Chemical Accidents Page 3

Chemical Accidents Page #3

This page was last updated on  05/06/2010

 

New River spill being investigated 
By ERIC STEINKOPFF DAILY NEWS STAFF 
Twenty-five thousand gallons of water contaminated with phosphoric acid and other chemicals was spilled into a tributary of New River on Wednesday, killing dozens of small fish, New River Air Station officials announced late Friday. The spill, discovered close to air station headquarters near Demarco Street, contained a solution of Trane ice machine cleaner and lime. The mixture was drained from an air conditioning unit that serves several old barracks-style buildings behind the headquarters, according to a statement from New River. Such cleaners are used to remove hard water scale, sediment and mineral deposits such as rust, magnesium and calcium from air conditioners and ice making machines. Marines noticed the contaminated water in a ditch Thursday and approximately 80 dead 2- to 4-inch sunfish. “It was (a mixture) of phosphoric acid and glycolic acid (but) we still don’t know the concentration,” N.C. Division of Water Quality spokeswoman Susan Massengale said Friday night. “There were also some dead catfish and a couple of dead tadpoles and eels.” It’s hard to say exactly what happened, and it’s still under investigation,” Massengale said. “It appears that someone got bad information and thought that it (cleaner) wouldn’t harm the environment.” The air station Safety and Environmental Office confirmed the contamination and contacted the Camp Lejeune Environmental Management Office. That office notified the N.C. Department of the Environment and Natural Resources’ Division of Water Quality in Wilmington around 11:30 a.m. Friday. The dead fish were found in the small ditch running from about 150 to 250 yards from the spill site, but still over a mile from New River, Massengale said. “We did see some minnows swimming, some other live fish and some snakes,” Massengale said. “We had some rain that may have diluted it and we’re not seeing an ongoing fish kill.” State environmental officials have asked for tests of the sediment along the area and for the air station to review its procedures for handling such cleaners in the future. There are similar cleaners on the market that advertise that they are environmentally friendly or this particular cleaner could be treated. “There is a manhole (nearby the site) going into the wastewater collection system,” Massengale said. “They could establish a procedure to dilute the mixture to send it through the wastewater treatment plant, not dump it in a ditch.”

Rough handling may have caused acid leak: official
Kartyk Venkatraman
Pune, May 1: TWO days after the Hydrochloric acid (HCl) vapour-related mishap at Research and Development Establishment (Engineers) (R&DE)(E) at Dighi-Kalas, which claimed the life of one employee and affected seven others, officials here were tight-lipped about the possible safety lapses. A senior R&DE(E) official said ‘‘clearance was awaited from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) before issuing an official version of the mishap. Since May 1 is holiday, no communication has come through. The incident occurred when chemicals (HCl) stored in the workshop area was handled roughly, which caused it to give off toxic vapours.’’ Sources said it was likely that the staff may not have known the safety precautions while handling chemicals. They added that the acid had last been used at the electroplating unit, redundant for almost a decade. The acid was being shifted to accommodate a new stores and equipment. While moving the container, the HCl reacted with the air forming gas and the workmen were affected after inhaling it, they added. Meanwhile, all the affected have recovered. Ganga Math (21) and R K Thorve (58), admitted to the ICU after being most affected by the fumes, have been shifted to the general ward. All seven will be released on Friday. At the residence of Satyavan Kharat in Nagpur Chawl, his nephew says,‘‘He was due to retire in next February. It was an accident.’’ Says the hospital’s internal medicine specialist Dr Sunil Deodhar, ‘‘The blood-test and reports show a mild case of acidosis. The affected are under 72-hours medical supervision.’’ National Chemical Laboratory expert Dr O G B Nambiar says,‘‘ Since the contents of the vat were unmoved for a long period, they may have emitted acid fumes. The deceased may have inhaled acid fumes in high concentration. With oxygen absent in the immediate atmosphere it would have lead to fatal asphyxiation.’’

UPDATE Investigators look for cause of anhydrous ammonia spill 
By Kay Luna 
CALAMUS, Iowa — Federal and state investigators are trying to determine what caused the welded seams of an anhydrous ammonia tank to burst April 15 at a Calamus farm service business, leading to the death of one of two employees injured in the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration dispatched investigators to the scene at River Valley Cooperative soon after the spill, safety board spokeswoman Lauren Peduzzi said. The transportation-related entities are in charge of figuring out why the tank ruptured because the accident involved a hazardous material, which is covered under their investigative responsibilities, she said. Investigators sent the tank’s cut-away bottom side for further analysis at a federal laboratory in Washington, D.C., she said. “The lab will examine it to see what would have likely caused the failure,” Peduzzi said. “We don’t release findings until the end of the investigation, when a probable cause is determined.” Meanwhile, the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, will launch its own investigation into the workplace accident that led to the death of 68-year-old Robert F. Ryan of DeWitt. The longtime farmer died Monday at University Hospitals in Iowa City, where he had been hospitalized since the accident. Funeral services will 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, DeWitt. State OSHA administrator Mary Bryant said her office now will investigate the work-related fatality, but expects the process to move slowly. She hopes to know within a couple of months whether citations will be issued as a result of the accident, she said. Ryan and his co-worker, 23-year-old Nathan Nissen of Welton, suffered chemical burns when the 1,500-gallon tank ruptured when they were nearly finished filling it. Nissen also was taken to the Iowa City hospital after the accident, but hospital officials declined to release information about his condition. Anhydrous ammonia is fertilizer made up of two elements, nitrogen and hydrogen. Its boiling point is minus-28 degrees Fahrenheit. It is applied to farm fields to add nitrogen to the soil. 

UPDATE Hose, safety equipment are blamed in chlorine leak 
BY TIM ROWDEN 04/30/2003 
Federal investigators say an improperly installed hose and faulty safety equipment caused a chlorine leak that made dozens of people sick and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes and businesses in Jefferson County last year. Members of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board will announce “findings, conclusions and recommendations” from an eight-month inquiry at a public hearing at 9 a.m. today at the Holiday Inn Express in Festus. The Post-Dispatch obtained a summary of the report’s findings. About 48,000 pounds of chlorine gas were released Aug. 14 after a hose burst on a railway tank car at the DPC Enterprises plant near Highway 61, south of Festus. Sixty-three people were treated at a hospital John Murphy, the safety board’s lead investigator, said the leak had occurred after the company installed an unsuitable hose connecting the chlorine rail tanker to equipment at the plant. The hose braiding was made from stainless steel instead of the recommended alloy, Hastelloy C, which looks identical to stainless steel but is resistant to chlorine. Murphy said neither DPC nor its supplier, Branham Corp., had performed adequate testing to verify that the hose was braided with the proper alloy. In addition, Murphy said, emergency shut-off valves that should have stopped the leak failed to operate because they had not been properly inspected. “Because they weren’t doing proper inspections … this incident was allowed to continue for three hours,” Murphy said. “The valves didn’t close because there was corrosion in the piping system.” Company spokesman Wayne Penick said he could not comment on the findings until the full report was released. The DPC plant repackages chlorine into one-ton containers and 150-pound containers for use in water treatment and other industries. The city of St. Louis is among the company’s customers. Chairman Carolyn Merritt said the safety board’s recommendations for improvement would include the establishment of an industrywide system to distinguish chlorine transfer hoses from other types of hoses; improved maintenance and inspection programs; and emergency response training between the company and Jefferson County authorities. “Chemical companies and their communities rely on various layers of protection to prevent catastrophic accidents,” Merritt said. “This was a case where every layer of protection failed in some way. Materials verification, emergency shutdown, emergency response; none of these systems worked well enough to protect workers and the public.” Officials said the five-member safety board would review the report today and vote on recommendations for improvement. The meeting will include a public comment period but no testimony from investigators or company officials. Members of the board are appointed by the president and confirmed by Congress. The board determines the causes of accidents and recommends improvements but has no regulatory authority. Today’s meeting will be Webcast live from the CSB Web site at www.csb.gov. A copy of the report can be found at ftp://csb:[email protected] 

UPDATE New Developments in Chemical Leak
There’s new information about the chemical leak in Clinton County that covered the Mill Hall area with glue. Officials at Avery-Dennison near Mill Hall said it was a rare, chemical mixing problem which caused the glue leak Friday morning. They said it’s so unusual, the company did not have safety measures to prevent a problem like that. More than 100 people, many of them students, went to the hospital covered in glue. There was also damage to property in the area. The plant said new safety measures will be in effect as a result of that leak. 

Chlorine leak at Papatoetoe swimming pool 
30 April 2003 
Two people were treated by ambulance staff after a chlorine gas leak at the Papatoetoe Centennial Pools last night. Fire and ambulance were called to the Sutton Crescent complex at 9.30pm after the staff smelled gas coming from a plant room. People were not using the indoor pool at the time. Two were given oxygen by ambulance staff as a precaution. A technician was investigating the cause of the leak.

