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Illinois authorities have referred Chemtool, the chemical manufacturer whose Rockton plant caught fire on Monday, due to pollution and environmental violations.
When the fire broke out at the grease and oil plant on Monday, the Rockton fire chief warned that it could cause an “environmental nightmare.”
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said it is asking the state’s attorney general to order Chemtool to “immediately cease fire and provide documentation” about the cause of the fire, along with an estimate of sulfuric acid mist, particulates and other air pollutants present in it. emitted.
“We understand this action and will of course work with state and federal regulators to address the concerns raised in the referral,” said Alicia Gower, a spokeswoman for parent company Lubrizol. This will include working to address any pollution issues as we have done since the start of this incident and carrying out site cleaning once the fire has been extinguished.
In a statement Tuesday, the US Board of Chemical Safety and Risk Investigation, or CSB, said all 70 workers had safely evacuated the facility and one firefighter sustained a minor injury.
The CSB said a larger team of federal investigators was expected soon, adding that air quality “remains within the acceptable range.”
Smoke rising from an industrial fire at Chemtool Inc. in Rockton, Illinois, on Monday. A chemical fire at the plant, which produces lubricants, grease products, and other industrial fluids, led to the evacuations. Scott Olson / Getty Images
“At this point, assessments appear to indicate that the accident is a fire event rather than a chemical process safety event. Interviews with personnel may provide further clarity of the events leading up to this accident and the potentially serious impacts on society and the environment cause for concern,” CSB wrote.
Firefighters said Monday they may be letting the chemicals burn over concerns the fire suppressor could become a toxic runoff in a nearby river, but the CSB said the initial approach “has been re-evaluated and the plan now is to embankment and boom access to the river and extinguish the remaining flames.”
“This may add an element of environmental impact to the dynamic of the incident,” she said.
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