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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Chemical Safety Board Releases Final Report on EQ Fire
Members of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board release their final report on the October 2006 fire at the EQ hazardous waste facility in Apex.
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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.