TANGIPAHOA PARISH, La. — Hydrochloric acid leaked from a storage container and into the ground at Port Manchac Sunday. It was first spotted by a passerby who noticed a plume of vapor coming from the port. The spill was “contained” by Monday and there was and is no danger to the public, authorities said.
The spill happened around 7 p.m. Sunday. Patrick Dufresne, Director of Port Manchac, told WWL Louisiana first responders were on site until at least 1 a.m.
The spill created a plume that was noticed by someone passing by. They called 911. “When hydrochloric acid gets out, it creates a vapor that looks like smoke,” said Hammond Fire Chief Daniel Folks, “so sometimes people pass by and call in that the building's on fire.”
He said no one was at the port at the time of the spill. When first responders got there they saw the acid had leaked from a plastic storage container. About 50 gallons were spilled. Dufresne said the company Premiere Chemicals, which is based out of Baton Rouge, owned the acid.
The spill was neutralized with another substance and caution tape was strung around the spot. The Hammond Fire Department closed off the stretch of Highway 51 that runs past the port while the spill was being dealt with.
“The wind was blowing from the East, and once the wind started blowing from the West, we were able to open that backup,” said Folks.
No first responders were on scene when WWL Louisiana saw the site of the spill Monday, though there was still caution tape around it and the white, powdery neutralizing substance was still visible on the ground.
Hydrochloric acid is used to make certain plastics and household and industrial chemicals. It can cause serious burns at high concentrations, though Folks said there was never any danger to the public from Sunday’s spill. “
As long as you're not in the cloud right as it's coming off the actual liquid, it's at a low enough concentration where it's not going to hurt you,” he said.
It has been less than two years since a much higher-profile hydrochloric acid spill in Southeast Louisiana. In November of 2022, a train car carrying it derailed in St. James Parish. It spilled around 20,000 gallons into the small community of Paulina.
150 people were evacuated.
Sunday’s 50-gallon spill was much less significant. “Everything stayed on site, nothing got into waterways or anything like that,” said Folks.
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