA, Enbridge Energy, MDNRE, as well as consultants, contractors, and supporting agencies. The cleanup equipment and supplies brought in to accomplish the cleanup were equally unimaginable. At the peak of the response, approximately 175,000 feet of containment and absorbent boom was deployed on nearly three-dozen locations along the Kalamazoo River. Nearly 250 watercrafts, including more than 80 airboats, were used to assist with the cleanup. Hundreds of roll-off boxes and frac tanks were required to contain and process winter

2 Remediation activities at Talmadge Creek. the contaminated material and water that were removed. Heavy excavating equipment was brought to the site from throughout the Midwest to remove oil-saturated soil along the 2.5 miles of Talmadge Creek. At one point in the cleanup, a heavy-lift helicopter was used to lower excavating equipment to a remote floodplain area along the Kalamazoo River, then remove the contaminated soil in 1,000 pound bags. Talmadge Creek Areas surrounding the pipeline leak and Talmadge Creek consist primarily of wetlands. These areas, already saturated from recent heavy rains and high water, were now inundated with oil. Inverted pipe dams, installed to contain oil in Talmadge Creek, further increased the area of wetland that was affected. Extensive excavation of these wetlands was necessary to remove oil and impacted soils. A network of over four miles of wooden mat roads was constructed in the source area and along Talmadge Creek to provide access for the heavy equipment needed to perform this work. Vacuum trucks and absorbent materials were used to remove pockets of oil and oily water. Excavating equipment was used to remove impacted soils along the entire 2.5 affected miles of the creek to its confluence with the Kalamazoo River. By the time the excavation was complete, approximately 100,000 cubic yards of oil contaminated soil and debris was removed and processed off site for disposal. Joint Expo 2011 To keep you warm and dry, the Radisson Hotel Lansing is connected to the Lansing Center via a climate controlled pedway. To keep you connected, high speed wireless Internet is always free. To keep you comfortable, we have both Sleep Number and standard beds available. To help you fuel for the day s program, the Capitol City Grille offers a hot breakfast buffet featuring made to order eggs and omelets. Just $12.95 per person! To keep you fit, we have a state-of-the-art fitness center and indoor heated pool. To help you stay within your budget, take advantage of our special reduced rate of $ for Joint Expo attendees! 111 North Grand Avenue, Lansing, MI MWEA MATTERS: winter 2011 See us on FACEBooK

3 Oil that had accumulated in ponds and sediment along the creek presented additional challenges. In these areas, temporary dams were installed and the creek was pumped to allow for dewatering and excavation of affected sediment. By October 11, over 12 million gallons of oil and water had been removed and processed for off site disposal. Of this, more than 750,000 gallons of oil was shipped to the refinery in Griffith, Indiana. As excavation of areas along Talmadge Creek was completed and cleanup verified, the stream bank and adjacent wetlands underwent initial restoration. Coir logs, made from shredded coconut husks contained in rope webbing, were used to reconstruct the creek banks. Organic soils, imported from wetland mitigation areas in other parts of Michigan, were imported to backfill and partially restore excavated wetlands. Elevations and other data gathered prior to stream bank and wetland excavation helped to assure restoration to original stream width, grades, and contours. Soil erosion measures and seeding were used to stabilize disturbed areas in preparation for the winter and spring months. Final restoration, including re-establishment of native vegetation, will take place when conditions allow in Final restoration and monitoring to assure its effectiveness will go on for many years to come. SCAT Process When the oil spill occurred, water levels in the Kalamazoo River were three to four feet above normal levels. The river flowed over the banks and into floodplain and wetland areas along the river, carrying the thick, black crude oil along with it. As the river levels subsided over the days following the oil spill, pools of oil were left behind in wetland and floodplain areas along the river. As the lighter fractions of the oil volatilized, the remaining crude oil became the consistency of thin roofing tar. Vegetation, trees and brush were left stained and coated with the thick, black oil. As the river levels subsided, oil also found its way into the ground through animal burrows, crawfish holes, worm holes, and any other crevice that provided a conduit into the soil. This oil, confined beneath the ground surface and not exposed to the air, remained in a more liquid form. To address the extensive impacts to the stream banks, floodplains, and wetlands along the Kalamazoo River, a Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) process was implemented to assess and perform primary cleanup activities. SCAT teams were formed and comprised of USEPA, MDNRE, and Enbridge scientists. This process proved to be effective, in addressing stream bank and floodplain cleanup needs in an organized and methodical manner. The SCAT teams first performed an assessment of the entire shoreline along the river. The teams identified areas requiring removal of oiled vegetation removal and other minimally invasive techniques to remove areas of pooled oil. Additional removal techniques used in the primary cleanup generally included removal of pooled oil using absorbent materials. Some minor raking and scraping of affected soils was also used. To help guide cleanup activities during the initial phase of the response, a group of environmental, fish, wildlife and wetland experts was assembled to review and recommend cleanup techniques. This group, known as the Science Team, helped to assure that cleanup techniques were protective of sensitive resources and habitats along the river. This team, renamed the Photography Reece, Syracuse, NY One of two 32 MG tanks for the City of Syracuse, NY; Engineering by CH2M HILL When we broke ground it was sunny, but then, weather can change day to day Good thing weather doesn t slow DYK construction crews down. So, whenever you are ready to break ground, your tank will be built on time to the quality standards DYK is known for. Built to last for over 100 years with little to no maintenance. Owners in New York recently trusted DYK with 94.0 MG of their water. How many gallons can we store for you? Call or visit Building Lifetimes of Value Today winter

