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A Saturday explosion at a hazardous waste dump in southwestern Idaho killed one worker, injured three others and severely damaged a building, officials said.
US Ecology, which runs the site, said Monte "Alex" Green of Grand View, Idaho, died as a result of his blast, at 9:23 am in one of the factory's buildings.
Green was working as an equipment operator in transporting materials at the time of the accident, the company said.
Three others were treated for life-threatening injuries, the company said. In total, 15 American Ecology employees were working at the time of the explosion. The facility is located about 80 km south of Boise.
"Most of the skin has been blown and much of the metal has been bent," said Simon Bell, vice president of operations and chief operating officer of the company. "It would have been a big explosion because of the damage to the building."
There is no threat to the public, and emergency crews, including a hazardous materials crew, were on the scene, said Owyhee County spokeswoman. , Angela Barkell. The property is located about 16 km east of the small town of Grand View and about one kilometer from a highway.
"No immediate threat has been identified and no evacuation has occurred," Barkell said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
Bell stated that the employees were performing routine duties at the time of the blast, but he did not want to speculate on the cause.
"Since the explosion, there is something out of the ordinary and we will focus on understanding what it is," he said.
The company absorbs contaminants such as arsenic, lead, zinc, cadmium and other metals that the US Environmental Protection Agency has deemed dangerous and converts them into non-hazardous residues, thus minimizing the risk of long-term elimination.
The company then buries them on the site, which, according to Bell, corresponds to about 200 acres. Bell stated that the company was working with emergency responders by providing maps of the installation and storage location of the various hazardous wastes.
Emergency officials said the building where the explosion occurred was used to process magnesium powder products. Officials said that a series of chemical reactions had followed the initial explosion.
US President and CEO of Ecology, Jeff Feeler, made a statement about the blast.
We are deeply saddened to confirm that the accident that occurred today at our Grand View facility in Idaho resulted in death. This tragedy was felt by the entire American Ecology family and by the darkest day in the United States. 66 years of history of ecology. The entire US Ecology family expresses its deepest sympathies to the employees, family members and loved ones affected by this tragic event. Our goal now will be to help our team members cope with this loss while conducting a thorough investigation and working with the authorities as they close their own investigation. "
The three people who are treated in hospitals and who should recover.
Bell said that the company, which also has facilities in other states, has never had an incident as serious.
"We focus on the families of those affected by the accident, support first responders and ensure that our employees are well informed about the evolution of this process," he said in a statement. communicated.
US Ecology has agreed to pay a $ 184,400 fine in 2012 after the EPA said it did not submit reports in time on releases of toxic chemicals to the site, according to the company's database. 39; agency.
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