Invista S.a.r.l. Wilmington (6500083)
from The Associated Press - Dec 11, 2005
Cape Fear River Spill is Contained
Chemical escaped from Invista's plant
The Associated Press
An estimated 1,300 gallons of the chemical paraxylene spilled into the Northeast Cape Fear River but no significant environmental damage is anticipated.
The spill occurred late Thursday afternoon at an Invista plant in New Hanover County after a hose split during the transfer of the chemical from a barge to a storage tank, Invista officials said. The transfer process was quickly halted to prevent further release of paraxylene, which is used to make polyester, company officials said.
By late Friday most of the chemical had been cleaned up, said Ed Beck, supervisor of the N.C. Division of Water Quality's Wilmington office.
Invista is a producer of polyester and nylon products.
Paraxylene is considered a water pollutant and has the potential to affect birds, plants, fish and other aquatic life. Short-term exposure in humans can cause eye, nose or throat irritation as well as gastrointestinal and neurological effects. Chronic exposure can cause more serious effects, primarily to the central nervous system, and may cause death.
No one was injured or became ill because of the incident or cleanup, company spokeswoman Erica Taylor said.
Preliminary reports indicated that the spill would not pose a significant threat to the environment because the liquid solidified in the cooler temperatures, said Larry Cahoon, biology and marine biology professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Drinking water for the region comes from the river farther upstream, he said.