4 Environmental Advisory Group, will continue to provide input as additional areas requiring cleanup are identified in the weeks and months ahead. As areas along the river were addressed, SCAT teams reassessed the areas identified for cleanup. Remaining cleanup needs, were performed by hotshot teams, deployed to quickly address all remaining issues. Finally, primary cleanup activities were assessed and sign off completed by USEPA. The primary cleanup phase ended on September 27, 2010, coinciding with the deadline set in the USEPA s administrative order to Enbridge. While significant progress was made to remove visible oil, it became obvious that much work remained. Submerged Oil During the first days of the response, vacuum and skimming equipment operated around the clock to remove oil from Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. On the third day of the response it became apparent that another characteristic of the heavy crude oil would complicate the cleanup. We normally think of oil as being lighter than water. The raw crude oil being pumped through the pipeline when the spill occurred was relatively thick and heavy however. So thick, in fact, that the addition of a natural gas condensate was required to thin it out sufficiently to allow it to be transported through the pipeline. As this condensate volatilized, the raw crude oil left behind became slightly heavier than water. As the oil settled and flowed over dams and through more turbulent areas of the river, it broke apart into small globules, most the size of a grain of rice. These globules made their way quickly throughout river. Wherever the flow of the river slowed, such as behind dams, in river oxbows, and in the delta at the upstream end of Morrow Lake, submerged oil settled and accumulated. Periodically, some of these oil globules surfaced, causing more oil sheen to be visible on the river. The portions of the river most likely to trap submerged oil were first identified through geomorphologic assessments. These depositional areas were then evaluated by crews in boats. The crews stirred the sediment and observed how much oil floated to the surface in order to identify and prioritize areas needing cleanup. The assessments revealed the greatest amounts of submerged oil to be present in areas immediately upstream of the Ceresco Dam, located approximately 6 miles downstream of the where the Talmadge Creek empties into the Kalamazoo River. Dredging techniques were employed to remove this oil. Prior to commencing the dredge operations, silt curtains, floating booms, and absorbent materials were deployed to contain disturbed sediment and oil sheen. A two-acre, lined, laydown area, was constructed using 40 mil HDPE liner overlaid by approximately one foot of stone. Sediment was pumped from the dredging machines to geobags placed in the laydown area. Polymer was mixed with the dredge spoils as they were pumped into the geobags to promote separation of the water from the dredge spoils. Weep water from the geobags was treated using filter bags, clay filters, and finally dual-stage activated carbon 40 MWEA MATTERS: winter 2011 See us on FACEBooK

5 prior to discharge back to the river. During the peak of the dredge operations flow rates of over 900,000 gallons per day were treated by the system. Some areas where submerged oil accumulated were either remote, too shallow to operate dredge equipment, or contained sensitive ecologic features. In these areas, alternative recovery methods, including aeration using small mechanical aerators, as well as high volume, low pressure water flushing, was used to stir the sediment. These agitation techniques released the oil to the surface where it could be collected using absorbent materials. In areas with relatively light accumulations of oil, these techniques proved to be very effective. Wildlife Immediately upon learning of the spill, MDNRE biologists from the Fisheries Division, Wildlife Division and MDNRE Conservation Officers began assisting National Fish and Wildlife staff with the collection and rescue of affected wildlife. Wildlife recovery facilities were set up to provide areas for stabilizing, cleaning, and rehabilitating impacted wildlife. While the most visible of the affected wildlife were geese covered in oil, the largest number of affected species, were turtles. Nearly 2,500 oiled turtles were collected through October and were cleaned and released as long as warm weather allowed. Approximately 485 turtles will be housed over the winter months in specially constructed shelters and then released in the spring. Several other species and their habitat were affected by the spill. In addition to Canada geese and turtles, blue herons, muskrat, ducks, as well as several beaver, were captured, rehabilitated, and released during the first two months after the spill. Medium and Long Term Prospects for Recovery In the months leading up to winter, mop up activities will continue where needed to address any additional areas where oil collected. Containment boom will remain in place until ice in the river makes it impossible to maintain. Over the winter, monitoring of the river and floodplain areas will continue. It is likely that some oil will seep from the river banks, floodplains, wetlands, and areas where submerged oil was deposited, particularly when higher water levels occur due to spring snowmelt and rains. Thanks to the overwhelming response by Enbridge Energy, USEPA, MDNRE and all of the agencies involved however, the amount of oil that remains has been minimized to the extent possible. Soil and groundwater investigation will be conducted in the months and years ahead. Areas along the river that were impacted by oil will be assessed and remediated to assure Michigan s cleanup standards for are met. Drinking water wells will continue to be sampled to assure protection of public health. Wildlife, fisheries, and aquatic life will continue to be monitored in the years to come to evaluate the effects of the spill on these resources. Wetlands and ecosystems affected by the response activities will undergo restoration in an effort to reestablish native populations and prevent the introduction of invasive plant species. Much work remains and the road to complete recovery of the Talmadge Creek, Kalamazoo River, and adjacent areas will be long. But recovery will occur. It has become clear during the initial phases of the response that all the involved parties will continue to work together to finish the necessary work is completed in the years ahead. Total System Responsibility What does it mean for you? Since 1933, you ve trusted Gorman-Rupp to manufacture the best-performing, most durable pumps in the industry. Easy to specify, purchase and install, ReliaSource systems come precisely engineered and completely tested by a company that has been building complete pumping stations for over 40 years. Carefully inspected, they carry an industry-leading warranty. And, most importantly they carry the Gorman-Rupp name - giving you the confidence that your pumping system will stay on the job so you don t have to. VISIT US AT GRpumps.com TO SEE OUR NEWEST RELIASOURCE PACKAGES! winter