Chevron agrees to cleanup work at former Ohio refinery

Under an agreement with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5, Chevron USA Inc. will clean up contaminated ground water and monitor vapors near its former refinery outside Hooven, Ohio. The cleanup plan was selected by EPA last August.

"EPA is pleased that Chevron has agreed to perform this cleanup. It will protect the health of people living near the former refinery and prevent petroleum products from polluting the Great Miami River," said Margaret Guerriero, director of EPA's regional Waste, Pesticides and Toxics division.

The plan calls for:

• High-volume pumping of ground water in highly contaminated areas to remove water contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons.
• Ground-water testing to ensure the contamination has not spread.
• Following the pumping, allowing natural processes to break down the contaminants. EPA will review progress every five years.
• Gradual shutdown of the previous pumping well network.
• Restrictions on ground water use and basement construction on the former refinery property.
• Restrictions on redevelopment of the site for industrial use only.
• Continued monitoring of soil gas wells in Hooven.
• Collecting contaminated vapors (gas) under Hooven on a periodic basis.
• Barriers to prevent erosion of contaminated material into the Great Miami River.
• Monitoring of the Great Miami River and ground water near the river to insure the river is not affected.
• Backup plans if the performance measures are not met.
  

The proposed plan was explained to the public at a hearing May 9. EPA reviewed public comments before making its decision and made changes to the proposed plan as a result of those comments.

The administrative order on consent and EPA's Final Decision and Response to Comments are available on EPA Region 5's Web page www.epa.gov/region5/sites/chevron and at the public library in Cleves, Ohio, and EPA's regional records center, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Room 714 in Chicago.