Fluoracetic Acid Release from Water Authority along the Detroit River; Detroit, MI

9962 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI 48214, USA | 2024-May-01

Initial Notification: On May 1, 2024, the NOAA SSC was notified by USCG Sector Detroit about a release of 1% concentration fluoroacetic acid from the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) Water Works Park water treatment facility in Detroit, MI. The acid was released from a tank internal to the facility into a catchment. The catchment was then pumped to a manmade lagoon on site, just East of the main building. Up to 11,000 gallons of a potential 19,000 were reported released at the time of the report. The spill has not yet been reported secured. The GLWA facility is along the Detroit River. The USCG is requesting fate and effects and resources at risk for a possible release to the Detroit River. The product was later corrected to be hydrofluorosilicic acid, a mixture of fluorosilicic acid (20-25%) and hydrofluoric acid (0.1-1%)