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1,000-gallon oil leak quickly contained
(by Sali McSherry - June 23, 2010)
1,000-gallon oil leak quickly contained
By SALI McSHERRY
An estimated 1,000 gallons of crude oil from a gas well leak in Gates Mills was contained before it entered the Chagrin River, village Fire Chief Thomas Robinson said Monday.
A valve on an oil tank broke last Saturday night, Mr. Robinson said, allowing crude oil to spill into the well's dike system, which also failed. The crude oil leaked around the well area and into the storm-sewer system and into creeks and streams, he said. The well is owned by Pursie E. Pipes, of Canton, and is on residential property at 1959 SOM Center Road (Route 91) near Dorchester Road, owned by the Giordano family.
The Gates Mills Fire Department was notified by a resident who reported an odor while walking in the woods nearby and took bottles of what he found in the stream to Village Hall. The fire department got into high gear right away and placed "booms," or floating pads that absorb the oil that forms a layer on top of the water, Mr. Robinson said.
At gas wells, there is a tank that holds brine and another that contains crude oil, both byproducts. Crude oil is a natural substance and is broken down by bacteria over time, state officials said.
The cleanup is proceeding very well and is expected to be completed this week, said Reggie Brown, environmental specialist for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
Mr. Mastrangelo said while gardening on Saturday, he noticed a substance in what he refers to as Bear Creek in the gorge next to his house. He said at that point he didn't know what it was. On Sunday, he said he showed a representative from a well-drilling company the creek in the gorge and he agreed it was oil. But, he said nothing was cleaned up in the gorge at Berkshire Road, according to Mr. Mastrangelo. And, with the torrential rains on Monday night, some of the oil most likely was pushed downstream.
Mr. Robinson said he has been at the site many times over the last few days and walked with Mr. Brown north of Old Mill Road, a road the creek runs under and found no evidence of crude oil. It didn't reach the Chagrin River, he said.
And the crude oil spill did not pose a threat to drinking water, he said.
The company was given a citation for unauthorized release of pollutants into a stream, a violation of the Ohio Revised Code, Mr. Brown said. Pursie E. Pipes, which has been cooperating fully, is responsible for cost of the clean up, he said. The company must remove all contaminated soils and completely restore the containment system for the oil and the dike system, he said.
Crews from the drilling company and the EPA worked up to 12 hours on Sunday and another 12 hours on Monday to get ahead of the crude oil heading downstream, Mr. Brown said.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, gas- and oil-well drilling companies set their own time frame for checking tanks. A specific time frame is not required by the state, Mr. Brown said.
Peter Griesinger, who lives off of Old Mill Road in Gates Mills, said he was concerned about the wildlife in Bear Creek, which runs behind his property, near Mr. Mastrangelo's home. He said last year he finally saw a healthy crayfish after decades of the population dwindling or being non-existent. As an example of the potential effects, the crude oil spill poses a risk to the developing crayfish population, he said.
There are over 54 active wells in Gates Mills.
Activist and Gates Mills resident Sandra Turner said these incidents are happening too frequently.
In Pepper Pike, about 250 to 500 gallons leaked into storm sewers and creeks after a similar incident at a gas well behind the Cleveland Racquet Club. That well is owned by Duck Creek Energy, of Brecksville.
Dr. Turner, Mr. Robinson and others have testified before the state legislature in favor of stricter regulations for well drilling, operation, maintenance and safety.
Pursie Pipes' owner could not be reached for comment.
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