APEX - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board called for a national fire code for all hazardous waste facilities in a report today on the chemical explosion and fire at a hazardous waste plant in Apex.

The CSB previously found that the Environmental Quality Co. plant lacked firewalls and fire detection and suppression systems that could have prevented the October 2006 accident. The explosion and fire forced the evacuation of about 16,000 people and sent a toxic cloud over Apex.

"We are recommending new measures to prevent similar accidents in the future and to reduce the consequences of any accidents that do occur, said William B. Wark, CSB Board member.

"The Chemical Safety Board determined that the EQ facility was not adequately prepared for a fire that might occur after hours when no people were present," Warks said. "This facility lacked firewalls and automatic fire detection and suppression systems."

Wark said the fire at EQ was an example of a more general problem.

"Our investigation found that in the past five years there have been a total of 23 hazardous waste fires and releases from U.S. waste facilities. More than a third of these accidents had serious public impacts such as evacuation, orders to take shelter or disruption of transportation."

In a second major recommendation, the CSB called on the Environmental Protection Agency to require that hazardous waste facilities periodically provide specific, written information to state and local officials on the type, approximate quantities and location of all hazardous waste. Wark said such information on chemical hazards is essential to emergency response planning.

Wark said the new fire code should establish good practices across the country for the prevention, detection, control and suppression of fires at hazardous waste plants.

He said the specific safety recommendation is addressed to the Environmental Technology Council, a trade association representing about 80 percent of the hazardous waste industry.

"We are calling on the council to work with the National Fire Protection Association to establish this new code," he said.

The CSB also released a video animation of the accident at the EQ plant.

The agency said the fire started in a section of the plant where pool chlorination chemicals were stored. Dozens of mislabeled chemical oxygen generators activated, accelerating the blaze as it raced through the building.

A state investigation later found that EQ had failed to report prior incidents involving chemical reactions, fires and waste releases. EQ never reopened the plant after the explosion. It later agreed to pay $441,944 for violating state regulations on hazardous waste and gave up its right to store hazardous waste in the state.

The CSB investigates industrial chemical accidents and makes recommendations, but it does not issue fines or enforce regulations.