On 21 January 2000, a release of an estimated 100 barrels of diesel was reported from a product transportation pipeline north of Great Salt Lake in Utah. During the next few days, due to weather related conditions (freeze/thaw periods and wind), the product spread over 38 acres of salt flat and wetlands. Initial oil containment efforts were successful in reducing the risk of oil impacts to natural resources in a nearby national migratory bird refuge, but the risk remained to migratory waterfowl that were expected to arrive at the impacted wetland within approximately 6 weeks. As a result, in situ burning was proposed to remove the free-phase diesel and destroy the hydrocarbon-impacted vegetation. Upon approval of a Site Remediation Plan and Fire Management Plan, a Heli-Torch was used on 10 March, 2000 to burn the most-highly impacted 12.8 acres. The following month (late-April), 3.2 acres of remaining lightly oiled vegetation were burned using drip torches and propane wands. It was estimated that 75–80% of the spilled diesel was burned in these operations. Because burning of the free-phase hydrocarbons and impacted vegetation would not remove product that had penetrated into the soils, bioremediation techniques were subsequently implemented, in order to further reduce hydrocarbon levels in the soil and attain the regulatory cleanup level of 20 mg/kg total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

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