Five 55-gallon drums containing a flammable chemical component of PCP were found outside Richard Harpootlian's law office at 1410 Laurel St. Thursday morning, according to law enforcement officials.
The Columbia Fire Department responded to the incident after receiving a call around 9 a.m. regarding hazardous materials outside Harpootlian's office.
The 1400 block of Laurel St. was closed off to foot and vehicle traffic until about 2 p.m. Thursday. Three nearby buildings were evacuated.
Although flammable, the chemicals were in sealed barrels and posed no immediate threat. Advanced Environmental Options, an outside waste disposal contractor, removed the chemicals between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
According to Harpootlian, the chemicals found outside his law firm were connected to a plea deal with one of his clients, Joel Robinson, who pleaded guilty Monday to shooting a DEA agent last October in Orangeburg.
“[Robinson] did have knowledge of where some precursor chemicals could be found. As a result of his assistance, we were able to contact some people who had knowledge of where [the barrels] were,” Harpootlian said. “The DEA and FBI indicated that if we could get those brought in, because they’re dangerous and volatile … they wouldn’t prosecute anybody for that.”
Robinson was also accused of being involved with a PCP drug conspiracy, although those charges were dropped. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Harpootlian said he had no knowledge of who left the chemicals outside of his law office Thursday morning.
“I told them I needed the barrels — we knew there were five barrels — by 9 o’clock this morning,” Harpootlian said. “When I pulled in this morning, there they were.”
Officials from several agencies, including the DEA, Columbia Fire Department, SLED and Columbia Police Department, were called on to the scene.
The Columbia Fire Department confirmed that a bomb threat, also reported on Thursday morning at the 1200 block of Laurel St., was not connected in any way to the chemicals found on the 1400 block of Laurel St.