<> A copy of the report is available
on Pennsylvania's DEP's website (choose Regional Offices,
Region II). For more information, contact Community Relations
Coordinator Mark Carmon at 717 826-2511 or e-mail
carmon.mark@a1.dep.state.pa.us .
DEP Northeast Regional Director William F.
McDonnell announced March 31, that the department will not
allow Keystone Cement to use hazardous waste as a fuel
supplement until the company can make numerous operational
improvements throughout its East Allen Township, Northampton
County, facility. The improvements are identified in a
recently completed report on the department’s
investigation of the December 1997 incident at Keystone
Cement, in which nearby schools and homes were evacuated when
temperatures rose in one of the company’s hazardous
waste storage tanks.
"The fire and internal tank explosion
that occurred in one of the company’s hazardous waste
storage tanks were the results of a series of equipment
problems, inadequate waste handling practices and operator
errors that began on or around Nov. 26, 1997," McDonnell
said. "DEP will require Keystone Cement to
institutionalize improvements throughout its facility prior
to considering any resumption of the use of hazardous waste
solvents as a fuel supplement."
The company will need to document to DEP
that it has made the improvements and that it is able to
operate safely.
A community meeting will be held to discuss
the incident at 7:30 p.m. April 8 in the auditorium of
Northampton High School. The incident report and a comment
response document from a meeting sponsored by the George
Wolfe Elementary School PTA in January are being distributed
for public review prior to the meeting.
"Keystone’s application for
expansion of the burn rates will not be reviewed until the
company can document safe operation," McDonnell said.
DEP assembled a multi-disciplinary team to
investigate the incident and to review the company’s
report of the causes. The investigation, which was conducted
in conjunction with a science and engineering contractor
hired by EPA, revealed that Keystone Cement had accepted
several loads of hazardous waste that were not suitable,
improperly blended additional solvents with these shipments
in the storage tank that caused a chemical reaction, removed
the waste solvents to approved outside containers in an area
without secondary containment capability, incorrectly
installed flame suppression equipment and incorrectly
diagnosed the problem.
Some safety equipment installed was either
ineffective or irrelevant in preventing the incident.
Keystone had not notified DEP that a fire suppression system
was taken off line for modification in November 1997. The
system was not operational on Dec. 8, 1997.
"The fire in December was not an
isolated spontaneous phenomenon," McDonnell said.
"The incident was caused by a series of mistakes, poor
operating practices and decision-making by the company.
Keystone will not be allow to burn hazardous waste until it
can satisfy the department that it can operate safely to
protect the community and the environment."