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08/09/2012 11:00 AMA spill of about 75 gallons of flurophilic acid at the Regional Water Authority (RWA) property this morning posed “no immediate health or fire hazard” to the public, said North Branford Fire Chief William Seward III.
Seward remained at the scene at 11:30 a.m. today, after arriving there during an emergency response made by the fire department to a call which came in at about 9:30 a.m.
Seward said the spill occurred due to a valve opened accidentally during a tanker truck delivery. The tanker carries 3,700 gallons.
“It was a delivery from a tanker truck and some accident spill took place when a valve was opened that shouldn’t have been. About 75 gallons spilled. Some of it went into the drains and the oil and water separators. Basically it was contained on site. No produce went into the sanitary sewers or storm sewers,” said Seward.
The acid-based chemical, an additive to drinking water, is not an airborne threat, but could cause physical harm if a person comes in contact with it. Seward said berms had been placed around the spill by on-site personnel to reduce the threat and contain the hazardous materials.
“The on-site personnel and the driver took necessary precautions,” said Seward.
As of 11:30 a.m., fire department personnel remained on scene to await the arrival of an RWA contractor, Clean Harbors, to clean the spill. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was also on the scene, said Seward.