Treatment plant leak injures one man

By Nate Delesline III

Published: May 11, 2008

A Town of Culpeper wastewater plant worker suffered minor injuries after a Saturday morning chlorine gas leak.

About 45 firefighters from six Culpeper County fire companies and a hazardous materials team from Fredericksburg responded to the incident, which was reported around 8:40 a.m. said town spokesman Wally Bunker.

The leak occurred while two plant employees were changing a 2,000-pound chlorine cylinder as part of a routine operation.

Bunker said plant operator Paula Byers had removed a regulator from an empty tank and was installing it on the new tank. Byers said she was unable to open the valve and asked another worker, Neal Moore, for help.

As Moore exerted pressure on the valve, “It made a crack noise,” and “gas shot out,” Byers said.

Both Byers and Moore, who were wearing breathing apparatus and gloves, fled the building and called 911.

A small amount of chlorine gas made contact with Moore’s skin, causing a minor injury. Bunker said he was taken to Culpeper Regional Hospital as a precaution where he was treated and released.

Fire officials said the rainy and cool weather, along with a steady breeze helped dissipate any gas that may have escaped.

Inhaling chlorine gas can be fatal.

No residents were evacuated, but police closed East Chandler Street, Keyser Road and McDevitt Drive while authorities were on the scene.

Culpeper County Volunteer Fire Chief Stacy Carpenter said the Fredericksburg Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team was called since that department has specialized equipment and training to handle chlorine leaks.

Carpenter said the leak was capped around 11:45 a.m.

Bunker said the plant continued to operate during the incident and that sewer service was not interrupted.

The wastewater plant, which is undergoing a capacity upgrade from four million to six million gallons per day, will no longer use chlorine in the treatment process when the upgrade is complete, said Dan Boring, interim environmental services director.

Nate Delesline III can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 110 or .