Delaware River chemical spill includes toxin released in Ohio train wreck. Here's the latest

A rainy Saturday wasn’t what most Bucks County and Philadelphia residents wanted to see this past weekend but the water runoff that flowed into the Delaware River during and after the storm may help to dilute a toxic chemical spill from a Bristol Township manufacturing plant into a river tributary Friday night, officials said Sunday.

Same chemicals released in Palestine, Ohio

The accidental spill of more than 8,100 gallons of latex emulsion chemicals, some of which flowed into the Otter Creek in Bristol Township and then into the Delaware in Bristol, included butyl acrylate, which gained notoriety as one of the hazardous chemicals released during a horrific train derailment last month in Palestine, Ohio, it was announced at a Philadelphia press conference Sunday on the spill.

Trinseo, a plant that manufactures acrylic resins on Route 413 in Bristol Township, estimated that the equipment failure allowed 8,100 gallons of a solution of water and latex polymers to be spilled into a containment area and then into the creek that flows into the river late Friday night.

Environmental remediation teams were still working to contain the spill Monday, as another round of rain sent more water into the contaminated creek. On Sunday, the Coast Guard said some 60,000 gallons of contaminated water had been collected.

Crews with Lewis Environmental were drawing contaminated water from the channel. Hundreds of gallons of potentially tainted water was gathered up and shipped away in large trucks.

Teams from the Banks Industrial Group installed four plastic dams to slow the spread of the contaminated water. But a milky white, bubbly sludge remained visible downstream.

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What is butyl acrylate?

Butyl acrylate is a clear colorless liquid with a sharp, distinct smell less dense than water, which can form a surface slick on water, according to the National Library of Medicine. The chemical is used for making paints, coatings, caulks, sealants and adhesives, according to a story in the Columbus Dispatch about the train derailment.

Short-term exposure to butyl acrylate can cause skin and eye irritation and respiratory problems.

The other chemicals are ethyl acrylate and methyle methacrylate. Both are colorless liquids that can irritate eyes, nose, lungs and throat.

“The latex emulsion is a white liquid that is used in various consumer goods. Its pigmentation makes the water-soluble material visible in surface water,” Trinseo said on its website.

How have officials monitored and secured water in Delaware River since spill in Bristol?

Many residents of Lower Bucks get their drinking water from Aqua Pennsylvania which said its water intakes in Bristol were immediately shut down and the drinking water here is safe.

"We continue to monitor the situation while also working closely with state and federal agencies. We will reopen our intake only when we are confident that the source water is safe for our customers and meets our stringent quality standards," Aqua stated. Aqua said its system uses water from multiple sources.

"Our Bristol Plant is upstream of the confluence of the spill, which gives us added flexibility," the utility said in another statement Monday afternoon. "While we continue to test the river water through our lab with highly specialized analysis equipment, we also perform other operational tests as we've begun turning on the plant when the tide moves downstream.  And we monitor the tide and shut down the plant when it begins to move upstream."

Bucks County issued a statement Monday that there continues to be "no known adverse impacts to drinking water in Bucks County." The Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority, the North Penn and North Wales water authorities and Pennsylvania American Water also stated that their water supplies are not affected.

"Pennsylvania American Water is monitoring the water quality of the Delaware River ...The company has determined there is no impact to our Yardley Water Treatment Plant, which is 15 miles upstream of the chemical release and serves Yardley Borough, Lower Makefield Township, and part of Falls Township," the company stated.

Philadelphia remains a concern after chemical spill

But Philadelphia officials have more concerns about the safety of the water taken from the river south of the spill by the Philadelphia Water Dept. For a time on Sunday morning, residents were urged to use bottled water and there was a run on supermarkets, including in Lower Bucks close to the border with the city.

At a press conference late Monday afternoon, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and other city officials said that water from city taps is safe until at least 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and urged residents to save three days worth of water in case the water entering the city system at its Baxter plant would show signs of contamination at that time.

Philadelphia police helicopters took aerial views of the river and determined there was no plume of toxins visible in the water, officials said Sunday.

The city is concerned that if contaminated water was found through testing, it would have to work its way through the system, which could take until next week, and that people and restaurants would be advised to use other sources of water until that happens.

Supermarkets there were already out of bottled water. The mayor said that people living on the other side of the Schuylkill River had no concern about their water, as it is not treated at the Baxter plant.

So far, the city has not seen any signs of contamination through 40 tests of the water involving the Baxter plant and city officials said it is safe to drink.

The mayor didn't blame Bucks County for the problem. "We have a good relationship with Bucks County and its government and this is a private company," Kenney said about the spill.

Riverkeeper won't drink from Delaware

But Maya van Rossum wouldn’t drink the water, she said Monday.

The longtime head of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network said she was deeply concerned about the release of information related to the spill and – in particular – notices sent to nonprofit organizations charged with protecting the environment.

DNR is routinely notified of spills that could impact the Delaware River watershed, said van Rossum. “We received no indication of this event.”

Among her concerns, the tidal flow of the Delaware could send chemicals both up and down the river. “The river sloughs up and down,” she said.

Her organization is sending right-to-know requests to the Coast Guard and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. “In situations like this, we ask for everything,” she said. “We want to see everything related to this incident.”

On Monday, van Rossum refrained from making an assessment of the possible environmental damage caused by the spill. The DNR needs much more information before it can determine the potential impact on the environment, including endangered fish species on the Delaware, van Rossum said.

The DEP said Sunday the water in the Delaware had not been contaminated and no fish or wildlife were injured, but they continue to monitor and take samples.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Aqua PA says Bucks County water safe despite chemical spill