State environmental officials are monitoring an area around a former creosote plant in Huntingdon County for possible water contamination.

According to a report released Monday, officials are checking the site near Riverside Park in Mount Union after tests showed benzene contamination in the groundwater 80 times higher than federal drinking water standards.

Benzene is a petroleum byproduct of creosote and a known carcinogen.

In October 2002, cleanup work began around the former creosote plant site, which was located near a high school track.

Department of Environmental Protection officials said the finding does not represent a major health hazard and said the benzene level is still lower than what many people are exposed to in everyday situations.

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