Source: http://newsitem.com, October 11, 2014
By: Sarah Desantis
An excavation crew is working to remove contaminated soil on the south face of Little Mountain along Trevorton Road.
Randy Farmerie, professional geologist manager with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), said the Northridge Group Inc. and Groundwater and Environmental Services Inc. have been removing soil this week in the area where a pipeline, owned and operated by Sunoco Logistics, leaked petroleum last winter.
At the time, Jeffrey P. Shields, communications manger for Sunoco, described the leak as small and said the contamination was contained to an area next to the pipeline.
However, Farmerie said an investigation was conducted this summer and an area of contamination “that needed to be addressed” was discovered.
“The current excavation is meant to remove this area of concern,” he said.
Shields said Friday he is unsure how much soil will be removed, but that the project is expected to be completed by Nov. 1. He also said the company has not updated their original estimate of product released.
Four hundred and eighty tons – 960,000 pounds – of soil has been removed so far, said Farmerie.
“There is no set amount at this stage,” he said. “They will be removing all of the significant soil contamination at the area of concern.”
He didn’t know Friday how large of an area is affected.
After the contaminated soil is removed, further work is needed to complete the remediation plan.
“We will be installing a water treatment system, including a retention basin and carbon filters, which we will continue to monitor and maintain going forward,” said Shields.
Vehicles from the firms involved in the cleanup area were staged along Route 225 across from Mountain View Manor, but the area of the leak is believed to be a few miles farther northwest. When the leak was first being addressed, a command center was established in a wooded area across Route 61 from the north end of Tharptown, while another work crew continued to monitor the situation from Route 225 near Forest Hills Fire Company and Annabelle’s Family Restaurant.
The leak was discovered Dec. 20 when a local resident smelled and saw gasoline while hiking through the woods. A few days later, another neighbor, who gets his water from groundwater and springs at the site, smelled a strong gasoline odor coming from his tap water.
Lawsuit
Anthony W. Nestico, of Coal Township, Anthony W. Nestico Jr., of Nescopeck, and Adrian M. Nestico, of Coal Township, who own property in the area of the cleanup, filed a lawsuit Sept. 3 against Sunoco Logistic Partners LP and Sunoco Pipeline LP. They alleged Sunoco officials said only about “two gallons” of petroleum leaked from the pipeline, which is 14 inches in diameter, and “no waterways were affected.” They asked the court to retroactively enact three sets of civil penalties that could cost the company up to $112,500 per day from Dec. 20 until the site is cleaned up.
A call to the Nesticos’ lawyer for comment on the cleanup was not returned Friday.