EPA RCRA ID: WVD004337135
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
West Virginia Department of Environmental (DEQ) is the lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility.
In April 1997, EPA and Saint Mary's Refining Company (SMRC) entered into a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 7003 Administrative Consent Order requiring SMRC to investigate and clean-up Site related contamination. Pennzoil – Quaker State Company (PQS), a previous owner of the Facility, conducted the on- and off-Site environmental investigations and clean-ups at the SMRC Facility. Fifteen Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) and five Areas of Concern (AOC) were identified at the Facility. SWMUs are areas of known or suspected contaminant releases.
Environmental investigations documented hydrocarbon contaminants in on-site soil and groundwater on- and off-site. Primary contaminants are benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylene (BTEX), methyl-tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), naphthalene, total petroleum hydrocarbons and arsenic. Groundwater (GW) on and around the site is not used as a drinking water source.
Intensive Facility-wide soil and GW clean-up began in August 2006, with installation of clean-up technologies. In the former refinery area, PQS installed over 100 wells into the shallow groundwater aquifer for Soil Vapor Extraction and Bioventing (SVEB) treatment. Bioventing changed subsurface anaerobic conditions to aerobic to support naturally occurring microbes in breaking down hydrocarbons. Vapor extraction removed volatile hydrocarbons from the subsurface and an oxidizer reduced volatiles to carbon dioxide and water. In the deeper aquifer, PQS injected sulfate to support anaerobic bacteria in the breaking down hydrocarbons in the dissolved plume.
Two years later (September 2008), the SVEB treatment had removed about 98% of the contaminant source mass from subsurface soil in the former refinery area. GW contaminants were also significantly reduced. In the deeper aquifer, the bacteria population grew large enough to continue contaminant reduction without further sulfate injection. Natural processes will continue to reduce remaining hydrocarbons in GW, eventually attaining drinking water levels throughout the Facility.
On the bluff or cliff area of the former Refinery, contaminated soil from SWMUs 12 and 13 and AOC 3 was excavated and treated in the former Refining area (in the valley) using bioventing. The bluff excavations were backfilled with clean soil. The treated soil meets EPA’s acceptable risk level for industrial workers and soil remaining on the bluff meets West Virginia’s residential use levels.
The neighborhood well survey found that no private wells around the Facility were being used.
In November 2006, SMRC moved the vent pipe for the truck loading area, located off of Barkwill Street, to the center of the facility, and thereby reduced hydrocarbon vapor emissions and odors from the residential Barkwill Street area.
In 2007, EPA required sampling of stream sediments, Ohio River sediments and on-site polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) analysis. The final results from these investigations showed minimal Facility impact to these areas.
As discussed in the Environmental Indicator Forms located on EPA’s website (see Government Contacts), human health exposures are under control, and GW contamination is delineated and naturally attenuating. In 2011-2012, three downgradient locations along the Ohio River were found to have Refinery related contaminants. These sites were entered into West Virginia’s Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) for cleanup. Soil and groundwater cleanup along the SMRC pipe line near the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant is completed.
In September 2011, EPA issued a Statement of Basis which provided the basis for EPA’s proposed remedy decision for the Facility. During the 30-day public comment period, only SMRC submitted comments. The Final (remedy) Decision and Response to Comments (FDRTC) was signed by EPA on January 30, 2012. The Statement of Basis and FDRTC is available on this EPA’s website.
The final remedy includes on- and off-site GW monitoring, with wells (off-site wells are located between Route 2 and the Ohio River) sampled twice a year to measure hydrocarbon levels (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylenes, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), naphthalene) and arsenic, to document the natural attenuation of remaining hydrocarbons. Environmental covenants restrict land use in the former refinery area to non-residential uses and prohibits using groundwater as a source of drinking water for on- and off-site locations.
On September 27, 2018, the EPA conducted a Long Term Stewardship assessment to assess whether the remedy was implemented and protective of human health and the environment. EPA determined that the remedy institutional and engineering controls have been fully implemented and no control deficiencies were identified.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The SMRC Facility began petroleum refining in the early 1900's. The Facility produced lubricating oils, waxes, gasoline, jet fuel, and other petroleum products over the decades. The Facility had different owner/operators over the years and refining ceased in the early 1990's. The current use of the Facility is for bulk storage and transport of finished petroleum products (gasoline and diesel) and uses a portion of the 70-acre site. The Facility is divided into two areas: the main plant area with truck loading racks, and the bluff or cliff area (which is about 70 feet higher than the main area), where the petroleum is stored in large above ground storage tanks. The Facility is surrounded by commercial, industrial and residential properties. The Ohio River is north of the Facility. The Facility is fenced, with 24-hour security. Public meetings were held every October from 2006 to 2009. More information about the site is located at the Pleasants County Library, West Virginia and at the U.S. EPA office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Contaminants at this Facility
The primary contaminants are benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylene (BTEX), methyl-tertiary butyl ether (MTBE-an oxygenate), naphthalene, total petroleum hydrocarbons and arsenic. Ground water on and around the site is not used as a drinking water source.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional control are enforced through an environmental covenant with West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), recorded on October 22, 2008. This covenant prohibits the following activities on the property: Groundwater extraction except for monitoring purposes; Residential land use. Excavation, drilling or penetration must be by certified contractors who have an approved Soil Management Plan (SMP) to WVDEP/EPA for the area. Engineering Controls for established for Groundwater monitoring.
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
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Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
Documents available on-line: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) |
Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) |
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Governmental Controls (GC) |
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Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
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| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
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Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) |
Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) |
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Non-Groundwater |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.