BNA Meeting Open Floor Discussion: Allnex Chemical Spills

During the March 2023 Beechmont Neighborhood Association board meeting, we invite all neighbors to take part in our open floor discussion on recent chemical spills committed by the Allnex manufacturing facility in the Beechmont neighborhood. Any testimonies, commentary, thoughts and concerns on the matter are welcome and encouraged. This discussion will later be presented to Allnex directly through the Beechmont Neighborhood Association board and Metro Council District 21 representatives.

Information on the company and its history of spills at the Beechmont location can be found below. Although this meeting is mainly concerned with the specific incident that occurred in March 2022, it is important to note the additional context of the facility's other spills, especially regarding the spill that occurred in December 2022 after the facility had already been investigated earlier that same year for the same violations.

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Allnex is an adhesive, sealant, and specialty coating manufacturer with a facility located in the Beechmont neighborhood at 4730 Crittenden Drive Louisville, KY 40209. Allnex's Louisville location permit does not allow the discharge of waste into the sewage system.

On the morning of March 11, 2022, Allnex discharged 400 gallons of styrene into the sewage system following a chemical spill. An odor complaint was reported by multiple neighboring residences, stating a strong smell similar to that of paint thinner inside the homes.

In response, a community meeting was formed at Americana Community Center to discuss the response to the spill performed by Louisville MSD, Air Pollution Control District, and the local fire department. Later, MSD performed an inspection of the facility and provided to the facility a list of issues that needed addressing.

See related news coverage regarding the March 11 spill below:
- Community meeting addresses concerns over recent south Louisville chemical spill
- Neighbors left frustrated with city response after chemical spill from nearby facility
- What's that smell? | Louisville neighbors worry about strange smell that resulted from chemical spill

On the morning of December 14, 2022, an odor complaint was reported by a neighboring residence, claiming a smell similar to that of the Allnex spill in March 2022. The facility failed to report the spill when it occurred, and the facility discharged the spill waste into the sewage system.

The same facility (Allnex being under the previous identity Nuplex) was the subject of another major chemical spill a decade ago in which a cracked tank was filled with xylene, leaking the chemical into the gravel underneath. The company paid a civil penalty of $15,000 and was required to undergo intense evaluations. The EPA was involved in the matter. Up to that point, the facility was already the subject of a lengthy history of odor complaints. See documentation of violations below:

- AGREED BOARD ORDER NO. 11-06 | Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control Board | Incident Nos. 04733, 05711, 05716 and 05780

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