Industrial Fires & Explosions page 8

Industrial Fires & Explosions Page #8

This page was last updated on  05/06/2010

 

Two Die in Venezuelan Refinery Accident 
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)–Two workers died and two others were injured early Wednesday in a western Venezuelan refinery accident, the facility’s manager said. The accident just after midnight local time (0400 GMT) occurred when a valve ruptured, releasing a highly toxic gas, El Palito Refinery manager Asdrubal Chavez told reporters. Production was normal at the 130,000 barrels-a-day refinery, about 125 miles west of Caracas, Chavez said. El Palito security officials were investigating the accident, said Chavez, who is President Hugo Chavez’s first cousin. The accident occurred amid opposition allegations that the state oil monopoly, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., lost expertise and efficiency after the government fired more than 18,000 workers _ almost half the work force–for participating in an unsuccessful general strike to oust President Chavez. The president, who refuses to rescind the firings, vowed to take advantage of the strike to tighten government control over the corporation and trip excess bureaucracy. Venezuela, the world’s fifth-largest oil exporter, is producing about 3 million barrels a day, according to government estimates. Industry insiders put the figure at 2.6 million and warn output could slide due to lack of maintenance and insufficient human resources.

UPDATE Y-12 fire report out 
INVESTIGATION: An independent group of investigators has completed its review of an April 15 accident at Y-12 plant. Officials have not yet made the results public. An independent investigation report has been completed on an explosion that occurred at the Y-12 National Security Complex in April. The report arrived at the Y-12 plant Tuesday, but officials would not release information, saying the report is still under review. Bill Wilburn, Y-12 spokesman, said that parts of the report were exempt from public review, and officials were sorting out which findings could be released. The findings were not available prior to The Oak Ridger’s deadline on Wednesday. On April 15, workers at Y-12 were in the final testing phase of a new “saltless” uranium processing system when a small explosion in a glove box and subsequent fire occurred in Building 9202, where prototype work is conducted. Workers were not using the glove box at the time of the accident. An operational emergency, the lowest of emergency levels at the plant, was called; the building was evacuated; 33 workers were tested for exposure and three were found to have contamination. Two workers had contamination on their clothing and one had contamination on both clothing and hair. The independent investigation was conducted by representatives from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and other institutions. The Y-12 complex is managed by BWXT Y-12, an alliance between Bechtel National Inc. and BWX Technologies Inc. The National Nuclear Security Administration, a quasi-independent arm of the Department of Energy, has oversight responsibilities.

UPDATE West Pharmaceuticals to pay $400,000 in settlement with state
The Associated Press
West Pharmaceutical Services has agreed to pay $300,000 to Lenoir County charities and groups that assisted with the explosion at its plant in January and pay a $100,000 penalty as part of a settlement with the state Labor Department. In an agreement reached Wednesday, West Pharmaceuticals agreed to the donation and fine to settle with the state Labor Department, which said the company had violated North Carolina’s Occupational Safety and Health Act. As part of the agreement, West Pharmaceuticals denied it violated the act. The violations alleged by the state carried a total penalty of $602,000, the agreement said. The $300,000 will go to local community charities and emergency response organizations or similar groups that provided assistance the day of the explosion. “The essence is, we cooperated with N.C. OSHA through the entire investigation,” said Mike Anderson, vice president and treasurer of West Pharmaceuticals. “We disagree with the allegations, and we believe we would have prevailed on those if we had litigated them. However, we were pleased to be able to settle and get it behind us and move forward rather than have to litigate it.” Six people were killed and dozens injured in the explosion Jan. 29 at the plant, which made rubber and fittings for medical equipment. The company broke ground on a new plant earlier this month. Investigators said the explosion was caused by the accumulation of explosive dust above a suspended ceiling.

Fire Destroys Mooresville Business; Officials Investigating Blaze
Story by The Indy Channel 
MOORESVILLE, Ind. — State fire investigators are expected to visit a Morgan County business Tuesday after it was destroyed by fire. The fire happened along state Road 67 around 6 p.m. Monday at the Overton & Sons Tool And Die plant. Officials believe the fire started in an oil storage area, but it’s not known what sparked the blaze, RTV6’s Norman Cox reported. By the time firefighters arrived, thick, black smoke and flames were pouring from the building, Cox reported. “We had water but we didn’t seem to have enough of it early on. But with the amount of fire involved, I’m not sure if we had six hydrants that it would have been enough with the amount of fire going on, Mooresville Fire Department Chief Les Farmer said. Firefighters also had to deal with intense heat a malfunctioning aerial ladder and other equipment problems, Cox reported. Another ladder had to be brought in from Plainfield. The owners believe the delays caused more damage to occur to the building, and were seen arguing with fire officials Cox reported. “When a piece of equipment you’re expecting to operate doesn’t operate like it’s supposed to, it really can change your whole strategy,” Farmer said. About 60 workers who had worked at the Mooresville factory will be relocated to other facilites while the owners rebuild. “It’s going be a couple of days, but we’ll be on our feet pretty quickly,” the company president, Ron Overton, said. Officials do not have an damage estimate from the fire. 

Fire in Nitrogen Depot Near Sofia Put Out
2003-07-15
Fire that broke Tuesday morning at a nitrogen depot in the small factory town of Kazichane some 10 kilometers from Bulgarian capital Sofia was put out, police officials reported. The fire broke when a number of bottles with acetylene exploded. However, the fire hurt no people, policemen said. Acetylene may decompose on heating and increasing pressure and cause fire and explosion hazard. The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation and cause effects on the nervous system.

Valero: Air quality OK following small fire
BENICIA – Valero Refinery’s on-site fire department quickly extinguished a small, early morning fire Sunday that started in a petroleum coke silo, company officials reported. The fire broke out at 5:10 a.m. at the top of the silo, according to a Valero statement. The cause is under investigation. “Valero environmental personnel have been dispatched to monitor air quality downwind of the refinery,” the statement said. “Initial reports have not revealed off-site health consequences associated with this incident.” Coke is a byproduct of the oil refining process and is not considered harmful by the government, the statement said. 

Wastewater treatment plant is damaged in second alarm fire
Canton Fire Department responded to a building fire at 3:26 p.m. Sunday, at the Waste Water Treatment Plant in Canton. First arriving fire crews found smoke emitting from a brick structure known as the “storm building.” The storm building handles storm sewer water and processed wastewater from the main plant, said wastewater plant superintendent Joe Carruthers. An extra alarm was called minutes after arrival, bring additional manpower and equipment to the scene. Interior attack crews encountered heavy black smoke throughout the entire building, locating the fire in the basement of the structure. ue to large amounts of high voltage wires located within the building, fire crews used portable CO2 extinguishers to contain and extinguish the fire. The fire was brought under control and extinguished in 20 minutes. Fire crews remained on the scene for an additional hour, ventilating the the remaining smoke from the building. Cause of the fire remains under investigation and no damage estimate has been set, according to the fire department. There was no disruption of service to the city during the course of the incident. Canton Mayor Jerry Bohler said the fire did minor damage and things will get back to normal soon. He added there will be lots of clean up, but there appears to be no main pump damage. Also assisting at the scene was Fulton County Emergency Medical Association, AmerenCIPS and Carruthers. Copperas Creek Fire Protection District manned the Canton Fire Station during the fire. 

Three people injured in explosion at Smyrna gun manufacturing plant
The Associated Press – SMYRNA, Ga.
Three people were seriously burned Monday in an explosion at a Smyrna gun manufacturing plant. The blast occurred in Glock Inc.s test-firing range area shortly before 11 a.m. Tracy Mansfield, a spokeswoman for the Smyrna fire department, said a male employee was burned on his hands, face and arms. He was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and has been listed in critical condition. Two other employees, a man and a woman, also suffered burns and were being treated at the hospital. Authorities have not released their identities. Mansfield described the blast as a flash fire explosion, which produced some smoke but didnt caused a fire. There was no damage to the building. She said the cause of the blast had not been determined, but said it was possibly ignited by used ammunition bullets. Glock officials said they would have no comment until Tuesday. The company manufactures 9 mm and .38- and .40-caliber handguns, which are used by many police departments. 

Fire breaks out at energy plant 
Council Bluffs firefighters were called to an electrical fire at Mid American Energy’s Council Bluffs Energy Center late Sunday morning. Fire Inspector Bob Caughey of the Council Bluffs Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire occurred in some breaker panels in the plant around 10:20 a.m. “We’re still looking at how it got started,” Caughey said. “It’s under investigation at this time.” Nine units responded to the scene. The fire was quickly contained but three crews remained on the scene until 1 p.m. to secure the area and begin the investigation process. No injuries were reported in the fire. Caughey also said power was rediverted so that no outages would occur. The cause of the fire and extent of the damage is still under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office, the city electrical inspector and Mid American Energy officials. 

