US EPA finds air 'normal' at AtoFina Michigan blast site

16 July 2001 23:33  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (CNI)--US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials told CNI Monday they had found no hazardous levels of chlorine or methyl mercaptan in the air outside the site of a railcar explosion in Riverview, Michigan that killed three workers, injured seven and forced the evacuation of some 2500 area residents.

The EPA said it had completed its monitoring at the AtoFina site and was shifting monitoring to local officials.

Said Mick Hans, a spokesperson in the EPA's Chicago office: "After testing for chlorine and methyl mercaptan, we found no hazardous levels. The air outside the plant appears to be back to normal levels. We have asked the facility to provide the EPA with a continuing air monitoring plan which we will review."

Hans said the EPA and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality have inspected the AtoFina facility 23 times in last five years "and there were no significant or high priority violations."

AtoFina officials said they are still investigating the explosion of a tank car carrying methyl mercaptan - used as an intermediate in the production of agricultural products - that occurred Saturday.

The tank car was being unloaded inside the plant when it caught fire. AtoFina and local fire department crews extinguished the fire in about six hours.

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, AtoFina is the US unit of TotalFinaElf of Paris.

By: Mike Sheridan
+1 713 525 2653

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