Spills

On july 27, 1986, a coupling for a pennwalt corporation pipeline pulled apart, causing 5,000 gallons of…

Pennwalt Corporation; Tacoma, Washington · Tacoma, Washington · NOAAORR-6383

issued
1986-07-27 00:00Z
status
cancelled 1986-08-10 00:00Z
self-cancels
1986-08-10 00:00Z
authority
NOAA OR&R
sea
The Coastal Waters of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia
position
47.274, -122.425
source
incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Pennwalt Corporation; Tacoma, Washington.
Tacoma, Washington.
1. On July 27, 1986, a coupling for a Pennwalt Corporation pipeline pulled apart, causing 5,000 gallons of sulfuric acid to spill directly into the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma, Washington.The acid quickly diluted in the waterway and residual was cleaned up by Pennwalt. There was no aquatic mortality.NOAA/OAD was notified of the incident on July 28, 1986, by the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Seattle, and requested to assess the potential problems that might be associated with the spill. NOAA advised that the sulfuric acid would rapidly dilute to a safe level in a localized area (200 yards). However, fumes from the reaction of sulfuric acid with water might be present in the immediate area. NOAA also cautioned the Coast Guard that there would be a possibility of a localized fish kill. USCG district 13.
2. COMMODITY: SULFURIC ACID. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 5000 GALLONS.
3. POSITION 47.274N 122.425W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6383: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6383

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