June 18, 2009
A liquid chemical,
leaking from a Umicore Chemical Company truck, sparked a
hazmat response by Arab Emergency crews Thursday afternoon.
One of the 275 gallon containers inside the truck filled
with a solution of Cobalt Nitrate was somehow damaged and
spilled the entire contents into the truck and eventually
onto the highway. The eighteen wheeler truck, was
loaded with approximately 37,000 pounds of the Cobalt
Nitrate solution but only one container was affected.
The truck was originally
traveling West on Hwy 69 toward Cullman when the large
plastic container became damaged, allowing the chemical to
escape. After learning of the leak, the driver turned
around near the Hwy 69 and Hwy 67 intersection and headed
back to the plant. Arab Police received a call about
the truck around 5:15 pm. Sgt Seth Sullivan stopped
the truck on Guntersville Road, then followed it to the
Umicore facility after the driver told him he was returning
to the plant.
Sullivan notified Arab Fire
Department personnel who initiated a hazmat response to the
incident. After being held briefly at the plant entrance,
the truck was eventually moved to a Unicore loading dock where
the load could be inspected. Police and fire department
officials briefly blocked off the Old Hwy 69/Guntersville Road
while the situation was being assessed. It was reopened
after the truck was moved to the loading dock.
A small puddle of the chemical in the
Umicore driveway was contained by spreading sand to absorb the
spill
According to information obtained from
the Material Safety Data Sheet for the chemical, Cobalt Nitrate
is a strong oxidizer made up of nitric acid, cobalt, and salts.
It is stable under ordinary conditions of use and storage but
can emit nitrous oxides when heated to decomposition and can
burn when combined with other substances. The chemical can
be harmful if swallowed or inhaled.
Arab Fire Chief Ricky Phillips said the
spill posed little hazard since it was spread over a large area
and likely evaporated almost immediately on contact with the
pavement and ground.
The cause of the damage to the container
is being investigated by Umicore officials. No one was
injured in the incident.
