Explosive Chemical Detonated at Conn. Site

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Oct. 09--FAIRFIELD -- State Police detonated a glass pint container containing a potentially unstable, volatile chemical Saturday after it was brought to an otherwise routine hazardous materials collection day in Veterans Park.

The incident started at about 1:15 p.m., when a woman brought the container of tetrahydrofuran, a laboratory solvent and an ingredient in creating polymers, which was identified as potentially hazardous by the collection contractor from Clean Harbor Inc. The unidentified woman said she had taken it from her husband's home laboratory.

Police and firefighters closed part of Reef Road and established a 150-foot safety area around the collection area before the chemical was blown up by the State Police Emergency Services Unit.

"It was a fairly routine way to handle the hazardous waste," said Assistant Fire Chief Chris Tracy. "It was potentially decomposing, which makes it unstable, so rather than accept it, the State Police and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection were notified."

The woman stopped at the drop-off spot in the park, opened the trunk of her vehicle and included the pint glass with a variety of other materials for the collection.

"To my knowledge there was no criminal activity involved in this event," said Fire Marshal Bill Kessler who witnessed the detonation, as two fire vehicles and the Stratfield Volunteer Fire Department's rescue vehicle stood by.

If the chemical, which is also known as THF, dries out, explosive material is left in the residue.