By Sarah C. Johnson
Hickory Daily Record
LENOIR, N.C. — More than a dozen people were sent to the hospital after a white powdery substance was found in a workplace in Lenoir on Monday.
Members of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation bomb squad, Caldwell County EMS, Asheville Fire and N.C. Hazardous Materials Regional Response Team were called to Prime Recycling on Monday after a white powdery substance was found, according to SBI Public Information Officer Chad Flowers.
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According to Lenoir Fire Chief Norman Staines, the Lenoir Fire Department and Caldwell County Emergency Services were dispatched to Prime Recycling at 2435 Watson St. NW shortly before 11 a.m. for reported breathing issues at the warehouse when workers were exposed to a white powder of unknown origin.
The powder was on top of a box. The powder went airborne while moving and opening boxes, Staines said.
Upon arrival, emergency crews found multiple people experiencing respiratory issues. In total, 22 people were examined at the scene, and 14 of those were then transported for evaluation at UNC Caldwell, Caldwell County Emergency Services Chief Trevor Key said in a news release.
The patients are in stable condition, Key said.
Flowers said the SBI is working to identify the substance. Four to five agents were on the scene with additional agents on the way around 4 p.m., Flowers said.
Morganton Public Safety was called to Fast Track Urgent Care on Burkemont Avenue after one of the individuals exposed at Prime Recycling showed up for treatment, Morganton Public Safety said in a news release.
“Staff of the urgent care who were exposed have been decontaminated and transported to the hospital for treatment with non-life-threatening injuries,” Morganton Public Safety said.
Flowers said that the business belongs to Amazon. Several Amazon transfer trailers were at the warehouse.
Multiple employees were seen sitting around the fence at the outer edge of the property around 4 p.m.
According to the Prime Recycling website, the company “is committed to diverting waste from landfills, recovering maximum material value, and building a cleaner circular economy for businesses of every size” and is “a full-service one-stop shop for recycling, reverse logistics, e-waste, sorting and material recovery, and custom sustainability programs.”
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