HOLTRACHEM Manufacturing; Orrington, Maine

Orrington, Maine | 1998-Feb-23

Initial Notification: At approximately 0600 EST on 20 February 1998, a holding tank on the Holtrachem Manufacturing Facility in Orrington, Maine overflowed and spilling into a diked area. The material spilled was 17,000 gallons of brine solution, mixed at 5-25 ppm with mercuric chloride, a mercury salt. Some portion of the material overflowed the diked area and traveled two-tenths of a mile to the Penobscot River. The amount released is unknown at this time, but it is not suspected to be significant relative to the amount spilled. USCG district 1.