Another Deadly Chemical Spill Poisons Water Supply

admin
Clash

On Sunday, Philadelphia officials urged citizens to think about consuming and preparing with bottled water in response to a chemical spill that occurred on Friday. But they reassured the public by claiming that the risks associated are “very low”.

“We are notifying the public in the customer service area that they may wish not to drink or cook with tap water,” Mike Carroll, Deputy Managing Director for the City’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability said in a statement.

“Because we cannot be 100 percent sure that there won’t be traces of these chemicals in the tap water throughout the afternoon, we want the public to be aware so that people can consider switching to bottled water to further minimize any risk,” Carroll also said.

Philadelphia officials presented a map of the affected area and reported that, at this time, there was no evidence to suggest contamination. As they continue to assess the situation via evaluations and testing, citizens are encouraged to stay informed on any updates.

The health risks associated with the chemical spill into the Delaware River, Friday in Bristol Township, Bucks County – which borders Pennsylvania and New Jersey – are believed to be “very low,” according to officials. Moreover, they added that there is no need for alarm when it comes to taking a bath or washing dishes.

A burst pipe at Trinseo PLC’s chemical plant led to a catastrophic spill of 8,100-12,000 gallons of latex finishing material – a water-soluble acrylic polymer solution – into Mill Creek. WPVI reported on the incident.

“It’s like the material you find in paint,” Tim Thomas, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering at Trinseo, told the outlet.

Within minutes of the news, social media was abuzz with customers sharing reports and videos from stores where long lines had formed to purchase bottled water.

“Line at Target to buy bottled water 10 minutes after the city of #Philadelphia sent out an alert regarding a spill in the Delaware River,” former television “weatherman” Ben Ames tweeted. Ames appended a video showing a lengthy line of people with cases of bottle water. The line appeared to go to the rear of the store and then wrap around.

Erica Palan, the Deputy Business Editor of Philly Inquirer, who resides in an area of New York City unaffected by the spillage shared a picture depicting a long line at 7/11 convenience store with people stocking up on bottled water.

“Whoa, real March 2020 vibes in my ‘hood right now,” Palan said. “Saw people with ten cases of water leave Acme, telling people walking in to ‘hurry!’ because bottled water is going fast. My 7/11 line is people buying by the gallon. ‘We’re almost out,’ the cashier said.”

Sponsored