Apex, NC- Major Hazmat Emergency 10-6-06

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credit: Chris Seward/News&Observer

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WRAL.com

WRAL.com

Apex Plant Fire, Explosions Lead To Evacuations

POSTED: 10:47 pm EDT October 5, 2006

UPDATED: 3:22 am EDT October 6, 2006

APEX, N.C. -- Apex and Wake County officials declared a state of emergency early Friday and evacuated about 16,000 people -- half of of Apex -- after a cloud containing chlorine gas spewed from a volatile industrial fire.

Apex Town Manager Bruce Radford said a leak at the EQ North Carolina plant on Investment Boulevard sent several large plumes of chlorine gas into the air around 9 p.m.

A large fire broke out at the plant afterward, sending flames more than 100 feet into the night sky and setting off multiple explosions.

"This is the worst possible hazardous materials incident you could have," Radford said.

The town's central business district, including Town Hall, will be closed Friday, he said. Anyone in the area without a legitimate reason would be arrested, he said.

All local schools also will be closed Friday, officials said.

Radford warned residents wandering the streets late Thursday and early Friday to get inside, saying that walking in the smoke would endanger people's lives.

"There are all grades of contaminated materials in this smoke and the fire," he said. "If you see this smoke, get away from it."

WakeMed Cary Hospital officials said that at least 106 people from Apex had been transported to their emergency room. Many of those people were residents of a nursing home near the plant who were brought to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

Fewer than a dozen Apex residents went to the Rex Hospital emergency room in Raleigh, complaining of respiratory difficulties, officials said.

Prolonged direct inhalation of chlorine gas could cause sickness or even death, authorities said. Chest pain, vomiting, and difficulty breathing are among the symptoms that might be experienced.

Authorities evacuated about 100 residences in the Briarcliff area shortly after the fire began. Several streets also were blocked off.

Shifting winds moved the smoke in different directions throughout the night, forcing further evacuations.

Radford said the eastern half of Apex had been evacuated by midnight, including residents in the Haddon Hall, Surrey Meadows, Knollwood, Shepherd's Vineyard and Weatherford Green subdivisions.

The area evacuated by 3 a.m. Friday was from N.C. Highway 55 to Hunter Road, Hunter Road to Old Raleigh Road, and U.S. Highway 64 to Highway 55.

Mayor Keith Weatherly said at about 12:30 a.m. Friday that a state of emergency had been declared to help the town control the situation. Wake County declared a state of emergency about two hours later for unincorporated areas around Apex.

The declarations will make it easier for the town to apply for federal emergency aid, if needed, officials said.

Authorities had to move their command post three times to get downwind of the explosions and gas plume.

The town's 911 center was relocated from the police department downtown to Apex Elementary School.

Flights into and leaving Raleigh-Durham International Airport were being rerouted to at least 5 miles from downtown Apex to avoid the fire and explosions, officials said.

The Raleigh Fire Department Hazardous Response Team arrived at the scene shortly after 10:30 p.m. to aid Apex authorities.

Over 300 firefighters from Raleigh, Cary, Holly Springs and other jurisdictions also assisted in the effort.

The state Air Toxics Analytical Support Team was brought to the area early Friday to help monitor the air quality following the chlorine gas leak and fire and develop a plan of action.

Firefighters were unable to approach the blaze for hours after it ignited because of the explosions and hazardous chemicals. Crews plan to move into the area around daybreak, Radford said.

"We want to get in there as quickly as we can, but we're not going to endanger anyone," Radford said. "Rather than put water or foam on the fire, it's better to let the fire burn itself out so we don't create a large hazardous area on the ground."

Officials don't have any idea how long the fire might burn, he said.

A plane tried to fly over the plant early Friday morning to assess the situation but had to return to the airport because of adverse weather.

Apex police have asked all residents within a one-mile radius of Investment Blvd and Sheffelein Road to evacuate to Olive Chapel Elementary School on Olive Chapel Road.

Apex residents who weren't evacuated were asked to turn off their air conditioners and stay indoors with doors and windows closed until further notice.

Once Olive Chapel Elementary filled up, authorities planned to open a second shelter at Turner Creek Elementary School. Officials are also asking residents to seek temporary residence at hotels on the western side of Apex or with relatives if shelters are full.

Local Red Cross volunteers arrived at the shelters early Friday to provide food, water, blankets, cots and other items to evacuees.

Classes at Apex Elementary, Apex Middle, Apex High, Baucom Elementary, Olive Chapel Elementary and Turner Creek Elementary schools have been cancelled Friday, Wake County Schools officials said.

School district officials said they are closely monitoring the situation and would update the district Web site later Friday morning with information about the fire's impact on other area schools.

EQ officials were on their way to the plant late Thursday, Radford said.

The Wayne, Mich.-based company is a licensed hazardous-waste facility that serves businesses. It offers services to a variety of institutions that have hazardous chemicals and other materials that must be disposed of according to state and federal regulations.

The facility is federally licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Cregg Johnson, a truck driver who hauls materials to and from EQ, said he was sleeping in his tractor-trailer cab outside the plant Thursday night when a firefighter pulled him out to evacuate as part of the building was engulfed in flames.

"As we were headed off, barrels started blowing, and it just sounded like thunder," Johnson said. "I saw black smoke in the air and it was going south, and I told the firefighters I was heading north."

He said he had to leave his tractor-trailer full of flammable household chemicals, including paints and paint thinner, parked outside the plant.

EQ's Web site states that the company serves "R&D facilities, educational institutions, manufacturing companies, government agencies, hospital and medical facilities."

