Norman fire official defends response to powder
NewsOK.com - Oklahoma City,OK,USA
BY JOHNNY JOHNSON
Published: October 23, 2008
Since Oklahoma City-area Chase banks received threatening letters Monday, nearly 50 similar letters have been found in 10 states and Washington, D.C., the FBI reported.
What is absent from the new reports of letters with suspicious powder is the kind of decontamination protocol used by emergency responders at the Chase bank in Norman, where 10 employees were evacuated and hosed down.
Norman Deputy Fire Chief Jim Bailey said he can’t say why other emergency responders did not use the hazmat decontamination procedure, but there was a good reason why Norman officials did.
Four people came in contact with the letter, Bailey said, and as emergency responders were assessing the scene, a woman began to exhibit symptoms of illness, including shortness of breath.
Once that happened, Bailey said, officials couldn’t determine whether the woman was overly excited or had been contaminated with something she inhaled.
"That told us this was a viable threat, and we needed to take proper precautions,” he said. "This person was having breathing problems.”
Shortly after the woman was hospitalized, authorities determined her response was not physically related to any contaminants in the letter. Police weren’t sure if the letter contained any substance.
Bailey said it’s possible people are not reading about decontamination responses at the other locations because no one at those locations showed contamination symptoms.
Bailey said he can’t say for certain what the response would have been had the woman not shown symptoms,
Investigation continues
FBI Special Agent Gary Johnson said Wednesday more than 45 of the letters went to financial institutions, and most contained a powder, which has tested negative for contaminants.
Letters have been found in Atlanta; Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Denver; Newark, N.J.; New York City; Phoenix; San Francisco; and Washington.
Letters also have been reported at two FDIC office locations.
The Associated Press reported authorities are focusing on possible suspects near Amarillo, Texas, as the single source for all the letters.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Hazmat Survival Tips: Hazardous Materials Incidents at Freight Terminals
Hazmat Survival Tips: Hazardous Materials Incidents at Freight Terminals
Beyond the Rule of Thumb
Survival Tip 33
By Steven De Lisi
Incidents at freight terminals involving hazardous materials can present unique dangers to first responders. Operations at these facilities typically involve the unloading, sorting, and reloading of freight for distribution by highway transportation. Items handled can be anything from a small carton to large pieces of machinery. Totes, drums, and pails containing hazardous materials often move through these terminals, and although the percentage of items handled that are regulated as hazardous materials is relatively low when compared with other commodities,, the potential for a major incident is not. Yet, too many first responders pay little attention to freight terminals and instead focus their attention on more traditional hazardous materials facilities such as industrial plants and storage warehouses. First responders should definitely be concerned about the freight terminals that may be in their community.
Incidents at these facilities are often the results of rough handling of the containers, including those damaged as the result of having shifted during transportation. Remember, not all freight loaded on delivery trailers consists of shrink-wrapped pallets placed neatly on the floor. In reality, freight of all shapes and sizes is often stacked to maximize the volume of a trailer and load the greatest amount of material allowed by state and federal weight limits. Sudden stops and sharp turns during transportation can sometimes dislodge these items, damaging the containers. Usually, this damage and the subsequent release of product are not detected until the trailer doors are opened at the dock and workers are suddenly greeted with a pungent chemical odor.
Forklift blades also frequently damage containers. Punctures to metal and plastic containers usually occur when the containers are behind a pallet and the blades of the forklift used to move the pallet are longer than the pallet. If the blades of the forklift are placed completely through the pallet, the extra blade length will most likely puncture the container. This represents a serious problem for first responders: not only is the breach rectangular in shape, making it difficult to patch, but the breach is also on the lowest point of the container, resulting in the potential loss of the entire contents.
A fire on the loading dock of a freight terminal should be another cause for concern. While parked at the dock, there is typically less than 18 inches between trailers, so that a fire that starts in one trailer can rapidly extend to nearby trailers. Furthermore, many terminals have bay doors around the perimeter of the loading dock. These doors are normally maintained in the open position during hours of operation. In addition, most do not have cushions that seal the back of a trailer against the dock. As a result of these characteristics, first responders can encounter significant crosswinds during windy weather on a loading dock. These winds can increase when trailers are not in place at every door because the entire bay door opening is then exposed. The result is several thousand square feet of space under a metal roof loaded with large amounts of combustible materials and with significant horizontal ventilation in place prior to the arrival of fire suppression crews. The presence of numerous forklifts, each with its own propane cylinder (used as a fuel source), adds to the potential list of hazards for firefighters under these circumstances. Remember, too, that not all loading docks are equipped with automatic fire suppression systems. This fact, coupled with the inability to control air flow during the incipient stage, means that fires that occur on the dock or inside a trailer can intensify rapidly.
When dealing with hazardous materials incidents at freight terminals, since the products handled are in transition, some of the rules learned during hazardous materials awareness training may not apply. For example, although first responders are taught that shipping papers are normally in the possession of a driver or perhaps in a pouch on the driver's door or on the driver's seat when the vehicle is unattended, these requirements do not apply to trailers being loaded or unloaded at a dock These documents might be at a check stand next to the truck or trailer where the container is leaking or may be sitting on a forklift or in an office at the terminal. Federal transportation regulations require only that shipping papers be "in a location that is immediately accessible to facility personnel in the event of an incident involving the hazardous material." 1
Another problem is that although employees who ship or receive chemicals may have some knowledge regarding the hazardous nature of the material, those who handle freight on a loading dock generally have no experience dealing with the product should there be a release. And don't believe those who say that a material safety data sheet (MSDS) is required to be affixed to shipping papers! That claim is nothing more than a long-standing myth propagated by generations of well-meaning instructors of hazardous materials training programs. Although first responders may occasionally find an MSDS attached to shipping papers, this is rare and represents the exception rather than the rule.
In contrast to an MSDS, an emergency response telephone number is required by federal regulations. This number can be used to contact "a person who is either knowledgeable of the hazardous material being shipped and has comprehensive emergency response and incident mitigation information for that material or has immediate access to a person who possesses such knowledge and information." 2
Although this telephone number can be an effective means for obtaining emergency response information, remember that, as stated earlier, one of the challenges for first responders arriving at a freight terminal is simply locating the shipping papers. Even if their location is known, an evacuation of the facility may make access to these documents, whether on the dock or in an office, impossible.
Some first responders are well aware that many larger trucking companies will usually enter details from shipping papers into a computer database, thereby making this information readily available at a remote location. However, if the incident occurs at the terminal where the hazardous material involved was originally picked up, that information may not have been entered into the database before the incident occurred. This not only makes it more difficult for first responders because there is no backup documentation available but also because even the original bill of lading at the terminal may have been damaged or destroyed during the incident. If that is the case, then first responders may need to contact the shipper to obtain the original copy of the shipping paper. This could be difficult if the incident occurs outside of the shipper's normal working hours.
The decision to affix or remove hazardous materials placards for trailers placed at a loading dock and in the terminal yard is yet another problem. This practice all too often depends on internal company policies rather than federal transportation regulations. Some companies may require that dock workers continually change placards as materials are loaded and unloaded. Others allow their personnel to wait until the loading and unloading process has been completed. The latter approach allows final placarding to be based on a combination of hazard classes that may be loaded, many of which allow use of a "DANGEROUS" placard to indicate the presence of a mixture of hazardous materials.
Furthermore, placards may not always be removed immediately following the complete unloading of a trailer, even for those spotted in the yard. As a result of these practices, first responders arriving at the scene of a hazardous materials incident at a freight terminal may be unable to quickly and accurately determine the presence or absence of hazardous materials loaded on trailers at the facility based solely on placarding. Remember that when responding to chemical emergencies at freight terminals, many of the traditional remedies for dealing with highway transportation incidents may not work.
Of course, all of the information presented thus far assumes that first responders are notified of a release. Remember that the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires a facility to make an emergency notification of a chemical release only when the amount (as measured in pounds) exceeds an established limit, otherwise known as a "reportable quantity." However, this normally applies only when the release results in exposure beyond the facility boundaries. Furthermore, reporting guidelines generally require notification to a locality's Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC), not necessarily the fire department.
As with most other industrial facilities, the extent to which first responders receive notification of an accidental chemical release at a freight terminal will depend on the type and quantity of material released, whether the release gets off the terminal site, as well as on how information sent to the LEPC is passed along to first responders. However, there may also be local and state fire codes in your jurisdiction that mandate notifying the fire department if there is a release of a hazardous material. First responders should ensure that employees at freight terminals in their community are aware of these mandated notifications.
Of course, not all chemical releases at freight terminals are catastrophic to the community, and many companies have standing contracts with cleanup contractors to safely handle small spills that may occur. However, in very rare instances, first responders might receive an anonymous call from a disgruntled employee forced to clean up a chemical spill using generic oil absorbent while wearing nothing more than standard work clothing. Although this type of scenario is not the sole purview of the transportation industry, first responders should be prepared; it could be the source of a medical emergency, especially if patient decontamination is required.
Preplanning of freight terminals will provide limited information regarding specifics of hazardous materials handled at these sites, since the nature of commodities shipped and received changes daily. However, there are likely regular customers whose products are handled at the terminal, and employees there should be able to provide some idea of what first responders can expect in terms of the hazard class, type of containers, the average volume, and the frequency of shipments. First responders can also learn about the company's procedures for managing shipping papers and placarding while loading and unloading trailers at the dock. In addition, they can determine what actions dock personnel and supervisors have been instructed to take in a chemical emergency at the facility.
Freight terminals are an integral part of our nation's highway transportation system and allow for the efficient movement of products necessary for the quality of life we all enjoy. Yet, despite the benefits, these facilities present first responders with unique challenges when incidents involving the accidental release of hazardous materials or fires occur. Being familiar with these types of occupancies and the people who work there can go a long way to ensure that everyone goes home.
Endnotes
1 49CFR 172.602(c) (2)
2 49CFR 172.604(a) (2)
Click here for more info on Steven De Lisi's book, Hazardous Materials Incidents: Surviving the Initial Response.
Steven M. De Lisi retired after a fire service career spanning 27 years that included serving as a regional training manager for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) and, most recently, as the deputy chief for the Virginia Air Guard Fire Rescue. De Lisi is a hazardous materials specialist and as an adjunct instructor for VDFP. He continues to conduct hazardous materials awareness and operations-level training programs for fire suppression and EMS personnel. De Lisi began his career in hazardous materials response in 1982 as a member of the hazmat team with the Newport News (VA) Fire Department. Since then, he has also served as a hazardous materials officer for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management; in that capacity, he provided on-scene assistance to first responders involved with hazardous materials incidents in an area that included more than 20 local jurisdictions.
Beyond the Rule of Thumb
Survival Tip 33
By Steven De Lisi
Incidents at freight terminals involving hazardous materials can present unique dangers to first responders. Operations at these facilities typically involve the unloading, sorting, and reloading of freight for distribution by highway transportation. Items handled can be anything from a small carton to large pieces of machinery. Totes, drums, and pails containing hazardous materials often move through these terminals, and although the percentage of items handled that are regulated as hazardous materials is relatively low when compared with other commodities,, the potential for a major incident is not. Yet, too many first responders pay little attention to freight terminals and instead focus their attention on more traditional hazardous materials facilities such as industrial plants and storage warehouses. First responders should definitely be concerned about the freight terminals that may be in their community.
