Hazardous Waste Plant Fire

A hazardous waste plant fire in western Pennsylvania has been extinguished and an evacuation order lifted.

Officials say the fire at Castle Environmental Inc. in New Castle was caused by a welding spark about 11:45 a.m. Thursday. The plant is about 45 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.
NEW CASTLE, Lawrence County (www.titanradio.net)--
About 100 homes and businesses and a nursing home were evacuated, but residents were allowed to return about 6 p.m. No injuries are reported.


The fire spread to an area containing about 1,000 gallons of sulfuric acid. Officials say other potentially hazardous chemicals on the site included up to 1,000 gallons of ferric fluoride, 700 gallons of aluminum phosphate and 50 gallons of caustic acid. Those chemicals apparently weren't released or otherwise affected by the fire.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• New Castle
• Castle Environmental
• hazardous waste
• fire
• DEP
• WCN
• Titan Radio
• evacuation

[JawsJaws]

About a mile radius was supposed to have been evacuated. They print 3 newspapers right next door. Castle Enviromental, the place that caught on fire goes into plants and collects sludge. They separate the solids from the liquids and take it to a landfill. I applied for a job for them years ago and they explained it that way to me.