A new policy to oversee community emergency drinking water systems in Monroe County would address contamination of private water wells and accidents like the natural gas spill in Raisinville Township in September.
Mark Hammond, director of the county emergency management division, said the policy would draw environmental and public health agencies and other officials together to solve problems with any emergency water shortages or any spills like the one that occurred at Dixon and Sullivan Rds. about seven weeks ago. Natural gas from an old pipeline was found leaking slowly since 2001. It was discovered when Buckeye Pipeline Co. began installing new pipeline, Hammond said.
“Our biggest concern was those wells in the area,” the director told county commissioners Tuesday night. “All the wells were sampled and soil borings were taken. All the (samples) came back clean and there was no contamination.”
An estimated 1,300 yards of contaminated dirt was hauled away, he said.
Commissioner David Hoffman brought up the spill just before the county board approved 9-0 of the 17-page policy.
“It’s a big concern,” Hoffman told the director. “There are all of these old pipelines out there that are 80 years old. We need to be aware of them.”
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