Project:
Former Oil Pumping Stations
Bottom Line: Decommissioned and cleaned up former crude oil pumping stations to allow property reuse by client.
Summary of Project
The site comprised two 40-acre sites, each containing a former crude oil pipeline pumping station (Station 1 and Station C). The client’s objective was to prepare the sites for resale and reuse as well as reduce long-term liability for the stations, which had been inactive for over 30 years.
- Conducted a $500,000 phased investigation, which began by providing oversight for the removal of the remaining aboveground structures by a local contractor: four 55,000-barrel ASTs (2-million-gallon capacity) and four 150-foot-tall lightning arrester towers. Stabilized the remaining oil sludge in the ASTs and cleaned the tanks before the residues were transported to a licensed offsite disposal facility. Recycled the tank steel to a metals reclaimer. Removed the stained wooden roofs of the ASTs and transported them off site for disposal to a licensed facility.
- Screened shallow soils to 20 feet, using backhoe trenching and hollow-stem auger drilling, during the first investigation phase. Collected 92 soil samples at Station 1 and 45 at Station C. Installed 14 borings at Station 1 and 11 borings at Station C, ranging in depth down to 100 feet, during the second investigation phase. Collected 19 soil samples at Station 1 and 14 samples at Station C. Conducted an investigation at the heavily impacted areas at both stations.
- Completed the investigation of impacted soil at Station 1 and prepared a report for submittal to the Fresno RWQCB. Delineated the lateral and vertical impacts for this station.
- Recommended additional vertical delineation for Station C to establish a basis for RWQCB approval for no further action. Evaluated carbon-chain analyses that showed mid- to heavy-range crude hydrocarbons.
- Collected soil samples using an air-rotary casing hammer rig and delineated the vertical extent of crude-oil-impacted soil.
- Assisted the client in negotiating oversight of the project by the RWQCB; coordination with the agency allowed the client to achieve future closure, thus expanding the reuse options for site.
- Completed the field investigation within budget despite some unanticipated site conditions.