Workers evacuated after spill
Amy Kenna Star Staff Writer
KINGS MOUNTAIN — Employees were evacuated from Spectrum Dyed Yarns textile plant on Patterson Road for three hours Tuesday morning after a chemical reaction occurred inside the plant. No one was injured in the incident, caused by a chemical spilling on a mixing room floor. The Kings Mountain Fire Department responded to the call at 8:45 a.m. “When we arrived on the scene, the building was pretty much full of fumes from the chemical reaction,” Chief Frank Burns said. “The plant had already had all the people evacuate, so there were no workers inside.” No people were near the reaction when it occurred, Burns said. “Somehow it malfunctioned and overspilled onto the floor,” Burns said. “It was probably less than five gallons of product.” The fire department flooded the area with water and washed the water into a treatment tank, Burns said. “That pretty much brought it under control. Of course, there is some cleaning up that the plant will have to do.” The 100-plus employees returned to work at 11 a.m. “Everybody was able to come back to work,” said Corporate Human Resources Director Rick Kilpatrick. “We’re still attempting to determine the cause.” A chemical in the automated dispensing system reacted, Kilpatrick said. “The investigation is still preliminary on our part,” he said. Some of the automated equipment in the plant was shut down for the day, according to Kilpatrick. Spectrum Dyed Yarns is the largest package dyer of spun yarn in the United States. The Kings Mountain site, which employs 202 people, is the company’s original plant. 

Chemical leak detected during refueling of Oconee Nuclear Station
Posted Tuesday, April 29, 2003 – 6:32 pm By Anna Simon CLEMSON BUREAU
SENECA — About 100 workers starting a routine refueling outage at Oconee Nuclear Station’s Unit 3 reactor were brought back out of the containment building due to a potassium chromate leak, a plant spokeswoman said. Potassium chromate, an anti-corrosive used in one of the cooling systems in the building, was found on a number of surfaces in the reactor containment building, said Dayle Stewart, plant spokeswoman. The anti-corrosive was contained inside the building and poses no danger to anyone outside, she said. The workers were brought out and given added protective equipment, including double coveralls and respirators, to wear when they went back in to resume work, Stewart said. Most of the workers were contract workers, who come from across the country and specialize in refueling outage work at nuclear plants throughout the nation. A few of the workers were Duke Energy employees, Stewart said. Potassium chromate is a strong oxidizer and can cause severe burns on contact, according to a Material Data Safety Sheet from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. It is harmful if swallowed or inhaled and can affect the respiratory system, liver, kidneys, eyes, skin and blood. It may cause an allergic reaction and can cause cancer. No workers involved experienced any reactions or symptoms from exposure, and the leak has been repaired, Stewart said. Cleanup is under way, she said. Preliminary air sampling results from inside the building indicate that the levels of the chemical are well below the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration guideline for this substance, Stewart said. Stewart said the problem was “an industrial issue versus a nuclear issue,” but it was reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. “We work very carefully to ensure the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is aware of anything that is going on at our facility,” Stewart said. “This is not a performance issue.” Actions taken to protect the workers were “conservative” procedures and were based on the chemical manufacturer’s recommendations provided on a safety data sheet, Stewart said. Roger Hannah, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said the problem isn’t a radiation or nuclear safety issue and appears to have involved no safety equipment, but the commission will follow up to see what if any role it may play in nuclear regulation or assessment of the plant. “It’s more of an industrial safety issue,” Hannah said. From a radiation standpoint, “There’s nothing beyond the normal hazards expected in doing the normal work in a containment building,” Hannah said. The only way it would have nuclear impact is if it was a large enough leak that it caused flooding or inhibited cooling, Hannah said. The leakage poses no problem to the general public, Hannah said. The chemical is considered a “negligible fire hazard,” and explosion or fire resulting from the leakage is highly unlikely. The Material Safety Data Sheet shows that the pure compound isn’t combustible, but contact with certain substances or heat could cause fire or explosion. Stewart said fire or explosion is unlikely because of the small amount of the substance and because there’s no danger of contact with incompatible materials in the building’s controlled environment. A new reactor vessel head will be installed on Oconee’s Unit 3 at the end of the refueling process, and the current reactor vessel head still is in place, Stewart said. This issue is unrelated to the vessel head, and the cleanup of the chemical will be completed before the old reactor vessel head is removed. 

UPDATE DeWitt man burned in chemical spill dies
UPDATED: 4/30/03 8:18 AM ASSOCIATED PRESS
CALAMUS – Authorities say an eastern Iowa who was burned when an anhydrous ammonia tank exploded earlier this month has died. Sixty-eight-year-old Robert Ryan of DeWitt died Monday at University Hospitals in Iowa City. Ryan and another man, 23-year-old Nathan Nissen of Welton, were injured April 15th at a farm co-op near Calamus. The Clinton County sheriff’s office said they were filling a 1500 gallon tank when a welded seam apparently failed. Nissen also was taken to University Hospitals. No information is being released about his condition. Several state and federal agencies are investigating the accident. 

UPDATE Company to pay $16,000 after workers inhale poisonous fumes
A Hawke’s Bay company has been sentenced to pay $16,000 in reparation costs after two workers became ill after inhaling poisonous fumes. Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-operative Limited was sentenced today in the Napier District Court by Judge Rea. “Two men from Winstone Aggregates who were situated across the road from Ravensdown were harmed, one seriously, after they were exposed to silicon tetrafluoride emissions from the Ravensdown Awatoto site,” said Murray Thomson, OSH Service Manager Hawke’s Bay – East Coast. “New Zealanders being harmed and killed at work is simply unacceptable. As a result of this incident one of the men has since been diagnosed with Reactive Airways Disease Syndrome and cannot return to work on that site for fear of serious exposure. “The judge commented that the potential for damage to a number of people by an incident such as this was quite obvious. He also commented that it was concerning to know that an emission such as this has occurred immediately adjacent to a main highway. “If this poisonous cloud was to descend on a larger number of people, the results could be horrific. He also commented that this particular incident falls at the higher range of culpability. “The company failed to take all practicable steps to ensure that emissions from its plant did not cause harm to persons in the vicinity. There is no room for employers to wait until an accident occurs, pay the fine, and then try to do better in the future. “They should have ensured that their equipment, plant and processes were designed and maintained so as to reduce the release of fugitive emissions into the workplace during the production process. “The company could have achieved this by upgrading its hygiene air ventilation system to ensure more effective capture of fugitive emissions in the manufacturing area. “Everyone has the right to be safe at work,” said Mr Thomson. “Companies must ensure that workplace hazards are identified and controlled correctly, and that their safety systems are constantly reviewed and updated.” 

Ammonia leak at turkey plant sends 20 to hospitals 
FARIBAULT (AP) — Twenty workers were treated after an ammonia leak at a turkey processing plant. The leaking ammonia pipe at the Jennie-O Turkey Store was fixed by Monday afternoon, and all 20 employees were released after being taken to emergency rooms in Faribault and Northfield, said spokesman Dave Juhkle. “Ammonia is piped through the facility wherever refrigeration is required, and we had a leak in one of the couplings in the piping,” Juhkle said. The leak occurred around 1 a.m. Monday toward the end of the late shift.

Chemical Scare Forces South Division High School Evacuation; Classes Delayed One Hour
April 28, 2003
MILWAUKEE — A minor chemical scare Monday morning at South Division High school sent one man to the hospital. Classes were delayed for more than an hour as hazmat crews ventilated the school. A 38-year-old man suffered minor injuries after inhaling chlorine gas. He was mixing chemicals for the pool. The high school was evacuated as a precaution. “Potentially, it could have been dangerous, but the engineers immediately turned off fans and isolated the gas. The fire department was called. As a precaution, of course, we have to be sure the building is safe for everybody to enter,” South Division High School Principal Charles Siebert said. No students were in the building when it was evacuated. 

Oil Leaks Stymie Petroleum Production In S. Iraq
April 28, 2003
DOHA, Qatar — Engineers are trying to plug leaks in a key oil refinery in southern Iraq. The oil flow to the Basra refinery was restarted last Wednesday for the first time since the war began. But officials had to shut it off when some line leaks caught fire. An engineer said the damaged lines were underground and weren’t noticed during the initial inspections. Some of the problems were apparently caused when Iraqis hastily shut down the system. Restarting the oil industry is key to the U.S. plans for rebuilding Iraq. Refined fuels are a crucial part of Iraq’s domestic economy. Meanwhile, only about 60,000 barrels a day are being pumped out of the northern oil fields around Kirkuk. That area is capable of producing 900,000 barrels a day, but with storage facilities full, that much oil would have no place to go.

