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Huntington Beach Channel Oil Spill

 
Site Contact:
Robert Wise
OSC

(wise.robert@epa.gov)

Site Location:
21900 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Huntington Beach, CA 92656
 response.epa.gov/HBoil

On Friday, January 22, 2010, the Orange County Public Works (OCPW) discovered an oil spill in the Huntington Beach Channel, a sheet piled lined flood control channel that drains to the Talbert wetlands and the Pacific Ocean. The source of the spill is unknown. The OCPW has contracted a response contractor and is funding the cleanup. From January 22 until January 27, 2010, the U.S. Coast Guard provided the Federal On-Scene Coordinator. On January 27, 2010, after making the determination that the spill was in the inland zone, Coast Guard transitioned the the Federal On-Scene Coordinator to the U.S. EPA. EPA is currently action as the FOSC for the Unified Command which includes California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), Huntington Beach Fire Department (HBFD) and OCPW.

FOSC Robert Wise has opened an FPN for the site. The U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team has been deployed to provided technical assistance to the OSC.


inside the cleanout inside the cleanout Inside the cleanout Inside the cleanout Inside the cleanout The cleanout for the lateral from the clarifier to the storm drain. The cleanout for the lateral from the clarifier to the storm drain. The cleanout The cleanout Cleanout outside the facility fence. Pumping the clarifier full of slurry to close it. Pumping the clarifier full of slurry to close it. Pumping the clarifier full of slurry to close it. Closing the outfall to the storm drain before pumping the clarifer full of slurry. Closing the outfall to the storm drain. Inside the shroud. inside the shroud. Inside the shroud Inside the shroud Inside the shroud The outfall to the storm drain after the shroud was removed. The shroud after it has been removed. Not the heavy oiling on the outside and the inside. The outfall to the storm drain w/o the shroud. Cutting the shroud over the outfall to the storm drain. Removing the shroud over the outfall to the storm drain. Removing the shroud over the outfall to the storm drain. Inside the north clarifier. Water overflow pipe from the tank farm coming into clarifier. Connection cut by EPA and Angus. The water overflow pipe from the tank farm after it was severed from the clarifier. The water overflow pipe was held in place by wood wedges. The vent pipe on the top of the shroud covering the opening from the clarifier to the storm drain. Note the oil staining at the interface. The vent pipe and the shroud covering the opening to the storm drain. The vent pipe on the shroud covering the entrance from the clarifier to the storm drain. The vent pipe on the shroud covering the entrance from the clarifier to the storm drain. The water overflow line from the tank farm into the clarifier. Pad put in place because during cutting it leaked oily water. The water overflow line from the tank farm into the clarifier. Pad put in place because during cutting it leaked oily water. The water overflow line from the tank farm into the clarifier. Pad put in place because during cutting it leaked oily water. The elbow from the water overflow discharge line from the tank farm. Note the oil on the walls and the lip of the clarfier. Oil was tacky. The northern most clarifier opening. Note the oil splattering. The elbow of the water overflow line from the tank farm into the clarifier. The elbow of the water overflow line from the tank farm into the clarifier and the lib of the inlet from cellar A. Close up of the inlet from Cellar B in the clarifier. Note the heavy oil contamination. Inside the northern most chamber of the clarifier. The opening on the right is Cellar B, the opening on the left is Cellar A and the pipe elbow is the water overflow from the tank farm. Inside the northern most chamber of the clarifier. The opening on the right is Cellar B, the opening on the left is Cellar A and the pipe elbow is the water overflow from the tank farm. EPA ERRS contractor cleaning the clarifier. EPA ERRS contractors examing the clarifier in preparation to lift off the manways. The water overflow pipe from the tank farm before it enters the clarifier. The 18 The 18' outfall pipe to the storm drain from the clarifier. The clarifier after the top manway segments have been removed. The clarifier after being excavated. Valve at the end of Cellar A. Cellar A Cellar A Cellar Grate