6.6 million gallons of oil leak; no harm seen

An odor noticed by residents on both sides of the Delaware River turned out to be from an oil leak in Gloucester County. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said Thursday that 157,000 barrels of crude oil had spilled from a tank at the Paulsboro Refining Co.

The 6.6 million gallons leaked into an emergency containment area, which had the capacity to hold much more. As a result, the DEP said, there was not an immediate threat to the river or local water supplies.

Initial air monitoring by the Gloucester County Health Department and by refinery personnel did not indicate airborne health hazards. However, residents in South Jersey reported smelling petroleum on Thursday, and some residents in Chester City reported the odor Friday.

Environmental officials in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey advised that people with respiratory problems, as well as young children and the elderly, limit outdoor exposure for the next several days until odors dissipate. - Staff reports