HYDROGEN PEROXIDE CHEMICAL LEAK CAUSES HAZMAT RESPONSE, EVACUATIONS AT PORT OF OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON
January 28, 2015
OLYMPIA, Wash. —
A cloud of potentially toxic hydrogen peroxide spread near
downtown Olympia after the chemical began pouring from a stormwater treatment
facility in the Port of Olympia. People working at businesses nearby were
told to get out of the area.
“They just said that there was gas coming from the
manhole covers and we needed to evacuate the buildings,” said Loren Burk. “So
we just grabbed our stuff and took off.”
The leak started just before noon Wednesday.
“That leak is going into a storm sewer system,” said Olympia
Fire Department spokesman Greg Wright. “We’ve set up a quarter-mile
evacuation.”
About 3,000 gallons of hydrogen peroxide was spilled. The
chemical is used to treat rainwater runoff from the port to correct the pH
before the water is released into Puget Sound. Some people nearby say they
could smell a chemical odor in the air.
Crews had the spill under control by about 3 p.m. A recovery
team was sent in to clean up the remaining hydrogen peroxide. No one was
injured.