Leak Causing Stench In South Jersey 'Fully Ceased,' Officials Say

EAST GREENWICH, NJ — The Aug. 10 chemical reaction inside a tanker truck in East Greenwich that spurred a leak and caused a stench through parts of South Jersey has "fully ceased," the Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management said Wednesday.

"This has been confirmed with proper visual inspection, product sampling and the presence of a consistently safe product temperature and tank pressure over the last few days," the Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management also said.

As of Wednesday evening, the TransChem USA tanker truck in which the chemical reaction took place is still in the TA TravelCenter truck stop on Berkeley Road parking lot where the stench was discovered, the Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management said.

That said, the tanker truck "is in a sectioned-off area within a far corner of the lot with additional measures set in place to ensure public safety until its full removal," the Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management added.

Experts will remain at that site "fully monitoring" the situation until the tanker truck leaves the area, according to that same office.

The tanker truck was hauling a chemical identified as Lubrizol 1389 through South Jersey on Aug. 10 when it began leaking methyl mercaptan and hydrogen sulfide, officials have previously said.

The smell has dissipated in the air, but may remain for some time, officials have also previously said.

A strategy and a time frame for removing the tanker truck was still under development as of Tuesday evening, East Greenwich Deputy Mayor James R. Philbin, Jr. said at a town meeting held in response to the incident that same evening.

"That's something we're working through and we appreciate everyone's patience," Philbin said. "I know everyone wants it out of their backyard [and] in the coming days we hope to have it [removed]."

During that same town hall meeting held Tuesday, Michael Reilly, a project toxicologist with the Center for Toxicology and Environment Health addressed an audience member's question about the presence of any risk the leak posed on the area's tap water, shower water, municipal water and other water sources.

"No, there is not [a risk]," he said.

Reilly continued, "there is nowhere in the scientific literature, where anyone points to ... long-term health effects associated with exposures to methyl mercaptan or hydrogen sulfide at levels that you can detect them with your nose, but you cannot detect them with your instruments. I can
say that with 100 percent certainty."

He also noted that methyl mercaptan and hydrogen sulfide are natural substances that dissolve and "are essentially nothing that is impacting your health."

TransChem has set up an Informational Center in the Berkley Square parking lot (141 Berkley Road, Clarksboro, NJ) to take in-person questions and to file claims, Gloucester County officials have previously said. Those who are unable to visit the Informational Center can call 855-476-7817, Gloucester County officials have previously said.

In addition, those who want to speak with a Board Certified Toxicologist regarding the Aug 10 incident can call 856-807-5388, according to Gloucester County officials.

Both the Information Center and Board Certified Toxicologist information line are staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.

Meanwhile, a Gloucester County woman filed a lawsuit against trucking company TransChem USA late last week, saying the Aug. 10 incident exposed her and other residents to "dangerous levels of chemical vapors."

The woman's attorney did not return Patch's request for comment, and TransChem has previously told Patch it does comment on pending litigation.

This story contains reporting by Michelle Rotuno-Johnson.

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