UPDATE EXPERTS DENY POSIONING CLAIMS 
Two independent experts claim a mass-poisoning of school students in the city of Volgograd in Russia’s south was unrelated to an industrial accident at the Lukoil-Volgograd oil refinery causing air pollution. Experts say blood tests of the poisoning victims revealed no presence of chemicals that would have been typical to poisoning by liquefied propane-propylene and a butane-butylene gas mixture. The accident occurred on April 17, overcoming 91 people including 87 children. 16 children are still in hospital undergoing treatment.
Source: WorldWatch

UPDATE Federal Agency Investigates Chemical Release in Clinton County
We’re learning more about a sticky chemical leak at a plant in Clinton County. Now a federal agency is involved in the investigation. Newswatch 16 has learned the federal government is getting involved in Friday’s chemical leak at the Avery-Dennison plant near Mill Hall in Clinton County. And, we’re closer to knowing what caused a sticky cloud to escape from that building. The federal government involvement comes in the form of OSHA, the agency that looks at safety in the workplace. The state’s Department of Environmental Protection also looking at Friday’s incident. A sticky cloud escaped from the Avery-Dennison plant. The company makes adhesive labels. The fumes sickened children at a near-by school, dozens went to the hospital. The cloud also left cars near the plant covered with glue. The Department of Environmental Protection said there was a sudden build up of heat in a vessel chamber. Pressure seals blew, and the glue cloud was released through a stack at the plant. DEP said the matter is still under investigation, and the company is still trying to figure out why there was that sudden build up of heat. Both DEP and OSHA said there’s the possibility Avery-Dennison could be fined over what happened Friday, but it’s still too early to say.

Explosion caused anhydrous burns
By Kay Luna
CALAMUS, Iowa — Co-workers Bob Ryan and Nathan Nissen were standing on a platform, almost finished filling a 1,500-gallon tank with anhydrous ammonia, when it suddenly exploded, authorities said Wednesday. In what Clinton County sheriff’s Capt. Roger Heilig described as a freak accident, the pressurized toxic chemical burst through the welded seams of the tank bottom, spraying the substance onto the men’s skin and into a white cloud of vapor above River Valley Cooperative east of Calamus. Heilig said he understands Ryan, 68, of DeWitt and Nissen, 23, of Welton, have been stabilized at University Hospitals in Iowa City, after suffering serious freeze burns on their skin — and likely in their lungs — from coming into contact with the chemical about noon Tuesday. Hospital officials said no information about their medical conditions was available for release Wednesday. “It was just kind of a freak deal,” Heilig said. “Hopefully, it’ll turn out all right.” Heilig said firefighters were able to help right away, thanks to a woman driving past the site who noticed the large white cloud hanging in the air. She knew something was wrong, he said. Anhydrous ammonia is a compound formed by the combination of nitrogen and hydrogen gases. Its boiling point is minus-28 degrees Fahrenheit. Heilig said the substance tends to hover near the ground before vaporizing in the air, so the men were somewhat protected where they were standing on a platform near the tank, but the explosion still sent the substance onto their skin. They also probably breathed it in, he said. Heilig said the tank’s pressure release valve should have bled off the pressure. River Valley Cooperative reported the spill to the Iowa Department of Natural Resource’s environmental protection branch, as required by law, Heilig said. He did not know if other agencies would be called to investigate the workplace accident. Ryan worked part time for the company during the spring and fall for about three or four years. Nissen began working for the company last fall.

Three workers exposed to radiation at Y-12 plant
The Associated Press
A small amount of uranium caught fire at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant Tuesday, exposing three workers to radiological contamination. No workers were injured, and emergency personnel extinguished the uranium fire with powdered graphite, plant spokesman Bill Wilburn said. The fire occurred at about 4 p.m. in Building 9202, he said. The building was evacuated and plant officials followed procedures for an “operational emergency.” Of the three workers exposed, two had contamination on their clothing while one had it on clothing and hair. Thirty-three workers were checked for exposure. “It was a very low level of contamination,” Wilburn said. “All three people have been decontaminated, and there is no expected health risk associated with this low level of contamination.” The fire reportedly involved depleted uranium oxide in a glovebox ‹ a sealed enclosure that allows workers to handle materials without direct contact. Building 9202 houses the plant’s technology development organization, which performs research associated with the nuclear weapons missions in Oak Ridge. Y-12 manufactures parts for nuclear warheads.

UPDATE Upgrade or else, EPA tells Diaz
Meaghan M. McDermott; Democrat and Chronicle
(April 17, 2003) — HOLLEY — Citing failure to comply with the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Diaz Chemical Corp. to either upgrade its safety equipment and procedures or stop using hazardous chemicals. The order, which became effective Wednesday, was issued because the company did not meet its “general duty to take necessary steps to prevent chemical air releases, and to minimize the consequences of accidental releases and maintain safe facilities,” said EPA spokesman Mike Basile. The General Duty clause of the Clean Air Act is “only used when there is serious risk of accidental releases because a facility is not operated well,” said EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny in a written release. If the company does not comply by EPA deadlines — which range from one to three months — it will no longer be able to use or handle a lengthy list of substances the EPA considers regulated toxic substances. “If we’re going to continue to operate here, we’re going to have to find some other realm of chemistry to work in to pay the bills,” said Clifton Jenney, Diaz vice president for administration. He noted that the company — which is fending off separate lawsuits filed by the state Attorney General’s Office and Holley residents over a Jan. 5, 2002, chemical release — does not have the cash to purchase new equipment. Jenney also said Diaz’s current practices and equipment are not unsafe. “We have been here for 25 years and haven’t hurt anybody,” he said. “We haven’t seen anybody show us they have suffered any physical harm.” Diaz attorney Tom Walsh called the order “an arbitrary and capricious application of the law.” Walsh said the EPA “stretched” Clean Air Act regulations to wrongly classify a relatively unknown chemical accidentally released in 2002 as a hazardous substance in league with chlorine, hydrochloric acid and other toxic killers. On Jan. 5, 2002, about 80 gallons of steam, toluene and 2-chloro-6-fluorophenol (CFP) were released by Diaz Chemical Corp. when an employee failed to open a relief valve and mounting pressure in a chemical tank triggered open a safety device. Nine families who fled after the release have refused to return to their houses, citing fears of spill-related health problems. A state Department of Health assessment of the release concluded the health risks associated with the spill are likely minimal. Walsh said the order cites the CFP spill as a rationale for requiring the changes. But the EPA says the order came after inspections revealed “deficiencies such as a lack of pressure alarm systems and closed loop temperature control systems at the facility” as well as inappropriate “procedures in place to calibrate equipment and test for mechanical integrity,” said Basile. He added that EPA inspectors also found that Diaz “did not properly identify and label certain valves.” Jenney said he believes the order was politically motivated but that the company can neither fight it nor buy the new equipment. “We’ve spent our funds on lawyers,” he said.

EVACUATION AT DUNDEE FACTORY AFTER TOXIC SPILL 
CLAIRE STEWART AND ALISON MIDDLETON 09:00 – 18 April 2003 
A Toxic chemical spill at a Dundee factory created a cloud of potentially lethal chlorine gas yesterday. A cocktail of chemicals reacted to create the gas when a shelf collapsed as workers were moving jars of acid at Wood Group Heavy Industrial Turbines. Emergency services immediately put into action contingency plans for a toxic spill, evacuating the 150 employees at the firm and erecting a 200-metre exclusion zone around Baldovie Industrial Estate. The alarm was raised by employees at around 11.50am when the jars of solid and liquid acids smashed as the shelf holding them gave way in the portable cabin where they had been working. Tayside Fire Brigade Assistant Divisional Officer Kenneth Fraser said: “The effects of that were we had a mixture of chemicals which were forming together to form a flammable vapour and a toxic cloud.” The fire brigade was called out just before noon by the firm with three fire engines and an emergency tender sent out to deal with the spill. The factory was evacuated and workers at other businesses on the industrial estate were warned to stay indoors until they had the all clear. A decontamination area was set up and a cordon, blocking pedestrians and traffic, was also erected along Drumgeith Road between Summerfield Avenue and Berwick Drive. The ambulance service was also alerted as was the Health and Safety Executive. Firefighters talked with site chemists to discover what they were dealing with and then two officers put on chemical suits and breathing apparatus to enter the cabin which had been filled with the greenish yellow chlorine gas. Officer Fraser said: “The fire service made the site safe and arranged with the owners of the premises for licensed chemical containers to be removed by a specialist company.” No one was injured in yesterday’s incident, but Dr James Anderson, a reader in surface chemistry at Dundee University, explained the dangers that had been faced by the firefighters and employees. “Potentially it may be fatal if inhaled,” said Dr Anderson, adding, “the substance itself is very destructive to the mucus membranes. It’s breathing the stuff in that can be destructive.” He said the gas destroys tissue, particularly affecting the eyes and skin as well as the upper respiratory tract. “It causes inflammation and oedema of the larynx and bronchi, the things that store the air. Symptoms you would get are a burning sensation, coughing, wheezing, laryngitis and being short of breath. It can cause headaches, nausea, and vomiting.” Explaining storage procedures and use of the gas, he added: “Chlorine gas is normally stored in air-tight cylinders with adequate ventilation, under pressure. “It’s used as a chemical agent to produce secondary products. One example is that it is used as a primary agent to produce trichlorophenol, or TCP, an antiseptic.” A spokeswoman for the firm yesterday stated that workers had been able to return to their desks that day. She stated: “No one was injured in the incident and no harm was done to the environment. We were able to return to work at approximately 1.30pm.” She stated that the incident had been simply an accident and the company felt there was no need for a review of procedures. Inspector Jim Leslie, of Tayside Police, said the emergency services’ plans for dealing with such incidents had worked well. “These things have the potential to be a serious incident so we have a set of established procedures to follow. Thankfully in this case it transpired that all was OK.” 