Incidents at these facilities are often the results of rough handling of the containers, including those damaged as the result of having shifted during transportation. Remember, not all freight loaded on delivery trailers consists of shrink-wrapped pallets placed neatly on the floor. In reality, freight of all shapes and sizes is often stacked to maximize the volume of a trailer and load the greatest amount of material allowed by state and federal weight limits. Sudden stops and sharp turns during transportation can sometimes dislodge these items, damaging the containers. Usually, this damage and the subsequent release of product are not detected until the trailer doors are opened at the dock and workers are suddenly greeted with a pungent chemical odor.
Forklift blades also frequently damage containers. Punctures to metal and plastic containers usually occur when the containers are behind a pallet and the blades of the forklift used to move the pallet are longer than the pallet. If the blades of the forklift are placed completely through the pallet, the extra blade length will most likely puncture the container. This represents a serious problem for first responders: not only is the breach rectangular in shape, making it difficult to patch, but the breach is also on the lowest point of the container, resulting in the potential loss of the entire contents.
A fire on the loading dock of a freight terminal should be another cause for concern. While parked at the dock, there is typically less than 18 inches between trailers, so that a fire that starts in one trailer can rapidly extend to nearby trailers. Furthermore, many terminals have bay doors around the perimeter of the loading dock. These doors are normally maintained in the open position during hours of operation. In addition, most do not have cushions that seal the back of a trailer against the dock. As a result of these characteristics, first responders can encounter significant crosswinds during windy weather on a loading dock. These winds can increase when trailers are not in place at every door because the entire bay door opening is then exposed. The result is several thousand square feet of space under a metal roof loaded with large amounts of combustible materials and with significant horizontal ventilation in place prior to the arrival of fire suppression crews. The presence of numerous forklifts, each with its own propane cylinder (used as a fuel source), adds to the potential list of hazards for firefighters under these circumstances. Remember, too, that not all loading docks are equipped with automatic fire suppression systems. This fact, coupled with the inability to control air flow during the incipient stage, means that fires that occur on the dock or inside a trailer can intensify rapidly.
When dealing with hazardous materials incidents at freight terminals, since the products handled are in transition, some of the rules learned during hazardous materials awareness training may not apply. For example, although first responders are taught that shipping papers are normally in the possession of a driver or perhaps in a pouch on the driver's door or on the driver's seat when the vehicle is unattended, these requirements do not apply to trailers being loaded or unloaded at a dock These documents might be at a check stand next to the truck or trailer where the container is leaking or may be sitting on a forklift or in an office at the terminal. Federal transportation regulations require only that shipping papers be "in a location that is immediately accessible to facility personnel in the event of an incident involving the hazardous material." 1
Another problem is that although employees who ship or receive chemicals may have some knowledge regarding the hazardous nature of the material, those who handle freight on a loading dock generally have no experience dealing with the product should there be a release. And don't believe those who say that a material safety data sheet (MSDS) is required to be affixed to shipping papers! That claim is nothing more than a long-standing myth propagated by generations of well-meaning instructors of hazardous materials training programs. Although first responders may occasionally find an MSDS attached to shipping papers, this is rare and represents the exception rather than the rule.
In contrast to an MSDS, an emergency response telephone number is required by federal regulations. This number can be used to contact "a person who is either knowledgeable of the hazardous material being shipped and has comprehensive emergency response and incident mitigation information for that material or has immediate access to a person who possesses such knowledge and information." 2
Although this telephone number can be an effective means for obtaining emergency response information, remember that, as stated earlier, one of the challenges for first responders arriving at a freight terminal is simply locating the shipping papers. Even if their location is known, an evacuation of the facility may make access to these documents, whether on the dock or in an office, impossible.
Some first responders are well aware that many larger trucking companies will usually enter details from shipping papers into a computer database, thereby making this information readily available at a remote location. However, if the incident occurs at the terminal where the hazardous material involved was originally picked up, that information may not have been entered into the database before the incident occurred. This not only makes it more difficult for first responders because there is no backup documentation available but also because even the original bill of lading at the terminal may have been damaged or destroyed during the incident. If that is the case, then first responders may need to contact the shipper to obtain the original copy of the shipping paper. This could be difficult if the incident occurs outside of the shipper's normal working hours.
The decision to affix or remove hazardous materials placards for trailers placed at a loading dock and in the terminal yard is yet another problem. This practice all too often depends on internal company policies rather than federal transportation regulations. Some companies may require that dock workers continually change placards as materials are loaded and unloaded. Others allow their personnel to wait until the loading and unloading process has been completed. The latter approach allows final placarding to be based on a combination of hazard classes that may be loaded, many of which allow use of a "DANGEROUS" placard to indicate the presence of a mixture of hazardous materials.
Furthermore, placards may not always be removed immediately following the complete unloading of a trailer, even for those spotted in the yard. As a result of these practices, first responders arriving at the scene of a hazardous materials incident at a freight terminal may be unable to quickly and accurately determine the presence or absence of hazardous materials loaded on trailers at the facility based solely on placarding. Remember that when responding to chemical emergencies at freight terminals, many of the traditional remedies for dealing with highway transportation incidents may not work.
Of course, all of the information presented thus far assumes that first responders are notified of a release. Remember that the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires a facility to make an emergency notification of a chemical release only when the amount (as measured in pounds) exceeds an established limit, otherwise known as a "reportable quantity." However, this normally applies only when the release results in exposure beyond the facility boundaries. Furthermore, reporting guidelines generally require notification to a locality's Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC), not necessarily the fire department.
As with most other industrial facilities, the extent to which first responders receive notification of an accidental chemical release at a freight terminal will depend on the type and quantity of material released, whether the release gets off the terminal site, as well as on how information sent to the LEPC is passed along to first responders. However, there may also be local and state fire codes in your jurisdiction that mandate notifying the fire department if there is a release of a hazardous material. First responders should ensure that employees at freight terminals in their community are aware of these mandated notifications.
Of course, not all chemical releases at freight terminals are catastrophic to the community, and many companies have standing contracts with cleanup contractors to safely handle small spills that may occur. However, in very rare instances, first responders might receive an anonymous call from a disgruntled employee forced to clean up a chemical spill using generic oil absorbent while wearing nothing more than standard work clothing. Although this type of scenario is not the sole purview of the transportation industry, first responders should be prepared; it could be the source of a medical emergency, especially if patient decontamination is required.
Preplanning of freight terminals will provide limited information regarding specifics of hazardous materials handled at these sites, since the nature of commodities shipped and received changes daily. However, there are likely regular customers whose products are handled at the terminal, and employees there should be able to provide some idea of what first responders can expect in terms of the hazard class, type of containers, the average volume, and the frequency of shipments. First responders can also learn about the company's procedures for managing shipping papers and placarding while loading and unloading trailers at the dock. In addition, they can determine what actions dock personnel and supervisors have been instructed to take in a chemical emergency at the facility.
Freight terminals are an integral part of our nation's highway transportation system and allow for the efficient movement of products necessary for the quality of life we all enjoy. Yet, despite the benefits, these facilities present first responders with unique challenges when incidents involving the accidental release of hazardous materials or fires occur. Being familiar with these types of occupancies and the people who work there can go a long way to ensure that everyone goes home.
Endnotes
1 49CFR 172.602(c) (2)
2 49CFR 172.604(a) (2)
Click here for more info on Steven De Lisi's book, Hazardous Materials Incidents: Surviving the Initial Response.
Steven M. De Lisi retired after a fire service career spanning 27 years that included serving as a regional training manager for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) and, most recently, as the deputy chief for the Virginia Air Guard Fire Rescue. De Lisi is a hazardous materials specialist and as an adjunct instructor for VDFP. He continues to conduct hazardous materials awareness and operations-level training programs for fire suppression and EMS personnel. De Lisi began his career in hazardous materials response in 1982 as a member of the hazmat team with the Newport News (VA) Fire Department. Since then, he has also served as a hazardous materials officer for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management; in that capacity, he provided on-scene assistance to first responders involved with hazardous materials incidents in an area that included more than 20 local jurisdictions.
White Powder Scare Cost Time and Money
White powder scares cost law enforcement time, money
USA Today - USA
White powder scares cost law enforcement time, money
Updated 10/12/2008 10:17 PM
By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY
Firefighters and federal agents have responded to more than 30,000 incidents involving suspicious powders, liquids or chemicals since 2001 in what authorities say is the terrifying legacy of the anthrax attacks after 9/11.
Postal service and law enforcement officials say thousands of the incidents are hoaxes involving white powder sent through the mail and thousands more are emergency calls to report powder found on countertops, in mailrooms and elsewhere.
"A single incident can warrant a huge response," says Billy Hayes of Washington, D.C.'s fire department. "It gets very expensive, not to mention the inconvenience."
There is no official count of the number of white powder calls in the seven years since letters poisoned with anthrax killed five people. But in just the past year, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has responded to 2,893 incidents, many of which involved white powder, spokesman Douglas Bem says.
The FBI, which is called when a threatening note is found or when it otherwise appears a crime may have been committed, looked into more than 900 biological incidents from January 2007 to August 2008, "the majority of those incidents being white powder letters," spokesman Richard Kolko says.
So far this year, he says, "several dozen people" have been convicted under federal hoax and domestic terrorism laws. Among them: former nuclear engineer Michael Lee Braun, who was sentenced to more than four years in prison and ordered to pay more than $54,000 in fines and reimbursement for decontamination efforts, after sending dozens of threatening letters to government officials, journalists and businesses. Most of the letters contained white powder that he claimed was poison. It turned out to be baking soda.
"This is no joke and making these threats by mailing even harmless white powder can result in serious jail time for the offender," Kolko says.
None of the incidents since 2001 has involved anthrax or any substance nearly that dangerous.
But just in the past few weeks, white powder incidents have caused chaos in dozens of cities, including:
• In Providence, where a secretary in the state attorney general's office opened a piece of mail that contained white powder and a threatening note. The woman was taken to the hospital for decontamination, hazmat units and fire trucks responded and downtown traffic was tied up for nearly two hours, says Mike Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch.
The State Police are investigating the letter, which authorities believe came from a prisoner at the state's Adult Correctional Institutions, Healey said. "We don't take it lightly."
• In Daytona Beach, Fla., where state Sen. Evelyn Lynn's office was closed for more than four hours after a worker opened a letter containing white powder.
The scare followed four similar incidents at the central Florida offices of U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, a Republican. They're under investigation.
"This is a terrible thing for people to have to go through," said Lynn.
The response cost "easily thousands and thousands of dollars," she said. "It's very unfair to people, not only the money spent but … there is trauma afterwards."
• In West Jordan, Utah, near Salt Lake City, where workers at a Sportsmen's Warehouse were quarantined after being exposed to white powder while unloading a truck of goods from China.
The substance turned out to be a silicon powder used in shipping, but the response involved 25 members of the West Jordan Fire Department and an eight-person hazmat team.
"This was not only a huge cost but it took away from our (regular) service," says Assistant Chief Marc McElreath. "We were on the scene about five hours."
