Ready to pump

A 75-horse power engine is ready to roar and begin removing gas from under the city of Abbeville, but there is one thing stopping it. Paperwork.

For the last couple of months, Jesco Environmental out of Jennings has been installing a removal facility at the corner of South Henry and Port Street.

The facility will be removing a pool of old gas located around 30 feet below the city. Thousands of gallons of gasoline seeped into the ground. The gasoline escaped from old gas tanks buried underground from five different gas stations in a half-mile radius of the corner of Port Street and Park Street.

The process is expected to take two to five years and a 75 horse power engine will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Jesco, who was hired by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), completed work on the plant recently and then informed city officials that it would be discharging fluids into the city’s drainage system, which would flow into the Vermilion Rivers.

Abbeville’s public work’s director Clay Menard first learned of the discharge last week and before he gave Jesco permission to discharge the fluids, he first wanted to check to see if the city’s discharge permit from DEQ allowed Jesco to release fluids into its drainage system.

DEQ is checking on the city’s discharge permit and until then, the pump will remain idle.

Menard said he is waiting to hear from DEQ about what is being discharged into the drainage system and if it needs to be treated or not. If DEQ does not allow Jesco to release its fluids into the river, then Jesco will have to hook up to the city’s drainage system and the fluids have to be treated, Menard said.

“We want to make sure everyone remains in compliance,” Menard said.

“Until we get further clarification, we are not going to let them do anything. We want to make sure no one’s health is jeopardized and we remain in compliance with the permit that we have been given by DEQ.”

Lawrence Carter of DEQ said when the paperwork is cleared up, then the pumping will begin.

“It is ready to be cranked up, except for the permit problem,” said Carter.

Another snag Jesco encountered was someone stole pumps off the location in Abbeville, Carter said.