Chemical leak causes panic

A firefighter works at a chemical plant in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, Saturday, where 200 tons of hydrochloric acid was leaked, with the liquid vaporizing into hydrogen chloride. The authorities contained the chemical leak over the weekend. Yonhap

200 tons of hydrochloric acid spills in solar cell plant in Sangju

The dangers of toxic chemical accidents were highlighted Saturday morning with the leak of 200 tons of lethal hydrochloric acid in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province.

The accident at a solar cell-making plant followed the Sept. 27 hydrofluoric acid leak in Gumi, located southeast of the site of the latest disaster, which killed five people and became a health hazard for 3,000 residents.

According to police, the Sangju leak also involved human error including a delay in calling the appropriate authorities. The cause is still under investigation.

No major damage or health problems have been reported yet, but some 760 residents in the neighborhood have been advised to take precautions.

The leak was first reported to police at around 11 a.m. by a villager, who witnessed white fumes spreading out from the Woongjin Polysilicon plant.

About 200 tons of hydrochloric acid began leaking from a tank at 7:30 a.m., and the toxic liquid vaporized into hydrogen chloride after mixing with snow on the ground, forming a smoke-like gas, according to residents and workers at the plant.

The city government first planned to evacuate the area, but decided against this after a regional environmental office examination showed the air was not contaminated.

The Gumi accident reminded people of a gas leak in Bhopal, India, in 1984 when thousands of people died from a huge cloud of toxic gas that leaked from a plant of U.S. chemical firm Union Carbide. Survivors are still suffering from the aftermath without proper compensation. The health problems and compensation issues in Gumi haven’t been concluded, either, and Sangju villagers also worry they may face the same fate.

The authorities removed the remaining hydrochloric acid to a disposal area in the plant for neutralization.

“The amount of the leaked chemical was not large, and the liquid didn’t come out of the plant. The gas also didn’t spread far because it was not windy. So far, there have been no reports of direct health problems, such as headaches or sore throats from inhaling the gas,” an official of the city government said.

However, residents are concerned about potential damage in the future. The Woongjin plant in question suffered an unidentified explosion in October 2010, which injured one worker.

Also, they saw the Gumi gas leak wreak havoc on crops and the environment and villagers there are still suffering from the aftereffects.

Kim Dae-ho, a villager raising 260 cows at a farm about 1 kilometer away from the plant there, said, “The white gas spread to the farm and the cows bellowed. I removed the gas in the stalls with ventilation fans for hours, but I’m not sure if the cows will really recover.”

Regarding such concerns, the city official said, “We don’t think there will be damage as in Gumi. But staffers of the environmental office will be stationed here and keep testing.”

Police are investigating how the leak took place and why the plant didn’t report the leak to the authorities immediately. They asked the National Forensic Service to inspect the scene, Sunday.

They suspect valves and pipes linking the hydrochloric acid tank to the processing facilities burst due to the cold weather. The operation of the plant has been suspended since July following an economic slump in the solar energy industry. Ten workers usually check the facilities on weekdays and two on weekends, according to plant employees.

Police are questioning those workers over exactly how the leak happened, whether they neglected their duty, and especially whether they attempted to cover up the incident.

While it took place at around 7:30 a.m., the first report was made by a resident three and a half hours later.

A worker told police that they failed to report to police immediately because they were conducting their own measures to deal with the leak. <The Korea Times/Kim Rahn>