For Release:  (Washington, D.C. -- Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006)

EPA Posts Results of Additional Samples Taken at the Murphy Oil Site

Contact: Dale Kemery, (202) 564-4355 / kemery.dale@epa.gov

On Oct.17, US EPA updated its Hurricane Katrina web site pages to include the results from additional samples collected at the Murphy Oil Site in Louisiana. Pursuant to a FEMA mission assignment, US EPA is overseeing Murphy Oil's ongoing sampling activities of residential and other properties. Today EPA posted samples taken as part of two ongoing efforts.

The first set of samples relates to ongoing activities to assess the level of contamination at residential and other sites. Ten percent of the samples Murphy collects are split between Murphy and EPA. EPA sends the split samples for independent analysis. Thus far, Murphy has collected 8190 sediment samples from 4930 properties. Of the 8190 sediment samples collected, US EPA has sent 855 split samples for separate analyses. US EPA has received, evaluated and is posting the results of the first 841 samples. 

Additional soil samples are taken after cleanup at each property to confirm that LDEQ's Risk Evaluation/Corrective Action Program (RECAP) Standards have been met. Ten percent of the confirmatory samples Murphy collects are split between Murphy and EPA. EPA sends the split samples for independent analysis. Thus far, US EPA has sent 85 split samples for separate analyses. US EPA has received, evaluated and is posting the results of 81 of these samples. The levels of compounds detected in the samples were either below their respective RECAP standards or fell within a risk range which US EPA has found acceptable in other contexts.

More information on these results: http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults/murphy/index.html

 

R280