Arkansas oil spill cleanup complete

The EPA last week completed cleanup efforts at the site where 2,500 barrels of oil spilled into Smackover Creek in Arkansas.

The June 15 oil spill originated from an 8-inch transfer pipeline and flowed into Homes and Smackover creeks. The Martin Operating Partner Facility operated the line, and according to the EPA, the oil leaked from a manifold, causing the oil to spill over land and into a natural drainage that leads to Holmes Creek and connects to Smackover Creek. Smackover eventually connects to the Ouachita River.

In announcing the completion of the cleanup, the Environmental Protection Agency said it had conducted an assessment and found the creeks “to be free of product, with only a slight sheen in small areas.”

It was also explained that during the cleanup, a wildlife team captured, cleaned and released 30 animals into the Ouachita River on July 4-8, 2024, including red-eared sliders, a spiny softshell turtle, snapping turtles and a flat-bellied water snake.

The amount of oil-water mixture recovered increased to 5,401 barrels in early July. The total amount of crude oil recovered remained unchanged at 1,326 barrels. The collection of oily solids continued, resulting in 900 cubic meters of oily debris recovered from the affected creeks and 200 cubic meters of oil-impacted soil.

“Because these areas no longer contain any significant amount of spill product and no longer threaten or potentially threaten Holmes Creek, EPA and ADEQ now consider the response ready to transition to Maintenance,” the EPA said.