Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. purchased Wednesday (7/31) the property at Fifth and Church streets in Honesdale that was once the site of a manufactured gas plant.

The property was purchased from the Serendipity Day Care Center, whose owners were selling it because of a planned relocation. The center operated at the site since 1973.

"PP&L purchased the property as part of our voluntary comprehensive program to investigate former manufactured gas plant sites once owned or operated by PP&L or a PP&L predecessor company," said Bill Bergstresser, PP&L's community development director in Honesdale.

"We did not purchase this property because there is a problem at the location," Bergstresser said. "Throughout our service territory, PP&L has been investigating former gas plant locations. Owning the land makes it much easier for PP&L to conduct a subsurface study at the Honesdale location in the future if it's determined that one is necessary."

The manufactured gas plant, which made gas by heating coal, operated at the location for about 60 years from 1902 to 1960. PP&L owned and operated the plant for about 23 years from 1928 to 1951.

In 1985, PP&L contracted with ERM Inc., of West Chester, Pa., an industrial hygiene contractor, to test and investigate the location for any problems created by the former manufactured gas plant operation.

The report concluded that since the yard was covered with at least one foot of quarry sand and the area was fenced, no one at the day care site was exposed to any risks. A small amount of coal tar and some other waste was removed from outside the fence line in November and December 1985. Coal tar is a byproduct of heating coal to manufacture gas. It's a thick, black oily substance that resembles driveway coating.

"We believe the site doesn't pose a risk to the public or the environment," Bergstresser said. "We purchased the property because it became available."

As part of the day care center purchase, PP&L bought a residential property adjacent to the center, which was originally part of the manufactured gas plant location.