Emergency services awarded $25,000 to study hazardous-material flows through Bladen County

Bladen County’s Emergency Services Director told the board the county has been awarded a $25,000 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant to conduct a commodity-flow study that will inventory hazardous materials moving through the county by road, rail, pipeline and potentially via the airport.

The director said the grant will improve first-responder planning and equipment decisions, give the county a better dataset to inform future grant applications for equipment, and that staff will run procurement to hire a contractor to perform the study. The period of performance for the grant has been extended through Dec. 31, 2026.

During follow-up discussion, commissioners asked whether reimbursement had been received after a hazardous incident in Bladenboro. Board members said CSX reimbursed roughly $40,000 for response costs including foam and that ADR and local fire departments were reimbursed for expenses related to the incident.

The Emergency Services Director said staff will return with a final product and a presentation to the board after procurement and completion of the study.