On this page:

• Cleanup Status
• Site Description
• Contaminants at this Facility
• Institutional/Engineer Controls
• Land Reuse
• Site Responsibility

Cleanup Status

The Pennzoil Facility in Rouseville, Pennsylvania consists of two physically separate portions; Plant 1 and Plant 2. Corrective Action at the Pennzoil-Rouseville Plant is being conducted primarily under the supervision of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) with assistance and concurrence by EPA.  Both plants have completed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective action requirements and a Statement of Basis has been completed for each whose remedy consists of institutional controls included in deed restrictions.

Plant Number One Cleanup Status

An initial Remedial Action Plan/Clean-up Plan (RAP) was submitted during September, 2006. The RAP was approved with modifications in March 2007. The Cleanup Plan involved institutional controls (deed & use restrictions) and an enhancement and continuation of the existing engineering controls (groundwater recovery) in addition to some soil excavation and recovery trench extensions. In addition, documentation of long-term post remediation care and financial assurance were requested to be submitted. Since the initial RAP, several addendums due to changing site conditions and remedial technologies have been submitted and approved by PADEP. 

Established and enforceable under the June 8, 2006, CO&A with PADEP, the following institutional controls are established for Plant #1 via Deed restrictions:
(1) Limiting the use of the Property to commercial or industrial activity, excluding schools, nursing homes and other residential style facilities, and recreational areas;
(2) Prohibiting the use of groundwater at the Property
(3) Prohibiting the construction of basements or underground storage on the Property
(4) Avoid disturbing surface soils at the Property, except as necessary to install improvements at the Property.  If such a disturbance is proposed, a work plan must be submitted and approved prior to commencing work.
(5) Excavation in areas where identified contamination exists below "original grade" shall require a written health and safety plan that addresses all known contamination.
(6) Excavations or improvements shall not disrupt the approved remedial actions.
 

Plant Number Two Cleanup Status

"Site Characterization Report/Remedial Investigation Report (SCR/RIR), Former Rouseville Refinery - Plant 2" was submitted in April 2009. An addendum to this report was submitted in December 2009 to address previously unaddressed soil gas concentration related to potential indoor air pathway exposures. EPA had a conference call with the Plant 2 Project Manager on 5/13/2010 to receive an update to the site status.  On November 15, 2010, Institutional Controls along with a Corrective Action Statement of Basis were issued for Plant #2.

(1) The Property shall be used for non-residential purposes only;
(2) No person shall withdraw or make use of any groundwater underneath the Property for any purpose;
(3) The existing groundwater treatment building will either be demolished during Site decommissioning activities or if there is no unacceptable vapor intrusion risk;
(4) No person shall construct or expand any building within the property, unless (i) additional sampling and/or vapor intrusion modeling is submitted showing that the occupation of such buildings will not result in an unacceptable vapor intrusion risk;
(5) No person shall disturb the soil and subsurface underlying any portion of the Facility where concentrations of constituents exceed the cleanup standard;
(6) The integrity of the concrete retaining walls along Oil Creek will be maintained intact or an alternate replacement barrier will be installed.

Cleanup Background

Pennzoil entered a Consent Order with PADEP in April of 1990, for releases to the environment from the Rouseville Facility Plants 1 and 2. The Order has since expired but Pennzoil has continued to remediate the sites under the conditions of the Order.

Pennzoil was also under an EPA Corrective Action Permit issued later in 1990 to investigate specific solid waste management units and areas of concern. Since the PADEP Order was more comprehensive, in 1993 EPA created a worksharing arrangement with PADEP. Under this arrangement, PADEP oversees remediation activities at Pennzoil and EPA receives copies of quarterly reports and other correspondences. The EPA Corrective Action Permit issued to Pennzoil in 1990 expired in 2000. According to 40 CFR  270.30(b), a permittee must apply for and obtain a new permit to continue activities regulated by this permit after the expiration date. Since Pennzoil no longer manages hazardous waste storage areas, they did not renew the EPA permit and EPA considers the permit to be expired. However, the obligation to address hazardous waste releases under RCRA remains in effect until EPA makes a final decision on an appropriate remedy. Given the recent various changes in ownership, the fact that the permit is expired, and that Pennzoil has been conducting remediation activities under supervision of PADEP since 1993, EPA believes the most practical approach to complete site remediation is to allow each area of concern (AOC) identified in the permit and any AOCs identified by PADEP to be addressed by PADEPs Land Recycling Program (Act 2). EPA believes that upon completion of the Act 2 Program all conditions of the original permit and all portions of corrective action will be satisfied.