Authorities say they get calls that end up being everything from powdered milk spilled in an office kitchen to sand in an invitation to a beach wedding.
But a significant number of the incidents involve powder sent to terrorize someone — whether from an angry spouse, disgruntled employee or someone who feels he's been wronged in court or by a government agency.
"It's a great ploy for someone to try to bring attention to something," says Edward Moffitt of the Postal Inspection Service. But "it's very disruptive. There's a definite cost every time they respond."
USA Today - USA
White powder scares cost law enforcement time, money
Updated 10/12/2008 10:17 PM
By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY
Firefighters and federal agents have responded to more than 30,000 incidents involving suspicious powders, liquids or chemicals since 2001 in what authorities say is the terrifying legacy of the anthrax attacks after 9/11.
Postal service and law enforcement officials say thousands of the incidents are hoaxes involving white powder sent through the mail and thousands more are emergency calls to report powder found on countertops, in mailrooms and elsewhere.
"A single incident can warrant a huge response," says Billy Hayes of Washington, D.C.'s fire department. "It gets very expensive, not to mention the inconvenience."
There is no official count of the number of white powder calls in the seven years since letters poisoned with anthrax killed five people. But in just the past year, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has responded to 2,893 incidents, many of which involved white powder, spokesman Douglas Bem says.
The FBI, which is called when a threatening note is found or when it otherwise appears a crime may have been committed, looked into more than 900 biological incidents from January 2007 to August 2008, "the majority of those incidents being white powder letters," spokesman Richard Kolko says.
So far this year, he says, "several dozen people" have been convicted under federal hoax and domestic terrorism laws. Among them: former nuclear engineer Michael Lee Braun, who was sentenced to more than four years in prison and ordered to pay more than $54,000 in fines and reimbursement for decontamination efforts, after sending dozens of threatening letters to government officials, journalists and businesses. Most of the letters contained white powder that he claimed was poison. It turned out to be baking soda.
"This is no joke and making these threats by mailing even harmless white powder can result in serious jail time for the offender," Kolko says.
None of the incidents since 2001 has involved anthrax or any substance nearly that dangerous.
But just in the past few weeks, white powder incidents have caused chaos in dozens of cities, including:
• In Providence, where a secretary in the state attorney general's office opened a piece of mail that contained white powder and a threatening note. The woman was taken to the hospital for decontamination, hazmat units and fire trucks responded and downtown traffic was tied up for nearly two hours, says Mike Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch.
The State Police are investigating the letter, which authorities believe came from a prisoner at the state's Adult Correctional Institutions, Healey said. "We don't take it lightly."
• In Daytona Beach, Fla., where state Sen. Evelyn Lynn's office was closed for more than four hours after a worker opened a letter containing white powder.
The scare followed four similar incidents at the central Florida offices of U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, a Republican. They're under investigation.
"This is a terrible thing for people to have to go through," said Lynn.
The response cost "easily thousands and thousands of dollars," she said. "It's very unfair to people, not only the money spent but … there is trauma afterwards."
• In West Jordan, Utah, near Salt Lake City, where workers at a Sportsmen's Warehouse were quarantined after being exposed to white powder while unloading a truck of goods from China.
The substance turned out to be a silicon powder used in shipping, but the response involved 25 members of the West Jordan Fire Department and an eight-person hazmat team.
"This was not only a huge cost but it took away from our (regular) service," says Assistant Chief Marc McElreath. "We were on the scene about five hours."
Authorities say they get calls that end up being everything from powdered milk spilled in an office kitchen to sand in an invitation to a beach wedding.
But a significant number of the incidents involve powder sent to terrorize someone — whether from an angry spouse, disgruntled employee or someone who feels he's been wronged in court or by a government agency.
"It's a great ploy for someone to try to bring attention to something," says Edward Moffitt of the Postal Inspection Service. But "it's very disruptive. There's a definite cost every time they respond."
Spill Drill Helps Prepare in Dalton, GA
Spill drill helps agencies prepare for the real thing
Daily Citizen - Dalton,GA,USA
Published: October 08, 2008 07:33 pm
Kim Sloan
At 9:30 Wednesday morning two people walked out of Harcros Chemicals on Phelps Road and spoke to a team of emergency workers.
“We can’t breathe,” said Kara Maas, clutching her chest and trying to shield herself from the rain.
Maas and Victor Maltavo, students from the Whitfield County Career Academy, were playing “victims” during a simulated emergency drill to test a multi-agency response to a chemical spill.
Emergency crews were called to the business around 9 a.m. to reports that about 300 gallons of 12.5 percent bleach had spilled. Maas and Maltavo were able to get out of the building. A third person was “hurt” trying to leave the area,
Whitfield County and Dalton firefighters set up decontamination tents and dressed firefighters in bright red Hazmat (hazardous materials) suits to prepare them to enter the building. The reverse 911 system was used to call residents within a two-mile area. Valley Point Elementary and Middle Schools about a mile and a half away were readied for use for any potential evacuees, with students pretending to be victims.
At 10:30 a.m., Jeffrey Putnam, director of Whitfield County’s Emergency Management Agency, met with the media to continue the simulation.
“(The bleach) is going into a drainage pond that has a chemical are they are reacting,” Putnam said.
By the time the drill ended shortly before noon, 30 more people who “self-evacuated” arrived at Hamilton Medical Center to be treated, said Matthew Crumpton, trauma and emergency coordinator for the hospital. They were also students from the Career Academy.
Emergency personnel worked in the driving rain. Had there been a real spill, the rain would have made their response more difficult, officials said.
An overflowing storage tank at the Harcros Chemicals plant in August of last year resulted in a spill of 30 to 40 gallons of toxic anhydrous ammonia, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents and more than 400 workers from neighboring plants.
A chemical spill at MFG Chemical in Dalton in 2004 forced more than 200 families from their homes and saw 154 people, including police and ambulance personnel, seek treatment for chemical exposure. Federal officials said following a review of that incident that problems with emergency response underscored “a nationwide problem.”
Emergency officials are expected to review evaluations over the next few weeks to assess the response to Wednesday’s drill. Participating agencies included the Whitfield County Fire Department, Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, Dalton Fire Department, Dalton Police Department, Dalton State College Police Department, National Weather Service, Whitfield County Schools, the North Georgia Health District, the Medical Reserve Corps of the health district and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
Daily Citizen - Dalton,GA,USA
Published: October 08, 2008 07:33 pm
Kim Sloan
At 9:30 Wednesday morning two people walked out of Harcros Chemicals on Phelps Road and spoke to a team of emergency workers.
“We can’t breathe,” said Kara Maas, clutching her chest and trying to shield herself from the rain.
Maas and Victor Maltavo, students from the Whitfield County Career Academy, were playing “victims” during a simulated emergency drill to test a multi-agency response to a chemical spill.
Emergency crews were called to the business around 9 a.m. to reports that about 300 gallons of 12.5 percent bleach had spilled. Maas and Maltavo were able to get out of the building. A third person was “hurt” trying to leave the area,
Whitfield County and Dalton firefighters set up decontamination tents and dressed firefighters in bright red Hazmat (hazardous materials) suits to prepare them to enter the building. The reverse 911 system was used to call residents within a two-mile area. Valley Point Elementary and Middle Schools about a mile and a half away were readied for use for any potential evacuees, with students pretending to be victims.
At 10:30 a.m., Jeffrey Putnam, director of Whitfield County’s Emergency Management Agency, met with the media to continue the simulation.
“(The bleach) is going into a drainage pond that has a chemical are they are reacting,” Putnam said.
By the time the drill ended shortly before noon, 30 more people who “self-evacuated” arrived at Hamilton Medical Center to be treated, said Matthew Crumpton, trauma and emergency coordinator for the hospital. They were also students from the Career Academy.
Emergency personnel worked in the driving rain. Had there been a real spill, the rain would have made their response more difficult, officials said.
An overflowing storage tank at the Harcros Chemicals plant in August of last year resulted in a spill of 30 to 40 gallons of toxic anhydrous ammonia, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents and more than 400 workers from neighboring plants.
A chemical spill at MFG Chemical in Dalton in 2004 forced more than 200 families from their homes and saw 154 people, including police and ambulance personnel, seek treatment for chemical exposure. Federal officials said following a review of that incident that problems with emergency response underscored “a nationwide problem.”
Emergency officials are expected to review evaluations over the next few weeks to assess the response to Wednesday’s drill. Participating agencies included the Whitfield County Fire Department, Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, Dalton Fire Department, Dalton Police Department, Dalton State College Police Department, National Weather Service, Whitfield County Schools, the North Georgia Health District, the Medical Reserve Corps of the health district and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
VA Hospital Shut Down for Hazmat Response
VA's ER briefly shut down
The Southern - Carbondale,IL,USA
By John D. Homan, The Southern
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 11:28 PM CDT
MARION - A rash of unknown origin that was spotted late in the work day Wednesday on an employee opening mail at the VA Medical Center in Marion temporarily shut down the hospital's emergency room and left the administration building quarantined.
Hospital spokeswoman Peggy Willoughby said the emergency room and administration building reopened at roughly 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, after being shut down for between four and five hours.
The problem began when the employee - whose name and title Willoughby said she could not reveal - was dispatched to the center's emergency room and the decontamination unit on campus was activated. The Marion Fire Department was then contacted.
Capt. Terry Walsh with Marion said about 20 firefighters with specialized hazardous material training were sent to the VA from the MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) 45 Hazmat Team, including seven from Marion; three from Johnston City; three from the Williamson County Fire Protection District; three from Herrin; one from Carbondale Township and an unspecified number from Murphysboro.
Willoughby said the Hazmat unit had entered the administration building shortly after 9 p.m., which is where the employee was working that afternoon. The administration building is separate from the hospital and is also referred to as the "modular" building.
Willoughby said all tests conducted by the unit, including biological, radiological and PH, came back negative, allowing the facility to be reopened.
Had any veteran needed emergency care during Wednesday's shut down, Willoughby said, he or she would have been forwarded to Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion.
john.homan@thesouthern.com
The Southern - Carbondale,IL,USA
By John D. Homan, The Southern
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 11:28 PM CDT
MARION - A rash of unknown origin that was spotted late in the work day Wednesday on an employee opening mail at the VA Medical Center in Marion temporarily shut down the hospital's emergency room and left the administration building quarantined.
Hospital spokeswoman Peggy Willoughby said the emergency room and administration building reopened at roughly 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, after being shut down for between four and five hours.
The problem began when the employee - whose name and title Willoughby said she could not reveal - was dispatched to the center's emergency room and the decontamination unit on campus was activated. The Marion Fire Department was then contacted.
Capt. Terry Walsh with Marion said about 20 firefighters with specialized hazardous material training were sent to the VA from the MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) 45 Hazmat Team, including seven from Marion; three from Johnston City; three from the Williamson County Fire Protection District; three from Herrin; one from Carbondale Township and an unspecified number from Murphysboro.
Willoughby said the Hazmat unit had entered the administration building shortly after 9 p.m., which is where the employee was working that afternoon. The administration building is separate from the hospital and is also referred to as the "modular" building.
