At 8:30AM on Thursday, July 24, 2003 an emergency call was made by employees of the Port of Tacoma describing a toxic vapor release of unknown origin aboard the container ship Axel Maersk. Seven personnel were taken to local hospitals complaining of various symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and chest pain. The Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) responded initially, but was unable to detect any hazardous chemical releases on the ship. The TFD transferred command of the site over to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) at approximately 2:00 PM. The USCG requested the assistance of the Pacific Strike Team and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the chemical release, identify, inspect and isolate suspect hazardous materials containers, and provide air monitoring in an effort to protect the port employees and surrounding community.