Liquid Steel Ignites at Flowood Plant
Liquid steel ignited some flames at the Nucor steel plant in Flowood Saturday morning. The fire started on the third floor of one of the buildings around 9 a.m. Flowood firefighters knocked it down quickly, but remained on the scene to make certain the steel cooled off. “A ladle carrying liquid steel caught fire and gave way, that melted everything, wires, chairs, everything it came in contact with and that started the fire,” said Captain Cleveland Neal of the Flowood Fire Department. The Reservoir Fire Department assisted and Acadian ambulance remained on stand-by. No one was hurt and no one had to be evacuated.

Lightning causes chemical release at refinery 
Saturday July 12, 2003 From staff reports 
An afternoon thunderstorm caused the release of sulfur at an oil refinery in Chalmette on Friday, officials said. Lightning hit Chalmette Refining LLC at about 3:30 p.m., shutting down its sulfur recovery unit. That caused flaring and a visible haze, according to a recording on the refinery’s telephone Friday evening. St. Bernard Fire Chief Thomas Stone said that his department was notified about the release, but wasn’t aware of the vapor cloud that reached Poydras, parts of east Plaquemines, the Bywater and English Turn until residents in those areas started calling at 5:30 p.m. The cloud appeared as if it were smoke from a fire. “It’s amazing how far the cloud traveled,” Stone said. The chemical release, which was a mixture that included sulfur dioxide, could be dangerous in concentrated amounts, Stone said. “I walked out of the door and it hit me in the face,” said Mary Winter, who lives in English Turn. She said she called St. Bernard authorities and that they told her to stay inside. Refinery officials could not be reached for comment Friday night.

Fire shuts down Valero refinery unit 
By Carolyn Pritchard, CBS MarketWatch.com
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) – A small fire at a Valero plant Wednesday has forced the closure of a refinery unit and cut production. Valero (VLO: news, chart, profile) officials said they didn’t know when they would have the unit, which has a capacity of 35,000 barrels per day, back in operation. Earlier in the day, media reports said trader talk about the fire helped spike spot prices for West Coast refined products. “It did require us to shut down the hydrocracker,” said Valero spokeswoman Mary Rose Brown. “That unit has capacity of about 35,000 bpd a day. I won’t know the estimated repair time until tomorrow morning.” Valero bought the refinery, located in Benicia, Calif., about 35 miles northeast of San Francisco, from ExxonMobil in May 2000. An official from the Benicia Fire Department confirmed there was a fire about 7:45 a.m. and it was quickly extinguished. He also said no emergency shutdown procedures were necessary. Valero officials said they are investigating whether a valve leak may have caused the fire. We had an incident of a similar nature [here] about a year ago,” said the plant’s spokesman, Bill Tanner. “One of the things we need to look at is whether the repairs made at that time were effective. Currently, it’s too early to speculate as to the exact cause of this incident.” Valero’s Benicia refinery has a total capacity of 180,000 barrels per day, according to the company’s Web site. Shares of Valero ended Wednesday’s session up $1.02, or 2.8 percent, at $37.70. 

UPDATE Houston-based Motiva pleads no contest to charges
Associated Press
WILMINGTON, Del. — A company pleaded no contest today to criminal charges in a deadly oil refinery explosion and was fined $296,000. Motiva Enterprises’ chief executive officer, John Boles, expressed regret for the death of Jeffery C. Davis and the injuries suffered by six workers two years ago at Motiva’s oil refinery. “We are truly sorry and we profoundly apologize for what has happened,” Boles said. “There is nothing we can do to bring Mr. Davis back, nor can we ease the suffering of the injured and their families.” Houston-based Motiva was charged with criminally negligent homicide and six counts of misdemeanor assault in the explosion and collapse of a sulfuric acid tank on July 17, 2001 at its Delaware City oil refinery. Investigators documented years of safety and maintenance lapses that preceded the accident. Prosecutors alleged that Motiva caused the death of Davis, a 50-year-old boilermaker who was on a catwalk above the acid tank, “as a result of the use of an ignition source in an unsafe environmt.” The explosion, which investigators said was ignited by a welding spark, spilled more than 1 million gallons of sulfuric acid. Davis’ body was never found. Judge Peggy Ableman ordered Motiva to pay the maximum fine on each charge: $11,500 for criminally negligent homicide and $5,750 for each assault charge. She then exercised her power to impose additional “compensating” fines that will be paid to a crime victims’ fund. Ableman ordered an additional payment of $100,000 for the homicide charge and $25,000 for each of the assault charges. Davis’ widow has filed a wrongful death lawsuit scheduled to go to trial in federal court in Philadelphia on Sept. 22. Besides the state criminal charges, Motiva has been the subject of a federal grand jury investigation. Federal and state environmental officials also have filed a civil suit accusing the company of gross negligence leading up to the tank explosion. In a report released last year, investigators with the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board said the tank that exploded and others like it had a history of corrosion and leaks, but Motiva managers consistently ignored or delayed needed maintenance. 

UPDATE U.S. Chemical Safety Board to present findings at forum tonight
By Bill Estep SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAU
The likely cause of a deadly factory explosion in Corbin is that flammable dust built up and was ignited by flames from an oven that workers had left open because it wasn’t working properly. Those are the preliminary conclusions of an investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board into the February explosion, which led to the deaths of seven workers. The board has scheduled a public meeting at 7 tonight at the Corbin Civic Center to release its preliminary report. The initial findings indicate several factors played a role in the disaster at CTA Acoustics, which makes acoustic and thermal insulation. Early on Feb. 20, part of the production line where the blast happened was shut down for cleaning, according to a news release from the safety board and an interview with Bill Hoyle, who is leading the board’s investigation. Hoyle said that during cleaning, the ventilation system designed to suck dust away from the production line was shut down. A “thick cloud” of dust — mostly from phenolic resin — accumulate around the production line, the safety board said. CTA mixes fiberglass and resin and bonds the material by passing it through gas-fired ovens. The safety board has shown in tests that dust from phenolic resin is flammable. Workers at the plant did similar cleanup work daily, without problems. But on the day of the blast, workers had left at least one door open on an oven on the same line; they were trying to control overheating because the temperature controls had been malfunctioning for several days, Hoyle said. Normally, the doors on the oven would have been closed if the controls were operating correctly, Hoyle said. “What’s different this time was that the oven was operating abnormally,” Hoyle said. The ovens stayed on even when the rest of the production line was idled for cleaning. It is likely flames escaped from the open door and ignited dust from the resin, the safety board said in a news release. The thunderous explosion stirred up dust that had settled elsewhere in the plant, touching off secondary explosions and fueling the fire, Hoyle said. A CTA official did not return a phone call yesterday seeking comment on the safety-board findings. The state Labor Cabinet is investigating whether the company violated any workplace-safety rules in connection with the blast. Field investigators have finished their work and the report is under review now, a process that should be done in two to three weeks, said Eddie Jacobs, spokesman for the Labor Cabinet. The review will result in a decision on whether to cite the company. More than 40 people were treated for burns and other injuries after the blast. Many were treated and released quickly, but some workers spent weeks in the hospital, and seven died because of complications from severe burns. Those who died were Clarence Davis Jr., 35; Michael Anthony Reeves, 41; David Messer, 43; Joe Hamilton, 37; Arnold Peters, 57; Jimmy Lemmings, 42; and Paul Newman, 50. Some survivors are still undergoing rehabilitation and struggling with their injuries. Yesterday, Robert Baker, a Laurel County man who was badly burned in the accident, had to go back to the hospital because he was having problems breathing, said his father, Laurel County Magistrate Tom Baker. “Robert’s having quite a bit of trouble,” his father said. Annette Daniels of Corbin said her husband, Billy, faces 18 months of intensive physical therapy to deal with damage from burns that covered 70 percent of his body. “It’s going to be just a long process,” she said. “What we’ve all been through no one can even begin to understand.” The blast at CTA ranks as the worst workplace accident in the state since 10 coal miners died in an explosion in Western Kentucky in 1989. It is also the worst accident, in terms of fatalities, the Chemical Safety Board has investigated since it was created in 1998, said spokesman Daniel Horowitz. Just the month before the explosion in Corbin, six workers died in a blast caused by a dust explosion at a factory in North Carolina. Gerald Poje, a member of the safety board, said the two accidents point up the significant danger of dust explosions in manufacturing operations. As the board considers safety recommendations, one key area it will focus on is the fact that government rules include standards to prevent dust explosions in grain elevators, but not at other types of manufacturing plants, Poje said in the news release. The Chemical Safety Board does not issue citations, but rather makes safety recommendations to industry and regulatory agencies. Hoyle said the board’s investigation of the Corbin accident is continuing. Among other things, investigators will review what hazard information the maker of the phenolic resin provided to CTA. CTA had more than 500 workers at the time of the blast, making it one of the largest employers in the area. The company, which primarily supplies automakers, resumed operations in leased space in an empty factory nearby, but is building a new plant in an industrial park in Knox County, on the east side of Corbin. The state approved CTA for $33.5 million in tax credits to help with the project. 

