Propane Release and Evacuation at Taconic Plastics in Petersburgh, NY

Location: Petersburgh, New York, United States

Incident Summary

On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, local authorities responded to a significant propane leak at the Taconic Plastics manufacturing facility in Petersburgh, New York. The release originated from a transfer system associated with the facility's bulk propane storage tanks (reported as two 30,000-gallon tanks).

In response to the leak, emergency responders issued an evacuation order for all residents and businesses within a half-mile radius of the plant. Power was cut to the area to eliminate ignition sources, and State Route 22 was closed to traffic. Emergency crews, including the Petersburgh Fire Department, worked to offload the remaining propane and secure the leak. The evacuation order was lifted later that evening around 5:00 PM after the site was deemed stable. No injuries were reported.

Facility Description

Taconic Plastics (Taconic) is a manufacturer specializing in PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) coated fabrics, tapes, and belts. The Petersburgh facility processes these materials for use in various industrial applications, including food processing, aerospace, and chemical processing.

Speculation on Potential Causes

While the official root cause analysis has not been released, preliminary reports and weather conditions suggest that thermal stress or freezing may have played a critical role.

Low Temperature Failure: The incident occurred during a period of low temperatures. Reports indicate a transfer pipe or valve may have frozen. In process safety, water trapped in a valve cavity or dead leg can freeze and expand, cracking the metal body of the valve (a "freeze fracture"). Alternatively, extreme cold can cause brittle fracture in carbon steel piping if the material is not rated for the operating temperature.

Mechanical Stress: If the "cracked valve" description provided in early reports is accurate, the failure could also stem from mechanical fatigue or external physical stress on the piping system during transfer operations.

OSHA Inspection History

A review of publicly available OSHA enforcement data does not show specific recent citations for Taconic Plastics in Petersburgh related to propane storage, piping systems, or Process Safety Management (PSM) violations prior to the January 2026 incident.

While the facility handles significant quantities of propane (reported as two 30,000-gallon tanks), which typically triggers OSHA's Process Safety Management (PSM) standard (29 CFR 1910.119) and the EPA's Risk Management Program (RMP), there are no major enforcement actions visible in public summaries regarding these specific programs for this site in the last decade.

Sources of Information

WAMC Northeast Public Radio: "Residents in Petersburgh evacuated following propane leak" (January 7, 2026).

Times Union: "Evacuation order lifted after propane leak at Taconic Plastics in Petersburgh."

iHeartMedia / WGY: "Petersburgh Evacuation Lifted After Propane Leak" (January 8, 2026).