An acid leak at the Intel manufacturing plant in Leixlip, Co Kildare, yesterday morning was said to have been contained with no harm to people or the environment, writes Róisín Ingle
Three fire brigade vehicles attended the scene in a rear service yard of the plant where micro-processors are produced. Hydrochloric acid, a highly-corrosive liquid, had leaked from a tank which for safety reasons is located inside a concrete basin or bund.
The leaked acid, thought to have been caused by a fractured valve in the tank, seeped into the bund. Foam was sprayed over the acid by the fire brigade to prevent fumes.
Intel's public affairs director, Mr Bill Reilly, said that the structure was designed so that even if the tank had ruptured completely, the spillage would have been contained. After the incident, readings were taken of the air around the plant perimeter. No trace of hydrochloric acid was reported.
"We have over 3,000 people working here, so their safety and the safety of the local community is our first priority," he said.
People living in the vicinity and the Environmental Protection Agency were immediately contacted when the incident occurred, he added.
A spokesman for the fire brigade said he was satisfied there had been no adverse impact on any personnel or on the environment.