Willoughby said all tests conducted by the unit, including biological, radiological and PH, came back negative, allowing the facility to be reopened.
Had any veteran needed emergency care during Wednesday's shut down, Willoughby said, he or she would have been forwarded to Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion.
john.homan@thesouthern.com
Local Personnel Prepare in case of Hazmat Emergency
Local Personnel Prepare in case of Hazmat Emergency
Greenwood Today - Greenwood,SC,USA
Lesley Lane - GwdToday News Reporter 06.OCT.08
A simulated train derailment Saturday morning, spilling thousand of gallons of toxic chemicals got city and county emergency personnel on the move as they participated in a functional training exercise at the Greenwood Civic Center.
Greenwood County Emergency Management simulated a hazmat spill Saturday that spanned across both city and county jurisdictions in and effort to properly and efficiently prepare emergency personnel for an actual spill.
The objectives of the day were to test and communicate response plans, establish and operate a unified command post and to establish and operate a chemical decontamination tent.
The simulation was that of a train that had derailed, spilling a large tanker filled with liquid formaldehyde and two tankers filled with chlorine in vapor form.
Local Boy Scouts from troops 270, 313, 911 and 53 participated in the simulation as victims who had been contaminated during the spill.
The boy scouts were sent through a chemical decontamination tent where they were sprayed with water and scrubbed with brushes by emergency personnel dressed in full Hazmat gear.
Members of the Greenwood Fire Department practiced getting the boys through the decontamination zone as quickly as possible in an effort to prevent skin and respiratory burns from the chemicals as if they had actually come in contact with them.
According to Greenwood County public safety Commander George McKinney, in a real life chemical spill where victims come in contact with toxic chemicals, emergency personnel would spray victims with a low grade bleach solution, an agent which counteracts the chemicals. For Saturday’s exercise, only water was used.
A unified command post was also set up where emergency personnel from both city and county jurisdictions came together to operate a single command post.
“The spill was simulated to cross into both city and county jurisdictions. We combined personnel from both jurisdiction to create one command”, said McKinney.
Agencies present and participating in Saturday’s event included, Greenwood City Police Department, Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, Coronaca Fire Department, Northwest Fire Department, Hwy 34 Fire Department, Greenwood City Fire Department, Greenwood County EMS, 911 Dispatch, Radio Communications, DHEC, Self Regional, The Red Cross and the Coroners Office.
Greenwood Today - Greenwood,SC,USA
Lesley Lane - GwdToday News Reporter 06.OCT.08
A simulated train derailment Saturday morning, spilling thousand of gallons of toxic chemicals got city and county emergency personnel on the move as they participated in a functional training exercise at the Greenwood Civic Center.
Greenwood County Emergency Management simulated a hazmat spill Saturday that spanned across both city and county jurisdictions in and effort to properly and efficiently prepare emergency personnel for an actual spill.
The objectives of the day were to test and communicate response plans, establish and operate a unified command post and to establish and operate a chemical decontamination tent.
The simulation was that of a train that had derailed, spilling a large tanker filled with liquid formaldehyde and two tankers filled with chlorine in vapor form.
Local Boy Scouts from troops 270, 313, 911 and 53 participated in the simulation as victims who had been contaminated during the spill.
The boy scouts were sent through a chemical decontamination tent where they were sprayed with water and scrubbed with brushes by emergency personnel dressed in full Hazmat gear.
Members of the Greenwood Fire Department practiced getting the boys through the decontamination zone as quickly as possible in an effort to prevent skin and respiratory burns from the chemicals as if they had actually come in contact with them.
According to Greenwood County public safety Commander George McKinney, in a real life chemical spill where victims come in contact with toxic chemicals, emergency personnel would spray victims with a low grade bleach solution, an agent which counteracts the chemicals. For Saturday’s exercise, only water was used.
A unified command post was also set up where emergency personnel from both city and county jurisdictions came together to operate a single command post.
“The spill was simulated to cross into both city and county jurisdictions. We combined personnel from both jurisdiction to create one command”, said McKinney.
Agencies present and participating in Saturday’s event included, Greenwood City Police Department, Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, Coronaca Fire Department, Northwest Fire Department, Hwy 34 Fire Department, Greenwood City Fire Department, Greenwood County EMS, 911 Dispatch, Radio Communications, DHEC, Self Regional, The Red Cross and the Coroners Office.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Oklahoma Hazmat Gear Sees Some Action
Oklahoma Hazmat gear sees some action
By OMER GILLHAM World Staff Writer
10/5/2008
Tulsa and OKC firefighters are striving to keep equipment meant for homeland security in use.
Fire departments in Tulsa and Oklahoma City are having to be creative to keep millions of dollars in Homeland Security equipment off the shelf and in good working order.
During the past three years, Tulsa and Oklahoma City have received special HAZMAT trucks and rescue vehicles as part of a statewide preparedness system established after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The specialized trucks and accompanying equipment are linked to the Homeland Security funding bonanza following the attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Since 2001, Oklahoma has received about $170 million for homeland security and emergency preparedness, with the bulk of the money flowing in after 9-11, records show.
The Tulsa World asked firefighters in Oklahoma City and Tulsa how often the terrorist and rescue equipment is used. Other equipment is sitting idle or being used by first responders across Oklahoma, according to a Tulsa World investigation in 2006.
During the past two years, most of the specialized trucks and rigs delivered to Oklahoma City and Tulsa have seen limited duty since there have been no terrorist attacks in Oklahoma, and fire departments already had HAZMAT units and rescue units in place before Sept. 11, 2001.
For example, since its delivery 30 months ago, a special HAZMAT unit in Tulsa has not been officially deployed for the state's regional response system, said Capt. Bill Lind, HAZMAT coordinator for the Tulsa Fire Department.
Similar to a fire truck, the specialized rig cost $750,000. The fire department keeps the truck in working order by rotating it into frontline HAZMAT duty once a month, Lind said.
Meanwhile, Tulsa's mass-decontamination unit — a $270,000 trailer and truck — has not been called out for official duty since it was received two years ago, Lind said.
The decontamination unit would be used to scrub down a large number of people exposed to chemical or radiological elements.
When asked if the equipment is overkill or truly needed, Lind said: "It is definitely not overkill. The equipment is useful because in the event of a terrorist attack or major disaster the equipment is vital for the rescue and well-being of the citizens. Try to get through a major disaster or event without it, and you will see the need for it."
In March 2006, Tulsa and Oklahoma City received two specialized trucks known as CBRNE units, or enhanced HAZMAT units. The trucks and crew can respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) attacks.
In early 2007, Tulsa and Oklahoma City each received an urban-search-and-rescue rig and accompanying equipment.
Costing $1.2 million each, the rescue rigs come with an extensive equipment cache that includes shoring equipment, concrete saws and hydraulic spreaders to rescue trapped people.
While equipment purchased with Homeland Security money was primarily designated for a terrorism response, it also is designated for an all-hazards response that includes natural disasters, said Kerry Pettingill, director of the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security. Some of the equipment creates a needed redundancy in HAZMAT and rescue gear, he said.
To keep the equipment operational, Tulsa and Oklahoma City have found creative ways to use the equipment for chemical spills and other hazardous material and responses to natural disasters such as ice storms and tornadoes.
Due to this use, Tulsa's search-and-rescue rig has seen a little more duty than the CBRNE and mass-decontamination units. That rig has been deployed three times in 18 months.
It was used for search-and-rescue work after the Picher tornado struck in May and the massive ice storm hit Tulsa in December, said Dennis Beyer, chief of homeland security for the Tulsa Fire Department.
In Oklahoma City, firefighters have used their CBRNE unit extensively for chemical spills and other emergency calls. In the past year, the unit has responded to 28 HAZMAT calls inside and outside the city and assisted on 54 calls within the city, said Cecil Clay, deputy chief of the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
However, Oklahoma City's search-and-rescue unit and mass-decontamination unit have only been deployed once in about 18 months, Clay said.
"There is absolutely a need for all this equipment,'' Clay said. "If you had another Murrah bombing, it would be needed. In fact more equipment would be needed for that kind of event.''
Meanwhile, seven years after the terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists, the state continues to receive millions of dollars in Homeland Security funding, and the state still has millions on hand to be allocated, records show.
The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security received $13.2 million in 2008, Pettingill said. A Tulsa World investigation in 2006 revealed that the state Homeland Security office had $81 million in unspent funds. While the state Homeland Security office has gotten better at allocating federal money, the office still has about $54 million on hand to be allocated or encumbered, Pettingill said.
"Most of the funding is obligated and will be spent or it will be obligated to be spent soon on projects," Pettingill said.
By OMER GILLHAM World Staff Writer
10/5/2008
Tulsa and OKC firefighters are striving to keep equipment meant for homeland security in use.
Fire departments in Tulsa and Oklahoma City are having to be creative to keep millions of dollars in Homeland Security equipment off the shelf and in good working order.
During the past three years, Tulsa and Oklahoma City have received special HAZMAT trucks and rescue vehicles as part of a statewide preparedness system established after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The specialized trucks and accompanying equipment are linked to the Homeland Security funding bonanza following the attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Since 2001, Oklahoma has received about $170 million for homeland security and emergency preparedness, with the bulk of the money flowing in after 9-11, records show.
The Tulsa World asked firefighters in Oklahoma City and Tulsa how often the terrorist and rescue equipment is used. Other equipment is sitting idle or being used by first responders across Oklahoma, according to a Tulsa World investigation in 2006.
During the past two years, most of the specialized trucks and rigs delivered to Oklahoma City and Tulsa have seen limited duty since there have been no terrorist attacks in Oklahoma, and fire departments already had HAZMAT units and rescue units in place before Sept. 11, 2001.
For example, since its delivery 30 months ago, a special HAZMAT unit in Tulsa has not been officially deployed for the state's regional response system, said Capt. Bill Lind, HAZMAT coordinator for the Tulsa Fire Department.
Similar to a fire truck, the specialized rig cost $750,000. The fire department keeps the truck in working order by rotating it into frontline HAZMAT duty once a month, Lind said.
Meanwhile, Tulsa's mass-decontamination unit — a $270,000 trailer and truck — has not been called out for official duty since it was received two years ago, Lind said.
The decontamination unit would be used to scrub down a large number of people exposed to chemical or radiological elements.
When asked if the equipment is overkill or truly needed, Lind said: "It is definitely not overkill. The equipment is useful because in the event of a terrorist attack or major disaster the equipment is vital for the rescue and well-being of the citizens. Try to get through a major disaster or event without it, and you will see the need for it."
In March 2006, Tulsa and Oklahoma City received two specialized trucks known as CBRNE units, or enhanced HAZMAT units. The trucks and crew can respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) attacks.
In early 2007, Tulsa and Oklahoma City each received an urban-search-and-rescue rig and accompanying equipment.
Costing $1.2 million each, the rescue rigs come with an extensive equipment cache that includes shoring equipment, concrete saws and hydraulic spreaders to rescue trapped people.
While equipment purchased with Homeland Security money was primarily designated for a terrorism response, it also is designated for an all-hazards response that includes natural disasters, said Kerry Pettingill, director of the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security. Some of the equipment creates a needed redundancy in HAZMAT and rescue gear, he said.
