A major oil corporation responsible for a near two-decade-old gasoline spill in Prince George’s County might finally be ordered to clean up the mess caused when the chemical plume snaked into upper Northeast D.C.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed a final strategy for Chevron Corp., the owner of a now-defunct gas station on Riggs Road just across the D.C. border, to remediate a gas leak dating back to 1989. The underground spill at the Chevron station in Chillum, which eventually spread into the District’s Riggs Park community, tainted the groundwater, contaminated the air and led to alleged health problems among neighbors.
Benzene and Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether, both found in local groundwater, have been linked to cancer.
In its proposed remedy, the EPA would direct Chevron to continue operating existing groundwater remediation systems in Maryland, to install gasoline recovery wells on Eastern Avenue and to install vapor-mitigation systems in homes where vapors exceed federal standards. The measures are expected to cost $280,000.
The groundwater contamination is not considered an imminent threat, as all Northeast D.C. residents are connected to public water rather than private groundwater wells. The primary concern, according to the EPA, is the vapors that “migrate vertically through soil into basements through cracks, joints and utilities openings.”
Bettye Tate, a longtime Riggs Park resident, said the proposed solution “is not a true remedy.” More equipment is needed on the District’s side of Eastern Avenue, she said.
Though the spill was initially detected in 1989 — and Chevron took action on the Maryland side — not until 2001 did anyone realize the “plume” of gasoline had crossed into Washington. Mayor Adrian Fenty, then the Ward 4 D.C. Council member, asked the EPA to step in.
Chevron has installed 80 groundwater monitoring wells, seven product recovery wells and four soil vapor monitoring wells in D.C. since 2001, in addition to conducting extensive testing, according to the EPA.
The public comment period for the proposed remedy runs through Oct. 29. A public hearing is slated for Sept. 6 at LaSalle Elementary School.
