MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — In Monroe County, an oil spill in a creek is causing alarm among homeowners in the area.
Pocono Township officials say flooding from Sunday's rain caused a heating oil tank at a nearby school to overflow into the creek.
“So they set up this boom, and that was about it,” said Julie Rettle, as she points to the oil containment boom sitting in Swiftwater Creek after an oil spill was discovered in the water.
Rettle and her neighbor, Ashley Woodrow, have been dealing with the strong smell of oil in the area all day.
They say township, county, and state officials were at the creek checking the spill, but no one gave them an update on what's going on.
“There has been absolutely no communication by anybody in the county, the township, DEP. No one has told us anything,” said Rettle.
A Pocono Township official says the heavy rain Sunday night caused the basement of Swiftwater Intermediate School to flood on the Pocono Mountain School District's campus.
That water got into the school's underground heating oil tank, forcing the oil into the creek as well as the stormwater drain.
A spokesperson for Pocono Mountain School District says school officials were able to plug the tank to stop more oil from leaking.
Woodrow, a physician, is highly concerned about the negative health impacts her family is already facing.
“Several of us woke up with headaches, not feeling well. Thought maybe it was something in our garage got knocked over,” said Woodrow.
Rettle says another concern is the houses are on well water.
“Our well is only 35 feet deep, and it's on the same water table as this creek,” said Rettle. “So, I'm not confident that our water is safe to drink, right.”
The school district says local wells should not be impacted, but it will hire an independent consultant to test soil samples if necessary.
“They're not giving us any information other than if you don't feel well, stay somewhere else until it goes away, but we can't tell you when,” said Woodrow. “And, also the water is safe to drink, but I would like that in writing.”
PMSD Statement on Oil Leak on Swiftwater Campus:
On Tuesday morning, August 24, 2021, Pocono Mountain School District (PMSD) officials received a call from Sanofi Pasteur-Swiftwater officials regarding what appeared to be some heating oil in the storm drain and a portion of the Swiftwater Creek that runs through their property. PMSD officials immediately notified a D'Huy engineer to investigate the possible cause of the oil leak and the PA Department of Environmental Protection. DEP officials and the D'Huy engineer responded quickly and were onsite on the Swiftwater Campus today to investigate this matter. It is believed the heating oil leak came from an in-ground heating oil tank near the Swiftwater Intermediate School. The cause of the tank leak is still under investigation.
PMSD was able to plug the area of the tank leak today to stop any further leakage of oil into the stormwater drain or Swiftwater Creek. Local wells should not be impacted, but PMSD will hire an independent consultant to conduct any necessary soil sample tests under the direction of DEP.
PMSD officials will receive a report from DEP that will specify the environmental cleanup and mitigation efforts for the district to follow. PMSD officials are committed to mitigating this oil leak as quickly as possible under the direction of PA DEP.