SALEM

— Salem County residents are being alerted tonight that the foul odor they may smell is the result of an oil spill at a Paulsboro refinery.

With a shift in the wind, the odor caused by the spill of 6.3 million gallons of crude oil on the grounds of the Paulsboro Refinery are now drifting over parts of Salem County.

A reverse 911 call from the Salem County Department of Emergency Services 911 call center is telling residents that the odor is a not cause for alarm and is coming from the Gloucester County refinery.

As winds shifted earlier this evening, the smell became noticeable throughout Salem County.

The 911 call center in Mannington Township had received numerous calls from people believing they smelled some type of gas leak.

According to reports, those closest to the refinery had complained of eye irritation or respiratory irritation after the spill which began on Thursday.

Residents in Delaware, Maryland and southeastern Pennsylvania earlier Friday also reported an smelling the odor as winds carried the vapors from Paulsboro southward.