“Since March 2025, Plaintiffs have watched vegetation on their Property die. The line of pine trees along the Property turned brown and died. Plaintiffs did not know why.”
MEDIA, Pa. – A Philadelphia law firm has signed up more than two dozen clients to sue Monroe Energy over a leak in Delaware County that released gasoline into the wells of nearby residents.
van der Veen, Hartshorn & Levin filed a lawsuit last week on behalf of 29 plaintiffs who say their property values have been diminished by Monroe Energy’s Chelsea Tank Farm, located in the middle of houses in Aston, Upper Chichester and Bethel.
A tank owned by MIPC, a subsidiary that owns and operates Monroe’s storage and distribution network, had a quarter-inch hole in its floor, which led to the release of approximately 9,000 barrels of gasoline into the ground. The company notified residents living up to 1,000 feet away.
“MIPC has identified at least 48 private potable water supply wells within 1,000 feet of the facility’s western property line,” the complaint says. “As of the date of this complaint, at least four private water supply wells have shown detections of gasoline-related (volatile organic compounds).”
It appears to be the first lawsuit filed in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas over the leak, though the firms Berger Montague and Locks Law Firm have already filed a proposed class action in Philadelphia.
Litigation alleges gasoline began seeping into the ground beginning around March 3, 2025, when Tank 708’s out-of-service inspection concluded and MIPC began using it again. It remained in operation until December.
In between, an MIPC operator noticed an odor while performing a routine check. What was found was a mixture of 2% gasoline and 98% water, leading the company to notify state and county agencies.
The company’s investigation took months to determine that Tank 708 was the culprit. A remediation effort is ongoing, though the van der Veen firm’s lawsuit alleges it is causing property owners harm.
“Heavy truck traffic now flows continuously through the affected neighborhoods,” the suit says. “Construction noise from investigation and cleanup activities has become a constant presence.
“Homeowners who invested decades of savings and labor into their properties now face the prospect of substantial financial loss through no fault of their own.”
Among the claims made in the case is an obligation to disclose the leak in any future sale, contamination or the threat of contamination, petroleum vapors in the soil and throughout their homes and the risk of future medical problems from exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene.
The suit charges Monroe Energy and MIPC with gross negligence, liability for “abnormally dangerous activity,” trespass and public and private nuisance. It also makes a claim for medical monitoring – funding for future health care for the plaintiffs.
Though many other states prohibit such claims, Pennsylvania does recognize claims for medical monitoring when no current physical injury has been alleged.
