Officials Watch Former Plant for Water Contamination
Government officials are watching the area around a former creosote plant in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania for possible water contamination. Tests have shown that groundwater was contaminated with benzene at levels about 80 times higher than federal drinking water standards. Cleanup work of the plant began in October, 2002.
Benzene is a petroleum byproduct and is an established carcinogen. Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency say that these findings are not cause for major concern; the benzene level still is lower than what many people are exposed to daily.
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