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Child's illness prompts action
The DEP also reported it had been notified by a physician at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh that a child who lived near the Devil's Den pump station had been sickened from exposure to the gas.
The DEP petitioned Commonwealth Court to enforce its order that requires Hanover Township Sewer Authority to install a chemical feed system. The DEP said this feed system would prevent hydrogen sulfide from forming at the authority's sewer facilities, including the pump station on Devil's Den Road.
"Given the proximity of the pump stations to homes, Hanover's failure to control the formation of hydrogen sulfide is unacceptable," said George Jugovic, DEP's regional director. "This is a dangerous gas, but its production is easily controlled."
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According to Jugovic, neither requirement has been met, so DEP has no alternative but to go to court. If the petition is granted, the court would enforce the terms of the order.
Hydrogen sulfide gas is distinguished by a rotten egg odor and is generated when sewage loses its oxygen content and becomes septic. DEP first received a complaint about excessive odors from the Devil's Den pump station July 23.
DEP received a call Friday from a Children's Hospital physician stating that a child who lives in the vicinity of the pump station was having health problems consistent with hydrogen sulfide exposure, including headache, nausea and eye and throat irritation.
DEP responded by asking authority officials to conduct air tests at homes near the pump station.
Stephen Kladakis, chairman of the authority, and Rich Soplinski, its vice chairman, did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment.
The authority's engineer, Gannett Fleming, issued a report on Aug. 25 stating that excessive levels of hydrogen sulfide gas were being generated that are at sufficient levels to cause significant odors and may be hazardous to human exposure.
The matter came to light when several residents on Devil's Den Road realized when talking to each other that they had been sickened by the odor.
They expressed concern they had not been notified before last week.
DEP's Katy Gresh, community relations coordinator, said the authority was to monitor the gas levels by Oct. 1 but had not done so. The DEP was waiting to see if levels were high, at which time it would have notified appropriate local authorities.
"When the monitors are installed, we'll have a much better picture of what's going on," she said.
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