A leak at a hazardous-materials waste facility sent large plumes of gas into the air on Oct. 5, 2006, prompting the evacuation of about 17,000 Apex residents. (Video, Images and More)
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$7.5 million settlement offered in Apex plant fire
A $7.5 million settlement has been proposed for Apex residents who evacuated homes and businesses when a chemical waste depot exploded two years ago.
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Board: Fire Code Needed for Hazardous Waste Sites
Following a 2006 explosion at a hazardous waste transfer facility in Apex, a federal safety board has urged improved fire suppression systems and better record keeping at such sites.
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EQ Won't Rebuild in Apex
The hazardous waste company whose Apex site exploded in a fireball a year ago, forcing the evacuation of about half the town, agreed Monday not to rebuild in order to settle a dispute with state regulators.
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Apex Marks First Anniversary of Chemical Fire
This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of a chemical fire that forced the evacuation of 17,000 Apex residents. But a year later, the state has yet to revoke Environmental Quality's operating permit, and the company is fighting to reopen in Apex.
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Fate Uncertain For Apex Waste Facility Involved in Explosion
EQ Industrial Services has reimbursed Apex for costs associated with a 2006 explosion and evacuation, but the company wants the state to restore its permit. Apex wants no part of a reopened EQ.
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EQ Reimburses Apex for Chemical Fire Costs
The town of Apex received a check Monday for more than $200,000 for expenses related to the response and recovery of an explosion nearly a year ago at a hazardous-waste handling facility last October.
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Apex, Some Residents Wait for EQ Reimbursements
Eleven months after a chemical fire forced nearly half of Apex residents from their homes, some people are still trying to be reimbursed for expenses incurred during the evacuation.
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Inspectors: Oxygen Canisters Fanned EQ Fire
Federal safety experts announced Wednesday that unspent oxygen canisters used on aircraft contributed to the rapid spread of a major chemical fire in Apex last fall.
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Hazardous Waste Rules Get Stricter in N.C.
Almost nine months after a hazardous waste operation in Apex burned to the ground, prompting a massive evacuation, the state has adopted tighter restrictions on such companies.
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U.S. Report Expected on EQ Blast, Fire
The federal Chemical Safety Board said Monday that it would announce its findings at a news conference in Raleigh on Wednesday morning.
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EQ Slams State Charges as Wrong, Based on Inaccurate Evidence
Company says state based half-million-dollar fine on speculation and second-hand statements.
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EQ: No Contamination Found at Apex Fire Site
A state-required investigation has found there to be no contamination at the site of the EQ chemical fire that forced thousands of Apex residents from their homes.
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State Labor Officials Fine EQ for Apex Violations Before Fire
State cites lack of proper initial training for employees and no evacuation plan.
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Apex Residents Pleased With EQ's Fine
The state Division of Waste Management fined Environmental Quality more than $553,000 in connection with the explosion and fire in Apex. The state also plans to shut down the facility by pulling its hazardous waste permit.
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State Fines EQ, Seeks to Revoke Permit
State regulators on Tuesday levied a $553,225 fine against a hazardous waste handler that owns the site of a massive Apex chemical fire and recommended that the company's permit be terminated.
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EQ Attorneys Ask Judge to Keep Records Sealed
Attorneys for an Apex hazardous waste warehouse that burned to the ground in October have asked a Wake County judge to seal records about the company’s inner workings.
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Apex Sees Anti-EQ Support in High Court Ruling on Zoning
Apex officials say a state Supreme Court decision Friday strengthens Apex’s position against any new EQ facility.
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EQ Talks With State About Reopening in Apex
Officials with a hazardous waste company met with state regulators Thursday to discuss reopening a site in Apex where a major chemical fire occurred last fall.
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Haz Waste Almost Gone From Apex Fire Site
The final debris from a hazardous waste fire three months ago should be removed by next week, officials said.
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EQ Reimbursing Apex Residents for Expenses
The company behind a massive hazardous-waste explosion in Apex is trying to make it right for the thousands of people affected by the disaster.
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EQ To Reimburse Apex for Chemical Fire Expenses
The company whose hazardous-waste operation caught fire two months ago, prompting a massive evacuation, has agreed to pay Apex more than $200,000 for costs incurred during the emergency.
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EQ Begins Reimbursing Evacuation Expenses for Apex Residents
A hazardous-waste handler in Apex is reimbursing residents affected by last month's chemical fire that forced thousands of residents to leave their homes in the middle of the night.
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Tests Show No Contamination From EQ Fire
Environmental testing near a hazardous waste operation that caught fire last month found no off-site contamination as a result of the fire, state officials said Friday.