Eastman, Regulators: No Harm In Chemical Spill

Regulators and company officials say a minor chemical spill at the Eastman Chemical plant in Kingsport caused no harm to the environment.

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (AP) -- Regulators and company officials say a minor chemical spill at the Eastman Chemical Co. plant in Kingsport caused no harm to the environment.
 
The spill occurred Friday when one of the company's vessels overheated. About 160 gallons of a chemical identified by its brandname as DowTherm was released to relieve pressure. Employees sprayed water on the material and the diluted mixture washed into the Holston River, where it dissipated.
 
Dow Chemical Co. describes DowTherm on its Web site as a glycol-based heat transfer fluid that is formulated with heavy-duty industrial inhibitors to prevent corrosion.
 
''There was no impact on the environment. No fish kill. No harm to humans or nature,'' Eastman spokeswoman Betty Payne said Wednesday.
 
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation monitored the incident and told The Kingport Times-News there was no danger to the environment.
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