Sinclair Refinery

Overview

The Sinclair Refinery covers 100 acres in Wellsville, New York, made up of a 90-acre former refinery and a 10-acre landfill. The refinery ran from 1901 until a fire stopped operations in 1958. It produced heavy oils, greases, and gasoline, and left behind tank sludges, waste oil, heavy metals, and pesticides. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1983 after landfill debris washed into the Genesee River in 1981.

More than 140 chemicals have been identified as contaminants of concern at the site. Heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc are found in soil, groundwater, sediment, surface water, and debris. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene, toluene, xylene, trichloroethene, and tetrachloroethene are present in soil and groundwater. The site also contains pesticides like DDT compounds, heptachlor, dieldrin, endrin, and chlordane, along with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates, and inorganic compounds like cyanide.

Cleanup was organized into three operable units (OUs). For the landfill and river area, EPA removed about 300 drums, excavated wastes, capped remaining materials, and partially channelized the Genesee River to stop erosion. That work finished by 1994. For the refinery soils and groundwater, EPA excavated contaminated surface soils between 1992 and 1993. Groundwater treatment ran in two phases: Phase 1 used air sparging and soil vapor extraction from 1995 to 2003, removing roughly 160,000 pounds of contaminant mass. Phase 2 began in 2008 and pumps contaminated groundwater through a constructed wetland before discharging treated water into the Genesee River. Physical barriers were also installed along the riverbank. Environmental easements and restrictive covenants cover all site properties.

Physical construction of the cleanup finished in September 2012. The site reached Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use status in August 2018, meaning all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been met. EPA has determined that human exposure is under control and that contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The most recent five-year review, completed in April 2022, confirmed the remedies remain protective. The next five-year review is estimated between April and June 2027. The site has not been deleted from the NPL. As of December 2024, one business operating on site employs 41 people.

Community members who want to review site records can visit the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway in New York City, the David A. Howe Library in Wellsville, or the EPA's Western New York Public Information Office in Buffalo. For direct questions, contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.