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Shamrock Products Oil Spill

 
Site Contact:
Pratistha Adams
FOSC

(adams.pratistha@epa.gov)

Site Location:
1894 FM 1432
Victoria, TX 77901
response.epa.gov/ShamrockProductsOilSpill
NRC#: 1388207

On January 4, 2024, at 6:34 PM the EPA was notified by the National Response Center of a release of approximately 300 barrels (bbls) of crude oil from the Shamrock Products facility located at 1894 FM 1432 in Victoria, Victoria County, Texas 77901. According to the Responsible Party (RP) representative, the release resulted from a vehicle striking a valve on a tank in the facility’s tank farm.  The facility is approximately 0.5 miles from the Victoria Barge Canal/the Port of Victoria. The incident is in EPA’s area of responsibility (AOR), and EPA is the lead agency.

The RP stated that the spill occurred the afternoon of January 3, 2024. An 18-wheeler struck a valve on a tank in the facility’s tank farm during transfer operations. The RP estimated that there was approximately 800 bbls crude oil in the tank, and about 500 bbls discharged before the RP was able to plug the leak. The RP has recovered approximately 300 bbls, and recovery and remediation operations are expected to be completed by Sunday, January 7, 2024.  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is also responding and will conduct 24-hr operations on-site and are mobilizing some of their contractors. EPA staff and contractors are mobilizing to the site to provide oversight of the response efforts and conduct air monitoring, as well as coordinate with other responding agencies. 

 

*UPDATE 1/9/2024

EPA continues to oversee the remediation and cleanup of the petroleum-based material from a tank at the Shamrock Victoria Port Terminal. The facility is implementing odor control measures on site as materials are removed. The spilled material included an additive called mercaptan, which has a very pungent odor that can be detected at extremely low levels. EPA will continue overseeing cleanup activities at the site until remediation is complete. Throughout the response, EPA’s air monitoring efforts have not detected any chemicals above levels of concern. The agency and its contractors will continue to conduct air monitoring as necessary.

Background:

On the evening of January 3, 2024, responders in the Victoria, Texas, area discovered a spill at a tank farm at the Shamrock Products terminal in Victoria, Texas, after receiving reports of a strong odor from area resident. Shamrock reported the spill to the National Response Center. An estimated 500 barrels of slop oil containing spilled after a truck hit a tank valve. EPA teams arrived on the afternoon of January 5 to monitor for oxygen (O2), lower explosive limit (LEL), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using handheld MultiRAE Pro devices. If this method showed a sustained reading of 1 part per million (ppm) or greater for VOCs, the team would then monitor specifically for benzene using separate, more sensitive equipment. The incident-specific action level for VOCs is 1.0 ppm and 0.5 ppm for benzene; however, during the assessment, no readings were detected above background, although a strong pungent odor was present.