Hydrogen sulfide suspected of poisoning 28 Russian pupils
MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) – Twenty-eight secondary school pupils were admitted to the hospital in a Russian city on Thursday with symptoms of hydrogen sulfide vapor poisoning, eight of them being put on a drip. The source of the misfortune was vapor that was emitted after a Thursday accident at an oil refinery in Volgograd and drifted to an area on the city edge where the pupils’ school is situated, an Emergency Situations Ministry duty officer told Interfax. 

No Injuries Reported
April 18, 2003 Story by The LouisvilleChannel.com 
LOUISVILLE — An explosion rocked a plant near downtown Louisville late Thursday. The blast happened at the Sypris Technologies plant at the corner of 28th Street and Broadway, NewsChannel 32 reported. According to the Metro Fire Department, a chemist mixed methanol and nitric acid together Thursday afternoon in an effort to etch metal. After the chemicals were mixed, something went wrong with a ventilation system, according to fire officials. “We’re guessing the vent either shut down by itself or became inoperable and caused a small explosion,” Metro Fire Maj. Vicki Bell said. None of the people in the building at the time of the explosion were injured. The explosion was largely confined to one room, but the plant was evacuated as a precaution, NewsChannel 32 reported. Workers returned to the building after it was ventilated. Sypris Technologies specializes in forging truck axles, according to NewsChannel 32. Stay tuned to NewsChannel 32 and TheLouisvilleChannel.com for news updates throughout the day. 

Chemical fumes cause evacuation at Buckeye Egg
Bill Sinden 
MOUNT VICTORY — Six workers at the Buckeye Egg plant, 20439 Hardin County Road 245, suffered exposure to fumes from an accidental mixture of acid and chlorine Wednesday afternoon. Five of the six were transported to Harding Memorial Hospital with what was described as “not too serious” lung irritation from the fumes, according to Jim Bostater, director of the Harding County Emergency Management Agency. Due to patient confidentiality laws, the hospital could not release any information on the conditions of the workers. One worker exposed refused treatment. Bostater said a report of a chemical exposure at the egg plant was reported at 3:19 p.m. Wednesday. The plant was evacuated and secured, he said. Upon investigation it was found that a worker had accidentally mixed acid and chlorine in a 10-gallon bucket, which Bostater said was about a quarter full. The fumes that came from the mixture were contained to an enclosed area which houses bulk tanks of egg wash. There were no tanks leaking at the plant and at no time any danger to the community, Bostater said. The EPA was notified of the incident and subsequent containment of the fumes, he said. Emergency personnel from Kenton City Fire Department, Southeast Hardin Fire Department, BKP (Buck, Kenton and Pleasant Township) Ambulance District, Richwood Fire Department and Boggs Creek Fire Department.

Students sent to hospital after glue plant accident 
The Associated Press 4/25/03 3:04 PM
MILL HALL, Pa. (AP) — A passing cloud of glue released from a central Pennsylvania chemical plant on Friday dropped sticky strings from the sky and sent dozens of schoolchildren to the hospital complaining of eye and skin irritation, officials said. An adhesive agent was accidentally released into the air from the Avery Dennison Corp. plant in Mill Hall shortly after 10 a.m, said Kevin Fanning, director of the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency. Emergency officials issued a warning for people to stay inside their homes and for schools to keep children indoors. The warning was lifted about two hours later, and more than 60 students were taken to four regional hospitals to be checked out. Robert M. Gervinski, assistant superintendent of the Keystone Central School District, did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment. The cloud of adhesive, known as polyvinyl ester polymer, fell back to earth in sticky strings. Many complained of eye and skin irritation, including a group of students outside for gym class when adhesive apparently fell on them and stuck to their skin, but no serious injuries were reported, officials said. “Common sense should be (the) byword,” Fanning said. “Anyone who came in contact with the substance should wash it off as soon as possible.” The Avery Dennison plant was evacuated and there were no immediate reports of injuries, company spokesman Stephen Norton said. An investigation was under way to determine the cause of the chemical release, he said. Norton said the company has set up a toll-free hotline for people in the community who have questions or concerns: 1-800-515-9911. The facility makes adhesive for a variety of Avery office products. “There are big, gooey strings hanging all over,” Bruce Smith at R&M Gas and Oil told The Express of Lock Haven. “It looks like spider webs. Clear, sticky, no color to it.” He said there also was a strong odor that passed in about 10 minutes. Mill Hall is about 65 miles northwest of Harrisburg.

Glynn County accident spills diesel fuel into Frederica River 
SAINT SIMONS ISLAND, FL — About 450 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the Frederica River this morning near Saint Simons Island after a pump at the Golden Isles Marina failed. Marina workers and firefighters were able to contain about 300 gallons of the spill to a small area by placing absorbent pads and booms into the water. A spokeswoman for the state Environmental Protection Division — Michelle Cortes — says only 150 gallons seeped into state waters. She says there’s NO evidence of environmental damage to the marsh or surrounding area.

UPDATE Men injured in anhydrous ammonia accident 
By: Mary Lou Hinrichsen 04/23/2003 
CALAMUS – An investigation by state agencies remains under way into the accidental release of anhydrous ammonia which sent two local men to the University of Iowa burn unit last Tuesday (April 15). No official word was being released about the condition of Robert Ryan, 68, DeWitt, and Nathan Nissen, 23, Welton, but family members said they were stable. The men, employees of River Valley Cooperative, were filling a field nurse tank when a seam on the tank apparently opened up, releasing the product, which is a liquid under pressure and turns into a vapor when released. Anhydrous ammonia is made up of one part nitrogen and three parts hydrogen and is a widely used source of nitrogen for plant growth. According to the National Ag Safety Database, anhydrous means “without water.” Because the fertilizer contains no water, it is attracted to any form of moisture and inflicts serious freeze-burns to the human body. Tom Leiting, general manager of River Valley, said he was told rescuers who were first on the scene found Nissen in a large tank of water which is kept at the site for just such an emergency and Ryan was assisting him. A Calamus area farm woman, who asked that her name not be used, told The Observer she was driving past the plant on Hwy. 30 east of Calamus when she saw the vapor cloud and rushed to the scene. Charles Gregoire, who was approaching the site to return an empty tank, said the woman was “a real hero” for summoning aid so swiftly. Both witnesses said rescuers responded in minutes. Ryan was air lifted to the University Hospital burn unit. Nissen was air lifted first to Genesis East Hospital in Davenport and then to Iowa City. Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Calamus Fire Department, the Wheatland ambulance and the DeWitt ambulance.

UPDATE Four injured SFI workers still in ICU 
22 April, 2003 
Kota Kinabalu: The four Sabah Forest Industry (SFI) workers admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) here for serious acid burns are still in the intensive care unit (ICU) for further observations and treatment. QEH Director Datin Dr Rahimah Mohd Said, when contacted, said their conditions were stable though serious and assured that measures had been taken to strictly monitor them. She confirmed that Osman Arsad, 29, Jaafar Junid, 38, Lasius Tinggi in his 30s and Ajahari Ali had sustained first degree burns affecting 60-70 per cent of their bodies, following a chemical spill at the SFI workplace, in Sipitang, last Friday. According to Dr Rahimah, the worrying factor would be complications arising from the injuries that might lead to “uncertainties”. The victims were operated on Saturday and Sunday to remove the dead skin, with prescribed treatment to lessen the pain. She, however, could not confirm the actual condition of their eyes but assured that their condition was being closely monitored. Family members of two victims said while they can open their eyes they only have blurred vision. Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Sabah Director Zailee Dollah, when contacted, said his department had on Saturday sent officers to the SFI factory to investigate the incident. “Under the department’s procedure, we ask the SFI management to suspend any operation within the factory area where the incident took place, and the area will have to remain closed until the investigation is completed,” he said. He, however, could not confirm how long the investigation would take. When contacted, a SFI official said the company was not prepared to issue any comment until an in-house investigation has been completed.

