Oklahoma Refining Company Superfund Site

• Location: Cyril, Caddo County, Oklahoma
• Township and Range: Section 18-19, Township 5N, Range 9W
• Latitude/Longitude: 34.89420200, -98.19819117
• Site Type: Refinery
• Area: 0.34 square miles/220 acres
• National Priorities List: Final Listing Date - February 21, 1990
• Current Status: Cleanup underway

• Cleanup Oversight Agencies: DEQ, EPA
• Lead Agency: DEQ
• Office: DEQ, Land Protection Division, (405) 702-5100
• DEQ Site Project Manager: Lynn Nguyen, (405) 702-5102
• Backup DEQ Project Manager: Michael Lea, (405) 702-5195
• DEQ Press Contact: Skylar McElhaney, (405) 702-7167

Operations at the Oklahoma Refining Company (ORC) site began in 1920 by the Anderson Pritchard Company (APCO).  The ORC site was operated as a refinery under several different owners until 1994.  Refining processes that took place included crude distillation, vacuum distillation, catalyst cracking, aklylation, bimetallic reforming, and downstream processing.  Solid waste from these processes was kept in on-site surface pits and wastewater was sent through an oil-water separator, followed by treatment in impoundments.  The water was then discharged into Gladys Creek.  Over many years of production, contaminants leaked into the soil, sediment, surface water, and shallow groundwater beneath the site.  These contaminants inlcude heavy metals, VOCs, petroluem products, and other hydrocarbons.  Also, areas of low and high pH groundwater have been noted at the ORC site.  

Work Completed:

The cleanup of soil and sediments in the southern portion of the ORC site has been completed.  

The remedy for the soils included:

• Bioremediation of organic waste: 93,000 cubic yards
• Neutralization of acidic waste: 16,000 cubic yards
• Stabilization of metal containing waste: 14,000 cubic yards
• Removal of asphaltic material: 38,000 cubic yards

In August of 2003, EPA Emergency Response Branch demolished and removed the oil refinery structures, equipment, and chemicals on the northwestern region of the site.  Two on-site landfills were built to contain site wastes.  They were initially used as bio-treatment cells before final capping.

Oklahoma Refining Company Superfund Site is currently divided into three separate operable units.

• Operable Unit 1 (ORC South): The cleanup of soil, pond sediment, and waste areas are complete on the southern portion of the site.  DEQ continues to monitor the site and constructed landfills as part of Operation and Maintenance.

• Operable Unit 2 (ORC North): In April 2023, DEQ completed Remedial Action removing 163,890 cubic yards of contaminated soil, sediment, and waste for disposal into the on-site hazardous waste landfill.  DEQ installed both active and passive light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) skimmers to remove LNAPL, a source material of contamination on-site.  DEQ will continue to operate the skimmers as part of the Remedial Action until levels reach less than 0.1 feet as required in the Record of Decision.  Additionally, DEQ will continue to monitor the expanded landfills and remediated soils and sediments as part of on-going Operation and Maintenance.

• Operation Unit 3 (Groundwater, N. Gladys Creek Sediment, and Surface Water): Site-wide groundwater contamination will be addressed in a future decision document.  To date, DEQ completed the Remedial Investigation in March 2021, and the Feasibility Study was completed in March 2022.  The Remedial Investigation determined that groundwater from the site does discharge into Gladys Creek as evidenced by sheens found in the surface water.  However, surface water samples collected at the compliance point of the site show no exceedances of site preliminary remedial goals.  The Remedial Investigation also delineated the extent, fate, and transport of dissolved-phase constituents in the groundwater.  The groundwater continues to be contaminated due to the LNAPL source waste.  DEQ will collect additional groundwater samples in the future to determine if Remedial Action activities from Operable Unit 2 have impacted the levels of groundwater contamination on-site.

This refinery began in 1919 and was one of over 400 refineries that operated in the state at one time.

A deed notice is currently in place for the site, with restrictions on drilling new wells and digging in capped areas.  The site is zoned for industrial redevelopment.

• Sources of Contamination: Leaking tanks, product lines, pits, and surface impoundments
• Contaminants of Concern: Metals, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), Petroleum, Organics, and Aromatic Hydrocarbons
• Groundwater Impacted: Rush Springs Sandstone Aquifer
• Surface Water Impacted: Gladys Creek