Jun 15, 2009
Exxon deja vu? Kind of
An Exxon station in Northern Baltimore county closed last week because of an underground leak that apparently went unnoticed for several weeks. Exxon has taken full responsibility for the problem and has agreed to reimburse those affected by the leak.
Sound familiar? In fact, this Exxon station is located on Mount Carmel Road in Hereford (I-83, Exit 27). And the underground leak involved brine, a salty solution used to prevent the gasoline from freezing. The brine, which sits outside the gasoline tank, entered a regular, unleaded gasoline tank through a hole in the lining, according to news reports.
The contaminated gas has caused approximately 100 cars to shut down, local mechanics said. The mechanics have to empty the car’s gas tank and replace its fuel injector and pump.
Exxon has set up a 24-hour hotline for any people dealing with car problems from the station. The Maryland Department of the Environment, meanwhile, is looking into possible fines against Exxon for failing to report the leak; it learned of the problem from a citizen who saw the station’s gas pumps closed one day last week.
Both Exxon and MDE have said the leak did not spread into the environment.
To those of you having car problems, good luck. I wouldn’t bother with the hotline. If it is anything like the Jacksonville hotline dealing with drinking water, you’ll find that it is borderline impossible to deal with anyone who can help you in an efficient and effective manner. I would put everything in writing via e-mail or snail mail and I would require a written response from Exxon on any and all correspondence. Exxon cannot hide from a paper-trail and Exxon cannot be trusted as they demonstrated in Jacksonville, breaking promises and pinching pennies after an unprecedented, catastrophic spill of 25,000 gallons of gasoline.
I have called the so-called “hotline” 3 times in the last week and have been told that Exxon would call me in 24-48 hours. So far, no calls. I’m not surprised. This “hotline” is not an Exxon number, but a contractor hired by Exxon to route calls to them.