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The Maryland Department of the Environment’s Oil Control Program is overseeing the largest cleanup of a subsurface release of petroleum products in the state, an effort that has removed more than three million gallons of fuel that had seeped into the ground at the former Exxon Terminal in southeast Baltimore.
The 130-acre property on Boston Street was the site of one of the United States’ first petroleum refineries and was used for more than a century for oil-industry purposes that resulted in spills and leaks. For years enforcement actions consisted of citations for small spills from trucks that were transferring oil.
In April 1997, MDE and Exxon signed a Consent Agreement to provide a roadmap for site remediation. By 2001, the company had recovered more than a million gallons of petroleum products. The total amount recovered now exceeds three million gallons.
Much of the cleanup is complete – and a large section of the property has been reclaimed for use as a business complex.
Investigations and environmental assessments by ExxonMobil revealed large areas of contaminated soil and impacts to the groundwater beneath the 130-acre site. Monitoring wells were installed, and floating petroleum product up to 20 feet thick was found. At the opening of MDE’s case in 1997, petroleum from the terminal was being discharged into the Baltimore harbor from storm drain outfalls. With the great number and extent of product delivery pipes and the complex storm drain system, the oil discharge worsened steadily until 2000, when control measures were put into place.
The Boston Street oil refinery, which began operations in 1865, was among the first in the United States. During the time the refinery was in operation it had docking, pumping, and storage facilities adjacent to the Baltimore Harbor. The refinery handled all kinds of petroleum products, including asphalt and gasoline.
In 1965, the site was converted to a terminal for storing and distributing bulk petroleum products.
Between 1966 and 1981, the physical layout of the facility changed as the refinery equipment was torn down and eliminated. Work on the building of Interstate 95 through the eastern portion of the site in 1977 revealed shallow petroleum contamination, but this contamination was remediated during construction. In 1979, Exxon experienced problems with oil seepage from the ground in the Main Terminal area. Monitoring wells were installed to control and recover the oil. By 1983, seven wells were operational and 103,200 gallons of oil was recovered.
The use of the site as a terminal ceased in 1984. In 1985, Exxon began to dismantle many of the storage tanks.
MDE required an updated agreement in 2007. To date, remediation of the Warehouse Parcel, the Dock Parcel, and Parcels 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 is complete, and “No Further Action” letters were issued by MDE. These parcels were sold by ExxonMobil and returned to commercial use for the Canton Crossing. Canton Crossing houses a 17-story office building, several small restaurants, a gymnasium, a bank, parking lots, and other businesses.
Canton Crossing has agreed to undertake any remaining cleanup that is needed. ExxonMobil remains the responsible party.
The removal of oil from the wells on Canton Crossing’s parcels is ongoing. ExxonMobil continues to remove surface and subsurface structures and piping, while investigating the scope of Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid and removing the substance. More than 350 observation wells are used to monitor the site, and recovered water at the remaining undeveloped parcels is being treated. Odor-reducing foam and dust-control measures are being used as part of soil treatment and removal actions.
Proving that former industrial sites can be put to good use, Canton Crossing was awarded the 2007 Phoenix Award. That award, from the Phoenix Award Institute, an environmental and science non-profit organization, honors individuals and groups who transform brownfield sites into productive new uses. Only one other site in Baltimore has received this prestigious award.
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