SURPRISE, AZ — The City of Surprise is taking a closer look at potential safety risks surrounding a proposed immigration detention facility, including concerns about its proximity to a chemical storage facility across the street.
For months, opponents of the proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility have raised concerns about the nearby Rinchem chemical and gas warehouse and what could happen during a hazardous materials emergency.
Now, the city has conducted its own review of the issue.
“I was pleasantly surprised when Duffy asked for this review, study, whatever it’s going to be,” said Brent Peak, co-chair of Northwest Valley Indivisible, a group opposing the detention facility.
Peak said one of the group's primary concerns is how detainees would be protected or evacuated during a major chemical release emergency.
“One of the scenarios is about a 2.7-mile toxic cloud release of hydrogen chloride that affects over 73,000 people,” Peak said.
He argues a detention facility poses a particular concern because people held inside would not have the same ability to evacuate on their own as nearby residents.
“If you got 1,500 people locked up right across the street, they cannot,” Peak said. “What’s DHS and GardaWorld gonna do?”
Surprise City Councilman Patrick Duffy requested the review in June after hearing the issue repeatedly raised during public meetings.
“Listening every week, they’re bringing up this point, and to a point where I said that’s a good point, we should look into this,” Duffy said.
Duffy said he wants the discussion to center on emergency preparedness and safety rather than the wider political debate surrounding immigration enforcement.
“What I’m trying to not to do is make this any kind of political issue,” Duffy said. “I’m looking at this like ... this is a safety issue.”
The city review partly examines Surprise's preparedness for an emergency involving the chemical storage facility. The findings could also factor into continuing discussions surrounding the proposed detention center.
Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem previously said the proposed facility would reimburse local partners for emergency services.
Opponents, however, maintain that the location itself presents too great a risk.
“That that facility will never be appropriate for mass detention because of it being in a chemical hazard zone,” Peak said of the conclusion he hopes city leaders reach.
The Surprise City Council is expected to discuss the review Tuesday night.
ABC15 also reached out to Rinchem for comment but did not receive a response.
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