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Spills/Release Reporting

Spills/Release Reporting. The purpose of this presentation is to present the regulations requiring the reporting of releases to the PA DEP. What Constitutes a Spill?.

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Spills/Release Reporting

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  1. Spills/Release Reporting

  2. The purpose of this presentation is to present the regulations requiring the reporting of releases to the PA DEP.

  3. What Constitutes a Spill? • In Pennsylvania, any oil or petroleum product, chemical or waste that is released in any unauthorized manner constitutes a spill.

  4. Three major laws require DEP to be notified of a spill or release of material to the environment: • The Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law • The Solid Waste Act • The Pennsylvania Storage Tank Act

  5. Pennsylvania Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (Act 2) • “Release” - Spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping or disposing of a regulated substance into the environment in a manner not authorized by the Department of Environmental Protection.

  6. Solid Waste Act - Pollution • “Pollution” Contamination of any air, water, land or other natural resources of the Commonwealth such as will create or is likely to create a public nuisance or to render such air, water, land or other natural resources harmful, detrimental or injurious to public health, safety or welfare, or to domestic, municipal, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational or other legitimate beneficial uses, or to livestock, wild animals, birds, fish or other life.

  7. Clean Streams Law - Pollution • “Pollution” shall be construed to mean contamination of any waters of the Commonwealth such as will create or is likely to create a nuisance or to render such waters harmful, detrimental or injurious to public health, safety or welfare, or to domestic, municipal, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other legitimate beneficial uses, or to livestock, wild animals, birds, fish or other aquatic life, including but not limited to such contamination by alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of such waters, or change in temperature, taste, color or odor thereof, or the discharge of any liquid, gaseous, radioactive, solid or other substances into such waters. The department shall determine when a discharge constitutes pollution, as herein defined, and shall establish standards whereby and wherefrom it can be ascertained and determined whether any such discharge does or does not constitute pollution as herein defined.

  8. The Clean Streams Law "Waters of the Commonwealth" - shall be construed to include any and all rivers, streams, creeks, rivulets, impoundments, ditches, water courses, storm sewers, lakes, dammed water, ponds, springs and all other bodies or channels of conveyance of surface and underground water, or parts thereof, whether natural or artificial, within or on the boundaries of this Commonwealth.

  9. Chapter 91 § 91.33 - Incidents causing or threatening pollution. • (a)  If a release is discharged into the Waters of the Commonwealth or there is a danger of pollution to the Waters of the Commonwealth, it is the responsibility of the person at the time in charge of the substance to immediately notify the Department by telephone and to also notify known downstream users of the waters. • (b)  A person shall immediately take steps necessary to prevent injury to property and downstream users of the waters from pollution or a danger of pollution.

  10. Chapter 78 § 78.66Reporting releases • (a)  A release to the Waters of the Commonwealth, shall comply with §  91.33. • (b)  If a reportable release of brine the owner or operator shall notify the appropriate DEP regional office no later than 2 hours after detecting or discovering the release. •  (c)  The notice required by subsection (b) shall be by telephone…

  11. What is a reportable release of brine? Chapter 78 § 78.1 • More than 5 gallons of brine within a 24-hour period on or into the ground at the well site where the TDS > 10,000 mg/L. • More than 15 gallons of brine within a 24-hour period on or into the ground at the well site where the TDS < 10,000 mg/L.

  12. Chapter 299 § 299.217 - Transportation of Residual Waste Emergencies In the event of a discharge or release of residual waste during transportation, the transporter shall immediately: • (1)  Telephone the Department. • (2)  Notify the State or local police and the county emergency management official. •    (3)  Clean up the residual waste and take other actions required or approved by the Department so that the discharge presents no threat to public health, safety, welfare and the environment.

  13. Chapter 299 § 299.218. Wastes from accidents and spills. • (a)  Notify the Department prior to the disposal or processing of the waste that was generated or released as a result of an accident, spill or emergency. • (b)  The Department may immediately approve emergency storage or transportation methods. • (c)  Any waste generated decontaminating equipment used handling the residual waste shall be deemed residual waste.

  14. Oil and Gas Operator's Manual CHAPTER 4SECTION IPollution Incident Response A Preparedness Prevention & Contingency (PPC) Plan must contain a list of the agencies to be notified by telephone including: • DEP Regional Office • EPA-800-424-8802 • Downstream Water Users • Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

  15. Who and where do you call at the DEP? • DEP Regional Office. • DEP also maintains a statewide toll free number, 1­800­541­2050.

  16. Emergency Response Contact Numbers In Your Area • Northeast 570-826-2511 24 Hours2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711-0790 Counties: Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming • North Central 570-327-3636 24 Hours208 West Third Street, Suite 101, Williamsport, PA 17701 Counties: Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union • Northwest 814-332-6945 After Hours: 800-373-3398230 Chestnut Street, Meadville, PA 16335-3481 Phone: 814-332-6945 Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango, Warren

  17. Emergency Response Contact Numbers In Your Area • Southeast (484) 250-5900 24 Hours2 East Main Street, Norristown, PA 19401Counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia • South Central (877) 333-190424 Hours 909 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110 Counties: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, York • Southwest 412-442-4000 24 Hours 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4745 Counties: 412-442-4000Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, Westmoreland

  18. Who is responsible for the spill? • In general, under DEP regulations, all costs associated with the response to and the cleanup of a spill are the responsibility of the spiller. This includes the proper disposal of any wastes. • The owner of a property on which hazardous materials are located is considered as a potential responsible party under state law.

  19. Spill Response Measures • Follow the PPC Plan. • Prevent contaminants from migrating off site. If surface water is impacted, take immediate steps to contain it. • Use field instruments to probe extent of contamination i.e. Photo Ionization Detector (PID), Conductivity/TDS Meter & pH Meter.

  20. Spill Response Measures • Take samples of the contaminated material to be disposed. • Take samples of excavated spill area. • Take some background samples. • Follow DEP recommended emergency storage, transportation and remediation methods. • Provide DEP with all sample results, waste disposal manifests and incident report summarizing the event and the measures taken to prevent a reoccurrence of a similar incident.

  21. In Closing… • All Spills and Releases should be reported to the DEP. • If the Waters of the Commonwealth is threatened, the DEP must be notified immediately. • Brine spills must be reported to the DEP within 2 hours. • The DEP must be notified prior to the disposal or processing of the waste that was generated or released as a result of an accident, spill or emergency.

  22. Contact Information Stephen D. Brokenshire Mineral Resources Program Specialist Division of Resource Management & Well Development Bureau of Oil & Gas Management Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Scranton District Office Samter Building Suite 400 101 Penn Avenue Scranton, PA 18503 Office (570) 346-5535 sbrokenshi@state.pa.us

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