Inclement weather has hampered operations at the London Bridge Rd. excavation site and has slowed the ability to remove contaminated soil as water accumulates in the ditches.

Despite weather setbacks, workers are moving forward with the Unified Command's primary objectives: to contain and recover the spilled product as well as identify and protect sensitive environmental areas.

"Too much water creates an ineffective process for scooping the contaminated soil," said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Brett Major, operations section chief for the Unified Command. "However, natural flushing as a result of rainfall helps direct any sheen or emulsified product towards containment areas where we can easily collect it."

Excavation operations continue to remove contaminated debris and vegetation as needed. Soil and vegetation removed at both the NAS Oceana and London Bridge Rd. sites are being transported to Clearfield MMG waste management facility for treatment. Recovered liquids are being transported to the U.S. Navy Craney Island facility for treatment. Oil contaminated absorbent materials are being transported to Chesapeake Waste Solutions for disposal. While it is impossible to calculate the total volume of product recovered, the Unified Command has determined the end point to be when no recoverable fuel is left. The objective is to recover the product with the least amount of environmental impact. As of today, approximately 452,000 gallons of water/fuel mixture have been recovered and 613 tons of soil removed.

Additionally, the Navy today received authorization to begin providing funds for food and incidental expenses for the residents who voluntarily relocated to temporary lodging. The Navy is contacting each household to coordinate disbursement of the funds. The funds will be provided retroactively to the date the residents voluntarily relocated.

More information can be found at the Naval Air Station Oceana Fuel Spill website at:
https://cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrma/installations/nas_oceana/om/environmental_support/oceana_fuel_spill.html