Hexion Methanol Spill - U.S. National Response Team (NRT)

Region 4 Regional Response
Team (RRT)
North Carolina
Kenneth Rhame
EPA On Scene Coordinator (OSC)
NC State University
Raleigh NC
919-475
475-73977397 cell
404-562
562-8700 24 hour
800-424
424-8802
NationalResponse Center

NRC Report - Hexion
Incident Report # 890607
INCIDENT DESCRIPTION
*Report taken by: MST2 JAQUELINE ARSENAULT at 21:01 on 20-NOV-08
Incident Type: FIXED
Incident Cause: EQUIPMENT FAILURE
Affected Area:
Incident was discovered on 20-NOV-08 at 19:30 local incident time.
Affected Medium: SUBSURFACE BELOW GROUND
_______________________________________________________________________
REPORTING PARTY
Name: MICHELLE WEST
Organization: HEXION SPECIALTY CHEMICALS
Address: 1141 INDUSTRIAL DRIVE
FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28301
HEXION SPECIALTY CHEMICALS reported for the responsible party.
PRIMARY Phone: (910)9886139
Type of Organization: PRIVATE ENTERPRISE
_______________________________________________________________________
SUSPECTED RESPONSIBLE PARTY
Name: MICHELLE WEST
Organization: HEXION SPECIALTY CHEMICALS
Address: 1141 INDUSTRIAL DRIVE
FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28301
PRIMARY Phone: (910)9886139
________________________________________________________________________
INCIDENT LOCATION
1141 INDUSTRIAL DRIVE County: CUMBERLAND
City: FAYETTEVILLE State: NC Zip: 28301
_______________________________________________________________________
RELEASED MATERIAL(S)
CHRIS Code: MAL Official Material Name: METHYL ALCOHOL
Also Known As:
Qty Released: 0 UNKNOWN AMOUNT
________________________________________________________________________
DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT
AN INVENTORY DISCREPANCY INVESTIGATION REVEALED A RELEASE OF
METHANOL FROM A PROCESS LINE. PRESSURE TESTING CONDUCTED ON THE LINE
FAILED. THE QUANTITY OF METHANOL THAT WAS RELEASED IS UNKNOWN.
________________________________________________________________________
INCIDENT DETAILS
Package: NO
Building ID:
Type of Fixed Object: CHEMICAL FACILITY
Power Generating Facility: NO
Generating Capacity:
______________________________________________________________________
IMPACT
Fire Involved: NO Fire Extinguished: UNKNOWN
INJURIES: NO Hospitalized: Empl/Crew: Passenger:
FATALITIES: NO Empl/Crew: Passenger: Occupant:
EVACUATIONS:NO Who Evacuated: Radius/Area:
Damages: NO
Hours Direction of
Closure Type Description of Closure Closed Closure
N
Air:
N Major
Road: Artery:N
N
Waterway:
N
Track:
Environmental Impact: NO
Media Interest: NONE Community Impact due to Material:
______________________________________________________________________
REMEDIAL ACTIONS
INVESTIGATION IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY; CLEANUP NOT YET BEGUN
Release Secured: YES
Release Rate:
Estimated Release Duration:
______________________________________________________________________
WEATHER
Weather: UNKNOWN, ºF
______________________________________________________________________
ADDITIONAL AGENCIES NOTIFIED
Federal: NONE
State/Local: NONE
State/Local On Scene: NONE
State Agency Number: NONE
_______________________________________________________________________
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
CALLER STATED THAT THIS RELEASE MAY HAVE BEEN OCCURRING SINCE
SEPTEMBER 2008. CALLER INTENDS TO NOTIFY SERC.

• No quantity indicated
• No conditions of the
spill indicated
• No facility capacity for
methanol although
there were 2-500,0002
gallon AST’s s on-site
that were connected to
the pipeline
• No indication of the
Cape Fear River being
impacted
NRC Report

Spill Reporting Issues
• The spill had been
occurring since Sep
2008
• The Reportable Quantity
is 5,000 lbs
• The company thought
the reported losses were
an accounting error
• The Line was pressure
tested within the last
year and passed
• 90% of the line is above
ground and no leaking
was visible

Spill Reporting Issues
• The company could not produce
the spill amount until 24 hours
after the spill was reported
• Once the spill quantity was
reported it was 234,000 gallons
spilled over a three month
period.

Hexion Methanol Spill

Cleanup activities
• The RP is using their
contractor for cleanup
who has been
contracted under the NC
voluntary cleanup
program.
• The contractors
excavated the
underground line and
identified the leak.

Cleanup Activities
• Since the spill was reported over the
weekend sampling could not be completed
for several days
• Using specific weight Hexion, , EPA, and
contractors were able to determine the
percent methanol in the spill area.
• The ditch area was 5 to 7% methanol in
surface water (40 meters from source)
• The spill area was as high as 93% methanol
in groundwater at the source

Cleanup Activities
• The RP bermed the ditch and collected water at the
ditch to ensure no further methanol reached the Cape
Fear River.
• A bypass was installed to divert rainwater around the
ditch to avoid collection of excessive storm water.

