A Fuel Spill Caused by a Truck Rollover in Montana Receives No Further Action Following PetroFix Application

Background

A semi-truck hauling gasoline and diesel overturned into a dry irrigation ditch in Montana. The diesel tanks ruptured and released fuel into the ditch, impacting the shallow water table with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX). The irrigation ditch feeds a larger irrigation canal that empties into the Yellowstone River.

In response, an area of approximately 2,500 square feet area was excavated and approximately 800 tons of the grossly impacted soils were removed.

Following the emergency response effort, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc. (Pioneer) reviewed the emergency response report, completed a site inspection and met with the property owner to discuss the emergency response clean-up reconstruction methods and materials to be used.

During the meeting Pioneer was informed that the ditch reconstruction effort needed be completed quickly to allow irrigation water to flow before the spring planting season (i.e., within 45 days). The reconstruction effort also needed to prevent the further spread of diesel fuel into the larger irrigation ditch and beyond.

With consideration of this time constraint and discussions with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and property owner, Pioneer proposed a PetroFix® remediation fluid application into the ditch to rapidly reduce residual PHCs in groundwater. This rapid reduction would allow the irrigation ditch to be reopened while preventing further spread of the diesel fuel plume.

A Fuel Spill Caused by a Truck Rollover in Montana Receives No Further Action Following PetroFix Application