Charleston terminal closed for over 24 hours because of a gas leak

The Port of Charleston’s North Charleston terminal has been closed for over 24 hours because of a gas leak from an outbound shipment. Port spokesman Byron Miller told Fairplay that the leak was discovered late on Tuesday night and because of the flammability of the gas – a refrigerant called “difluoroethylene” – the terminal has been evacuated. The gas, being shipped by 3-M, is in six cylinders contained in a 40ft frame. In addition to the terminal closure, traffic on nearby roads is being diverted, Miller says. No vessels were alongside when the leak was discovered, but one docked last night and another is expected today, he said. And while the ships are being allowed to dock, no cargo work is being done and the gates are closed to inbound and outbound vehicular traffic. Miller says the cylinders actually contain the chemical in liquid form, but that it gasifies upon hitting air. “There’s no spill issue,” he says, adding that port officials are working with the Coast Guard, local fire departments, the state department of Health & Environmental Control and an environmental containment team hired by 3-M. “We don’t know when the terminal will reopen, but we want done in the safest and most expeditious way possible.”