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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has approved a cleanup method submitted by Speedway LLC to address environmental conditions through the Voluntary Remediation Program at the site of a former gas station in Charleston.
The site of the former Speedway #3972 is located at 515 Pennsylvania Avenue and includes approximately 0.29 acres. The site was operated as a retail gasoline station. Initial site investigation began in 1988. In December 1992, the site’s three 12,000-gallon underground storage tanks (USTs) and associated piping were removed.
Based on findings of the 1992 UST closure activities, a leak was detected and DEP required an investigation into the cause of the leak and the cleanup of any contamination. In December 1992, two 10,000-gallon-capacity single wall fiberglass (SWF) gasoline USTs and one 12,000-gallon-capacity SWF gasoline UST system were reinstalled and then removed in 2006. Site assessment and corrective action activities have been conducted at the site from 1988 until the site entered the Voluntary Remediation Program in August 2008. The site is currently vacant and construction of a new retail gasoline station is proposed.
A Land Use Covenant will be recorded that will prohibit activities and uses on the site. Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to:
1. The use of site groundwater for any purpose other than environmental monitoring or remediation and, therefore, eliminating the potential for future ingestion of site groundwater.
2. Use of the property, or any portion thereof, for anything other than non-residential (Commercial/Industrial) use only.
3. Construction of any on-site structures with basements or other permanent subsurface or underground structures or other on-site structures without vapor mitigation or additional evaluation of the vapor intrusion pathway to determine if mitigation is necessary.
4. Contact with soil at a depth of eight feet below ground surface without utilizing a site health and safety plan and soil management plan prepared by a Licensed Remediation Specialist or similarly qualified individual. In addition to the covenant, the city of Charleston has enacted Ordinance #7644 establishing a Restricted Use Area on the west side of Charleston, restricting the use of groundwater on and for a protective distance around the former Speedway property.
Upon completion of the remediation, a final report will be submitted to the DEP’s Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) for review and approval.
West Virginia’s Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Act encourages voluntary cleanups of contaminated sites, as well as redevelopment of abandoned and under-utilized properties, with an objective of counteracting the lack of development on sites with contamination or perceived contamination. The Voluntary Remediation Program identifies and addresses potential contamination at a given site; sets applicable remediation standards; and ensures that the standards are maintained at the site. By providing financial incentives to invest in brownfields, this approach protects communities and the environment while still promoting economic development in West Virginia.
Questions regarding the Voluntary Remediation Program or this application should be directed to either WVDEP Project Manager Dave Long (WVDEP—OER, 601 57th Street, SE, Charleston, WV 25304; 304-926-0499, ext. 1265) or Licensed Remediation Specialist Terry L. Wilfong Jr. (Kemron Environmental Services Inc., 108 Craddock Way, Suite 5, Poca, WV 25159; 304-755-0999, ext. 101).
For more DEP news and information, go to www.dep.wv.gov. Also, be sure to connect with the agency on all social media platforms. Follow @DEPWV on Twitter and find us on YouTube by searching “Environment Matters.” For specific information about our REAP (Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan), West Virginia Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), West Virginia Watershed Improvement Branch, Youth Environmental Program and Human Resources initiatives, connect on Facebook.