Update: El Dorado Chemical Incident Under Control
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: December 18, 2012
Clean Harbors says the chemical incident that forced evacuations Tuesday afternoon is now under control and no one has been injured.
Update (7:30 p.m.):
Clean Harbors has issued the following news release regarding the chemical fire that forced evacuations Tuesday afternoon:
At approximately 4:00 pm a trailer containing pool chemicals was reported to have a reaction which caused a large cloud to appear over our transportation yard and move northerly toward the Union County Sheriff's Office and Correctional Facility. This trailer was received at our facility yesterday. Local authorities have called for an evacuation of the correctional facility and a convenient store in close proximity to our facility. Traffic has been rerouted around the area by local authorities with the assistance of the Clean Harbors personnel.
The reaction within the trailer is being contained and we expect to have this under control tonight. It is our experience that in dealing with this chemical that it quickly dissipates into the environment and should not cause any long term effects.
The trailer contains a chlorinated chemical, used in the treatment of residential swimming pools. It is not a carcinogenetic or a herbicide. I repeat it's the same chemical used to treat residential swimming pools.
Area residents could experience minor eye irritation if exposed to the cloud. We encourage our neighbors to stay indoors and monitor updates from local authorities. We are working closely with Arkansas Dept of Environmental Quality, Union County Sheriffs Dept , El Dorado City Police, local fire department and the Union County Dept of Emergency Services.
We will continue to update the public as new information is available.
Original Story:A chemical fire is causing evacuations and road closures in El Dorado.
The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management says 400-500 people, including the Sheriff's Department and 190 inmates have been evacuated, and dispatch has been shut down.
According to ElDoradoNews.com, exits along US 167 South have been blocked to keep drivers from going near the area.
The fire started at Clean Harbors, an incineration facility that treats hazardous and non-hazardous wastes by high-temperature incineration, according to their website. Evacuations are taking place in a five-mile line north of the facility.
The facility stores 1,249 five-gallon buckets of a swimming pool cleansing agent.
A big cloud has reportedly formed over the plant, where there is a fire but no flames.
US Highway 63 north out of town has also been reportedly closed.
Stick with ArkansasMatters.com for more information as it becomes available.
