Published: Thursday, July 30, 2015
By Jim Bloch
Contributing Writer
Chrysler Beach in Marysville, MI. (Photos by JIM BLOCH)
Chrysler Beach in Marysville was closed for about three and half hours Wednesday due to a spill of hydrofluorosilicic acid from the city's water treatment plant.
Fluorosilicic acid is used by the plant to fluoridate the water. The chemical exists in liquid form only.
"We're just about to lift the chemical spill warning," Steve Demick, environmental health director of the St. Clair County Health Department, said at 3:45 p.m.
Demick issued the no-swim advisory at 12:17 p.m.
Ironically, the beach remained closed after the spill notice had been lifted due to high levels of the bacteria E. coli, which is caused by raw sewage in the water.
"We called the health department to see if they could send someone down to test the river water for the fluoride," said Marysville Public Safety Chief Tom Konik. "They said the beach was already closed due to E. coli."
The health department retested the beach for E. coli. It takes about 18 hours to get the results back, so residents won't know about the status of the beach until July 31, said Konik.
A little more than 1,000 gallons of fluorosilicic acid appeared to have leaked from the tank.
"The water plant had a pipe break at the bottom of a bulk storage tank that holds 5,000 gallons of the fluoride," said Konik. "The fluoride is very acidic in its raw state. There were acid vapors in the plant and we had to go in and isolate the workers and stop the spill. We blocked off the drains and called an environmental clean-up company. They're here now pumping it out and soaking it up."
The precise size of the leak to the river won't be known until the clean-up is complete.