Methanol Spill Probed at GE Plastic Plant

Aug. 27, 2007

A spill of 80 gallons of methanol at a GE Plastics plant in Selkirk, N.Y., last week did not cause any injuries or evacuations, but officials are still taking the incident seriously.

According to the Times Union, the flammable, hazardous chemical, also known as wood alcohol, was diluted in some 1,000 gallons of wastewater that leaked into the soil on two occasions.

State environmental officials are currently investigating the cause of the spill to decide if the company should face a fine, as well as determine what GE needs to do to prevent future spills.

Rick Georgeson, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Conservation, told the Times Union that GE had the contaminated soil excavated and trucked to a landfill for disposal, for which it has a permit.

DEC is now requiring the company to test groundwater in the area by drilling two wells. However, since the soil was made of tightly compacted clay, the methanol did not appear to travel far and groundwater was not contaminated.

Methanol is a flammable liquid that is a building block for many chemical products, including plastics.

530 people are employed at GE Plastics’ Selkirk factory, where the company produces polymer pellets that are mixed with resins to color the plastics for use in industries such as automotive, computer and electronics.

Source: Times Union

Sponsored Recommendations

Benefits of Working with Prefabricated Electrical Conduit

Aug. 14, 2024
Learn how prefabrication of electrical conduit can mitigate risk, increase safety and consistency, and save money.

Electrical Conduit Cost Savings: A Must-Have Guide for Engineers & Contractors

Aug. 14, 2024
To help identify cost savings that don’t cut corners on quality, Champion Fiberglass developed a free resource for engineers and contractors.

Energy Efficient System Design for WWTPs

May 24, 2024
System splitting with adaptive control reduces electrical, maintenance, and initial investment costs.

Meeting the Demands of Wastewater Treatment Plants

May 24, 2024
KAESER understands the important requirements wastewater treatment plant designers and operators consider when evaluating and selecting blowers and compressed air equipment. In...