NJ woman files $1 million lawsuit after chemical releases rotten egg smell in South Jersey
EAST GREENWICH TWP. - A Gloucester County woman is suing a trucking company in connection with a chemical spill that enveloped some South Jersey towns in a rotten-egg smell earlier this month.
On Aug. 10, The Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management notified residents that a tractor-trailer carrying 7,000 gallons of the chemical Lubrizol-1389, an additive used as a machine lubricant, had a gas leak while parked at the Travel Center Truck Stop on Berkley Road in East Greenwich Township.
Officials later clarified that the gas was expelled via a pressure relief valve activated as a failsafe when the chemical started to heat up inside the tanker.
While officials said the odor emitted from the chemical is "generally harmless", the OEM added that the chemical may effect each person differently with some that may experience mild symptoms such as eye and skin irritation, sore throat, headache and vomiting.
Gina Slavin-Borgesi, a South Jersey resident, is suing Transchem USA LLC after reportedly experiencing a range of debilitating respiratory effects and headaches she claims are tied to the incident.
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According to the federal lawsuit filed in 333rd district court in Harris County, Texas, Slavin-Borgesi is seeking over $1 million in relief from Lubrizol Corporation, the manufacturer of the chemical, and TransChem, a Texas-based company that owns the truck that was carrying the chemical.
"She lives 11 miles away and there were people who were experiencing symptoms from 50 miles away," said Adam Funk, the attorney representing Slavin-Borgesi.
The litigation also requests a temporary restraining order against Transchem to preserve any evidence related to the release of the chemical such as video and other documents.
"This is a business that apparently conducts this sort of work all the time and there's no excuse for negligence and failure to follow proper procedures that led to this event," said Funk. "Our goal in this litigation is to compensate these residents for the injuries they've suffered and prevent a similar event from occurring, perhaps with even more tragic consequences."
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A town hall was held at the East Greenwich Township Municipal Building Aug. 16, for residents to ask questions and raise any concerns regarding the incident.
While the Gloucester County OEM declined to comment on the suit, a final update on the tanker release was posted to their Facebook Aug. 19, that reported the vessel involved in the vapor leak was removed from the truck stop where the incident took place.
The Health and Claims Information Center staffed by Transchem USA remains open through Aug. 26, for anyone who who would like to speak to a Health Professional or who may require information regarding a claim. Transchem USA and Lubrizol Corporation has not responded to any requests for a comment.
Nicolette White is the Diversity and Inclusion reporter for the Burlington County Times, The Daily Journal and Courier-Post. She is a Temple University graduate with Dallas, Texas roots. Send tips to nwhite@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @nicolettejwhite.Please support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: NJ woman files $1M lawsuit following chemical spill in South Jersey
