Toxic Spill Rocks Saint-Malo Port: Fertilizer Disaster Narrowly Averted

The ship NQ Rosa, a Maltese-flagged tanker moored at the Jacques-Cartier quay, was delivering the phosphoric acid when a leak occurred, reports Ouest-France. The incident required the intervention of the chemical and biological risk team of the firefighters.

At least 1,000 liters of phosphoric acid would have leaked and flowed mainly into the retention tank and to a lesser extent on the quay and in the water. The firefighters quickly secured the area and carried out the necessary checks in the water.

This acid is used for the manufacture of phosphate salts, mainly fertilizers and detergents. The ship’s crew remained on board as a precaution. One person was inconvenienced and taken to the Saint-Malo hospital for examination.