Bad BP gas distributed widely in Indy, as far south as Corydon

Tainted BP gasoline that is the subject of two federal lawsuits in northern Indiana was delivered to and likely sold in at least 28 Indianapolis gas stations and as far south as Corydon and Lawrenceburg, according to information the company provided.

The company initially reported that 2.1 million gallons of gas that was recalled after causing engine trouble had been sold at locations in northwest Indiana, the Chicago area, and locations in Wisconsin.

The company since has released a searchable web link listing locations where the bad gas was delivered. A BP spokesman also said Wednesday afternoon that the figure had increased to 4.7 million gallons after a review of distribution records. 

Cohen & Malad LLP in Indianapolis, in concert with Theodoros & Rooth P.C. in Merrillville, on Aug. 24 proposed a class action against BP Corporation North America Inc. and BP Products North America Inc. in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Hammond Division. Indianapolis firm Price Waicukauski and Riley LLC also filed a proposed class action in that court on Friday.

In a statement Wednesday, Cohen & Malad quoted Scott Dean, a Chicago-based spokesman for BP, “We think we’ve caught Indianapolis pretty early and it’s a small amount. We’re hopeful that not much of the product has actually made it into people’s vehicles.”

But BP’s station lists shows a much wider distribution of the gasoline that the company said contained a higher-than-normal level of polymeric residue. BP blamed the problem on an alkylation unit at its Whiting refinery and said the problem had been corrected.

Searches of data on BP’s station list show the bad gas was delivered around the state to 18 of Indiana’s 30 largest cities and multiple smaller cities and towns. It was not delivered to stations in Fort Wayne, Evansville or South Bend, according to BP.

In addition to Indianapolis, the company said the fuel was delivered to BP and non-BP stations in cities including Anderson, Bedford, Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Greenwood, East Chicago, Hammond, Kokomo, Lafayette, Marion, Muncie, Noblesville, Portage, Richmond, Valparaiso and West Lafayette.    

“Once identified, each location was instructed to immediately stop selling the off-spec fuel and to properly clean out their tanks and dispose of the material,” according to BP.

The proposed class actions aim to recoup damages for thousands of motorists who purchased tainted gas and whose vehicles were damaged by it. Alleged damage ranges from difficulty starting and rough idling to total engine failure. BP on Wednesday said more than 9,600 claims were being processe, 63 percent from Indiana residents.

The gas was refined at BP’s Whiting facility and sourced from gasoline storage facilities in Whiting and Milwaukee, according to BP.
BP has asked customers who think they might have purchased tainted gas to call its hotline, 800-333-3991, or email [email protected]. Consumers may file a complaint with the Indiana attorney general’s office online at www.indianaconsumer.com or by calling 800-382-5516.

For more information about the litigation, contact Cohen & Malad at 317-636-6481, Theodoros & Rooth at 219-769-6393, or PWR at 317-633-8787.