Kuehne Chemical Company; Kearny, New Jersey

Kearny, New Jersey | 1999-Mar-23

Initial Notification: On the morning of March 23, 1999, the USCG Activities New York (ACTNY) was notified of a chemical tank collapse at the Kuehne Chemical facility in Kearny, New Jersey. The tank contained approximately 30,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide (50% solution). In the process of collapsing, the tank had broken an adjoining pipe containing sodium hypochlorite (50% solution) spilling a small amount. The sodium hydroxide was mostly contained within the dike around the tank, but 1000 gallons escaped and entered the Hackensack River. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and USCG personnel were on-scene monitoring the situation. They planned to neutralize the sodium hydroxide, then collect and remove it. This response lasted for several days. USCG district 1. Keyword: none.