Elevated benzene levels detected in Delaware County homes months after thousands of gallons of gasoline leaked
Kathy Culp and her family have lived in Aston, Pennsylvania, for 18 years. But over the last several months, they have been concerned about the tanks.
"Right through here is where that tank is," Culp motioned from the deck in her back yard toward the Chelsea Tank Farm.
The story goes back to August. The company MIPC LLC said a worker noticed a gasoline-type smell. An investigation started.
In December, workers located a tiny hole in one of the tanks. An estimated 9,000 barrels of gasoline leaked, entering the ground and soil around the property.
The location is where three Delaware County townships share a border: Aston, Upper Chichester and Bethel.
"Me and my wife were sitting out here doing Christmas decorations, and we were like, it smells funny," David Wright said, recalling the odor. "There's like a gas smell in the air, but I didn't know where it came from."
Fast forward to Friday.
CBS News Philadelphia learned a family on Chichester Avenue was relocated due to elevated benzene vapors in their basement. They're just down the hill from the tank that leaked. Another home is also affected.
Benzene is known to cause cancer. According to the CDC, people who breathe in high levels of benzene fumes may experience drowsiness, headaches and dizziness. Long-term term exposure can negatively impact the blood, causing a decrease in red blood cells.
CBS News Philadelphia on Monday found workers in the driveway — drilling and boring — trying to pinpoint where the gasoline has traveled. So far, the company says no drinking wells have been affected.
"Scared, essentially just scared, I mean, we have kids," Kayla Brennan said around noon on Monday.
Brennan called the county health department.
"They're worried about it seeping through the ground and going through the basement walls," she added.
Alisa Wright's up the street, with similar worries.
"We're right next to this," she said. "You guys [the company] should test it for free — all the local homes."
In a statement, MIPC wrote in part: "We are addressing this finding with urgency and care to ensure that these concerns are properly investigated and mitigated."
The company went on to say: "We care deeply about this community, and we take our responsibilities to our neighbors seriously."
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said in a statement that it has been monitoring MIPC's cleanup efforts and it supports actions the company has taken, including relocating affected residents and installing mitigation systems. Officials also recommended MIPC reach out to the county health department and to Bethel Township to consult on the public health considerations
"DEP will monitor the progress with the installation of the mitigation system at this house as well as other continuing vapor investigations in the area," DEP said in the statement in part. "We will ensure that the responsible party meets their obligations under the order and under other DEP regulations."
