LANCASTER COUNTY, PA — Emergency crews were called to Arconic, located at 1480 Manheim Pike in Manheim Township, for a hazardous materials incident involving a leaking chlorine cylinder.
The incident was dispatched as HazMat Box 20-01 — Hazardous Materials Incident, after a chlorine cylinder began leaking at the stem. Arconic personnel were already working to address the problem while emergency crews responded.
Chief 20 (Little) assumed incident command as firefighters and maintenance personnel worked to bring the situation under control.
According to initial information, the maintenance crew was able to safely disconnect the cylinder and stop the leak, effectively controlling the incident. No further release was reported once the cylinder was disconnected.
Lebanon County emergency units that had been placed en route were subsequently placed back in service after the situation was stabilized.
The incident is notably similar to an event at the same facility in May 2019, when HazMat 2 crews responded to a chlorine cylinder issue. During that incident, crews used an A-Kit to cap the cylinder following a mechanical failure involving an automatic shutoff that damaged the cylinder’s stem.
Today’s response serves as another reminder of the importance of specialized HazMat training and coordinated response when dealing with hazardous industrial chemicals such as chlorine. What could begin as a mechanical failure can quickly become a serious emergency requiring specialized equipment, trained personnel and careful coordination between facility crews and emergency responders.