WVDEP Approves Cleanup Method Submitted by Exxon Mobil Corporation

BOOMER, W.Va. – The Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has approved a cleanup method submitted by Exxon Mobil Corporation to address environmental conditions through the Voluntary Remediation Program at the Exxon Bulk Terminal - Boomer in Fayette County.

The site is located on U.S. Route 60 and includes approximately 4.3 acres.

Exxon Mobil Corporation entered into a Voluntary Remediation Agreement on Dec. 4, 2001, with the WVDEP to remediate environmental conditions at the site. Exxon Mobil Corporation (including Standard Oil, Esso Standard, and other companies) operated a bulk petroleum terminal there from the 1930s until 1982. Ongoing environmental investigations following a gasoline release in 1979 confirmed both onsite and offsite soil and groundwater and surface water in the Kanawha River had been impacted. Chemicals of Potential Concern (COPCs) in all environmental media included benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes (BTEX), methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and several Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).

A conceptual site model was developed using non-residential exposure assumptions for the onsite property (the former Exxon Mobil terminal) and residential exposure assumptions for the offsite property (Boomer Baptist Church). Ecological receptors were not quantitatively evaluated since COPCs were not detected in surface water samples from the Kanawha River and the site passed the Ecological De Minimis Checklist screening. Non-residential exposure assumptions were used to comply with a site specific remediation standard. 

A risk assessment evaluated potential receptors for both the on-site and off-site properties. Any elevated risks will be controlled through land use restrictions, which has been put in place through a land use covenant (LUC). These restrictions include a requirement to maintain the asphalt cap on the off-site Boomer Baptist Church property, and a restriction against the use of groundwater for purposes other than monitoring or remediation.

An LUC restricting the use of the on-site property has been recorded at the Fayette County Courthouse. The LUC includes the following restrictions for the on-site property: 

        1. Industrial use only as defined in state code (60CSR2.30); 
        2. No extraction of groundwater for any use other than monitoring and/or remediation; 
        3. No onsite disposal of soil excavated during invasive activities; 
        4. Any invasive construction activities must be done by a qualified contractor in accordance with a site-specific Health and Safety Plan and a Soil Management Plan. The contractor must remediate the disturbed area in a manner which assures an equivalent amount of engineering control; 
        5. No construction of buildings without appropriate vapor intrusion evaluation and/or construction of vapor mitigation; 
        6. No construction of buildings with basements or subsurface structures designed for routine human occupancy without further evaluation of vapor intrusion;

The LUC includes the following restrictions for the off-site Boomer Baptist Church property: 

        1. No extraction of groundwater for any use other than monitoring and/or remediation; 
        2. The asphalt cap (i.e., asphalt parking lot) in place at the property shall not be disturbed or removed, unless the work is done by a qualified contractor who performs the work in accordance with a site-specific Health and Safety Plan and a Soil Management Plan. The contractor must remediate the disturbed area in a manner which assures an equivalent amount of engineering control.

A final report has been submitted to 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.

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