Hazmat task force calls for uniform regulations

Adrienne Packer

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2002 | 9:29 a.m.

An eight-member hazardous materials task force, formed after the deadly AeroTech Inc. explosion a year ago, released recommendations Monday to boost oversight of Clark County plants that store dangerous chemicals.

Task force members concluded local governments should align their regulations so they are consistent and businesses should be required to disclose the chemicals they intend to store when they apply for licenses.

"The whole idea was to get together and try to discover the process by which AeroTech came to exist," said Girard Page, a chemical engineer for the Clark County Fire Department. "We looked at what processes are in place to license facilities."

An AeroTech employee was killed in the initial blaze at the plant off Boulder Highway in southeast Las Vegas in October 2001. Water leaked into a tub of magnesium, causing a second fire and a massive explosion.

The explosion also triggered a battle between the county and AeroTech.

AeroTech filed a lawsuit claiming county firefighters mishandled the blaze and caused the subsequent explosion. The company also alleged county inspectors trespassed in the days following the blaze. Federal Judge Phillip Pro dismissed the portion of the lawsuit suggesting the county was responsible for the explosion.

Clark County has yet to determine whether to criminally prosecute AeroTech.

Representatives from the air quality, business license, development services and fire divisions served on the task force led by County Commissioner Myrna Williams.

In addition to aligning the county's fire and building codes with those in the cities and state, the task force also suggested the county develop an overlay district to identify where hazardous materials plants can be built without posing a threat to homes.

The task force recommended the fire department add a checklist for storage, manufacturing or use of chemicals in its permit survey form and supply businesses with a list of hazardous materials that require and do not require a permit with a special "hazardous occupancy" designation.

Pertinent chemical storage information would be kept on a database accessible to all the divisions who worked on the task force.

"The task force has been exhaustive in its review and the work product reflects that," County Manager Thom Reilly said. "We've come a long way in making this community a safer place to live and work."

As county administrators waited for the task force recommendations, they ordered unannounced inspections of hazardous businesses. The fire prevention division hired seven additional inspectors and the hazardous materials unit was staffed 24 hours a day for the first time ever.