Background: On March 30,
at approximately 2:15am, a tanker truck operated by A&S Garcia
Trucking, LLC, rolled over into a roadside ditch south of the Castle Pines Parkway
exit after a collision with another vehicle on southbound
Interstate 25. The tanker truck had a maximum storage capacity of approximately
9,000 gallons of diesel fuel in two 4,500 gallon compartments. One of the compartments was
damaged in the accident and leaked approximately 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel,
which spilled into a dry ditch adjacent to the
road. There is an un-named creek with flowing water nearby that flows to Rueter-Hess Reservoir, approximately
3 miles downstream, which is a drinking water source for the Town of Parker.
The spill is currently contained in the dry ditch with earthen berms constructed
to prevent oil from reaching the un-named creek.
The interstate was closed for a time due to the accident,
and traffic was diverted around the scene until the
highway was reopened around 8:15 AM, once the tractor truck and trailer were recovered.
State, Local and other Federal
Agency Actions and Roles: The Colorado Highway
Patrol and South Metro Fire Department are on site and have contained the
diesel within the dry ditch. The RP is deploying equipment and vacuum truck to
remove the diesel and clean up the spill.
EPA Actions and Roles:
On March 30, R8 deployed one EPA OSC. The OSC is
providing oversight of the response, including issuing a Notice of Federal
Interest and working to develop a plan for the removal of product and
contaminated soils. An FPN has been opened with the Oil Spill Liability Trust
Fund for this incident.
At the direction of the OSC within Unified Command, the RP’s contractor
worked to remove diesel fuel in the overturned truck, recovered and removed the
tractor-trailer. The highway mostly reopened by Saturday afternoon. Mass
balance indicates that the initial estimate of 2,500 gallons spilled was
accurate.
Free product within the ditch has been vacuumed out and/or solidified
with absorbents. After permits were issued, a utility locate was completed, and
traffic control measures replaced on Saturday afternoon, contaminated saturated
soil was excavated Saturday evening and encapsulated in poly sheeting in
stockpiles on site to prevent migration due to potential precipitation until it
can be removed for proper disposal or treatment. The remaining threat to nearby
WOTUS has been mitigated with the source areas contained, and an interceptor
trench and sufficient sorbent booms installed as a hedge against any migration
through the remaining soils near the rollover location. Response resources were
demobilized on Sunday.
The EPA OSC is now working with CSP and Colorado Department of
Transportation (CDOT) to transition the site back to the state for oversight of
the soil removal, rehabilitation of the site, and revegetation under their
cleanup authorities.
