Friday, July 1, 2016

1 hurt as Walnutport, PA water treatment plant chlorine leak takes hours to contain



 By Tony Rhodin | For lehighvalleylive.com
 
on June 29, 2016 at 1:39 PM, updated June 29, 2016 at 1:50 PM




It took several hours for the Lehigh County hazardous materials team to contain a chlorine leak Wednesday at the Walnutport water treatment plant, a Northampton County official said.

A borough worker was exposed to the gas and taken to a hospital for treatment, according to a person who answered the phone at the Diamond Fire Company in the borough. That person declined to release any more information, deferring to fire Chief Walter Ingles, who was expected in later in the day.

The hazmat personnel spent much of the time after the 7:23 a.m. leak controlling it, Northampton County Emergency Management Coordinator Todd Weaver said. Lehigh County serves as the Northampton County hazmat team, Weaver said.

The leak at 100 Carbon St. was contained at 12:20 p.m. and crews were awaiting a company that was going to take over with the repair or replacement on the device that was leaking, Weaver said.

By 1:30 p.m., all emergency personnel had left the plant, Weaver said.

The risk to the public was limited because the plant is in a rural area, Weaver said.