Sauder Schelkopf is investigating a potential class action lawsuit on behalf of Philadelphia residents who were potentially impacted following a hazardous solution that spilled into Otter Creek near the Delaware River in Bristol Borough, Bucks County. The spill happened on March 23, 2023, upstream of the Baxter Treatment Plant, which is downstream from where the spill occurred in Otter Creek. The plant reportedly provides drinking water for 975,000 Philadelphia customers. Earlier March 26, 2023, officials notified residents in the affected area that they may want to switch from tap water to bottled water for the time being.
March 26, 2023: The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in part:
“we cannot be 100% certain there will not be traces of these chemicals in the tap water throughout the entire afternoon,” Mike Carroll, deputy managing director for the city’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability, said at a news conference Sunday morning. Among the chemicals is butyl acrylate, which was one of the chemicals released in the East Palestine train derailment, Carroll said. . . .
Officials said the spill came from the Trinseo Altuglas facility in Bristol. Tim Thomas, senior vice president of manufacturing and engineering at the company, told 6ABC Saturday that the acrylic polymer solution that spilled into the creek — estimated at 8,100 gallons Saturday, though environmental officials said Sunday that an “unknown amount” had entered the river — didn’t pose a risk to the public.
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If you are a Philadelphia resident who was advised to drink bottled water as a result of the March 23, 2023 hazardous chemical spill in Bucks County, please fill out the form on this page.