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REFINERY-TEXACO LAWRENCEVILLE 

INDIAN REFINERY-TEXACO LAWRENCEVILLE 

EPA ID# ILD042671248

Last Updated: March, 2009 

Site Description 

The approximately 990-acre site is located south of the city of Lawrenceville in Lawrence 

County, Illinois. The site is approximately 1.5 miles south of U.S. Route 50 on Illinois State 

Highway 1 which bisects the site. The site was operated by various owners as a refinery from 

the early 1900s until 1995. American Western Refining, L.P. (AWR-LP) is the current owner of 

the site, except for the Land Treatment Unit (LTU), located south of the B & O railroad tracks 

and west of State Highway 1, and the Indian Acres disposal area, located north of the B & O 

railroad tracks and east of State Highway 1. Both of these properties are owned by Indian 

Refining Company (IRC), a wholly owned subsidiary of AWR-LP. 

Residences, businesses, farms, and natural areas surround the site. Approximately 4,900 

people are supplied with drinking water from municipal wells, serving the city of 

Lawrenceville. People living in the Kirkwood Subdivision and in scattered housing near the 

site use private wells for drinking water. 

Site Cleanup History

In 1983 and 1984, U.S. EPA conducted a Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) Preliminary Assessment and Screening 

Site Inspection (PA/SI), respectively. In 1985, Texaco conducted an investigation of the 

Indian Acres property which revealed that the area was a waste disposal area for lube oil acid 

sludge and lube oil filter cake sludge. These wastes are highly acidic and have an extremely 

low pH. 

In 1986, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) conducted a preliminary review 

and visual site inspection pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, 

as amended (RCRA) at the refinery, identifying 33 solid waste management units (SWMUs). 

This action eventually led to the May 1992 Consent Decree between IEPA and IRC, in which 

IRC agreed to conduct investigations of the 33 SWMUs. 

IEPA placed the Indian Acres and B & O Pond under a Seal Order in June 1996, which the city 

of Lawrenceville violated in 1997, in order to put in place a new section of storm sewer to 

relieve flooding in the southern portion of city. 

In November 1996, IEPA approved the Phase I Workplan for work to be completed under the 

1992 Consent Decree. Indian Refining Company submitted an incomplete report in June 1997 

for the Phase I and Supplemental Workplans' investigations. 

In October 1996, U.S. EPA responded to IEPA's concerns for an immediate removal action at 

U.S. EPA REGION 5

LAWRENCE COUNTY 

LAWRENCEVILLE 

Congressional District # 15

Region 5 Superfund (SF)Last updated on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009.

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the Hickory Street and Fourth Street properties. U.S. EPA provided oversight as IRC 

completed a partial removal at both properties. U.S. EPA returned in October 1997 to 

complete the removal action at the Fourth Street property. 

In June 1997, the US Fish and Wildlife Service discovered an ongoing oil release and an 

associated contaminated area on the southern part of the refinery property near the Refinery 

Tank 572 area. IEPA and U.S. EPA conducted a CERCLA PA/SI at the refinery that confirmed 

that subsurface oil product, floating on the groundwater, was releasing through several 

discharge points into wetlands beyond the refinery fence line. The wetlands, impacted by the 

oil release, are hydraulically connected to the Embarras River. Most of the vegetation in the 

wooded wetlands area, impacted by the oil release, had been killed. Samples revealed the 

presence of benzene, toluene, xylene, methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, 1,3,5-

trimethylbenzene, and total petroleum hydrocarbons. Because American Western Refining did 

not have sufficient funds available to respond to the requirements as outlined by U.S. EPA, 

U.S. EPA mobilized and began cleanup and other removal activities at the site. 

Removal cleanup activities, conducted by U.S. EPA, included a number of actions: 

construction of collection pits in the oil seep area to capture the oil discharge, 

pumping oil and water from collection pits to a refinery-owned and operated onsite oil 

water separator 

removal of oil-soaked, contaminated soils, placing them in one of three onsite biocells, 

installation of a 760-foot interceptor trench (18 feet deep into a river sand substrate) 

with a gravity fed collection sump. 

