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National Information |
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Superfund Program
Petrochem Recycling Corp./Ekotek
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Site Type: Completed NPL City: Salt Lake City County: Salt Lake Street Address: 1626 N. Chicago Street Zip Code: 84116 EPA ID#: UTD093139196 Site ID#: 0800649 Site Aliases: Ecotech, Petrochem Plant, Ecotek (Petroleum Plant) Inc. Congressional District(s): 02 |
Site Description
The site covers about seven acres at 1628 North Chicago Street in northern Salt Lake City. It lies in a mainly industrial area, with Interstate 15 to the west and the Wasatch Mountains to the east. Some 50 homes sit immediately south of the site. A railroad right-of-way divides the site into eastern and western portions. The majority of site operations occurred on the western half of the property. Hundreds of companies sent oil used for recycling to the plant from the five surrounding states.
The site history involves many owners and different industrial activities. It is currently owned by the Ekotek, Inc. bankruptcy estate. The site was used for oil refining from 1953 to 1978, when it was converted into a hazardous-waste storage/treatment and petroleum-recycling facility.
From 1980 to 1987, the Plant operated under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) interim status and received a hazardous-waste-storage permit in July 1987 for a limited number of activities. Oil recycling processes created acidic sludge containing hazardous wastes, which were stored in piles on the site.
The Plant used drums, 78 aboveground storage tanks and many underground tanks to store large volumes of oils, chemicals and hazardous wastes. Some of the oil was contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
Improper and illegal waste-management practices led to a number of releases and potential releases of hazardous substances at the site. In late 1987 and early 1988, the State of Utah issued Notices of Violation to Petrochem Recycling Corporation for permit violations. The Plant closed in February 1988.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began a classic emergency response in November 1988 to stabilize wastes and to keep track of potentially hazardous materials. Preliminary site investigations began in 1989. Based on the contaminants and potential risks associated with the site, EPA placed it on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in October 1992.
An owner and an operator of the Plant were subsequently convicted of environmental crimes based on their actions.
Major Potentially Responsible Parties for the wastes at the site joined to form the Ekotek Site Remediation Committee (ESRC) in 1988. EPA entered into two agreements with the ESRC to conduct emergency removal activities; to study the nature and extent of the contamination; and to weigh alternatives for cleanup. The ESRC performed the work with EPA oversight.
Site Risk
The ESRC removed aboveground and underground storage tanks, containers, contaminated sludge, pooled liquids, and processing equipment from the site. The ESRC also conducted studies of the nature and extent of the remaining contamination and evaluated cleanup options. The results show that wastes and solvents from used petroleum products had contaminated surface and subsurface soils, as well as ground water.
| Media Affected | Contaminants | Source of Contamination |
| Ground water, surface water, soil, liquid waste, debris, residuals | Oil refining and recycling wastes, PCBs, acidic sludge | Wastes from petroleum recycling and refining |
Cleanup Progress
The contamination at the site affects soil, buried debris and ground water, including a plume of oily liquid wastes floating on top of the ground water. The cleanup study developed alternatives for each contaminated medium.
EPA published a proposed cleanup plan and conducted a public meeting in July 1995 to discuss the alternatives, including EPA's preferred remedy, with interested citizens. After reviewing public and state comments, EPA chose the cleanup remedy and published it in a Record of Decision in September 1996.
The chosen remedy included:
- Direct excavation of the plume of oily liquid wastes floating on top of the ground water;
- Bioremediation/natural attenuation (naturally occurring processes) of the ground water;
- Offsite disposal of soils exceeding the hot-spot criteria; and
- Consolidation of remaining contaminated soils beneath a 42-inch soil cover.
Studies done in 1999, however, showed that it would be more cost-effective to remove and dispose of all contaminated soils off site. As a result, no cap is necessary.
In March 1998, EPA and the ESRC signed an agreement to finance and carry out the remedy. The work was completed in April 2000. Groundwater monitoring will continue until the cleanup standards are met. The site will remain zoned for industrial use.
Community Involvement
Members of the neighborhood around the site have played an active and important role in site cleanup. A community group received a Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) from EPA to hire a technical advisor to review cleanup plans and keep the community informed about related issues. The group has closed out the grant and disbanded.
Site Documents
Contacts
EPA Armando Saenz John Dalton
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Utah Bob O'Brien |
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View Documents at: U.S. EPA Marriott Library |
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