WESTBROOK – Area firefighters spent most of the day Sunday at a Westbrook swimming pool equipment dealer cleaning up a 60-gallon chemical spill there, according to the Westbrook Fire and Rescue Department.
Firefighters responded to the Namco Pool, Patio and Gameroom Superstore at 100 Larrabee Road at 9:43 a.m. after getting a report of a sodium hypochlorite spill there, according to the department.
Deputy Fire Chief Wayne Jones said Tuesday that the company was open for business when the call came in.
“From what I understand, they called us when they were aware of it,” he said.
Jones said the chemicals are sold in 1-and 5-gallon containers, and the 5-gallon containers are what spilled.
“It was determined by hazmat entry teams that containers housing sodium hypochlorite had fallen from a storage bin and burst open upon striking the ground,” the department’s press release said.
The chemical is usually used to treat swimming pool water. Members of the Presumpscot Valley Hazardous Materials Team and Portland Fire Department’s hazardous material team, along with firefighters from Gorham, Gray, Scarborough, Standish and Windham, spent more than six hours cleaning up the spill, which the department estimates was “50-60 gallons.”
While the cleanup went on, two neighboring businesses had to close for the day, Jones said. There were no reports of injuries to Namco employees or to firefighters, he said.
Jones said firefighters met with Namco employees this week to discuss safety procedures at the company. Investigators have determined the spill was an accident, and the company would not be cited, Jones said.
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