Maryland officials filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit Thursday against Exxon Mobil Corp. and the operator of its Jacksonville fuel station for a 25,000-gallon leak earlier this year that contaminated groundwater, wreaking havoc on nearby residents and businesses who rely on wells.
The 15-count suit alleges that as much as 700 gallons of gas streamed from a hole in an underground tank for 37 days and that store operators failed to promptly report the suspected leak despite obvious inventory discrepancies. The suit also says the station lacked working leak-detection devices.
“We are holding those responsible accountable,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Kendl Philbrick. “I want to assure the residents of Jacksonville that we will keep this case open until all impacts have been remediated.”
Exxon Mobile officials declined to comment on the suit?s details, saying they needed time to review them.
“We will continue to work under the direction of the MDE to recover and remediate the gasoline which has leaked into the ground,” said company spokeswoman Betsy Eaton.
Philbrick said recovery could take up to a decade.
So far, MDE has pumped more than 10,000 gallons of unleaded fuel and 3,000 gallons of gas vapors, while treating about 2 million gallons of contaminated well water. Liquid fuel has turned up in one monitoring well, but has not invaded any residential wells. But 62 out of 252 water-supply wells have tested positive for the presence of a fuel additive known as MTBE, officials said Thursday, which may or not be linked to the leak. Residents within a half-mile radius of the station are still being monitored, while Exxon Mobil supplies bottled water and in-home filters to some.
Philbrick acknowledged the civil suit probably doesn?t “mean as much to the residents as it does to the industry,” but said the agency is still considering filing criminal charges.
The suit alleges that Exxon Mobil and the station?s operated violated regulations for at least 30 days. State law permits fines of up to $25,000 per day in violation, plus $100 per gallon of gasoline. The suit comes amid public outcry against the oil industry and soaring gas prices. On Thursday, Exxon Mobil reported $8 billion in first-quarter profits, the fifth-highest ever for a public company.
