Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Former Chevron USA Products Company #122208 in Chillum, Maryland
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its final decision describing the remedy for a gasoline release that occurred at a former Chevron service station located at 5801 Riggs Road, Chillum, Md., which impacted the adjacent community in the Washington D.C. neighborhood known as Lamond-Riggs Park. The gasoline release occurred in 1989 and reportedly migrated underground to the residential neighborhood in 2001.
EPA's final decision includes key ideas from our proposed plan presented to the community last fall. The EPA also modified the cleanup plans to be even more protective in response to significant comments from the community and D.C. environmental agencies.
EPA's final decision for the Chevron cleanup includes three components that were included in the Statement of Basis that was presented to the community in fall 2007:
(1) Continued operation of the existing groundwater remediation system in Maryland;
(2) Expansion of the existing system by installing angle recovery wells under Eastern Avenue into the District. The additional wells will enhance cleanup of contaminated ground water resulting from the Chevron release. The drinking water for the area comes from a public water supply. As such, there is no known risk to the drinking water from the underground contamination;
(3) Installation of individual vapor mitigation systems in those homes located above the contaminated groundwater plume with measured vapor levels that exceed EPA’s remediation standards for indoor air established in the Statement of Basis.
In response to comments, EPA has strengthened its plan by adding:
(1) Installation of an independent remediation system on the District-side of Eastern Avenue which uses an innovative recovery well design combining soil vapor extraction, recirculation groundwater pumping, and air sparging. Treatment takes place inside a large diameter well underground, minimizing both space requirements and disruption to the community.
(2) Installation of an oxygen curtain above Nicholson Street to speed the natural degradation of the groundwater plume. The area above Nicholson Street has a low oxygen level and injecting oxygen will accelerate the natural degradation of dissolved petroleum constituents. The oxygen curtain is a non-mechanical system operated by pressure. It requires little space and will generate minimal noise, so it should not be disruptive to the community except during construction.
Implementation of EPA’s final decision will begin after EPA issues Chevron an implementation order which is a legally binding agreement. EPA will attend a future community forum to outline its final decision and to discuss the next steps in the cleanup process.
Cleanup Background
In October 1989, there was a reported release of an unknown amount of gasoline from a Service Station owned and operated by Chevron Products Company, located at 5801 Riggs Road in Chillum, Maryland. The release was initially addressed by the Maryland Department of the Environment(MDE). MDE required Chevron to install a pump and treat system which has been in operation since 1990.
In April 2001, the gasoline plume was reported to have migrated into the District of Columbia, underlying a residential area known as the Lamond-Riggs Park community. Subsequent investigation also discovered that Perchloroethylene (PERC), a dry cleaner solvent, was present in groundwater at elevated concentrations, which led to EPA's involvement.
In October 2001, EPA assumed responsibility for the gasoline release investigation and on November 26, 2002, EPA issued a Unilateral Order to Chevron for a site investigation.
During the summer of 2002, as a result of the Site Investigation, perchlorethylene (PERC) was discovered in the gasoline plume. Since PERC is not a contaminant associated with gasoline, but rather is commonly associated with dry cleaning activities, EPA determined that PERC is not a Facility related contaminant.
On November 26, 2002 the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued an Unilateral Order pursuant to the authority of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Section 7003 "Imminent and Substantial Endangerment to Health or the Environment" to Chevron U.S.A., Inc. (Chevron) for investigation and remedy development for the release of petroleum related constituents from the former Chevron Gasoline Service Station No. 122208, located at 5801 Riggs Road, Chillum, Maryland. The Order was effective on December 11, 2002.
As required by the Order, Chevron collected soil, soil vapor, indoor air and groundwater samples, and has conducted pilot tests to upgrade the existing groundwater remediation system. Between 2001 and 2007, Chevron installed 232 temporary Geoprobe wells, 80 groundwater monitoring wells, 7 product recovery wells, and 4 soil vapor monitoring wells. Cumulatively, during the same period, Chevron has collected over 3000 groundwater samples, 300 soil samples, 250 soil vapor samples from 90 properties, 50 indoor and ambient air samples from 20 properties, and 14 basement sump samples.
Between 2002 and 2005, EPA collected indoor air samples from 32 properties and installed 24 soil vapor wells for its PERC investigation; and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer (ACE), on behalf of EPA, reviewed data from over half the properties sampled by Chevron.
Based on soil, soil vapor, indoor air and groundwater data collected through September 2005, EPA has delineated a shallow benzene plume and a shallow methyl tertiarybutyl ether (MTBE) plume. The shallow benzene plume extended approximately 700 feet from the Facility into the District of Columbia, and the shallow MTBE plume is about twice as long, extending about 1400 feet from the Facility into the District of Columbia.
On August 30, 2007, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced its proposed remedy for the cleanup of the former Chevron gas station (refer to : "Reports, Documents and Photographs : Corrective Action Statement of Basis").
The April 16, 2008 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its final decision describing the remedy for a gasoline release that occurred at a former (refer to: " Reports, Documents and Photographs : Corrective Action Final Decision").
On August 25, 2008, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) entered into between EPA and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (Chevron) to clean up releases at or from the former Chevron gasoline service station and requested public comments on the AOC. (refer to: " Reports, Documents and Photographs: EPA Administrative Order on Consent").
The Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) to implement the final remedy became effective as on or about January 19, 2009. During the public comment period, EPA received five sets of comments. EPA has responded to those comments and determined that no modifications to the AOC is necessary.
Site Description
The Facility is located at the eastern corner of the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Riggs Road in Chillum, Maryland (also known as Hyattsville Maryland). The north side of the rightofway of Eastern Avenue delineates the boundary between Prince George’s County, Maryland and the District of Columbia. The southern extent of the Facility property abuts the District.
Gulf Oil Corporation (Gulf) constructed a service station on the Facility property on or about 1954. Standard Oil Company of California merged with Gulf in 1984, and after restructuring, changed its name to Chevron. Chevron owned and operated the Facility until it was sold to an independent owner in 1993. The Facility is currently a Sunoco Service Station.
Contaminants at this Facility
The contaminant of primary concern were benzene plume and a shallow methyl tertiarybutyl ether (MTBE) plume. Also Perchloroethylene (PERC), a dry cleaner solvent, was present in groundwater (which did not come from The Facility).
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
The facility remedy, as stated in the "Cleanup Status" Section, includes groundwater remediation systems in Maryland and the District of Columbia plus a vapor mitigation system in those homes located above the contaminated groundwater plume with measured vapor levels that exceed EPA’s remediation standards for indoor air.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The facility is under continued use.
Site Responsiblity at this Facility
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility are conducted under the direction of the EPA Region 3 with assistance from Maryland DEP and DIstrict of Columbia DEP.