A methanol spill at a storage facility on Front Street shut down the roadway overnight and into Monday morning.
The methanol spill occurred at Colonial Terminals at 1002 South Front St. just after 10 p.m. Sunday, according to Wilmington Fire Department Battalion Chief David Hines.
The spill occurred from an overflow when a valve was mistakenly left open and caused a tank to overfill, Hines said. It was estimated that more than 20,000 gallons of the chemical spilled in the area.
Methanol is a colorless liquid that is highly volatile, flammable and toxic. The chemical is used in the production of gasoline. Crews worked to contain the chemical by applying a foam blanket over the spill to suppress its flammable vapors. The spill was contained inside the berms on site, which are designed to contain spills.
South Front Street was closed to traffic from Wright Street to Greenfield Street, and the Front Street off-ramp to the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, Hines said. The roadway reopened at about 9 a.m. Monday.
No evacuations or injuries were reported.
