November 3rd 2009 Moses Lake REC Event

REC Silicon fire today; no harmful chemicals released

Moses Lake, Wash.– REC Silicon reported an incident at 8:45a.m. today in which hydrogen was ignited within a sump causing a fire and steam emissions stemming from Plant III. No injuries were reported and no harmful chemicals were released in the air. There was no plant shut-down or interruption of production. The incident was contained and eliminated at 11:00a.m.

REC Silicon has been in communication with Grant County Emergency Management throughout the course of the incident. The Washington Department of Ecology is also aware of today’s events. Moses Lake Fire crews were also on hand to assist.

The incident is still under investigation.

“Our employees responded quickly to the incident and no one was hurt,” said Kent Stephens, REC Silicon Director of Operations.“REC Silicon works hard to have safe and environmentally friendly facilities. We care about this community and providing good, green jobs in the region. We’re still investigating this incident to determine exactly what happened.”
The Grant County Telephone Notification Systems (TNS) was used to send out a re-scripted message to residents who live near the REC Silicon plant. However, REC Silicon has learned that not all neighbors received the notification. REC Silicon is working with Grant County to ensure this system is functioning properly.

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