Machine catches fire at Parker 
07/09/03 Mack Skelton 
This debris was what was left at a fire that occurred near 10 a.m. at Parker Hannifin Tuesday. Firemen from Kennett Fire Department responded to a fire in the back section of the Parker Hannifin manufacturing plant on the North Bypass around 9:57 a.m. Tuesday and calmed what could have become a major situation. Workers from Parker Hannifin of Kennett reported a fire in the braiding area of the plant at 9:54 a.m. which started when a braiding machine catching fire. The Kennett Fire Department report stated that an adhesive coating machine (glue machine) caught fire while running hoses through for braiding. Dan Tangeman, Parker Hannifin plant manager, told what happened in the area. “It was a very minor situation that could have developed without the rapid response of the fire department,” Tangeman said, “We utilize an oil-based adhesive for some of the hoses and we had an internal combustion situation that developed into mostly smoke and no flames.” There was no serious damage to the plant, but damage to the braiding machine was reported. 

Police and Fire
A fire occurred in a small structure housing machinery on the roof of the Planters plant, apparently because the machinery overheated, Fort Smith Fire Department Battalion Chief Bill Fant said. All employees were evacuated form the plant while firefighters battled the blaze, Kraft Foods spokeswoman Cathy Pernu said. No injuries were reported. The Fire Department’s report estimates the damage at $4,000.

Fire Sends Tire Plant Worker To Hospital
Story by wsoctv.com Charlotte 
Paramedics treated one worker on the scene of a fire Tuesday night in southwest Charlotte, then transported the worker to a hospital. The worker at Continental Tire choked on some smoke, but was not seriously hurt. Firefighters evacuated part of the Continental Tire factory after fire broke out in one of the machines at the plant. 

Firefighters contain industrial blaze 
Wednesday, 9 July 2003 
Fire crews extinguished a large blaze this morning at an oil recycling plant in an industrial area of Port Hedland. Firefighters attacked the blaze with foam, and managed to restrict it to a storage area at the Wedgefield Industrial Estate. Authorities were alerted to the fire, at the facility operated by Oil Energy, just after 3:00am AWST. It is unknown how the blaze started.

Texas fireworks warehouse explodes
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KILGORE, Texas – A day after a fireworks explosion killed five people in Florida, a blast in this small town rocked a warehouse full of fireworks, destroying the building with three people inside, authorities said. The three workers were missing Thursday evening, Kilgore Mayor Joe T. Parker said. At least five people were injured. “It’s pretty bad,” he said. “We’ve got houses in the neighborhood damaged, people out of their houses, and we’re still fighting a fire although we’ve got the explosives contained, we believe.” The blast destroyed the offices of Lamb Entertainment near downtown Kilgore, about 115 miles southeast of Dallas. The company was preparing for a fireworks show in town tonight. “There was a hell of a boom that I wondered if somebody ran into the side of the building. The floors shook and everything,” said Jay Pemberton, who works at KTPB radio in Kilgore. “The walls, everything. It just vibrated the heck out of everything.” “It was bad, people were all running scared. This is a small town. This never happens here,” said Justin Singh, owner of a convenience store a half mile away from the warehouse. Marti Mason, an administrative assistant with the Kilgore Police Department, said police evacuated an area around the explosion covering several blocks. Bob Ellzey, chief executive officer of Laird Memorial Hospital in Kilgore, said the five people treated there suffered minor injuries, mostly cuts and scrapes. But he said the full extent of injuries was not yet known. “Emergency workers are combing the area, but we’ve not gotten any assessment of any injuries out there, so we’re kind of in a waiting mode right now,” Ellzey said. The blast occurred as investigators in the Gulf Coast town of Bonita Springs, Fla., picked through the blackened site where a truck full of fireworks exploded Wednesday, shaking the ground for at least a mile, spewing colorful bursts of flames from the vehicle and scattering debris for 100 yards in every direction. The explosion occurred as workers unloaded a truck filled with ireworks for the town’s Fourth of July celebration. Four died Wednesday and a fifth victim, identified as Ken Kinard of Cocoa Beach, died Thursday at the burn unit at Tampa General Hospital. Identities of the four people killed were not immediately available. Authorities said they were burned beyond recognition. Only one worker survived — Juanita Combs, who sprinted into the nearby water and avoided serious injuries. There was no early indication of the cause of the blast, according to officials with the sheriff’s office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. About 50 investigators searched around the hulls of two incinerated trucks, watching for unexploded shells that they marked with small orange flags. Lee County Sheriff’s divers searched the shallow water nearby for live fireworks. The explosion burned 10 to 15 acres of the park where the fireworks display was to be held. Investigators planned to interview Combs on Thursday. She is believed to be from the St. Louis area, whe the shipment of fireworks originated. Susan Harvey, the owner of Sunset Fireworks of Dittmer, Mo., the company shipping the display, arrived in Fort Myers to speak with investigators. The company and its sister company, Pyro Products, have been the target of several federal investigations in recent years following deadly explosions at their plants. The truck was carrying $50,000 worth of fireworks destined for displays in Bonita Springs and nearby Naples. Bonita Springs Mayor Paul Pass said the city contracted with Sunset Fireworks last year and were thrilled with the display. The town’s holiday parade will go on as scheduled, with a tribute to the people who were killed.

Man in critical condition after MAC explosion
By Jennifer Burd — Daily Telegram Staff Writer
BLISSFIELD — An explosion rocked a Blissfield grain storage and sales business Wednesday afternoon, causing structural damage and severely injuring one employee. “We had a contractor here who caused a dust explosion and we have an employee down with very severe second- if not third-degree burns,” said Jack Hoffman, manager of Michigan Agricultural Commodities Inc., shortly before the victim, Ed Loar, of Riga was taken by LifeFlight air ambulance to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo. Loar is listed in critical condition at St. Vincent’s burn unit. Officer Robert Trevino of the Blissfield Police Department said he responded to a 911 call at 1:48 p.m. regarding the explosion at MAC, 10895 E. U.S. 223. According to Blissfield Township Fire Department Chief Gary Lombard, four fire engines and one ambulance from his department also responded, along with a medical unit from the Madison Township Fire Department. Alan Peters, a grain merchant for MAC, said the explosion sounded like “a bomb” from inside the company’s office, and others at neighboring businesses said they also felt the shock. “You could feel it and hear it way over here in our building — we thought something had happened in our lot,” said Kevin Van Ert, a salesman at Knapp Motors, which borders MAC to the east. Van Ert said that Loar’s brother, Jason Loar, who also works at Knapp, immediately ran over to MAC to check on his brother. Lombard said he believes the explosion was related to a truck fire near one of the facility’s grain silos. He said heat or sparks from the fire may have entered the silo through a grain elevator shaft, causing the explosion that injured Loar, who was working in a tunnel running underneath the silos. Blissfield Police Chief Jane Kelley said the cause of the fire is under investigation. The truck was brought onsite by employees of Frey Construction Co., of Wauseon, Ohio, a contractor hired to install machinery, Hoffman said. The vehicle was carrying tanks of the flammable gas acetylene and oxygen, a flame accelerant, according Peters, who added that he believes the Frey employees were using the gases for either cutting or welding tasks before the fire started. Marlin Frey, one of Frey Construction’s owners, said two millwrights from his company were assigned to work at the MAC facility, but that he did not know the exact nature of their work on Wednesday. “At this point, things are under investigation and we’re trying to determine what happened,” he said. Frey indicated that his company has been working at the site for several weeks. The Frey employees working at MAC on Wednesday could not be located for comment. Peters said it could take between 10 and 30 days to determine the amount of structural damage to MAC property. With eight locations in Michigan, MAC is a privately held corporation that buys, sells and stores agricultural products throughout the United States and Canada, according to information at the MAC Web site, www.michag.com. 

Worker killed in factory explosion 
By Our Staff Reporter 
BANGALORE July 6. A worker was killed and four others were injured in an explosion at a drug-manufacturing factory in Attibele, near here, this morning. Police said preliminary reports suggested that a fire broke out when an electric bulb was turned on at the Lake Chemicals Factory and soon the chemicals stored there caught fire. K. Srinivas, Superintendent of Police, Bangalore Rural District, said some employees rushed out and brought in water to put out the fire. One of them, identified as Rajesh (25), had poured it on the chemicals and this is said to have caused the explosion. The worker sustained serious burns and died on the spot. Dharmendra and Ramesh from Bihar and Ambarish and Krishnakumar from a neighbouring village suffered injuries and have been admitted to hospital. The condition of Dharmendra was serious, the officer added. The factory had stored potassium nitrate, methanol and other chemicals. A case of criminal negligence has registered against the owner of the factory. 

Explosion at rocket plant slightly hurts 3
The Arizona Republic Jul. 3, 2003 03:45 PM
Workers at a rocket-manufacturing plant in Chandler touched off an explosion Thursday that slightly injured three employees, including one who had to be hospitalized. Authorities said the workers were pressuring a rocket motor with helium when the motor broke apart, sending pieces of it flying. The explosion at Orbital Science, 3380 S. Price Road, blew out windows of an adjoining building of the plant. Some neighbors reported hearing the explosion, but there were no other reported injuries or need for evacuation, Chandler Fire Battalion Chief Dan Couch said. The one worker transported to the hospital was taken there for observation purposes, authorities said. Orbital Science handles defense contracting work, and the work that led to the explosion Thursday was believed to be routine. 

