By Bernard O’Donnell
An accidental chemical spill at a Cordele plant caused a strong odor that’s spread around several counties Wednesday morning. Cordele police say it happened around 1 a.m. at the Drexel Chemical Company at 120 Cape Road.
They say about 40 thirty-gallon drums of dimethoate were spilled after the chemical overheated. Police said that the chemical is not hazardous, but that the smell may affect people with respiratory problems.
Two people were treated at Crisp Regional Hospital for dizziness and nausea from the smell, but have since been released. Kathy Hobbs, who lives a couple of miles southwest of the plant said the smell was so strong it woke her out of her sleep.
“I thought there was a skunk under my floor, under my bed. No Kidding, it was really intense,” she said. Cordele Fire Chief Ray Lunsford said they received complaints of the smell from southwest Georgia and even into Alabama.
The spill was cleaned up by 8 a.m. Wednesday. Lunsford says the EPA and other appropriate agencies were notified of the spill.