Environmental Progress - Summer/Fall 2002

Environmental Progress : Summer/Fall 2002

Closed BP/Amoco Refinery Is Now American Commons at Wood River

Retail, commercial development, wildlife habitat now on 640 acres

Local officials and citizens watch as Director Renee Cipriano prepares to cut the ribbon for the American Commons development at Wood River.

Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano joined local officials and citizens in August at a groundbreaking ceremony for the American Commons retail and commercial development and the opening of the Deer Park wildlife habitat at the former BP/Amoco Refinery site in Wood River.

Director Cipriano noted the ongoing cleanup and redevelopment at the site is one of only five RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) Brownfield Pilot Projects in the nation designated by USEPA. RCRA is the federal law that governs addressing hazardous waste remaining on the site.

"This refinery gave birth to Wood River and was its economic engine for 75 years. As a result of the remarkable team work between the private and public sectors, the site will again be a mainstay of the city's economy for years to come," Director Cipriano said.

Partnership approach allowed flexibility, innovation

She noted BP, the city of Wood River and site remediator and developer Rick Jones have worked closely with Illinois EPA to implement streamlined corrective action approaches and innovative environmental management techniques. The result is an approach that provides the flexibility to focus on parts of the site with the highest redevelopment potential while still protecting human health and the environment.

During the August 15 groundbreaking ceremony, Director Cipriano announced that Illinois EPA had approved a second "no further action" or "clean letter" for an additional parcel on the northeast corner of the refinery site.

Rick Jones, Wood River City Manager Thomas Christy and BP officials praised the close cooperation and assistance Illinois EPA has provided in moving forward on cleaning up the refinery site for new development and new jobs in Wood River. The city and BP also presented awards to Director Cipriano and Bureau of Land staff involved with the site for their efforts.

"This project can be a model for all of Illinois and the nation," Director Cipriano said.

An observation area overlooks the wildlife habitat.

Innovative approaches make project a model

Among the innovative approaches used at the Wood River refinery site are groundwater management zones and other institutional controls, and phytoremediation or use of plants to absorb the leachate at a closed on-site disposal area without disrupting the cover. In addition, BP has committed to withdrawal of a sufficient amount of groundwater using a pump-and-treat system to ensure no contaminated groundwater flows off-site.

Jones, whose company has been involved in remediation of several closed refinery sites around the nation, said the cleanup of the Wood River site will give the city "a good stable economic engine, diverse in many ways.

"We'll have retail, commercial, light industrial, building storage and a rail facility," he added.

The Wood River refinery is unlike many other similar sites around the country, where the closed industrial property was just fenced and left idle, because cleanup and re- development seemed too challenging.

"I would encourage other companies and owners to engage themselves with the communities and the environmental agencies because there is an answer there. It will be a lot of work and it will take a lot of time and dedication but this can be done," said Dave Kallet, team leader with BP's remediation group.

"Good for environment, for business...and it's the right thing..."

"We want to create sustainable economic development for the future. It's good for the environment, good for business and it's the right thing to do," added Joe Nacchache, manager of refining for BP.

To facilitate progress at the site, Illinois EPA has worked with BP, Wood River and Jones to provide a streamlined approach for submitting and reviewing corrective action documents; regular progress meetings are held to resolve any pending technical issues and to keep the process moving. Director Cipriano appeared as a guest on a live two-hour broadcast from the Wood River site by the McGraw Millhaven show on KMOX (St.Louis) radio.

Operations ran 1908-1933

The refinery was opened in 1908 by Standard Oil and ceased operations in 1993. A dominant force in the local economy from its opening, it once employed more than one-third of Wood River's residents.

The total 640-acre site includes 200 acres along the Mississippi River. The 30-acre Deer Park wildlife habitat on the site, its tranquil prairie grasses and ponds particularly dramatic against the industrial background setting, is also a unique aspect of the remediation at the site.

It includes an ADA accessible walking trail, pavilion and meditation area with an observatory to watch for deer and other wildlife already using the area.

Certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council, the park hosts a large variety of native plants, animals and waterfowl in the shadow of still active petroleum storage tanks.