IP Explosion: Tuesday’s Latest On What Happened, The Cleanup
January 24, 2017
International Paper official said Monday that their Cantonment mill experienced significant structural damage to the largest pulp digester as well as the power house during an explosion Sunday night. There were no injuries.
The incident released a mixture of wood fiber, water and pulping liquor into the surrounding community.
Response teams are working with local, state and federal agencies to provide information for those impacted. The company has entered into a “Unified Command” with Escambia County EMA, Escambia County Public Safety, Florida Department of Health, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the EPA. The command worked Tuesday to clear roadways, assess impacted areas, provide direct outreach to more than 40 residents and implement a remediation plan.
IP has hired contractors to develop and implement plans to clean up and dispose of the discharged material as quickly as possible. The company said they are providing all necessary support and resources to the local community and residents as the cleanup continues.
A major part of the cleanup Monday focused on Highway 29 from Woodbury Circle to Muscogee Road. Both lanes of the major north-south artery were closed Sunday night following the explosion. The roadway was covered with “black liquor”, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Black liquor is a skin, eye and respiratory irritant, the FHP said in a news release.
The black liquor was very slick on the highway. Crews worked to spread sand on Highway 29 and then collected a mixture of sand and black liquor from road surface. The roadway was also pressure washed. By about 9 p.m. Monday, over 24 hours after the explosion, the northbound lane of Highway 29 were re-opened as the clean up continued in the southbound lanes. The southbound lanes were open by about 2 a.m. Tuesday.
IP advised that anyone having contact with the discharged material would should wash the affected area for 15 minutes with soap and water. If you are experiencing skin irritation or respiratory issues, see your doctor. Avoid contact with your eyes and mouth. If the materials have come into contact with your vehicle, please thoroughly wash your vehicle and avoid contact with the material.
No Injuries As Explosion Rips Through International Paper In Cantonment
January 23, 2017
An explosion ripped through the International Paper plant in Cantonment Sunday night, but there were no injuries reported.
A black, slippery substance covered the area around the plant, including several hundred feet of Highway 29, while residents as far away as Santa Rosa County reported hearing or feeling the explosion. Related story: Black Information Released On Black Substance, Clean Up.
The 911 calls reporting the explosion began about 7:38 p.m. with large response from multiple fire and emergency units. They arrived to find vehicles sliding around Highway 29, but no active fire reported. All employees were accounted for with no reports of any injuries or fatalities, according to Joy Tsubooka, spokesperson for Escambia County.
At least one building in the IP facility suffered structural damage on multiple stories. Plant officials were evaluating the damage Sunday night.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Escambia County Fire Rescue remained on the scene until just before midnight.
Highway 29 from Woodbury Circle to Morris Avenue and Muscogee Road from 297A to Highway 29 were closed. There are no school closures; all Escambia County Schools are to be open as usual on Monday according to Superintendent Malcolm Thomas.
There were no evacuations ordered.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection also responded to the explosion scene, with representative assessing the situation.
International Paper staff with questions about reporting to work were asked to contact their immediate supervisor.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Related story: All Escambia Schools Are Open On Monday
Related story: Road Closures
Related story: Black Substance Covers Area Around Plant
Pictured top: Emergency crews on the scene following an explosion at International Paper in Cantonment Sunday night. Pictured below: First responders coordinate their response efforts from a command post at IP. Pictured bottom: A vehicle that was passing the mill at the time of the explosion covered in a black substance. Reader submitted photos by Taylor Nezovich and others for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
IP Explosion: Information Released On Black Substance, Clean Up
January 23, 2017
UPDATE 9:45 a.m.:
International Paper released the following statement Monday morning:
“We experienced a manufacturing process failure that released a mixture of wood fiber, water and pulping liquor into the surrounding area. If you or your pets have had contact with the materials, please wash the affected area for 15 minutes with soap and water. If you are experiencing skin irritation or respiratory issues, please see your doctor. Avoid contact with your eyes and mouth.
“For those nearby the facility, we are working with response agencies from the county and state and will have additional information as it becomes available.
If the materials have come into contact with your vehicle, please thoroughly wash your vehicle and avoid contact with the material.”
ORIGINAL STORY:
Ash and a sticky black oily substance covered the area around the International Paper mill in Cantonment Sunday night.
A spokesperson for International Paper told NorthEscambia.com that the substance was “pulp material”, but did not provide any specific chemical or substance name.
“Ash and pulp material may be present in areas around the mill and roads. If you come in contact with the pulp material (which is a sticky substance), it is advised that you immediately wash your hands with warm or cold water and vinegar. Avoid contact with your eyes and mouth. If your vehicle comes in contact with the pulp material or Ash, you are encouraged to wash your vehicle,” Janice Holmes of IP said in an email to NorthEscambia.com.
