There was an ad in this weeks Star Trib re: Cook Composite and Polymers Co. (formerly known as Freeman Chemical). They are hosting a meeting of its community advisory committee at Chatham High School. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 7 pm.This company is a "sister company" to Sartomer and has had a history of pollution which has resulted in contamination at the Tightsqueeze location. I haven't followed the Corrective Action re: Cook for quite some time. The link below will give some history and background that I would encourage our readership to view.This will be an eye-opener, giving insight into the clean-up of one industry in the county. It has a small "footprint" compared to uranium mining and milling and is not radioactive. Look at how long it was allowed to pollute, what is currently involved in the clean-up, and how long it will take for remediation to be completed.One issue that was raised several years ago was that there was only one road that lead out of the industrial complex. In the event of a toxic release or explosion, Cook, Sartomer and Times Fiber folks would have only one road in which to exit. Then, they would be competing with the Chatham High students and faculty to make their way to 29. I am not certain, but think that that situation remains the same.
SCC members would be wise to keep abreast of the proposed clean-up operations.www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/ca/va/pdf/vad055046049.pdf
This is the link to the EPA history of and most current clean-up efforts.
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Chemical release chokes ChathamTIGHTSQUEEZE - An early-morning chemical release from Cook Composites and Polymers Inc. in Chatham blanketed the area with a pungent, irritating cloud and forced county officials to close five schools.
According to Michael Gromacki, director of quality, safety, and environment for Cook Composites in Kansas City, Mo., the plant's air pollution control device, or thermal oxidizer, shut down around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday.
"It wasn't an accident or a spill," Gromacki said. "It was a shutdown of our pollution control system."
Gromacki described the thermal oxidizer as a "big furnace" used to destroy chemical emissions from the plant.
Employees tried to restart the device twice, but it took about 45 minutes to get it back on line, he said.
During the time the device was down, a small amount of the chemical dicyclopentadiene, or DCPD, was released into the air.
"It doesn't take a lot to have a strong odor," he said. "You smell it well below the health limit - about 100 times below what is considered a health risk."
As a health hazard, it's rated 1 on a scale of 0 to 4, with 4 being the most hazardous, Gromacki said.
"The odors associated with this material are very objectionable, but the emissions resulting from the pollution control system shutdown should not result in immediate or long-term health risk," he added.
Students and teachers at Chatham High School, which is less than a mile from Cook Composites, complained of headaches and throat and eye irritation from the chemical.
"We had a cloud in front of the school," said Principal Steve Welch. "Children were irritated by the smell."
Pittsylvania County Schools Superintendent James E. McDaniel decided to close all five schools in Chatham, including Chatham High School, Chatham Middle School, Chatham Elementary School, the Pittsylvania County Career and Technical Center, and Alternative School.
Students were sent home at 9 a.m. Woodlawn Academy also closed.
"We just couldn't take a chance and didn't know how long it would take to dissipate," McDaniel said.
According to the superintendent, no students or teachers required medical attention, but the chemical was irritating.
"My throat felt some discomfort and I had a burning sensation in my nose and eyes," McDaniel said.
Chatham Volunteer Fire Department set up fans to remove the smell from the high school.
County officials, the fire marshal, and a state hazardous materials officer also were on the scene.
"No further evacuations were felt necessary since the chemical was an irritant," said County Administrator Dan Sleeper.
Tightsqueeze resident Steve Law, who lives near Cook Composites, was among the first to notice the release around 6 a.m.
"It's blanketed the whole area. It's just tremendous," Law said. "They have coated every surface in Chatham."
Jud Buchanan of Tightsqueeze agreed. "It's like nothing I've ever smelt before," said Buchanan. "It can't be healthy breathing in an odor like that. There could be any kind of poisonous material in it."
Tightsqueeze resident Woodrow Osborne said the chemical had a "sickening smell," adding the cloud was so thick he first thought there was a brush fire nearby.
"When I went outside this morning is was pretty rough," Osborne said.
Gromacki, however, said DCPD is invisible, and said the cloud was most likely fog from the Banister River.
The chemical cloud drifted over Chatham, prompting calls to the county's 911 center.
"I don't like this," said Kathy Busey, who lives in South Main Street. "I don't like something being released into the air. We're breathing this stuff."
Cook Composites experienced a release of the same chemical in June when an electrical circuit failed, shutting down a cooling pump on one of the plant's two cooking kettles.
The kettles, or "reactors," heat chemicals to form polyester resins used in the manufacture of fiberglass boats, bathroom fixtures, sinks, and other products.
"CCP regrets any disruption to the Chatham community from this incident," Gromacki said. "We will investigate the cause of the pollution control shutdown, and, based on our findings, we will take additional measures to try to prevent this type of odor incident."
The chemical plant, located in the Chatham South Industrial Park off Route 703, opened in 1971 as Freeman Chemicals and has been owned and operated by Cook Composites since 1990. It employs about 20 people.
Star-Tribune staff writer Lee Bumgarner contributed to this story.
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