Contained oil leak worsened by heavy rain

Work to contain a leak that occurred last week at an oil well a few miles outside of Green River, Utah, US, has not managed to stop contamination of the river. The leak was detected on May 21st and regulators responded quickly to plug it, however, heavy rainfall over the weekend has resulted in leaked substances being pushed beyond the contaminated area.

The leaking well is operated by SW Energy, which responded quickly to the the leak. A few hours after the initial reports an inspector from the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining was on the scene, as well as an emergency spill response contractor. Workers dealt with the leak throughout the night to contain the leak, which was spilling an estimated 80 to 100 barrels of oil per hour. 

The leak was fully plugged early in the afternoon on May 22nd, following the arrival of specialists from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Efforts were then made to begin the clean-up and to contain any contaminants to the immediate area. 

Unfortunately, the onset of heavy rain on May 23rd caused oil to spread. The run off from the leak site was able to reach the river, according to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is not known how much oil ended up leaking into the river and investigations are now taking place to determine the level of damage.

After the initial rainfall that caused contaminants to spread, workers set up a second underflow structure, which stopped storm waters from leaking any more. Absorbent materials were also placed in the area, which it is hoped has stopped any further contaminants from reaching the river.    

Once the rain had stopped on May 26th, crews started to remove oil from the well pad, as well as contaminated soil. The BLM said that any liquids in the area are set to be removed and sent to a state-approved disposal facility.