Alabama takes over clean up of abandoned oil site near Birmingham

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management announced this week that it would proceed with cleanup of an abandoned oil business in Trussville after the owners of the business failed to submit a required cleanup plan for the property.

The state will now pay for the cleanup and attempt to recover the costs from the property owner after the fact.

“It’s disappointing the property owner was unable to develop and execute a cleanup and closure plan, but ADEM will take action to ensure the site is properly cleaned up,” ADEM Director Lance LeFleur said in a news release.

The business, Alabama Oil and Gas Recovery Inc., operated a used oil transport business on Blackjack Road in Trussville, but appears to have been abandoned for some time. The business’s permits have lapsed and the owners did not seek to renew them, and the phone number listed on ADEM records is no longer in service.

On Feb. 1, ADEM attempted to notify the owners of violations of “several environmental regulations,” and ordered them to submit a cleanup plan within 30 days.

Since the owners failed to submit a closure plan, the state will take action using money from the Alabama Hazardous Substances Cleanup Fund, which receives a $1 per ton fee from hazardous waste disposals in Alabama.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management has ordered a used oil recovery and transport business to clean up its site of operations in Trussville, where many used oil containers sit unattended and petroleum staining is visible throughout the area, according to an ADEM inspection report.Alabama Department of Environmental Management

ADEM inspectors visiting the site in January found numerous abandoned oil drums and storage tanks, and vehicles at the site. An inspector noted that “petroleum staining was observed throughout the site,” and some containers appeared to still have oil in them.

The original order from ADEM required the owners to submit plans to remediate the site, including removal, decontamination and proper storage of all the equipment used by the business, and removal or decontamination of any impacted soils at the site.

ADEM now says it will hire a contractor to remove waste material left at the site and remove or treat any contaminated soils.

The Trussville site sits about two miles from a landfill fire that’s been burning since late November. ADEM has said the two are not connected.