Table EIR 5. Hazardous waste incident, fish kill, Exxon Company, Lehigh Acres, 

 Lee County (Herndon and Teaf 1978) . 



Personal damage: None . 



Environmental damage: Extensive damage to canal fish (more than 3000 killed) 

 and invertebrate populations, with associated death of aquatic vegetation 

 lining the banks and within the canal . 



Economic damage: Cost of clean-up was borne by Exxon Company and exceeded 

 $47,000 . Mnes and damages paid to Florida Department of Environmental 

 Regulation (DER) Pollution Recovery Trust Fund exceeded $14,000, including 

 expenses incurred by Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission personnel 

 and costs of fish and vegetation killed. 



Cause of problem: A leak developed in a flowing serving an oil well on 



Exxon property at Lehigh Acres. The leak was close to a drainage canal and 

 a large quantity of oil reached the water level . 



Type and quantity of hazardous waste: An estimated 425 bbl (23,400 gallons) 

 of oil-water mixture were recovered, with 30-35 bbl unrecovered or unre- 

 coverable on absorbent materials used in clean-up operations. 



Date of incident: 7-8 June, 1976. 



Location: Lehigh Acres, Exxon Company oil field area, Lee County. 



Remedial action: Exxon financed clean-up operations and submitted a plan 

 to Florida DER which outlined present and future measures to avoid this 

 and associated incidents in the future. Fines were paid to Florida DER 

 Pollution Recovery Trust Fund. 



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