PAULSBORO — A group of employees and students at two of the borough’s schools have filed a lawsuit against PBF Energy refinery alleging the company was negligent last year, allowing them to breathe a toxic chemical, according to a Courier Post report.

Multiple individuals were sent to local hospitals in March 2015 when a broken seal on a PBF tank caused the odor of Naphtha, a liquid hydrocarbon mixture, to permeate the town.

The lawsuit, filed in Gloucester County Superior Court by three school district employees, four Paulsboro High School students and two Guardian Angels Catholic School students seeks $350,000 in damages and claims those exposed have long-lasting respiratory effects, the Courier Post reports.

Naphtha is a partially refined product that is extremely flammable and irritating to the eyes and respiratory system, which can also affect the central nervous system.

High concentrations of its liquid can cause chemical pneumonia and severe lung damage.

Rebecca Forand may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand.Find NJ.com on Facebook.