Spill forces evacuation; Six hospitalized after several hundred gallons of anhydrous spills in Norwich
By: Ken Crites Editorial Staff Writer
NORWICH – An anhydrous ammonia spill in Norwich, east of Minot, Monday afternoon resulted in six people being affected by the fumes — at least two of them were seriously injured. Mary Hanretty, emergency manager for McHenry County, said six people were taken by ambulance and privately owned vehicle to Trinity Hospital in Minot, following the spill at about 2 p.m. She said two were placed in the intensive care unit, the other four were examined, treated and released. No names or conditions were available at press time Monday night. The spill, estimated at several hundred gallons, occurred as anhydrous ammonia was being transferred from a 1,000-gallon tank to smaller tanks, according to Granville Fire Chief Jason Smette. The spill occurred near the Midland Grain Co. elevator in the community of about 30 people, and resulted in the evacuation of residents. Smette said fire crews hosed the spill down with water and allowed residents to return by 5 p.m. Hanretty said Rex Weltikol, a deputy state fire marshal from Minot was at the scene to investigate. The Granville Rural Fire Department, Velva Fire Department and Velva Ambulance responded. The Highway Patrol and McHenry County Sheriff’s Department also responded to Norwich, an unincorporated community just north of U.S. Highway 2, between Minot and Granville. The chemical, which is used as farm fertilizer, is stored in a liquid form but turns into a toxic gas when it makes contact with the air. It can suffocate someone and cause deep burns. On Jan. 18 of last year, a CP Rail train derailment west of Minot in the early morning hours spilled about 300,000 gallons of ammonia, sending a cloud of gas over the area that killed one person and injured hundreds. In February, a cloud of ammonia leaked from a chemical plant in Mississippi, forcing tourists to evacuate eight hotels along the Gulf Coast. The town of Newburg, near Minot, was evacuated after an ammonia leak in 1997.

Texas nuclear reactor leaks cooling water
By The New York Times
WASHINGTON — A nuclear reactor in Texas is leaking cooling water from the bottom of its giant reactor vessel, a development that experts said they view with concern because they have never seen it before, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Friday. Technicians at the South Texas Project Electric Generating Station, about 90 miles southwest of Houston, have found at one of two nuclear reactors residues indicating that cooling water leaked from the vessel through two penetrations where instruments are inserted into the core, according to the company that operates the plant. The Texas plant, South Texas 1, shows much smaller signs of leaking than at the Ohio plant. In both cases, technicians found deposits of boron, a chemical added to the water to control the nuclear reaction, which remains after the water evaporates. At Davis-Besse in Toledo, technicians cleaned out boron with shovels; in Texas, technicians found an amount about half the volume of an aspirin tablet, said Ed Halpin, the plant general manager. No corrosion is visible, but no one is sure what is underneath. At Davis-Besse, the steel of the vessel was corroded. At that plant, workers have replaced the vessel head, a part that was intended to last for the lifetime of the reactor. Davis-Besse has remained closed since the leak was discovered, 13 months ago. The South Texas leak is unexpected and, so far, unexplained. “This is the first time it’s been seen, either here or abroad,” said Victor Dricks, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Wynyard gas leak forces evacuation
A gas leak at United Milk Tasmania in Inglis Street Wynyard last night forced police and the fire brigade to evacuate staff and nearby residents for about three hours. Police say a crack in a steel tank holding hydrochloric acid caused the leak which was emitting toxic fumes. Residents from about 50 homes north-east of the factory were evacuated to minimise any risk but were allowed to return to their homes about midnight AEST. 

Fluor worker exposed to plutonium 
Wednesday, April 9th, 2003 By John Stang Herald staff writer
A Fluor Hanford worker inhaled a small amount of radioactive plutonium and americium about three weeks ago at the Plutonium Finishing Plant. The inhaled amount was below dangerous levels prescribed by federal regulations, according to tests done on the employee, who returned to work without needing a day off. However, the employee, whose name was not released, is being kept out of radiation control areas until the end of the year to reduce his chance of more radiation exposure, said Fluor spokesman Michael Turner. Exposures at that level are considered minor by the Department of Energy’s radiation standards. If sufficient amounts of those particles accumulate in a person’s lungs, that can increase the risk of cancer. This was the first plutonium inhalation incident involving a Fluor worker in at least four years, company officials said. The accident occurred March 19 in the PFP area where ovenlike muffle furnaces bake scrap plutonium into safer forms. Most of that work is done inside gloveboxes where workers can safely handle instruments and materials inside the boxes’ radioactive interiors. An employee was routinely inspecting a glovebox, putting his hands into the gloves. After pulling out his hands and trying to leave the radiation control area, the worker discovered he was contaminated. That stopped the work in that room. And three other people in the chamber also were checked. The worker inspecting the glovebox was the only one who was confirmed as contaminated. A hole was found in a finger of a glove he inserted his hand into while inspecting the glovebox, Turner said. He apparently contaminated his finger, and radioactive particles then apparently reached his mouth or nose. In 1998, two Fluor employees inhaled small amounts of plutonium from an air line leading into a PFP glovebox. Their exposures also were below DOE’s annual radiation dose limits.

UPDATE Director arrested for Brazilian disaster 
By Carmen Gentile UPI Latin America Correspondent From the International Desk Published 4/7/2003 6:30 PM
SAO PAULO, Brazil, April 7 (UPI) — Brazilian authorities Monday arrested an administrative director of the paper and pulp company blamed for a recent chemical spill, considered by some to be the worst environmental catastrophe in the country’s history. Felix Santana of the Cataguases Paper and Pulp Co. was arrested in Sao Paulo for his role in the massive spill that left some half-million Brazilians in the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro without drinking water. Authorities said Santana was taken directly to a Sao Paulo airport and flown to Rio for arraignment. Fellow Director Joao Gregorio do Bem, also wanted by authorities, remains at large. Prior to Santana’s arrest, all activities of the company were suspended for an indefinite period of time on orders of the state’s secretary of the environment and maintainable development, Jose Carlos Carvalho. The spill occurred at the end of March in an abandoned Cataguases facility, near the shared border with Rio de Janeiro state. A reservoir containing between 320 million and 400 million gallons of toxic chemicals burst into the Pombo and Paraiba do Sul rivers. Environmentalists note that the spill has already reached the sea in Rio, contaminating 20 beaches, cutting off fishing and public use of the beaches. Meanwhile, local residents have been warned not to use the rivers for drinking or bathing while workers attempt to clean the toxic sludge. A total of 46 municipal districts have been affected by the spill, with 39 in the central state of Minas Gerais and seven more in neighboring Rio de Janeiro with numerous reports of dead plants and animals along the rivers’ courses. The company faces a fine of $15 million ($50 million reals) for the spill, though it plans to appeal the decision. International environmental watchdog group Greenpeace blasted management at the Cataguases firm and state officials in Minas Gerais for the accident. “Cataguases is a typical example of a lack of inspection and maintenance, as well as managerial omission in seeking solutions to the problems which caused the present disaster,” said a statement from the group, which also called for the criminal prosecution of those responsible for the spill. 

NEW: Chlorine leak forces hospital to evacuate workers, move patients 
By Lisa Sandberg Express-News Staff Writer Web Posted : 04/07/2003 11:31 AM 
One worker was overcome by fumes from a chlorine leak this morning at Methodist Hospital that forced the evacuation of 50 hospital personnel and the relocation of an unknown number of patients, hospital and Fire Department officials said. Hazardous material teams spent about an hour on the scene before declaring the area safe. The chlorine leaked from a 4-foot cylinder into the hospital’s ventilation system sometime before 9 a.m., District Fire Chief Randy Jenkins said. It was carried into other levels of the hospital, including the surgical unit, where two patients were about to undergo procedures. “It was a small, small leak from a medium-sized cylinder, just enough for people to notice it,” Jenkins said. 

Toxic chemical spill sickens more than 100
2003/4/5 TAIPEI, Taiwan, The China Post staff
A truck carrying toxic chemicals overturned at a busy intersection in Taichung on Thursday, causing over one hundred people to be hospitalized after inhaling the poisonous odor. As of yesterday morning, a total of 65 people were still under treatment at two local hospitals. Two rescue workers suffered from severe acid poisoning were recovering at the intensive care unit at Taichung Veterans General Hospital. They are in stable condition. According to the police, a truck filled with acrylonitrile turned over due to a flat tire at the intersection of Linhai and Chungchi Roads in Taichung’s Wuchi Township on Thursday afternoon, leaking a huge amount of the poisonous chemical. Nearby residents, overwhelmed by the foul smell, ran away from their houses to seek help. Most of the victims, including over 30 emergency rescue workers and volunteer firefighters developed symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, light-headiness and asthma. Additionally, a TV reporter also fell ill after accidentally breathing in the poisonous chemical while covering the story. Police added that truck driver Lin Hung-hsiu was transporting the 24 tons of toxic and flammable liquid back to the Tunghua artificial fiber company from Taichung Port. Hung Tung-rong, head of the toxicology department at Taichung Veterans General Hospital noted that most of the patients have passed a critical 24-hour observation period, but some remained hospitalized to determine if their livers had been damaged. The police, concerned with the “second pollution” of the truckload of 35 tons of toxic chemical to underground water and soil, notified relevant authorities for an on-site investigation. Experts from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and regional environmental protection bureaus yesterday found that acrylonitrile had leaked into nearby sewers and already killed a small number of fishe. EPA investigators have collected samples of the contaminated water in order to impose a fine from NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 on Tunghua and its transportation company for violation of the toxic chemical management regulation. The victims also intend to bring a joint legal action against the companies. Fire Department officials visited the patients in Taichung and promised to effectively tackle the chemical pollution to minimize environmental hazards. Doctors said that acrylonitrile is 99.5 percent poisonous and can be fatal to those who inhale or get in touch with the chemical. The public should avoid drinking underground water as well as eating fish from Taichung harbor that might be contaminated by the toxic chemical, doctors warned. 

