Manhole covers were removed at locations on Sampson Street and the odor was detected at different intervals at that time, Witman wrote. City, DEP still working on pinpointing odor Officials said they are close to determining the source of a caturine- like odor reported in the area. The smell persisted for several days last week and again Monday and the New Castle Fire Department has been stumped by the cause. But New Castle Fire Chief Mark Panella said yesterday they think they have determined the source of the noxious odor reported by residents citywide and it appears to be coming from the sewer line. Despite speculation on Facebook that fracking water was the culprit, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Amanda Witman confirmed yesterday that “at his point, we can say with certainty that the smell is not related to oil and gas drilling.” The DEP is deploying a mobile analytical unit — a high-tech vehicle equipped with air quality monitoring technology — to aid in the investigation, she said. The vehicle is traveling to New Castle today from Harrisburg to conduct real-time air quality sampling, Witman said. “It’s a critical component to identifying the source.” Panella said city firefighters have walked through town with DEP officials and the state agency is leading the investigation. He said they lifted manhole covers and detected the odor was indeed coming from the sewers. He would not speculate on what the smell was or why it was there. The smell had dissipated by the weekend, according to Mike Petrone, assistant fire chief. But Panella said it returned again later in the day Monday in some areas, particularly off Sampson Street, where it seemed to be stronger than in other areas. The smell was first noticed the night of Oct. 27 and persisted throughout the week, tapering off on Friday, Petrone said. The smell also had been detected in Union and North Beaver townships. No complaints were registered about it in the city during the weekend, he said. In an email yesterday, Witman said the DEP first received a call about the smell in the Sampson Street area around 5:30 p.m. Oct. 27 on its after-hours emergency number. A DEP emergency response team member, who met with city fire officials and responders, described the smell as a mixture of heavyweight gear oil and antifreeze. A resident also had called the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. The National Fuel Gas and the New Castle Sanitation Authority were sent out, Witman wrote. A sanitation authority worker reported to the DEP that a manhole cover had been pulled and the smell was extremely strong. The DEP district office received another report around 1:30 p.m. Monday, according to Witman. An emergency response team member was sent again and met with Panella and two sanitation authority members. Manhole covers were removed at locations on Sampson Street and the odor was detected at different intervals at that time, Witman wrote. Panella said the source and the solution now lie in the hands of the DEP. “They’ve pinpointed it. We told them it’s their investigation and they need to make a public statement.” (Email: dwachter@ncnewsonline) ncnewsonline.cnhi.newsmemory/publink.php?shareid=2d64300e0
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 12:54:27 +0000
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