Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Sunoco Point Breeze (Refinery and Marketing) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
The Sunoco, Inc. – Philadelphia Refinery Facility (Facility) conducts Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities under the direction of EPA Region 3 with assistance from the Department of Pennsylvania Environmental Protection (PADEP). The investigation and any necessary cleanup activities are being implemented in accordance with the PADEP December 1993 Consent Order and Agreement.
RCRA Corrective Action activities at this Facility are being conducted under the One Cleanup Program Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) jointly between EPA Region 3 and the PADEP. Sunoco, Inc. submitted a Notice of Intent to Remediate (NIR) pursuant to of the Pennsylvania Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (Act 2) in October 2006. 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. EPA received a formal work plan for the site wide cleanup approach under the One Cleanup Program in November 2011. Based upon recent revised work plan, the corrective action process has an expected completion date of December 2018.
EPA issued a RCRA corrective action permit to the Facility which requires the investigation of three Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs). The three SWMUs include a past disposal area, a lead tank bottom treatment area, and a storm water pond that drains the tank farm area and discharges into the Schuylkill River via an on-site industrial waste treatment plant’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) outfall. NPDES is wastewater discharge permit.
Cleanup Background
Two Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) consent orders required the Facility to address underground free phase hydrocarbon and to perform remediation activities.
The Facility has performed the on-site plume recovery since 1997. The October 2012 Quarterly Report reveals that the total cumulative Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) has recovered 246,375 gallons.
Nearby residents complained of a petroleum odor in their homes. Accordingly, the public has been kept apprised of developments and progress through regular public meetings and presentations detailing results of the ongoing work. These meeting are chaired by the PADEP. Information regarding upcoming schedules can be obtained by contacting the PADEP.
2003: A pilot remediation test for mitigating the infiltration of LNAPL into sewer is planned.
2003: Sunoco enters an PADEP Consent Order and Agreement (CO&A) regarding onsite remediation activities. Sunoco replaces the 1993 PADEP Point Breeze Processing Area Consent Order and Agreement to include the Girard Point Processing Area, the West Yard and the Schuylkill River Tank Farm. Sunoco’s Phase I Remedial Plan (Phase I Plan) dated November 2003 is included as an attachment in the CO &A. The Phase I plan divides the facility into 11 Areas of Interests (AOIs).
2004: In accordance with the CO&A, a Current Conditions Report and Comprehensive Remedial Plan (CCR) is prepared. The plan proposes Phase II site characterization and corrective action activities for the Refinery, including preparation of site characterization reports (SCRs) for individual Areas of Interest (AOIs). The CCR presented a prioritization of all eleven AOIs based on specific risk factors.
2005: Site Characterization Work Plan for Area of Interest (AOI) 1 and 4 is approved by PADEP. AOI 1 includes the No. 1 and No. 2 Tank Farms and Belmont Terminal. AOI 4 is bordered by Hartranft Street to the North, 26th Street to the East, Penrose Avenue to the South, and AOI 3 to the West. AOI 4 encompasses approximately 90 acres.
2005: Sunoco is interested in the applicability of the One-Clean-Up program to streamline the remediation program at its Philadelphia Refinery under the EPA RCRA program, the PADEP Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (Act 2) program, and the existing PADEP Consent Order.
2006: Sunoco submits a Notice of Intent to Remediate (NIR) in accordance with the PADEP Act 2 program. The NIR is submitted with the intent to enter the Sunoco Philadelphia Refinery into the One Cleanup Program and the USEPA. All remediation work at the Philadelphia refinery will be completed under the 2003 CO&A, however, RCRA Corrective Action measures will be addressed concurrently with work performed under the CO&A and within the Act 2 program.
2006: Sunoco submits PADEP and EPA a Site Characterization Work Plan for AOI 6 (Girard Point Chemicals Processing Area) in February and an AOI 6 Site Characterization Report in September.
2007: Sunoco submits PADEP for approval a copy of the request for “Consolidation of EPA Facility ID Numbers” for its Girard Point, Point Breeze and Schuylkill River Tank Farm facilities.
2007: Sunoco submits PADEP and EPA a Site Characterization Work Plan for AOI 5 (Girard Point South Tank Field Area) in June and an AOI 5 Site Characterization Report in August.
2008: Sunoco submits PADEP and EPA a Site Characterization Work Plan for AOI 8 (Point Breeze Process Area North Yard) in May and an AOI 8 Site Characterization Report in September.
2009: Sunoco submits PADEP and EPA a Site Characterization Work Plan for AOI 9 (Schuylkill River Tank Farm) in May and an AOI 9 site characterization report in October.
2010: Sunoco submits PADEP and EPA Site Characterization Work Plans for AOI 2 (Point Breeze Processing Area) and AOI 3 (Impoundment Area) in March and a Site Characterization Work Plan for AOI 7 (Girard Point Fuels Processing Area) in May. In September, Sunoco submits Site Characterization/Remedial Investigation Reports on AOIs 2, 3 and 7 to PADEP and EPA.
2011: Site characterization activities have been completed for nine AOIs at the Refinery. These include AOI 1 (Belmont Terminal, #1 and #2 Tank Farm), AOI 2 (Point Breeze Processing Area), AOI 3 (Impoundment Area), AOI 4 (#4 Tank Farm), AOI 5 (Girard Point South Tank Field Area), AOI 6 (Girard Point Chemicals Processing Area), AOI 7 (Girard Point Fuels Processing Area), AOI 8 (Point Breeze Process Area North Yard) and AOI 9 (Schuylkill River Tank Farm).
2011: Sunoco submits PADEP and EPA a Site Characterization Work Plan for AOI 10 (Point Breeze West Yard) in February and an AOI 10 Site Characterization/Remedial Investigation Report in June.
2011: Sunoco submits PADEP and EPA a Site Characterization Work Plan for AOI 11 (Deep Aquifer, Farrington Sand beneath Facility) in September.
2011: Sunoco submits PADEP and EPA a Work Plan for Site Wide Approach under The One Cleanup Program and a Letter of Commitment in November. In the Letter of Commitment, Sunoco will continue site characterization and corrective action at the Facility in accordance with the said Site Wide Approach Work Plan. Sunoco proposes to continue investigating and remediating the Facility, as necessary, under the One Cleanup Program.
2011: Sunoco submits PADEP and EPA a combined Site Characterization/Remedial Investigation Report/ Cleanup Plan for AOI 5 based on characterization activities that were performed in 2005 and 2007 in December.
2012: Sunoco submits PADEP and EPA a combined Site Characterization/Remedial Investigation Report (SCR/RIR) for AOI 7 which summarizes the site characterization work completed between 2010 and 2012 in March.
2012: Sunoco, Inc. contracts to sell its Philadelphia Refinery to Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining and Marketing LLC (“Philadelphia Energy”).
2012: Philadelphia Energy becomes the owner and operator of the Philadelphia Refinery in September.
Site Description
Interactive map of Sunoco Point Breeze (Refinery & Marketing), Philadelphia, PA
The Point Breeze facility, located on approximately 672 acres in Southwest Philadelphia, began as an oil distribution terminal in the 1860's and began batch processing crude oil in 1900. Gasoline went into full-scale production during World War II. Other past operations include production of chemicals such as acids and ammonia. Today the refinery produces only fuels and asphalts. Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining & Marketing LLC acquired Sunoco Point Breeze Refinery in September 2012.
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
There are no institutional controls at this time.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The facility is under continued use.
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.