On 10-8-07 US EPA received a report from North Carolina DENR reporting a release to Third Creek from the Mocaro Dying and Finishing facility in Statesville NC. The release occurred due to offloading approximately 350 gallons of sodium hydroxide to a 8,000 gallon hydrogen peroxide tank. The mixture of incompatible materials caused a reaction that caused the 8,000 gallon AST to overflow. The released material impacted a floor drain that leads to the facilities pre-treatment plant. The heat generated from the reaction also triggered the fire suppression sprinkler system releasing approximately 200,000 gallons of water. The fire suppression water overwhelmed the floor drain causing the room to overflow, the room overflow flowed over the door wells and impacted a storm drain. The storm drain leads to an unnamed tributary to Third Creek. Local Fire Dept. evacuated facility and a half mile radius.
Approximately 350 gallons of sodium hydroxide was loaded into a AST (8,000 gallon max capacity) containing approximately 4,000 gallons of hydrogen peroxide US EPA responded to the spill, met with the facility and assessed impact to Third Creek. OSC Rhame observed no fish kill. The city of Statesville and the local haz-mat team performed pH monitoring of the creek and found that the creek was at normal pH range (between 6.5 and 6.9). The city waste water treatment facility was notified and will follow up with Mocaro to insure that there would be no impact to the city waste water treatment plant. The DENR Division of Water Quality responded on 10/09/07 to perform additional creek monitoring. The creek and the facility treatment facility will continue to be monitored by the city.
Due to the dilution caused by the fire suppression water and the creek having a neutral pH and no fish kill observed, no removal activities are planned at this time.
None
US EPA and NC DENR DWQ made a joint determination that flushing the creek was not necessary.
Local Fire Dept. evacuated facility and a half mile radius.
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