The construction of a new immigration detention center in Surprise, Arizona, has raised alarm bells among local authorities, activists and public safety specialists. The reason is not only the expansion of immigration infrastructure promoted by Donald Trump’s administration, but also the chosen location: right in front of a huge hazardous chemical warehouse whose own risk assessment warns about possible toxic leaks that could affect more than 73 thousand people.
According to research by Project Salt Field, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to use a warehouse adapted to house between 1,000 and 2,000 detained immigrants on West Sweetwater Avenue in the city of Surprise. Across the street there is a Rinchem company facility dedicated to the storage of hazardous materials such as chlorine, ammonia, fluorine and hydrogen chloride.
The major concern is that people held at the facility would not be able to evacuate themselves in the event of a chemical emergency.
Firefighters denounce lack of coordination
Surprise Fire and Medical Services Department Chief Steven Faraclas revealed that neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)neither ICE nor the contractor company GardaWorld Federal Companies and products have contacted their corporation to coordinate emergency protocols related to the future center.
“At the moment, no”Faraclas responded when asked if any of these entities had requested support to plan an eventual evacuation.
The statement has generated concern because the department itself is the authority responsible for responding to chemical accidents in the area.
According to records reviewed by the aforementioned media, Rinchem presented to federal regulators a leak scenario considered realistic in which 20 thousand pounds of hydrogen chloride could be released in just ten minutes. Using risk models from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the company estimated that a toxic cloud could extend up to 4.3 kilometers (2.7 miles) around the plant.
Within this impact zone there are schools, neighborhoods, businesses and the future detention center.
They question environmental evaluation of the project
The doubts have also reached the applicable scope. The community organization Northwest Valley Indivisible asked local authorities to demand explanations about evacuation protocols, chemical detection systems and containment measures before the facilities come into operation.
“Did anyone from DHS or ICE check one of the largest warehouses of dangerous chemicals in the valley before spending $70 million to lock people up there?” asked Lynne Gehling, a member of the group.
The concern coincides with a lawsuit filed by Arizona prosecutor in stylewho maintains that the building was designed for industrial use and not to house a captive population in front of a facility with hazardous materials.
Documents reviewed by the same medium indicate that ICE did carry out environmental assessments related to flood risks and other factorsbut made no reference to the Rinchem chemical depot or possible evacuation procedures in the event of an accident.
Meanwhile, the project remains involved in litigation who are part of a growing opposition to the national expansion of immigration detention centers promoted by the federal government.
Although DHS maintains that it has met legal and environmental requirements, the important question remains unanswered: What would happen to hundreds or even thousands of people detained if a toxic cloud forced the area to be evacuated in a matter of minutes?
For now, local authorities recognize that That scenario has not yet been formally discussed..
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