EPA v. PILOT INDUSTRIES (GENEVA INDUSTRIES SITE)

Case summary

02/15/91: WILL CONTACT ATTORNEY FOR CASE SUMMARY. 06/26/91: THE GENEVA INDUSTRIES SITE ( SITE ) IS AN ABANDONED REFINERY/CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING FACILITY LOCATED AT 9334 CANIFF ROAD IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE SITE COVERS APPROXIMATELY 13 ACRES AND IS 2 MILES EAST OF HOBBY AIRPORT IN A MIXED RESIDENTIAL AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AREA. THE SITE INCLUDED PROCESSING TANKS AND ASSOCIATED PIPING, DISTILLATION COLUMNS, A LARGE WASTE GAGOON, 2 SMALLER LAGOONS, A CLOSED OUT LAGOON CONTAINING SOLID PCB WASTES, A DIKED STORAGE TANK AREA, SEVERAL DRUM STORAGE AREAS, A LANDFARM, AND A LANDFILL. THE SITE WAS LISTED ON THE NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1984. (49 FED. REG. 37070). GENEVA INDUSTRIES MANUFACTURED A VARIETY OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS INCLUDING BIPHENYL, POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS), PHENYL PHENOL, NAPHTHA, AND NOS. 2 AND 6 FUEL OILS AT THE SITE FROM 1967 THROUGH 1973. THESE PRODUCTS, ALONG WITH OTHER CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS, SOLVENTS, VOLATILE ORGANICS, AND POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES ARE THE MAJOR CONTAMINANTS AT THE SITE. GENEVA INDUSTRIES FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION IN NOVEMBER 1973. PILOT INDUSTRIES OF TEXAS, INC. BOUGHT THE FACILITY FROM THE GENEVA INDUSTRIES BANKRUPTCY ESTATE IN FEBRUARY 1974 AND OPERATED THE PLANT UNTIL 1976. THEY CONTINUED THE RECOVERY OF BIPHENYL AT THE SITE, HOWEVER, THE PRODUCTION OF PCBS WAS NOT CONTINUED. PILOT RECOVERED SOME DEBRIS FROM THE SITE WHICH WAS INCINERATED BY ROLLINS, INC. OF DEER PARK, TEXAS. DURING THEIR OPERATIONS, PILOT COVERED THE LARGE WASTE LAGOON WHERE DRUMS WERE FOUND DURING CLEANUP OPERATIONS. THE PLANT WAS SOLD TO INTERCOASTAL REFINING CO. ON DECEMBER 15, 1976. INTERCOASTAL USED THE PLANT TO RECOVER NAPHTHA AND FUEL OIL FROM OILY WASTEWATER. INTERCOASTAL STOPPED OPERATIONS AT THE END OF 1978. INTERCOASTAL REFINING CO. SOLD THE FACILITY TO LONE STAR FUEL OIL CO. IN DECEMBER 1980 LONE STAR FUEL OIL CO. DID NOT OPERATE THE PLANT BUT LATER SOLD THE PLANT TO LAWRENCE E. FUHRMANN IN MAY 1981. MR. FUHRMANN BOUGHT THE PLANT TO SALVAGE EQUIPMENT FROM THE SITE. LAWRENCE FUHRMANN IS THE CURRENT SITE OWNER. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED COMPANIES AT THE SITE RESULTED IN MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS INCLUDING APPROXIMATELY 47,000 TONS OF SOIL CONTAMINATED WITH PCBS, CONTAMINATED WASTEWATERS, SLUDGES, AND DRUMED WASTES LEFT ON SITE AND EQUIPMENT CONTAMINATED WITH HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES. THIS EXTENSIVE CONTAMINATION PRESENTED A THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH AND WELFARE AND THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH DIRECT CONTACT, INHALATION AND THROUGH CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER. A TWO-PART EMERGENCY REMOVAL ACTION WAS CARRIED OUT AT THE SITE IN JUNE 1983. THE FIRST ACTIVITY INVOLVED THE FENCING OF AN AREA WHICH HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE GENEVA INDUSTRIES ACTIVITY. THE SECOND INVOLVED THE INVESTIGATION AND REMOVAL OF A BADLY DETERIORATED CHLORINE TANK CAR ON-SITE. A PLANNED REMOVAL WAS PERFORMED BY THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) DURING THE PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 1983 TO FEBRUARY 1984 TO CLOSE OUT THREE ON-SITE LAGOONS, REMOVE ALL DRUMMED WASTE ON THE SURFACE, REMOVAL ALL OFF-SITE SOILS CONTAINING GREATER THAN 50 PPM PCBS, INSTALL A CAP OVER ALL ON-SITE SOILS CONTAINING GREATER THAN 50 PPM PCBS, AND IMPROVE SITE DRAINAGE. APPROXIMATELY 3,400 CUBIC YARDS OF CONTAMINATED SOILS AND SLUDGES, 550 DRUMS, AND 30 TONS OF ASBESTOS WERE REMOVED AND TRANSPORTED TO A APPROVED DISPOSAL FACILITY IN EMELLE, ALABAMA. OTHER REMOVAL ACTIONS TO PLUG WELLS ON- SITE AND REMOVE STORAGE TANK MATERI

Defendants (1)

• PILOT INDUSTRIES OF TEXAS INC.Named in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• GENEVA INDUSTRIES/FUHRMANN ENERGY

  9334 CANIFF RD, HOUSTON, TX, 77017

  Registry ID: 110009313643

Statutes cited

• CERCLA 107A — Cost Recovery

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• PILOT INDUSTRIES OF TEXASentered 1993-08-02

  Primary law: CERCLA

Timeline (6 milestones)

• 1989-09-29Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 1989-09-29Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 1993-06-09Complaint Filed With Court
• 1993-08-02Concluded
• 1993-08-02Final Order Lodged
• 1993-08-02Final Order Entered