The EPA wrapped up its cleanup work in the past week at the site of a 2,500 barrel oil spill into creeks at Smackover in Arkansas.
The June 15 oil spill came from an 8-inch transfer pipeline and flowed into the Homes and Smackover creeks. The Martin Operating Partner Facility operated the lilne and according to the EPA, the spill leaked from a manifold causing oil to spill over land and into a natural drainage that leads into Holmes creek and connects to Smackover creek. The Smackover eventually cnnects to the Ouachita River.
In announcing a completion of the cleanup, the Environmental Protection Agency stated it had conducted an evaluation and found the creeks were “clear of product with only light sheen in small pockets.”
It also explained that during the cleanup, a wildlife team had captured, cleaned, and released 30 animals into the Ouachita River on July 04 and July 08, 2024, including red eared sliders, a spiny softshell turtle, common snapping turtles, and a plain bellied water snake.
The recovered amount of oil-water mixture increased to 5,401 barrels as of early in July. The total amount of crude oil recovered remains unchanged at 1,326 barrels. The collection of oily solids progressed, resulting in 900 cubic yards of oily debris recovered from the affected creeks and 200 cubic yards of oil impacted soil.
“Because these areas no longer contain any appreciable amount of product from the spill, and no longer threatens or potentially threatens Holmes Creek, EPA and ADEQ now considers the response ready for transition into Maintenance,” further stated the EPA.