The Department of Environmental Protection announced Wednesday remediation is complete at the former Rouseville Refinery in Rouseville Borough, Venango County.

Pennzoil Quaker State Co. and Calumet Lubricants Inc. conducted the cleanup as part of a consent order and agreement with DEP.

“The remediation and redevelopment of one of the oldest oil refineries in the world is an exciting opportunity for Rouseville and Venango County,” DEP Northwest Regional Director Kelly Burch said. “Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling program provides an achievable and common-sense framework to encourage companies in the cleanup of our industrial past.

“The cooperation and remediation of the Rouseville refinery by Pennzoil Quaker State and Calumet allows a site associated with the birth of the oil industry to re-emerge as a safe and important part of the region’s economic vitality into the future,” Burch said. “All parties involved in the effort to clean up and redevelop the refinery are to be congratulated for their efforts and commitment.”

The century-old oil refinery started operating in the late 1800s and remained in business under a number of different owners until 2002. After DEP inspectors discovered seeps of crude oil and petroleum products in Oil Creek and Cherry Run, initial cleanup activities began in 1990, concentrating on containing the seeps and recovering petroleum products from the groundwater.

More recently, the companies have conducted cleanup work of the soil and groundwater contamination, using the guidance in Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling program. Final remediation efforts at the site included active recovery and treatment of contaminated groundwater and petroleum products; removal and capping of contaminated soils; installation of engineering controls to address the migration and use of groundwater at the site.

DEP has worked extensively in the past several years with a number of potential purchasers of the property to ensure the site is returned to safe and productive use while the remediation was underway.

The property is currently being redeveloped by a number of firms, including GOC Property Holdings LLC, Pennewell Sandblasting & Painting, Klapec Express and PA Brine Treatment.

For more information call 814-332-6945.

1/28/2013