Hydrochloric acid spill in Greenlawn 
(04/04/03) GREENLAWN – There was some frightening moments in Greenlawn on Friday after a truck spilled hydrochloric acid all over Pulaski road. Many residents had to be evacuated from their homes and the spill also stopped the LIRR in its tracks for more than an hour. Greenlawn Fire Chief Greg Ancewicz, who lives in the neighborhood where the truck was traveling, a plume of smoke spewing from a truck traveling on Pulaski Road. He got into his car and followed the truck. When he pulled up to the truck, he noticed a liquid was leaking. Ancewicz said he initially thought the truck was on fire but called in hazardous material teams after the driver told him it was a 300-gallon tank of hydrochloric acid that was leaking. Hazmat teams from the Town of Huntington and Greenlawn Fire Department neutralized the spill. Surrounding roads were closed and the LIRR suspended service from Huntington to Port Jefferson. Service was resumed at around 6 p.m. Friday night. Officials were concerned that the rain would make for a hazardous situation because when hydrochloric acid mixes with water, it becomes extremely flammable. Four people, including the driver, were treated and released from the hospital. A New Jersey based environmental company has been called in to clean up the spill.

 

UPDATE Police hunt factory owners after chemical spill 
April 06, 2003, 05:32 AM 
Residents and animals have begun to feel the effects of one of Brazil’s worst environmental disasters – a chemical spill into two south-eastern rivers that has left some 500 000 Brazilians without clean water. It is possibly Brazil’s worst environmental disaster. A chemical spill from a paper factory has contaminated two rivers in Campos leaving half a million people without clean water. Water supplies to thousands of households in Rio de Janeiro state have been cut off and locals have been told to stay away from local beaches and the rivers. Fishing and irrigation has been banned and the authorities are handing out purification tablets. Joao Carlos Costa, the Municipal President of Saneamento said: “We are also trying to find alternatives and dig new wells to solve the problem.” The environmental impact of the spill is huge. Fish and animals have been dying in their thousands and ecologists say it could be 15 years before the ecosystem recovers. Police also say they are also concerned about a second reservoir in the grounds of the same factory which they fear could leak. Attempts are being made to bring charges against the company involved but the factory’s owners appear to have fled. – Reuters. 

Workers Exposed to Radioactive Material 
Thursday April 3, 2003 9:40 PM
GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) – For the second time in a week, an accident exposed workers to minor levels of radioactive material at the Rocky Flats former nuclear weapons plant. Eight such accidents were reported at the plant in all of last year. A contractor, Kaiser-Hill, is being paid $7 billion to clean up the site and could receive a bonus if it completes the job before the end of 2006. “They’re anxious to close Rocky Flats, so we ask, `Are they being hasty? Are they being sloppy?”’ said Steve Gunderson, the state health department’s official in charge of monitoring Rocky Flats. However, he said he had concluded that the two accidents were unrelated and didn’t indicate a pattern of problems. Kaiser-Hill is investigating the incidents and “will make any appropriate changes if any are deemed necessary,” company spokesman John Corsi said. In the latest accident, a filter fell off an exhaust fan system Monday, releasing accumulated contamination. Two of the six workers in the affected room at the time tested positive for possible minor contamination and will be tested further, Department of Energy spokesman Pat Etchart said. The exposure appeared to be well below federal limits, Gunderson said. Five days earlier, workers were installing a filter system in a separate building when air from a contaminated room backed into the rest of the building. Three of the 33 workers involved showed minimal exposure and were undergoing further testing. No radioactive material escaped from the buildings, Etchart said. 

Homes evacuated after chlorine leak 
By OREN DORELL, Staff Writer
FUQUAY-VARINA — Residents of about 100 homes were evacuated in southern Fuquay-Varina this morning after workers at the town’s water treatment plant discovered a chlorine leak. 
The leak was discovered just after 7 a.m. at two 150-pound cylinders in a building where water is disinfected as it leaves the plant on Bowling Road, said Fuquay-Varina town manager John Ellis. There were no injuries, Ellis said. A hazardous materials team from the Raleigh Fire Department arrived at the scene by 8 a.m., set up a decontamination site and entered the facility within about an hour. By 9:20 a.m. Ellis announced “all clear,” and said the leak had stopped and that residents could return home. The Fuquay-Varina police and fire departments, Wake County Sheriff’s Office and Wake County Emergency Management also responded to the scene. Officials evacuated residents from Neils Crossing, Phillips Point and Angier Wood subdivisions and from Angier Road, said Ronnie Stewart, chief of operation at the Wake sheriff’s office. Only about 17 people were home and actually needed evacuating, Ellis said. Among them was Pam Mitchell of Neils Crossing subdivision and daughter Christa, 4. They smelled nothing, Mitchell said. “It wasn’t too bad,” said Mitchell, as Christa pulled at her arm for a promised trip to the playground. “I don’t think anyone was too worried because they said it [the evacuation] was just something precautionary, but it does make you think about what if it were something more tragic.” 

Chemical spill in Rio state river leaves many towns without water
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) Apr 02, 2003
Authorities were forced to cut off water in many cities in the Rio de Janeiro state after 20 million liters of toxic waste leaked into a river from a paper factory, officials said Wednesday. The highly-toxic, 90 kilometer (55-mile spill slowly moved down the Paraiba do Sul river toward Campos, the main city in northern Rio state. With the spill expected to reach Campos on Wednesday night, mayor Arnaldo Viana decided Wednesday to cut off water supplies, forcing some 500,000 people to rely on delivery from water trucks. In addition, 470 irrigation canals already were shut down, and farmers were warned the tainted water would burn their crops. The toxic waste originated Saturday from a paper factory in the neighboring state of Minas Gerais, contaminating the Pomba river, which flows into the Paraiba do Sul. The paper factory was shut down and given an initial fine of 50 million reals (15 million dollars.)

 

UPDATE Three workers undergo more tests for radiation exposure
GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) – Thirty of the 33 Rocky Flats workers tested for possible exposure to plutonium radiation have been cleared. The other three will undergo more tests to find out if they were exposed when an air duct backed up last week at the former nuclear weapons plant. If the three were exposed, it was only briefly because they evacuated the building as soon as alarms indicated a malfunction of the vent system, Energy Department spokesman Pat Etchart said. ”None of the three are expected to exceed any kind of federal workplace safety standards,” he said. The Department of Energy is overseeing the $7 billion cleanup of Rocky Flats and is monitoring the tests. The tests were prompted after an accident last week, when workers were using a forklift to remove equipment from a building that was used to build plutonium ignition devices for atomic warheads during the Cold War. To keep carbon monoxide from collecting in the room, workers rigged a pipe from the forklift’s exhaust to the building’s ventilation system. The work caused a damper inside a vent to close, possibly forcing air from plutonium-tainted areas of the building to back up in the room where the crew was working without respirators. Plutonium exposure, in high enough levels, can cause cancer and other serious ailments. Nuclear weapon components were made at Rocky Flats for 39 years. Work ended in 1989 when the plant was shut down by federal authorities for severe safety violations. 

Rocky Flats workers tested for radiation after accident
GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) – Thirty-three workers at the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant have been tested for possible exposure to harmful radiation following an accident last week. Workers in Building 776, which is being demolished because of earlier plutonium contamination, had turned off part of the air flow system Wednesday to vent fumes from a diesel forklift they were using. When workers turned the air flow system back on, there was a brief ”air reversal,” which allowed contaminated air into the room where the workers were. The building was evacuated. ”Some of the workers did not have on respiratory protection because it’s not required for the operation they were doing,” spokesman Pat Etchart said. Those workers were tested to determine whether they inhaled any harmful substances. Preliminary test results were expected this week, although final results may not be available for a couple of weeks, Etchart said. Officials were reviewing what could be done to avoid similar situations, Etchart said. He aid no harmful material was released into the outside air, and the accident posed no threat to the public. The government manufactured the plutonium components for nuclear warheads at Rocky Flats for almost 40 years. It ended operations in 1989. The site is scheduled to be cleaned up and closed by 2006 with plans for it to be managed as a wildlife refuge. 

