RBG-31040, NPDES Noncompliance Notification:On 890529,estimated 250 Gallons of Oil Escaped Containment.Caused by Apparent Short Circuit Causing Explosion & Fire at Large Transformer. Cleanup Completed on 890321 W/Oily Matls Disposed of

NPDES Noncompliance Notification:On 890529,estimated 250 Gallons of Oil Escaped Containment.Caused by Apparent Short Circuit Causing Explosion & Fire at Large Transformer. Cleanup Completed on 890321 W/Oily Matls Disposed of

ML20244A535
Person / Time
Site:	River Bend
Issue date:	06/06/1989
From:	Booker J GULF STATES UTILITIES CO.
To:	Oneill M LOUISIANA, STATE OF
References
RBG-31040, NUDOCS 8906120061
Download: ML20244A535 (2)

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p GULF STATES UTILITIES COMPANY P O S T O F F IC E B o x 2 9 51

• BEAUMONT, TEXAS 77704 AREACODE409 838-6631 June 6, 1989 RBG-310 4 0 File Nos. G1.11.2.1 Ms. Maureen O'Neill, Assistant Secretary Office of Water Resources Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Post Office Box 44091, Capitol Station Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4091

Dear Ms. O'Neill:

Water Discharge Permit No. WPO409 River Bend Station - Unit 1

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Pursuant to LAC 33:I.3925, this letter is a written follow-up to the

telephone notification, made at 5:08 a.m. on Tuesday, May 30, 1989 of a spill of transformer oil at River Bend Station.

i At about 9:15 p.m. on May 29, 1989, an apparent short circuit caused an explosion and fire at a large transformer immediately outside the main complex of power plant buildings. The transformer, manufactured in 1981, contained 11,400 gallons of oil which is free of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The explosion resulted in the release of an estimated 250 gallons of the oil, about 50 of which were sprayed beyond the walls of a secondary containment around the transformer. The oil which escaped the_ containment

] landed on the ground within about 60 feet south and southeast of the transformer. Water used in suppressing the fire and cooling the disabled equipment entrained some of the spilled oil and carried it to a nearby l storm sewer.

l The storm sewer empties into a canal known as West Creek, a tributary of l'c Grants Bayou which in turn is tributary to Thompson Creek. There was no natural flow in west Creek when the oily fire-water arrived, so the latter traversed only about 300 feet, in a narrow rivulet, along the bed of the

$o canal. Sorbent booms were deployed; crews covered the canal bed rivulet

]g and adjacent soil with sorbent pads. Early on the morning of May 30,

.c o excavation of contaminated earth near the transformer was complete; later 38 on that day accessible accumulations of oily dirt were removed from the CD O storm sewer.

[n$8 Still later on May 30 a plastic-lined impoundment was prepared at the exit lg from the storm sewer and the pipe was rinsed repeatedly until early on May 31 when oil stopped emerging with the rinsevater. The rinsewater was i$g entirely contained and hauled away by a recycling contractor. The clean-up lg was completed'by mid-afternoon on May 31, with removal of the remaining contaminated earth from the canal bed to covered dumpsters. This oily dirt and the drummed sorbent materials have been accepted for disposal in a secure landfill.

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O'Neill Page 2 sat about 4:00 p.m. on May 31, 1989, a storm occurred, generating the first natural flow in West Creek since the spill. Precautionary sorbent booms l

remained in place at flow constrictions in the canal when the rain started.

A NPDES stormwater sample for Outfall 007 was collected at 5:00 p.m.,

indicating an Oil and Grease (0&G) concentration of 0.9 mg/1. This level is fair typical of the outfall, indicating that containment and clean-up efforts were successful and that adverse impacts on the receiving waters are highly unlikely..

I certify under penalty of law that this document and all attachments were prepared under my direction or supervision in accordance with a system designed to assure that qualified personnel properly gather and evaluate the information submitted. Based on my inquiry of the person or persons who manage the system, or those. persons directly responsible for gathering the information submitted, the information submitted is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true, accurate and complete. I an aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information, including the possibility of fine and imprisonment for knowing violations.

Sincerely,

. f. 8-4 J. E. Booker Manager-River Bend Oversight River Bend Nuclear Group JEB/LAE/RJK/JWC/JVC/ch cc: U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 20555 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 1000 Arlington, TX 76011 NRC Resident Inspector Post Office Box 1051 St. Francisv111e, LA 70775

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