Health officials continue to monitor the area where gasoline leaked from Presto Phillips 66, 602 W. Ninth St., underground into a neighborhood and caused a fire that destroyed an apartment home April 30.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment collected more underground fluids from a recovery trench last week. The fluids included “high concentrations of gasoline compounds dissolved in the water,” but during the past two weeks, the amount of gasoline recovered has decreased considerably, according to the KDHE.

Of the monitoring wells near the trench, the gasoline levels are stable, and KDHE staff and Lawrence wastewater experts have met and begun to develop a permit and sampling schedule for wastewater pumped from the site.

The city has inspected and approved the new remedial building near the station at 838 La. Staff members also have installed timers on fluid recovery pumps to allow them to now run intermittently.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical will provide air monitoring as a courtesy to concerned neighbors. To make a request, call 843-0250. Residents should call 911 if they smell gasoline inside their home.