PENROSE, Colorado USA — Two Estes Industries workers were transported to the hospital on Tuesday afternoon for treatment of injuries sustained from contact with hazardous material on a shipping container.

Multiple agencies responded to the hazmat emergency at the model rocket facility located at U.S. 50 and H Street in Penrose.

The two male employees were treated and released from St. Thomas More Hospital, according to Dave Marshall, acting chief of the Cañon City Area Fire Protection District.

“They were unloading a container of supplies and there was a powder on a box,” Marshall said this morning. “It caused them to become ill.”

Personnel from the Penrose station of the Florence Fire Protection District were first on the scene.

“It seemed to be hazardous material, so they tapped us to come out since we’re the hazmat responder for the county,” Marshall said.

The Penrose crew soon was backed up by the Florence station, American Medical Response, and hazmat crews from both Cañon City Area Fire Protection District and Colorado State Patrol. Personnel were on the scene until 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

“We did further research and determined there was a potential threat,” Marshall said. “We went into the structure and found the area. We took some samples from the box and sent them to a Pueblo lab for analysis.”

Marshall said by Tuesday evening, the lab had identified the substance as calcium oxide, also known as caustic lime or quicklime. The chemical can severely irritate and burn the eyes and skin of those who come in contact with it. Breathing calcium oxide in can irritate the lungs, causing coughing and/or shortness of breath.

Marshall declined to identify the men or their specific medical complaints.

“We’re still investigating, but I’m speculating the shipping container has been used repeatedly and put on ships to travel across the ocean. This particular container came from China with materials for Estes.

“Who knows who had that container before,” Marshall said.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, cleanup is the responsibility of the Estes plant itself.

“They’ve been advised to perform some cleanup according to Department of Health regulations,” Marshall said.

Estes Industries is located on a 77-acre tract of land in Penrose and is known as the “Model Rocket Capital of the World.” A spokeswoman from Estes said this morning only owner Barry Tunick could comment on the incident. He was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Copyright © 2007, Cañon City Daily Record.