To keep the equipment operational, Tulsa and Oklahoma City have found creative ways to use the equipment for chemical spills and other hazardous material and responses to natural disasters such as ice storms and tornadoes.
Due to this use, Tulsa's search-and-rescue rig has seen a little more duty than the CBRNE and mass-decontamination units. That rig has been deployed three times in 18 months.
It was used for search-and-rescue work after the Picher tornado struck in May and the massive ice storm hit Tulsa in December, said Dennis Beyer, chief of homeland security for the Tulsa Fire Department.
In Oklahoma City, firefighters have used their CBRNE unit extensively for chemical spills and other emergency calls. In the past year, the unit has responded to 28 HAZMAT calls inside and outside the city and assisted on 54 calls within the city, said Cecil Clay, deputy chief of the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
However, Oklahoma City's search-and-rescue unit and mass-decontamination unit have only been deployed once in about 18 months, Clay said.
"There is absolutely a need for all this equipment,'' Clay said. "If you had another Murrah bombing, it would be needed. In fact more equipment would be needed for that kind of event.''
Meanwhile, seven years after the terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists, the state continues to receive millions of dollars in Homeland Security funding, and the state still has millions on hand to be allocated, records show.
The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security received $13.2 million in 2008, Pettingill said. A Tulsa World investigation in 2006 revealed that the state Homeland Security office had $81 million in unspent funds. While the state Homeland Security office has gotten better at allocating federal money, the office still has about $54 million on hand to be allocated or encumbered, Pettingill said.
"Most of the funding is obligated and will be spent or it will be obligated to be spent soon on projects," Pettingill said.
Toxic Cargo Retrieved from Shipwreck
Packs of toxic cargo retrieved from shipwreck
By Joel E. Zurbano
Salvors have retrieved 22 packs of the 400 packs of the toxic chemical endosulfan from the wreck of Princess of the Stars without contaminating the sea, Transport Undersecretary Ma. Elena Bautista said yesterday.
Weather permitting, the retrieval of the toxic cargo will be completed within 16 days, said Bautista, head of Task Force Princess of the Stars.
“US-based salvor firm Titan and its local partner Harbor Star have started retrieving endosulfan from the wreck,” Bautista told a press conference. “As of 1 p.m. today, 22 packs of endosulfan, out of a total of 400, have been retrieved and contained in steel drums,” Bautista said.
Each pack weighs 25 kilos. The retrieved packs are kept in sealed steel drums once onboard the Big Time barge. The environment management bureau and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority are tasked with the disposal of the toxic cargo, Bautista explained.
The divers and those receiving the containers on the barge are wearing hazmat (hazardous materials) suits. These are people trained in handling toxic substances and they follow strict decontamination procedures after each dive or handling of the chemical, Bautista said.
The plan now is to remove all toxic chemicals as fast and as safe as possible. Simultaneously, procedures are in motion to remove the bunker fuel estimated at 250 liters, Bautista said. “We have to ensure the safety of personnel working in the area.”
Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo, Coast Guard chief, said that it could take them until the Christmas season to recover all bodies of the victims trapped in the shipwreck.
On the extraction of hydrocarbons or bunker fuel, 6 flanges have been attached to different fuel tanks. The next step is to bore holes in each flange and hot tap the bunker fuel from different tanks simultaneously.
“Removing the hydrocarbons may take a few more days, depending on the weather condition. The great part of the wreck is submerged, which means waves and visibility will be a factor in the operation. Salvors contracted by Sulpicio Lines are working as fast as practicable,” Bautista said.
After the chemicals and hydrocarbons are extracted, the victims’ remains will be retrieved next, Bautista said. Plans for the body retrieval have been presented to the task force by Sulpicio Lines and Harbor Star. The retrieval operation will start on Oct. 24.
The 24,000-ton Princess of the Stars with more than 800 people aboard capsized off Sibuyan island in Romblon at the height of typhoon Frank three months ago.
By Joel E. Zurbano
Salvors have retrieved 22 packs of the 400 packs of the toxic chemical endosulfan from the wreck of Princess of the Stars without contaminating the sea, Transport Undersecretary Ma. Elena Bautista said yesterday.
Weather permitting, the retrieval of the toxic cargo will be completed within 16 days, said Bautista, head of Task Force Princess of the Stars.
“US-based salvor firm Titan and its local partner Harbor Star have started retrieving endosulfan from the wreck,” Bautista told a press conference. “As of 1 p.m. today, 22 packs of endosulfan, out of a total of 400, have been retrieved and contained in steel drums,” Bautista said.
Each pack weighs 25 kilos. The retrieved packs are kept in sealed steel drums once onboard the Big Time barge. The environment management bureau and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority are tasked with the disposal of the toxic cargo, Bautista explained.
The divers and those receiving the containers on the barge are wearing hazmat (hazardous materials) suits. These are people trained in handling toxic substances and they follow strict decontamination procedures after each dive or handling of the chemical, Bautista said.
The plan now is to remove all toxic chemicals as fast and as safe as possible. Simultaneously, procedures are in motion to remove the bunker fuel estimated at 250 liters, Bautista said. “We have to ensure the safety of personnel working in the area.”
Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo, Coast Guard chief, said that it could take them until the Christmas season to recover all bodies of the victims trapped in the shipwreck.
On the extraction of hydrocarbons or bunker fuel, 6 flanges have been attached to different fuel tanks. The next step is to bore holes in each flange and hot tap the bunker fuel from different tanks simultaneously.
“Removing the hydrocarbons may take a few more days, depending on the weather condition. The great part of the wreck is submerged, which means waves and visibility will be a factor in the operation. Salvors contracted by Sulpicio Lines are working as fast as practicable,” Bautista said.
After the chemicals and hydrocarbons are extracted, the victims’ remains will be retrieved next, Bautista said. Plans for the body retrieval have been presented to the task force by Sulpicio Lines and Harbor Star. The retrieval operation will start on Oct. 24.
The 24,000-ton Princess of the Stars with more than 800 people aboard capsized off Sibuyan island in Romblon at the height of typhoon Frank three months ago.
British Columbia Hazardous Mail Event
Hazardous mail
Prince George Citizen - Prince George,British Columbia,Canada
Written by FRANK PEEBLES
Citizen staff
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Decontamination team scrubs down workers after suspicious package arrives at Barton Insurance Staff at Barton Insurance had to be washed by the fire department's hazardous materials team Wednesday after receiving a suspicious package at the drive-thru outlet on 20th Avenue and Victoria Street.
"It was delivered in the mail ... it was not dropped off independently," said RCMP spokesperson Const. Lesley Smith
A swarm of police vehicles, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles were on the scene around 1:30 p.m. A bright yellow tent was set up as a decontamination centre near the back door of the insurance store.
"The material inside the package was suspicious," Smith said. "Those who first opened the package found its contents to be alarming. The city's HAZMAT team was called as a precaution, those inside the building at the time were held for decontamination."
The hazardous materials team (HAZMAT) is trained in the handling of chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear and explosive materials in publicly hazardous places.
The actual contents of the package will be analyzed and should it prove to be a harmful substance that was deliberately sent, investigators will pursue those responsible. Its origins may have to be traced even if it is not poison.
It was not disclosed what the material looked like or was believed to be. There were eight people who had to be decontaminated.
Each one took a turn being washed down, fully clothed, on a specially designed outdoor shower system, then they went into the tent where they disrobed and were clothed in a plastic oversheet. No one involved showed any obvious signs of medical distress and authorities said there were no confirmed injuries in the incident.
Prince George Citizen - Prince George,British Columbia,Canada
Written by FRANK PEEBLES
Citizen staff
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Decontamination team scrubs down workers after suspicious package arrives at Barton Insurance Staff at Barton Insurance had to be washed by the fire department's hazardous materials team Wednesday after receiving a suspicious package at the drive-thru outlet on 20th Avenue and Victoria Street.
"It was delivered in the mail ... it was not dropped off independently," said RCMP spokesperson Const. Lesley Smith
A swarm of police vehicles, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles were on the scene around 1:30 p.m. A bright yellow tent was set up as a decontamination centre near the back door of the insurance store.
"The material inside the package was suspicious," Smith said. "Those who first opened the package found its contents to be alarming. The city's HAZMAT team was called as a precaution, those inside the building at the time were held for decontamination."
The hazardous materials team (HAZMAT) is trained in the handling of chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear and explosive materials in publicly hazardous places.
The actual contents of the package will be analyzed and should it prove to be a harmful substance that was deliberately sent, investigators will pursue those responsible. Its origins may have to be traced even if it is not poison.
It was not disclosed what the material looked like or was believed to be. There were eight people who had to be decontaminated.
Each one took a turn being washed down, fully clothed, on a specially designed outdoor shower system, then they went into the tent where they disrobed and were clothed in a plastic oversheet. No one involved showed any obvious signs of medical distress and authorities said there were no confirmed injuries in the incident.
Missouri Officials Prepare for Disaster on Campus
MU tests chemical spill emergency plan
Local police and fire departments practiced their plans for a hazardous materials leak on East Campus.
By Austin Alonzo
Sept. 26, 2008
Representatives from five local police and fire departments, including the Missouri National Guard, met on East Campus on Thursday to rehearse their plan for a hazardous materials leak on or around MU.
More than 100 people representing departments from the Columbia and Boone County showed up around 8 a.m. to set up a mobile command post, a decontamination area and prepared a Hazmat team to clean up the scenario in the parking lot behind the Animal Sciences Research Center. The departments were preparing to clean up a simulated chemical spill at the Resource Recovery Center, a chemical recycling plant owned by MU and located at the far east end of East Campus.
Despite a law that requires campuses to make public their policies for responding to campus emergencies, this drill was not in response to that legislation.
"That bill requires universities to have an emergency response plan put into place and tested, but here we've had a plan in place for 30 years," said Chad Pfister, project leader for emergency management.
At the Resource Recovery Center, numerous barrels had been thrown around the area, as well as an injured person who would need medical attention. Each of the barrels required inspection from a Hazmat team until it was declared safe.
"The scenario is designed as if a microburst hit the Recovery Center and leveled two of the buildings," said Columbia Fire Department Lt. Shawn McCollom, one of the coordinators for the drill.
Hazmat teams, in full uniform, started their day by recovering an injured woman and setting up a perimeter around the chemical spill using digital monitors that sniff for chemical levels in the air. Then, they systematically photographed, inspected and removed all the barrels from the center.
Although it was a drill, MU and the emergency response teams were not treating it like a drill.
"If this were the real thing we'd set up a mobile command post out here and try to assess the situation and how we were going to address it," MU spokesman Christian Basi said.
McCollom also noted that the weather, the response time and the crowd control would not be as easy to deal with as they were Thursday.
"The drill only lasts nine hours, but usually something like this would last an indeterminate amount of time depending on the size of the incident," McCollon said. "We'd also block off East Campus Road and try to evacuate students."
Basi said chemicals stored and processed at the Resource Recovery Center are for the most part not hazardous, but some can be depending on the conditions. Under the scenario, where wind and rain would factor heavily into the spreading the chemicals, a quick and effective response would be necessary.
Local police and fire departments practiced their plans for a hazardous materials leak on East Campus.
