HILO — The cause of a September chlorine-gas leak in Hilo remains a mystery.
Firefighters responded to reports of an unpleasant odor on Sept. 22 near Hilo’s BEI, 430 Kekuanaoa St.
The company calls itself “Hawaii’s leading distributor of agricultural and industrial chemicals, fertilizer and specialty products.”
Jonathan Sullivan, BEI regulatory compliance officer, said in September that BEI itself doesn’t even use chlorine. Rather, BEI receives chlorine and holds it for customers.
BEI investigators had to wait until the malfunctioning chlorine cylinder, and the water tank in which it was immersed to contain the leak, reached the mainland so that the vendor there could undertake its part of the joint investigation.
“It is really undeterminable, as to a root cause of of the leak,” Sullivan said Tuesday.
The investigation revealed little except that BEI employees who are first responders to leaks should be trained on how to tighten chlorine-tank valves.
That training, offered by the chlorine vendor, has already taken place, Sullivan said.
He said foul play is not suspected because two levels of protection, a bonnet atop the cylinder and a seal remained “intact.”
Sullivan also said Homeland Security-level technology, including chlorine sensors, would have tipped the company had anyone intentionally triggered a chlorine leak.
Investigators were hampered in their efforts to find a root cause because the degradation begins as soon as a cylinder is placed in the containment tank. Thus, it’s not clear if there was an equipment failure or some other cause.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people affected by chlorine gas can experience symptoms long term because “when it comes into contact with moist tissues such as the eyes, throat and lungs, an acid is produced that can damage these tissues.”
Reports in September suggested both neighbors and employees were affected by the gas.
“We do still have one employee out,” Sullivan said Tuesday.
Email Jeff Hansel at jhansel@hawaiitribune-herald.com