Vacuum Oil Brownfield Cleanup Program Remedial Investigation & Cleanup

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 ten (10) parcels of land, 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, with the exception of 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 Site is wooded, contains remnants of the former Vacuum Oil Refinery facility, former railroad operations, and other abandoned 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 include 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 described the property and traced the history of the Vacuum Oil Company. In 2001, the 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. A revised RAAR, addressing NYSDEC comments, was submitted in July, 2023. The NYSDEC published the RAAR and, following a 45-day public comment period, the NYSDEC approved the RAAR and issued the Decision Document in September 2023.

The selected remedy includes the following remedial elements:

Remedial Design
Removal of remaining remnants of structures and the existing bike trail
Clearing and grubbing of heavy vegetation (i.e., organic debris)
Site-wide grading
Removal Actions
- Targeted excavation of soil exhibiting indicators of potential soil impacts
- Backfill and site restoration
Containment Actions
- Installation of two (2) feet or more of clean soil cover, over approximately 12.6 acres of surface area where concentrations exceed Restricted-Residential SCOs.
- Installation of asphalt cover over approximately 1.0 acre (1,800 linear ft.) of area, identified as a future public roadway, in the BOA Master Plan.
- Installation of a demarcation layer, below the engineered soil and asphalt covers, to serve as a boundary between the cover system and potential soil impacts.
- Installation of approximately 1,800 linear ft. of clean utility corridors 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.

Project Schedule

The City is working in cooperation with Exxon-Mobil Corporation, to implement cleanup efforts at the Site. Site Preparation activities including tree clearing, Right-of-Way protections, and site security measures will begin in fall 2024. Excavation and disposal of the impacted source soils, backfilling and installation of 2 feet of clean cover soils begin in summer 2025. The cleanup will take two (2) years to complete, after which Site characteristics will meet Restricted-Residential Soil Cleanup Objectives. The northern portion of the Site will be available for mixed-use redevelopment. The southern portion of the Site will remain protected greenspace, and the West River Wall will undergo substantial restoration in accordance with the Vacuum Oil Brownfield Opportunity Area 2035 Vision Plan.

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 .