THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 12, 1996 TAG: 9611120276
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 52 lines
Hazardous materials and fire personnel on Monday stopped the leak of a highly flammable chemical from a tank that ruptured Sunday night at Norfolk International Terminals.
Petty Officer Brandon Brewer, a Coast Guard spokesman said the incident began when the 6,000-gallon tank fell from a crane onto a pier, ruptured and started leaking. It was not clear where the tank was headed.
Three unidentified NIT employees who were exposed to the chemical experienced eye irritation and chest tightness. They were treated at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and released.
The chemical, identified as methyl formate, is mainly used as a refrigerant or a fumigant, Brewer said. The container, which held about 5,500 gallons of the chemical, leaked two or three gallons a minute. By late Monday, the chemical had stopped oozing from the tank and workers were beginning to cleanup, said Brewer.
Norfolk firefighters and Coast Guard personnel were sent to the terminals when the spill was reported at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday. Industrial Marine Services, a Norfolk company, is handling the removal of the liquid.
Jack Goldhorn, a spokesman for Norfolk fire and paramedical services, said the department evacuated the immediate area Sunday. Not many people were around when the accident happened, he said.
About 600 gallons leaked into the Elizabeth River through a storm drain before workers were able to dam the drain to prevent more chemicals from reaching the river. Methyl formate quickly breaks down in water to form methanol and formic acid.
Methyl formate is a colorless liquid with a pleasant odor that targets the eyes, respiratory system and central nervous system.
The chemical is extremely flammable. Its vapors can cause flash fires and ignite explosively. The vapors are heavier than air and may travel along the ground or be moved through ventilation systems to ignition sources.
Brewer said the liquid was still leaking onto the ground by mid-morning Monday but the danger was largely over.
The chemical has a variety of uses, according to government publications, among them: as fumigate and larvicide for tobacco, dried fruits and cereal; a general industrial solvent for greases, fatty acids and other substances; and production of sulfa drugs, perfumes, dyes, military poison gases and embalming fluid.
The government recommends that the chemical be stored ``in an explosion-proof refrigerator'' protected from moisture. Brewer described the vessel as a 20-foot cylindrical tank that sits on a square frame. MEMO: Staff writer Steve Stone contributed to this story. by CNB