Lumber Company Fire Upstages July 4 Fireworks
A building nearly a century old, lies in ashes after a fire Friday night. Fort Smith firemen continued to work the better part of Saturday and Saturday night, keeping watch over the remains of a blaze that last night was reaching for the skies. “Well, this building is…at least 80-maybe 90 years old. Old dried out wood. It ignites pretty good once it gets started,” said Fire Battalion Chief Bill Fant. The fire began just after 8:30 Friday night, when many people were on the search for a fireworks display. “There were huge clouds in the sky and they were all lit up orange,” said a bystander who’d been watching the action from a corner at the intersection of Fresno and Towson. Fourth of July revelers marveled at the blaze which reached higher than the rooftop of the old Petit Jean Lumber Company. “There was flames so high we couldn’t stand over here, the heat was so intense.” The heat was too intense for one firefighter. “We had one firefighter get too hot so we sent him to the hospital,” said Fant. But no one else was injured. Firemen say the nearby buildings, including the neighboring gas station were safe from the blaze. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire which they say began in the guard shed. The only cause they’re ruling out at this point is electrical. The Petit Jean Lumber Company building had been vacant for at least two years. 

Nuke plant explosion raises alarm 
The Asahi Shimbun 
TSURUGA, Fukui Prefecture-An unexplained explosion triggered an alarm at the waste incinerator for the Fugen advanced thermal reactor Friday morning. Although the incinerator area was filled with billowing white smoke, there was no apparent radioactive leakage, and there were no injuries, officials said. The alarm was sounded at 11:52 a.m. at the radioactive waste disposal facility about 80 meters from the Fugen reactor. The reactor facility, run by the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC), was shut down March 29 because of its high operating cost. JNC officials said the incinerator, used to dispose of extremely low-level radioactive waste, such as trash and protective clothing and other gear used by maintenance personnel, was started at 10:45 a.m. Friday. It shut down automatically at 11:28 a.m. when the incinerator temperature soared. As soon as the incinerator resumed operations, an explosion was heard, triggering an alert. There were no people near the incinerator at the time. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s nuclear power fire prevention division later found a glass peephole on the incinerator was broken, which let smoke billow into the enclosure. The spent fuel rods of plutonium and uranium mixed oxide are being collected at Fugen before it is decomissioned at the end of August. The Fugen reactor was activated in March 1979 and consumed 772 plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel rods, making it the world’s largest consumer of MOX fuel rods. A total of 1.9 tons of plutonium was used during its period of operation. Fugen had an output of 165,000 kilowatts of electricity.(IHT/Asahi: July 6,2003) 

Fire damages factory in Rubbertown
By LISA HORNUNG The Courier-Journal 
An early morning fire at Eckart Aluminum in the Rubbertown area yesterday damage d the second floor and roof of the plant. The fire was in three presses on the second floor, said Freddie George, assistant chief of the Lake Dreamland Fire District. The fire, which began about 2:30 a.m., spread to the roof, he said. Because of the chemicals inside, no water could be used to extinguish the fire. D ry powder and sand were used in stead , George said. About 50 firefighters responded. Crews stayed on the scene until about 10:30 a.m. There were no injuries, and the cause of the fire is under investigation, George said. No damage estimate was available, and calls to the company were not returned. The plant, located at 4101 Camp Ground Road, had been closed since Wednesday for the Fourth of July holiday, George said. A security employee from the nearby duPont plant, at 4242 Camp Ground Road, reported the fire, he said. This was the second industrial fire in the Rubbertown area in two weeks. A fire at the Noveon chemic plant on Bells Lane on June 25 sent seven people to the hospital as hydrochloric acid vapor caused breathing problems among construction workers on the Shawnee Expressway. Eckart was fined $4,000 by state occupational safety regulators in connection with an accident in which an explosion in the plant caused fatal burns to a maintenance supervisor in May 2001. Eckart has challenged the fine.

Fire Extinguished Near Nuclear Reactor 
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)–A fire broke out in a transformer next to a decommissioned reactor at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant Wednesday, an Exelon Nuclear official said. The official, David Simon, said crews were still trying to figure out the cause of the fire, but that there was no danger to the public and no interruption in the plant’s operations. There were no reports of injuries. “At no point was there any danger to the public,” said David Sanko, head of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. The fire was reported to the Emergency Management Agency at 11:06 a.m. and was out about 20 minutes later, agency spokeswoman Maria Smith said. The decommissioned reactor, known as Unit 2, is owned by First Energy Corp. and was the site of the nation’s worst commercial nuclear accident, when a portion of the reactor’s core melted in 1979. Unit 1 is operated by Exelon and owned by a joint venture involving Exelon and British Energy.

Three workers injured in blast after underground cabling work fails 
By Johnson Choo 
Three workers were injured in an explosion at the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Dunman Road on Tuesday. They were in a manhole carrying out cabling work for a residential development when the accident happened. One of the injured, a 37-year-old man, had 30 percent burns and was sent to the Singapore General Hospital for treatment. The other two suffered minor burns and had refused to go for outpatient treatment. According to PowerGrid, the accident happened when the cables’ insulation failed. This resulted in a short circuit and an explosion followed. 

Four workers killed in explosion 
In a tragic incident, four workers of an edible oil packing unit at Jagatpur in the city outskirts were killed, following an explosion in the unit’s gas chamber on Saturday morning. The deceased have been identified as Hrushikesh Behera and Pitambar Rout of Paga Gopinathpur village under Jagatpur police station limits. The other two are Gobardhan Martha (Nirakarpur) and Ranjan Bhoi of Jagatpur. The explosion occurred when the gas chamber of Mahavir Vanaspati was undergoing repair. While Behera and Rout died on the spot, Martha and Bhoi succumbed to their injuries at the Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital. The unit belonged to Bhuan Patra from Shankarpur, and has been sealed after the incident. The police is investigating into the matter to ascertain the exact reason behind the explosion. A case has been lodged with Jagatpur police station. 

Tri-State Plant Fire Causes $150,000 In Damage; Blaze Put Out Quickly
July 1, 2003 Story by Channel Cincinnati 
CINCINNATI — An industrial fire caused a few worries in one Tri-State neighborhood Monday night. The blaze began shortly after 11 p.m. at the Cooperheat plant on Chester Road in Woodlawn, WLWT Eyewitness News 5 reported. A piece of equipment caught fire and melted some plastic. Crews initially were concerned that acid might have leaked, according to WLWT. They put the fire out quickly, and there turned out to be no contamination. Damage is estimated at about $150,000. There’s no word on a cause, nor were there any injuries. No other details are available. 

Fire reported at Dayton plant
By Kelli Wynn Dayton Daily News 
DAYTON | An electrical spark from a piece of equipment for powder application is believed to be the cause of a fire about 9 p.m. Monday at Quanco Performance Coating, 1008 B Leonhard St., company President Ben Bragg said. Nobody was hurt in the fire that started while a shift was in production, Bragg said. Bragg said employees told him that the spark landed on some powder, which ignited and destroyed the powder booth of the business that does coat painting for automotive parts. He would not comment on how much damage the fire caused, but said the company will be shut today to repair the equipment and that employees should call the company’s human resources department before returning to work. Dayton Fire Department officials could not be reached for comment. 

Fire damages Pittsburgh-area candle factory 
The Associated Press 7/1/2003, 5:45 p.m. ET 
IMPERIAL, Pa. (AP) — Firefighters battled a fire at a candle factory outside Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. The fire, which was brought under control Tuesday evening, was at St. Johnsbury Candles in Imperial, about 10 miles west of Pittsburgh, a woman who answered the telephone for North Fayette Township police said. She said authorities did not believe anyone was hurt. Television reports said employees at the factory had been sent home Tuesday morning because of a power outage and that the fire began around 1 p.m., after the power returned. The cause was not known. Thick, black smoke spewed into the air and could be seen for miles around the site, which is only a few miles from Pittsburgh International Airport. North Fayette Township police said the fire was believed to be under control by about 5 p.m. No one answered the telephone at the North Fayette Volunteer Fire Department in Imperial, and police had no more details to release. Several fire departments were at the scene battling the blaze. According to St. Johnsbury Candles’ Web site, the company dates to 1992, when Todd and Victoria Bray began making candles as gifts in their garage. The two opened their first retail store in 1996 and had, since then, expanded to a 14,000-sqaure-foot facility in Imperial. No one answered a phone number listed for Todd Bray in Imperial, and a toll-free number for St. Johnsbury Candles was busy Tuesday afternoon. 

