Clean up of Mission Valley Terminal completed

After decades of efforts to clean up soil and groundwater contaminated by petroleum releases from the Mission Valley Terminal, a 10.5-acre above-ground fuel storage and distribution facility, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board notified the dischargers, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, that the petroleum removal was successful and no further actions are necessary.

Releases from the tanks and distribution operations in Murphy Canyon polluted groundwater in the 1980s, then migrated beneath the parking lot of the former Qualcomm Stadium and the San Diego River, potentially impacting water quality within a one-mile radius and threatening human health and safety. The petroleum contaminants were discovered in groundwater monitoring wells in 1992.

In response to the volume of the petroleum discharges – among the largest ever in California – the San Diego Water Board issued a Cleanup and Abatement Order in 1992, requiring Kinder Morgan Energy Partners to remediate the groundwater and restore water quality. Additionally, staff consulted renowned national experts for guidance in reviewing the work plans and reports to ensure adequate progress was
made and cleanup goals were met.

“Cleaning up and restoring the Mission Valley Aquifer for beneficial use and to protect and expand our local water supplies has long been among our top priorities,” said David Gibson, executive officer for the regional board.

The corrective actions, which began in 2005, resulted in removal of almost 2 million pounds of contamination and included the following:

• Installation and operation of 192 soil vapor extraction wells and 19 groundwater extraction wells to treat polluted soil and groundwater. The treatment system processed 1.26 million gallons of contaminated water per day at the peak of its operation.
• A hydraulic containment barrier at the property boundary to contain the groundwater contamination to the terminal property.
• Implementation of a comprehensive monitoring and reporting program to optimize petroleum cleanup and evaluate whether the cleanup system was capable of meeting the remedial goals by the deadline.