Caught Between a Rock and a Hard. Place: Reducing Shoreline Remediation. Safety Hazards by Taking a Safety-Based. Approach to Fuel and Oil Spill ...
REMEDIATION Spring 2017
Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Reducing Shoreline Remediation Safety Hazards by Taking a Safety-Based Approach to Fuel and Oil Spill Cleanup Turlough F. Guerin
Fuel spills onto land or a hardstand area is one thing. Losing several metric tonnes of fuel onto an inaccessible rock batter that is in proximity to the open ocean is entirely different. The upshot of such loss of containment events need not be the disaster that an initial cursory assessment would have you think. By looking through a safety lens, this article demonstrates how developing a realistic model of the resulting contamination can help navigate an effective remediation program that meets the expectations of multiple stakeholders. Further, the mine where the spill occurred was able to continue using the impacted loading facility, therefore, enabling business continuity. c⃝ 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
INTRODUCTION
Certain areas are more sensitive to chemical and fuel spills and, although it is best to avoid construction in these sensitive areas, this sometimes cannot be avoided and, wherever there is heavy plant and construction activity, the possibility of hazards from spills is present. Resource construction, as well as operational mine sites, for both new and expansion of existing projects, has been a major contributor to the growth of Australia’s economy in the past two decades, deploying large numbers of plant and equipment, and necessitating the transfer and use of large volumes of chemicals including fuels and lubricants. Despite the effort made by resource and construction companies to comply with the standards governing the safe handling of hazardous and dangerous goods, including investment in health, safety, and environmental (HSE) professionals to oversee all aspects of operational impacts, loss of chemical containment occurs on mining and resource construction operations. In some cases, these releases have potentially significant impacts on aquatic and marine ecosystems, or even human health. Ecological impacts, including habitat alterations, as a result of petroleum spills is of particular concern. This article evaluates a fuel release that occurred in an important marine conservation area, and exemplifies the risks of similar releases to many coastal areas across Australia.
c ⃝ 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI: 10.1002/rem.21510
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Reducing Shoreline Remediation Hazards
ELIMINATE LOSS OF CONTAINMENT AS A PRIORITY
As a rule, it is always best to work toward the top of the safety hierarchy of controls even though the initial investment may be higher
Heavy vehicles and equipment at remote construction and operational sites must be maintained and operated in ways that ensure their serviceability, and good and proper condition, such that any fluids are contained and leaks are prevented or at least minimized (Guerin, 2009). Loss of fluids from large plant items used in resource construction and mining can present hazards to the environment (Guerin, 2002), particularly where they are operating under harsh environmental conditions over continuous shifts, and are working close to waterways and marine environments. A recent study by the author showed that the majority of fluid spills from plants commonly used in resource construction projects are hydraulic fluids. In the same study, reported fuel spills are typically from refueling activities and usually a result of operator or procedural error (Guerin, 2014). There is no question that, where possible, fuel and chemical handling facilities should be located in such a way that they are not a threat to the environment from unplanned loss of containment. As a rule, it is always best to work toward the top of the safety hierarchy of controls even though the initial investment may be higher. ISOLATE CHEMICALS AND DO NOT RELY ON ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS Mining operations and resource construction with activities adjoining marine waters present a particularly high potential risk to marine pollution, and mine owners and plant operators must be vigilant to ensure integrity of chemical (fuel, lubricant, hydraulic fluid) storage tanks, lines, pumps, secondary containment, and wash down facilities (Guerin, 2002, 2009). Problems associated with working close to marine waters are the risks from loss of containment from such facilities and the resulting loss of aquatic life and negative impacts on marine ecosystems. In addition, owners and operators risk incurring fines for spills and releases. Operational personnel should be trained in the risks and the specific controls to prevent fluid releases and emergency procedures where preventative measures fail. In addition, training machine operators is required to ensure refueling and fluids handling are conducted in a manner to minimize loss of petroleum and other chemical products to the environment. A CASE STUDY IN SAFETY INNOVATION IN SITE REMEDIATION The Spill Source The case study involved a spill site located adjacent to the ocean on a rocky outcrop along a northern coastline. The area where the spill occurred is used for loading mined product onto ships (see Case Study Summary in Exhibit 1). The operation was undergoing earthworks to improve roads across the mine and ship loading facilities at the time of the spill. The spill location was on the top of a rock fill area (about 8 m above sea level). The coastline was exposed to a large daily tidal fluctuation of approximately 5 to 6 m. During king tide events (1–2 per year), the tidal variation increased to approximately 7 to 8 m. A refueling bay within concrete secondary containment was located on top of the rock fill area (Exhibit 2). An aboveground diesel storage tank (30,000 liters [L]) was located within
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Remediation DOI: 10.1002/rem
c ⃝ 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
REMEDIATION Spring 2017
Exhibit 1. Case study summary A rocky, intractable, and highly heterogeneous intertidal zone was contaminated from a diesel fuel spill that occurred during refueling of a heavy equipment at an operational mine’s ship loading facility on a small island immediately off the coast of North Western Australia. A practical, cost-effective, safer (to personnel by avoiding civil works), and noninvasive sampling and remediation strategy was required since the location and nature of the impacted geology (rock fill) and sediment precluded conventional ex situ cleanup and any in situ treatment where drilling would be required. How was this challenging environment able to be cleaned up without putting personnel in harm’s way? A specific protocol was developed for the site using surfactant, available nitrogen and phosphorous (which were highly constrained in this environment because of the continuous leaching from seawater), and increased (artificial) aeration. This treatment approach increased the degradation rate of the spilled diesel fuel from no discernable change, to a relatively fast rate in a short time, which enabled the site to be cleaned up at low cost and, most importantly, safely. The end result was total petroleum hydrocarbons decreased from near saturation (∼20,000 milligrams per kilogram [mg/kg]) to acceptable thresholds for diesel (
