# UNION GAS COMPANY
> **Judicial** · FY1982 · — · Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `9553`
- **Case Number:** 03-1982-0008
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
- **Penalty assessed:** —
- **Cost recovery:** $700K
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- UNION GAS COMPANY (complaint) (settlement)
## Summary

UNION GAS ( BRODHEAD CREEK SITE, STROUDSBURG, PA.). UNION    GAS COMPANY (UNION GAS) IS A NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTOR IN      STROUDSBURG, PA. UNION GAS IS A SUCCESSOR TO A SERIES OF     CORPORATIONS, WHICH OPERATED A COAL GASIFICATION PLANT       UNTIL 1945 ON PROPERTIES PRESENTLY OWNED BY UNION GAS &      PA.  POWER & LIGHT CO. CITIZENS GAS CO., ONE OF UNION        GAS'S CORP. PREDECESSORS, DISPOSED OF COAL TAR WASTES        FROM THE COAL GASIFICATION PROCESS BY INJECTING WASTES       INTO A GRAVEL LAYER BENEATH THE SURFACE OF ITS PROPERTY,     NOW THE PROPERTY OF UNION GAS & PA. POWER & LIGHT CO. THE    COAL TAR MIGRATED WITH THE GROUNDWATER TOWARD BRODHEAD       CREEK, WHERE IT WAS OBSERVED SEEPING ONTO THE CREEK BANK     IN OCT., 1980. AT THAT TIME, A TRENCH DUG BY THE PA. DEP     . OF GEN. SERVICES FILLED UP WITH COAL TAR. EPA HAS SINCE    OBSERVED COAL TAR SEEPING INTO BRODHEAD CREEK ITSELF.        COAL TAR CONTAINS CHEMICALS SUCH AS NAPTHALENE, BENZENE,     ANTHRACENE, & PHENANTHRENE, WHICH ARE HAZD SUBSTANCES        UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE ENV. RESPONSE, COMPENSATION, &       LIABILITY ACT OF 1980 (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. SS9601-9657.       AFTER GIVING AN ORAL DEMAND TO UNION GAS AND 3 OTHER         LANDOWNERS WHOSE PROPERTIES LIE OVER THE COAL TAR BED,       EPA SPENT $464,500 IN AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACTION TO        BLOCK THE CONT. SEEPING OF COAL TAR INTO BRODHEAD CREEK.     INVEST. ARE UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE WHETHER REMEDIAL           RESPONSE ACTION IS NEEDED. EPA'S EXP

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