Borden to upgrade chemical storage area.Byline: SCOTT MABEN The Register-Guard SPRINGFIELD - Borden Chemical said Tuesday that it will close and remove a pair of 250,000-gallon methanol methanol, methyl alcohol, or wood alcohol, CH3OH, a colorless, flammable liquid that is miscible with water in all proportions. Methanol is a monohydric alcohol. It melts at −97. storage tanks on the east bank of the Willamette River Willamette River River, northwestern Oregon, U.S. It flows north for 300 mi (485 km) into the Columbia River near Portland. Oregon's most populous cities are in its valley. The Fremont Bridge, a steel arch with a main span of 1,225 ft (373 m), crosses the river at Portland. and build a better containment area around two tanks that will remain. The announcement follows last week's discovery that methanol leaked at the Borden plant from an older, clay-lined containment area and that some of the flammable liquid Generally, a flammable liquid means a liquid which may catch fire easily. In the USA, there is a precise definition of flammable liquid as one with a flashpoint below 100 degrees Fahrenheit. seeped into the river just upstream from the city's Day Island Park. The city posted signs in and around the park warning people that the river may not be safe and to avoid swimming in or fishing from the water. The signs were expected to remain up at least through this morning but may come down today, Springfield fire department spokesman Mark Walker said. Borden said 34,000 gallons of methanol leaked from a pump at the plant on Aug. 31. It's not known how much made it into the river. In a brief news release Tuesday afternoon, Borden Chemical said it reached agreement with the city on a plan for the company to immediately upgrade the containment and safety features of its "raw materials storage area." The plant, which employs 140, uses methanol to make resins resins, n.pl complex, insoluble, sticky substances secreted by plants. Used as astringents, antimicrobials, and antiinflammatories, and are burned as incense. Can cause oral ulcers and epidermal irritations. and adhesives for wood products. Borden said it will close and permanently remove the two methanol tanks closest to the river, cutting its on-site storage in half. With methanol deliveries more reliable today, it's no longer necessary to keep 1 million gallons of storage capacity on site, said John Gillespie The name John Gillespie can refer to:
The company also said it will perform additional soil testing and excavation excavation In archaeology, the exposure, recording, and recovery of buried material remains. The techniques employed vary by the type of site, but all forms of archaeological excavation require great skill and careful preparation. at the site, then build a "new, state-of-the-art secondary containment and safety system" around the two remaining tanks. "Borden is going to do what it takes to make this right," Gillespie said. The Borden plant was built in 1946. The existing containment area, a dirt-and-rock dike Dike, in Greek religion and mythology Dike: see Horae. dike, in technology dike, in technology: see levee. dike Bank, usually of earth, constructed to control or confine water. surrounding the four tanks, was upgraded in the late 1970s, when a clay liner liner /lin·er/ (lin´er) material applied to the inside of the walls of a cavity or container for protection or insulation of the surface. liner see teat cup liner. was added. The company previously had discussed the possibility of upgrading the containment area but had not drawn up any plans to do so, Gillespie said. "We really thought the containment system we had was adequate," he said. During the construction, methanol will be stored at another area of the plant in a tank with an approved secondary containment, the company said. The work would begin immediately and should be completed within two months, Gillespie said. Walker said the city had reviewed Borden's planned upgrades at the plant and found them to be in compliance with the city codes. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion