ABSTRACT
In March 1986 an unknown quantity of paraffin-based oil and brine was spilled in the Sam Houston National Forest, San Jacinto County, Texas. The source of the spill was a ruptured production flow line. A tributary to the East Fork of the San Jacinto River and 12.5 acres of the forest were affected by the spill. Mitigative options were evaluated for speed and environmental acceptability. Two atypical control methods were selected: freshwater flushing in areas principally affected by brine, and controlled burning in oil-saturated areas. These techniques provided rapid control of the contaminants and exerted the least additional stress on the forest. Restoration methods were suggested after the initial mitigation of the spill by burning and flushing.
Soil ecotoxicology and mesofauna at the site of an attested oil spill in Ipanema National Forest
