Chemical Leak Scent May Linger 'For Some Time,' South Jersey Officials Say

EAST GREENWICH TOWNSHIP, NJ — A truck that leaked thousands of gallons of chemical gas at an East Greenwich Township truck stop is the cause of an odor that emanated across South Jersey and into Philadelphia starting Wednesday.

Local officials, the chemical company, and the trucking company hauling Lubrizol 1389 say there is no threat to the public.

Representatives from multiple agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Protection, have been "continuously on scene monitoring air quality," officials said.

In an update Thursday evening, the Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management said atmospheric conditions "remain within normal range."

"Mild symptoms inclusive of eye and skin irritation or headaches remain a possibility for those smelling this odor," the office said.

The truck was carrying 7,000 gallons of specialty chemicals produced by Lubrizol, an Ohio-based company.

"Lubrizol specialists are on site offering expertise on the chemistry of our product to support our transportation supplier and to coordinate with first responders and local health officials," the company said in a media statement. "We continue to closely monitor the situation."

The driver worked for TransChem USA, an independent trucking company. The trucking company and an environmental cleanup company, SPSI, are also at the truck stop assessing the situation.

"Those efforts have commenced with the scrubbing of vapors from the affected vessel," the Gloucester County OEM said.

The trucking company sent a media statement Thursday:

"TransChem USA is fully aware of the situation and working diligently with hazmat and local emergency response teams to safely control and remediate the situation. Our main concern at this time is the safety of all involved and the community. The situation remains under active investigation, however there is no risk to public health."

What happened?

Emergency crews located the leak at the Travel Center Truck Stop on Berkeley Road around 3 p.m. Wednesday, after many residents in southern New Jersey reported a natural gas smell.

Parts of the county were under a shelter in place for several hours Wednesday night because of the reports of the odor. Read more: Truck Leaks Chemical Gas, Causing Odor Across South Jersey: Officials

A tractor trailer was venting "large amounts of gas" at the truck stop, officials confirmed.

Agencies have used both the terms "venting" and "leaking" to describe what happened.

Hazardous materials technicians have tested the air quality, officials said. While there is no threat to the public, the smell may linger "for some time," Gloucester Township police said.

Area resident John Tailor told Patch he could smell it in Pennsauken on Thursday morning. People in South Philadelphia and Burlington County reported smelling it as well.

Nicole Grogan said she was driving with her family in Deptford on Wednesday when she began smelling the odor.

"At first it was a strong odor of cat pee, then it started getting stronger like petroleum," Grogan told Patch. "I used to boat up the Schuylkill by the refineries with the same nose-burning smell."

What's the chemical?

The Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management originally said the chemical is commonly referred to as "Lubrizol 1395." Officials later corrected it to Lubrizol 1389, a zinc alkyldithiophosphate.

Lubrizol is a company providing specialty chemicals for transportation, industrial, and consumer markets.

It is not immediately clear how Lubrizol 1389 and Lubrizol 1395 are different.

The fact sheet for Lubrizol 1395 does not say much about the risks of inhaling zinc alkyldithiophosphate in its gaseous form and just says there is an unknown "acute toxicity" for inhaling the vapor or mist. In liquid form, the chemical is light green to amber in color, and causes skin irritation and serious eye damage.

Lubrizol 1395 listed as a marine pollutant and classified as an environmentally hazardous substance by the United Nations.

Chemicals in the zinc dialkyl alkyldithiophosphate group are used as machine lubricants, according to the American Chemical Society. These chemicals "are very effective antiwear agents," and include motor oils, hydraulic oils, and greases.

What do I do?

The Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management has opened a call center for any questions or concerns residents have regarding this incident. The call center phone number is 856-384-6800 and will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Camden County officials do not appear to have their own call line, but put out an update Thursday morning. Hazmat teams and first responders from around the county have been at the leak area since Wednesday afternoon, the county said.