Superior Terminals Inc.

Background/ History

The Superior Terminals site is located on 2.5 acres at 60 Chouteau Ave. in St. Louis. Manufacturing and warehouse facilities have been located on the site since the 1850s. From 1950 to 1968, Thompson Chemical Co. used parts of the site to produce Agent Orange. From 1964 to 1965, Wood Treating Chemicals Co. used part of the property to formulate pentachlorophenol (PCP). 

Since 1974, Superior Oil Co. Inc., doing business as Superior Solvents and Chemicals Inc., has operated a solvent and chemical distribution center at the site. Superior purchased chemical products in large quantities from manufacturers, repackaged those products in smaller quantities, and sold them to customers who used them to produce various goods and services. As a service to their customers, Superior picked up their customers spent wastes, transported it to their facility, and temporarily stored it until transported to a recycler. Superior operated the hazardous waste storage area under the “interim status” portions of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

Cleanup Summary

According to applicable state and federal hazardous waste laws and regulations, Superior is required to investigate and clean up releases of hazardous waste and hazardous constituents to the environment at their facility resulting from present and past hazardous waste handling practices. Initial investigations confirmed soil and groundwater contamination with volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dioxin. 

In 1986, the department placed the site on the Registry of Confirmed Abandoned or Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites in Missouri, under the name Thompson Chemical/Superior Solvents. In 1987, Superior conducted a site removal action, removing a leaking underground tank car and the surrounding soils. In 2011, Superior entered into an Administrative Settlement and Order on Consent with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct removal actions to properly dispose of the on-site roll-off boxes and associated drums, excavate and properly dispose of the remaining on-site dioxin contaminated soils. Annual inspections are conducted by the department to ensure the remedy in place remains protective or human health and the environment.