102 injured due to chemical plume

MGP released a statement Friday that said the company reported the event to the EPA and other local authorities and is cooperating fully to investigate and ensure all appropriate response actions were taken. MGP also said there was no significant damage to its plant in Atchison.

By about 10:30 a.m., officials had given the all-clear for schools, businesses and other organizations to resume their activities as the plume dissipated and moved away from the city, posing no threat to other communities in the region.

As many as 102 people were treated for upper respiratory discomfort. Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, Missouri, said 18 people were treated and released as of Friday evening. Three were still being treated and no one was in the intensive care unit as of 10 p.m. related to the incident. Cocking said 72 individuals had been treated locally.

Sean Kelley Sr., an Atchison Resident, lives up the street from MGP.

“When I went out the front door, that’s when I knew how bad it really was because I had to put a towel around my whole face I didn’t want to breathe it in because it was burning my eyes and it kind of took my breath and stuff like that ...”

Kelley said he was pleased with how the city handled.

“I was real impressed with how they got things done. I believe they handled it real good and all the officials gave the right information so everybody knew what to do.

Ambulances from across the region were being directed from a command center that took form in the parking lot at the Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce, near the origin of the gas cloud.

“Two chemicals were inadvertently mixed on top of each other. That caused a gas plume to develop over parts of the city,” Cocking told reporters during the morning press conference.

He said there was no fire or explosion and the cloud formed when a chemical was added to the wrong tank south of the main plant, where MGP operates its own, factory-specific wastewater treatment plant. As a delivery was being made on Friday morning, sodium hypochlorite and sulfuric acid were mixed accidentally, creating a chlorine cloud, according to Cocking. At a 4:30 p.m. press conference, Cocking said that cloud had 100 percent dissipated.

The immediate risk, Cocking told reporters, was “mild respiratory discomfort.”

At one point Friday morning, word came from the Kansas Department of Transportation that several highways, including U.S. Highway 73, U.S. Highway 59, and Highway K-7, all leading to Atchison, had been closed to traffic. KDOT warned motorists to avoid travel within 8 to 10 miles around and through Atchison and Atchison County, but reopened the highways shortly after 11 a.m.

The threat during the event was to the north of MGP and the city of Atchison, where the plume was being pushed by weather conditions on Friday morning, according to Emergency Management Director for Atchison County Wes Lanter.

Authorities initiated hazmat protocol, Lanter said. He said those inside the area affected by the cloud were told to stay indoors, and those outside the area were told to evacuate the area.

Lanter said the Code Red system was used once officials were sure they had all the facts.

Fire officials worked with company officials to treat the area where the plume originated with water, according to interim Atchison Fire Dept. Chief Ted Graf.

The plume began to dissipate within about an hour of being formed, according to Cocking, who told reporters, “We have had tremendous response from both the company, from county officials, from our people. This community works great together and it was great to see that once again today.”

Lanter said he expected the streets near the Chamber, located between Main Street and U.S. Highway 59 on 10th Street, would remain closed throughout much of the day on Friday as officials continued to utilize the area as a command post, but they were reopened by early Friday evening.

Hazmat crews were working Friday afternoon on removing the chemicals from the tank to which they were added.

The EPA was also monitoring air quality and had determined by the afternoon press conference that air quality was satisfactory.

The Atchison Hospital requested that any individuals who received exposure from the incident should shower. If anyone is experiencing a minor headache, sore throat, nasal congestion or a minor cough, take Benadryl and stay in cool air. For those experiencing difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and/or wheezing, visit the emergency room.

Cocking noted that sunshine helped dissipate the chlorine cloud.

“Today’s really been about first response, getting the community up and going, and it seems like that’s where we’re at right now,” he said.

A toxicology hotline was set up for anyone who would like more information on Friday’s events. The number is 913-286-5190.