Comments on: FDEP: Ascend Reports Chemical Release; Unpermitted Discharge

By: Big boy

Big boy — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 16:10:25 +0000

Yes concerned citizen. I do know what cyclohexane is. I worked in this area of concern for the last 20 years of my 37 years at this plant. You said you understand mistakes are made. You are right. Any mistake could be avoided . No one would make this mistake on purpose. I will say the only person that has never made a mistake is the person that has never done anything. We should be glad this mistake was found and corrected before it got out of hand. We weren’t there so we don’t know what or how it happened. Let’s hope and pray that they get through this plant overhaul with out any more problems .

By: Concerned citizen

Concerned citizen — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 00:58:46 +0000

Big Boy…yes these plants have been here since the 50’s. However, they are not ran in the same manner as they used to be. The mentality of at least Ascend has changed. Do you know what Cyclohexane is? Look up the Flixborough disaster. That was a fraction of the amount of inventory that Ascend has on hand. My family has worked there since it opened in 1952. Three generations to be exact. I understand mistakes happen but that mistake could have been avoided and could hast cost hundreds of lives. Get good people and keep good people!!!

By: Big Boy

Big Boy — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 15:22:29 +0000

These plants have been here since the early 50s. You moved in on them , they didn’t move in on you. They have done more good for this area than most. I among many others worked and spent our earnings in our community. Probly even in some of your business . If you don’t know what you are talking just keep your mouth shut and remain ignart. These company’s spend millions of dollars each year to local suppliers. Which sped there money at other business , of which maybe you work for. Your paycheck. Think first before you put your company out of business or maybe just loose your paycheck. There is always the option of moving somewhere else that you feel better about it you can find that place.

By: Eddie

Eddie — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 03:51:32 +0000

Northwest FL sold their souls/soils to the devil. Not to mention our air and water. Escambia River is a cesspool and that cantonment smell is atrocious. I often wonder if our rivers and springs were ever as beautiful as our Florida sister rivers and springs.

By: William Lingo

William Lingo — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 17:04:36 +0000

Sorry, but working in one part of a plant, doesn’t mean that you’re an expert on ALL plant operations. I’m old enough to know better and to know that this particular plant pays its fines rather than fix the real problems, so stop pretending that they do everything by the book, because they DON’T!!!

@Northescambia.com staff, I too want to thank you for the job you do, this organization does a better job than the local printed paper, which I don’t waste my time on anymore because I get better reporting right here on northescambia.org

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 12:48:09 +0000

These comments are awful. People are really meat heads. It’s disappointing. It’s like you all ok with getting cancer and justification for sloppy chemical handling.. Just because it’s reported properly doesn’t make it right. And our children’s future on this planet matters more than money. Animals

By: William in Beulah

William in Beulah — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 11:41:32 +0000

@Higgy & Joe, apparently you know little to nothing about the history of this plant or that of the paper mill!!! These two industries has been doing nothing but polluting our area with chemical spills, other accidental discharges and other regulatory violations that they ignored for 50+ years, because it’s easier to pay the fine than fix the problem.

Yes, these two plants should be shutdown because my community’s environment is more important than the plant or its employees paychecks, because without a safe place to live and play, the money doesn’t matter, because it will be spent on cancer treatments and other medical ailments associated with these industries!!!

By: Jr

Jr — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 09:46:59 +0000

First of all, thank you William @ NorthEscambia for reporting this. Also, thank you to Ascend for reporting this. Yes, cyclohexane is bad but they have implemented a safety procedure to capture these products that may be released. You can bet that they are inline with OSHA being they have been tagged by VPP as a top 100 plant that does all they can to stay in compliance with OSHA as well as the EPA. That cooling tower water released? Like it was stated above…the same chemical makeup in your swimming pool is as how it is in the Cooling towers…the uneducated are always the one that want to close a place down when something like this happens. Ascend is in the middle of a huge outage. Yes, those on the payroll out there in a permanent way puts a lot of money into the econoy as does those traveling workers out there now. Get educated about the places of employment around you before you look like a fool commenting on what you don’t know.

By: Danson

Danson — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 04:26:27 +0000

@ Joe & Higgy
Your spot on.
Worked in this industry 45 years and you always have uneducated squawking.
Sad part is, its easier to play chicken little than get educated.
Those plants make a hell of a lot more finished goods they are not aware of.
99% of those chicken littles could not pronounce the names of all the chemicals in the plants.
They watch too much Radium Man movies.
Start clucking!!!
Thats all you know!
PERIOD.

By: Concerned citizen

Concerned citizen — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 23:44:25 +0000

Mike, cooling tower water is process water. That process water has chemicals in it. It in turned went straight to the river through the north outfall. Secondly, the drains on those tanks are not a 1/2 or 3/4 drain. It was most likely the 1 1/2 to 2 inch manual drain valve. Cyclohexane is EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE and can find an ignition source fairly easily. Not to mention if that part of the plant were to go up so would the butane spheres and the ammonia tanks.