This site has historically been involved in refining and storing oil since the late 1800s, and there have been massive petrochemical losses and a huge tank fire on the site.
Three Rivers Waterkeeper, represented by Appalachian Mountain Advocates, alleges the site routinely discharges petrochemicals into the Allegheny River from multiple sources along the riverfrontage—a violation of the Clean Streams Law.
Complete cleanup is difficult, but proper containment is required by law.
Investigation and remediation activities of petrochemicals, such as oil and tar, began in 1977 at the river frontage along the Allegheny River at mile 4.8, near the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority’s (ALCOSAN) 57th-Street outfall.
Evergreen Resources Group LLC, an affiliate of Sunoco LP, continues to conduct some remediation efforts on multiple parcels at the site.
In addition, Remediation Management Services Company (RMSC) and Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO)—both affiliates of BP Products North America—have acknowledged responsibility for tar deposits near the ALCOSAN outfall.
Since at least September 1993, the Department of Environmental Protection, Evergreen, RMSC, and, more recently, Three Rivers Waterkeeper have observed petrochemical-based sheen on the Allegheny River upstream and downstream of the ALCOSAN outfall.
As part of its ongoing investigation of the site, Evergreen has concluded in their reports to DEP that “the sheen is originating from multiple locations along the riverbank and collecting near the 57th Street outfall channel due to the physical characteristics of the shoreline.”
Evergreen has confirmed that soil between 0.5 and 1.5 feet deep and within 10 feet of the water line also exhibits a sheen at locations on all three parcels.
Factors contributing to the sheen in the River and nearby soil appear to include the tar deposits along the riverbank, soil contamination, and free phase hydrocarbons present on the water table.
“I know people who grew up in the neighborhood having to refer to their river shoreline as ‘Tar Beach.’ The embankment of tar and the steady flow of oil sheen released into the Allegheny River must be addressed now. There are proven solutions that can accomplish this, and they should have been implemented years ago,” said Captain Evan Clark, Waterkeeper. “We have a beautiful river that has come so far in its recovery from pollution, and this oil company needs to stop dragging their feet and require real, meaningful remediation.”
While the contamination is well documented, not enough is being done to prevent consistent petrochemical discharges into the Allegheny River—a source of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people and a beloved recreation source for many.
Currently, only booms designed for temporary use are lining the shoreline, but even these booms wash out in any less than perfect conditions and don’t stop the oil seeping from land and flowing into the river—rendering them a mostly ineffective method of containment.
On August 27, 2025, Three Rivers Waterkeeper filed a notice letter of an intent to sue multiple entities to stop this continual release of petrochemicals due to violations of the Clean Streams Law (CSL).
The CSL declares it “unlawful for any person or municipality to put or place into any of the waters of the Commonwealth, or allow or permit to be discharged from property owned or occupied by such person or municipality into any of the waters of the Commonwealth, any substance of any kind or character resulting in pollution.”
The CSL also prohibits the discharge or flow of industrial wastes into surface and groundwaters.
The CSL declares the discharge of both industrial waste and other forms of pollution to be a nuisance as a matter of law.
Click Here for a copy of the notice to sue.
The Three Rivers Waterkeeper protects the Allegheny, Monongahela and the upper Ohio River, which make up the headwaters of the Ohio River Basin.
The Ohio River starts at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in Pittsburgh, PA and charts a course across a vast section of the Midwest before flowing into the Mississippi River.
Its watershed covers 205,000 square miles across 15 states, from New York to Mississippi.
While the Ohio River forms the border of five states, ultimately it unites 30 million people—five million of whom rely on it for drinking water.
Related Articles This Week:
-- Watershed Alliance Of York, Partners Host 23rd Annual York Watershed Week Sept. 13 to 20 [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Land Use Series Webinars On Solar Development, Stormwater Management, Using A.I. For Community Planning; Other Extension Education Programs
-- Penn State Research Sheds Light On Beech Creek's Struggle With Abandoned Mine Drainage In Centre, Clinton Counties [PaEN] [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Penn State’s 2025 Ag Progress Days A Success In Showcasing Innovation, Impact To An Estimated 42,000 People
-- The Derrick: Two Mile Run’s Justus Lake Is Made A Bit More Natural Through New Fish Habitats [PDF of Article]
-- Altoona Mirror: Intergovernmental Stormwater Committee Awards Brush Run Streambank Restoration Project Contract
-- Warren Times: Allegheny River Cleanup Sept. 11-13
-- NextPittsburgh: We Visited The Ohio River’s Uninhabited Islands
-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation: US Geological Survey ‘Sentinel Scientists’ Perform Vital But Often Unseen Role In Bay Restoration
[Posted: August 27, 2025] PA Environment Digest
No comments :
Post a Comment