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EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan for BP Amoco Refinery

Release Date: 11/5/2003
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543

Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, today announced a proposed remedy to address contaminated soil, sediment, and waste materials at the Giant Yorktown, Inc. (formerly BP Amoco Yorktown Refinery) facility located in Grafton, Virginia, along the York River.

“The proposed cleanup plan will substantially reduce the long-term risks for residents of this Yorktown community. We encourage the public to review the proposed remedy and respond back to us with their comments,” said EPA Regional Administrator Donald S. Welsh.

The cleanup plan sets out to control the source of contamination and manage the migration of contamination by excavating and consolidating contaminated soils, sediment and waste materials, and by capping the materials and providing long-term groundwater monitoring.

In 1991, EPA ordered BP Amoco to investigate environmental contamination resulting from spills and releases of hazardous wastes, and to evaluate remedial technologies that would be most effective for cleaning up the contaminated areas at the facility. The investigation revealed that portions of soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater at the facility are contaminated with organic chemicals such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene (more commonly known as BTEX), methyl tert-butyl ether (referred to as MTBE), and other chemicals.

The document issued today, called EPA’s statement of basis, summarizes the environmental conditions at the site over the past 12 years and describes the steps EPA is proposing to manage the contamination.

The official comment period begins today, Nov. 5 and closes on Dec. 5, 2003. Prior to issuing a final cleanup plan, EPA will evaluate and respond to all comments received during the comment period. If the final cleanup plan is significantly different from the proposed remedy, EPA will issue a public notice explaining the new decision and will reopen the comment period.

Copies of site-related documents and the proposed cleanup plan are available for public review at the York County Public Library, 8500 George Washington Highway, Yorktown, Va., (757-890-3377).

A copy of the proposed cleanup remedy also is available for viewing on the EPA website at https://www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/publicnoticebppubnot.htm.
https://www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/public_notices.htm

Written comments should be submitted to the EPA project manager Donna McCartney, and mailed to her attention at EPA, Region 3, Mail Code 3WC23, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103; faxed to 215-814-3113; or sent by e-mail to mccartney.donna@epa.gov.