Atchison Fire Chief Patrick Weishaar, in a release, says crews responded shortly after noon Friday to Atchison Tubular Manufacturing at 8154 Industrial Park Lane in Atchison's annexed business park west of the city, after the facility reported a chemical found in a storage cabinet that had deteriorated into a volatile state.
Weishaar says crews arrived to find the facility's safety team had already moved the product to a safe, open area of the plant. Following an investigation by fire crews and the Atchison Police Department, Weishaar says it was determined the Leavenworth County Bomb Squad should be requested to respond.
A safety zone was established with assistance from the Atchison Police Department, Atchison County EMS, and Atchison County Emergency Management. Weishaar says once the Bomb Squad arrived, the safest course of action was determined to be detonation of the container and chemical. Responders confirmed the threat was eliminated following the detonation.
Weishaar says no injuries were reported and that at no time was there any danger to the public beyond the originally established safety zone, with no broader evacuation necessary. He also commended the facility's management for identifying the hazard and contacting authorities.
