Fred Willingham

TDEC Director of Solid Waste Management, Fred Willingham, says, "It should be of no concern unless you get your water from a well."

If that well is near a closed landfill in Washington or Sullivan Counties, you may have cause for concern.

Willingham adds, "We have found volatile organics in the monitoring wells , specifically in Sullivan County we have one spring offsite that has been impacted."

The Sullivan County Landfill is Betsy Gregg's neighbor.She depends on well water for her daily needs.
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Willingham adds, "If I was in their position, I would sample my water, yes.

TDEC hazardous waste specialist Fred Willingham was in Rogersville Monday to inspect the cleanup efforts that have taken place so far.The incident occurred Thursday afternoon when old high school chemistry lab chemicals that had been transported from an abandoned Hawkins County Schools maintenance building to the county schools bus garage caught fire in the back of a pickup and then exploded.

Although numerous different types of chemicals were involved in the fire and explosion, Willingham said the two most serious chemicals were potassium cyanide and elemental sodium.Willingham speculated that the explosion occurred when firefighters sprayed water on the sodium after it caught fire.

"I was there this morning, and they had packed 22 drums of lab pack chemicals and had that manifested off site to Echo Flow in North Carolina," Willingham said Monday."They have crushed the pickup truck that was hauling the material and removed some asphalt and soil that was discolored at the site.They've got all that in a 40-yard roll-off container, and they will manifest that also as hazardous waste."

Willingham added that although the storm drains had been blocked and a nearby creek was dammed Friday moments after it was discovered that dangerous chemicals were involved in the explosion, more than 12,000 gallons of water were pumped away from Crockett Creek near a storm drain spillway and will also be disposed of as hazardous waste.

"They had put about 200 gallons of water on the pickup while it was burning, and it flowed into a storm sewer at the gate (of the bus garage), and it flowed about 200 yards where it comes to Crockett Creek next to the rescue squad building," Willingham said."They pumped out all the water that was there and then pushed another 6,000 gallons to rinse out the storm sewer.

"I think they did a good job containing it, and once they get that material in the roll-off and the 12,000 gallons of water they've collected off site, they ought to be in good shape."

Willingham said it was a mistake for the county school district to put the chemicals in a plastic bag and transport them in the back of a pickup.Despite that assessment, he does not expect that any fines or violations will be levied against the Hawkins County school district as a result of the incident.

"They self-reported, and under the Emergency Act they've done exactly what they needed to so, there will not be any civil penalties," Willingham said.