Leaking pipe discovered in Tank farm during SPCC inspection. Evidence of leaks around the tank base ring in Tank farm during SPCC inspection. Oily drainage culvert in the tank farm during SPCC inspection. Oil drainage culvert in the Tank Farm during the SPCC inspection. Oiled overflow catchment on a tank during the SPCC inspection. Angus Petroleum Tank Farm Ocean Blue pressure washing of the sheet piling using the paint chip catcher. Ocean Blue pressure washing of the sheet piling using the paint chip catcher. Ocean Blue pressure washing of the sheet piling using the paint chip catcher. Ocean Blue pressure washing of the sheet piling using the paint chip catcher. Decontamination of the channel using the paint chip catcher. A pelican flying over the channel. Oily water in the Sand Interceptor clarifer in the tank farm. Sand Interceptor clarifier near the entrace to the tank farm. Sand Interceptor near the entrance to tank facility. Note oil line around outfall pipee. Sand Interceptor near the entrance to the tank farm. Note the oil ring on the wall. Sand Interceptor near the entrance of the tank farm. Angus facility Gate to the Angus facility. Southeast corner of the Angus facility. Intersection of Delaware and Adams where underground system turns from Adams onto Delaware. Looking at the 96 Inserting the camera into the storm drain. The camera in the underground system. Note the oil and sheen on the water in the storm drain. The camera in the underground system. Looking down the manhole into the underground. Note the shimmer of sheen in the bottom. Contractor inserting the camera into the storm drain on Delaware. Begining to insert the camera into the underground system on Delaware. Camera placement on Delaware. The National Plant Services camera truck set up on the manhole. Oil on the walls in the underground system. Oil on the water in the underground system. Oil in the underground system. Ocean Blue conducting a permit required confined space entry into the underground system. Ocean Blue preparing to make an entry into the underground system. Ocean Blue preparing to make an entry into the underground system. Ocean Blue preparing to go down the manhole. Topside at underground assessment. Ocean Blue's work barge and booming in the channel. Note the oil and sheen in the water. Ocean Blue cleaning one of the overpasses over the channel. Ocean Blue cleaning the walls of an overpass over the channel. Ocean Blue cleaning the corrugated sheet piling. Ocean Blue's cleanup operations in the channel. A sheet pile cleaning station. Note the oil and heavy sheen in the water. Ocean Blue pressure washing the sheet piling. Cleaning sheet pile. U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team conducting oversight of Ocean Blue's operations. Note oil and heavy sheen in the water. Oil and oily debris entrained behind sorbent boom. U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team conducting oversight operations. The interface between decontaminated sheet pile and oiled sheet pile. Ocean Blue pressure washing the sheet piling. Ocean Blue pressure washing the sheet piling. Sheet piling decontamination oil containment booms. Oiled sheetpile. Booming in the channel south of the Alanta Overpass. Booming in the channel. Booming in the channel. Oiled channel just before the Indianapolis Street Bridge. Note oiled sheet pile. Outfall into the channel. Oiled sheet pile. Oil entrained behind a boom. Oil entrained behind a boom. Ocean Blue cleaning sheet pile. A work barge. Deconing the sheet pile. Deconing the sheet pile. Multiple cleanup stations in the channel. Decon of the sheet pile. Decontamination activities in the channel. Work barge in the channel. Heavy oil in the channel and on the sheet pile. Oiling on sheet piling. Boom in the channel. Note oiling on sheet pile. Passive bird hazing. Passive bird hazing. Outfalls from city pumping station. Ocean Blue placing boom. Boom south of Alanta Bridge. Boom in the channel. Oil on the sheet piling north of Edwards. Channel Channel at the Support Zone. Skimmed oil collection tanks. Sheen on the channel. Heavy sheen entrained behind the boom. Boom behind the trailer park. Boom in the channel. The channel along the mobile home park. Boom north of the Edwards bridge. Collection of oil on the surface behind the trailer park. Collection of surface oil on the water using a vac truck. Boom at Edwards bridge. Boom at Edwards bridge. Collection of oil on the surface near the Edwards bridge.
For additional information, visit the Pollution/Situation Report (Pol/Sitreps) section.