Spills

Early on may 1, 1997, uscg act baltimore received a radio report of a hydrochloric acid spill from a railcar…

Csx Railcar Derailment; Baltimore, Maryland · Baltimore, Maryland · NOAAORR-7200

issued
1997-05-01 00:00Z
status
cancelled 1997-05-15 00:00Z
self-cancels
1997-05-15 00:00Z
authority
NOAA OR&R
sea
North Atlantic Ocean
position
39.267, -76.567
source
incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

CSX Railcar Derailment; Baltimore, Maryland.
Baltimore, Maryland.
1. Early on May 1, 1997, USCG ACT Baltimore received a radio report of a hydrochloric acid spill from a railcar in the Bayview Railyard in Baltimore almost under Route 895. Around 0445 a railcar containing hydrochloric acid had derailed and been punctured with a coupler. The potential was for 20,000 gallons of hydrochloric acid to spill in the railyard switching area. The initial spill rate was estimated at 50 gallons per minute. An estimated 13,500 gallons of 27-percent strength hydrochloric acid was released onto the ground. The fire department and police conducted a local evacuation of the spill area. The puncture of the railcar was one-third of the way up the car. Route 895 and Polasky Highway were closed, the harbor tunnel was closed in one direction, and Amtrak operations through the area were secured. The total contamination from the hydrochloric acid spill was described as up to [...]
2. COMMODITY: HYDROCHLORIC ACID. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 13500 GALLONS.
3. POSITION 39.267N 076.567W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 7200: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/7200

This area · spills & pollution incidents

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Spills

Oil and chemical spills, groundings and vessel casualties with a pollution threat: NOAA IncidentNews responses since 1957, and spill-response areas broadcast as navigational warnings. All current spills & pollution incidents

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