(ABC 6 NEWS) -- There were some tense moments this morning at an industrial site on the outskirts of Manly, Iowa.

"We had a call, 9-1-1 call earlier today that there was a train car that had sulfuric acid spilling out of it," explained Worth County Sheriff Jay Langenbau as he stook outside his SUV, just down the road from the Manly Terminal.

Sulfuric acid is a colorless, odorless and highly corrosive liquid. About two thirds of all fertilizers available on the market today are created from a combination of sulfuric acid and other chemicals. It's also a key component in batteries and wastewater treatment.

"I don't know how much is spilling," said Sheriff Jay Langenbau. "We do have hazmat that is up there taking a look at it and taking care of the problem up there. So what we're doing is we're blocking the roads here and making a perimeter."

A boat carrying 2,400 tons of sulfuric acid from the chemical company BASF capsized in Germany's Rhine River at 5 a.m. today, Jan. 13. Rescuers are searching the river for two missing men who are part of the ship's four-man crew.

At this point, "to our knowledge no acid leaked into the river," from the stainless steel double-hulled tanker called the Waldorf, Robert Baack, the chief operating officer for Lehnkering, the company managing the shipping, said in a statement.

The capsize happened, "for as yet unexplained reasons," he noted.

River levels are higher than normal due to recent melting of large quantities of snow that fell over the past month, and the accident occurred at a narrow point in the river which is known to have strong currents, according to AFP, the French press agency.

The boat was carrying the sulfuric acid from Ludwigshafen, in southern Germany to Antwerp, Belgium, says Ursula von Stetten, a BASF spokeswoman.

About 200 gallons of sulfuric acid leaked from a pipe that broke outside the entrance of the Wynn Las Vegas on the Strip. Clark County, Nev. spokeswoman Stacey Welling told the Las Vegas Sun the accidental spill was caused by a contractor filling the pipe with the chemical right outside the resort. The fire department responded at about 8 a.m. PT, and the spill was contained within about an hour.
Movement along the Strip, jammed with traffic on normal days, was gridlocked in the area near the Las Vegas Convention Center and other venues, including the Venetian Hotel, where the Consumer Electronics Show is being held. More than 120,000 are attending the show, and many were trying to make their way via buses, taxis and cars to the convention center.

WAREHAM - Wareham firefighters responded to the 4th District Court in Wareham Wednesday, December 15, 2010, for a reported sulfuric acid spill around 10:30 a.m.

According to emergency broadcast reports, approximately one half quart of sulfuric acid was spilled in the basement of the courthouse complex. 

The courthouse was evacuated and will be closed for the remainder of the day according to the Wareham District County Clerk's Office.  There were no reported injuries.

Hazardous material crews also responded to the scene. 

About 250 gallons of sulfuric acid leaked onto Interstate 25 and into its drainage systems Thursday night.

Crews are finishing the cleanup today and trying to determine the damage and environmental impact.

The leak, in the northbound lanes between South Washington Street and South Broadway, closed I-25 at South University Boulevard for several hours, and the northbound lanes remained closed late Thursday.

Phil Champagne, a spokesman for the Denver Fire Department, said a semi hauling about 38,000 pounds of sulfuric acid was leaking the corrosive chemical as it drove along the interstate, and other motorists reported the leak.

Champagne called it a "considerable spill."

Residents of a Scarborough neighbourhood spent much of yesterday hiding from a cloud of sulphuric acid that escaped from a nearby factory.

Fire officials put the blame on an overloaded filter inside Chemtura Canada at 10 Chemical Court, in the Lawrence and Morningside area.

“We had police officers close down the area and firefighters going door to door, advising residents to stay inside until we gave the all clear,” said Division Commander Lorne Buckingham.

Nearby residents were told to close their windows and to turn off their ventilation systems.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Exit 24 of northbound Interstate 81 in Franklin County, Pa., was closed for about five hours Monday after a tractor-trailer’s load shifted and caused hazardous material to leak on the ground, a Pennsylvania State Police spokesman said.

The tractor-trailer contained 20,000 pounds of sulfuric acid, according to the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services.

The incident, which occurred at about 8 a.m., prompted officials to close the portion of Pa. 696 from I-81 to Woods Road, police said.

Firefighters said they prevented what could have been a catastrophic chemical leak Wednesday along the Ohio River in Hamilton County.
Crews were sent to the DuPont plant on Brower Road near Shawnee Lookout Park just about 1 p.m. after a small leak was reported in a tank of sulfuric acid. Fire Chief Stephen Ober said the leak was a gas that was 30 percent oleum.
Oleum, also called disulfuric acid, is used in several manufacturing processes, including creating explosives. It's considered highly corrosive and can be an airborne health hazard under certain circumstances.