Chemical Leak Injures One Person
A chemical leak at a Rockford business last night injures one person…and causes some anxious moments for neighbors. It happened at Rockford Products at Harrison and 5th Street. Fire officials say hydro-chloric acid leaked into the air…after the tank’s valve broke. A cloud of the chemical could also be seen outside the plant. Fortunately, for firefighters, there was no wind that would have allowed the cloud to spread. Still, people living near the building were told to stay indoors…and an adjacent street was closed. One person inside the plant was injured after breathing the toxic fumes. The security guard was hospitalized overnight for observation. Rockford Products uses hydrochloric acid for heat treating. 

Chemical Spill Sends Haz-Mat Crews into Action
(Buffalo, NY, March 28, 2003) – – A chemical spill sent Haz-Mat crews into action in Cheektowaga overnight. A faulty valve reportedly caused a small amount of hydrochloric acid to leak from a train car in a railyard off Broadway around two o’clock Friday morning. Crews were able to stop the leak. No one was hurt.

UPDATE Charges laid in workplace death 
By BILL LAYE Herald-Tribune staff 
Burlington Resources Canada Ltd. and two of its employees have been charged with more than 12 occupational health and safety violations in connection with a fatal workplace accident last year. The provincial medical examiner’s office says Rocky Wiens, a 41-year-old Valleyview resident, died March 17, 2002 of hydrogen sulphide poisoning while working at the Berland gas processing plant near Fox Creek. Wiens, an employee of Cobra Maintenance Ltd., which was working under contract for Burlington, was found lying face down on the plant floor by a co-worker at 5:30 a.m. that morning. Calgary-based Burlington, Brian Plontke of Valleyview, and John Veldhuis of Rolly View, about 10 kilometres east of Leduc, are scheduled to appear in Grande Prairie provincial court May 12. Provincial OH&S officials have charged the company with one count each of failing to ensure the health and safety of an employee, failing to ensure the work involved was performed by a properly-trained or supervised employee, failing to enforce proper in-house procedures for staff working with hydrogen sulphide, failing to properly train staff on the use and limitations of safety equipment, failing to perform a proper hazard assessment concerning an employee working alone in potentially-dangerous conditions, failing to ensure hydrogen sulphide-bearing piping was properly isolated prior to repair work being done, and failing to ensure a worker is trained in company procedures aimed at minimizing staff exposure to a hazardous substance. Plontke and Veldhuis are charged with one count each of tampering with an accident scene, purposefully giving false information to accident investigators, and failing to provide investigators with requested information. On Dec. 4, the maximum penalty for a first offence under the Occupational Health and Safety Act was increased from $150,000 and/or six months imprisonment for each charge to $500,000 and/or six months imprisonment. Provincial OH&S spokesman Chris Chodan says this is one of the first prosecutions under the ewly-amended fines schedule. If a conviction results, the case may help set the bar higher on safety violations fines across the province, he said. “It will remain to be determined by the courts whether the old fines (apply) or the new ones do.” 

Gas Fumes Float Into Local School, Students Hospitalized; Trench Collapse Damaged Gas Line Near Building
CINCINNATI — Several children were hospitalized after natural gas fumes wafted into a local school Thursday afternoon. Five students at White Oak Middle School on Jessup Road in Green Township were taken to local hospitals just after noon after complaining of illness, WLWT Eyewitness News 5 reported. The gas fumes were traced to a construction site near the school. A spokesman for Cinergy said that a trench collapsed at the site and damaged a gas main. The school’s principal said that the windy, warm weather prompted some teachers to open classroom windows Thursday afternoon, and the wind blew the fumes into the school. Cinergy shut off the gas flow to the line, leaving about nearby 15 homes without power. Crews from Cinergy checked out the school, but no leaks were found in the building. Additional details are not available. Stay tuned to WLWT Eyewitness News 5 and refresh your ChannelCincinnati.com page for updates.

 

Toxic spill causes I-80 closure
Staff Report RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL 3/25/2003 10:37 pm 
A flatbed truck going east on Interstate 80 dropped a barrel containing a toxic substance Tuesday morning, forcing a stretch of the highway to close for several hours, officials said. Westbound and eastbound traffic near Truckee was shut down shortly after 9:45 a.m., California Highway Patrol officials said. Westbound traffic was opened about 12:50 p.m. and one eastbound lane was opened at 3 p.m. Specialists tested the material and determined it to be a chlorine-based toxic substance. More tests are pending. Officials said that the material escaped into a storm drain but CalTrans prevented it from reaching the Truckee River. At about 9:30 a.m., an off-duty CHP officer reported via cell phone that a flatbed truck was in danger of losing one of its barrels of the trailer. At 9:45 a.m., CHP received reports of a spill near the Hirschdale exit, and officers and CalTrans confirmed the spill and closed I-80 the interstate from east Truckee to Hirschdale. Drivers were rerouted through Glenshire during the closure. Officials said the truck driver pulled over and put the barrel back on the truck and left. A description of the truck was released to the Nevada Highway Patrol but it was not found. Four highway workers were exposed to the chemical and were decontaminated at the scene and then taken to Tahoe Forest Hospital for more examination. Also in the Sierra, both lanes of Nevada 431 over the Mount Rose Summit above Reno were closed for about 25 minutes after a truck crashed and spilled nails, a Nevada Highway Patrol dispatcher said. No one was injured in the single-vehicle accident late Tuesday morning just east of the summit, authorities said. The highway reopened after nails were cleared from the roadway, the NHP said. 

Worker hospitalized at Susquehanna nuclear plant
March 24, 2003 
A worker at PPL’s Susquehanna nuclear power plant was taken to the hospital Monday after she fell down and was contaminated with a trace amount of radioactive material, officials said. The worker, an independent contractor, was not seriously hurt and was exposed to a very low level of radiation, plant spokesman Joe Scopelliti said. He said the woman was treated at Geisinger Medical Center. There was no public safety risk associated with the accident, and the 4:50 p.m. incident had no effect on the Luzerne County plant’s operations, Scopelliti said. 

UPDATE Inadequate Response to Hazardous Chemical Leak at Mass. Freight Terminal Leads to $83,500 in OSHA Fines
METHUEN, Mass. — A freight hauler’s failure to adequately train and equip its workers to respond safely to a chemical release has resulted in a total of $83,500 in fines from the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Yellow Freight System, based in Overland Park, Kansas, has been cited for alleged repeat and serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act following an OSHA inspection prompted by a Sept. 16, 2002, spill of the hazardous chemical pyridine/2-chloropyridine at its North Reading, Mass., terminal. OSHA’s inspection found that the employees who responded to the release lacked the required training to do so and also failed to wear required personal protective equipment, including appropriate respirators, hand protection and impervious chemical protection suits, explained Richard Fazzio, OSHA’s area director for northeastern Massachusetts. “The lack of these basic safeguards can only increase the dangers posed by a hazardous chemical release,” he said. “It’s imperative that workers be properly trained and equipped to respond to such incidents, both for their own health and that of their fellow workers.” Fazzio explained that the bulk of the fine, $75,000, is for four alleged repeat violations, so classified because Yellow Freight has previously been cited for substantially similar violations at facilities in Houston Texas, Tampa, Fla., Albany, N.Y., and Shreveport, La. Two of the citations address the lack of training and appropriate protective equipment for the workers who responded to the release while the other two concern the use of defective forklift trucks and fall hazards from missing guardrails. OSHA issues repeat citations when an employer has previously been cited for substantially similar violations and those citations have become final. The inspection also identified three alleged serious violations, with $8,500 in proposed penalties, for exposed live electrical conductors, a slipping hazard, and a ladder with inadequate side railings. OSHA defines a serious violation as one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. Yellow Freight System 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 OSHA Area Office in Methuen conducted the inspection. The telephone number is (617) 565-8110. 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. 

Cleaning solvent tank rupture results in 4 injuries
MELBOURNE – Four people were injured this morning, including three fire medics, after a fixture ruptured on a tank of cleaning solvents at a laundry business, officials said. The chemical spill happened about 8 a.m. at the Central Florida Dry Cleaning store located at 1111 Palmetto Avenue near the downtown Melbourne area, said Sgt. Lou Markline, a spokesman for the Melbourne Police Department. Markline said the incident began when a worker at the cleaning store noticed a leak in the tank and attempted to repair it. At some point a fixture ruptured, covering the worker, he said. The fire department responded minutes later. While helping the man, three fire medics were injured, Markline said. The worker was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center; the fire medics were taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne. Their conditions were not immediately known, Markline said. Traffic continued to be diverted along Palmetto but all other roads are clear. – J.D. Gallop, Florida Today

 

Chemicals released at Sidney plant
Dayton Daily News 
SIDNEY | A “large vapor release” of chemicals was reported at a Sidney plant Saturday, but no one was injured. Fire department personnel and police responded to an 8:25 a.m. call at American Trim’s plant 2 at 1501 Michigan St., Assistant Fire Chief Rick Simon said. Simon said the company was using about a half dozen chemicals, including several acid. he said glycerin, “a chemical that hasn’t been used before,” was “introduced into the process.” That caused a “large vapor release” above the dip tanks, which forced the plant to be evacuated. The vapors “dissipated rather quickly” through exhaust vents, he said. Wilson Memorial Hospital, which Simon said was upwind of the plant, had been notified to shut its air intake system as a precaution. Traffic was kept from the area for about 90 minutes, Sidney Police Capt. Mike Lundy said. 

