Members of the Franklin Square and Munson Fire Department responded to a chemical fire at Rath Park in Franklin Square on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 4 during the Town of Hempstead's Stop Throwing Out Pollutants (STOP) program. The park had to be evacuated and a HAZMAT team called in to clean up a drum of pesticides that ignited.

As part of the town's STOP program, hazardous household waste items are collected at town parks and disposed of by the town's contractor, Care Environment Corporation.

According to Franklin Square and Munson Fire Department Chief Lou Sabatino, the contractor was trying to put all pesticides in a 55-gallon drum. The chief said the last chemical that was dropped in the drum caused it to react. There was a flash followed by fire. The contractor tried to put the fire out but it was difficult to extinguish so the Franklin Square and Munson Fire Department was called.

The flash in the drum and the fire was a cause of concern since similar chemicals shouldn't ignite when mixed together.

Supervisor Murray has requested a complete Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) investigation in response to reports that some hazardous materials have been deposited in a container designated for "non-hazardous" items.

When Chief Sabatino arrived on the scene, he evacuated the area and the park and called a HAZMAT team. According to the chief, the contractor was asked for a list of the chemicals that were going into the drum, but did not have one. "We had an unknown chemical situation," he said. "The fact that it flashed, they were concerned that something was mixed [to the pesticides that were in the drum]. Anytime you mix two chemicals, even if they are household, it could be disastrous."

The Franklin Square and Munson Fire Department assisted the HAZMAT decontamination team with water and stretched the handline in case the chemicals flashed again.

As a result of the incident, Supervisor Murray has taken action. She said that while hazardous wastes collected at STOP events are removed immediately following the program, some dumpsters designated for "non-hazardous" materials have remained overnight.

Calling overnight storage unacceptable, Supervisor Murray has directed the town's commissioner of sanitation to amend his policy and ensure that non-hazardous containers are immediately removed along with hazardous material at the conclusion of the STOP event.

The STOP program was created to provide area residents with a safe, environmentally sound method of disposal of many hazardous materials found in the average home.

"The town is committed to the STOP Program as a critical component in our efforts to protect residents from household hazardous wastes and to prevent chemicals from entering the waste stream and polluting the environment," Supervisor Murray said.

Chief Sabatino said that while the program has been safe for 11 years, its location in Rath Park is poor because it is too close to a residential area. "I understand it is a park and a Town of Hempstead property, but I would like to see it moved to an industrial area in the future. Supposing this mixture that went on was worse than it turned out to be, supposing it was a heavy wind and it went right towards the houses, we'd have problems on our hands. I think to solve those problems just keep it away from a residential area, in particular a park," he said.