DEP Takes Action To Protect Area From Leak At Quantum Resources In Jay

July 2, 2014

Officials from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are assessing the potential impacts from a reported leak Sunday afternoon in Jay at a Quantum Resource Management well. The company reports that the leak is now contained, according to information released Tuesday by DEP.

A DEP site investigator was on scene less than an hour after the incident was reported. Preliminary information into DEP indicates that no long-term effects will result from the leak. DEP technical staff will now undertake a full investigation to identify why the well’s casing had to be repaired and what caused the temporary plug to become dislodged, which Quantum Resource Management suspects contributed to the incident.

“DEP is working to determine what went wrong and hold Quantum Resource Management accountable for any impacts to the environment resulting from this leak. We are assessing the potential of any possible threat to the land and the public right now and we will monitor the site to verify drinking water is safe,” said DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr.

Initial reports from Quantum Resource Management indicate that a temporary plug in place to allow workers to repair the well casing became dislodged and resulted in the leak. The company reports that the leak is now contained and a new plug has been installed in the well. Quantum Resources Management said the well operator immediately stopped the leak and dispatched a response team to collect and properly dispose of the leaking fluid.

DEP is working expeditiously to ensure cleanup and monitoring efforts take place promptly and accurately. DEP crews are preparing to install four groundwater monitoring wells and one background well to provide information that will act as a baseline to compare the other results. Based on the data gathered from these five wells, a sixth well may be installed by DEP at a significantly greater depth.

A DEP inspector will remain on-site during the initial monitoring efforts. Those actions include air quality monitoring, soil sampling and protective berm inspections.  So far, all air quality results show no evidence of contamination.

Quantum Resources Management reported that no workers were injured during the leak and no evacuations were necessary because of the minimal amount of material released.  All production at the well has ceased until the well can be properly repaired and DEP inspections are complete.

Comments

9 Responses to “DEP Takes Action To Protect Area From Leak At Quantum Resources In Jay”

  1. randy sims on July 5th, 2014 4:33 pm

    I was there..only hot salt water and kcl fluid..stop your tree huggin

  2. belogical on July 4th, 2014 8:40 am

    if H2S was the leak everybody in Jay, Century and the surrounding areas would have known because of the alarm. I can only imagine it was an oil or some other type liquid leak. H2S alarms are highly sensitive and react quickly.

  3. RB on July 3rd, 2014 8:23 am

    Jay is a sour gas field, right? The leak should have involved H2S gas escaping from the well bore. Just reporting this as just a leak may not impact the local people, leading them to believe that it’s just oil or salt water. Now if it had been reported as a gas leak that would be cause for slightly more concern. Spilled oil can’t hurt you but H2S can dang sure kill you. I agree Gembeaux, big down play here…!

  4. cygie on July 2nd, 2014 12:24 pm

    Seeing as how the well plug leaked, and the fact that an oil well holds oil, salt water, or some mixture of both, go figure!

  5. MOLINO MOM on July 2nd, 2014 11:44 am

    DITTO ALL THE ABOVE !!

  6. BT on July 2nd, 2014 11:34 am

    It’s an oil and gas company, so I’m thinking it’s probably a molasses leak.

  7. William on July 2nd, 2014 8:30 am

    >What kind of “news” article explains in detail about a leak and DOESN’T say WHAT is leaking?!?!?! dumb

    We can only tell you what DEP released. “Fluid” is all they would say.

  8. LadyBianca on July 2nd, 2014 8:20 am

    What kind of “news” article explains in detail about a leak and DOESN’T say WHAT is leaking?!?!?! dumb

  9. Gembeaux on July 2nd, 2014 7:47 am

    Just what “fluid” leaked out that resulted in this concern? Knowing how both commercial interests and the DEP like to downplay potential disasters for “the people’s own good”, I’m wondering why there isn’t more detail provided.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News