Staff Writer - An Apex chemical fire and explosion were catalysts for a new law Gov. Mike Easley signed Tuesday that tightens regulation of hazardous waste storehouses.

The law came about because of an Oct. 5 late-night accident at the Environmental Quality Co. in Apex. Nobody died, but about 4,000 people were forced to evacuate, and about 30 police, firefighters and residents sought medical treatment for breathing problems, bleary eyes and bloody noses.

Neighbors did not know they lived near chemical storage, and firefighters and first responders didn't know what was there.

"We see that as our fault on the state level for not requiring more information," Easley said.

TIMELINE

OCT. 5: A late-night fire at the Environmental Quality Co. warehouse in Apex shrouds downtown in a chemical cloud and forces thousands to flee their homes.

OCT. 7: The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board arrives to ferret out the cause.

OCT. 17: Easley creates a task force that recommends tightening regulations on hazardous waste facilities. The Apex Town Council says it will fight EQ if it wants to rebuild in town.

JANUARY: House members from Wake County file a bill based on task force recommendations.

MARCH 6: The state Division of Waste Management reports that EQ kept quiet about fires and chemical reactions at its Apex plant that the company should have reported. The state fines EQ $553,225 because it did not submit required reports of two fires and three potentially dangerous chemical reactions, and proposes pulling the company's permit to operate in Apex. The fine was the largest levied by the division in recent years and one of the largest in its history, the state said.

APRIL: EQ refutes the state's findings and says it will challenge the fine.

JUNE 20: Bill regulating hazardous waste warehouses gets final legislative approval.

JUNE 26: Gov. Easley signs the bill into law.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

* KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS: Companies applying for a hazardous waste permit have to notify businesses and residents within a quarter of a mile that they have applied and must periodically send out information about the company's emergency response plan.

* FILE PLANS: Information about what is stored at the company and contingency plans for emergencies must be provided to local governments and emergency personnel.

* WHAT'S WHERE: Companies must keep a list of all chemicals stored in a building off site so that environmental and emergency workers can quickly find out what they are dealing with in a crisis.

* MONEY MATTERS: Any company applying for a permit has to show it has money set aside to pay for any release of hazardous waste into the environment.

* 24-7: Hazardous waste facilities will have to have security and surveillance 24 hours a day, seven days a week to monitor buildings and control entry to them.

* WIND WATCH: Companies must install on-site wind monitors to help determine where any spilled vapors might waft.

WHAT'S NEXT

* Portions of the bill became effective Tuesday; others take hold July 1, and the rest become law Oct. 1.

* Officials from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, a federal agency that investigates industrial chemical accidents, are holding a press conference at 11 a.m. today. They promise a "significant new finding" regarding the EQ fire. Find out what they say at www.newsobserver.com and in Thursday's newspaper.

The law "will make sure we have proper oversight of hazardous waste facilities across North Carolina," Gov. Mike Easley said.

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.