Repeated State Inspections Uncover Poor Chemical Storage (Image Credits: Unsplash)
Durham, N.C. – State regulators cited chemical distributor Brenntag Mid-South in November for neglecting to address leaking barrels at its East Durham repackaging facility, the latest in a series of environmental lapses threatening a nearby stream and the region’s drinking water.[1]
Repeated State Inspections Uncover Poor Chemical Storage
Inspectors from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality visited the plant last September and discovered steel drums outdoors with fluids streaming down their sides and liquids pooling on top.[1] This marked the third instance of inadequate housekeeping at the site. Earlier, in April 2025, officials noted rusted, dented, and leaking containers, though the company removed them by autumn. A March 2022 check revealed barrels positioned on their sides, some dented, with an unidentified liquid escaping into a containment zone.
These findings prompted a formal notice of violation last fall, carrying deadlines into March and May. Observers questioned whether other pallets on the property harbored hidden contamination. Dark, discolored water has also discharged from the facility into the adjacent waterway, posing risks to human health via contact and to aquatic species.
Hazardous Chemicals Persist in Neighborhood Stream
Recent tests confirmed a mix of contaminants exiting the Brenntag property into a stream that passes behind Burton Elementary School’s playground, traverses Burton Park, and feeds into Third Fork Creek and Jordan Lake.[1] Brenntag’s December sampling identified over a dozen substances at an outfall, including ethanol, acetone, and 1,4-dioxane exceeding state benchmarks…