PAXTANG COPES WITH A PETROLEUM SPILL IN THE GREENBELT - May 6^th, 2005

Very few of us who live in the Borough have been able to avoid the smell of a petroleum product which is, to say the least, annoying. Depending on the time of day and the weather conditions, it can be either very subtle or overpowering. To say that it is noticeable is, most certainly, an understatement. And the questions that are on everyone's mind are; What exactly is it?, Where is it coming from? and, When will it stop? Unfortunately, there are no simple answers to any of these questions.

The odor first became noticeable in mid-April. On at least two different occasions the Paxtang Fire Company responded to complaints by citizens of a petroleum odor outdoors. After a comprehensive search the Fire Department was unable to pinpoint the source and their equipment did not indicate a life or health hazard. They made requests with the Department of Environmental Resources (DEP) to investigate further. While on patrol the Borough Police Officers also smelled the odor, but likewise were unable to determine the source. At some times it seemed that it might have been coming from the sewer, but at other times it seemed that it was another source. As more and more residents began to smell what had been reported as gasoline or diesel fuel, it quickly became obvious that this problem was growing.

On Tuesday, April 26^th, borough officials made contact with DEP. The borough told them that the situation appeared to be growing more prominent by the day and made a request that they investigate as soon as possible. By Thursday morning, April 28^th, DEP had assigned a full Emergency Response Team to the issue. The smell was found to have been strongest in a ravine to the rear of Hornung's True Value Hardware Store on 29^th Street. This is private property and not within the Greenbelt, although a stream that originates there does run into the Greenbelt section.

Initial samples of the leaking product were sent to the lab for analysis, the results of which were inconclusive. There seemed to be a variety of products in these samples. After reviewing the immediate area for potential sources of leaking petroleum products, it seemed that the most likely source might be the Mobile Station directly across from Hornung's. DEP directed their attention to that location and began to evaluate the gas station's equipment and tank monitoring system. By late Thursday, May 5^th, it became less and less likely that the product coming out of the ground originated at the Mobile Station. Pressure testing on the empty fuel tanks at the Mobil station was postponed. The company contracted to perform the tests had to reschedule. DEP assisted the station owners to locate another certified tank testing company to perform the testing on Tuesday, May10th.

If there was any change during this 5-day period, it was a perceptible increase in the amount of product flowing from the ground, as well as the purity of the product. DEP can now confirm that the material leaking is unleaded gasoline. The increase was so dramatic that DEP retained the services of a private contractor, Environmental Products and Services (EPS) to clean up the material that had spilled. From the time that the leaking material was discovered, DEP used absorbent materials, called booms, to soak up the product from the creek water where it was flowing. These absorbent booms could not contain the amount that was now seeping from the ground.

DEP staff conducted early morning monitoring, between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., of outdoor air in the most affected neighborhoods. Monitoring showed oxygen levels were fine, explosive level was zero, carbon monoxide level was fine. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) level was 20 parts per million (ppm). The VOC threshold limit for gasoline odors is .25 ppm. The odors did not seem to be as strong as the previous day

Wednesday brought well drilling equipment from Eichelberger’s Well Drilling Service to the site. Eichelberger’s drilled monitoring wells over the next two days. These wells showed no signs of petroleum products. The five monitoring wells were sampled today. There was no petroleum product found in any of the wells and little to no odor in the water. We are waiting permission from the Weiss Co. to drill two more wells on their property and adjacent to the Mobil station

In spite of exhaustive efforts by DEP, the exact source has not been located. The Emergency Response Team has widened their search and is now considering other possible sources for the spilled gasoline. They have not ruled out the possibility that the leak may be a considerable distance from the actual spill site, and that the product may have traveled a considerable distance underground, taking a route provided by some sort of channel. Last night they installed a dam closer to the seep to try to capture the gas floating on the water. They dug a sump and covered the contained area with plastic sheeting. This morning they began pumping the product from the sump to a tanker using special mobile tank trucks with a vacuum capability. This should decrease the intensity of the odors. The contractor will have a 5000 gallon tank at the site to store recovered product. About 1400 gallons of product has been collected in booms so far. As of 4:00 p.m. approximately 1,000 gallons of product was collected today. Pumping will continue until dark. Areas where pumping is taking place will be covered with plastic to keep odors down. Pumping will continue during daylight hours throughout the weekend.

EP staff conducted early morning monitoring, between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., of outdoor air in the most affected neighborhoods. Monitoring showed oxygen levels were fine, explosive level was zero, carbon monoxide level was fine. Volatile organic compounds(VOC) level was 20 parts per million (ppm). The VOC threshold limit for gasoline odors is .25 ppm. The odors did not seem to be as strong as the previous day. DEP will continue to conduct air monitoring during early morning hours during the weekend.

DEP has also hired a contractor to bring in a geoprobe today to sample soil gas levels. Three geoprobes were completed today. The probe closest to the ravine showed product at 32 feet. The other two probes showed no petroleum. More probes will be done on Monday. They will start near the seep and work outward to try to find the source of the petroleum.

As the extent of this problem has evolved, so has the Borough’s response. As soon as it was determined that a foreign substance was leaking into the waterway, tape and highway barriers were placed in the Greenbelt area to warn anyone using the park system. An informational flyer was produced and distributed through the generosity of one of Paxtang’s residents, Christine Whitmer. On Friday, May 6^th, signs were posted around the entire Paxtang section of the perimeter closing the Greenbelt entirely. Police will patrol the area on a regular basis and remove anyone found in the Parkway. Although DEP has been and remains the lead agency, the Fire, Police, and Highway Departments have provided whatever assistance was asked.

In order to provide clear and concise information from a single source DEP was asked to be responsible for the dissemination of all information to the public. That remains the case now. Borough Officials stand ready to provide any assistance to DEP that it can. We ask your patience and understanding as we try to work through an extremely difficult problem.

This site will update periodically as information can be made available.