Mitchell Willetts
The Charlotte Observer
(TNS)
The grand opening of a Great Wolf Lodge resort in Texas was overshadowed by a dangerous chemical spill, according to officials.
Following a “chemical reaction” due to “improperly mixed pool chemicals,” 16 people were exposed and transported to hospitals for treatment, the city of Webster said in an Aug. 7 release shared on Facebook, adding that they were decontaminated prior to transport. All 16 people were Great Wolf Lodge employees or contractors, according to officials.
The city said a third-party contractor was responsible for the spill, and that it “occurred in an isolated building separate from the hotel and water park.”
Firefighters responded to the scene and the park is now safe, the city said.
“The Webster Fire Department isolated the tanks, monitored the area, and confirmed no chemicals were detected in the hotel or water park.”
Officials did not comment on the condition of the 16 people who were hospitalized.
In an emailed statement to McClatchy News, Great Wolf Lodge said it was aware of the incident and that “the health and safety of our guests and pack members is always our priority.”
“We greatly appreciate the quick actions of first responders from the city of Webster in response to an incident at an external building outside of the main indoor water park and resort caused by an external vendor,” the statement said. “We’ve received the all-clear to open the resort and all water park attractions as planned from the Webster Fire Department.”
Great Wolf Lodge has 22 locations across the country, including the new park in Webster, according to the company’s website.
“Located in Harris County, the 532-room resort will encompass 27 acres and feature a 95,000-square-foot indoor water park and a 58,000-square-foot Great Wolf Adventure Park,” the website said.
The resort was was scheduled to open Labor Day weekend, but that date got moved up to Aug. 7, KHOU reported.
Webster is a roughly 25-mile drive southeast from downtown Houston.
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