Sun Oil Pipeline; Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA | 2000-Feb-05

Initial Notification: NOAA was requested to provide technical support to the USEPA FOSC for the Sun Oil Co. pipeline spill in John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge close to the Philadelphia Airport. The spill was first reported on 5 February on the edge of a 120 acre pond on the refuge. The source of the spill was a break in a miter bend in the pipe, which was estimated to be at least 50 years old. The product spilled was a blend of Cabinda and Escravos crudes with API of 32-34 and the total spill volume is unknown. The pond was covered with ice and snow. The edge of the oil under the ice was delineated, then the ice was cut to place a boom outside that area to prevent further spread of the oil. Over the period of 5-28 February an estimated 173,000 gallons of oil have been recovered (the volumes have been corrected for water content). The pond has been ice-free for over a week, and most of the free-floating oil has been recovered. What remains for cleanup is oil trapped along the pond shoreline and on the adjacent hardwood swamp, and contaminated soils in the pipeline corridor. The pond shoreline is composed of a vertical scarp in clay or undercut scarp, with abundant exposed roots. USCG district 5.