5,000 gallons of molasses spill into Baltimore's Inner Harbor after tank overflow

A chemical reaction last week at a feed products facility in Baltimore led a container tank to overflow and spill an estimated 5,000 gallons of molasses into the Inner Harbor. 

The spill was reported Oct. 17 at 1075 Hull St., by Westway Feed Products LLC, according to an incident report completed by the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE). The report stated that a complaint alleged the molasses spill resulted in the air around the area smelling "sugary."

At the time, when the 1-million-gallon tank was inspected, "extremely hot, pressurized molasses was still actively releasing from the top of the tank," the report reads. Natural cane molasses is commonly used in the production of animal feed products. 

"Maillard reaction" caused the overflow  

The overflow was caused by "a Maillard reaction," the MDE reported. Such an event can result when sugars react with amino acids, causing molasses to bubble and expand. The tank was believed to be about three-quarters full when the reaction happened. 

The site where the spill occurred was located within 200 feet of the Patapsco River Mesohaline, a waterbody designated for protection for estuarine and marine aquatic life, shellfish harvesting, and recreation, the MDE report says. 

"No dead fish or immediate adverse aquatic impacts were observed in the harbor during the inspection, nor were any reported by the facility," the agency said. Also, no storm drain inlets were observed on Hull Street near the site, and one outfall pipe for stormwater near the tank was isolated, the MDE said.

Westway Feed Products said in a statement to CBS News Baltimore the release was quickly contained and authorities were notified immediately. The company said the overflow began around 2 a.m. and crews from Miller Environment, which assisted with the spill, arrived at the site around 5 a.m. 

Remediation plan agreed

"A remediation plan has been agreed upon with the authorities and recovery efforts are underway," the company's statement said. "Although odors may be noticeable during cleanup, air monitoring conducted during the incident detected no known hazards to the environment or surrounding community."

Efforts to slow the molasses flow involved the placing of sand barriers, the deployment of a temporary floating boom in the harbor and vaccum trucks that were brought in to suck up the material, the MDE said. An environmental boat was also deployed to observe molasses levels in the water. 

In addition, Westway Feed Products said it had transferred molasses from the 1-million-gallon tank to a 3-million-gallon tank to stop the overflow.