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EPA ISSUES RECORD OF DECISION FOR THE FLORIDA PETROLEUM REPROCESSORS SUPERFUND SITE DAVIE, BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

Release Date: 03/19/2001
Contact Information: Dawn Harris, EPA Media Relations, 404-562-8421

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that a Record of Decision (ROD) has been signed for the Florida Petroleum Reprocessors (FPR) Superfund site in Davie, Broward County, Florida. The ROD outlines the remedy that will be used to address contamination at the site. The major components of the ROD include: - collection and treatment of contaminated groundwater at the FPR facility and the southern part of the Peele-Dixie Wellfield; - degradation of groundwater contaminants through natural processes; - resumption of the pumping of groundwater at the Peele-Dixie Wellfield; and - long-term monitoring of groundwater. The selected remedy is protective of human health and the environment and cost effective. This remedy utilizes permanent solutions and alternative treatment technologies, to the maximum extent practicable for the site. Future negotiations with the potentially responsible parties are planned for the cleanup of the site. The FPR facility is a former oil reprocessing facility that handled millions of gallons of waste oil from 1978 until 1992. A portion of the waste oil at the site was tainted with chlorinated solvents. Due to mishandling, an approximate 800-acre area of groundwater was contaminated. In 1986, contaminants from the facility also impacted the City of Ft. Lauderdale's Peele-Dixie Wellfield. The contaminated portion of the wellfield was taken out of service and emergency measures were implemented by EPA and the City to control the spread of contaminants and ensure a safe drinking water supply. It is believed that contaminants from the former Starta's Junkyard also contributed to groundwater contamination at the FPR facility. The property was acquired by the Florida Department of Transportation and built over during the construction of Interstate 595. The ROD and the Administrative Record, a compilation of documents which formed the basis for EPA's selection of the remedy, will be available for public review at the Broward County, Riverland Branch Library, 2710 West Davie Boulevard, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, by March 21, 2001.