Pipe burst at Trinseo PLC releases hazardous material into Bucks County creek; Coast Guard responds

BRISTOL, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Coast Guard personnel responded to the release of hazardous material into Mill Creek in Bristol on Saturday afternoon.

The Coast Guard was notified around 11:40 p.m. Friday about the release and dispatched a team of pollution responders.

Officials say the release was caused by a pipe rupture at a nearby chemical plant, Trinseo PLC.

"It hit the roof of a building, went down a gutter, from the gutter it went to a storm drain, from the storm drains it found another outfall basin, from there it started to leak into the river," said Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering at Trinseo, Tim Thomas.

Overall, an estimated 8,100 gallons of latex finishing material, a water-soluble acrylic polymer solution, was released into the creek.

The overnight and continuous rain only complicated the issue, and material continued to spread.

The creek feeds into the Delaware River.

The Philadelphia Water Department says it is confident that tap water is safe to drink through Monday night after a chemical spill into the Delaware River in Bucks County.

Officials made the announcement in a 3:30 p.m. update based on updated hydraulic modeling and the latest sampling results and data from the Baxter Drinking Water Treatment Plant.

Earlier in the day, Philadelphia residents were recommended to buy bottled water as a precaution, but officials stress that the water remains safe to drink at this time.

"The Philadelphia Water Department is now confident tap water from the Baxter Drinking Water Treatment Plant will remain safe to drink and use at least through 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 27, 2023. There is no need to buy water at this time. Customers can fill bottles or pitchers with tap water with no risk at this time," said officials.

Officials say there is a maximum potential release of 12,000 gallons.

The estimated amount released will be updated as response and recovery efforts continue, officials said.

"It took us a little while to gather the resources as the Ohio incident is still draining a lot of resources regionally," commented Samuel Manka, a marine science technician with the U.S. Coast Guard.

But unlike the toxins spilled in the Ohio chemical spill after the major train derailment, environmental experts are adamant that the material shouldn't be a concern to the public.

"It's like the material you find in paint," said Thomas. "It's your typical acrylic paint you have in your house, that's what really this material is, in a water base."

Environmental crews are working to clean up the spill as fast as they can.

In the meantime, Coast Guard personnel advised the public to stay away from the area where cleanup operations are underway.

"We are working with the responsible party and local and federal agencies to ensure a safe response effort," said Capt. Jonathan Theel, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay. "We are also working with our State counterparts in Pennsylvania."

There have been no reports of injured or affected wildlife from the incident.

Officials are not sure how long the cleanup will take.