Willowbrook Gasoline Leak: Speedway Gas Station Knew Of Leak Before Explosion, Fires

WILLOWBROOK, IL — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has referred an enforcement action to the Illinois Attorney General's office against Speedway for releasing gasoline into the sanitary sewer system in DuPage County and causing several explosions and fires on Oct. 20. According to the IEPA, local public works departments had traced the source of the explosions to a Speedway located at 6241 S. Cass Ave., in Westmont.

The IEPA said Speedway reported they had become aware of an issue with loss of product on Monday, Oct. 16 and began pumping their product tanks on Thursday, Oct. 19. The release resulted in an explosion in the Knollwood Complex in Willowbrook, multiple house fires and 14 manhole covers blown off due to the pressure in the sewer.

According to the IEPA, the order against Speedway would require them to immediately control any additional gasoline at the site, investigate the cause of the release and remediate contamination and continue air monitoring on the sewer line.

NBC reported that a state database also shows leaks from the Speedway's underground tanks occurred in the 2009 and 2016.

Speedway has shared an incident response page, and said the investigation is ongoing, and the company is working with local officials and responders. According to the statement, Speedway representatives have been going door-to-door across the impacted neighborhoods. Speedway said it has assembled an emergency response team of more than 100 employees to resolve issues and return impacted persons to normal. Temporary living arrangements are also available for everyone displaced by the event.

The company has now opened a claims center located at 38 W. 63rd St., which is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Speedway has also established a claims line for those who were inconvenienced or displaced by this event; you can call 1-866-601-5880 to establish a claim.

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