The Guyana National Industrial Company (GNIC) wharf on Lombard Street, Georgetown was closed yesterday as a result of a chemical spill, which was being cleaned up by authorities, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), up to yesterday afternoon.
A statement issued by GNIC said the container with the chemical, “Rheduce,” was “ruptured” during the handling of cargo at the GNIC Terminal. “The chemical, which is non-hazardous, non-toxic and harmless to human and marine life, was stored in a designated area. It leaked but accumulated in a small area around the said container. The response action to mop up the substance was awaited. However the rain came and caused a spread of the substance,” it explained.
EPA Senior Environmental Officer Tashana Redman was reported by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying that approximately 1,000 litres of the chemical leaked between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
The EPA, Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Water Incorporated and the Civil Defence Commission responded to conduct a risk assessment.
When Stabroek News visited the site, a yellow substance were seen in the drains surrounding the wharf and on the streets.
A GNIC representative, who did not wish to be named, said that while the company had already established that the chemical was not hazardous, the closure of the wharf to the public was a precautionary measure. He added that if the chemical got into the surrounding waters, it would not pose a threat to marine life nor would it contaminate the water. “There is no danger, we just want to be on the safe side,” he said before adding that employees will be on site as there was no need for evacuation. However, he said, as long as the facility remained closed, no customer would be allowed on the wharf. He declined to comment further.
The GNIC statement said that there was a panic reaction by customs, resulting in the closure of the Terminal. It said several actions, as advised by the relevant authorities to mitigate against such re-occurrence, have been initiated.
The DPI report said the clean-up exercise and assessment were expected to be completed within 24 hours. Redman said their aim was “to get the clean-up underway as fast as possible to reduce further movement of the chemical.”
According to an entry on the Schlumberger website, Rheduce is a dispersant that used as a thinner and conditioner to reduce overall viscosity and gel strengths through the action of macromolecules that disperse solids in the mud without the need for dilution or changing the synthetic-to-water ratio.
