The former Indian Refining Firm/Texaco Refinery facility operated as an active petroleum refinery from the early 1900s till the mid-1990s, immediately southeast of Lawrenceville. A lube oil refinery was situated on what is called Indian Acres on the northeastern portion of the property, close to the present Lawrenceville Wastewater Remedy Plant. The area was used for waste disposal of lube oil filter clay sludge, acid sludge, and other wastes. Quite a lot of refinery process wastes have been present in other areas of the site. The positioning was investigated by the Illinois EPA throughout the nineteen nineties and was named to the National Priorities Record of Superfund sites in 2000.

The Remedial Investigation (RI) for the location has not too long ago been completed, and the final reports obtained and authorized by Illinois EPA. Information within the RI from intensive environmental sampling identifies the chemicals of concern on the site and describes their recognized extent. The Baseline Human Health Threat Evaluation, which is part of the RI, describes potential danger to residents, trespassers or site staff from contact with site contaminants. Similarly, the Ecological Risk evaluation describes the potential threat to wildlife in the area.

Work performed for the RI from 2002 by 2007 included intensive environmental sampling:

• Soils both on-site and off-site
• Embarras River sediments and floor water
• Groundwater each on-site and off-site

Contaminants commonly found on former refinery websites from the distilled portions of the crude oil had been also found at this site, together with: natural compounds – various products (gasoline, diesel, oils) and their associated chemicals and inorganic compounds – metals from plant processes, additives for fuels, mercury switches, catalysts, batteries, paint and acids.

There will probably be a Public Availability Session for the public to be taught concerning the Remedial Investigation Report at 1214 State Street, Lawrenceville on Sept. Seventeenth, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.

Now that the Remedial Investigation (RI) is complete, have all the positioning contaminants been absolutely outlined?

Sure. With the exception of particular areas, Illinois EPA is confident that the RI work fully defines the nature and extent of the siterelated contaminants, per Superfund rules.

Some areas have been deliberately left partially characterized, since Illinois EPA and Chevron agreed that a elimination motion is necessary to effectively deal with gross contamination (e.g., the Indian Acres disposal space).

Please describe the areas the place certain forms of contamination have been discovered.

In the northeast disposal area near the river (Indian Acres) and the former Fabrication Store space there’s tarry, acidic waste that includes the heavier ends of crude comparable to asphaltic supplies, spent catalyst, filter cake and different course of wastes. Chemical compounds in the waste embrace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and a few volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

PAHs and VOCs are chemicals generally found in oil-derived merchandise. VOCs are likely to vaporize into the air when they are near the floor of the ground and some may dissolve into groundwater, whereas PAHs can stay integrated in soils for a long time with out moving a lot within the setting.

There’s product floating on and dissolved within the groundwater from the lighter ends of oil production – gentle fuels (gasoline and diesel); the benzene dissolved in groundwater drives the cleanup and danger evaluation due to its toxicity as a most cancers agent. Metals (inorganics) – There is a large space – the Land Therapy Unit on the west facet of Route 1 – that has significant metals contamination. There are some additional hot spots round the positioning of lead, mercury, and nickel contamination.

Do any of the contaminants extend off-site?

Yes. Whereas no floor contamination in soils has been discovered offsite, there’s product (gasoline and diesel) floating on prime of and dissolved within the groundwater that moves off-site on the southeast part of the site. The contamination is being frequently monitored and will have to be dealt with in the ultimate remedy for the positioning.

Can any of the contamination be cleaned up now?

Yes. Greater than 300 miles of pipes had been used prior to now for on-site transport of crude oil and processed finish merchandise. Removing of a part of that piping within the tank farm areas started in April 2008 as part of an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Evaluation (EE/CA). This is a course of by which elements of the Superfund site might endure a faster elimination process than the final site-extensive treatment. The elimination involves a step-sensible strategy of locating, evaluating, pinching off and removing many miles of piping in the tank farm areas.

Similarly, the Indian Acres disposal space could also be dealt with by an EE/CA. There will be a public comment interval on this before it’s permitted.

No treatments have been decided at the moment for the bigger site. First, a Feasibility Examine will probably be performed to guage appropriate cleanup methods. (This process is underway now.) Then, there shall be a public comment period on the proposed cleanup options.

What different cleanup work has occurred on the location just lately?

The remaining 4 tanks in Tank Farm F on the west aspect of the location have been removed and scrapped, and the contaminated soils from that space have been eliminated and correctly disposed.

What occurs if there are releases of contamination during pipe elimination?

Any spill should be immediately cleaned up. Moreover, any contaminated soils excavated during the pipe removing have to be treated and properly disposed.

What is the time-frame for the Feasibility Research, and when will we see the final treatment?

The Feasibility Examine is already underneath manner. The whole study should take about one year. Illinois EPA expects to obtain the Feasibility Study report sometime throughout the fall of 2009.

Is there any concern for off-site exposure of residents by means of blowing dusts or to children enjoying within the Indian Creek?

As a part of the work plan for the remedy, Chevron can be required to conduct periodic monitoring of the air at the positioning fence line to ensure that site-associated contaminants don’t blow off site in dusts during the site work.

The Human Health Risk Assessment for the site evaluated the situation of children which may play in the creek, and there doesn’t seem like a potential well being risk related to that potential exposure route.

Who’s doing the work?

Chevron is contracting with a number of environmental companies to complete the piping removal. Stantec Consulting Corporation oversees the environmental consulting work. Stantec may be reached at (248) 489- 5900. Illinois EPA has oversight for the whole undertaking.

How lengthy do you anticipate the pipe elimination will take?

Chevron anticipates that it will take approximately two years to complete the present piping removing in the western tank farm areas. There’ll nonetheless be many further miles of pipes to take away in the principle process areas and the remaining tank farms A, B and C in the course of the treatment phase. Pipe elimination in the method areas is sophisticated by concrete foundations, blacktop and other obstructions. There is still an option to conduct the remaining piping removing as a separate EE/CA, similar to the current removing work.