The collected oil and water from the interceptor trench is then pumped through a buried fourinch PVC pipe to the refinery-owned and operated collection system and onsite oil water 

separator and treatment facility, where the removal related effluent is treated and 

subsequently discharged into the Embarrass River pursuant to the NPDES permit program. 

Approximately 10,300 cubic yards of contaminated soils were excavated from the seep area. 

The oil-contaminated soils were excavated, stockpiled, and placed within three onsite biotreatment areas designated: bio-cell PCU, bio-cell 978, and bio-cell 981. U.S. EPA completed 

the construction phase of the removal action and demobilized from the site in January 1998. 

Demolition of aboveground assets began in June 1998, by a limited partnership formed as 

AWR, Acquisitions with a demolition schedule through November 2000. The limited 

partnership was formed by Clark Oil Trading Company (ACOTC) and Blastco Services. 

In June 1999, U.S. EPA, IEPA, and Texaco Inc. (Texaco) entered into an administrative order 

on consent (AOC) to perform residential area investigations, an EE/CA, and a sitewide 

remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS). 

In June 2000, Refinery Services took over demolition activities from AWR, Acquisitions due to 

the bankruptcy of Blastco Services, a major partner with Clark Oil Trading Company in the 

formation of AWR, Acquisitions. Refinery Services was formed primarily from COTC. Refinery 

Services has maintained the same manpower as AWR, Acquisitions. However, they have 

added several more pieces of heavy machinery (cutting shears, front-end loader, and a 80-

foot man-lift), which has sped up their operations. COTC removed their personnel in June 

2003, prior to completing all required cleanup, demolition, and repair activities as required 

under the three-party agreement. During a meeting in December 2003, COTC agreed to 

return to the site and finish. 

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In September 2000, U.S. EPA asked IEPA to take over all work at the site under a separate 

agreement with Texaco, to be considered for signature by December 15, 2000. IEPA 

accepted this request and completed negotiations with Texaco with signature by December 8, 

2000, on a consent decree (CD). The CD was executed in court on October 1, 2001. Since 

September 2000, IEPA has taken lead oversight responsibilities for all activities ongoing at 

the site. 

Site Responsibility 

This site is being addressed through federal, state, municipal, and potentially responsible 

parties' action 

Threats and Contaminants 

Some sampling has been conducted at the site under a May 1992 agreement between the 

State of Illinois and the Indian Refining Company. Additional sampling has been conducted in 

limited areas to address specific releases. 

In October 1996, U.S. EPA assessed the immediate threats posed by hazardous substances 

to human health and the environment and to document whether hazardous substances that 

were disposed of at the Indian Acres area have migrated offsite into the adjacent residential 

area. The waste found in the residential area had a low pH and contained elevated levels of 

poly-aromatic hydrocarbons and metals. Additional sampling conducted in early 1999 

revealed that the waste was more widespread in the residential area. 

In June 1997, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service discovered an ongoing oil release 

and associated contaminated area on the southern part of the property near the refinery's 

Tank 572 area. An assessment of the release confirmed that a subsurface oil product, 

floating on groundwater, was releasing through several discharge points into wetlands 

beyond the refinery fence line. The wetlands, impacted by the oil release, are hydraulically 

connected to the Embarras River. Most of the vegetation in the wooded wetlands area, 

impacted by the oil release, had been killed. Samples of the oil being released at the Release 

Site, taken during the site assessment, revealed the presence of benzene, toluene, xylene, 

methyl naphthalene, naphthalene, trimethylbenzene 1, 3, 5, and total petroleum 

hydrocarbons. 

During the demolition of the site in early 1999, acidic and caustic wastes, containing phenol 

and cresols, were hauled from the site to the city of Lawrenceville's waste water treatment 

plant and excess flow lagoon. The resulting fumes and odors caused respiratory problems in 

nearby residents and caused sewers to back up into the residents' homes. 

 

 

Cleanup Progress 

In 1996, U.S. EPA entered into an agreement with Texaco to remove the waste found in one 

block of the residential area north of the site. U.S. EPA is currently collecting additional 

information since the waste appears to be isolated. 

