TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) _ The federal Environmental Protection Agency says it has taken soil test samples along a drainage ditch that empties into the Wabash River to see if there has been coal tar contamination.
Construction as part of a sewer overflow project was halted last month because of possible contamination. The Tribune-Star (http://bit.ly/1OCW2YJ ) reports a coal tar-like substance was found when crews for the Terre Haute Sanitary District dug across the drainage ditch to install a forced main pipe for the project.
Rachel Bassler, an EPA spokeswoman, says test samples were taken Wednesday. The city of Terre Haute owns the property, but it was once part of a manufacturer of coal tar-based chemicals and pressure-treated railroad ties.
City Engineer Chuck Ennis said Thursday that construction on the forced main pipe has continued under a method approved by the EPA.
