EPA to Hold Virtual Public Meeting June 1 to Share Results of Environmental Sampling at Former Cities Service Refinery in East Chicago
CHICAGO (May 26, 2022) -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be holding a virtual public meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, to share the results of groundwater and soil sampling at the former Cities Service Refinery at 2500 E. Chicago Ave., East Chicago, Ind. The refinery site has had historical releases of various chemicals over the last century and, under the direct oversight of the EPA, has been investigating the property over the last two years.
A virtual public meeting to explain the sampling results will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 1. Representatives from EPA, the former Cities Service Refinery (now Oxy USA), and Citgo Petroleum Corp. (Citgo) will be on hand to explain recent sampling results and future site activities. To participate in the virtual public meeting please visit this EPA web page.
Under EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 3008(h) Order, Citgo and Oxy agreed to investigate and address hazardous waste releases at Citgo Terminal and the former Cities Service Refinery. The companies have completed the investigation activities and submitted their results to EPA and have proposed next steps in RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) Reports. These results will be discussed at the June 1 meeting.
Since 1929, the former Cities Service Refinery has gone through multiple owners and operational configurations. The northern portion of the site is now the Citgo Petroleum terminal. The southern portion of the site is owned by Oxy and remains vacant after refinery activities ceased in 1972, and the above-ground structures were razed in the 1980s.
Recent data is available at the East Chicago Public Library, 2401 E. Columbus Drive and on this EPA web page.
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