EPA RCRA ID: VAD093952935
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
Note: The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) is the lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility.
A large underground petroleum leak from the former Star Enterprise Terminal and now Motiva Enterprises Terminal on Pickett Road was discovered in 1990. The leak had resulted in a petroleum-contaminated groundwater plume that extended 2000 ft from Pickett Road to the Mantua community. Under EPA's direction, construction of a groundwater remediation system to clean up the petroleum-contaminated groundwater began shortly thereafter and began operation in 1991. Subsequently, the system was expanded and modified to its current configuration in 2000 as the final remedy. There are two major components of the remediation system, one located inside the Motiva Enterprises Terminal, and the other located in the community side known hereby as the Mantua system. The Motiva Terminal is one of four oil distribution terminals located on Pickett Road, Fairfax City, Virginia. The terminal has nine two-million-gallon above-ground tanks that supply petroleum to the region at a rate of one million gallons per day.
In February 1999, EPA issued a Final Decision on the remedy after consideration of public comments on the remedial alternatives. The selected remedy is to continue operation of an interim pump-and-treat system installed in 1991 with installation of 4 horizontal infiltration wells on the community side. The horizontal infiltration wells, which began operation in April 2000, provide flushing of contaminated groundwater to the existing pump-and-treat system to enhance recovery. The remediation goal, as defined in the Final Decision, requires that groundwater be restored to drinking water standards, or that technological limits have been reached, provided that partial or full shut down of the system will not pose unacceptable risks to human health or the environmental.
In 2009, after nine years of operating the final remedy and substantial cleanup of the release, EPA approved a “temporary shutdown test” of the Mantua system to collect data to determine whether a permanent shut down of the Mantua system is warranted. The remediation system located inside the Motiva Enterprises Terminal on the other side of Pickett Road will continue to remain in operation, and there is no plan to shut it down.
The shutdown test called for sub-slab soil vapor sampling of 18 homes located above the plume, and extensive groundwater sampling. The data collected from the 4-year test were reviewed by a technical workgroup consisting of representatives from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the City of Fairfax, Fairfax County, the Mantua Community, and U.S. EPA. Groundwater data show that the systems’ performance has reached the point of diminishing returns, and further operation of the Mantua system will not perform more effectively than natural attenuation. Soil vapor data show that there is no vapor intrusion that would pose unacceptable health risks to homes above the plume. EPA presented the findings to the Mantua Community Association meeting on May 29, 2013. On August 20, 2013, based on review of the test data and support from the technical workgroup and the community, EPA approved permanent shut down of the Mantua System.
Based on review of the test data, recommendations from the Workgroup, and comments received during the public meeting of May 29, 2013, EPA determined that the shutdown criteria as set forth in the Final Remedy were met. In August 2013, EPA approved permanent shutdown and abandonment of the off site system. In 2016, removal and abandonment of the offsite system in place was implemented in accordance with applicable permits and protocols.
On July 13, 2016, the EPA conducted a Long Term Stewardship assessment to assess whether the remedy was implemented and protective of human health and the environment. EPA determined that the remedy institutional and engineering controls have been fully implemented and no control deficiencies were identified.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The 18-acre Star Terminal is one of four oil distribution companies that occupy the Fairfax tank farm complex. The other companies are Amoco Oil Company, Citgo Petroleum Corporation and Old Dominion Terminal L.L.C. (formerly owned by Chevron). The Star Terminal has nine 1.3 to 2.8 million-gallon aboveground storage tanks that store gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel and heating oil. As Star's major distribution center in northern Virginia, the amount of fuel distributed monthly approaches 20 million gallons. The Star Terminal was built in the early 1960's and began operation in April 1965. Motiva, current site owner, has nine two-million-gallon above-ground tanks that supply petroleum to the region at a rate of one million gallons per day.
Contaminants at this Facility
Petroleum leakage is primary concern.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
A pump and water treatment system (the Mantua System), installed in 1990, was approved for shutdown in 2013.
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
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Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
Documents available on-line: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) |
Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) |
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Governmental Controls (GC) |
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Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
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| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
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Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) |
Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) |
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Non-Groundwater |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.