Permanent solution being sought for gas well at Diamond

Oct 24, 2018 News

The new Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr. Vincent Adams says a permanent solution is being sought for the gas well at Diamond.
Dr. Adams and a team yesterday morning visited the site, just off 5th Avenue, which is still emitting gas in small pockets.
The EPA officials also conducted a brief meeting with residents to ascertain how they are being affected by the gas. Dr. Adams underscored that the aim is to find a permanent solution for the situation, in collaboration with other agencies.

The aftermath of the damage to the site earlier this year.

Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Vincent Adams

“We are going to try to monitor as much as possible and come up with a permanent fix. That is what we are going to be driving at. I understand the anxiety of the residents, but the key here is for us to determine what the permanent resolution is and we have got to do that in collaboration with agencies and entities that are working on it,” Dr. Adams stated.
Senior Environmental Officer, Tishanna Redmon said during the visit, a number of tests will be conducted in the area. “We will be using the MultiRAE, which is a piece of equipment that evaluates air emissions. We will be testing for carbon monoxide, nitric oxide and volatile organic carbon,” Redmon explained.
The Senior Environmental Officer pointed out that the most recent test conducted revealed emissions of nitrogen oxide as well as volatile organic carbon. However, the gases were not in alarming amounts and all emissions were below two parts-per-million.
According to Redmon, feedback from residents indicates that they have been experiencing abnormal symptoms and were advised to visit a doctor to get a clear diagnosis of what exactly is causing the symptoms.
EPA Head, Dr. Adams said while there is no way to ascertain the volume of gas below the surface at the moment, the agency will continue to monitor the situation and provide feedback to the residents.
There was an eruption earlier this year after a homeowner hired a contractor to drill a small water well in his yard. The eruption saw nearby properties badly damaged and the home inhabitable.
Several agencies were involved in capping the well.
Authorities were examining the options of using the gas for a number of applications, including for cooking.

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