By Austin Alonzo
Sept. 26, 2008
Representatives from five local police and fire departments, including the Missouri National Guard, met on East Campus on Thursday to rehearse their plan for a hazardous materials leak on or around MU.
More than 100 people representing departments from the Columbia and Boone County showed up around 8 a.m. to set up a mobile command post, a decontamination area and prepared a Hazmat team to clean up the scenario in the parking lot behind the Animal Sciences Research Center. The departments were preparing to clean up a simulated chemical spill at the Resource Recovery Center, a chemical recycling plant owned by MU and located at the far east end of East Campus.
Despite a law that requires campuses to make public their policies for responding to campus emergencies, this drill was not in response to that legislation.
"That bill requires universities to have an emergency response plan put into place and tested, but here we've had a plan in place for 30 years," said Chad Pfister, project leader for emergency management.
At the Resource Recovery Center, numerous barrels had been thrown around the area, as well as an injured person who would need medical attention. Each of the barrels required inspection from a Hazmat team until it was declared safe.
"The scenario is designed as if a microburst hit the Recovery Center and leveled two of the buildings," said Columbia Fire Department Lt. Shawn McCollom, one of the coordinators for the drill.
Hazmat teams, in full uniform, started their day by recovering an injured woman and setting up a perimeter around the chemical spill using digital monitors that sniff for chemical levels in the air. Then, they systematically photographed, inspected and removed all the barrels from the center.
Although it was a drill, MU and the emergency response teams were not treating it like a drill.
"If this were the real thing we'd set up a mobile command post out here and try to assess the situation and how we were going to address it," MU spokesman Christian Basi said.
McCollom also noted that the weather, the response time and the crowd control would not be as easy to deal with as they were Thursday.
"The drill only lasts nine hours, but usually something like this would last an indeterminate amount of time depending on the size of the incident," McCollon said. "We'd also block off East Campus Road and try to evacuate students."
Basi said chemicals stored and processed at the Resource Recovery Center are for the most part not hazardous, but some can be depending on the conditions. Under the scenario, where wind and rain would factor heavily into the spreading the chemicals, a quick and effective response would be necessary.
Hazmat Concerns with Drilling Disasters Addressed in PA
Drilling disasters
Nearest HazMat support would come from Scranton
By SANDY LONG
REGION — Hydrogen sulfide pockets, explosions, gas flares and the undisclosed chemicals contained in the fluids used to fracture gas wells pose unique threats to workers, emergency responders, hospital emergency personnel and those who live near natural gas wells.
Hydrogen sulfide, for example, is a flammable, colorless gas that is extremely toxic at low concentrations, can occur anywhere and represents a potentially serious threat to those associated with the process of natural gas extraction, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Each situation calls for specific emergency responses, most of which require preparedness to process hazardous materials (HazMats). As recently reported in Newsweek, and before that in The River Reporter, Cathy Behr, a nurse at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, CO, became gravely ill after caring for a gas drilling worker exposed to ZetaFlow, a substance used in fracturing gas wells. Now mostly recovered, Behr suffered liver, heart and respiratory failure during her intensive-care stay in April.
How are regional emergency management services (EMS) coordinators planning to address such unconventional emergency situations?
Both Pike and Wayne counties are relying on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to inform their planning efforts, and have contracted for HazMat support from firms based in the Scranton, PA area. Sullivan County, NY does not contract for HazMat services. The coordinators for all three counties said that most regional firefighters are trained to “awareness level” of HazMat emergencies.
Sullivan County
Sullivan County’s commissioner of public safety, Richard Martinkovic, has spoken with emergency management personnel in other parts of the state and has concluded that there is a “good track record at existing sites there.” He added, “They’ve established 911 numbers for each site. They establish a protective envelope around sites to exclude life and reduce risk. There are no life hazards after the well is installed.”
Martinkovic is aware that those sites do not represent the type of deep-well fracturing and technology associated with the drilling process that may come to Sullivan County. In terms of HazMat issues, Martinkovic said that this threat is limited to the open pits used to store fracking fluids, and that he would prefer to see the fluids stored in enclosed tanks to minimize the possibility of environmental contamination.
According to Martinkovic, the gas companies and property owners are responsible for control and recovery of any HazMats, and that there may be a need to seek appropriate support from the companies for that. “We would go to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for approved contractors and charge back the property owner for cleanup. As we get closer, we may need to look into funding from the companies to provide things like HazMat suits and training,” he added.
Wayne County
With more than 1,400 gas leases signed in Wayne County and one well that has been drilled, EMS coordinator Frank Smith is trying to determine just what to prepare for. “We’re investigating what issues we should be looking at, but right now, we don’t know enough to alter our current approach,” said Smith.
“We’re asking questions of the drilling companies and of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to determine what capabilities we might need. There’s no indication for change yet, but there are a lot of unknowns.” Wayne County contracts its HazMat support to Datam Incorporated of Dunmore, PA.
Pike County
Pike County’s EMS coordinator, Roger Maltby, said that the county has not begun to officially address the possible hazards associated with natural gas extraction. “We really haven’t done anything yet,” said Maltby. “We’re taking a wait-and-see approach to find out what’s been done in other areas. Natural gas is highly specialized, and we don’t have a lot of resources here. If a major emergency were to occur, Team Environmental [the county’s contracted HazMat support firm] would step in.”
According to Maltby, Pike County’s Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC), which meets at the end of September, may begin to address this issue on its next agenda. But Maltby isn’t convinced there will be a need to do so. “Is it really going to happen in Pike? How big will this be? We just don’t know yet,” he said.
Pike County saw the recording of five natural gas leases affecting approximately 3,255 acres within the past several weeks.
Regional hospitals respond
Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) in Harris, NY and Orange Regional Medical Center (ORMC) in Middletown, NY and Goshen, NY have established procedures to address HazMat emergencies such as those related to drilling. CRMC emergency manager Rolland “Boomer” Bojo said that CRMC has “very specific plans in place that would be called into play,” along with decontamination facilities to minimize hospital personnel’s exposure to HazMats. Executive director of public relations and marketing Rob Lee cited similar strategies at ORMC, including participation in the National Incident Management System.
Bonnie Heal, coordinator of the emergency preparedness program at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, NY, said that the hospital not only has plans in place for HazMat emergencies, but that it recently participated in a drill to assess its ability to respond to a simulated chemical exposure incident. Heal noted that the ideal approach to addressing HazMat exposures would be to decontaminate individuals on site, but if that weren’t possible, the hospital has decontamination facilities. Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, PA was unable to provide comment by the issue’s deadline.
Nearest HazMat support would come from Scranton
By SANDY LONG
REGION — Hydrogen sulfide pockets, explosions, gas flares and the undisclosed chemicals contained in the fluids used to fracture gas wells pose unique threats to workers, emergency responders, hospital emergency personnel and those who live near natural gas wells.
Hydrogen sulfide, for example, is a flammable, colorless gas that is extremely toxic at low concentrations, can occur anywhere and represents a potentially serious threat to those associated with the process of natural gas extraction, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Each situation calls for specific emergency responses, most of which require preparedness to process hazardous materials (HazMats). As recently reported in Newsweek, and before that in The River Reporter, Cathy Behr, a nurse at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, CO, became gravely ill after caring for a gas drilling worker exposed to ZetaFlow, a substance used in fracturing gas wells. Now mostly recovered, Behr suffered liver, heart and respiratory failure during her intensive-care stay in April.
How are regional emergency management services (EMS) coordinators planning to address such unconventional emergency situations?
Both Pike and Wayne counties are relying on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to inform their planning efforts, and have contracted for HazMat support from firms based in the Scranton, PA area. Sullivan County, NY does not contract for HazMat services. The coordinators for all three counties said that most regional firefighters are trained to “awareness level” of HazMat emergencies.
Sullivan County
Sullivan County’s commissioner of public safety, Richard Martinkovic, has spoken with emergency management personnel in other parts of the state and has concluded that there is a “good track record at existing sites there.” He added, “They’ve established 911 numbers for each site. They establish a protective envelope around sites to exclude life and reduce risk. There are no life hazards after the well is installed.”
Martinkovic is aware that those sites do not represent the type of deep-well fracturing and technology associated with the drilling process that may come to Sullivan County. In terms of HazMat issues, Martinkovic said that this threat is limited to the open pits used to store fracking fluids, and that he would prefer to see the fluids stored in enclosed tanks to minimize the possibility of environmental contamination.
According to Martinkovic, the gas companies and property owners are responsible for control and recovery of any HazMats, and that there may be a need to seek appropriate support from the companies for that. “We would go to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for approved contractors and charge back the property owner for cleanup. As we get closer, we may need to look into funding from the companies to provide things like HazMat suits and training,” he added.
Wayne County
With more than 1,400 gas leases signed in Wayne County and one well that has been drilled, EMS coordinator Frank Smith is trying to determine just what to prepare for. “We’re investigating what issues we should be looking at, but right now, we don’t know enough to alter our current approach,” said Smith.
“We’re asking questions of the drilling companies and of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to determine what capabilities we might need. There’s no indication for change yet, but there are a lot of unknowns.” Wayne County contracts its HazMat support to Datam Incorporated of Dunmore, PA.
Pike County
Pike County’s EMS coordinator, Roger Maltby, said that the county has not begun to officially address the possible hazards associated with natural gas extraction. “We really haven’t done anything yet,” said Maltby. “We’re taking a wait-and-see approach to find out what’s been done in other areas. Natural gas is highly specialized, and we don’t have a lot of resources here. If a major emergency were to occur, Team Environmental [the county’s contracted HazMat support firm] would step in.”
According to Maltby, Pike County’s Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC), which meets at the end of September, may begin to address this issue on its next agenda. But Maltby isn’t convinced there will be a need to do so. “Is it really going to happen in Pike? How big will this be? We just don’t know yet,” he said.
Pike County saw the recording of five natural gas leases affecting approximately 3,255 acres within the past several weeks.
Regional hospitals respond
Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) in Harris, NY and Orange Regional Medical Center (ORMC) in Middletown, NY and Goshen, NY have established procedures to address HazMat emergencies such as those related to drilling. CRMC emergency manager Rolland “Boomer” Bojo said that CRMC has “very specific plans in place that would be called into play,” along with decontamination facilities to minimize hospital personnel’s exposure to HazMats. Executive director of public relations and marketing Rob Lee cited similar strategies at ORMC, including participation in the National Incident Management System.
Bonnie Heal, coordinator of the emergency preparedness program at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, NY, said that the hospital not only has plans in place for HazMat emergencies, but that it recently participated in a drill to assess its ability to respond to a simulated chemical exposure incident. Heal noted that the ideal approach to addressing HazMat exposures would be to decontaminate individuals on site, but if that weren’t possible, the hospital has decontamination facilities. Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, PA was unable to provide comment by the issue’s deadline.
Locomotion Commotion: Mock train-derailment teaches lessons about disaster preparedness
Locomotion Commotion: Mock train-derailment teaches lessons about disaster preparedness
Posted by Crystal McMorris | The Bay City Times September 25, 2008 08:11AM
More than 300 firefighters, police, paramedics and other disaster-handlers staged a mock train-derailment near the Cass Avenue Boat Launch on Wednesday to prepare themselves for any real large-scale disasters that might occur.
