An open house is scheduled for Thursday, July 21st from 6:00pm – 7:00pm at the Bristow Public Library to discuss the Wilcox Oil Company Superfund site. There will be a presentation at the start to update the community on the field sampling planned to begin in September 2016. Following the presentation, EPA and ODEQ will be available to answer questions and discuss site activities.
The 140 plus acre site of the former Lorraine and Wilcox refineries was designated a Superfund site some years ago. Here is some background information from the EPA:
The 140 to 150-acre Wilcox Oil Company site is located in Bristow, Oklahoma, and includes the inactive and abandoned Lorraine and Wilcox Oil Refineries. The property was used as a crude oil refinery from approximately 1915 to 1963. Wilcox Oil and Gas Company began operating a crude oil refinery in the 1920s, and expanded in 1937 when it purchased the Lorraine Refinery.
The main components of the refinery included a skimming plant, cracking unit, and redistillation battery with a vapor recovery system and continuous treating equipment. The crude oil was brought directly from the field, eliminating storage and handling facilities, but resulted in crude with high sediment and water. The upgraded facility had an operating capacity of 4,000 barrels of crude per day. Refinery operations contaminated soil and sediment and left behind waste material. Planning for the site’s remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) is ongoing.
The site is located at West 221st Street South about 0.35 miles east of U.S. Highway 66. About 2,404 people live within a mile of the site and about 6,134 people live within four miles of the site. The site area is mostly rural and primarily residential. The site includes a church, and 7 residential properties. LINK TO EPA INFO PAGE
Here is the meeting notice:
Photo Circa 1957 – Photo Credit:DEQ Website
