North Central PA Times

The coal bank fire at Wilburton Number Two is still active, but efforts by the operator and owner have shown significant progress, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environment Protection (DEP).

"My office has been working alongside DEP to address the concerns of the community and will continue to do so until the fire is extinguished," said Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-27). "I commend the DEP, the EPA, the mine owner and the lessee for working in a cooperative manner to bring this situation to a conclusion."

In June, a public meeting was organized by Senator Culver in response to resident concerns about air quality. Following public feedback, the DEP requested that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) install air quality monitors to measure levels of carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, and particulates. These monitors were installed in July at two locations in Wilburton Number Two. The data collected was sent in real-time to several agencies including the EPA, DEP, Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), and Columbia County Emergency Management Agency.

"The DEP has informed my office that the EPA has removed its air monitoring equipment at this time due to documented improvements in air quality in Wilburton Number Two," stated Senator Culver. "It is encouraging to see the data reflect the progress being made on extinguishing the fire. DEP will continue their frequent site inspections, and I understand the EPA is prepared to redeploy the monitoring equipment if further air quality concerns arise as the fire suppression efforts continue."

According to information shared with Senator Culver by DEP, while there have been occasional elevated readings from these monitors, they generally have not reached levels requiring immediate notification of residents. Since data collection began in July, there has been a significant decline in these readings alongside ongoing fire suppression efforts.

"While we would all like to have the fire extinguished already, we have seen progress, and I am hopeful through this collaborative effort we will continue to see improvements and ultimately an end to this unfortunate incident."

Residents with immediate health or safety concerns are advised by DEP to call 911. Those with non-emergency concerns can contact DEP at 570-621-3118.

Information from DOH and DEP regarding this fire can be found on Senator Culver’s website.

Further details about Senator Culver are available online at SenatorCulver.com. Residents can also follow her updates on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SenCulver and Instagram at Instagram.com/SenatorCulver for news related to legislative actions in Harrisburg and developments within District 27.