CITY OF ROCHESTER,
DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
NYSDEC BROWNFIELD CLEANUP
PROGRAM (BCP)
REMEDIAL INVESTIATION - PORTION OF FORMER VACUUM OIL REFINERY SOUTH OF FLINT
STREET
NYSDEC Site #: C828190
Introduction
The portion of the former Vacuum Oil Refinery site that has
undergone environmental investigation by the City of Rochester consists of
eight parcels of land all owned by the City of Rochester totaling approximately
15.4 acres (the “Site”). The Site is located south of Flint Street, east
of Exchange Street and is located near the western bank of the Genesee River
across from the University of Rochester. The Site is also located within
the designated Vacuum Oil - South Genesee River Brownfield Opportunity Area
(BOA). The Site is currently undeveloped vacant land except for an
asphalt-paved public recreational trail that runs through the eastern side of
the Site from north to south, and a small grassy area that is located east of
the trail along the Genesee River. The remainder of the Site is wooded and
contains some remnants of the former Vacuum Oil Refinery facility and former
railroad operations and infrastructure. The Site Map illustrates the specific
parcels and boundaries of the City BCP Site, as well as the larger former
Vacuum Oil Refinery footprint.
Site Map
History & Previous Studies
The majority of the Site was part of the former Vacuum Oil
refinery and bulk oil storage and oil blending facility which operated from
about 1866 to 1930 on 30 to 40 acres of land east of Exchange Street and both
north and south of Flint Street. Other historical uses included railroads
and canals for the shipment of crude oil and finished petroleum products. The
Vacuum Oil Company was a predecessor of ExxonMobil Corporation. In 1989, a
tar-like substance was encountered on a property owned by New York State
located immediately south of the Site. NYSDEC excavated and properly
disposed of the tar off-site. In 1990, the City of Rochester
prepared a report that describes property and traces the history of the Vacuum
Oil Company. In 2001, New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (NYSDEC) completed an investigation of a 24-acre portion of the
former Vacuum Oil facility south of Flint Street. In 2005 and 2009
ExxonMobil evaluated historical and current site conditions, and completed a
subsurface environmental investigation on a portion of the Site. In 2012
a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment report was prepared on behalf of the
City of Rochester. Based on these previous studies and investigations,
soil and groundwater on portions of the Site are contaminated primarily with
volatile organic compounds or “VOCs”, semi-VOCs, metals and other contaminants.
City of Rochester NYSDEC BCP Vacuum Oil Remedial Investigation Project
The City of Rochester applied and was accepted into the
Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) in April 2015 as a “Volunteer” under the
BCP. Under an approved work plan, a comprehensive BCP Remedial Investigation
was performed by Ramboll on behalf of the City of Rochester, with technical
oversight by both the NYSDEC and the New York State Department of Health
(NYSDOH). The investigation included test pits, test borings,
installation of both overburden and bedrock monitoring wells, soil and
groundwater sampling and analysis, and limited soil vapor sampling and
analysis. The Remedial Investigation defined the approximate nature and
extent of soil and groundwater contamination at the Site, and evaluated the
potential for contaminants to migrate off-site. All field activities
associated with the environmental investigation of the Site are complete. In June 2019 a revised Draft Remedial Investigation
report that summarizes the findings and results was submitted to the NYSDEC for
review and was approved in November 2019.
Remedial Actions
A draft Remedial Alternatives Analysis Report (RAAR), which
identifies, evaluates, and details remedial alternatives to address
contamination at the Site, was submitted to the NYSDEC and NYSDOH for approval
in December 2021. The draft RAAR has been tentatively approved and a
45-day public comment period will be open from July 26, 2023 through September
8, 2023.
The selected remedy includes the
following remedial elements:
- Removal of remaining remnants of
structures and the existing bike trail
- Clearing and grubbing of heavy vegetation
(i.e., organic debris)
- Removal Actions
- Targeted excavation of soil exhibiting
indicators of potential soil impacts
- backfill and site restoration
- Containment Actions
- Two (2) feet or more of clean soil cover
over approximately 12.6 acres of surface area with concentrations
exceeding Restricted-Residential SCOs.
- Asphalt cover over approximately 1.0
acre (1,800 linear ft) of area identified as future public roadway in the
BOA Master Plan.
- A demarcation layer will be installed
below the engineered soil and asphalt covers to serve as a boundary
between the cover system and potential soil impacts.
- In anticipate of Site redevelopment,
approximately 1,800 linear ft of clean utility corridors will be
established and are assumed to align with the future asphalt public
roadway.
- Institutional Controls
- Implementation of an environmental
easement that would restrict intrusive activities and future land use to
restricted residential and restrict use of groundwater as a potable
source.
- Rezoning consistent with the intended
and reasonably anticipated future use based on the planned redevelopment
(i.e., restricted-residential use).
- Periodic Site reviews
- Development and implementation of a Site
Management Plan, including provisions for soil/cap management, limiting
exposure to soil and groundwater and soil vapor during site redevelopment
and long-term monitoring.
- Existing monitoring wells will be decommissioned,
as needed, in accordance with NYSDEC regulations.
- Disposal Actions
- Off-site disposal of approximately 1,030
tons of organic debris
- Off-site disposal of approximately 1,100
tons of construction and demolition debris
- Off-site disposal of approximately
32,500 CY (55,300 tons) of soil as non-hazardous regulated waste
- Wetland Mitigation
- Based on recommendations documented in
the Vacuum Oil BOA Supplemental, Grading, Utilities and Wetland
Mitigation Report (Bergmann 2019b), approximately 0.44 acres of
compensatory wetland will be established via purchase of off-site wetland
mitigation wetland credits through Duck Unlimited.
- Groundwater monitoring will be conducted
for at least five years, or as required by the NYSDEC, to evaluate the
continued effectiveness of the remedy.
Public Meeting
A public meeting, to discuss the elements of the selected remedy, will be held on August 16, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Willie Walker Lightfoot R-Center for Equity and Justice located at 271 Flint Street.
Further Information
Further information including approved work plans and final
reports regarding the City’s Vacuum Oil Brownfield Cleanup Program project can
be found at the project document repository located at the Phillis Wheatley
Community Library (33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way), or by contacting the NYSDEC
Region 8 Project Manager, Charlotte Theobald (phone: 585-226-5354) or via
e-mail at charlotte.theobald@dec.ny.gov
.
If you have any questions regarding the Vacuum Oil Site
please contact
Jane MH Forbes, Senior Environmental Specialist
Phone: 585-428-7892
Email: Jane.Forbes@cityofrochester.gov
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