ST. LOUIS (AP) -- With asbestos found in some of the debris from an explosion and fire at a St. Louis plant last week, Haz-Met teams were removing debris from the surrounding neighborhood on Wednesday.
Officials of Praxair Distribution Inc. said late Tuesday that levels of asbestos have been discovered in debris in four locations on the streets and sidewalks of the Lafayette Square neighborhood that surrounds its south St. Louis plant. Asbestos has also been found in the ashes lying on the grounds of the plant.
Hundreds of compressed-gas cylinders stored at the Praxair plant exploded Friday, sending massive fireballs into the sky. No one was hurt, but the plant was badly damaged and debris _ including many of the cylinders _ shot like fireworks into the sky, some landing on property outside the plant.
Some of the exploded cylinders contained acetylene. Asbestos, a fibrous material commonly used in construction until the mid-1970s, is also used along with carbon silicate inside older acetyline cylinders.
Asbestos has tiny fibers that can cause cancer and other ailments when inhaled. Millions of people have been exposed, and the diseases often take decades to develop.
But asbestos is hazardous only if airborne. Site testing in and around the Praxair plant by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has found acceptable levels of airborne asbestos and other potentially hazardous substances, said Nigel Muir, a spokesman for Praxair.
Still, state officials told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch they are watching the cleanup closely, concerned that asbestos particles could enter the air if the process moves too slowly. A call to the DNR Wednesday was not immediately returned.
Starting Tuesday night, Haz-Met teams wearing respirators and protective gear were using special vacuum equipment to remove the debris. Streets and pavement have also been cleaned, except in a few areas still deemed unsafe by the Fire Department.
The Haz-Met crews were also offering to clean the grounds and exterior areas of residential properties and cars wherever fire debris was found, the Danbury, Conn.-based company said. Cleanup was expected to be completed by Wednesday.
Muir said use of asbestos in acetylene cylinders ceased in 1985. He noted that Praxair does not make its own cylinders.
The cause of the spectacular fire, which was broadcast live on national cable news networks for a time, remains under investigation. Investigators believe it began in the southeast corner of the property.
An employee operating a forklift spotted the blaze and hit an alarm button, prompting an evacuation. The plant employs 70 people, but only 22 employees and two customers were on the property at the time of the fire. All got out safely.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has said about 200 cylinders exploded, resulting in dozens of metal projectiles, the farthest found 900 feet from the fire on a residential lawn.
Since the blaze, many residents and city leaders have called for the plant to move to a location further from residential neighborhoods.
Related Articles:
