Copiague Company Spills 200 Gallons of Sodium Hydroxide Into Drain

COPIAGUE, NY — A Copiague food and beverage company is under fire after they spilled about 200 gallons of sodium hydroxide, entering a nearby stormwater drain, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) said.

On the morning of Nov. 23, a nearby resident reported the spill to Suffolk County Fire Marshalls, who secured the area and contained the spill, which had leaked slowly from a storage tank overnight into the street, soil, and drain.

Environmental Conservation Officer Lawrence Pabes and members of DEC’s Spills Response team later responded to the incident.

Pabes interviewed the owner of the company, who admitted to improperly repairing the tank the previous day. The company received a notice of violation for polluting the roadway and water.

The sodium hydroxide then neutralized with diluting agents vinegar and citric acid, and cleaned to ensure protection of public health and the environment.

According to the Center for Disease Control, sodium hydroxide is an odorless, white solid that absorbs moistrue from the air, and manufacturers may use it to produce soaps, rayon, paper, products that explode, dyes, and petroleum products.

It can be very corrosive and can cause severe burns in all tissues that it comes in contact with.

The name of the company was not released.