At a facility in Iowa, a release of denatured ethanol occurred during material transfer in the tank farm. The farm is underlain by a liner, but soils above the liner were impacted by the release. Barr was providing on-site environmental management assistance when the release occurred, and we were asked to evaluate the release.
Our investigation did not identify impacts to soil or groundwater outside of the secondary containment; however, review of facility drawings identified the presence of drain tile in the secondary containment area, which could provide a groundwater-flow pathway. Subsequent soil sampling of the drain-tile-discharge ditch showed no soil impacts in the ditch, and surface water was not present.
Barr’s on-site presence, familiarity with the facility and operations, and experience with petroleum investigation and remediation allowed for an efficient, thorough evaluation of site conditions. These factors contributed to a rapid resolution with no facility downtime.