Despite an initial all-clear, residents of Leverkusen are still concerned about the question of which substances might have been released into the air in the Chempark explosion. Now there is information about the contents of the affected waste tanks.
Leverkusen – According to the Cologne district government, there were “liquid residues from the production of chemicals for agriculture” in the waste tank farm of the Leverkusen explosion.
The main component of this waste is “chemicals containing phosphorus and sulfur,” said the authority on Saturday. However, the question was still open as to whether the detonation might have released substances that are hazardous to health. More samples would be taken.
The exact contents of the tanks in the hazardous waste incineration plant had not previously been publicly known. At a press conference on Friday, the operator Currenta pointed out that it was an object in a preliminary investigation. The company itself, of course, knows what was in the tanks.
Currenta had stated that this information had been given to the authorities “in full”. The data was sent on Thursday and Friday. However, emergency services at the immediate site of the explosion would already have had direct information about the substances.
After the massive detonation and a subsequent fire, a huge cloud of smoke rose in Leverkusen on Tuesday morning, and soot particles fell in the region. In an initial analysis, the State Environment Agency (LANUV) stated that there were no residues of dioxin or dioxin-like substances. The experts measured only very low values for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results were seen as the first cautious all-clear.
At the same time, the office announced that it wanted to carry out further analyzes with the knowledge of the exact contents of the tanks. Until a final clarification, the precautionary measures for residents should be maintained. This includes, for example, not eating fruit or vegetables from the garden or touching contaminated surfaces.
Dead and injured
At least five people were killed after the detonation, two are still missing. 31 people were injured. The cause of the accident is not yet known. The public prosecutor’s office is investigating the case against unknown persons on suspicion of negligent homicide and negligent causing of an explosion. She wants to find out whether human errors led to the catastrophe.
NRW Environment Minister Ursula Heinen-Esser (CDU) called for an exact clarification of the events. “Now, above all, the causes have to be precisely clarified and dealt with. All necessary measures must be taken as soon as possible so that such a bad accident does not repeat itself in the future, ”said the politician, who visited the scene of the accident on Saturday. According to the Ministry of the Environment, a “task force” was agreed “for the analysis of fire residues”. dpa
