West Thurrock chemical leak: Schools and roads closed
West Thurrock chemical leak: No risk to public health
(about 5 hours later)
Schools have been closed and an exclusion zone is in place after a chemical leak saw clouds of hydrochloric acid form in the sky.
An "acid cloud" leak that caused school closures and an exclusion zone to be put in place poses no perceived risk to health, investigators have found.
Essex Fire and Rescue Service set up a 100-metre exclusion zone after the leak at International Chemicals Group Limited, West Thurrock, on Monday.
The incident at International Chemicals Group Limited, West Thurrock, Essex, saw clouds of hydrochloric acid form in the sky on Monday.
Residents have been advised to keep their doors and windows closed.
Air quality in the area was monitored by health and safety teams, with readings "well within safe levels".
Fifteen firefighters were treated in hospital as "a precautionary measure" the fire service said.
The incident was caused by a pipework failure, the company said.
The leak was caused by a tank that failed, it said.
Managing director Edwin Strang said the leak was from a chemical storage facility at its Stoneness Road site.
People are being asked to avoid the area and Stoneness and Oliver Road remain closed.
A failure with pipework resulted in three tanks discharging hydrochloric acid into a so-called "bunded area", created to protect the environment, he said.
The fire service recommended that schools in West Thurrock, Purfleet and Chafford Hundred stay shut as "as a precaution to prevent pupils from being exposed to fumes coming from the site which can be a minor irritant".
Essex Fire Service said 15 firefighters had to be treated as "a precautionary measure" and were later released from hospital.
Belmont Castle Academy in Grays, Harris Chafford Hundred Academy and Tudor Court Primary, both in Chafford Hundred, confirmed they are closed.
A 100-metre exclusion zone was set up after the leak, with residents advised to keep windows and doors closed.
Rick Hylton, deputy chief fire officer, said it was a "very complicated incident" but the leak was now contained.
Schools that were shut in nearby West Thurrock, Purfleet and Chafford Hundred will reopen as normal on Wednesday, Thurrock Council confirmed.
"As a precautionary measure 15 firefighters were transported to local hospitals overnight and following assessment were released shortly after," he said.
Roads around the site will also reopen.
He said it would be resolved in "hours and not days" as crews were working to reduce the gas cloud.
An air quality team from the Environment Agency has been working with Public Health England (PHE) to "assess the air quality impact of the chemical spill on the general public."
Industrial Chemicals Group said the leak was from a chemical storage facility at its Stoneness Avenue site.
A PHE spokesman said: "Public Health England is content that the air quality monitoring today by the Environment Agency shows that the readings are normal, which means that the risk to public health is low."
Managing director Edwin Strang said a failure with pipework resulted in three tanks discharging hydrochloric acid into a bunded area, created to protect the environment.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive is under way.
He apologised for the inconvenience caused, said an investigation had begun and "corrective action" would be taken.
The fire service is expected to continue to monitor the area in the coming days.
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At the scene
By Chris Flynn, BBC News
Lorries and people who work within the site are being prevented from entering the site and being moved on as they stop on the roundabout which leads to Stoneness Road.
It is unclear how long this closure will remain in place but workers from businesses on site have been telling me they are going home until they receive further updates.
The advice from the fire service from locals is to stay indoors with windows and doors closed and to call 111 if you feel unwell.
Neil Fenwick, area manager for the fire service, said: "We understand that the cloud includes an amount of hydrochloric acid.
"We now know that these fumes were caused by a tank that has failed, the leak is contained to within the site."
Ten crews attended from Grays, Orsett, Basildon, Rayleigh Weir, Corringham, Billericay and Wickford.
The Environment Agency is on site and has deployed air quality monitoring equipment.