‘Gas leak’ scares Veraval residents
Express News Service 
Rajkot, March 21: A CASE has been registered against an employee of Indian Rayon in Veraval for leaking poisonous gas from the plant on Thursday night, causing health problems for nearby residents. The case has been registered at the Veraval Police Station under section 278 and 336 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to the complaint lodged by Ramesh Kharva, Paresh Patel — an employee of the Indian Rayon — leaked some poisonous gas from the carbon di-sulphide plant, which in turn affected the health of those residing in nearby areas. Inspector K P Gajipara said, ‘‘We are investigating the case. Forensic Science Laboratory in Junagadh has also been asked to initiate investigation. A Government Inspector who knows the technicalities of the subject will also be deployed.’’ ‘‘We have not arrested anyone in this connection so far. But we have initiated an inquiry and are talking with the concern officers of the company,’’ said Gajipara. He, however, said, ‘‘This may be the first official police complaint aganst the company. But, in the past, people residing in nearby areas have complained of health problems due to the release of gases from the plant.’’ Joint President (Administration and Marketing) S S Gupta of Human Resource Department told the Express Newsline: ‘‘I was called up by the police around 11.30 am to the plant. There is no leakage whatsoever. Carbon di-sulphide which is a hazardous liquid chemical is our product. But, it is stored in a compressed form in water. So, there is no question of any gas leakage. There no sort of negligence as stated in the complaint.’’ Gupta also confirmed that Paresh Patel, against whom the complaint has been lodged, is a chemical engineer and in-charge of the plant. Highly placed sources said, ‘‘Such cases keep on occuring on a regular basis. But, the authorities seem to have turned a blind eye to the issue. And those residing in nearby areas keep suffering from various health problems. Before such cases come to light, it is ‘solved.’ It is good that someone has come out nd lodged an official complaint against the company.’’ When Superintendent at the Veraval Civil Hospital, Dr Rajnikant Parekh, was contacted, he said: ‘‘Four patients — Vimal Ramesh (24), Iqbal Moni Dal (24), Sanjay Harilal Vyas (32) and Ramesh Premji Vanik (31) — were sent to the hospital. They were complaining of coughing, chest pain and burning sensation in the throat and eyes. They were given antibiotics. No patient was admitted in-house.’’ When asked whether any symptoms as complained by the patients were seen, Dr Parekh said, ‘‘All these are subjective feelings. The patients examined appeared to be normal.’’

Chemicals Sicken Several In Elk Grove Village 
Saturday, March 22, 2003, 9:40 a.m.
(Elk Grove Village) — Several people were treated for ammonia or chlorine inhalation Friday following a chemical spill at an Elk Grove Village factory. Emergency crews were sent at around 10 a.m. to Machined Products Co, at 2121 Landmeier Rd. in the northwestern suburb. But Elk Grove Village Fire Capt. Robert Stecki said the police officers and firefighters discovered that the leak was at a neighboring factory, the Armitron Corp., at 2100 Landmeier, Stecki added. Armitron manufactures printed circuit boards. Five people were treated at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village for minor inhalation injuries, according to a hospital spokesman. Three of the victims walked in, and the two others arrived by ambulance, he said. Although an early report said the spill involved ammonia, Stecki said there was some sort of chlorine problem. “Their injuries were pretty minor,” he said. Stecki could not say what caused the spill but he said everything was under control by afternoon. A representative of the U.. Occupational Health and Safety Administration, which investigates workplace accidents, could not be reached for comment Friday evening.

 

Fumes nearly claim contractor
Andrew Blejwas, Register Staff March 18, 2003 
SHELTON — A contractor overcome by carbon monoxide while working at a city home Monday owes his life to two men who helped shove his unconscious body through a basement window, fire officials said. Firefighters who responded to the scene credited homeowner Sante Faustini, of 23 Suren Lane, and contractor Steve Meehan with the quick thinking that brought Florentino Torres to safety Monday. “They definitely saved his life,” said Assistant Fire Chief Daryl Osiecki. “If the guy was alone he would probably be dead.” Osiecki said Torres, whose age and address were unavailable, and Meehan, both workers for Creative Contractors of Trumbull, were working in the basement of an addition at Faustini’s home shortly before 10 a.m. when Torres passed out from carbon monoxide poisoning. “They were cutting down some concrete walls in the basement with a cutting saw. The basement probably wasn’t very well ventilated and he was overcome by the fumes and passed out,” said Osiecki. Faustini said workers excavated room for the ba sement as they built the addition to his home, but did not immediately tear down a wall between the old and new portions because they did not want to let cold air into the house. Workers built the addition to the home on top of the basement and, as a result, a basement window, approximately 3 by 1.5 feet in size, was the only access to the new basement, he said. On Monday, with temperatures reaching the mid-60s, Faustini said, work on tearing down the wall began. To do that, Osiecki said, Torres and Meehan climbed into the new basement, with only the window as ventilation, and began to cut the wall with a gas-powered saw. Because of a lack of ventilation, carbon monoxide in the room quickly built up and Torres collapsed. “I heard (Meehan) yelling for help and I went to help,” said Faustini. “We had to pull the guy out through a little window. We tried to get him some fresh air and put some wet towels on his head, and my wife called 911, that’s about all we knew to do.” Osiecki said Torres had regained consciousness by the time firefighters arrived. Torres and Meehan both narrowly escaped a tragic accident. Officials said measurements taken in the room indicated carbon monoxide levels at around 500 parts per million. Osiecki said carbon monoxide levels in an average room typically range between 10 and 15 parts per million. Torres was taken to Bridgeport Hospital, where he was treated and released, a hospital spokesman said Monday. “He’s lucky to be alive,” said Fire Chief John Millo. “Those guys deserve a lot of credit; they saved his life.”

 

Oil leak not found for several hours 
Cath Hart and Brendan O’Malley 19mar03
OIL was probably leaking into a creek near the mouth of the Brisbane River for several hours yesterday before an alert was raised. The creek and at least 2ha of wetlands at Lytton in Brisbane’s east were contaminated after an underground pipeline owned by energy company Santos Ltd was believed to have ruptured. Because of the turning tide, authorities had less than an hour to put floating booms and sand and clay barriers in place to prevent the oil from spreading to the Brisbane River. Police closed part of Lytton Rd, evacuated local businesses and surveyed the area for explosion risk. Seven “sucker trucks” assisted the clean-up operation, which continued under floodlight last night and was expected to conclude late today. Santos confirmed it began pumping oil through the pipeline from the Jackson oil fields in western Queensland at 1.30pm on Monday. The pumps were still operating at 7.30am yesterday when employees who were starting work for the day at the Santos Lytton terminal noticed that no oil was coming through. They closed a valve at Sunnybank to block further flows. They located the spill after an inspection and contacted Wynnum Fire Station at 8.20am. Oil normally takes four hours to travel from the Jackson fields to Lytton. The first of the oil had not arrived when workers left the terminal at 4pm Monday but it was not known how long after they left that the leak occurred. Oil flows are checked only during the day when the terminal is manned. Environment Minister Dean Wells estimated the area was contaminated by up to 2.5 million litres of oil. However, Santos believed the spill involved about 1.1 million litres. Santos spokesman Graeme Bethune said there was a monitoring procedure in place “relating to recovery of oil at the other end”. “We do fortnightly inspections and every six months we do a thorough inspection of the pipeline. The last of those was in November,” he said. “The pipeline has been there since the 1960s and there have been no leaks in the seven years I have been here.” Natural Resources and Mines Minister Stephen Robertson, whose department issued the licence for the pipeline, said the company had complied with the relevant licensing conditions. The Environmental Protection Act provides for fines of up to $125,000 for individuals and $625,000 for companies found guilty of unlawful, serious environmental harm. An EPA spokesman said it would take several weeks to identify the cause of the oil leak. Mr Wells said the EPA would investigate the incident, including any delay in detecting it. Santos told him it would pay for the clean-up, although the cost was not yet known. Caltex Lytton Refinery manager Andrew Brewer said Caltex would store the spilled oil on site until Santos could deal with it. Caltex and Santos said Brisbane oil supplies would not be disrupted. 

Chemical Cloud Evacuates Mercury Marine
Half of a Mercury Marine plant was evacuated in Fond du Lac Tuesday morning. Mercury Marine spokesman Tom Mielke says the evacuation was due to a chemical gas leak. No one was hurt. Mielke says some employees were working on a water treatment tank on the paint line when it broke down. As they were moving the contents of the tank into another tank, it sent a small plume of sulfuric acid into the air. The Fond du Lac Fire and Hazmat departments responded to the leak.