ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A shelter in place order has been issued for an area south of the\u00a0Lehigh County Authority\u00a0water treatment facility in Allentown after a\u00a0hazardous materials spill at the building.<\/p>\n
Allentown Fire Department Capt. of Public Affairs Jon Hammel says the\u00a0shelter in place order is in place for approximately 1 miles south of the facility, between 8th Street and Jefferson Street south to Lehigh Street.<\/p>\n
The shelter in place order is a strictly precautionary measure.<\/p>\n
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk says the order covers about 1300 residents.<\/p>\n
Emergency crews responded to the hazardous materials spill at the water treatment facility on Martin Luther King Junior Drive in Allentown. Hammel says the spill was reported at 10 a.m. Friday.<\/p>\n
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69 News Reporter Bo Koltnow speaks to Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk about the hazardous materials spill at the LCA water treatment facility.<\/p>\n
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At this point, the spill is contained to the facility and there are no evacuations other than at the facility.<\/p>\n
Taylor Stakes of the Lehigh County Authority says the water system has not been compromised. He says the plant is running without interruption.<\/p>\n
Five Lehigh County Authority employees who were inside the facility at the time were brought to the hospital as a precautionary measure. They are expected to be ok.<\/p>\n
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69 News Reporter Bo Koltnow speaks with Allentown Fire Department Capt. of Public Affairs Jon Hammel about the hazardous materials spill.<\/p>\n
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Hammel says the leak is controlled, he says.<\/p>\n
The spill was due to a chemical delivery mix up, in which\u00a0sodium hypochlorite(which is used to treat water) was put into the wrong tank. It was mixed with\u00a0polyaluminum chloride, creating a toxic vapor in the building, which led to the hazmat incident.<\/p>\n
Tuerk says the Pennsylvania DEP, Lehigh County Emergency Management crews, and two ambulance companies are on scene.<\/p>\n
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69 News Reporter Bo Koltnow speaks with Taylor Stakes of the Lehigh County Authority.<\/p>\n
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Capt. Hammel says Martin Luther King Boulevard will be closed for several hours. Stakes says the road closure extends for most of Martin Luther King Junior Drive, as well as to several side streets.<\/p>\n
Stakes says the plant\u2019s customer service department is closed for the rest of the day Friday. He says he is asking residents to not come to the plant to try and pay bills.<\/p>\n
The LCA says that depending on what happens, they may have to stop treating water. In that case, residents would be asked to conserve water. That has not happened as of now. If it were to happen, LCA says it would issue a release about it.<\/p>\n