Letter to the Editor
Regarding the Feb. 13 article "Hazmat firm clings to records; Says release could aid competitors":
It's
hard to believe that EQ Industrial Services, Inc. is working to keep
documents about the operations of the Apex chemical plant under wraps.
When
the plant exploded last October, firefighters, paramedics and police
officers had no idea what was burning inside and were thus unsure of
how to handle the situation. This state of ignorance resulted in the
evacuation of many people and several days of confusion.
Why
didn't first responders know why the smoke billowing out of the plant
was yellow and smelled funny? Because records about the plant's
inventory were burning inside.
EQ
shouldn't repeat that mistake. Information about the inner functions of
the Apex plant could provide valuable clues as to what went wrong and
how to prevent an explosion in other plants. Furthermore, if company
practices were to blame for the explosion, then the public should know
and EQ should be held accountable. Secrecy should no longer be an
option.
Rob Thompson
Advocate, NCPIRG (North Carolina Public Interest Research Group)
Raleigh
