Possible accidental explosion averted at north transfer station, closed until further notice

A possible explosion was averted Thursday at the north transfer station after someone drove into the recycling center with materials that emitted a white gas.

The Spokane County Regional Solid Waste North Transfer Station, located at 22123 N. Elk Chattaroy Road, was evacuated due to the gas and is closed until further notice, according to a news release from the county.

Spokane County Public Works spokeswoman Martha Lou Wheatley-Billeter said the bed of the truck contained chlorine tablets, pesticides and fertilizer. The medley could have resulted in an explosion and the release of deadly gases. Wheatley-Billeter stressed the importance of caution and care when disposing of hazardous household waste, which is accepted at county transfer stations on Saturdays and Sundays.

“It doesn’t take much if they mix to cause a noxious gas cloud that can be damaging to anybody close by who happens to breathe it in,” Wheatley-Billeter said.

A couple of employees and the driver of the vehicle were exposed to the cloud and cleared with a clean bill of health by EMTs with Spokane County Fire District 4. The fire district has since passed the investigation of the incident to the Department of Ecology, Wheatley-Billeter said.

Firefighters are conducting an investigation, according to the county release. No injuries were reported.