EPA situation report, October 19, 2012
Steven Noble MDEQ - WRD Enbridge Response Unit
Brief history of the spill Monitoring Monitoring the impacts Follow the oil The Current Situation A Look at the Future
Heavy rainfall during 48 hours previous - 4 inches Water soaked soils allowed oil to easily run overland to Talmadge Creek. Talmadge and the Kalamazoo were out of their banks enhanced flow of oil Point of rupture soft muck soils Very little resistance Failure by Enbridge to shut down the system Continued to pressurize ( up to 500 PSI) the system for 17 hours after initial alarms.
Canadian Tar Sands Oil Asphaltic material Mixed with a diluent to allow it to be pumped.
Physical removal of the crude. Time of very high water 25/50 year flood event Material became like peanut butter Impacted how it moved down the river Being asphaltic it sank to the bottom of the river Stuck to vegetation in overbank areas and wetlands.
Removal Actions
Talmadge Creek initial removal
Removal Along the Kalamazoo River
Summary of the Impact Two miles of creek; thirty seven miles river; three impoundments involving medium to high quality wetlands.
Primary methods ongoing analysis Quantitative Water sampling & analysis Soil sampling and analysis Biological diversity assessments Qualitative Poling Erosion tours Situational awareness
Surface Water: 28 locations & standard analyte package 2200 samples to date Sampled on a quarterly basis No excedences since mid-2011 for organics Metals are an ongoing problem 4 metals determined to be related to Line 6 B oil Nickel, Vanadium, Molybdenum, Iron Also naturally occurring May 2012- MDEQ allowed reduction in locations.
Investigation of Talmadge Creek and Kalamazoo River Gave a snap shot of contaminants remaining. Formed the basis for additional removal action(s). Current Situation Post excavation samples collected. Additional work completed in the source area Data review Periodic walk overs Visual observation of the impacts to the creek
Ongoing core collection in the overbank areas along 37 miles of river. Samples from cores analyzed for target contaminants Approximately 40% complete Fingerprinting of Line 6B oil in samples: allows definition of background oil. Background metals investigation
Identify any areas of concern Groundwater Areas needing additional investigation Remediation Toxicity assessments
Two layers of monitoring Restoration of impacted areas Biological surveys Erosion Movement of the oil in the river system Submerged oil monitoring
Fall 2010 ( 60 days after the spill) Sample collection at 5 locations One background and four in impacted areas All locations on Talmadge Creek and Kalamazoo River showed signs of impact. Unclear if impacts were from the oil or the physical disturbance. Talmadge Creek: Abundance and diversity reduced; severe habitat disturbance (overbank areas) Kalamazoo River: Abundance and diversity reduced due to severe habitat disturbance, sedimentation problems, bank erosion (boat traffic).
Summer 2011 (13 months after the spill) Talmadge Creek- Increased diversity in areas altered by clean up. Creek channel open more sunlight Increased macroinvertibrate diversity compared to upstream Sheen and oil noted during survey Ongoing toxicological impacts?
Kalamazoo River- Abundance and diversity improved compared to 2010. Ongoing work continues to cause impacts Boat traffic impacting restoration of communities Riffles and pools impacted Increased sediment movement and deposition a problem Sheen and oil noted during survey Toxicologcal impacts?
August 2012 (draft) Talmadge Creek Second round of response work disturbed 2 miles of creek (winter 2011-12) Restored creek much better habitat compared to 2011 Visual surveys showed good restoration Critical habitat restored
Quarterly monitoring tours 80+ areas of impact associated with activities related to spill. Stream banks River banks Shore lines Each rated on a scale of 1-5. Why monitor? water quality; sedimentation; habitat restoration Tour #9 (Sept 2012) 58 Locations remain on the list
Submerged oil assessment 6 month intervals poling provides a qualitative assessment of the oil remaining in the system and its movement. Sediment is disturbed using a standard size disc on a pole and the sheen and oil globules are counted.
Identified in the summer biodiversity survey as being a problem. Oil has an affinity for certain sediment types. Material is heavier than water so it sinks.
In-channel sampling device Collects suspended sediment Placed at two depths 6-12 below surface < 12 above sediment (river bottom) Set in pairs Monitored monthly Samples & analyzed when sufficient volume is present Analyzed for oil related materials
Fancy name for a mason jar in a cement block Placed in locations of known sediment deposition Monitored weekly then monthly to assess rate of sediment/oil accumulation. Sampled when sufficient volume is collected in the jars Fingerprinting of the Line 6B Oil Good indicator of sediment movement along the river.
Identifies locations where sediment may deposit and or erode Modeling scenarios Low flow conditions- summer 2012 Annual high water conditions Mobilizes some material and moves it downstream 25 -year flood conditions Can mobilize new material from overbank areas 100 -year flood conditions
Sediment Traps Natural deposition areas Backwater channels Enhanced by man-made structures Christmas tree structures Monitored on a weekly basis after installation Qualitative assessment
Installed to stop movement of submerged oil Weekly review of sediment build up at the curtains. Poling on either side of the curtain Indicates if sediment and/or oil is being captured Video review of the condition of the curtain Big concern for most containment is the potential for adverse effects (backwater effect) after large rain events River can fluctuate by feet after heavy rains
Lots 0f data review: Only a small portion of data has been submitted to agency. Seasonal issues EPA Draft Removal Order containment & removal Final restoration of Talmadge Creek Investigation of the river
Issued October 2012 by US EPA Requires Enbridge to contain and eventually remove submerged oil in three areas of interest: Ceresco Impoundment Mill Ponds at Battle Creek Morrow Lake and the Morrow Lake Delta