Thousands of gallons of nitric acid spill in Buckeye
BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Thousands of gallons of nitric acid spilled in Buckeye on Thursday afternoon at Thatcher Company, police said.
"Approximately 3,500 gallons of nitric acid spilled into a 5,000-gallon retention basin designed for containment. Upon arrival, hazmat teams swiftly assessed the situation and confirmed that the scene was stable, with no adverse chemical reactions occurring," Buckeye Police spokesperson Carissa Planalp said.
Crews from Goodyear, Arizona Fire & Medical, Surprise and Phoenix helped out Buckeye at the scene of the incident near Rainbow Road between Southern Avenue and Broadway Road.
The community received RAVE alerts to let them know what was going on and asked them to stay away from the area.
Photo courtesy of Buckeye Fire Medical Rescue Department
Thatcher Company, where the spill happened, describes itself as a "global leader in chemical manufacturing, distribution, and related services."
Dig deeper:
The National Library of Medicine describes nitric acid as, "Nitric acid, other than red fuming appears as a pale yellow to reddish brown liquid with reddish brown vapors and a suffocating odor. Very toxic by inhalation. Corrosive to metals or tissue. Accelerates the burning of combustible material and may cause ignition of combustible materials upon contact. Prolonged exposure to low concentrations or short term exposure to high concentrations may result in adverse health effects."
What's next:
Crews monitored the air quality before turning the site over to be cleaned up.
What we don't know:
Police didn't say what caused the spill.