The company is regularly collecting surface water samples from the onsite storm water ponds, and at multiple locations along the length of Newton Creek. Booms will continue to be used as a precautionary measure to help contain any unexpected discharge. Water samples collected from Newton Creek post-incident to date are comparable to baseline samples collected prior to the incident under normal refinery operating conditions, with the exception of trace amounts of chemical components found in firefighting foam collectively known as Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonate (PFAS).
Water collected during firefighting is contained within the refinery’s storm water and fire water containment system. It is treated at the site's wastewater treatment plant and also through the PFAS treatment system, consisting of specialized granular activated carbon followed by a resin that can further target the removal of PFAS compounds.
