NEW YORK – Interagency pollution response operations continue for numerous areas throughout New York and New Jersey with environmental threats caused by Hurricane Sandy.
A Hurricane Sandy Pollution Response Unified Command has been established with the U.S. Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The unified command has created branches, divisions and task forces to safely and efficiently respond to these impacted areas.
Responders with the unified command are assessing affected areas and environmentally sensitive areas for pollution and hazardous materials. The assessments will be used to appropriately respond to the identified areas of pollution.
Below is the current response information for each site as of Nov. 6, 2012:
Motiva Enterprises spill in Sewaren, N.J.
- Coast Guard oversight continues for the Motiva led response operations.
- Shoreline reconnaissance teams are on scene conducting land and air assessments daily.
- Product and water is being recovered by vacuum trucks from the secondary containment area and pumped into a separate onsite storage tank.
- Contractors are taking the initiative to examine a sheen coming from the Buckeye facility and deploying boom on scene.
- Skimmers and vacuum trucks are operating on Smith’s creek.
- 14,800 feet of boom has been deployed.
- There are 150 responders on scene.
- As a precaution against potential oil impact, per the area contingency plan, special attention is being given to Mill Creek due to it’s environmental sensitivity.
Phillips 66 Refinery spill in Linden, N.J.
- Coast Guard oversight continues for the Phillips 66 led response operations.
- As of Nov. 6, 2012 the response organization has recovered 3,696 gallons of oil or approximately 50 percent of the oil.
- Approximately 7,770 gallons of fuel was reportedly spilled.
Kinder Morgan spill in Carteret, N.J.
- Coast Guard oversight continues of Kinder Morgan led response operations at the Carteret Terminal.
- Approximately 9,996 gallons of biodiesel was reportedly spilled.
- Currently rebuilding containment wall around the tanks.
- As of Nov. 6, 2012 the response organization has recovered 1,279,992 gallons of a product/water mixture. This volume is primarily water and was recovered from the tank containment area, not the environment.
