Kinder Morgan Ammonia Nitrate Spill; Wilmington, NC

Wilmington, NC | 2008-Nov-07

Initial Notification: On Friday, 11/7 at 1600 hours, the NOAA SSC received a notification from MSU Wilmington about a aqueous ammonia nitrate spill that occurred at the Kinder Morgan facility located in Wilmington, NC. An above ground storage tank experienced some type of failure releasing an estimated 390,000 gallons of aqueous ammonia nitrate. The ammonia nitrate spilled is a 32% dilution. Of the 390,000 gallons that spilled, company officials estimated that 130,000 gallons was lost to the environment, with an estimated 30,000 gallons spilling into Smith Creek, a nearby tidal creek that discharges into the Cape Fear river. USCG requested information on the type of aquatic impacts that they could expect. USCG also requested information concerning the temporary storage of the ammonia nitrate solution in a barge that contained an unknown amount of residual diesel fuel/#6 bunker mix.