Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials said the SPS Technologies fire in Abington/Jenkintown had no impact on drinking water or air quality during a virtual community meeting on Tuesday, May 20, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The meeting, which was recorded and will be available on DEP’s SPS webpage, aimed to address public concerns and provide information about the fire’s impact.

Shawn Mountain, an environmental program manager with the agency, said during the meeting that SPS Technologies had a “satisfactory compliance record” with the DEP prior to the fire, a statement which contradicts the EPA’s history with the factory, The Inquirer notes.

“In 2023, the agency fined SPS $109,000 for storing chemicals without a permit, failing to store hazardous waste correctly, and for not having a proper evacuation plan,” the article said.

Mountain went on to say the DEP conducted regular inspections of the facility and that any issues “were all corrected in a timely fashion.”

A February lawsuit said that “The fire and explosion was caused by defendant’s failures to inspect, properly maintain, and/or operate its facility, including the location of the origin of the fire,” according to the filing. It also states that SPS “failed to uphold industry standards” in facility operations and as a result “hundreds if not thousands of persons have been damaged … including lost wages diminution in value of their real and personal property, and emotional distress.”

Additional lawsuits were filed in March.

In related news, Jenkintown Borough released the soil testing results from TRC Environmental Corporation on May 16.

Glenside Fresh Start, a grassroots information and awareness organization, and a May 6 letter authored by area residents, have been encouraging Abington Township officials to consider alternatives to rebuilding the facility at its current location.

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