Leland home demolished after soil contamination from petroleum spill

LELAND, N.C. (WWAY) — Demolition is underway at a home in the Jackey’s Ridge community in Leland after the property management company said soil contamination was discovered at the residence.

Neighbors said demolition began early Monday morning, raising questions about what was found and whether other homes could be affected.

“It’s always silent here, so this is the first time there’s been like anything weird,” resident Skye McIver said.

McIver, who has lived in the rental community for several months, said residents received an email from the leasing agency notifying them about work at the neighboring home.

“We got an email from the leasing agency saying that there was going to be construction at the house next door and that there was a weird smell coming from the soil. So, they were going to tear it down,” McIver said.

A spokesperson for BH Management Services told WWAY the company conducted testing throughout the community after learning about the contamination.

“Testing indicates this is an isolated issue at a single residence and not a community-wide problem,” the company said.

Another Jackey’s Ridge resident told WWAY the contaminant was benzene. Benzene is a colorless, flammable liquid that can be found in crude oil and petroleum products.

BH Management said testing at the site was consistent with a petroleum spill that occurred during development of the property before the home was constructed. The company said it did not own the property when the spill occurred.

The couple who lived in the demolished home has relocated to another residence down the street. They told WWAY they could not comment because of pending litigation involving BH Management.

The company said odors may occasionally be noticeable near the demolition site as work continues.

McIver said she remains concerned about whether contamination could be found elsewhere in the neighborhood.

“It was really weird that they would tear down the house from one soil contamination,” McIver said. “It would be weird if it was just one spot of soil instead of the whole neighborhood, since it’s all the same soil.”

BH Management said it is working with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to remove the affected soil as demolition moves forward.