1,500 gallons of fluoride spilled in alabaster water facility – Shelby County reporter

By NATHAN HOWELL | Employed author

ALABASTER – Alabaster Water reports that approximately 1,500 gallons of fluoride were spilled at a facility on Wednesday morning, May 18.

The organization said the spill occurred at around 7:15 a.m. at the plant on Winterhaven Drive during a pipe connection on a fluoride storage container. The tank broke during the adjustment.

“This morning we had a small drop from a tube on our fluoride tank that we wanted to tighten. There was a split T-joint and it started to leak more noticeably afterwards, ”said Laura Koon, general manager of Alabaster Water.

During the break, liquid fluoride leaked from the tank into a secondary retention structure.

Alabaster Water reported that no one was injured during the break and most of the fluoride was spilled into a secondary safety structure. A very small amount of the chemical sprayed through a crack in the pipe but was safely removed.

“When the spill occurred, we had support from the Pelham and Alabaster Fire Departments to assist with traffic controls and some other precautionary measures to make sure we didn’t have any problems. They were there and provided us with their expertise to quickly resolve this problem, ”said Koon.

Koon said there would be no impact on customers, there would be no injuries, and no harmful chemicals released into the environment.

The board said a Hazmat contractor would arrive to collect the hazardous materials.

The board has asked residents with questions about the spill to call their office at 205-663-6155.