The Law Firm of Motley Rice LLC - Toxic Torts: Underground Contamination

A nationwide class action has been filed on behalf of all United States residents who own property situated near leaking underground petroleum storage tank sites belonging to major oil companies. For many years, these companies ignored corrosion problems with unprotected and aging underground storage tanks at service stations. Thousands of these tanks later leaked and created underground plumes of contamination that migrated on and around neighboring properties.

The most hazardous form of contamination has come from the gasoline oxygenate additive known as methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). MTBE does not occur naturally but is produced in very large amounts from isobutylene, a waste product produced by the oil companies in the gasoline refining process. MTBE mixes so well with water that it spreads its toxic plumes faster and farther than other chemical components contained in gasoline. MTBE also increases the solubility and the transportability of the other chemical components in gasoline, thereby extending the area of contamination by these components. Moreover, because MTBE resists biodegradation, it remains in the groundwater longer than other additives and reaches many water sources throughout the country.

On behalf of the class, the law firm of Motley Rice and co-counsel are seeking injunctive relief requiring the oil companies to inspect their properties for contamination and then to inform area residents of the results of the inspections. The Firm is seeking additional relief in the form of compensatory damages for the class to recover for property devaluation and for clean up costs resulting from the leaking tanks.