The incident was reported at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday,
Update 6 p.m. The scene was cleared at approximately 5:30 p.m.
03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen â The Agawam Fire Department's patch. AGAWAM - A resident unwittingly touched off a hazardous materials scare that brought an emergency response after an attempt to bring old chemicals to the town’s waste recovery collection at the Public Works Department on Saturday.
Fire Department Lt. Kenneth J. Sagendoph said the call came in at 12:34 p.m. about the resident, who brought petroleum ether and picric acid, volatile and explosive chemicals, to the collection sponsored by Clean Harbors. The chemicals were turned away, and public safety officials were alerted to the situation, and responded to the resident’s address at Avalon Place.
Sagendorph said the resident took a box of old chemicals from an elderly relative to dispose of them.
“The residents were surprised. They didn’t expect the response they got,” Sagendorph said.
A section of North Street was closed, from Ridgeway Drive to Wilbert Terrace, for the investigation. In addition to police and fire, the state police bomb squad was called to help remove the chemicals because they could explode if combined. He said there were also unidentified chemicals in the box as well.
Public safety officials were on scene for five hours, he said. No one was evacuated.
Sagendorph advises those who have items such as old chemicals in their home to call the Fire Department first for advice on disposal.