Blast Cleanup Finds Toxic Mess in Building

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http://www.nydailynews.com/2002-04-27/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-149033.asp

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Saturday, April 27, 2002

Blast Cleanup Finds Toxic Mess in Building

By FERNANDA SANTOS, JONATHAN LeMIRE

and ROBERT INGRASSIA

Daily News Staff Writers

As crews in orange jumpsuits began cleaning up the toxic mess left behind by

Thursday's explosion in Chelsea, fire inspectors found 300 drums of

illegally stored chemicals yesterday in the basement of the blown-out

building.

Investigators believe the W. 19th St. blast occurred while workers at

Kaltech, a sign company, were pumping chemicals from one drum to another.

Chemical removal teams prepare ...

Kaltech was cited late Thursday for improperly storing chemicals, which

included drums of acetone, lacquer thinner and ferric chloride.

One high-ranking city fire official said inspectors found about 100

55-gallon barrels and some 200 smaller drums in Kaltech's basement - roughly

1,000 gallons of chemicals in all.

" The illegal storage of materials is one thing, but once an incident occurs

like this, where there could be deaths, there could be criminal negligence, "

one investigator said.

A dozen people remained hospitalized yesterday, five of them in critical

condition. More than 40 people were hurt in the blast, which showered glass

and bricks onto the street.

.... to enter building the day after explosion rocked Chelsea.

Most of the seriously injured worked for Kaltech, which occupies the

majority of space in the 10-story building's lower floors, including the

basement.

Under city laws, the company must pay for the cleanup, which officials said

could take a week.

The Manhattan district attorney's office is working with fire marshals and

the state Department of Environmental Conservation on possible criminal

charges.

Selk, who is leading the U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation,

said last night that he was " surprised to see such a large concentration of

flammable material in a mixed-tenant environment. "

He added that the damage was so heavy " it's going to be hard to reconstruct

exactly what happened. " The federal investigation could take several months,

he said.

Kaltech missed a March 31 deadline to file an annual report to the city

listing which chemicals it uses, said Sturcken, chief of staff for

the city Department of Environmental Protection.

The company's filing from last year listed fewer chemicals and smaller

quantities than what inspectors found after the blast, he said.

Kaltech owner Mustak Khalfan said he wasn't sure whether his workers touched

off the explosion.

" I would leave it totally in the hands of the fire marshal to make the

decision, " he said. " They have all the experts here. "

But the son of an injured Kaltech worker said his father was certain that

the chemicals fueled the blast.

" My father was there, and he told me that they were pouring liquid in the

drums, " said Pavon Jr., whose father is recovering at Weill Cornell

Medical Center. " That's what caused it. "

With Matt