UPDATE Failure to Safely Handle Volatile Chemical Results in Workplace Explosion, OSHA Fine at West Central Ohio Plant
COLUMBUS, Ohio — U.S. Chemical & Plastics, Inc., doing business as Catalyst Systems in Gnadenhutten, Ohio, is facing $105,500 in fines proposed Friday by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following a January, 2003 explosion at the plant located approximately 30 miles south of Canton, Ohio. An OSHA investigation into the plant explosion and structural fire resulted in charges that the company violated a variety of workplace safety and health regulations, principally that Catalyst Systems had not implemented effective controls for the drying, handling and packaging of benzoyl peroxide. The uncontrolled explosion occurred shortly before noon in a paste room where benzoyl peroxide was processed. The chemical is used in the automotive aftermarket, reinforced plastics, cultured marble, cosmetics and bleaching, and is the chief product manufactured at the plant. “It was fortunate that this explosion occurred during the lunch hour, or workers very well may have lost their lives,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “OSHA’s first commitment is to protect workers from disasters such as this. We stand ready to assist employers of all sizes to make their workplace safe, but we will fully enforce standards when we must.” Catalyst Systems employs approximately 25 workers at the Gnadenhutten site, and was inspected by OSHA in 1989 and 1990. Those inspections resulted in the issuance of 24 citations in total, including citations for failure to label containers of hazardous chemicals. OSHA found the same violation in this most recent inspection. According to OSHA Area Director Deborah Zubaty, Columbus, the company has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to appeal before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. OSHA is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses and protecting America’s workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

1 killed, three hurt in boiler explosion
Express News Service
Surat, June 29: A 20-year-old textile worker died and three others received serious burns when a boiler at Meenakshi Dyeing and Printing Mill at Sachin GIDC exploded in the early morning on Sunday. While Santosh Sirohilal Pal succumbed to his burns in the mill premises, the injured — Vinod Hanuman Meena (27), Indreejeet Babulal (30) and Rajbahadur Mataprasad (45) — were rushed to New Civil Hospital. Fire brigade sources said the explosion took place around 5:30 am when the victims were working on the boiler machine. The mishap might have occurred due to a sudden increase in the temperature inside the boiler, they said. Hospital sources said that the condition of the injured was stable. A case has been lodged at Sachin police station.

Explosion at Orinoco Iron has left one dead and seven injured in Ciudad Guayana
An explosion at Orinoco Iron’s plant in Ciudad Guayana has left one dead and seven injured. News of the 9:30 a.m. blast has only just reached Caracas and first reports say the explosion occurred because of a technical fault in one of the ovens located at Maire Riser, from where the injured were rushed to hospital. It appears that the workers were cleaning one of the hot tubes when the accident happened but technicians at th4e scene are as yet unable to determine the cause. Benigno Antonio Betancurt (29) lost his life … he had been working for the company for only 15 days. Betancurt’s family says they have been given no official information about the accident other than that Benigno Antonio is dead … “we have discovered from others that Benigo was on top of the oven at the moment it exploded, but other than that we do not know.” The seven injured where taken to separate private clinics in Unare and Ceciamb in CVG company ambulances while forensic police cordoned off the scene and transported Betancurt’s body to the local mortuary. CICPC police detectives have already begun their investigations. One of the injured, Gregorio Lopez has been transferred to intensive care at the Puerto Ordaz Clinic and is said to be in an extremely delicate condition with multiple injuries. 

Plant Fire Forces Evacuation; All escape safely
A fire at the Frito Lay plant on the west end of Council Bluffs Monday morning forced the evacuation of the building. But everyone got out safely. The fire started around 6 a.m. Monday. Fire investigators on the scene say a thermometer was placed backwards in a fryer allowing the grease to overheat. Council Bluffs fire crews managed to contain the flames to the equipment. Employees followed an evacuation plan and everyone escaped unharmed. According to fire officials the health department will now be called in to inspect the plant. 

UPDATE OSHA Fines Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant Contractor For Alleged Safety Violations Two Workers Burned In January Explosion
BOSTON, Mass. — An explosion at the Deer Island sewage treatment plant that injured two contractor employees might have been prevented if safety standards were followed for working in confined spaces that contain flammable gas, according to citations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA’s area office in Braintree, which investigated the Jan. 14 the accident, has fined Advanced Pipe Inspection, Inc. of Boston $45,500 for 13 alleged serious violations of standards. The company had been hired by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to clean clogged overflow pipes in the plant’s sewage digesters. “OSHA standards are designed to protect workers from the hazards of working in confined spaces, ” said OSHA Area Director Brenda Gordon. “These standards must be strictly followed to avoid accidents.” OSHA’s citations chiefly address deficiencies in the safeguards taken for working in overflow boxes that provide access to the pipes. The overflow boxes contained unsafe levels of flammable gas. According to OSHA’s citations, Advanced Pipe Inspection failed to identify and evaluate confined space and other hazards in the work area, did not develop and implement procedures for eliminating or controlling flammable gases, and did not adequately inform or train employees about these hazards. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to either elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America’s workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. A summary of the citations is attached. OSHA Citations & Proposed Penalties Advanced Pipe Inspection Inc. of Boston, Mass. Worksite Thirteen alleged serious violations, with $45,500 in proposed fines, for: Failure to implement a written confined space entry program where employees entered the overflow box, a confined space with flammable and hazardous gases; Failure to identify and evaluate confined space hazards, including accumulation of flammable gases (such as methane); oxygen displacement; work in Class 1 Division 1 space (one subject to accumulation of flammable gases); accumulation of pigeon droppings that may contain fungi causing histoplasmosois; and fall hazards; Failure to develop and implement procedures to eliminate or control flammable gas accumulation, ensure continuous air monitoring during entry and test the atmosphere before entry; Failure to supply ventilation equipment, adequate lighting and adequate rescue equipment during entry; Failure to designate the duties of each crew member, provide them adequate confined space entry training and certify training; Employer’s written confined space entry program did not include rescue procedures and employees entering space did not wear appropriate rescue equipment; Employer’s written confined space entry program did not include a permit entry system, nor were entry permits prepared for employees who entered the space; Authorized entrants, attendants and entry supervisor were not informed of confined space hazards, including flammable and hazardous atmosphere and the confined space’s rating as a Class 1 Division 1 location; Failure to inform emergency responders of confined space hazards and provide responders with access to work area to develop and practice rescue plans; Failure to ensure all authorized entrants wore safety harnesses and were connected to retrieval lines during confined space entry; Failure to provide adequate energy control training to employees who entered the space; Failure to develop adequate energy control procedures to address releases of hazardous energy from the sewage digester system; Equipment was used that was not intrinsically safe for a Class 1 Division 1 location. OSHA defines a serious violation as one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazardous condition about which the employer knew or should have known. 

UPDATE Refinery fire
The Associated Press
A company in Dover, Del., has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and misdemeanor assault in connection with a fatal tank explosion at an oil refinery two years ago, authorities said Friday. The homicide charge wasn’t leveled at individual employees of Motiva Enterprises, only at the company, which as a corporate entity faces a maximum fine of $11,500. Unlike the more serious charge of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide doesn’t imply reckless conduct. Investigators documented years of safety and maintenance lapses that preceded the explosion and collapse of a sulfuric acid tank at Motiva’s refinery in Delaware City. In court papers filed Thursday, prosecutors alleged that the death of a worker on a catwalk above the acid tank came “as a result of the use of an ignition source in an unsafe environment.” The explosion, which investigators said was ignited by a welding spark, spilled more than 1 million gallons of sulfuric acid. Jeffrey Davis’ body was never found. His widow has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Motiva also was charged with six counts of misdemeanor assault for injuries suffered by six other workers. Charles Oberle III, who is representing Motiva in the criminal case, did not return a telephone message Friday. A spokesman for the company referred questions to the state attorney general’s office. Federal and state environmental officials have also filed a civil suit accusing Motiva of gross negligence leading up to the fatal tank explosion. 

Explosion Kills Lafayette Man
June 27, 2003 Reported by KPLC Staff
A worker who was pressure-testing a ship’s containment tank was killed when the lid exploded from the tank. Iberia Parish Coroner James Falterman identified the victim as 47 year old Jerry Ledet, Sr. of Lafayette. Iberia Parish Sheriff Sid Hebert says the accident happened Wednesday atop one of the boats under construction at Breaux’s Bay Craft in Loreauville. Falterman says the lid hit Ledet in the face. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Electrical short sparks gas plant blaze 
06/29/03
PASCAGOULA — An electrical short was the cause of a fire Saturday that damaged a motor and sent local police and fire departments to the BP/Amoco gas plant in the John C. Stennis Industrial Park off Industrial Road. The fire occurred about 3 p.m. Saturday when an electrical wire shorted out in insulation, Plant Manager Richard Moritz said. He said the fire was contained and there was apparently no damage, adding plant workers called authorities once the fire was discovered. Pascagoula fire and police departments, Jackson County sheriff’s deputies and Forts Lake volunteer firefighters responded to the call from the plant. Moritz said the accident remained under investigation by plant officials.

