Plant explosion in Apex, North Carolina
{{date|October 6, 2006}}
[[Image:FH000007.jpg|right|250px|thumb|EQ Industrial Services Apex, NC on October 6, 2006]]
Up to 17,000 people are being evacuated in [[w:Apex, North Carolina|Apex, North Carolina]] after a [[w:Chlorine|chlorine]] gas leak occurred during a [[w:Hazardous Waste|Hazardous Waste]] facility explosion and fire.
[[Image:2006 EQ chemical plant fire Apex North Carolina location.png|left|250px|thumb|Map showing location of plant (Red dot) and approximate evacuation zone (in Blue). ''Note: Evacuation zone shown is indicative only and should not be relied upon for guidance, Contact local authorities instead''.]]
Residents are advised to keep windows closed, turn off all air conditioning and that tenderness of the mouth, gagging and nausea are typical signs of poisoning. They are advised to stay away from the fire and any smoke, as it could be a health hazard. CNN reports that air quality tests run by the [[w:North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources|NCDENR]] indicate nothing especially harmful in the air near the plant.

Area residents are being advised to call '''919-856-7044''' for general information as 911 lines are overloaded. Bruce Radford, manager of the town in suburban [[w:Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], said that the business district, schools and the town hall will remain closed on Friday.
[[Image:Map of North Carolina highlighting Wake County.svg|right|250px|thumb|Wake County, NC]]
No fatalities have been reported.  [[w:WRAL-TV|WRAL-TV]] reported that 90 residents of a nearby nursing care facility were moved to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.  About 20 Apex residents were reported to have been treated and released for respiratory symptoms related to exposure.

Officials are presently unsure of the cause. The fire and subsequent explosions started sometime after 9 p.m. EST Thursday, October 5.

Changing weather conditions in the area threaten additional evacuations. A section of [[w:North Carolina State Highway 55|State Highway 55]] has been shut down near the incident.

The company, Environmental Quality of [[w:Wayne, Michigan|Wayne, Michigan]], had been warned and fined $32,000 by state regulators in March of 2006 for hazardous conditions at the plant, which temporarily stores hazardous materials including chlorine, pesticides, and PCBs.

[[w:WRAL-TV|WRAL-TV]] reports that [[w:Sulfur|Sulfur]], [[w:Oxidizer|Oxidizers]], [[w:chlorine|Chlorine]], [[w:pesticides|Pesticides]] and [[w:Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCBs]] were stored in the facility.

Fire crews from  Cary, Apex, Raleigh, Wake County and Fairview are assisting in the effort. However, there is no effort to fight the fire as it would be too dangerous to firefighting personnel. It will eventually burn itself out.

== Sources ==
{{wikipediapar|2005 Jilin chemical plant explosions}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/06/plant.fire/index.html
|title=Up to 16,000 fleeing waste plant fire
|author=
|pub=CNN
|date=October 6, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.wral.com/news/10012555/detail.html
|title=Apex Under State Of Emergency After Chemical Fire
|author=
|pub=WRAL
|date=October 6, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/495143.html
|title=Apex fire forces evacuations
|author=
|pub=Raleigh News and Observer
|date=October 6, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/495098.html
|title=EQ facility had been warned
|author=
|pub=Raleigh News and Observer
|date=October 6, 2006}}

==External links==
*[http://oaspub.epa.gov/enviro/fii_query_dtl.disp_program_facility?p_registry_id=110000615344 EPA Facility Registry Information]
*[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=1005+Investment+Blvd.+Apex,+NC&ie=UTF8&z=16&ll=35.726883,-78.840208&spn=0.007752,0.021629&t=k&om=1 Google map of the location]
*[http://www.eqonline.com/locations/EQ_North_Carolina.asp EQ North Carolina]

{{publish}}
{{archive-sighted}}
[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]
[[Category:Fires]]
[[Category:North Carolina]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]

[[nl:Tienduizenden geëvacueerd in North Carolina]]
EQ Industrial Services Apex, NC on October 6, 2006
Up to 17,000 people are being evacuated in Apex, North Carolina after a chlorine gas leak occurred during a Hazardous Waste facility explosion and fire.
Map showing location of plant (Red dot) and approximate evacuation zone (in Blue). Note: Evacuation zone shown is indicative only and should not be relied upon for guidance, Contact local authorities instead.
Residents are advised to keep windows closed, turn off all air conditioning and that tenderness of the mouth, gagging and nausea are typical signs of poisoning. They are advised to stay away from the fire and any smoke, as it could be a health hazard. CNN reports that air quality tests run by the NCDENR indicate nothing especially harmful in the air near the plant.

Area residents are being advised to call '919-856-7044' for general information as 911 lines are overloaded. Bruce Radford, manager of the town in suburban Raleigh, said that the business district, schools and the town hall will remain closed on Friday.
Wake County, NC
No fatalities have been reported.  WRAL-TV reported that 90 residents of a nearby nursing care facility were moved to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.  About 20 Apex residents were reported to have been treated and released for respiratory symptoms related to exposure.

Officials are presently unsure of the cause. The fire and subsequent explosions started sometime after 9 p.m. EST Thursday, October 5.

Changing weather conditions in the area threaten additional evacuations. A section of State Highway 55 has been shut down near the incident.

The company, Environmental Quality of Wayne, Michigan, had been warned and fined $32,000 by state regulators in March of 2006 for hazardous conditions at the plant, which temporarily stores hazardous materials including chlorine, pesticides, and PCBs.

WRAL-TV reports that Sulfur, Oxidizers, Chlorine, Pesticides and PCBs were stored in the facility.

Fire crews from  Cary, Apex, Raleigh, Wake County and Fairview are assisting in the effort. However, there is no effort to fight the fire as it would be too dangerous to firefighting personnel. It will eventually burn itself out.

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Disasters and accidents Fires North Carolina United States North America