Ascend Materials Reports 1,000-Gallon Wastewater Spill in North Escambia

Ascend Performance Materials on Old Chemstrand Road experienced a wastewater spill Tuesday morning due to equipment failure. According to a report filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, more than 1,000 gallons of non-hazardous process wastewater overflowed from a containment dike and spilled onto the ground starting around 7:35 a.m. The company classified the discharge as non-hazardous, though the spill was significant enough to require notification to state environmental regulators. Ascend, a major industrial employer in the North Escambia area, attributed the incident to a malfunction in equipment designed to prevent such overflows. No details about cleanup efforts or environmental impact assessments were immediately available.