This daily update from the Unified Command Team keeps the public informed of the latest response activities following the Cantonment Digester Incident that occurred Sunday, Jan. 22. The Unified Command Team is comprised of International Paper, Escambia County EMA/Public Safety, Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Unified Command Team’s top priority is the safety of our friends, neighbors and response personnel while ensuring the environment is fully protected.
Community
- The Unified Command will host a community town hall meeting this evening at J.M. Tate High School cafeteria. There will be an incident response overview followed by a question and answer session for residents and businesses in the local area. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the event will begin at 6 p.m. J.M. Tate High School is located at 1771 Tate Road in Cantonment.
School bus service resumes
- As a result of the Jan. 22 digester incident at the Cantonment mill, partially digested wood pulp material was released in the surrounding area.
- School bus service inside the affected neighborhoods will resume Friday morning, Feb. 3. It was temporarily suspended due to traffic from cleanup efforts. During this time, busses picked up students at the former Winn-Dixie location on Hwy. 29 near the neighborhood entrance.
- Cleanup work is progressing well, with cleanup crews completing the majority of cleaning required for approximately 10 homes per day.
- The Unified Command has directed that soil samples be taken at each residence at the conclusion of cleanup operations. The completion of cleaning at a residence will not be verified until these results have been received and analyzed.
- Unified Command representatives are collecting daily air, water and soil samples from various locations in the impacted area and presenting the data to the environmental unit, which is comprised of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Escambia County, the Florida Department of Health and International Paper.
- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection inspected the local drinking water system and found no impact related to incident. In an abundance of caution, drinking water samples were taken and confirmed the material is not in the drinking water.
- A long-term environmental monitoring plan will be implemented after active cleanup efforts have been completed.
Outreach continues in affected areas
- Teams continue to operate in the field, maintaining open and direct communications with all property owners impacted.
- Residents who believe their property may have been affected by the material released as a result of the incident and would like further information should call the Joint Information Center available 24/7 at 1-850-968-4208.
- Nearly 200 individuals are working the clean-up site.
