In the aftermath of a chemical spill incident that occurred in the Delaware River last year, Philadelphia residents may be entitled to a compensation of $25, and potentially more if they can substantiate claims of economic damages resulting from the event.
This compensation is a consequence of a $2.7 million class-action lawsuit settlement, which is intended for residents who were compelled to purchase bottled water due to the ensuing panic and health concerns that the chemical spill triggered among the affected Philadelphia communities.
In the latter part of March 2023, a substantial amount of water-based latex finishing solution, amounting to thousands of gallons, leaked from the Trinseo chemical plant located in Bristol, Bucks County. This leakage found its way into a tributary of the Delaware River, which feeds into a water processing plant in Philadelphia.
Due to the city's inability to switch to an uncontaminated water source, authorities advised residents to consume bottled water, as a precautionary measure. However, it was later discovered that the incident, which was attributed to an "equipment failure," had not impacted the city's drinking water. Consequently, authorities gave the green light for residents to consume tap water four days after the incident. Nevertheless, the city's initial directive led to an abrupt and severe shortage of bottled water in supermarkets.
A class-action lawsuit was filed on March 30, 2023, in response to the incident. The plaintiffs, Timothy McGraw, Emily Cohen, and Danielle Byrd, argued in the lawsuit that Philadelphia residents who typically avoid purchasing plastic water due to its environmental implications were forced to do so. This led to additional economic expenses such as the cost of gas to drive to grocery stores, the value of their time spent buying bottled water, and lost business opportunities, revenues, and profits.
The settlement stipulates that any individual who resided or had a physical business location in the Philadelphia ZIP codes affected by the incident and can provide proof of loss due to the chemical spill could receive monetary compensation. However, anyone intending to bring separate legal action against the companies involved in the chemical spill would be forfeiting any payout included in the settlement.
Philadelphia residents affected by the chemical spill can file a claim by visiting phillywatersettlement.com and following the instructions to submit a claim. Alternatively, the claim form can be downloaded and mailed to Settlement Administrator, 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The deadline for submission is August 16 at 11:59:59 p.m. local time.
Residents who can provide proof of residence in the area affected by the chemical spill are eligible to receive the base payout of $25 without providing further documentation. To claim a higher amount, they must provide proof of economic loss, such as receipts, invoices, credit card statements, or business income and revenue statements.
Eligible residents must have resided or had a business in the following ZIP codes: 19102; 19103; 19106; 19107; 19109; 19111; 19112; 19114; 19115; 19116; 19119; 19120; 19121; 19122; 19123; 19124; 19125; 19126; 19128; 19129; 19130; 19132; 19133; 19134; 19135; 19136; 19137; 19138; 19140; 19141; 19144; 19145; 19146; 19147; 19148; 19149; 19152; and 19154.
The payouts will be disbursed after the settlement is officially approved. The final approval hearing is scheduled for September 23, but there could be appeals on the ruling. Newsweek remains committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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