Holmes did not respond to questions seeking more specific information about “pulp material”.
An statement from Escambia County, issued over an hour after the explosion, said, “Residents near the plant may see ash falling as a result. It is not hazardous and can be washed off skin with a mild soap and water”.
Numerous vehicles were covered by the substance as they traveled in front of the mill at the time of the explosion. Drivers reported that the oily substance caused vehicles to slide around Highway 29. The slick material also slowed the response of emergency personal following the explosion.
Highway 29 was shutdown due to the substance from Woodberry Circle to Morris Avenue.
Related story: No Injuries As Explosion Rips Through International Paper In Cantonment
Related story: All Escambia Schools Are Open On Monday
Related story: Road Closures
Pictured: Just a few of the vehicle photos received after an IP mill explosion in Cantonment Sunday night. Pictured bottom: The substance covers Highway 29. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Vehicles Collide Due To Pedestrian Standing In Highway 29
January 23, 2017
Two vehicles collided in Molino Sunday afternoon as a driver reportedly slammed on brakes to avoid a woman standing in Highway 29.
The accident happened about 4:30 p.m. on Highway 29 near Stout Road as the driver of a Buick braked suddenly and was rear-ended by the driver of a Hyundai. The woman was in the roadway was not hit, and there were no serious injuries to either driver.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was seen taking the woman in the roadway into custody. There was no word on her identity or if she faced any charges.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Battle Molino Grass Fire
January 23, 2017
A grass fire Sunday afternoon on Highway 29 near Rawhide Lane near Molino spread quickly due to wind before being extinguished by the Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue. There were no structures damaged or threatened. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Missing Cantonment Teen Found Safe
January 23, 2017
A Cantonment teen missing since Thursday was located safely on Sunday, according to family members and KlaasKids.
Faith Campbell, 16, was last seen on Rittenbury Road on January 19.
Circumstances surrounding her disappearance have not been released.
Flood Warning For Escambia River
January 23, 2017
A flood warning continues for the Escambia River near Century until late Tuesday night.
Late Sunday night, the river stage was 15.4 feet. No flooding was occurring, but minor flooding was forecast.
The flood stage is 17 feet, and the Escambia River is forecast to rise above flood stage to 17.1 feet on Tuesday morning. The river will fall below flood stage late Tuesday night.
At 17 feet, considerable flooding of lowlands will occur.
File photo.
Tree Blocks Cedartown Road
January 23, 2017
A large tree fell across Cedartown Road in Molino on Sunday. Area residents moved the tree off the roadway for the Escambia Road Department to remove. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Area Unemployment Rate Declines
January 22, 2017
The latest job numbers released Friday show the employment rate decline in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Escambia County’s seasonably adjusted unemployment rate fell slightly from 5.1 percent in November to 4.9 percent in December. There were 6,878 people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 5.0 percent.
“Pensacola businesses added 3,800 jobs last year, which means thousands of families in Northwest Florida have new opportunities to get a great job. We will continue to work each day to keep Florida on track to become the most business-friendly state in the nation,” Gov. Rick Scott said.
The industry with the largest job gains in the Pensacola area over the year in December was professional and business services with 1,000 new jobs. The Pensacola area had 4,038 job openings in December, which included 1,167 openings for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations.
Santa Rosa County unemployment rate fell from 4.7 to 4.4 percent from November to December. Santa Rosa County had a total of 3,321 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 4.4 percent.
Florida ended 2016 with an unemployment rate that was unchanged in December and 0.2 percentage points lower than at the start of the year. The monthly jobless mark of 4.9 percent for December, the same as November, represented 491,000 Floridians who qualified as unemployed from a workforce of 9.95 million, the state Department of Economic Opportunity said Friday. “As we see a falling unemployment rate over the past 12 months and an increase in residents in our state and an increase in job participation, what it shows is more people are able to find jobs and find their new opportunities,” department Executive Director Cissy Proctor said. The unemployment rate at the end of 2015 was 5.1 percent, with an estimated 493,000 Floridians out of work. The labor force has grown by 223,000 people since the start of the year, with top increases in the fields of education and health services, hospitality, and professional and business services.
The jobless numbers released by the state do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Arbor Day Program, Tree Giveaway Held In Davisville
January 22, 2017
An Arbor Day tree giveaway was held Saturday at the Davisville Community Center on Highway 97.
Over 200 trees were given away, including crabapple, redbud, shumard oak and river birch.
A tree was planted at the community center for visitors to enjoy. An exhibit featured local artists Valerie George and Yvonne LeBrun on display inside the community center as well as select pieces from a mail art contest “Strong Trees, Strong Communities”. Winners from the contest received their awards. Educational information about trees and natural resources in our area was also distributed.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
