Environmental Progress - Summer 2000

"Divide and Conquer" Approach Being Tried at Lockport Refinery

Degree of contamination, possible future use determines cleanup sequence

Texaco, Inc. and its consultants are using a "divide and conquer" approach to cleaning up contaminated property at its closed Lockport Refinery. With the approval of the Illinois EPA's permit section, the consultants have divided the 580-acre former petroleum refining facility near Lockport into parcels and are remediating them based on their past use and the resulting contamination, as well as their potential for future use.

After underground piping is located, it is uncovered, drained, removed and recycled.

Texaco representatives feel that this is a more cost-effective and efficient remediation strategy. When the potential future use of a particular area is factored into the planning, remediation dollars can be better directed.

Texaco has used this parceling approach at sites in Texas, Wyoming and Montana. They are also proposing this mechanism at their site in Lawrenceville, Ill. They believe the Lawrenceville site is a good candidate due to issues relating to ownership of the underground piping, surface fixtures and the property itself, as well as the varying types and levels of contamination.

At Lockport, they are focusing much of their initial efforts toward an area identified as "3A," in the southeast portion of the site. This area is in the process of being annexed into the city of Lockport for eventual redevelopment. The Rolls Royce Corporation is planning to use about 10 acres for a "peaker plant," an electricity generating facility that is activated during peak electrical use periods.

This bulldozer, equipped with tines, identifies and removes any residual piping or concrete.

Texaco is in the process of removing miles of underground piping located throughout the Lockport site. A recent estimate indicated that more than 65 percent of the piping has been removed. Along with the physical survey work, reviewing drawings and conducting historical research, Texaco is using global positioning satellites, known as GPS, to map the piping. Texaco is employing a series of electromagnetic survey techniques and physical trenching to ensure that all piping is removed. They also use GIS, or Geographic Information System, to sort sampling and electromagnetic survey data and attribute it to specific locations on-site.

The Lockport Refinery, which went on line in 1911, has been closed since 1981, but Equilon uses part of the site as a tank farm. In addition, Texaco is maintaining an on-site landfill as part of the RCRA facility management requirements. The Agency is preparing a post-closure care permit for continued management of the landfill.