This story has been updated with additional information from an Ascend Performance Materials representative.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) reports that there was a power failure at Ascend Performance Materials that resulted in a chemical leak of nitrogen oxides at the Cantonment chemical plant.
The FDEP issued a notice of pollution about the incident at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 17. It says the incident started at 10 a.m., and the section that indicates when the incident ended is blank.
“(The) plant suffered power failure and nitrogen oxides (NOx) was released from the Adipic Acid Unit. The total quantity is unknown at this time, but operators are restarting the unit to normal operation,” the FDEP notice stated in a description of the incident.
The incident was reported by Ascend Environmental Manager Michael DuBois and the FDEP notice says “all information displayed was submitted by the reporting party.””At approximately 10:00 a.m. today, Ascend sustained a power failure at the Pensacola, Florida site,” Ascend Senior Communications Manager Tony Ferguson said in an email. “Based on information currently available, no impacts or chemical spills to the environment occurred as a result of this power outage. Following our standard procedures, the appropriate notifications were made out of an abundance of caution. The plant is currently in the process of restarting operations.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nitrogen oxides are a mixture of gases that are composed of nitrogen and oxygen.
The CDC says two of the most toxicologically significant nitrogen oxides are nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide; both are nonflammable and colorless to brown at room temperature.
Everybody is exposed to small amounts of nitrogen oxides in ambient air, according to the CDC, and higher exposure may occur by burning wood or kerosene or near gas stoves or if you smoke.
It says exposure to high levels of nitrogen oxides can damage the respiratory airways. Contact with the skin or eyes can cause burns.
The CDC says nitrogen oxides are used in the production of nitric acid, lacquers, dyes, and other chemicals. Nitrogen oxides are also used in rocket fuels, nitration of organic chemicals, and the manufacture of explosives.
There are no details on the amount or specific type of chemicals that were leaked at Ascend Performance Materials.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Power failure at Ascend results in chemical leak. Here’s what we know
Reporting by Mollye Barrows, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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