Project:
Active Refinery Pipeline Corridor
Bottom Line: Used multiple lines of evidence to demonstrate that client’s pipeline infrastructure did not contribute to significant product release.
Summary of Project
LNAPL was observed infiltrating from sediments at the bottom of a surface water channel in southern California. A pipeline corridor containing active product lines for several refineries ran parallel to the channel levee in an access road. The Los Angeles RWQCB issued orders to several potentially responsible parties to investigate for possible sources of the LNAPL.
- Coordinated field investigation schedule with RWQCB and consulting firms representing several potentially responsible parties.
- Conducted soil and groundwater investigation in an access road of the channel levee between client’s product pipeline and the point of LNAPL infiltration. Observed distinct water-bearing zones that were not identified during investigations by others. Obtained approval from RWQCB to revise well construction and prevent screening across a potential confining soil layer. Installed two dual-nested monitoring wells to obtain groundwater samples representative of each water-bearing zone.
- Tested soil and groundwater samples for total petroleum hydrocarbon carbon chain breakdown and VOCs.
- Submitted groundwater samples from site monitoring wells and product from client’s refinery to a forensics laboratory for hydrocarbon fingerprinting.
- Retained forensics expert to compare fingerprinting from client samples to samples collected across the investigation area by others. Concluded that there was no evidence of client’s product in the samples collected from the investigation area.
- Evaluated the analytical and hydrocarbon fingerprinting results and recommended to the RWQCB that client should take no further action regarding petroleum impacts in the channel.
- Submitted a well abandonment work plan and conducted well abandonment field activities after client was not listed as a responsible party in a State cleanup and abatement order.