Chemical Spill Into Smyrna Creek Caused by Faulty Gasket, Company Says

SMYRNA, GA — The company that spilled more than 2,000 gallons of an automotive cleaning solvent into a Smyrna creek over the weekend says a faulty gasket caused the accident.

Apollo Technologies also said the tank that spilled the solvent into the creek has been taken out of service and will no longer be used for any purpose. The company also said that its spill retention system broke down during the incident, which further complicated the problem.

On Saturday, about 2,300 gallons of the chemical spilled into the creek, and hazmat crews worked throughout the weekend to clean up the mess. The spill caused the creek, which runs into several nearby neighborhoods and into a lake, to turn milky white and give off a strong smell.

On Tuesday afternoon, Apollo Technologies, located on South Cobb Industrial Boulevard, said the spill's visual impact on the water is improving. It said it is also draining all of its mixing tanks.

"We have hired a professional engineer, Washington Engineering and Architecture, to evaluate the design of the mixing room and determine the reason the containment failed," said Geoff Ladue, COO of Apollo's parent company, PLZ Aeroscience.

See also: Company That Caused Chemical Spill Suspending Operations
Thousands of Gallons of Chemicals Spill Into Smyrna Creek

But nearby residents are still concerned not only about the spill, but the plant's overall safety.

Dana Mcpherson, who has lived in the Kenwood subdivision for five years, was alerted to the spill at about 2 a.m. Saturday morning when a neighbor told him the creek was white.

Mcpherson followed the creek upstream to find the source of the pollutant. After seeing the white chemical coming through a storm drain, he tracked the chemical to Apollo Technologies.

“From the driveway, you could see all this white stuff running down the hill,” he said. “I witnessed (a worker) hosing it down into the storm drain.”

The company says 200,000 gallons of liquid has been recovered and placed in tanker trucks and portable tanks, for remediation. It is also using six vacuum tankers with a crew of over 10 people who continue to pump out the creek.

Images Courtesy of Dana McPherson