Scores of participants enacted a scene that included injured people breathing in toxic chemicals and several people dying.
Michael Gray, deputy Bay County Executive, said participants learned several lessons from the drill, one of which was that having a joint information center at the Bay County Community Center, rather than closer to the incident, was inconvenient.
"We're kind of isolated here," he said.
Gray, flanked by Dow Chemical spokeswoman Jennifer Heronema and Bay Regional Medical Center spokesman Kurt Miller, held a press conference at the community center, 800 John F. Kennedy Drive.
"Anytime you do an exercise like this you see an opportunity where you could do things better," Gray said.
The drill, dubbed "Locomotion Commotion," was conducted with federal Homeland Security grants, which now are awarded regionally. Participants from several neighboring counties took part. In the scenario played out near the boat launch, terrorists bombed the train, which was carrying anhydrous ammonia, causing several nearby residents to fall ill or die.
Gray, who is the county's public information officer, said if a disaster such as the staged one actually occurred, the identity of people who lost their lives would be closely guarded.
"If something like this happened and there were 58 fatalities," he said, "the names would never be released."
One mistake during the drill was the faxing of a press release that announced the train derailment and 39 casualties - without any indication that the incident was staged.
"That should have said 'This is a test' on it," Gray said.
Posted by Crystal McMorris | The Bay City Times September 25, 2008 08:11AM
More than 300 firefighters, police, paramedics and other disaster-handlers staged a mock train-derailment near the Cass Avenue Boat Launch on Wednesday to prepare themselves for any real large-scale disasters that might occur.
Scores of participants enacted a scene that included injured people breathing in toxic chemicals and several people dying.
Michael Gray, deputy Bay County Executive, said participants learned several lessons from the drill, one of which was that having a joint information center at the Bay County Community Center, rather than closer to the incident, was inconvenient.
"We're kind of isolated here," he said.
Gray, flanked by Dow Chemical spokeswoman Jennifer Heronema and Bay Regional Medical Center spokesman Kurt Miller, held a press conference at the community center, 800 John F. Kennedy Drive.
"Anytime you do an exercise like this you see an opportunity where you could do things better," Gray said.
The drill, dubbed "Locomotion Commotion," was conducted with federal Homeland Security grants, which now are awarded regionally. Participants from several neighboring counties took part. In the scenario played out near the boat launch, terrorists bombed the train, which was carrying anhydrous ammonia, causing several nearby residents to fall ill or die.
Gray, who is the county's public information officer, said if a disaster such as the staged one actually occurred, the identity of people who lost their lives would be closely guarded.
"If something like this happened and there were 58 fatalities," he said, "the names would never be released."
One mistake during the drill was the faxing of a press release that announced the train derailment and 39 casualties - without any indication that the incident was staged.
"That should have said 'This is a test' on it," Gray said.
Tanker spill drill trains officials for actual emergency
Tanker spill drill trains officials for actual emergency
A Roanoke police official said Tuesday's scenario was within the realm of possibility.
By Jeff Sturgeon
981-3251
Sept 24, 2008
JEANNA DUERSCHERL The Roanoke Times
Emergency crews respond to a mock disaster Tuesday in Roanoke. Overall, "it worked out well," said a Roanoke Fire-EMS official.
Disaster management leaders staged a fake chemical accident in Roanoke on Tuesday, giving emergency responders a chance to practice lifesaving skills.
The story line went like this: At ground zero, a rail crossing on Patterson Avenue Southwest, a tank car filled with water had sprung a leak.
With 1,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia spewing forth from a derailed tanker, a plume of toxic gas was spreading over the Norwich area and part of Raleigh Court.
While a hazardous material crew of Roanoke Valley firefighters and railroad-contracted personnel contained the leak, rescuers tended to 36 simulated victims, half of whom were hospitalized. Police pretended to evacuate nearby neighborhoods where an estimated 500 people were home.
The all-clear on the two-hour simulation was given just before noon.
Leaders said the drill involving 125 people at the scene, city hall, a school, area hospitals and other locations was valuable.
But officials withheld details of what went wrong or what they learned -- other than to refer vaguely to communication and staffing issues.
"Couple people were caught a little off guard," Roanoke Fire-EMS Chief David Hoback said in an interview.
Overall, "it worked out well."
Shortly before 10 a.m., responders closed Patterson Avenue to establish on-site command, medical treatment and a decontamination bay adjacent to the troubled tanker. Red blinking lights and squawking radios added realism to the scene, which media members were allowed to watch from a nearby hilltop.
Fake patients were taken to hospitals. Evacuees went to Patrick Henry High School. Emergency team leaders asked Valley Metro to pretend to shift to consolidated emergency routes to free up buses for human transport.
The leaders obtained cooperation from schools to pretend to keep students rather than send them home amid the toxic cloud.
Even though Valley Metro did not shift schedules and schools did not hold children, officials confirmed the capacity of those organizations to do such things in the future if needed.
Roanoke police Lt. Sam Roman said the scenario staged is within the realm of possibility for the Star City.
"It could happen," he said.
The police department would evacuate a neighborhood if actually needed by sending 20 to 25 officers into an area to knock on doors, get people out and mark each vacated dwelling with a masking-tape X.
Police deployed fewer officers Tuesday but have the resources to muster the amount needed, he said.
Fire-EMS Deputy Chief Ralph Tartaglia said the railroad hauls "a lot" of anhydrous ammonia -- an ingredient in fertilizer -- through the valley.
Dave Schoendorfer, manager of hazardous materials for Norfolk Southern, countered at the same news conference that "the volume is very small."
Schoendorfer said that asphalt is the hazardous item passing through the valley in the largest quantity. Asked to name the most toxic material moved through the valley, he said one of the most toxic items is denatured alcohol, which he went on to say is the ethanol frequently added to automobile fuel these days.
The railroad moves such materials under a legal duty prescribed by the federal government, he said.
Behind the scenes, disaster management teams are constantly training and perfecting plans. Some 200 personnel received fresh training in hazardous materials management last week in Roanoke.
Tuesday's drill, which culminates many months of work, was seen as a critical test of plans, personnel, equipment and strategic infrastructure.
A Roanoke police official said Tuesday's scenario was within the realm of possibility.
By Jeff Sturgeon
981-3251
Sept 24, 2008
JEANNA DUERSCHERL The Roanoke Times
Emergency crews respond to a mock disaster Tuesday in Roanoke. Overall, "it worked out well," said a Roanoke Fire-EMS official.
Disaster management leaders staged a fake chemical accident in Roanoke on Tuesday, giving emergency responders a chance to practice lifesaving skills.
The story line went like this: At ground zero, a rail crossing on Patterson Avenue Southwest, a tank car filled with water had sprung a leak.
With 1,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia spewing forth from a derailed tanker, a plume of toxic gas was spreading over the Norwich area and part of Raleigh Court.
While a hazardous material crew of Roanoke Valley firefighters and railroad-contracted personnel contained the leak, rescuers tended to 36 simulated victims, half of whom were hospitalized. Police pretended to evacuate nearby neighborhoods where an estimated 500 people were home.
The all-clear on the two-hour simulation was given just before noon.
Leaders said the drill involving 125 people at the scene, city hall, a school, area hospitals and other locations was valuable.
But officials withheld details of what went wrong or what they learned -- other than to refer vaguely to communication and staffing issues.
"Couple people were caught a little off guard," Roanoke Fire-EMS Chief David Hoback said in an interview.
Overall, "it worked out well."
Shortly before 10 a.m., responders closed Patterson Avenue to establish on-site command, medical treatment and a decontamination bay adjacent to the troubled tanker. Red blinking lights and squawking radios added realism to the scene, which media members were allowed to watch from a nearby hilltop.
Fake patients were taken to hospitals. Evacuees went to Patrick Henry High School. Emergency team leaders asked Valley Metro to pretend to shift to consolidated emergency routes to free up buses for human transport.
The leaders obtained cooperation from schools to pretend to keep students rather than send them home amid the toxic cloud.
Even though Valley Metro did not shift schedules and schools did not hold children, officials confirmed the capacity of those organizations to do such things in the future if needed.
Roanoke police Lt. Sam Roman said the scenario staged is within the realm of possibility for the Star City.
"It could happen," he said.
The police department would evacuate a neighborhood if actually needed by sending 20 to 25 officers into an area to knock on doors, get people out and mark each vacated dwelling with a masking-tape X.
Police deployed fewer officers Tuesday but have the resources to muster the amount needed, he said.
Fire-EMS Deputy Chief Ralph Tartaglia said the railroad hauls "a lot" of anhydrous ammonia -- an ingredient in fertilizer -- through the valley.
Dave Schoendorfer, manager of hazardous materials for Norfolk Southern, countered at the same news conference that "the volume is very small."
Schoendorfer said that asphalt is the hazardous item passing through the valley in the largest quantity. Asked to name the most toxic material moved through the valley, he said one of the most toxic items is denatured alcohol, which he went on to say is the ethanol frequently added to automobile fuel these days.
The railroad moves such materials under a legal duty prescribed by the federal government, he said.
Behind the scenes, disaster management teams are constantly training and perfecting plans. Some 200 personnel received fresh training in hazardous materials management last week in Roanoke.
Tuesday's drill, which culminates many months of work, was seen as a critical test of plans, personnel, equipment and strategic infrastructure.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Colorado Haz Mat Team Prepared for Emergency Situations
Haz Mat Team Prepared for Emergency Situations
Telluride Watch - Telluride,CO,USA
Sep 23, 2008
PUEBLO – Ouray County’s hazardous materials response team averages one hazardous-materials emergency per year, according to Norm Rooker, chief of Ouray County Emergency Medical Services. And if they’re lucky, they get called out of the county to back up another team maybe once every two or three years. Nevertheless, when something does go wrong, they have to be ready – and there are all kinds of things that can go wrong.
“Which is why we put so much emphasis on training to stay confident and sharp,” Rooker said. He and two other members of the OCEMS Haz Mat Team, Mike Bazin of Ouray and Dave Drew of Ridgway, recently attended a three-day training at a facility east of Pueblo to bone up on the assessment, containment and handling of chemicals such as gasoline, propane, acids, and anhydrous ammonia, often used locally as fertilizer for hayfields.
The session was part of a biannual training organized by the Western Slope Hazardous Materials Response Consortium and funded by grants obtained by county emergency management coordinators such as Ouray County’s Alan Staehle. The training consisted of classroom time and field work, with exercises probing everything from how to defray static electricity that could cause an explosion, to handling a spill near a residential neighborhood.
“Each [material] has different properties,” Rooker said. “Some pose a minimal threat. Some are explosive, some displace oxygen – they’re heavier than air.” Rooker said that the placards on vehicles carrying hazardous materials are required to help responders tell from a distance what they are dealing with. “We have what we call the rule of thumb: If you can’t cover up the incident with your thumb with your arm held in front of you, then you’re standing too close.”
While Highway 550 is off-limits to through-transport of hazardous materials, it is open to the transport of materials for local consumption, meaning anything bound for Ouray County as well as for Montrose, Delta and Gunnison counties. That can include gasoline, propane, kerosene, and agricultural chemicals. A 2004 study found that 58 percent of all hazardous materials transported into and through the county were petrochemicals.
