Mid-Atlantic Corrective Action

Shell Lubricants
(Formerly: Quaker State)

On This Page

• Status
• Background
• Contaminants and Risks
• Institutional Controls
• Documents and Reports
• Photos, Maps and Diagrams
• Reuse Information
• Questions

EPA ID:WVD057634776
Location:
1 Mile S State Route 2
Newell, WV 26050
Property Area 70 acres
Congressional District: 1
Other Names:Quaker State
Penzoil - Quaker State Refinery
LAST UPDATE December 2012

Contacts

Bulletin Board

Status

In December 1993 EPA issued Quaker State(QS) a Unilateral Order. The purpose of this Order is to require QS 1) to perform Interim Measures (IM) to prevent or mitigate threats to human health or the environment, 2) to perform a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) to determine fully the nature and extent of any releases of hazardous waste and/or hazardous constituents at or from the Facility; and 3) to perform a Corrective Measures Study (CMS) to identify and evaluate alternatives for corrective action necessary to prevent or mitigate migration or releases of hazardous wastes and/or hazardous constituents at or from the Facility.

QS has completed the Phase 1 RFI and submitted a draft RFI report. EPA and QS meet on October 11, 2001 to discuss the report.  On October 19, 2001 EPA issued comments to QS on the draft RFI Report.  QS was granted a 30 day extension to response to the EPA comment letter of October 19, 2001.  The response is due from QS on December 29, 2001.

EPA has reviewed the RFI report and determined that additional work is needed under the RFI.  A letter was issued to Quaker State on March 14, 2002 requesting the submittal of a workplan addendum.  Quaker State submitted a Phase II workplan on June 10, 2002.  Conditional approval of this worplan was granted on March 4, 2003.  Additional comments were submitted by Quaker State on May 2, 2003.  EPA and Quaker State have been working to resolve the outstanding issues to allow the phase II work to proceed.  Conditional approval of the Phase II workplan was issued on November 10, 2003.

Quaker State is currently completing the soil and groundwater phase of the RFI work plan addendum. On June 21, 2006 Quaker State submitted the “Draft Background Data Evaluation” report. This was submitted in advance of the remainder of the RFI so that EPA would have the opportunity to comment on the results prior to use in the RFI report. EPA is currently reviewing this report. EPA is also reviewing the October 11, 2006 submittal of “Request for Industrial Land Use Designation” and the April 17, 2007 submittal of “Proposed Locations for Additional Wells”. 

The facility is currently doing interim measures to remove free product from several wells. Enhanced Fluid Recovery test was performed on March 26, 2009. EPA issued a no further action determination for SWMUs 14, 16, 17 and 18 on June 19, 2009.

The RFI report was submitted on July 13, 2009 and is being reviewed by EPA. Additionally,
Quaker State submitted an interim measures workplan to address a release in the MEK area on December 3, 2009. This workplan which was prepared by Ergon and dated October 30, 2009 was approved on December 3, 2009.

PQS submitted the NAPL Source Area Investigation Report for MEK Dewaxing Unit on September 15, 2010. EPA is currently reviewing this report. EPA, Ergon and Shell met on June 7, 2011 to discuss the progress of the RFI investigation.

EPA is currently reviewing the RFI report and a project meeting will be held in early 2013

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Background

Quaker State is located on the south bank of the Ohio River in Hancock County, West Virginia, approximately 1.5 miles SW of Newell, West VA. The Refinery occupies approximately 70 acres, the Ohio River borders the Facility on the North. The Refinery consists of nineteen Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) and four non-SWMU Areas of Concern (AOC). The RFI includes a subsurface investigation at the following SWMUs and AOCs - plant boilers, ketone steam stripper, solvent tank area, satellite storage area, old heat exchanger bundle cleaning pad, tank-bottom disposal area, new heat exchanger cleaner pad/drum cleaning area, old drum storage area, wastewater treatment are, oily wastewater sewer system, tank farm areas and process pipeways.

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Contaminants and Risks

Contaminants of concern include benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(ghi)perylene, acetone, arsenic, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone and benzene. The extent of contamination has not been defined, it will be determined if further sampling is needed after EPA completes its review of the Phase 1 RFI Report.

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