Soil Sampling Starts At Properties Near SPS Technologies Fire

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA —The state Department of Environmental Protection has started soil sampling at several properties near where the massive SPS Technologies fire took place last month.

The DEP informed the governments of Abington, Jenkintown, and Cheltenham that it is sampling soil at several properties within the fire excavation area this week to determine if there is soil contamination as a result of the fire at the SPS building on Highland Avenue.

The DEP will sample the soil for a variety of chemicals including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), cyanide, metals, and asbestos.

On Monday, the DEP will collect its own soil sampling on the Jenkintown School District properties. Attached is DEP’s Sampling and Analysis plan. Additional sampling will be scheduled pending access.

Jenkintown Borough officials said the DEP plans to sample several properties, including parks and schools.

Jenkintown officials said they are continuing to work with Abington Township, the DEP, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, and the Department of Health and Human Services, to keep all communities informed on the latest information.

Meetings with SPS representatives continue to occur and they are committed to posting all testing results from air monitoring and other testing that is occurring continuously throughout this recovery.

The results of the sampling should be available in a month, and will be posted on the DEP's incident webpage and shared directly with the property owners.

DEP personnel are overseeing soil sampling being conducted by contractors on behalf of SPS on Jenkintown School District Properties, including the Abington Friends School.

Future sampling is being planned by the Department pending permissions from local stakeholders.