Incident Name: Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge
Subject: Report - Final
Incident Date: 3/13/1995
Incident Location: Grand Chenier, Louisiana
Author: Ilene Byron
Latitude: 29°32 N
Longitude: 92°5 W
USCG District: 8
Product: natural gas and condensate
Type: 1
Volume: 40 barrels
Source:pipeline
RAR: Fish: redfish, garfish Birds: waterfowl, shorebirds Reptiles:
alligators Terrestrial Mammals: deer, raccoon, muskrat Management Areas:
Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge
Dispersants: No
Bioremediation: No
In-Situ Burning: Yes
Special Interest Topic(s): brackish marsh
Shoreline Type(s) Impacted: in-situ burning operations, air monitoring,
ecological and chemical monitoring studies being conducted
Summary: At 1830 on March 13, 1995, the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge,
six miles east-southeast of Grand Chenier, Louisiana, was notified of
a possible leak at the Price Lake Unit. Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries and Mobil pipeline personnel surveyed the area and identified
the leak on March 14. The pipeline was shut down at that time and the
pipeline finished bleeding down on March 17. Approximately 40 barrels
of residual condensate oil contaminated approximately 55 acres of difficult-access
marsh lands. An in-situ marsh burn was initiated on March 17 to remove
the condensate on the marsh and facilitate repair of the pipeline.
Behavior: Because of dikes and water-level control structures,
a break in the pipeline allowed the oil spread to over 55 acres of normally
nontidal marsh,
Countermeasures/Mitigation: Because of the sensitive marsh habitat,
the spilled oil could not be mechanically removed. On March 17 an in-situ
burn was initiate, using lines of hay laid across the site as a wicking
material. The oiled marsh readily ignited and burned the heavily oiled
area only.
Other Special Interest(s): Although no air monitoring was required
by state law or the RRT, limited air monitoring was conducted prior to
and during the burn by the USCG GST. Also, LSU, in cooperation with the
Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator, and
NOAA began ecological and chemical monitoring studies to assess the recovery
of the unburned and burned marsh.
NOAA Activities: NOAA was notified of this incident on March 16,
1995, and was asked to come on-scene to help evaluate the feasibility
of a marsh burn. NOAA helped develop a burn plan. The SSC also coordinated
air monitoring with the GST on-scene and ecological and chemical monitoring
with LSU.
References: Hess, T. Rockefeller Refuge Preliminary Spill Assessment,
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Unpublished report. Louisiand
State University. 1995. Rockefeller Refuge In-Situ Burn: Preliminary Report.
Seattle: Hazardous Materials Response and Assessment Division, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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