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

Release Date: 03/09/2006
Contact Information: Dale Kemery, (202) 564-4355 / [email protected]

(3/9/06) On March 9, EPA updated its website to include the results from additional samples collected at the Murphy Oil Site. 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, and US EPA sends the split samples for independent analysis. Thus far, Murphy has collected 7161 sediment samples from 4229 properties. Of the 7161 sediment samples collected, US EPA has sent 741 split samples for separate analyses. US EPA has received, evaluated and is posting the results of the first 719 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. Thus far, US EPA has sent 13 split samples for separate analyses. US EPA has received, evaluated and is posting the results of these 13 samples. The levels of compounds detected in the samples were below their respective RECAP standards.

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