Leak reported at local iron oxide company
An inspector for the Department of Environmental Protection responded to a pipeline leak at an iron oxide company in Allenport last week.
A broken underground pipe at a site owned by American Iron Oxide Co. next to Mon River Industrial Park caused ferrous chloride, or Iron(II) chloride, to seep into the soil, according to a DEP inspector’s report.
The company had removed some of the soil by Friday, according to the report.
“It appears that they were able to take control of the situation fairly quickly,” said John Poister, spokesman for the Pittsburgh branch of the DEP. “We found no storage tank violations at this site. There may be another inspection by our waste management program because some soil was impacted.”
The company plugged the leaking pipe and closed the bay where the leak occurred, according to the report. A drain between two bays allows materials to be collected in a sump.
A plant manager for the company did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
According to its website, American Iron Oxide Co. specializes in acid recycling services and produces various grades of iron oxide.