Geismar, White Castle warned in acid tank leak
Print
Email
Save
Reprints
Twitter
Share
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
Nearby plant workers and residents across the Mississippi River in White Castle sheltered in place Thursday when a valve at the PCS Nitrogen plant in Geismar leaked sulfuric acid, State Police said.
Roads near the plant and in White Castle were blocked for several hours while officials observed the cloud of sulfuric acid vapors produced by the leak, State Police Sgt. Markus Smith said.
The release “didn’t have a significant impact and there were no reported injuries,” Smith said.
“It sounded worse than it was,” he said.
Nevertheless, the offices of Homeland Security in Ascension and Iberville parishes issued the sheltering in place warnings to plant workers and White Castle residents.
Sheltering in place means people need to stay inside their homes and businesses, turn off their air conditioners and close their doors and windows, said State Police Trooper Russell Graham, public information officer for Troop A.
Law enforcement officers blocked roads in Ascension Parish leading to the plant and in White Castle until the sulfuric acid cloud dissipated, Graham said.
PCS officials reported a weld broke in the storage tank, causing the acid to leak into the atmosphere, Graham said.
“The tank was leaking 30 to 50 gallons a minute,” Graham said. “They have slowed the leak down to about 10 gallons a minute.”
Graham said water trucks sprayed a curtain of water on top of the cloud to keep it down until the emergency was over.
Workers pumped acid out of the leaking, 700-ton capacity tank until it was empty and the emergency was ended, officials said.
Roads near the plant and in White Castle were blocked for several hours while officials observed the cloud of sulfuric acid vapors produced by the leak, State Police Sgt. Markus Smith said.
The release “didn’t have a significant impact and there were no reported injuries,” Smith said.
“It sounded worse than it was,” he said.
Nevertheless, the offices of Homeland Security in Ascension and Iberville parishes issued the sheltering in place warnings to plant workers and White Castle residents.
Sheltering in place means people need to stay inside their homes and businesses, turn off their air conditioners and close their doors and windows, said State Police Trooper Russell Graham, public information officer for Troop A.
Law enforcement officers blocked roads in Ascension Parish leading to the plant and in White Castle until the sulfuric acid cloud dissipated, Graham said.
PCS officials reported a weld broke in the storage tank, causing the acid to leak into the atmosphere, Graham said.
“The tank was leaking 30 to 50 gallons a minute,” Graham said. “They have slowed the leak down to about 10 gallons a minute.”
Graham said water trucks sprayed a curtain of water on top of the cloud to keep it down until the emergency was over.
Workers pumped acid out of the leaking, 700-ton capacity tank until it was empty and the emergency was ended, officials said.
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
