The nearby Mallinckrodt plant had a sulfuric acid spill this morning, prompting police to advise residents within a half-mile radius to stay indoors this afternoon. The fear was that rain would react with the acid (which it does violently, apparently), causing toxic fumes. We’re about a mile away, but that is still a little too close for comfort.
The plant in question has always been mysterious to me, in that its well-screened from the road. It is also Raleigh’s second-largest water user. That’s a lot of water, hoss. I know they make medicine over there, but dang!
I’d already guessed the plant used sulfuric acid after watching the trains that pass our house deliver tankers of it all the time. Some of that acid might also go to the quarries farther north, too, since sulfuric acid has an impressive range of uses. Wikipedia tells me sulfuric acid is “produced in greater amounts than any other chemical except water.”
Guess I know now why Raleigh’s Fire Station 22 keeps a HAZMAT truck (er, sorry, apparatus) around.
So, how do you pipe (or transport) sulfuric acid anyplace? In special kryptonite buckets? Doesn’t it corrode stuff?
Here’s a look at the spill site via Google Maps. Here’s WRAL Sky 5’s footage of the spill, where you can see the acid gleefully spurting out like Old Faithful. Also, check out the fire department’s press release on the spill, too.
A few years ago, someone spread sulfuric acid all over the belt way. It is particularly nasty on cloth and leather even it’s dilute form. As water evaporates, it reconcentrates and starts eating away. Of course you get all those really stinky compounds as it reacts sulfur dioxide and good ol hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg).
Interestingly enough this site appears on the second page of a google search for Raleigh Sulfuric Acid Spill. 🙂
Hmm. I’d have expected to be ranked higher. Then again, I didn’t post about it until 16 hours after it occurred. That’s not exactly breaking a story, is it?
Anyhow, I’m glad nothing happened there this time around, and for once I’m glad that it didn’t rain!