HOT SPRINGS -- An explosion early Friday at a chemical processing plant in Mid-America Industrial Park blew the top off of a 6,000-gallon storage tank and shook nearby residences but resulted in no loss of life or injury.
Garland County Department of Emergency Management Director Bo Robertson said first-responders notified him around 2 a.m. that an explosion had occurred at Org Chem Group's Blacksnake Road location.
"It was quite the boom," Robertson said. "It threw the lid to that tank about 300 yards, according to the officer in charge, and took out a transformer on a power pole before it hit the ground."
Robertson said the nearby Piney Fire Department had the fire out before the Hot Springs Fire Department hazmat team arrived to check for chemical releases. He said testing determined air quality was normal.
"There were no injuries, and they were able to keep the fire contained pretty quickly," Robertson said. "We had a really good response from every department out there: Piney, Hot Springs Fire Department, LifeNet and the Garland County sheriff'department."
Kevin Harris, general counsel for the Indiana-based chemical processing company, said the 6,000-gallon tank contained about 3,000 gallons of an 80% water and 20% sodium hydroxide solution when it exploded. He said the mixture is highly caustic but not unstable.
"It's not the kind of stuff that's going to hurt you if you are anywhere near it," he said. "We're trying to figure out why this happened with that kind of tank. It's not explosive. It's not toxic. It can burn your skin, but it's not stuff with any kind of explosive danger."
Harris said the plant has about two dozen employees. He was uncertain how many were working when the explosion happened but said four generally staff a 12-hour shift. =
"It blew off part of the top of the tank about 15 feet in diameter," he said. "It looks like it broke at the top, where the weld was."
The tank contents were not in use when the incident happened, Harris said.
The explosion didn't shut the plant down.
State Desk on 06/02/2019