ugi columbia gas plant

FRONT STREET

UGI Columbia Gas Plant is a 1 ½ -acre site located in a light industrial/residential area 400 feet northeast of the Susquehanna River in southern Pennsylvania. From 1851 to 1949, Columbia Gas used the site for gas manufacturing. In 1932, ownership of the property was transferred to Pennsylvania Power and Light (PP&L) and subsequently transferred to Lancaster County Gas Company in 1949. Lancaster County Gas merged with UGI Corporation which owned the site until 1979. The property was used as a boat dealership from 1979 until 1994 when it was repurchased by PP&L. During the years of active gas manufacturing operations at the site, overflows from an on-site tar separator were directed to an open ditch that led to the Susquehanna River. Records show that local fishermen complained to the gas plant that their boats were being covered with tar. PADEP conducted preliminary investigations at the site in August 1984. In 1985, PP&L and UGI Corporation conducted further investigations to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site. Tar was found in test pits dug in the gas and relief holders and in several soil borings on the site. Soil, sediment, sludge, tar, and groundwater samples collected during this investigation also revealed volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and cyanide contamination. An area of Susquehanna River sediments directly downstream of the site was contaminated with tar-related contaminants such as PAHs. In 1987, it was determined that approximately 800 cubic yards of sediment in the Susquehanna River were contaminated with tar from the site. In January 1991, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted expanded investigations (EI) of the UGI Columbia Gas Plant. During that EI, EPA collected groundwater, soil, and surface water samples from the Susquehanna River and confirmed previously reported contamination of VOCs, PAHs, and cyanide. Site Responsibility Cleanup of this site is the responsibility of federal and state governments, and parties potentially responsible for site contamination.

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