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EPA Urges Residents Near Tranguch Oil Spill to Get Air Tested - First-Round Sampling Scheduled to End in Two Weeks

Release Date: 2/6/2001
Contact Information: Community Information Office, (570) 455-9007

Community Information Office, (570) 455-9007


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is urging residents within the Tranguch oil spill site area who have not had air sampling done in their homes to contact the EPA information office as soon as possible to schedule an appointment for sampling. First-round sampling is scheduled to end in two weeks.

Residents may call the community information office at (570) 455-9007, or stop by between Monday and Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, to schedule a sampling appointment or to speak to an EPA contractor about ongoing site activities. EPA officials and health officials will be available upon request to answer questions as well.

The boundaries of the site area are north by Black Creek, south by 17th Street, east by Hayes Street.

EPA has sampled 308 of approximately 350 homes located within the site area. Homes must be sampled to receive a sewer vent trap which reduces any gas vapors that may be entering the home. EPA bases the effectiveness of the sewer vent trap by comparing air samples taken from the home before and after the trap installation. EPA has already begun second-round, confirmatory air sampling and plans to end all initial sampling within the next two weeks. EPA is checking homes for high levels of benzene, toluene, xylene, and ethyl benzene components of gasoline.

The Tranguch Gasoline Spill Site is the result of an underground gasoline spill that involved the former Tranguch Tire Service, Orloski’s Shell, Sam’s Amoco, and Hazleton Standard Oil. EPA estimates that approximately 50,000 gallons of gasoline leaked out of the underground tanks from these locations. It was determined that most of the gasoline vapors permeating into the homes are associated with the sanitary sewer system. EPA is currently installing sewer vent traps to prevent the vapors from entering the homes.