Our experienced environmental specialists and a team from TC Energy were mobilized to provide initial response efforts when nearly 13,000 barrels of crude oil were released from the Keystone Pipeline System in rural Washington County.
The immediate challenge was to contain the oil while initiating recovery efforts. With the threat of dissolved phase crude oil constituents migrating downstream into the larger Little Blue River and potentially beyond, the combined team immediately began evaluating engineered solutions to reduce the risk and expedite cleanup.
Over the next year, our team led a cross-functional effort to resolve the Milepost 14 incident issue safely and sustainably, coordinating multiple vendors and subcontractors in the design and construction of diversion, containment and discharge systems, a water treatment plant, and ecological restoration.
Initial Response to Long-Term Restoration
A portion of the crude oil impacted approximately 4 miles of a nearby creek. Two underflow dams were constructed downstream and the oil was contained. The challenge was to keep the oil contained and cease the discharge of water exhibiting dissolved-phase crude oil constituents exceeding strict effluent limits. Our team engineered a means to isolate/dewater the impacted portion of creek and treat the water within that section to comply with the discharge criteria.
An initial pumping system capable of diverting streamflow of 25 cubic feet per second (cfs) was quickly installed and a larger system managing more than 100 cfs streamflow was installed. Over the next few weeks, we designed and installed a water treatment system — the seventh largest in the state of Kansas. The treatment system had a storage capacity of 30 million gallons and could treat an influent flow of 3,600 gallons per minute. The oil remained contained and the engineered system allowed heavy equipment to enter the creek and remove impacted sediment.
The water treatment system was designed, installed, in operation, and decommissioned all within a six-month time frame. All treated effluent was compliant with discharge criteria, and the project has entered the restoration phase.