A petroleum hydrocarbon recovery system was installed during 1991 at Plant 1 and Plant 2 and is currently in operation. The recovery system is designed to control migration of SPL to Oil Creek and Cherry Run. Over time, releases to the environment of petroleum hydrocarbons have decreased as measured by such parameters as the amount of oily sheens on the local streams and the amount of free product floating on the groundwater. Pennzoil accomplished these reductions by repairing leaking equipment and actively removing free product. PQS submits quarterly remedial action progress reports to the PADEP that documents the progress of the recovery systems. Remediation activities are continuing.

PQS initiated a comprehensive site characterization of Plant 1 and Plant 2 during 2000/2001 in accordance with the requirements of the Storage Tank Act and Land recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act.

In January 2003, the  Conceptual Site Model submitted by TolTest, a Toluene plume was identified on the Pant 1 property. The source was reportedly a former MEK-Toluene unit. A pilot test was performed and Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) was chosen as the remedial action to address the plume. The SVE unit is currently active and treating the plume through the existing groundwater treatment system with some modifications.  A source area for occasional outbreaks of sheens and separate phase liquids (SPLs) located near the railroad bridge that crosses Oil Creek was addressed. During January and February 2005 a sheet pile wall (Waterloo Barrier7) was installed adjacent to oil Creek to physically contain the SPLs. Three containment wells were also installed upgradient to recover SPL from the area and to contain sheen outbreaks.

PADEP received and reviewed the March 20, 2006, document titled "Site Characterization Report/Remedial Investigation Report (SCR/RIR), Former PQS Refinery Plant 1." The report included a Risk Assessment Report (RAR), which has been reviewed by PADEP. The SCR/RIR and RAR was submitted to PADEP in accordance with the Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (Act 2). PADEP approved the RIR and RAR in accordance with the provisions of Act 2 on June 2, 2006.

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Site Description

Both Pennzoil Facility Plants 1 and 2 are located in Verango County in the western portion of Pennsylvania. Plant 1 is located in Rouseville Borough and Plant 2 is located in Cornplanter Township. Both Plants are located along Oil Creek. Plant 1 had storage tanks which received crude oil. This oil was refined into various motor oils, lubricants, and fuels. Plant 2 had storage tanks that received product from Plant 1 via a pipeline. There have been various releases of products from both plants which have been found in the groundwater and which have seeped into nearby streams.

In April, 2000, Plant 1 was sold to Calumet Lubricants Co., L.P. and Pennzoil had retained the environmental liability. Calumet has decommissioned Plant 1 and prepared a site-wide evaluation report under the PADEP Land Recycling Program (Act 2). Environmental liability for Plant 1 is now shared between Calumet and Shell. Plant 2 was acquired by Shell lubricants on October 1, 2002, during the acquisition of Pennzoil-Quaker State by the Shell Oil Company. Pennzoil has decommissioned Plant 2 and prepared a site-wide evaluation report under the PADEP Land Recycling Program (Act 2).

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Contaminants at this Facility

EPA has determined that the cleanup levels calculated for soils are protective of human health and the environment for individual contaminants at this Facility provided that the Facility  is not used for residential purposes.  Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) concentrations for 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene; 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene; Benzene; and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) were found to exceed the residential uses of groundwater. Also Semi-Volatile Organic Compound (SVOCs) showed exceedences include Benzo(a)anthracene; Benzo(a)pyrene; Benzo(b)fluoranthene; Benzo(k)fluoranthene; Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene; 2-Methylnaphthalene; Benzo(g,h,i,)pyrelene; Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate; Pyrene; Chrysene; and Fluorene.

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Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

 Institutional Control details were provided for each plant  in the "Clean Up Status" listed above.

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Land Reuse Information at this Facility

The Site has an unused parcel and also a 5 acre reused parcel.

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Site Responsibility at this Facility

RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 3 with assistance from PADEP.

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