A K-1 (kerosene) leak has badly damaged the Union Congregational Church of South Bristol Parish House and Community Center.
Norman Wright, a member of the church and caretaker of the building, found the leak early Feb. 9, Rev. Dr. Peggy Dunn, the church’s minister, said.
Thursday afternoon at about 2 p.m., a crew from Environmental Projects, Inc. (EPI) was removing carpets, furniture and insulation from the building.
“There’s a lot of damage because there was a lot of kerosene that spilled,” Dunn said in a Feb. 10 interview at the church. “[EPI has] had to basically gut both floors.” The leak appears to have originated from a wall heater, she said, but the cause of the leak remains unknown.
The church’s plan for dealing with the spill is “to be determined,” Dunn said. At least one state agency, the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), will assess the damage.
No cost estimate is available, Dunn said.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meets at the Parish House each Sunday and Thursday at 7 p.m. Dunn was unsure of whether the meeting would be moved or would stay at the Parish House.
The South Bristol Post Office is downstairs in the same building. Despite the fumes, the office was open Feb. 10 at about 2 p.m.
