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Response Strategies For Ethanol and Blended Fuels
Presented by Bobby Breed
Specialized Response SolutionsResponse Contractor for
Shell and Motiva
Incident Considerations Knowledge of Products involved Knowledge of container carrying product Identify sensitive receptors and critical
structures around scene Understanding ICS and Unified Command Work to provide value to the outcome and
rapid resolution of the incident
Arrival on Scene
Ethanol Properties:
Fire hazard greatest threat. Largest volume flammable liquid in rail
and highway transit becoming more prevalent in barges and water transit
Completely miscible in water
Ethanol Properties (continued):
Ethanol Blended Fuels
Ethanol blends such as E-95, E-85, and various blends of Gasohol reduce the total consumption of gasoline and therefore it is understandable, that in transit this reduction in total volume of gasoline reduces the environmental impact proportionately to the blends ratio of ethanol.
Open Water Response
Gasoline film formed on the water surface as a result of ethanol/gasoline blend spill can be treated as pure gasoline spill.
Environmental impacts of dissolved ethanol can be reduced by introducing additional volume of clean water (if possible) and increasing water mixing (aeration).
Monitoring and sampling of ethanol plume will be a most likely response scenario.
Ground Water Spill
In ground water, the abiotic mechanisms for the attenuation including sorption, volatilization, and abiotic degradation will not contribute substantially to the decreased mobility or loss of ethanol in aquifers.
Therefore, the fate and transport of ethanol will primarily be controlled by biodegradation and dilution.
Ground Water Cleanup
In case of underground spill of ethanol/gasoline blend, cleanup strategies that stimulate biodegradation under anaerobic conditions should be considered.
The most common engineered bioremediation approaches used for cleanup are aerobic, introducing oxygen to stimulate biodegradation. Applying sufficient oxygen to meet the high oxygen demand exerted by ethanol will likely be technically difficult and prohibitively expensive.
Open Water Spill
Standard gasoline and water are almost completely immiscible. Ethanol is infinitely miscible with water.
Ethanol/gasoline blend released in an aquatic system will rapidly partition leaving hydrocarbon film on the water surface and ethanol dissolving in the water column.
In a high-energy environment ethanol may act as a weak surfactant and facilitate dispersion of hydrocarbons into water column.
Ethanol can be toxic to aquatic life at high concentrations.
Ethanol and Blended Fuels
Ethanol is degradable and can be stripped from static water columns as well as porous soil regions.
Rapid implementation of an aeration strategy is successful in dealing with elevated chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) in bodies of water.
Scene Size-up Continued
Additional Scene Photos
What is our Plan?
What do you see as the incident priorities? Should the fire or potential fire issue be
addressed at this point? Can we extinguish some and let some burn? Does the Fire Department have the proper
equipment and foam to effectively fight this fire?
What can be done?
From below the bridge
Burning ground under bridge
Burning wall
Cars on top of abutment
Producers Support
What resources are needed from the Producer?
What role does the producer play in the ICS system? Liaison? Technical Specialist?
Product knowledge that the producer can provide can be the difference in the incident.
Burning car on top of Bridge
Firefighting Considerations
Foam? What kind, and how much? Alcohol Resistant Foam is required.
Surgical application a must Pre-cooling of vessel and post-cooling
the key to successful extinguishment. Less than 5 gallons of AR/AFFF used
to extinguish fires in each railcar.
Tear in car on top of bridge
The Morning After
Regulatory discussion
What environmental issues do you see with this incident?
What are the priorities? What impact to the river can be
expected? How would this differ in a still body of
water and how can it be mitigated quickly?
Day-time Firefighting Ops
Extinguish car on bridge
Specialized Equipment
Specifications
1500 gallons per minute pumping 550 gallons AR/AFFF 20,000 portable water storage Multiple pumping configurations Hand lines and eductors for surgical
application of foam
Ethanol and Blended Fuels Incidents
Questions and Comments
Bobby Breed (877) 506-0025