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Chemical leak backs up traffic |
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Friday, 25 July 2008 |
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Officials: Bryant chlorine spill could have been much worse  Emergency crews from Central Arkansas, including fire department crews from Bryant and Little Rock, work the scene of a chlorine spill near Raymar Road in Bryant late Thursday afternoon. The spill shut down Interstate 30 for close to an hour and service roads for several hours. No injuries were reported.
“We shut down the eastbound and westbound lanes of traffic from the 123 exit to the 126 exit,” Bryant Fire Chief Randy Cox said. “We also evacuated parts of Lexington Park and a car dealership as a precaution.”
The incident happened about 2:30 p.m. when a Bryant Water/Wastewater employee noticed the odor of chlorine at a water storage facility near Raymar Road. The employee then called the 911 emergency line, and the Bryant Fire Department arrived on the scene and shut down all lanes of traffic on Interstate 30 and access roads.
“Chlorine is extremely dangerous,” Cox said. “It can cause severe burns and can fry your lungs, literally. It can kill you very quickly.”
After making sure that residents were safe, Cox requested several other hazardous materials-trained emergency teams to help. Those who arrived on the scene included the Little Rock Fire Department, Saline Memorial Hospital Med-Tran and the U.S. Environmental Service.
Cox said that after workers put on their special hazmat suits and attempted to enter the building, the key to enter the building “immediately oxidized.” After entering the building where two chlorine tanks are housed, workers found nearly 117 pounds of chlorine that had leaked after a water line break near the point where chlorine is injected into the water.
“A coupling blew apart at the union,” Scott Chandler with Bryant Water/Wastewater said. “That is where the chlorine is injected into the water and it broke. Things break sometimes. Equipment fails sometimes. Luckily there were no injuries.”
Bryant Water/Wastewater superintendent Monty Ledbetter was not available for comment, but officials said that the water supply was not harmed during the leak.
Cox said the temperature inside the building was close to 145 degrees, but he said he believes the extreme heat inside the building and the natural heat outside helped the situation.
“The heat actually helped dissipate the chlorine vapors,” Cox said. “It sent the gas straight up into the air.”
After assessing the area and getting the situation under control, all lanes of traffic on I-30 were reopened nearly an hour later and the service roads were reopened several hours later. Cox also reaffirmed that nobody was hurt during the ordeal.
“Everybody stayed hydrated and helped each other get the proper rest,” Cox said. “We communicated with other emergency crews in Central Arkansas through [Arkansas Wireless Information Network] and were able to get control of the scene very quickly.”
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