HomeMy WebLinkAboutNCS000304_Email RE Recordable Spill at Gerdau Charlotte Steel Mill_20180103Georgoulias, Bethany
From: Bob Churchill <Bob.Churchill@gerdau.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2018 7:47 AM
To: Georgoulias, Bethany
Cc: Jill Gee
Subject: [External] FW: Recordable Spill at Gerdau Charlotte Steel Mill
Attachments: EcoSafe FR-46.pdf
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Bethany,
I would like to provide addition information as a follow-up to the phone message I left last week regarding a hydraulic oil
spill at our facility— Gerdau Charlotte Steel Mill, 6601 Lakeview Rd, Charlotte, NC 28269. Last week during maintenance
repairs, a mistake was made in our procedures for shutting down a hydraulic system located in the Finishing End of the
Rolling Mill. As repairs were being made to a section of pipe in the return line from the Cooling Bed section of the
hydraulic system, another portion of the hydraulic system at the Stacker area was started up. The employees involved
were not aware that the return lines for both systems were connected prior to the filtering system at the common
tank. With the Cooling Bed return line open, the fluid flowed into the open piping and into a reservoir which could not
properly handle the quantity as it is not designed for that purpose and subsequently overflowed. The fluid flowed onto
a gravel area next to our administration building and onto the parking area which is paved. The "leak", approximately
125 gallons onto the gravel area, was discovered and the Stacker hydraulic pumps were immediately shutdown. All the
fluid onto the pavement was contained and cleaned up appropriately with no fluid reaching our storm drains and
therefore no contamination to our Stormwater ponds. The hydraulic oil is EcoSafe FR -46, a non -hazardous material (see
attached SDS).
Sand was applied to the gravel area to provide an absorbent. This material along with the contaminated gravel will be
removed and disposed of appropriately. We expect to have the area restored with a slag covering by early next
week. The procedures for conducting this type of work have already been modified to include lockout of all hydraulic
supply pumps which will prevent the common return lines to backflow as was experienced with this repair work. These
procedures will be communicated with all Rolling Mill employees to ensure future instances will not occur. Please let
me know if there are additional details or information that you or the department may need from Gerdau.
Bob Churchill
Gerdau — GLN
Safety, Health, and Environmental Manager
Charlotte Mill
6601 Lakeview Road
Charlotte, NC 28269
(704) 596-0361, ext 3128 office
(865) 388-4373 cell
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