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On Oct. 21, 2016, a chemical company driver unintentionally attached a sulfuric acid hose to a tank filled with sodium hypochlorite, more commonly known as bleach.
The dangerous solution generated from the chemical reaction mixup at a MGPI Processing Inc. facility released a toxic vapor cloud.
Thousands of Atchison, Kansas residents had to seek shelter, and community members in nearby areas had to evacuate. At least 140 employees and members of the public sought medical attention, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). An MGPI worker and five members of the public required hospitalization as a result of exposure to the plume.
The CSB determined the only way to stop the dangerous chemical mixing was to close the manual valves or trigger the truck’s emergency shut-offs, which could not be accomplished because of the spreading vapor. The agency also discovered the sulfuric acid and sodium...