IMPERIAL REFINING COMPANY SUPERFUND SITE

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City: Ardmore
County: Carter
Site Type: Abandoned Refinery
Area: 0.113 square miles / 72 acres
Township and Range: SE ¼, NE ¼, Section 20, and SW ¼, NW ¼, Section 21 Township 4 South Range 2 East
Latitude: 34.19491367
Longitude: -97.10792917
National Priorities List: Final Listing Date - July 27, 2000
Cleanup Oversight Agencies: DEQ and EPA
Lead Agency: EPA
Office: DEQ, Land Protection Division, (405)702-5100
DEQ Site Project Manager: Dennis Datin, (405) 702-5125, Aron Samwel (405) 702-5123
DEQ Press Contact: Skylar McElhaney, (405)702-7167
Current Status: Cleanup completed

Land Use Restrictions: The site is restricted by deed notices to commercial/industrial reuse because waste remains in place. Institutional Controls (ICs) are required to inform the public of the restrictions and status of the site. ICs protect the remedy and direct appropriate reuse of the site.

Regulatory Profile:
• Sources of Contamination: 15 vertical tank berms, 18 drainage ditches, 12 waste piles, 2 ponds, a central ridge and an underground storage tank (UST)
• Contaminants of Concern: Tar mats, oil and grease, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), PAHs (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons): specifically benzo(a)pyrene, and metals: specifically arsenic.
• Media Affected: Surface water, surface soil and sediment (0-1 ft below ground surface) Soil concentrations ranged from 1 mg/kg to 90 mg/kg for arsenic and 0.04 mg/kg to 10.2 mg/kg for benzo(a)pyrene.
• Surface Water Impacted: Sand Creek
• Ground water Impacted: No groundwater contamination; the site is not located above a major aquifer or its recharge zone; it is also in an unfavorable area for developing a ground water supply.

Site History and Background: The Imperial Refining Company (IRC) began crude-oil refining operations at the Site in 1917. The eastern portion of the property was purchased in April 1917 and the western portion was purchased three months later. IRC remained active for 17 years until it went bankrupt in 1934. Due to the absence of environmental regulations during the operational period of IRC, no permits, violations, inspections, or facility operation documentation have been identified, and no records have been found that describe the types of activities that took place on the site. Currently, the land is privately owned, and no commercial activities are occurring.

Cleanup History: Environmental Protection Agency conducted Removal Assessments in 1998 and 1999 to determine the absence/presence of hazardous materials, the types and concentrations of these substances, waste pile volumes, and to evaluate disposal options. To limit exposure, a perimeter fence was installed in 2004. From early 2005 through early 2007, DEQ investigated the site and evaluated cleanup options. The investigation identified the types, quantities, and locations of contaminants at the IRC Site, while the evaluation developed options to address the contamination. Site cleanup began in February 2008. The cleanup included excavation and off-site disposal of the UST, waste material, contaminated soil, and contaminated pond and Sand Creek sediments. EPA completed the work in September 2008.

Cleanup Status: Operational & Functional Period - The site is monitored routinely by EPA for areas of erosion and states of vegetative growth. Minor actions have been implemented including seeding, fertilization, silt fencing, grading, wood mulching, rip-rap placement, and water discharge management control. Site maintenance activities will be turned over to the DEQ in 2012.

Did You Know? One of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe main lines run across the east side of the site. This line runs from Fort Worth, Texas to Oklahoma City and dates back to 1887.

Completed Activities:

Document Type

Date Completed