By WARREN DILLAWAY - Staff Writer
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — Firefighters blocked State Road between Route 20 and Middle Road Saturday afternoon after a chemical release sent a cloud of gas south from the Millennium Inorganic Chemicals Cristal Company plant at State Road and Middle Road.
A large amount of titanium tetrachloride was released into the atmosphere after a hole developed in a reboiler at the plant causing the leak around 2:49, according to an Ashtabula Township Fire Department report.
Ashtabula Township Fire Department Chief Mike Fitchet said an engine is sent to the site immediately following a leak to determine a course of action. He said firefighters decided to block traffic because the white cloud was settled over the road and other residential areas between Middle Road and downtown Ashtabula but the road was blocked for only a short period of time.
Lt. Wayne Lomas said the fire department and the company always have a concern when chemicals are released into the atmosphere.
“They (people in the area) really need to be aware if they hear the siren they need to get inside. The obvious (thing to do) is stay out of the white cloud,” he said.
The chemical is used as a white pigment in everything from powdered doughnuts to paint, Lomas said. He said it is perfectly safe when the manufacturing process is complete but in its gaseous state it is a concern.
Lomas said anyone who has any ill effects from the chemical should seek medical attention. He said there weren’t any complaints from area residents concerning difficulty breathing (late Saturday afternoon).
The lack of wind kept the cloud hovering over the area for awhile Saturday afternoon. The warm weather helped push the cloud south toward Route 84 and downtown Ashtabula.
Fitchet said the release triggers a mandatory report the company must provide to the Ohio Environmental Protec-tion Agency.
The exact amount of the chemical released was not known Saturday afternoon but the quantity was described as “large”.
