State, local crews respond to hazmat incident at Perdue in Georgetown

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and Delaware Natural Resources Police responded to an incident at Perdue Farms processing plant, located at 20621 Savannah Road in Georgetown shortly before 6 p.m. Jan. 8, to evaluate a hazardous materials incident. State and local authorities worked together to assess the situation.

 

The Delaware Emergency Management Agency confirmed that an Emergency Alert System message advising a statewide shelter in place was sent in error. The alert, which has been lifted, was only applicable within a half-mile radius of the incident in Georgetown.

 

According to a Facebook post at 5:45 p.m. Jan. 8, on the Delmarva Firefighter Forums page, workers reported a mixture of thioacetic acid and caustics with a white cloud visible going airborne. As a result, a 300-meter isolation zone was in place, and crews closed area roads. Hazmat and EMS teams are staging in the area of the Delaware Coastal Airport, according to the Facebook post.