Hundreds Sickened at Mass. Trash Facility

Noxious fumes at a trash disposal facility sent 117 people to hospitals on Monday, including two who were listed in critical condition.

Firefighters responded to ABC Disposal Service Inc. in New Bedford just after 10 a.m. after a report that something brought to the facility was making people sick, fire Chief Paul Leger said.

Police Lt. Jeffrey Silva told CBS Station WBZ in Boston that there was some sort of chemical reaction inside the plant causing a buildup of fumes that eventually spread outside.

As many as 10 people lost consciousness after breathing in the fumes, authorities said. The victims were decontaminated by a hazardous materials team on site before being taken to hospitals.

St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford said it had received 66 patients, two of whom were listed in critical condition and two others in fair condition.

At St. Luke's, patients were decontaminated by a hazardous materials team in a huge yellow tent in the hospital parking lot. About two dozen doctors and nurses in head-to-toe protective body suits treated the workers, WBZ reports.

Another 51 victims were sent to Charlton Memorial Hospital. All were treated and released.

The patients were employees of the company and first responders, including police, firefighters and paramedics, the hospital said. Their symptoms included nausea, respiratory distress and dizziness.

Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River treated and released 51 patients.

The fumes were caused by trash that was brought in and was being manually sorted, said Ed Coletta, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection. Authorities said the chemicals were contained at the facility.

Investigators are still trying to determine what type of chemical was leaked and its source, Leger said.

The leak was declared a Tier 4 hazmat incident - the highest level - but authorities said the chemicals were contained at the facility. The plant is in an industrial park next to a landfill. There are no homes nearby.

Police will continue to treat the chemical leak as a criminal investigation until they can determine it was an accident, New Bedford police Chief Ron Teachman said.

ABC Disposal is a 40-year-old business that collects, transports and disposes of more than 200,000 tons of nonhazardous waste per year, according to the company's Web site. The company disposes residential, commercial and industrial waste.

Silva said ABC Disposal has not had problems in the past. "They do a variety of industrial-type of disposal," he said. "They've been in business in the city for years - a very reputable business."

At least two emergency responders were among those treated for exposure to the fumes, and several police officers also complained of symptoms, said New Bedford police Lt. Jeffrey Silva.

Ted Fitzgerald, a spokesman for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the agency had sent a safety inspector and an industrial hygienist to the site to investigate.

Watch local coverage from CBS Station WBZ Boston: