10:52 AM EST on Wednesday, February 1, 2006

By WCNC.com Staff
E-mail Us: 6NEWS@WCNC.com

AirStar6

At 12:45 p.m. video from AirStar6 showed black smoke and flames coming from Synthron Inc. in Morganton.

Nightfall brings new dangers from plant explosion

In an instant Synthron, a paint additive chemical manufacturer turned into a ball of flame, a plume of smoke and a mess of tangled metal.

“I heard the explosion,” witness, Gilmar Mancio said.  “I see another three more explosions.”

The blast was said to be felt miles away.

 “I thought they done put an H-bomb on us,” one woman said.

 “It’s a big ball of flame come out from there,” Mancio said.

Curtis Brackett, from Gastonia, was severely burned. AirStar6 showed him being airlifted to a burn unit and shows plant manager Dick Edwardson being airlifted to CMS with head injuries.

Randy Cox was inside.

 “It was a very scary situation, something no one would want to go through,” Cox said.

The question Tuesday: what chemicals were compromised?

 “There are a number of chemicals on the property that do pose health hazards and risks,” said Mark Tolbert the Morganton Public Safety Director.

But, investigators don’t know which ones could now be in the air and in the water. The plant uses toluene a combustible, toxic and harmful chemical if inhaled. Firefighters warned neighbors in the plume’s path to stay inside and close windows. There was not a mandatory evacuation.  

 “What smoke is coming out from there is blowing on an area where there are very few people if any,” a witness said.

A blessing that could turn into a curse as day turns to night. Firefighters said the plume doesn’t go nearly as high into the sky.

 “So what we’re trying to do is work against the clock,” Tolbert said.

A race to test the air and water, protect against flare-ups, find a cause, and hope plumes of smoke didn’t include the most dangerous chemicals in the plant’s arsenal.

14 Injured after plant explosion rocks Morganton

MORGANTON – An explosion rocked a chemical plant in Morganton Tuesday morning injuring more than a dozen employees and the blast was felt miles away. A nearby church had its windows blown out and part of its roof was ripped off in the blast.

6NEWS has learned that a an investigative team from U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board was called out to the sight to see if a deeper investigation is needed.

CSB Board Member John Bresland, said, "This was a serious event, injuring workers, affecting neighbors and causing considerable damage to the facility. Our team will conduct interviews, review documents and examine the site in the next few days in order to determine whether a further investigation is warranted.

The explosion happened around 11:30 a.m. at Synthron Inc. on Amherst Road. AirStar6 arrived at the scene around noon and heavy black smoke and flames were billowing from the scene.

Synthron Inc. makes chemicals that are used in the production of paint. One of the chemicals that authorities are most concerned about is called toluene, which can be toxic if ingested or comes into contact with skin or inhaled. That is one of the reasons that firefighters are staying a good distance away from the plant.

There is so much debris that firefighters are having a hard time getting close to the flames.

Authorities called for a voluntary evacuation from some of the residents who live in the immediate area surrounding the plant. Those residents who did not want to leave were asked to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.

Fourteen people were transported to the hospital from the scene to Grace Hospital in Morganton with a variety of injuries including burns, bruises, bumps and lacerations. One manager and 10 employees were inside the plant when it exploded.

Two people, who were driving by, were also injured in the blast. Shockwaves from the explosion blew out the windows of their car. They suffered from cuts and burns.

People who were not in the immediate blast area are also turning up at local hospitals. They are asking to be checked out for exposure to the burning chemicals. Police have not said if the public has been exposed to any toxic substances.

One patient was airlifted from the scene to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte with serous head injuries. A second patient airlifted from the scene was taken to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem with severe burns.

Dave Church lives in Hildebran several miles away from the plant. He e-mailed WCNC.com and said the explosion actually shook his house.

Synthron manufactures chemicals used in paint and the plant employs a total of 18 people. It is not known at this time how many people were at the plant when the explosion happened.

According to the NC Dept. of Environmental & Natural Resources, Synthron Inc. was fined $7,000 in 2002 for failing to maintain the site to minimize the possibility of a release of hazardous waste and failing to make an appropriate arrangement with a responding local hospital whose services would be requested in the event of an emergency.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in safety management systems, regulations, and industry standards.

The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.