UPDATE Blaze Guts Factories, Leaves Workers Jobless; Fire Crews Working To Extinguish Hot Spots 
Story by Boston Channel 
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Firefighters remained on the scene of a massive fire at an industrial complex in Rhode Island Friday, as worried employees of a gutted factory arrived to see what remained of their former workplace. The fire started late Thursday and flames quickly engulfed five buildings in the complex. The intensity of the fire forced nearby evacuations as 150 firefighters from eight communities battled the blaze until midnight. NewsCenter 5’s Lynn Jolicoeur reported that firefighters said they will likely be on the scene of the blaze for a few more days. The fire was still smoldering at noon Friday and crews were putting out hot spots with huge streams of water from ladder trucks. Meanwhile, employees of the burned out buildings arrived at the scene throughout the morning to view the damages, learn what happened and try to find out how it’s going to effect their futures. “It’s hard to believe,” said Claire Lavoie, a 19-year employee of ACS Industries, whose almost two decades of hard work, friendships and income have gone up in smoke. “I said I’m getting older now. It’s a big change in my life,” she said. Lavoie and her co-workers congregated at the site and the company president addressed them briefly as they inspected the smoking rubble. The blaze broke out about 6 p.m. Thursday, ripping through the factory after a power line fell into a fence next to a factory, possibly the result of a transformer explosion. “We heard some noise in the back, like a fire, ‘Boom, boom!’ like a bomb,” said employee Mohammed Mbaye. But city fire officials indicated it’s too soon to say what caused the inferno. “We’re not sure. The wire did fall. The fence was fused. The fire inside the building was directly in the vicinity of the downed wire,” said Woonsocket Fire Chief Henry Renaud. Two small companies, a fabric dyer called Capeway, and a Nextel center, also burned. ACS, which makes copper mesh product, employs about 300 people, and 50 of them worked in the destroyed portion of the plant. “The economy in this city is very good, and we feel confident that if ACS does not continue to operate for a while, those people will be picked up by other companies. They’re very skilled employees,” said Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard. State hazmat engineers said their air quality tests check out so far, but life is anything but normal for single mother Nelia Sousa, a worker at the factory who, like many others, is wondering how she’s going to make ends meet if the factory is shut down. “I got to kids to support, so, I been so many years here. It’s very hard,” she said. The mayor said employees of ACS can begin getting financial assistance at the Department of Employment Security. Meantime, some residents on Morton Street, which runs behind the plant, still cannot return to their homes because of concern that a nitrogen tank and a hydrogen tank at the plant could explode. 

9 Die in Chinese Fireworks Factory Blast 
BEIJING (AP)–An explosion in a fireworks factory in southern China killed nine people and injured two others, an official said Friday. The accident Thursday in the privately owned factory in Liling, a city in Hunan province, shattered windows of nearby buildings, said a city government spokesman who gave only his surname, Fu. Investigators still were trying to figure out the cause. Media reports said the factory employs 300 people. Fatal explosions are reported frequently in China’s fireworks factories, despite a safety crackdown launched in early 2002 following a series of high-profile accidents. The industry employs hundreds of thousands of people, many working at home or in small factories where most manufacturing is done by hand. 

Acidic cloud after plant fire sends 7 workers to hospitals; Blaze inside tank at chemical plant leads to vapors 
By JAMES BRUGGERS The Courier-Journal 
PHOTOS BY NICK TOMECEK, SPECIAL TO THE COURIER-JOURNAL 
Renee Murphy, who lives on Algonquin Parkway near the Noveon plant, was upset that she wasn’t warned about the vapor cloud. “No one knocked on the door and asked if everyone was OK,” she said. 
Plant manager Jeff Campbell said the accident occurred in an area where chlorinated polyvinyl chloride is mixed with colorings and other compounds. The fire at the Noveon plant occurred in a tank. The company makes powders that are used to make water pipes. A fire contained in a tank at the Noveon chemical plant on Bells Lane yesterday produced irritating acid vapors that sent seven people working at the nearby Shawnee Expressway to area hospitals, officials said. The highway construction workers were taken to Caritas and Humana Southwest hospitals for treatment and observation, said Brad Learn, assistant manager at the Louisville Metro Emergency Management Agency. Two of the unnamed workers had trouble breathing and the others wanted to be examined by doctors, Learn said. By early afternoon one worker remained in the hospital for observation, said Andrea Clifford, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The 4:45 a.m. accident provoked critics who are pressing local officials to do more to curb air pollution following new revelations about poor air quality in the Louisville area. Yesterday they raised questions about how metro government officials handled notifying the public of the accident. “No one knocked on the door and asked if everyone was OK,” said Renee Murphy, who lives near Noveon on Algonquin Parkway. She was awake at 5 a.m. and noticed the vapor cloud. Murphy said it smelled like burning rubber or plastic. “It was thick,” she said. “It was foul.” Metro government officials should have at least telephoned residents closest to the plant, said the Rev. Louis Coleman, whose Justice Resource Center has been pressing for years for reductions in industrial emissions in western Louisville. But Learn said the incident wasn’t serious enough for officials to issue a formal order for people to stay in their homes and workplaces. Officials opted not to use neighborhood sirens or activate an automated phone warning system, he said. Instead, officials announced over radio stations that anyone who was sensitive to air pollution might want to stay indoors, Learn said. “It was a judgment call,” he said. Learn said the vapor cloud contained hydrochloric acid in concentrations high enough to cause irritation, but no long-term health effects. “There was a little bit of a burning chemical odor to it,” he said. The cloud spread at least half a mile away, to the Shawnee Expressway, where construction workers were bothered by the vapors, Learn said. Originally, officials reported that eight workers went to two area hospitals. Later Clifford said it was seven — one state inspector and six people working for private contractors. In all, 25 workers were evacuated from the construction site to a nearby triage area. Learn said there was no need to close the freeway because motorists would drive through the cloud quickly. The vapor cloud had been in an area immediately west and south of the plant and by 7 a.m. the hydrochloric acid had dissipated, Learn said. Noveon plant manager Jeff Campbell said he wants the community to know “this is not normal operations. ” The incident began in a mixing tank at Noveon, part of what was formerly the B.F. Goodrich Co. facility in the Rubbertown complex of chemical plants. Campbell said the accident occurred in a part of the plant where chlorinated polyvinyl chloride is mixed with colorings and other compounds. The company has two such mixing tanks, and both were shut down indefinitely yesterday while plant officials investigate the cause of the release. The Noveon plant, which has 135 employees, produces plastic powders and pellets that are used to make different kinds of water pipe. Campbell said he hopes the plant will be back in full operation within a week, but the company has no intention of starting up until ” we put fixes in place” to prevent a similar accident. He said smoldering plastic caused the vapor. Campbell said plant officials feel badly about the construction workers who were sent to hospitals. “We don’t want to expose anybody in this community to any hazards,” he said. The accident occurred on what was already predicted to be a day for high ground-level ozone pollution throughout the area. The calm conditions that allowed smog to build up yesterday allowed the acid vapors to hang low like a fog, Learn said. Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District officials, who regulate emissions from industrial facilities, were investigating the incident yesterday, agency spo keswoman Rebecca Stutsman said . Sometimes accidental releases of pollutants can prompt the agency to issue a notice of violation and fine, she said. Murphy, the Algonquin Parkway resident, said the accident is especially troubling coming so soon after news coverage last month on a draft air-sampling report for the metro area that found excessive levels of 26 hazardous air pollutants and unacceptably high cumulative health risks. The accident, she said, reminded her of why she wants industrial plants in western Louisville to reduce their emissions. “When they (companies) keep saying they are cleaning (the air) up, I don’t know what they are talking about, ” she said. Western Louisville resident Roosevelt Roberts and Coleman were taking air samples yesterday as part of the Justice Resource Center’s new involvement with a national organization that helps citizens conduct environmental monitoring.