State environmental officials fined EQ $32,000 in March for failing to minimize the possibility of a release of hazardous-waste materials or implement a contingency plan for a possible release.

Edited October 7, 2006 by Truck4

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Toxic cloud from plant fire forces thousands to evacuate

•Downtown of Apex, North Carolina, covered in thick black smoke

•At least 106 nursing home residents hospitalized, officials say

•Cause of blasts, fire at hazardous waste plant unknown

•Facility fined in March for safety violations

APEX, North Carolina (CNN) -- Half of the 32,000 residents of Apex, North Carolina, have been asked to evacuate Friday after explosions and fire at a hazardous waste plant released noxious gases and flames 150 feet high over the town.

People "are putting themselves in very grave danger by being near or around this smoke. If you see smoke, get away from it." said Bruce Radford, manager of the Raleigh suburban town.

"There are pesticides, oxides, chlorine gases, there are all grades of contaminated material in this fire and in this smoke," he said.

No deaths have been reported from the fire at the plant, called Environmental Quality Industrial Services, but more than 100 people have been hospitalized.

Officials said they didn't know what sparked the blaze, but The Associated Press quoted Mayor Keith Weatherly as saying flames jumped the plant site and appeared to have caused petroleum tanks, belonging to another company, to explode.

Fireballs seen shooting up, blasts heard over and over

A yellow haze lingered over downtown and the air smelled faintly of chlorine as police lined the main street that runs through the town's business district, blocking both ends of the road, according to AP.

"People are going to want to come in and sightsee at this fire scene," Radford told AP. "They will either get terribly sick or they will be arrested. No questions asked."

Practically the entire eastern part of the town of Apex, located about 10 miles southwest of Raleigh, had been evacuated by early Friday, Radford said.

The fire shut a large stretch of State Road 55, an important commuter corridor to jobs at Research Triangle Park, the News & Observer reported.

Radford asked residents to close all windows, turn off all air conditioning and be aware if they have "tenderness of the mouth, gagging and nausea, which are typical signs of poisoning."

Although the plant is in an industrial area, neighborhoods are close by.

A hazardous materials team from nearby Raleigh was to assess the damage at daybreak.

Radford told the News & Observer that firefighters plan to put on special protective suits and scale 90-foot ladders to better observe the disaster.

Although flames reached 150 feet, officials are letting the fire burn itself out to avoid toxic runoff and the threat to firefighters.

"Water would flood the area with toxic chemicals," Radford said. "It just needs to burn up."

Mayor Weatherly warned an approaching front could change the wind direction by midmorning. "If the weather changes, it could bring more neighbors in danger and they may require evacuations," he said.

Facility fined for safety violations

The Wayne, Michigan-based EQ Industrial Services processes hazardous and nonhazardous waste, according to its Web site.

On March 31, the plant was fined for six safety violations, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Web site.

It was required to pay a fine of $32,000 for failing to "minimize the possibility of a sudden or nonsudden release of hazardous waste constituents to air, soil or surface water which could threaten human health or the environment."

The company was also cited for storing a container of hazardous waste beside an incompatible one and for not clearly marking containers to identify their contents.

It was also cited for failing to immediately carry the procedures outlined in the contingency plan "whenever there is a release of hazardous waste or constituents which threatens or could threaten human health or the environment."

Nursing home patients treated

Hospital officials said at least 106 residents from a nearby nursing home were admitted, in addition to people complaining of severe respiratory distress.

The News & Observer reported that about 10 firefighters and a police officer were taken to hospitals with severe respiratory problems.

The downtown is covered in thick black smoke, and Radford said he is concerned about people who have ventured near the fire for a closer look.

Residents as far as two miles away could see the plume or smell the chemicals, officials told AP.

Residents have been asked to evacuate from at least six neighborhoods; others have been told to remain in their homes.

Authorities are calling this the "biggest emergency we've ever had to deal with," Teasley said.

Radford declared a state of emergency for the town and county and said the business district, town hall and all schools in Apex will be closed Friday

Edited October 6, 2006 by hoss

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Hope everyone stays safe and makes out ok

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Here it the latest summary.

The fire was allowed to burn through the night. The fear was that the contents were unknown and the effects of water and or foam or other chemicals on the fire were unknown. A large area of fire has burned out.

Haz mat teams are preparing to start their evaluation shortly.

Officials believe that the rain will have a positive effect on air quality and it will clear the chemical cloud. A front is on its way through the area and may cause somee concern with a wind shift.

All fire fighters and police are ok. Injuries are minor and mostly exposure to chemicals. Most treated and released. Two police remain under observation.

The area has been declared to be "Under Emergency". No word on when the area will be cleared and ressidents will be allowed to return to their homes.

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Me and some other PO's are on are way to augmet Apex PD. We are down the road about 20 minutes. I'll post anything of interest when we return.

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I just watched a news conference held by the officials of Apex.

It appears that this could become a text book case for handling a major Haz Mat event.

The town of Apex had a good Haz Mat plan. The Fire Dept made the decision to let the fire burn instead of trying to put it out since they did not know the effect water or foam would have on the chemicals

They also had a good cloud dispersiion program. This allowed officials to determine evacuations area as well as shelter in place areas. They promptly established an emergency zone.

They had a good communications in place. There was prompt notification to other government agencies in neighboring communties, the county and the state. Response from these agencies was swift and coordination between agencies was good. No turf wars.

The Fire Dept appears to have had good training and they made all of the correct calls under actual conditions.

Update on the hospitalzed police officers. Both have been released from the hospital.

The major fire remaining is in a collapsed building. A decision based on Haz Mat evaluations will be made later in the day.