Chemical spill poses minimal safety risk
Hydrochloric acid cleanup expected to take several days
A chemical spill of hydrochloric acid leaked from a huge holding tank in northeast Edmonton Sunday when cold weather apparently caused a sealed window on the side of the tank to pop loose, says the assistant manager of Panther Industries Inc.
Hazardous materials crews were called to 12061 32nd Street at 10:22 a.m. Sunday where the leak had caused a cloud of gas in the area, said Edmonton Fire Rescue spokesman Michael Tucker.
Fire officials said a significant amount of hydrochloric acid leaked from two 100,000-litre holding tanks, likely because of a mechanical malfunction.
Businesses within two blocks of the spill were evacuated. The leak happened in an industrial area. No homes were evacuated and no one was injured, fire officials said in a news release.
Authorities stopped the leak just after 1 p.m. and sucked up the hydrochloric acid with a stainless steel vacuum truck. The cleanup is expected to take several days.
Each tank has a round window on a PVC rim that is bolted to the tank, said Clayton Schneider from the Panther Industries head office in Davidson, Sask., which is about halfway between Saskatoon and Regina.
“We figure it was on too tight and there was not enough room for the material to contract through temperature changes,” Schneider said. “There wasn’t enough room for those bolts to move and it actually took that sight glass off of the bin, but only on the top and the bottom. Of course, it’s got to be air tight, and that’s where the leak came out.”
The tank is one of six tanks the company recently installed within a huge berm, a cement basin with a rubber liner designed to catch and neutralize hydrochloric acid if a tank leaks, Schneider said.
An employee arrived at work Sunday morning, noticed the leak and immediately contacted the plant manager, who followed the emergency response plan and contacted firefighters, police, the City of Edmonton, Alberta Environment and Panther Industries’ emergency response team, he said.
“Our berm caught the majority of it and some came out over top of the berm onto our site,” Schneider said.
Panther Industries sells hydrochloric acid to clients in the oil and gas industry who use it in the extraction process, he said.
The spill doesn’t appear to be a significant public safety risk, deputy fire chief John Lamb said from the scene.
“There is a slight cloud that’s been issuing from the spill. It’s going directly north and we’ve evacuated everybody north of there. It’s a light industrial area. Thank goodness it’s Sunday and there’s not a lot of folks working,” Lamb said. “Then farther north it’s the dump and then the river valley, so we’ve ensured that there’s a minimal risk to the public and we’re continuing to make sure the scene is stabilized.”
Six tanks at the site contain about 100,000 litres of hydrochloric acid and the catch basin can contain spills up to 100,000 litres plus 10 per cent, Lamb said. “Some product has gone over the bank but we’re not sure exactly how much at this point.”
Emergency officials are now trying to minimize any environmental damage caused by the spill. “(We are) making sure that it hasn’t got into any drainage systems and making sure nobody wanders into the area and gets involved in the cloud of gas.”
The cold weather made the job challenging for firefighters who had to wear rubber suits during their work at the scene, Lamb said. “It gets pretty darn cold in those suits so that’s making it a little more difficult. On the plus side, the cold air actually helps to marginalize the impact of the product.”
Edmonton police and fire crews with assistance from
“Thank goodness it’s Sunday and there’s not a lot of folks working.” DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF JOHN LAMB
RCMP blocked off roads around the area, including an access road just north of Yellowhead Trail, with Sherwood Park located to the south.
Several trucks drove out of the blocked-off area periodically as workers were evacuated.
Panther Industries has served the oil and gas industry in North America and overseas for more than 30 years, according to the company’s website. In 2007, Panther Industries made the top 100 Saskatchewan companies with gross sales of $23,600,000.
That same year, the chemical supplier provided the American company ATK with enough potash to help fuel testing for rocket boosters that ATK was manufacturing for a new NASA spacecraft.
Hydrochloric acid has many industrial uses, including the production of fertilizer, dyes and chlorides. It’s also used in the photographic, textile, and rubber industries, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The acid is corrosive to the eyes, skin and mucous membranes.
Occupational Health and Safety is aware of the spill but officials there have not yet determined if they will investigate, said spokesman Charles Strachey.