A chemical spill was reported in DeSoto County Saturday. Crews worked through the night to clean up the affected areas. The DeSoto County Government provided an update on Sunday. They stated that action has been taken to neutralize PH levels of the creek water and it has returned to normal parameters.
According to WREG Memphis, The DeSoto County Government provided the following along with their update: “The Mississippi Department of Environmental Equality (MSDEQ) is satisfied with the progress, so the dam is currently being removed to allow the creek flow to return.
Consensus among the environmental companies and MSDEQ state there is no indications of any contamination of drinking water both for the city water system or any private water wells in the areas along creek.
As a precaution, community air quality survey testing was completed with no measurable detection obtained. Air monitoring will continue on site throughout the cleanup. Cleanup efforts will continue on site at SXP for several more days and crews will continue to assess nearby creeks and waterways for any impacts from the spill and mitigation efforts and protective measures will remain in place to prevent any future contamination.”
The DeSoto County government said the spill was caused by a fire at Schultz Xtruded Products located on McCracken Road in Hernando, Mississippi.
The fire caused a container that held Hydrofluoric Acid to leak, resulting in the chemical leaking into Mussacuna Creek. Crews at the scene said there is no danger to drinking water or residents who live downstream or upstream. Residents are being asked to avoid the creek in the area as crews work to remediate the area.
