Conway Plant Explosion Update
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
A final gas main fire is out at the Conway plant
that exploded yesterday and prompted an evacuation of thousands of
people.
Jim Bell of the Faulkner County Department of Emergency
Management is at Detco Industries this morning and says the power
company was able to shut off natural gas going into broken pipes.
Now, Bell says emergency crews are removing metal and liquid
runoff from the Quonset-hut shaped metal building. The material
will go to special hazardous material dumps to prevent chemical
exposure.
Bell says air quality in the area is good this morning. Detco
made industrial chemicals, but Bell said they appeared to burn
harmlessly in the fire or dilute in the water shot from fire hoses.
Police said Acxiom and other businesses to the south of Detco
were in the most danger yesterday and were evacuated -- but they
were safe and open again today. Two trailer home communities to the
north remain evacuated.
Posted by Mike Hellgren
