Sinclair Refinery

⚠ Superfund · Ready for anticipated reuse

OU1: In 1985, the EPA issued a Record of Decision which established the consolidation and capping of two small landfills and partial channelization of the adjacent Genesee River as the remedy for OU1. OU1 construction began in 1990 for the partial river channelization project to prevent erosion of the landfill by the Genesee River.

Location

CityWellsville
CountyAllegany County
StateNew York
Coordinates42.10880, -77.94160

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 06/01/1982
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 12/30/1982
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 09/08/1983
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 07/15/1983
  5. Remedy Selected — 09/30/1985
  6. Remedial Action Started — 02/21/1990
  7. Final Remedial Action Started — 03/03/1995
  8. Construction Completed — 09/05/2012
  9. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  10. Most Recent Five-Year Review — 04/29/2022

EPA references

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Sinclair Refinery is a federal Superfund site in New York. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Ready for anticipated reuse. EPA considers this site ready for anticipated reuse, meaning cleanup has progressed enough for certain land uses. This does not necessarily mean all contamination has been removed — institutional controls like deed restrictions may limit how the land can be used.

EPA has identified 10 contaminants of concern at this site, including 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene. Contamination has been detected in groundwater, soil, solid waste, liquid waste, debris, surface water.

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.