Four-alarm blaze destroys paper mill near Ellicott City 
06/26/03 By Michele D. Manigault 
More than 100 firefighters from across the region battled the blaze, which injured neither firefighters nor plant personnel, who evacuated the building after being alerted to the fire. “It’s going to be a long night for me,” said Keith Whitley, a supervisor who has worked at the paper company since 1985, as he watched the building burn. “I can’t leave until this is over.” The first call came at 8:40 p.m., said fire officials, who reported that more than 30 pieces of fire equipment were used to fight the fire at Simkins Industries, a paper factory on River Road. The factory sits on the Patapsco River, roughly a mile southeast of downtown Ellicott City, straddling the Howard-Baltimore county line. “By 9:58 p.m. we had four alarms,” said Lt. Vernon Adamson, a Baltimore County Fire Department spokesman. Simkins Industries employee Dedrick Eddington was on the loading docks taking a break with fellow employees when he noticed flames shooting from the building at 8:30 p.m. “We made sure everyone was out of the building, then we got out,” Eddington said. “That’s when we heard the propane tanks blow.” Although fire crews used water from the Patapsco River to fight the fire, they also shuttled water from a site three miles away on Frederick Road. “There are no fire hydrants at the scene,” Adamson said. “The roads were very narrow, with sharp turns. Considering the difficulties the fighters had to overcome, they did a very good job.” Engine crews came from all parts of the western part of Baltimore County, parts of Howard County and even as far away as Baltimore/Washington International airport. “We saw the engines coming from Arbutus,” said Anne Herold, a Catonsville resident who returned from a family outing to find emergency crews uncomfortably close to her home on Hilltop Road, another access point to the Simkins Industries. “I don’t think I’ve seen this much excitement since the Ellicott City fire,” she said, referring to a 1999 blaze that destroyed part of the historic downtown. Further along Hilltop Road, flames could be seen through the trees as firefighters scrambled to keep four streams of water pouring onto the caved-in roof of the building. Longtime employees stood by, watching the building burn. While nearby buildings seemed untouched by the fire, smoke, flames and crumbling brick walls pointed to its seriousness. “This one was pretty bad,” said Christina Partin, who watched the fire from her front porch with daughter Hailey, 8. At about 8:30 p.m., her husband Arley, a Simkins employee, received a phone call notifying him of the fire. “He left right away to shut off the boilers,” said Partin, who lives on South Hilltop Road, less than 75 feet from the factory. “We watched the whole thing from our front porch.” “I hope we can rebuild,” said James Roberts, a 20-year employee of the factory. “But I don’t know.” The fire, which was brought under control at 12:48 a.m. June 24, caused an undetermined amount of damage. 

Mother Nature strikes down on Equistar plant
By: LETICIA VASQUEZ, Citizen staff June 26, 2003 
Lightning struck down on a vent line at Bayport’s Equistar Chemicals plant, 5761 Underwood, yesterday afternoon, igniting a fire. No injuries were reported. Equistar’s firefighting team extinguished the fire within 20 – 30 minutes, although responders with Channel Industries Mutual Aid were called upon as back up. Pasadena, La Porte and Harris County responders, as well as area plants, were also on standby. “We requested support from Mutual Aid because we weren’t absolutely certain we could contain the fire (as quickly as we did),” David Harpole, Equistar spokesman, said. Harpole said that ethylene, a raw material used to produce ethylene oxide, was the only chemical burning at the time, and it produced no off-site impact to the community. The city of Pasadena issued a Shelter In Place shortly after the fire started, but Harpole attributed the orders to a breakdown of communication. “Unfortunately, the Pasadena LEPC issued information that was never provided, and local residents were instructed to take unnecessary action,” Harpole said. “There was never any line of communication suggesting a Shelter In Place was needed.” Harpole said the fire, in fact, may have looked like just a flare to anyone standing near the plant. The Shelter In Place order was lifted just after 5 p.m., and the all-clear was given. Communications with the area’s CAER (Community Awareness Emergency Response) line were smooth, Harpole said. Plant officials were able to get word of the incident out in a timely manner, and they experienced no problems updating that information. Operations at Equistar remain shut down. Harpole said an investigation will be conducted to determine damage to the plant and said maintenance will be required. There is no indication as to when plant operations will resume. 

Chemical fire alert at factory
Jun 26, 2003, 09:20:00
Firefighters were called out to a factory in Staffordshire after a container of chemicals caught fire. The fire broke out in the hopper in a skip container at the Foseco chemical plant in Coleshill Road, Fazeley, near Tamworth. Crews from Lichfield and Tamworth went to the scene yesterday . Staffordshire Fire Service assistant divisional officer Alf Wilson said: “The hopper contained a mixture of chemicals, one of which was sodium nitrate. “That was the only chemical that was affected by fire. The other chemicals were non-flammable but they can release toxic fumes.” The fire was contained to the hopper, There was no risk of an explosion or chemical leak, he added. 

Fire destroys South Tacoma warehouse 
ANGIE LEVENTIS; The News Tribune 
Thick, black smoke filled the skies of South Tacoma for miles Wednesday evening as a wholesale heating and air- conditioning warehouse burned. Thrifty Supply Co., 2415 South Tacoma Way, was most likely destroyed in the two-alarm blaze, Tacoma deputy chief Gary Schiesz said. He expected fire crews and investigators to be at the scene into the early morning hours. Two firefighters were hospitalized, Schiesz said. The first was treated for burns at a local hospital and released. The second experienced elevated blood pressure while fighting the fire and was hospitalized as a precaution. There were no other injuries. Assistant chief Ron Stephens said the cause of the fire was unknown. Fire officials don’t believe anyone was in the building, but they were not able to conduct a thorough search late Wednesday. Stephens also speculated that the flames and smoke would not be completely quelled until this morning; a more thorough search would not be safe until then, he said. Stephens said firefighters noticed piles of brning metal duct work, but did not know if they caused the fire. Matias Carreno, a night shift supervisor at a recycling plant across the street, said he heard a loud explosion at 7:40 p.m. and saw flames shoot up from the building about 50 feet in the air. He was one of many bystanders who called 911. Stephens said firefighters were able to conduct a rapid primary search of the building’s first floor, but entry to the second floor was impossible because the stairs had already been destroyed. The building’s wooden roof and one of its cinder block walls had already collapsed; fire officials feared a second wall would topple as well. For hours, three streamer hoses atop fire truck ladder perches spewed 25,000 pounds of water a minute onto the fire in an attempt to knock down the flames. Stephens said the weight of the water helped collapse the roof. Three fire engines, three ladder trucks, two battalion chief vans and one medical unit were on the scene. “This is a good-sized fire,” said Gene Williams, Tacoma fire inspector. “We only probably get one or two fires this size per year.” Smoke was visible for miles and the blaze littered South Tacoma Way with chunks of ash, some as big as a human head. Thrifty Supply Co. employee Mike Matthews said the building mainly housed duct work, some water heaters and sheet metal. He said there was nothing hazardous inside the warehouse. Troy Derewlanka, 31, of Tacoma, said he saw the fire at 8 p.m. from his home about three miles away; he thought the fire was next door. “It’s scary,” said 10-year-old Tyiara Derewlanka as she watched the smoke billow from across the street. “It looked like it was right by our house.” 

UPDATE Walter is fined $435,000 for deadly mine explosion
By SCOTT BARANCIK, Times Staff Writer St. Petersburg Times published June 26, 2003
TAMPA – Nearly two years after an accident killed 13 workers at a Jim Walter Resources coal mine in Alabama, federal officials levied a $435,000 penalty Wednesday. The Mine Safety and Health Administration fined the Walter Industries subsidiary the legal maximum of $55,000 for each of seven safety violations that “directly contributed” to the tragedy, and $50,000 for an eighth. “There is no amount of money that can properly put into context the loss of human life,” director Dave Lauriski said. Walter Industries vowed to fight the fines. Spokesman Kyle Parks criticized the government’s investigation, particularly its estimate of how much explosive coal dust was present. Walter has 30 days to appeal the fine to an administrative law judge. The outcome could affect the 11 wrongful-death lawsuits filed by relatives. Separately on Wednesday, Walter said it was reducing its second-quarter earnings forecast to a range of 14 to 16 cents per share, down from 27 to 32 cents. The company blamed “geologic conditions” and related production problems at two of its three coal mines in Brookwood, Ala., including the one where the fatal explosions occurred on Sept. 23, 2001. The new earnings forecast excludes certain one-time charges, including a charge of 10 cents per share for the recent closure of a subsidiary’s foundry and casting plant in Anniston, Ala. 

Massive Fire Burning At Woonsocket, R.I., Factory
WOONSOCKET, RI — NewsCenter 5 is following breaking news in Woonsocket, R.I. A raging fire is quickly moving through the Florence Dye Company factory building at an industrial complex at 168 Florence Drive and Villanova Street in Woonsocket. NewsCenter 5 is told the building is about 800 feet by 100 feet in size, and the fire has spead to other buildings in the factory complex. he fire has also forced the closure of several streets in the area. There are reports of explosions in the building and 27,000 gallons of oil are reported to be on fire. The fire was reported just before 7 p.m. Thursday and quickly spread to six alarms. A man who was working at ACS Industries, another company at the fire location, said the fire began when a high-tension wire hit the building’s roof. According to reports, there were 50 people inside the building at the time of the fire and all have escaped safely. There are no immediate reports of any injuries.

UPDATE Blast Investigation Yields Clues, Questions
By: David Goins, Springfield33 News
One day after an explosion killed a maintenance worker and rocked the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, two new clues emerge about the blast. The Springfield Fire Department announced today the blast was consistent with a vapor explosion. Some common sources for such explosions include natural gas, gasoline, ethane and methane based products like paints and paint thinners. It is believed that at least paints and thinners were in the Frisco building storage before the blast. Also, after initial suspicion of a natural gas leak cooled yesterday, City Utilities reveals a leak was found today in the natural gas line that runs just 20 feet from the destroyed Frisco building. Investigators used multiple “test holes” to find out if a leak was present. At least one of those test holes produced a leak. But today, fire investigators are unable to say whether the leak occurred before or as a result of the blast. CU has hired an outside investigator to assist them in searching for any other gas leaks that may be on the fairgrounds premises. Finding answers to that question will be critical, but difficult. Assistant Fire Chief Barry Rowell explained multiple factors could make it hard to determine what role, if any, the leak played in Wednesday’s blast. “You have to take into consideration the amount of the vapor source, the ignition source, the temperature and the size of the room…It’s just a real involved process that will take some time to sort out,” Rowell said. But the fire department will have plenty of help. Multiple federal agencies have been called in as extra sets of independent, expert eyes. Among them, the NTSB, ATF, and the Missouri Conservation Safety Board. As for the fairgrounds, officials there say an announcement is expected next week on whether the deadly explosion will effect any part of the fair, which begins July 25. 

