Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Sunoco Partners M & T- Marcus Hook Refinery in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
The Marcus Hook Industrial Complex (Facility) currently has a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) operating permit for a hazardous waste storage area. RCRA Corrective Action activities at this Facility are being conducted under a One Cleanup Program Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) jointly between EPA Region 3 and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). Sunoco, Inc. submitted a Notice of Intent to Remediate (NIR) pursuant to the Pennsylvania Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (Act 2) on September 15, 2011. The MOA agreement was formalized on November 8, 2011, when EPA and PADEP signed a formal acceptance letter for Sunoco, Inc.’s participation in the program.
As with the other Sunoco refineries in the Philadelphia region, the remedial program is based on a site wide cleanup approach. A formal work plan for the site wide cleanup approach under the One Cleanup Program was submitted on December 19, 2011. Based upon the work plan, the corrective action process has an expected completion date of January 2019. Site investigation and cleanup activities are currently being performed and will continue until Corrective Action and Act 2 requirements are achieved.
As a result of the Toxicity Characteristic rules, the Facility has already closed one of its Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs), the Middle Creek Conveyance, in 1995. At present, this unit is subject to post closure activities such as ground water monitoring and cap inspections.
Non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) has been confirmed in the groundwater at the Facility. Due to this, a Comprehensive Remedial Plan (CRP) was prepared in response to a request by PADEP. The goals of the CRP were: (1) to fully identify the extent of the NAPL plume, and (2) to prevent the NAPL plume migration beyond the property boundaries at the Facility by implementing hydraulic control of the water table aquifer and NAPL recovery.
To comply with the CRP, the Facility has implemented corrective measures such as installation of monitoring wells, a sheet piling wall, and recovery systems to prevent the migration of NAPL beyond the Facility perimeter to the Delaware River. The main contaminants that have been identified in soil and groundwater are related to petroleum refining operations at the Facility, such as solvents, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals such as lead.
The above remedial activities are classified by EPA as corrective action stabilization activities and, thus, CRP Progress Reports have been submitted to EPA since 1995. Status reports are currently provided on a semi-annual basis. Reports provide a summary of the operational status of the recovery systems and the total volumes of groundwater and light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) recovered. Reports also include annual groundwater sampling results and the annual gauging event.
In 2000, Sunoco and Florida Power and Light negotiated the construction of a 750-megawatt gas-fired co-generation facility on the Phillips Island portion of the Facility. Sunoco, Inc. performed a site characterization, remedial investigation, and risk assessment and developed a cleanup plan for the Phillips Island site (about 21.1 acres) at the Facility. The scope of the site characterization, risk assessment, and cleanup plan was consistent with site-specific cleanup standard established under Act 2. A 30-day public and municipal comment period for Phillips Island project concluded on May 20, 2000. An Act 2 Final Report was submitted in 2005.
The Facility will provide press releases and other information regarding corrective measures activities for public review and comment if requested.
Site Description
Interactive Map of Sunoco Partners M & T- Marcus Hook Refinery in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
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The Facility is located on approximately 788 acres along the Delaware River in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. The frontage extends approximately 4,800 feet along the northern banks of the Delaware River. The Facility is bordered by industrial land use and commercial/residential properties. The refinery is generally divided into two types of areas: refining and processing activities and crude oil and product storage, and has a long history of petroleum transportation, storage, and processing.
Contaminants at this Facility
Contaminants of concern include contain petroleum hydrocarbons at various locations including concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in groundwater.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional controls anticipated at this facility.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
A portion of this site is under continued use and also has a reused parcel.
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.