We’d like to thank Wacker for its Thursday full-page letter to the community in the Times Free Press.
That letter began with an apology, sort of. Wacker apologized for “any” confusion and anxiety the community “may” have felt following “the incident last week” at the Wacker plant in Charleston.
While the letter was a good start, and something this page on Saturday sought, it was singularly lacking in all else we wanted – straight, direct and honest new answers and assurances about three chemical releases of hydrochloric acid (not a single “incident”) within two weeks’ time.
Each release required employees – and in one instance neighbors in a 1.5-mile radius – to shelter in place indoors with air systems shut off as emergency responders sought to stop the releases. In the largest event, there was a strong explosion that sent a cloud of hydrochloric acid high into the air. The blast and ensuing chemical release closed Interstate 75 and nearby roads for hours, forced the hours-long shelter-in-place order that included a nearby school, and sent 13 people for treatment at hospitals. Those treated included a plant worker, a firefighter, four deputies and seven local residents.
Calling this just an “incident” is at best disingenuous.