On Tuesday, January 3, 2012, Suffolk County police reported that a 55-gallon drum of volatile chemical materials forced authorities to close down Oser Avenue in Hauppauge, New York, for several hours, reports the Hauppauge Patch.
Police indicated that stabilizing chemicals were used to neutralize the hazardous solution at a nearby facility, and Oser Avenue was reopened for vehicle traffic at that time.
Fortunately, there was no reported chemical leak in the 55-gallon drum, but the news source indicates the hazardous solution had chemically changed due to temperature fluctuations during transport.
There are unique absorbent devices that can be used in situations where nonhazardous chemicals have become volatile. XSORB Caustic Neutralizing Absorbent instantly resolves and absorbs most organic and inorganic caustic spills safely and effectively. While the 55-gallon drum of chemicals did not leak, devices like the XSORB Caustic Neutralizing Absorbent could remedy the solutions before an accident occurs.
Luckily, the alteration in chemical makeup was first discovered by a transport company employee. If the solution remained unnoticed for much longer, it could have spontaneously exploded under the pressure of numerous temperature changes.
