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EPA Responds to Valley Center, Kan., Explosion

Release Date: 07/17/2007
Contact Information: Dianna Whitaker, (913) 551-7598, whitaker.dianna@epa.gov

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Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., July 17, 2007) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mobilized three On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) to Valley Center, Kan., this morning to respond to an explosion at the Barton Solvents plant. The OSCs will assist local emergency responders with air monitoring and other requests.

EPA also sent the ASPECT (Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology) plane to fly over the fire. The ASPECT plane provides first responders – emergency workers on scene – with information on possible chemical releases to the air.

EPA Region 7 is coordinating with the local Emergency Operations Center, which consists of Sedgwick County fire, health and law enforcement departments. When sampling results become available, EPA will post this information on the EPA Region 7 website at www.epa.gov/region07.

Barton Solvents is a wholesale distributor of industrial chemicals and other products.