Lawsuit Against Exxon over Gas Leak
The state of Maryland, filed suit yesterday against Exxon Mobil Corp. and a local service station operator for a major gasoline leak that officials say has fouled well water in the Jacksonville area of Baltimore County, seeking nearly $12 million in penalties.
The 15-count civil suit, filed in Baltimore County Circuit Court, accuses the giant oil corporation and Storto Enterprises Inc., operator of the Jacksonville Exxon station, of violating state environmental laws and regulations by allowing gasoline to leak from an underground fuel line and not detecting or reporting it promptly.
The suit charges that more than 25,000 gallons of unleaded regular gas dribbled from a small hole accidentally drilled in a buried fuel line by a contractor performing maintenance at the station in mid-January.
The leak was not reported to state environmental officials until Feb. 17, more than a month later, although, the lawsuit says, the station’s operator noted losses of almost 700 gallons of gasoline daily during that time.
Filed under General Law
