Buckeye Pipeline; Knapp Run, Pennsylvania

Knapp Run, Pennsylvania | 1990-Mar-30

Initial Notification: At 2300 on March 30, 1990, a landslide caused a pipeline break and the subsequent release of approximately 1,790 barrels of TransMix into the Allegheny River at Knapp Run, located two miles above Freeport, Pennsylvania. The spill was reported to the Marine Safety Office (MSO) Pittsburgh on the morning of March 31. The spill posed a potential threat to local drinking water intakes as well as sensitive habitats in back channels, shoals, embayment areas, and tributaries. The Regional Response Team was activated from April 1-4. The USCG Atlantic Strike Team (AST) monitored cleanup and provided site safety. The AST and MSO personnel formed two shoreline cleanup monitoring teams on April 2. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) promulgated information on potential alternative water supplies. The Ohio River Sanitation and Navigation Commission (ORSANCO) collected water samples and used fluorometry to analyze concentrations of the pollutant in the river. River velocities were used to estimate the arrival time of pollutant at several water intakes on the Ohio River. Several water intakes on the Allegheny River were closed from April 2-4. Increasing the flow of the Allegheny River to dilute the contaminant was considered and rejected. No significant wildlife impacts were reported. USCG district 2. Keyword: Siphon dam, filter fence, skimmer, sorbent booms, collection boom, vacuum truck, Atlantic Strike Team (AST), Regional Response Team..