Industrial Detergent, Toxic to Fish, Spills into Allegheny River

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
3 September 2011
By Michael Hasch and Mary Ann Thomas

The same industrial detergent that spilled into the Monongahela River this week in Fayette County flowed into the Allegheny River from the Allegheny Valley Joint Sewage Authority treatment plant in Harmar Friday, the state Department of Environmental Protection said.

The product -- ethoxylated alcohol, also known as Trideceth-3 -- is also found in some household detergents and can cause skin and eye irritation in humans. But it is toxic to aquatic organisms, according to a hazardous materials data sheet.

Allegheny County emergency dispatchers said the spill was reported Friday afternoon near the Hulton Bridge and that the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority immediately closed its intake valve in Aspinwall to prevent the contaminant from entering the water system.

However, Rich Chiavetta, plant manager of the Allegheny Valley Joint Sewage Authority, said the contaminant actually was released into the Allegheny River on Thursday.

The concentrated detergent spilled into the Monongahela River on Wednesday afternoon from the Henwil Corp. in Newell, a company that blends chemicals for water treatment plants.

A company spokesman said 2,620 gallons of ethoxylate detergent spilled and filled a containment pit, but some leaked through a crack in the wall of the pit. Several dozen fish were killed by the spill.

DEP spokeswoman Katy Gresh said McCutcheon Enterprises Inc., a waste management company in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, cleaned the spill.

Gresh said she understands McCutcheon took the detergent that it cleared from the Mon, transported it to Harmar, and deposited it at the treatment plant for disposal.

Chiavetta, who believes about 10,000 gallons of the contaminant was released into the Allegheny, said proper procedures were followed.

He said that the plant accepted the same industrial detergent several weeks ago, analyzed it and treated it without incident.

Chiavetta suspects the detergent this time was more "highly concentrated ... and it upset the plant."

Gresh said the DEP is investigating.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said preliminary indications are that fewer than 100 fish have been killed but there could be more.

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority said it was notified at 1:30 p.m. Friday about the fouled water and took immediate steps to make sure the drinking supply remained safe.

"None of this substance passed into Pittsburgh's drinking water supply," a company statement said.

Michael Hasch and Mary Ann Thomas can be reached at mhasch@tribweb.com or 412-320-7820.