Cleanup Activities
• RP contractors installed 4 recovery wells to extract
groundwater around the spill area.
• To date 43,672 gallons of methanol have been
recovered.
• Methanol Concentrations in the ditch are currently
0.92%, the recovery wells are between 11% and 22%.

Conclusion
• Proper investigation of missing methanol
could have prevented thousands of gallons
from reaching the Cape Fear River
• Once the report was made it took a day to
get a actual quantity of released methanol
• The RP is close to a agreement with the
state to put the methanol recovery into
the voluntary cleanup program.

Region 4 Regional Response
Kenneth Rhame EPA On-
Scene Coordinator (OSC)
NC State University
Raleigh NC
919-475
475-73977397 cell
404-562
562-8700 24 hour
800-424
424-8802 National
Response Center
Team (RRT)
North Carolina

INCREASING NUMBER OF
ABANDONED FACILITIES?
A EPA Emergency Response or Removal was
conducted at these abandoned Facilities in North
Carolina last year.
• Component Concepts
• Beasley Lumber Company
• Fieldcrest Cannon Plant #7
• Whiten Roberts Plant #2
• Enfield Transformer
• Superior Products
Due to economic hard times, we could see an increased
number of bankrupt facilities.

COMPONENT CONCEPTS
North Carolina DENR Division of Waste Referred the Site
to US EPA after several failed attempts of contacting the
responsible parties. The Site is Stridemark, , LLC (d/b/a(
Component Concepts) known locally as Component
Concepts. Component Concepts had entered into a
"voluntary bankruptcy" with Fifth Third Bank and
recently closed operations at its 200 Mason Way facility,
located in Thomasville, NC.

MIXING ROOM
A residential neighborhood was located
within 1500 feet from this facility.

DRUMS BEHIND LOADING
DOCK DOOR

FROZEN-BULGING DRUM

LOADING DOCK -
ICE FORMING

DRUMS IN BOILER ROOM

TOTE ON MAIN FLOOR

BEASLEY LUMBER
COMPANY
• Beasley Lumber Company went bankrupt
20 years ago. Metal scrapping thieves in
an attempt to steal two metal above
ground storage tanks (15,000 gallons
each) released #6 oil to a ditch that is a
tributary to the Roanoke River. Estimated
release was 6,000 gallons.

15,000 Gallon Above Ground Storage Tank
Tree was shoved into the drain hole by local
fire dept to contain the spill.

Absorbent Boom Placed Downstream
Creek flowed behind a bird Sanctuary (Sylvan
Heights).

Oiled Wood Duck
Oiled Creek

Oiled Ditch
Oiled Ditch prior to entering creek.

FIELDCREST CANNON
PLANT #7
• Approximately 15,000 gallons of fuel
oil and 3,000 gallons of pcb tranformer
oil spilled at an abandoned Fieldcrest
Cannon Plant. Release is believed to
have been caused by copper thieves
stealing copper pipe from the
transformer and boiler room. Spill
impacted a small drainage ditch that is
a tributary to the Yadkin River.

Fieldcrest Cannon Plant #7
Abandoned Facility in Salisbury NC.

Absorbent Boom
Oiled Ditch

Stockpile of pcb Contaminated Soil
3,000 gallons of pcb (1,300 ppm) ) oil was spilled
when thieves stole copper from the transformers.

Unknown Material
Some unknown material was also left behind
when the facility closed.

Bedding
Homeless were accessing the facility for
shelter and potentially exposing themselves to
asbestos.

WHITEN ROBERTS PLANT 2
• EPA, at the request of the NCDER Hazwaste
Section responded to a facility in Sanford,
NC where 35 abandoned drums/containers
were discovered. Several drums were
identified as leaking. Multiple fires have
occurred at the facility believed to have
been caused by metal thieves using torches
to steel metal. Residential neighborhood
located across the street.

Whiten Roberts Plant 2
Bankrupt Facility in Sanford, NC.

Drums of Unknown Waste Left Behind
Various unknowns left behind in leaking
containers.

TOWN OF ENFIELD
TRANSFORMER SPILL
• Copper Thieves caused a release of
approximately 600 gallons of transformer
oil containing 274 parts per million
polychlorinated biphenyls (pcb(
pcb’s).

Superior Products
• Tank Thieves began overturning ASTs
releasing contents (oils, solvents, acids) to
surface soils.
• Creek ran adjacent to the facility
• Thieves claimed that they were the
property owner and signed NOFI and
access agreement.

Superior Products

Approximately 15,000 Gallons of
Various Hazardous Substances and
Oils Released

Current Economic Conditions
• More Bankrupt Facilities
• More Spills Due to Facilities Making Cut-
Backs on Maintenance and Personnel
• Disgruntled Former (Laid-Off) Employees
Vandalizing Former Employer