This site is being addressed in two stages: immediate actions and long-term actions, focusing 

on cleanup of the entire site. From June 1997 to January 1998, U.S. EPA removed the oil and 

contaminated sediment from the wetland near Tank 572 and installed a collection system to 

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contain the discharge of oil and contaminated groundwater. In March 1999, U.S. EPA entered 

into an agreement with American Western Refining, LP for maintenance of the collection 

system, treatment of the contaminated sediments, and related activities. Under an 

agreement between U.S. EPA, IEPA, and American Western Refining, LP the aboveground 

tanks and other structures at the refinery are being dismantled. Most of the scrap material 

from this effort is being recycled. IEPA provides daily oversight of the aboveground 

demolition of the site. 

In October 1998, U.S. EPA issued special notice letters to the potentially responsible parties 

to begin negotiating an agreement to investigate the site and propose cleanup alternatives. 

These negotiations resulted in the signing of an administrative order on consent between 

Texaco, U.S. EPA, and IEPA. Texaco and IEPA are currently negotiating an agreement to 

allow IEPA to take the lead on oversight of the remedial investigation and feasibility study. 

In September 1999, U.S. EPA issued an order to the city of Lawrenceville to stop an ongoing 

oil release to the Embarras River and the fumes and odors from the city's lagoon. In early 

2000, U.S. EPA prompted Blastco to clean up a large acid spill at the site. 

Demolition of the refinery progressed under Refinery Services with IEPA oversight. The 

demolition activity is near completion and is expected to conclude by July 2004. COTC and 

IEPA are in discussion on final activity requirements. 

ChevronTexaco implemented RI/FS work under the two party CD in November 2001. The 

sampling schedule was accelerated to include soil sampling work, originally scheduled 

through June 2003. A line of 240 temporary groundwater borings' points taken in November 

and December 2001 helped determine the installation of 27 permanent monitor wells, circling 

the Land Treatment Unit, Tanks' Farms A, B, C, D, and E, Main Process Area, Heliport 

Disposal Area, Slime Sludge Disposal Area and the Water Treatment Facility. 

A Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Funding Agreement between state and 

federal natural resource trustees (Trustees) and ChevronTexaco was completed in December 

2004. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (US FWS) provided funding for their NRDA 

program to perform a pre-assessment screen (PAS) with review and comment from the state 

trustees, IEPA and the Illinois DNR. The PAS was completed in early 2006. 

The city of Lawrenceville completed preliminary sampling along portions of a storm sewer 

line, placed through an area of the refinery, which was under a Seal Order by Illinois EPA in 

compliance with a Clean Water Act Administrative Order from U.S. EPA. The city of 

Lawrenceville installed a new storm sewer line around the northern perimeter of the site. 

Work had been delayed due to the presence of hydrocarbon contamination found in two 

locations. The City's consultants, ChevronTexaco's consultants, and the agencies reached 

consensus on contamination removal and storm sewer construction requirements that 

allowed the completion of the new line in July 2005. Additional investigation of these areas 

was placed under the jurisdiction of the Remedial Investigation. 

The Draft Remedial Investigation Report was to have been submitted for Illinois EPA review 

during 2007, but is was delayed due to problems in characterizing soils in areas with 

abandoned underground piping. An Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis was completed in 

August 2007 and underground piping removal began shortly thereafter and continued 

through 2008 and 2009. The RI is now expected to be completed in late 2009. A Draft 

Feasibility Study is expected approximately one year later. 

 

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Contacts 

Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA 

Owen Thompson (thompson.owen@epa.gov) 

(312) 886-4843 

Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA 

Yolanda Bouchee 

(312) 353-3209 

Aliases 

AMERICAN WESTERN REFINING 

TEXACO INC TEXACO USA DIV 

INDIAN REFINERY - TEXACO LAWRENCEVILLE 

TEXACO INC LAWRENCEVILLE REF 

 

Site Profile Information 

This profile provides you with information on EPA's cleanup progress at this Superfund site. 

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