PITTSBURGH, PA — The Shapiro Administration has issued one of Pennsylvania’s most sweeping environmental enforcement actions in years, ordering two major oil companies to undertake an aggressive cleanup of long-standing petroleum contamination along the Allegheny River and levying $3.3 million in civil penalties for repeated violations.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced a binding Consent Order and Agreement with Energy Transfer and Atlantic Richfield Company, holding both operators responsible for decades-old pollution that continues to discharge petroleum and tar-like material into the river in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood.
“This settlement sends a clear message that Pennsylvania will not tolerate ongoing violations that harm our waterways and communities,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. She said the agreement ensures the companies “take every step necessary” to restore the site and stop the recurring sheens that have repeatedly coated the river’s surface.
The contamination traces back to a former Standard Oil/Atlantic Refining refinery that operated on the site from the late 1800s through 1930. Despite years of cleanup attempts, oil sheens and tar seeps have persisted across multiple properties now occupied by an Energy Transfer petroleum terminal, a cold-storage facility, and a UPMC parking area.
State inspectors documented unpermitted discharges as recently as December 2023, prompting the new enforcement order.
Under the agreement, the companies must complete a full and final cleanup, including identifying subsurface contamination, excavating petroleum-impacted soil, addressing tar deposits along the riverbank, and implementing an upgraded sheen-control system to prevent oil from reaching the river. The settlement establishes strict deadlines, requires quarterly progress reporting, and imposes daily penalties for missed milestones or any sheen observed beyond containment measures.
The DEP will also recover agency response costs and continue on-site oversight throughout the cleanup.
Of the $3.3 million in penalties, $1 million may be used to fund community environmental projects benefiting nearby neighborhoods affected by historic pollution. The companies must propose project plans within 120 days, and all work must be completed within five years. Any remaining balance will be paid directly to the Commonwealth.
In addition to civil penalties, Energy Transfer and Atlantic Richfield must reimburse the state annually for future oversight and remain subject to further enforcement should they fail to meet the terms of the agreement.
State officials said the comprehensive remedy—decades after the refinery shut down—is designed to ensure the Allegheny River is restored and protected for generations to come.
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