The authority said the additional damage was discovered as cleanup continues at the port of three to five gallons of the chemical pentaerythritol tetranitrate. That chemical was spilled after a forklift driver damaged drums of the chemical as they were being loaded onto a truck.
The port was closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and Wednesday afternoon the authority said the Coast Guard announced additional damaged “cylinders” were discovered during overnight operations inside containers on site along with a small amount of residue inside the larger containers carrying the cylinders.
The authority said it was working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard to safely remediate the spill.
'The ports authority's goal is to reopen the Port of Morehead City as safely and as quickly as possible,' said Thomas J. Eagar, chief executive officer. ' Chris Dupin