Shortly before 9 o’clock this morning, police spokesperson Sgt. Patrick Swanton says, a fuel tank that was being scrapped at the CMC Recycling plant in East Waco caught fire.
"The tank was being cut up for scrap, as workers were cutting on that with cutting torches it ignited the residue inside of the tank, putting off fumes," Swanton says.
That residue, according to Swanton, was hydrogen cyanide – a chemical that, among other things, is used for the production of pesticides. The business area was evacuated and at last count 14 employees were taken to area hospitals as a precautionary measure. Swanton says the community and surrounding area were never in danger.
"The gas as it was burning can put off deadly toxic fumes, so again very fortunate that nobody was injured," Swanton says.
The fire has since been put out and an environmental cleanup group was brought on scene to ensure that cleanup procedures were handled correctly. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention exposure to Hydrogen Cyanide can be caused by ingestion, inhalation, and skin or eye contact.