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

[Westley Annis]

(Washington, D.C. - June 8, 2006) The Environmental Protection Agency has
updated its website to include the results from additional samples collected
at the Murphy Oil Site in New Orleans. Acting on a mission assignment from
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 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 a continuing assessment of contamination
levels at residential and other sites. Ten percent of the samples Murphy
collects are split between Murphy and EPA, which sends the split samples for
independent analysis. So far, Murphy has collected 8008 sediment samples
from 4789 properties. EPA has sent 834 split samples for separate analysis.
EPA has received, evaluated and posted the results of the first 823 samples.


Additional soil samples are taken after cleanup at each property to confirm
that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality's Risk
Evaluation/Corrective Action Program (RECAP) Standards have been met. Ten
percent of the confirmatory samples Murphy collects are split between Murphy
and EPA, which then sends the split samples for independent analysis. Thus
far, EPA has sent 38 split samples for separate analyses. EPA has received,
evaluated and posted the results of 32 of these samples. The levels of
compounds detected in the samples were below their respective RECAP
standards. 

More information on the results:
http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults/murphy/index.html