Spills

At 0930 on june 15, 1986, a still pot reactor exploded at the first chemical corporation in pascagoula,…

First Chemical Corporation; Pascagoula, Mississippi · Pascagoula, Mississippi · NOAAORR-6370

issued
1986-06-15 00:00Z
status
cancelled 1986-06-29 00:00Z
self-cancels
1986-06-29 00:00Z
authority
NOAA OR&R
sea
Gulf of Mexico
position
30.267, -88.417
source
incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

First Chemical Corporation; Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Pascagoula, Mississippi.
1. At 0930 on June 15, 1986, a still pot reactor exploded at the First Chemical Corporation in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The resulting fire spread to four adjacent chemical storage tanks where total volume and contents is estimated by the company to be 120,000 gallons of nitro toluene isomers and meta toluidine. In the late stages of firefighting, the U.S. Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team was requested to assist local forces in monitoring toxic vapor levels of N-ethyl metatoluidine and mononitrotoluence, substances involved in the fire. The plume was visible for nearly 10 miles and traveled in a northeasterly direction from the facility over an uninhabited swamp. USCG district 8.
2. COMMODITY: NITRO TOLUENE ISOMERS, META TOLUIDINE. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 120000 GALLONS.
3. POSITION 30.267N 088.417W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6370: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6370

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