Chemical plant owner pays nearly $150,000 for bridge tolls lost during Nov. 25 gas leak

Croda Inc. has repaid the Delaware River and Bay Authority nearly $150,000 in lost revenue after a toxic gas leak forced the Delaware Memorial Bridge to close in late November. "We pride ourselves on being a good corporate citizen and a longstanding responsible member of this community. Reimbursing the DRBA is the right thing to do," Robert Stewart, Croda's managing director of North American operations, said in a statement Tuesday. Shortly after 4 p.m. on the heavily-traveled Sunday after Thanksgiving 2018, Croda employees found that toxic ethylene oxide was leaking from a new plant at the base of the bridge. The incident commander that night made the call to shut down the bridge for fear of fire and people inhaling the toxic chemical, officials said.