Officials with Allied Terminals are still struggling to deal with the aftermath of the disastrous collapse of a storage tank at their Chesapeake, Va., site (GM Nov. 17, p. 12). The spill released 2 million gallons of fertilizer that flooded a nearby community, raised concerns over river pollution, and brought to the scene a full compliment of federal and state inspectors.
The reason why the structure came apart while it was being worked on Nov. 12 is still being investigated. Residents returned to their homes after leaving when the liquid ammonium nitrate flowed down their streets and into their yards. No one was available at Allied’s corporate office in Norfolk to explain how the loss will affect the companies that own the fertilizer.
At the same time, Kinder Morgan reported virtually no impact on operations at its terminal in Wilmington, N.C., where another tank with 2.5 million gallons of liquid fertilizer started leaking Nov. 7. KM officials there said the quick response minimized environmental damage and reduced product loss to a minimum.
Recovery efforts at Chesapeake were joined by three private cleanup companies plus a small army of federal and state inspectors. Local fire department spokesman Steve Johnson counted nearly a half dozen agencies on the scene, including EPA, Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. and state public health services. “It’s almost easier to figure out who wasn’t there,” Johnson remarked. He told the local press that with a million gallons contained inside a berm and 800,000 gallons scooped up by vacuum trucks, about 200,000 gallons of liquid fertilizer remains unaccounted for.
Johnson said a top priority for cleanup crews was flushing out streets, ditches, and drains in South Hill across from the terminal, where the liquid fertilizer flowed after the tank collapse. Approximately 30 people left their homes voluntarily, he reported, and the company paid for 20 of them to spend three nights a local hotel. Allied opened a dialogue with residents at a face-to-face meeting, where the main concerns were whether it could happen again and if there could be side effects from the spill, despite assurances from health authorities that UAN fertilizer was harmless except when ingested.
But state and federal environmental inspectors said while the fertilizer poses no serious risks to humans, it could cause problems in the Elizabeth River, where an undetermined quantity of the fertilizer flowed after the release. “The fertilizer contains ammonia and nitrogen, both of which have the potential to pollute the water,” said Bill Hayden with the Virginia DEQ. “The nitrogen should not be a problem this time of year, but the ammonia can be toxic to fish and other creatures in the water. So now we have to wait and see how much of the fertilizer got into the river.”
The release at Kinder Morgan’s Wilmington terminal came from a crack in the tank’s floor, but the cause still hasn’t been pinned down. Terminal Manager Bruce Kirk told Green Markets the floor is undergoing an internal X-ray scan, which should disclose any thin spots left by corrosion. “We’ll probably be going in and replacing at least the outer parts or possibly the whole floor,” Kirk commented.
Kirk said that fortunately the leak was discovered at almost the instant it happened by an employee making the rounds of the terminal. Despite occurring at quitting time on a Friday afternoon, he said KM was able to quickly marshal the equipment, including four vacuum trucks, a front-end loader and backhoe, and personnel needed to handle the situation. Being able to transfer product to other tanks plus a barge with about 400,000 gallon holding capacity saved the day, Kirk reported.
Final figures aren’t available yet, but Kirk estimates that less than 300 tons are unaccounted for. He said that amount can be replaced, meaning that the six owners won’t suffer any loss. Owner interests typically are co-mingled, and Kirk said he was unable to divulge any names of customers.
Indications are that the environmental impact has been minimized. Kinder Morgan reported that after getting aerators on the water to dilute the product, creek levels have tested within safe limits and no fish kill has been seen. Since much of the lost product is believed to have soaked into the ground in the berm area, a secondary dike was built to stockpile soils, which will be donated to farmers – with permission from USDA and the state DEQ. In fact, Kirk revealed he’s already had several calls from parties eager to get the fertilizer-rich material.