Spills
At approximately 0600 est on 20 february 1998, a holding tank on the holtrachem manufacturing facility in…
Holtrachem Manufacturing; Orrington, Maine · Orrington, Maine · NOAAORR-7272
- issued
- 1998-02-23 00:00Z
- status
- cancelled 1998-03-09 00:00Z
- self-cancels
- 1998-03-09 00:00Z
- authority
- NOAA OR&R
- sea
- North Atlantic Ocean
- position
- 44.728, -68.828
- source
- incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z
Original warning text
HOLTRACHEM Manufacturing; Orrington, Maine. Orrington, Maine. 1. At approximately 0600 EST on 20 February 1998, a holding tank on the Holtrachem Manufacturing Facility in Orrington, Maine overflowed and spilling into a diked area. The material spilled was 17,000 gallons of brine solution, mixed at 5-25 ppm with mercuric chloride, a mercury salt. Some portion of the material overflowed the diked area and traveled two-tenths of a mile to the Penobscot River. The amount released is unknown at this time, but it is not suspected to be significant relative to the amount spilled. USCG district 1. 2. COMMODITY: BRINE, MERCURIC CHLORIDE. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 17000 GALLONS. 3. POSITION 44.728N 068.828W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 7272: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/7272
This area · spills & pollution incidents
115 within 180 nm since 1972 · 5 in the last 12 months · 0 in force now
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- Provincetown, ma, USA2026-03-12
- On march 11, 2026, U.S2026-03-11
- Offshore gloucester, ma2026-02-03
- Diesel leaking from F/V eileen rita outside boston harbor; hull, massachusetts2025-04-11
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Nearby now · within 120 nm
Nothing else in force within 120 nm.
Worldwide now
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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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