*PRESS RELEASE* On Monday morning, May 12, 2014 at 08:21am, Anderson County 911 received a 911 call reporting a tanker truck leaking product. Upon arrival, the first arriving fire engine reported a leaking chemical from the tanker. The Fire Officer met with the driver who identified the chemical as Hydrogen Chloride and confirmed that the product was leaking from the tanker. Responders consulted the Emergency Response Guidebook which recommended an initial evacuation of 300 feet in all directions. Homes outside of the 300 foot zone are not affected and we ARE NOT asking additional residents to take an precautionary actions. Notifications were made to the affected residences and a shelter was setup at the Double Springs Baptist Church. An initial entry by Hazmat Teams was conducted to determine the extent of the leak and to determine if the Hazmat Teams could stop the leak. It was determined that the leak was unrepairable and that attempts to repair the leaking valve could result in more extensive leakage. The Hazmat Team consulted with the manufacturer and the transport company and determined that the transport company would deploy technicians to handle the recovery. Anderson County Hazmat determined the safest course of action was to monitor the leak until company representatives arrive on-scene. Currently, there are three homes evacuated within the 300 foot evacuation zone and five additional requested to either shelter in place or move to the shelter. Interstate I-85 is remaining open unless conditions worsen and is expected to remain open until the containment vessel arrives on-scene and off-loading of the remaining chemical. Agencies from Oconee County Fire and Emergency Services, Anderson County Fire Commission, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Anderson County EMS, Anderson County Emergency Services, SCDOT, SCDHEC, SC State Transport Police, SC Highway Patrol, and the American Red Cross are on hand. Stay tuned to local media outlets and All Hazards Weather Radio for emergency information. We will do our best to provide more updates as they come available.
Posted on: Mon, 12 May 2014 17:42:03 +0000
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