Fire department: Explosions at Rouge Steel injure 2 
The Associated Press 6/21/03 4:10 PM
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Two explosions at the Rouge Steel plant Saturday morning left two workers with minor injuries, fire officials said. One worker was injured in the first explosion about 7 a.m. and a second had debris fall on him during the second about an hour later, the fire department said. Both were back on the job later in the day. A gas leak and buildup was suspected in the explosions, the fire department said. Rouge Steel is a former Ford Motor Co. subsidiary. The companies share the Rouge complex in Dearborn. In 1999, a Ford boiler undergoing routine maintenance exploded, killing six employees and injuring 14 others. State regulators later found 15 workplace safety violations. In 2001, four explosions and a fire at the steel plant left two workers with minor injuries when a furnace blew and 2,000-degree molten steel spewed out. In October, a contract worker performing routine maintenance at Rouge Steel died from severe burns from an accident at a blast furnace. Another contract worker died of carbon monoxide poisoning at the Rouge Steel plant in 1999. 

Scrap yard survives explosion; An explosion and fire damaged equipment and caused two minor injuries. 
By JENNIFER BLENNER Daily Record staff
Thirty-six firefighters from seven York County fire companies worked almost five hours to extinguish a fire Tuesday at J & K Salvage on Kings Mill Road in Spring Garden Township. Josh Frye, a scrapper at J & K Salvage in Spring Garden Township, was in his red pickup truck dropping off scraps at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when he heard a boom near the shredder. “I saw a giant fireball,” he said. “It knocked everyone on their butt and shattered a window.” The fire ignited in the rotors of one of the shredders and spread onto the conveyor belt, which carried the flames with it, said Greg Pomraning, the manager of the scrap yard. He was in the scale room and saw the fire break out. Pomraning said he and other workers grabbed buckets of water to try to put out the fire. It took firefighters almost five hours to fully extinguish the blaze. Joseph Darrah, the owner of the scrap yard, said it was back in operation Tuesday afternoon. He said when the fire occurred, there were 20 people working. Two reported minor injuries. There was also minor damage to a rubber conveyor belt in the shredder. J & K Salvage shreds everything from appliances to cars. As the fire burned, clouds of black smoke could be seen as far as the buildings downtown in York as 36 firefighters from seven fire companies fought the flames at the scrap yard in the 1000 block of Kings Mill Road. Barry Emig, fire chief at the Spring Garden Township Fire Department, said the cause of the blaze could not be determined. Tuesday afternoon, he speculated that a cylinder containing a flammable gas had been left in a vehicle, unseen by workers at the scrap yard, and exploded. Emig said the fire quickly spread to the 25-foot-high piles of foam, rubber and wood in the scrap yard. 

UPDATE OSHA begins new investigation at Motiva
By JEFF MONTGOMERY Staff reporter 06/21/2003
A federal workplace safety agency has opened a new investigation at the Motiva Enterprises refinery near Delaware City, triggered by recent state and federal hazard warnings. An Occupational Safety and Health Administration team is expected to begin work at the complex Monday, state officials said. OSHA spokeswoman Leni Uddyback-Fortson said Friday that the federal agency opened its probe after the Environmental Protection Agency reported an “imminent” hazard at the site following a 25,000-gallon sulfuric acid spill in early May. Uddyback-Fortson also cited findings in a recent report commissioned by the state on conditions at Motiva as a spur for the action, but she declined to comment further. “We did initiate an investigation,” Uddyback-Fortson said. “Once we do that, we don’t comment on the nature of it.” A study ordered by Gov. Ruth Ann Minner found 2,300 unsettled safety-related recommendations and a 200,000 working-hour backlog of maintenance tasks at the refinery. The same report, released in April, rated equipment conditions and management at “below the norm” for the refining industry but noted recent company efforts to improve conditions. Refinery officials could not be reached late Friday. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board next week is expected to discuss the status of safety reforms it recommended for Motiva after a deadly sulfuric acid tank explosion in mid-2001. The board’s investigation of the accident recently prompted a finding that OSHA rules for chemical processes extend to acid tanks of the type that collapsed and burned in Delaware. The accident – traced to neglected leaks, corrosion and safety violations – killed one man, injured eight other workers and spilled 1.1 million gallons of acid laced with gasoline and other compounds. OSHA initially ruled that Motiva’s acid tanks were exempt from its oversight, but fined the refinery $175,000 for other violations. Safety board spokesman Daniel Horowitz said Friday his agency would discuss OSHA’s changed view at the chemical safety board’s meeting in Washington. State and federal prosectors still are considering criminal pollution and workplace safety charges against the refinery for the 2001 accident. A more than $50 million pollution lawsuit, a federal wrongful-death claim and several injury suits also are pending. Motiva, which can process about 175,000 barrels of crude oil daily, is part of a joint venture controlled by Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Arabia’s national petroleum company. The Delaware refinery specializes in processing heavy, high-sulfur crude oils that create severe corrosion problems for the refinery. Industry publications have reported recently that Shell is pressing for improved performance and efficiency at all its American refineries, including Motiva operations. 

Olean firefighters save kiln, stop Dal-Tile blaze 
By JOHN T. EBERTH , The Times Herald 06/22/2003 
OLEAN — City firefighters put out a fire in the roof of Dal-Tile Saturday morning but they didn’t use water to do it. The fire broke out around 7:13 a.m. in the roof above one of the company’s two kilns. Instead of pouring water on the fire, which would have caused the 2,000-degree kiln to shatter, firefighters fought the blaze with fire extinguishers. No one was injured. Michael Pool, plant production manager, said it was a decision that saved a key piece of the plant’s operation. “We really appreciate their efforts. They really did a great job,” he said. “Obviously when you have a fire in the roof of the building, the first impulse is to pour water on it.” Mr. Pool said because of the heat of the kiln, if water had started pouring over it the rapid cooling would have caused it to crack. He said because the kiln wasn’t damaged, he expects normal operations at the East State Street plant to resume Monday. Olean Fire Capt. Lyle Layman was in charge of the fire platoon that fought the fire. He said city firefighters crawled atop the kiln with fire extinguishers to put out roof timbers that were on fire. “About 18 inches is all there was between the kiln and the subroof, so they didn’t have a lot of room,” he said. “They used dry chemical extinguishers which put the fire out but didn’t do much to cool the kiln down or the roof timbers.” Capt. Layman said to save the building, firefighters cut the section of roof on fire away from the building. Peterson Roofing Co. of Olean repaired the building Saturday. “Everyone did an excellent job and averted what I would consider a major disaster,” Capt. Layman said. It was the second time in as many days city firefighters saved an Olean business. On Friday, two Olean boys, 9, and 11, threw gasoline on a storage building at Olean Lumber & Supply Corp. and set it on fire, according to officials. Firefighters confined the fire to the building and had the fire out within two hours. Capt. Layman said the Dal-Tile fire was under control within two hours as well. Mr. Pool said he doesn’t have a damage estimate yet. Capt. Layman said Saturday’s fire began when a vent at the plant malfunctioned. “They were shutting the kiln down and for some odd reason one of their air vents opened up and what it did was allow all this super-heated air to escape and it ignited the roof timbers,” he said. Mr. Pool said the kiln was being shut down for routine maintenance when the fire broke out. He said its unknown what caused the air vent to open. He said a team, including Dal-Tile’s ceramic engineer, will investigate the incident on Monday. 

UPDATE Factory fire: One more charred body recovered
Staff Correspondent
Death toll in Thursday’s fire at a perfume chemical warehouse and factory in old part of the city rose to two with the recovery of a charred body in the early hours of yesterday. The victim was identified as Ismail, son of Yunus Khan of village Khanargaon in Nuria upazila of Shariatpur. Firemen recovered the body of the youth. Fire service officials said the other victim, whose body was recovered on Thursday night, is Kazi Haider Ali, son of Sajed Ali. Haider Ali, aged about 35, went to the warehouse on business purpose. Ismail went there to supply food to the factory workers. Officials at the Lalbagh Fire Station said the fire originated from an electric short circuit and pots containing chemicals exploded during the fire, damaging the warehouse at Hekim Habibur Rahman Road in Lalbagh. Preliminary estimates put the loss of property at around Tk 15 lakh, they said. Haider Ali’s brother has lodged a case with the Lalbagh Police Station.