"What do we want? Buy out! When do we want it? Now!" and "Where is Governor Ridge?" were among the chants that rang out as protesters gathered across the street from the hotel. Slogans on homemade signs included "EPA are Liars," "Let the EPA live in our houses," and "Stop executing people." Drivers in passing cars and trucks honked their support and some pumped their fists in the air.

Organized by the Group Against Gas, residents were protesting the April 20 announcement by Governor Ridge that the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) will not declare the gas spill neighborhood a disaster area.

It's "a stab in the back to this community," said Frank Tarantino, a leader of the group. "Ridge is 80 miles away and he's still not spoken with the residents.... He's a coward. However, this community will not go away quietly."

A 10-year-old fuel spill from underground storage tanks at Tranguch Tire Service and three other gas stations has been releasing toxic fumes containing benzene, toluene, MTBE, and ethylbenzene into more than 400 homes. The EPA estimates the size of the spill to be 50,000 gallons, which continues to spread through the sewer system, soil, and water in an old underground mine tunnel.

One resident died in 1999 from leukemia, and six others so far have been diagnosed with types of cancer that could be connected with the gas spill. Residents are demanding the government offer the option of buyout of the affected homes and relocation to those who want to leave, and that the spill be cleaned up.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has drawn fire from the residents because of it's inaction on the spill and statements that it does not pose a health hazard. Currently the EPA is overseeing replacement of a small part of the sewer line in Hazle Township, where cracks allow the vapors into homes. Daria Komishock, a registered nurse who lives in the community, asked, "If there is no health hazard or immediate danger, why are they wearing biohazard suits to work on the sewer system?"

For many of the protesters this was their first experience on a picket line. But one resident, Betty Lou Boyarski, explained she had organized a picket at the Jeddo Highland Coal Company's strip mine here some years ago. "My husband worked at the mine and we lived right across the road. The trucks kicked up dust that got in the air and all over everything, and the company refused to water the road." Boyarski and other women in the neighborhood started a picket at the gate. Miners refused to cross for two days until the company gave in and agreed to water the roads. "It showed if you fight and stick together you can win," Boyarski explained.

Butch Boyarski, who recently retired from Jeddo, is also part of the fight against the gas spill. "The gas is in the mine tunnels and they're all connected," he explained. "We have maps showing the tunnels go from Hazle Township through the city all the way to downtown Hazleton. It's not just this neighborhood, but this whole area is one big Love Canal," he said.

In spite of the PEMA ruling, residents are continuing the fight for a government buyout. The Group Against Gas is holding regular organizing meetings, frequently attended by upwards of 200 people. On April 26 the Hazleton City Council voted to initiate legal action against the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency for their failure to inform residents of the health risks due to the spill.  
 
 
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