FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 2, 2026
Contact: media@northwestvalleyindivisible.org
FEDERAL RECORDS SHOW PLANNED SURPRISE ICE DETENTION CENTER MAY SIT INSIDE A CHEMICAL HAZARD ZONE
SURPRISE, AZ — A hazardous chemical warehouse sits directly across the street from the planned ICE detention facility at 13290 W. Sweetwater Ave. in Surprise — and the federal government may have purchased the site without ever reviewing the risk.
That warehouse is operated by Rinchem Company, LLC. According to Rinchem’s own Tier II filing with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, the facility stores several chemicals exceeding their federal Risk Management Plan threshold quantities under the Clean Air Act — including chlorine, hydrofluoric acid, and fluorine, among the most acutely dangerous substances regulated under federal law.
Federal regulations require facilities storing these chemicals above threshold quantities to file a Risk Management Plan with the EPA, including an Offsite Consequence Analysis modeling how far a worst-case toxic release would travel. Rinchem’s most recent RMP was filed January 1, 2026 — three weeks before DHS purchased the detention facility on January 23rd.
That timing raises an immediate question: the Offsite Consequence Analysis was prepared before the detention facility was purchased. Under federal regulations, the addition of a significant new public receptor can trigger a requirement to revise and resubmit the RMP. We are asking whether anyone — at EPA, at DHS, or at Rinchem — has initiated that review.
The questions the public record does not yet answer:
Do the worst-case release distances reach across Sweetwater Avenue? They almost certainly do — chlorine, hydrofluoric acid, and fluorine are among the most acutely toxic substances regulated under federal law, and RMP worst-case distances for these chemicals can extend thousands of feet. If the OCA confirms what the chemistry strongly suggests, the federal government purchased a detention facility inside a documented hazard zone.
Did DHS conduct any site assessment that included Rinchem? Both the Tier II and the RMP were publicly available before the purchase closed. We are asking DHS to confirm whether either document was reviewed. A Rinchem company official reached by phone told Northwest Valley Indivisible he was unaware of any contact from DHS regarding the Surprise facility. Rinchem did not respond to a formal request for comment by the time of publication.
Does GardaWorld Federal Services have an emergency response protocol for a toxic release from directly across the street? GardaWorld holds a $313 million contract to operate this facility and is responsible for the safety of everyone inside. The people detained there will have no ability to self-evacuate — and the local residents who will staff this facility deserve to know what they’re walking into. We are asking GardaWorld directly: Has it reviewed the Rinchem OCA? Will its staff be trained to respond to chlorine or hydrofluoric acid exposure? Will it have medical countermeasures on site? Will it have a shelter-in-place protocol for 1,500 people who cannot leave on their own?
Has the Maricopa County LEPC updated its emergency response plan? Federal law requires the LEPC to develop community emergency plans based on chemical hazard data from facilities like Rinchem. Up to 1,500 detainees across the street represent a new and uniquely vulnerable receptor that almost certainly postdates the current plan.
The Tier II report is public. The RMP is public. The purchase is public record. The two addresses are across the street from each other. None of this required investigative resources to uncover.
“DHS purchased this site, signed a $313 million contract, and started build-out — and Surprise residents had to be the ones to volunteer their time to check whether it sits inside a chemical hazard zone. That tells you everything.”
Brent Peak, Northwest Valley Indivisible.
The residents of Surprise were never consulted about this facility. They deserve answers.
Northwest Valley Indivisible is calling on DHS, GardaWorld, EPA Region 9, ADEQ, the Maricopa County LEPC, and the Surprise Fire Department to answer these questions publicly. We are calling on Mayor Sartor and the Surprise City Council to demand that documentation, make it public, and take an unambiguous position opposing this facility. And we are calling for an immediate, unconditional halt to all buildout activity at this site. No construction. No detainees.
Northwest Valley Indivisible sought comment from the office of Surprise Mayor Kevin Sartor. The office did not respond by the time of publication.
[Photo credit: Rinchem]