Peak Oil Co./Bay Drum Co.

Overview

The Peak Oil Co./Bay Drum Co. Superfund site covers about 19 acres in Tampa, Florida. It includes two former industrial properties where waste oil refining and drum recycling took place from the 1950s through the 1980s. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List in June 1986. A cleanup remedy was selected in 1993, major construction began in September 2000, and construction was completed by September 2006. The site reached readiness for anticipated reuse in February 2011, though it has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.

Contaminants at the site include chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane. Metals including lead, arsenic, chromium, beryllium, and cadmium are present in groundwater, soil, and sediment. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides such as chlordane, benzene, vinyl chloride, naphthalene, and other volatile organic compounds also affect soil, sediment, sludge, and groundwater. Contamination spread below the site and northward, reaching the area of the nearby Reeves Southeastern Galvanizing Superfund site.

Cleanup has addressed four separate areas. Workers removed about 4,000 cubic yards of sludge and soil from the Peak Oil property and about 70,000 cubic yards of roofing shingles from the Bay Drum property. Sediment removal occurred in the adjacent wetlands. Cleanup methods across the site include excavation, a slurry wall barrier, in-situ solidification and stabilization, bioremediation, groundwater extraction and treatment, air sparging, monitored natural attenuation, and capping. Additional remedial work in the Bay source area ran from February 2015 through June 2018. Groundwater treatment and monitoring remain ongoing. The responsible parties fund these activities under oversight by EPA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Human exposure is currently controlled. No complete exposure pathways exist for nearby residents or workers. EPA assessed vapor intrusion and found it does not pose a threat. Contaminated groundwater is stabilized in its original area and is not discharging to surface water at unacceptable levels. In 2004, EPA and the responsible parties recorded restrictive covenants that prohibit new well construction and limit activities on capped areas and wetland sediments. The Southwest Florida Water Management District requires its approval for any new wells in the area. The most recent five-year review was conducted in September 2025.

Community members can stay informed through EPA's public notices, public meetings, and interviews about site activities. Site documents are available at the Brandon Regional Library in Brandon, Florida. Questions can be directed to the Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager assigned to the site.