GEORGETOWN, DE– A hazardous materials incident at a Sussex County Perdue plant forced neighbors to shelter in place for several hours Wednesday evening.
Officials say the threat has since dissipated.
The incident reportedly began around 4:40 p.m. on Jan. 8 when, according to Perdue, a chemical supplier accidentally mixed peracetic acid into a caustic chemical tank, creating a smoke plume over the facility at 20621 Savana Road.
The USDA says peracetic acid, or peroxyacetic acid, is a peroxide-based sanitizer used to minimize bacterial contamination and spoilage in the meat and poultry industries. Concentrated forms of the colorless corrosive liquid can cause damage to the eyes and skin, according to the agency. Perdue also cites nausea and dizziness as potential symptoms.
"We are working closely with emergency responders and will provide updates as needed," a Perdue spokesperson said.
Georgetown Fire Department Spokesperson Lewis Briggs said four plant workers exposed to the chemicals were treated at the scene for eye irritation and coughing, but were not transported to the hospital.
The Georgetown Police Department issued an emergency notification across local television stations around 6:20 p.m., advising those in the area to shelter in place, posting on Facebook that experts were assessing the threat.
The Georgetown Fire Department also asked neighbors via Facebook to avoid Savana Road and surrounding streets, which authorities closed around 6:30 p.m.
Numerous residents across Delaware, including in Kent and New Castle Counties, reported receiving a shelter in place alert.
The Delaware Emergency Management Agency said a statewide emergency message was issued in error and was only intended for a half-mile radius of the incident in Georgetown.
Georgetown Police reitterated this clarification in another television advisory around 8:05 p.m., saying: "This is an update regarding the earlier notification. Only residents in Ward 2 in Georgetown, Delaware, between North Bedford and East Market Street should continue to shelter in place. If you are outside this are, you may disregard the previous message."
Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) lifted the shelter in place order around 9:45 p.m. as Georgetown Police advised the incident had been resolved with crews clearing the scene.
DNREC says there is no remaining threat, although WBOC was told a vinegary odor lingered in the air in Georgetown Thursday morning.
