Former Amoco Refinery, Casper, Wyoming

Site Overview

Site Location

West Yellowstone Highway, Casper, Wyoming

Site Description

The site consists of a closed refinery, tank farm, and lake owned by Amoco Corporation. Preliminary investigations over the past several years have found high levels of lead and hydrocarbons on the refinery grounds. At Soda Lake, oil and grease, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, tetrachloroethylene, and dichloroethylene have been found in inlet water and sludges. Water samples from Soda Lake showed low levels of chloroform and methyl-ethyl ketone.

The Casper Community Facilitation Initiative (CCFI), a community-based effort to reutilize the sites, gathered stakeholders including Amoco and state and federal regulators, to negotiate implementation of a redevelopment vision. Some citizens were concerned about whether cleanup and proposed reuse would be protective of human health and the environment. Others were concerned about the feasibility of various cleanup approaches and effects on ground and surface water resources. Independent of the CCFI, a lawsuit by a group of citizens and regulators against Amoco was underway, which might influence the amounts and types of cleanup activities.

Organization Requesting Assistance

Casper Community Facilitation Initiative

Beginning Date of Assistance

April 1998

Summary of TOSC Assistance

TOSC support included site visits to review technical documents and meet stakeholders, and a presentation on environmental considerations for redeveloping the site. Industry and other resources became available to the various community groups to hire private technical consultants, and TOSC assistance was no longer necessary.

NOTE: The EPA TOSC and TOSNAC programs have ended. Communities seeking technical assistance should contact:

- Belinda Young in EPA Region 7’s office (for help in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, or Iowa) at 913-551-7463 and Young.Belinda@epa.gov;

- Briana Bill in EPA Region 5’s office (for help in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio) at 312-353-6646 and Bill.Briana@epa.gov; or

- Karen Martin at EPA Headquarters at 703-603-9925, Martin.Karenl@epa.gov; or

- EPA personnel identified at the bottom of the TOSC Information Contacts below:

TOSC Information Contact

Blase Leven
Center for Hazardous Substance Research
104 Ward Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-2502

Voice: 785.532.0780
Fax: 785.532.5985
E-mail: baleven@k-state.edu