Cobb chemical spill blamed on gasket failure

Cleanup crews work Monday at the site of a chemical spill in Smyrna that left a creek chalky white. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)

Cleanup crews work Monday at the site of a chemical spill in Smyrna that left a creek chalky white. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)

The company responsible for the chemical spill in Cobb County over the weekend said the water had significantly improved over the past 24 hours.

Company officials said the leak may have been caused by a gasket failure on a mixing tank coupled with a breakdown in the room’s spill retention system.

“We have suspended production activities at the facility,” the company said on its website.

Among the details of the planned cleanup, the company said the tank containing the chemical solvent was taken out of service. Also, it plans to drain all of the mixing tanks and have an engineer inspect each one. Washington Engineering and Architecture will evaluate the design of the mixing room and determine the reason the containment failed, the statement said.

the Environmental International Corporation to monitor the air quality in the area, take water samples from the creek and collect any identified waste.