Three United States Coast Guard officers received medical treatment Tuesday after an unexpected release of turpentine on a tank they were inspecting at the Napoleon Avenue Wharf, officials said.
The officers were conducting a routine inspection of a tank of crude sulfate turpentine at the wharf at the base of Napoleon Avenue shortly before 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, when it “without warning released a small amount of product via the relief valve due to the high ambient temperatures,” according to a New Orleans Fire Department news release. “This is a safety feature on tanks to prevent over pressurization.”
The officers were exposed to the product, so they went to a local hospital for treatment, and were later released, the report states. Meanwhile, a Hazardous Materials team from the New Orleans Fire Department evacuated the area, determined the source of the leak, and mitigated the hazards, while also assisting hospital officials with decontamination procedures, the report states.
The port was able to return to normal activity afterward, the report states.
