Guest Column: Addressing issues related to Carus chemical fire

Richard Landtiser is Carus vice president of Innovation and Technology.

As vice president of innovation and technology at Carus, I want to tell you about our products and address misinformation about the Jan. 11 fire. We very much regret that occurred and are grateful for the support from La Salle and others in the aftermath of this unprecedented event.

Carus manufactures chemicals that clean the environment by destroying harmful contaminants. Communities around the globe use our products to protect workers and residents. One of our products is potassium permanganate, which was stored in the warehouse area of the plant. The fire destroyed the warehouse and the potassium permanganate inside.

Potassium permanganate is used to treat drinking water and remove impurities to make tap water safe. Municipalities and businesses use it to treat wastewater. Others use it to remove toxins from the soil. It also cleans the air by eliminating odors and dangerous gases. The product was used to clean up the contamination at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.

Recently, you may have heard speculation about the negative health effects of potassium permanganate exposure. However, negative health effects can only happen when there is concentrated, prolonged exposure to pure potassium permanganate.

With normal weather conditions (snow, rain and wind) following the fire, the permanganate was diluted and dispersed as it entered the environment. Testing confirmed the concentration levels were not high enough to cause harm.

“There have been many lessons learned since the January fire and our pledge is to continually improve how we operate and communicate with the community.”

—  Richard Landtiser, PhD, is vice president of Technology and Innovation for Carus

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency took numerous soil and air tests. They concluded the environment was safe, with no hazards to public health. They reached this conclusion using the Tiered Approach to Corrective Action Objectives.

This process ensures the protection of people and the environment. According to TACO, heavy metal levels in soil samples fell below “tier 1 concentrations of concern.” That meant there were no hazards to public health and no special cleanup necessary.

Following the fire, the EPA and IEPA set up air monitoring downwind from the plant for 19 hours. Those monitors detected no particulate matter (solid particles) at levels that required additional action.

Residents have asked how permanganate affected their roof, gutters and driveways. Potassium permanganate is slightly corrosive to things made from aluminum. With the rain and snow shortly after the fire, potassium permanganate was diluted and neutralized. Corrosivity was eliminated, posing no additional threat. Additionally, potassium permanganate does not damage asphalt roofing.

There has also been misinformation about the Apollo Warehouse, a facility that houses packaging, equipment and nonhazardous materials. The building is safe and there are no chemicals stored there.

Is Carus a safe chemical manufacturer? Carus’ safety performance consistently exceeds industry peers. For instance, over the past three years we have a total recordable incident rate of 0.36 average. Compare that to our peers’ TRIR of 1.63. Despite having this exceptional record, Carus constantly evaluates everything to improve safety processes.

There have been many lessons learned since the January fire, and our pledge is to continually improve how we operate and communicate with the community.

Richard Landtiser, PhD, is vice president of innovation and technology for Carus.