Thousands evacuated after fire at hazardous waste plant

[cal04]

Half of Apex, North Carolina's, 32,000 residents have been advised to evacuate Friday after explosions and fire at a hazardous waste plant released noxious gases over the town and flames 150 feet high.

"There are pesticides, oxides, chlorine gases, there are all grades of contaminated material in this fire and in this smoke," Apex town manager Bruce Radford said. People "are putting themselves in very grave danger by being near or around this smoke. If you see smoke, get away from it."

No deaths have been reported, but more than 100 people have been hospitalized.

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

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/06/plant.fire/index.html

[pecwae]

1. Our weather here is overcast

and light rain. We're hoping the winds don't pick up to spread this any farther afield. With the haze I don't know that I could even recognize smoke. I'm just a few miles north of there and there's an acidic taste in the air.

[bluemarkers]

2. stay safe

we are south of things = pretty scary

[pecwae]

3. You as well. nt

[FormerDem06]

5. We're in the offices at the edge of the EVAC zone

At Regency on US1 and 64. The air out here just doesn't taste right. That Chlorine gas cloud was just spotted at HWY 64 and Lake Pine Drive.

Scary stuff.

[bluemarkers]

7. that's close

these evac zones are kinda funny - like the cloud is going to stop at Tryon road? I hope you stay safe. Hey! That's near baby Wake! (hospital) oh dear.

Sounds like they may have to evac parts of Cary too....

WRAL scroll just said the cloud was approaching 55 and 64? (that is near the plant in the first place) I guess the news is going to be sketchy right now. We were planning to go out of town this weekend _ good timing for once.

Take care everyone.

[acmavm]

4. Any word on what the possible cause was yet?

<snip>

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."

<snip>

Someone need to do some serious jail time. Or at least it sounds that we to me.

[pecwae]

6. No word yet.

The winds are picking up. Some evacuees have had to be moved up to 3 times since this all began last night. The area has had several vehicle accidents b/o weather. Traffic is snarled. Motels are full.

[Kool Kitty]

8. Just saw a report on news that said

the people who were evacuated Friday morning still can't return home due to toxic gas cloud which doesn't seem to be dissipating. (This was on local news here in central NJ.) Yikes.

[rocktivity]

9. Odd how little national TV coverage this story got

And considering I work where there's a TV with CNN on all day, I think it's VERY odd that I didn't find out about it until I was driving home Friday night. I wonder why--is the story too...Katrina-like?

:headbang:
rocknation

[Digit]

10. I was evacuated, but am home now

I had no idea anything had happened until Friday morning when I just happened to turn on CNN as I was getting ready for work. There was no reverse 911 phone call, and nobody knocked on my door Thursday night.

Since I have a parrot, and it is well known they have sensitive respiratory systems, I am deeply disturbed that I was not notified. I might have left for work without them, and my beloved parrot would probably be dead, and who knows if my cat would have survived.

I packed up my animals, along with some food for them and a portable cage for the bird.
I grabbed whatever I could think of that I might need and left for my office.
Luckily, I have my own office, so I kept my animals in there with my door shut.

Since I could not return home after work, I ended up getting a hotel room that accepted animals.

Hopefully, I will be reimbursed for the hotel expense.

My big question is....why weren't residents notified???