Agencies
Services
Fact Sheet 3 June 1998
Indian Refining Company
Lawrenceville, Illinois
Lawrence County
What activities are currently taking place at this site?
American Western Refining Acquisitions, L.C., who purchased the aboveground equipment at this site, began demolition and scrapping activities during the week of June 15, 1998. Blastco Services Company will act as the main demolition contractor and will subcontract certain aspects of the site work such as scrapping of equipment or removal of asbestos-containing materials. Removal of asbestos-containing materials from outdoor piping and equipment will occur before each piece is decommissioned and transported from the site.
How long will the demolition work take?
The demolition contractor estimates from 24 to 36 months to complete the entire decommissioning and demolition/scrapping operation.
What kinds of contaminants are on the site?
Over the last few years, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) has become aware of various petroleum products and petroleum processing-related contaminants including oils, gasoline and other fuels, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals (e.g., lead) and acidic sludges. At this writing, the full extent of site contamination is not known.
What precautions will be taken to make sure that contaminants don't leave the site during the current work?
Philips Services Company, a licensed asbestos contractor, will use only trained and licensed asbestos abatement workers and will adhere to federal and state laws governing asbestos removal, disposal and transportation and worker safety. The work plan specifies certain precautions typical of this type of work such as:
Typical precautions for this type of work include use of:
- Wet methods with surfactants and encapsulants
- Polyethylene, negative pressure containments where possible
- Wrap and cut pipe insulation abatement
- Personnel air monitoring
There will be an Illinois EPA Bureau of Land representative at the site five days per week for the duration of the project to assure that the terms of the decommissioning plan are met. The demolition work plan may be viewed in the public repository at the Lawrence Public Library on 12th Street in Lawrenceville. Also, the work plan may be viewed at the Illinois EPA office in Springfield through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
I live near the site. Should I be concerned about current site activities affecting my family's health?
If demolition work proceeds according to the contractor's work plan and requirements of federal and state laws, potential exposure of site contaminants to the surrounding community should be minimized. However, both physical and chemical hazards exist at this site, and it is advised that the general public should not enter the site and that children should be kept away from the heavy equipment that will be used at the site.
Will the pipes full of gas and oil under the refinery present a problem?
Current activities should not disturb these pipes. As each piece of equipment is decommissioned, it will be disconnected from any piping and the piping will be properly capped at the ground level.
What happens if the current owner scraps the most valuable pieces of equipment and leaves the rest?
The Illinois EPA, in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the Department of Justice and the bankruptcy court, negotiated a prospective purchaser's agreement to prevent this problem. Through this legal document, American Western Refining Acquisitions, L.C. agrees to safely remove those pieces of equipment with the least amount of resale value before they handle the equipment that is most valuable.
When will work resume on the site investigation for cleanup of contaminated soils?
Investigating contaminated soils is not part of the demolition activity. American Western Refining Acquisitions, L.C. is not responsible for cleanup of existing contamination in site soils. The Illinois EPA is not certain when the site soils investigation (known as a remedial investigation) will proceed, but the Agency will issue a news release once a decision is reached. Completion of the remedial investigation and subsequent feasibility study may take two years or more.
Will federal funds be available to do work at this site?
This site is now going through the process of being listed as a Superfund site. There are some federal funds available for emergency removal activities if some part of the site is found to pose an imminent threat to human health of persons near the site. Alternately, parties responsible for the existing contamination may voluntarily engage in cleanup work. Furthermore, the Illinois EPA or U.S. EPA may compel responsible parties to complete the work through a federal order or a state injunctive order.
How will local citizens be kept informed of future activities at the site?
A variety of communication tools may be used to interact with the community, such as written publications (news releases, fact sheets and response summaries) and face-to-face contacts (interviews, livingroom meetings, availability sessions, public meetings and hearings). Fact sheets will be mailed to the site contact list of citizens and officials as new events take place and to inform of the results of site investigations and environmental sampling.
Additionally, the Community Relations Plan will be made available in the public repository at the Lawrence Public Library as soon as it has been reviewed by U.S. EPA. This plan outlines expected community relations activities, summarizes community concerns from interviews with local citizens, and explains the steps of the National Priorities List site investigation and remedy selection process. The demolition work plan and other technical documents will be added to the public repository as soon as they are available.
Contact
For more information, please contact the Illinois EPA Office of Community Relations. Additional documents not available on this webpage may be obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request or through IEPA Document Explorer.