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Department of Ecology News Release - August 15, 2007
07-229
OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) has levied a $10,000 fine against U.S. Oil and Refining Co. for a leaking pipeline that saturated the ground at its refinery near Blair Waterway in Tacoma.
On Aug. 10, 2005, a Tacoma city employee reported stained soil along the pipeline corridor from the refinery to the marine terminal. At the time, an oil transfer was under way and an investigation was held off until the transfer was finished. The pipeline was excavated, and a hairline crack was discovered in the 16-inch crude oil line. About 6,552 gallons of crude oil were recovered from this location.
A year earlier in Aug. 2004, a three-inch jet fuel line was discovered to be corroded and leaking fuel through a small hole eventually saturating the ground. Seven recovery wells were installed and monitored for leaking oil. Over the next year, more than 13,700 gallons of jet fuel were captured and another 378 gallons was recovered through excavation.
U.S. Oil is in the tideflats within the Port of Tacoma. Depending on the time of year, the water table below the refinery and its pipelines ranges from one to two feet below the surface to eight to 12 feet. Therefore, leaks from buried pipelines can potentially contaminate groundwater at least six to 10 months a year.
In addition to the penalty, Ecology is requiring U.S. Oil to provide a schedule for replacing the pipelines from the refinery to the marine terminal and to clearly identify all buried pipelines and have them inspected and certified fit for service by Dec. 2007.
The order addresses the risk of future pipeline leaks similar to the ones that occurred in 2004 and 2005.
U.S. Oil is regulated under the state's Oil Spill Contingency Plan requirements and Facility Oil Handling Standards rules.
"All pipelines are subject to annual pressure hydro-tests," said Chip Boothe, Ecology's spills prevention section manager. "That doesn't eliminate the possibility of an oil spill, but careful examination of all the pipelines and replacing them as needed will prevent most spills from happening."
U.S. Oil can contest the penalty by either filing an Application for Relief to Ecology or an appeal to the Pollution Control Hearings Board no later than 30 days from the date of notification.
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Media Contact: Mary-Ellen Voss, Communications, phone 360-407-7211, pager 360-956-8296
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
