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EPA Continues to Sample the Murphy Oil Site in New Orleans

Release Date: 07/13/2006
Contact Information: Dale Kemery, (202) 564-4355 / kemery.dale@epa.gov

(7/13/06) On July 13, 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 between Murphy and EPA. EPA sends the split samples for independent analysis. Thus far, Murphy has collected 8097 sediment samples from 4859 properties. Of the 8097 sediment samples collected, US EPA has sent 844 split samples for separate analyses. US EPA has received, evaluated and is posting the results of the first 835 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. Ten percent of the confirmatory samples Murphy collects are split between Murphy and EPA. EPA sends the split samples for independent analysis. Thus far, US EPA has sent 46 split samples for separate analyses. US EPA has received, evaluated and is posting the results of 40 of these 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