In addition, the construction of a gasahol refinery in La Plata County has Rooker expecting an increase in transport of the ethanol-gasoline mix, which has its own unique set of hazards.
“For gasoline and other petroleum products, fire departments carry foam,” Rooker said. However, gasahol breaks down that foam, and while another product is available to fight ethanol fires, it’s more expensive, leaving departments scrambling to find the funding for it.
Regulations, however, don’t always keep the public and the environment safe. Rooker said that last year there were convoys of trucks, 12 to 16 per day, traveling through Ouray County carrying wastewater from gas-drilling projects on the West End, which is not covered by haz-mat regulations. “It may be mostly water, but it’s also contaminated with varying amounts of flammables and more importantly, benzene,” Rooker said. He said that a similar truck overturned near Carbondale the previous year that send six people to the hospital. However, since a new holding facility for the wastewater has been built, he doesn’t expect to see more of the trucks.
What regulations also miss are the people who choose to ignore them. Such was the case earlier this year when a flatbed carrying methanol overturned on Red Mountain Pass.
“The pass had been closed for six days,” Rooker said. “The driver was trying to make up for lost time and had an unfortunate accident.”
Rooker also cited the everyday over-the-counter hazardous materials that don’t get placarded. “Look at all the chemicals at the hardware store or the supermarket,” he said, citing paints, drain cleaners and petroleum distillates. “If I were to go to your house right now and look under your sink and in your garage I would easily find two dozen containers of hazardous chemicals. They’re OK by themselves, but if we were to have a flood or a fire we’d have to deal with them. That’s one of the reasons firefighters wear self-contained breathing apparatus.”
Next year’s training, involving response to radioactive incidents, is already being planned to take place at the Department of Homeland Security’s Nuclear and Radioactive Response School at the Nevada Test Site outside Las Vegas. Though Rooker doesn’t expect the increase in uranium mining in the West End to cause increases in transport of the materials in our direction – currently all ores are being shipped west to Utah for processing – nevertheless, OCEMS may have to go out on a call anyway. With the closest two-man technician teams based in Cortez and Grand Junction, each with a four-hour response time, it’s up to local operations crews, who work together when a job is too big for one county’s team, to hold the fort until they arrive.
“Because we’re so remote we run an operations team on steroids,” Rooker said. “We rescue victims, size up the operations on what we’re dealing with, do defensive operations like dike and dam to stop leaks, prevent it from getting into the water system, keep it out of the environment, and then we decontaminate the rescuers and victims.”
For more information on the Pueblo haz mat training facility go to www.hazmattraining.com. For more information on the Nevada Test Site radioactive response training program go to www.nv.doe.gov/library/factsheets/DOENV_1115.pdf.
Telluride Watch - Telluride,CO,USA
Sep 23, 2008
PUEBLO – Ouray County’s hazardous materials response team averages one hazardous-materials emergency per year, according to Norm Rooker, chief of Ouray County Emergency Medical Services. And if they’re lucky, they get called out of the county to back up another team maybe once every two or three years. Nevertheless, when something does go wrong, they have to be ready – and there are all kinds of things that can go wrong.
“Which is why we put so much emphasis on training to stay confident and sharp,” Rooker said. He and two other members of the OCEMS Haz Mat Team, Mike Bazin of Ouray and Dave Drew of Ridgway, recently attended a three-day training at a facility east of Pueblo to bone up on the assessment, containment and handling of chemicals such as gasoline, propane, acids, and anhydrous ammonia, often used locally as fertilizer for hayfields.
The session was part of a biannual training organized by the Western Slope Hazardous Materials Response Consortium and funded by grants obtained by county emergency management coordinators such as Ouray County’s Alan Staehle. The training consisted of classroom time and field work, with exercises probing everything from how to defray static electricity that could cause an explosion, to handling a spill near a residential neighborhood.
“Each [material] has different properties,” Rooker said. “Some pose a minimal threat. Some are explosive, some displace oxygen – they’re heavier than air.” Rooker said that the placards on vehicles carrying hazardous materials are required to help responders tell from a distance what they are dealing with. “We have what we call the rule of thumb: If you can’t cover up the incident with your thumb with your arm held in front of you, then you’re standing too close.”
While Highway 550 is off-limits to through-transport of hazardous materials, it is open to the transport of materials for local consumption, meaning anything bound for Ouray County as well as for Montrose, Delta and Gunnison counties. That can include gasoline, propane, kerosene, and agricultural chemicals. A 2004 study found that 58 percent of all hazardous materials transported into and through the county were petrochemicals.
In addition, the construction of a gasahol refinery in La Plata County has Rooker expecting an increase in transport of the ethanol-gasoline mix, which has its own unique set of hazards.
“For gasoline and other petroleum products, fire departments carry foam,” Rooker said. However, gasahol breaks down that foam, and while another product is available to fight ethanol fires, it’s more expensive, leaving departments scrambling to find the funding for it.
Regulations, however, don’t always keep the public and the environment safe. Rooker said that last year there were convoys of trucks, 12 to 16 per day, traveling through Ouray County carrying wastewater from gas-drilling projects on the West End, which is not covered by haz-mat regulations. “It may be mostly water, but it’s also contaminated with varying amounts of flammables and more importantly, benzene,” Rooker said. He said that a similar truck overturned near Carbondale the previous year that send six people to the hospital. However, since a new holding facility for the wastewater has been built, he doesn’t expect to see more of the trucks.
What regulations also miss are the people who choose to ignore them. Such was the case earlier this year when a flatbed carrying methanol overturned on Red Mountain Pass.
“The pass had been closed for six days,” Rooker said. “The driver was trying to make up for lost time and had an unfortunate accident.”
Rooker also cited the everyday over-the-counter hazardous materials that don’t get placarded. “Look at all the chemicals at the hardware store or the supermarket,” he said, citing paints, drain cleaners and petroleum distillates. “If I were to go to your house right now and look under your sink and in your garage I would easily find two dozen containers of hazardous chemicals. They’re OK by themselves, but if we were to have a flood or a fire we’d have to deal with them. That’s one of the reasons firefighters wear self-contained breathing apparatus.”
Next year’s training, involving response to radioactive incidents, is already being planned to take place at the Department of Homeland Security’s Nuclear and Radioactive Response School at the Nevada Test Site outside Las Vegas. Though Rooker doesn’t expect the increase in uranium mining in the West End to cause increases in transport of the materials in our direction – currently all ores are being shipped west to Utah for processing – nevertheless, OCEMS may have to go out on a call anyway. With the closest two-man technician teams based in Cortez and Grand Junction, each with a four-hour response time, it’s up to local operations crews, who work together when a job is too big for one county’s team, to hold the fort until they arrive.
“Because we’re so remote we run an operations team on steroids,” Rooker said. “We rescue victims, size up the operations on what we’re dealing with, do defensive operations like dike and dam to stop leaks, prevent it from getting into the water system, keep it out of the environment, and then we decontaminate the rescuers and victims.”
For more information on the Pueblo haz mat training facility go to www.hazmattraining.com. For more information on the Nevada Test Site radioactive response training program go to www.nv.doe.gov/library/factsheets/DOENV_1115.pdf.
Friday, September 26, 2008
HAZMAT Wash Down Berms
HOW LONG HAS BASIC CONCEPTS BEEN
MANUFACTURING WASH DOWN BERMS?
As you can see from this archived copy of Pollution Equipment News dated April 1991 issue #24 page 63, Basic Concepts has been building berms for wash down applications for over 17 years. Pictured in the photo above is Basic Concepts’ founder Edward Van Romer’s son who ran a distributorship of Basic Concepts’ products in Denver, CO under the name Solution Control Systems. And the rest is history…
About Basic Concepts
Basic Concepts is a World War II veteran owned small business that manufactures environmental spill containment products. Founded in 1988, the company is celebrating its 20th year of serving a global market one customer at a time. Want to know more about Basic Concepts and its full line of secondary containment berms and oil spill products? Please contact Basic Concepts, Inc, 1310 Harris Bridge Rd, Anderson, SC 29621, telephone 1-800-285-4203 or visit the company website at www.basicconcepts.com
MANUFACTURING WASH DOWN BERMS?
As you can see from this archived copy of Pollution Equipment News dated April 1991 issue #24 page 63, Basic Concepts has been building berms for wash down applications for over 17 years. Pictured in the photo above is Basic Concepts’ founder Edward Van Romer’s son who ran a distributorship of Basic Concepts’ products in Denver, CO under the name Solution Control Systems. And the rest is history…
About Basic Concepts
Basic Concepts is a World War II veteran owned small business that manufactures environmental spill containment products. Founded in 1988, the company is celebrating its 20th year of serving a global market one customer at a time. Want to know more about Basic Concepts and its full line of secondary containment berms and oil spill products? Please contact Basic Concepts, Inc, 1310 Harris Bridge Rd, Anderson, SC 29621, telephone 1-800-285-4203 or visit the company website at www.basicconcepts.com
Decon Berms in use at Dirksen Senate Building
September 22, 2008
With recent events bringing the 2001 Anthrax attack on the capital back into the headlines, several archived AP photos have been printed in USA Today and Newsweek as well as a Getty Image in Life Magazine that showcase the Sentry Quickberm in use as a decon wash down berm. Pictured above are hazmat worker going through personnel decon outside of the Dirksen Senate building.
Basic Concepts is proud to manufacture products that assists men and women in the service of our country do their jobs in a safer manner. Basic Concepts is a World War II veteran owned small business that manufactures environmental spill containment products. Founded in 1988, the company is celebrating its 20th year of serving a global market one customer at a time. Want to know more about Basic Concepts and its full line of secondary containment berms and oil spill products? Please contact Basic Concepts, Inc, 1310 Harris Bridge Rd, Anderson, SC 29621, telephone 1-800-285-4203 or visit the company website at www.basicconcepts.com.
Timeline of a Hazmat Response
How events unfolded: Chemical leak timeline
Seed Newsvine By KIETRYN ZYCHAL
Pocono Record Writer
January 13, 2008
"You tell the people of Monroe County that they should be very proud of their emergency responders," said Charles Decker, director of environmental health and security at Vertellus Health and Specialty Products, the site of an early-morning chemical spill in the Delaware Water Gap. "I have national responsibility for this company and I can tell you that the people here today are professional to the nth degree."
Decker's sentiments were echoed by division president Robert Molino.
Related Stories
Water Gap evacuated: Chemical leak ousts residents; no one hurt (with video) "This incident was handled very quickly and efficiently. This is a first class operation," he said. "I can't stress enough how grateful we are that no one was injured. And we apologize to the community for disrupting their Saturday, but there was a lot of flammable material and the fire chief felt they didn't want to risk having anyone here in the event the chemical was ignited."
Scott Turner is president and CEO of HMHTTC Response Inc. of Mount Arlington, N.J., the hazardous materials cleanup company contracted by Vertellus to handle chemical emergencies at its Delaware Water Gap plant. HMHTTC Response cleans chemical spills all over the United States. His business card reads "Masters of Disaster." When asked about the seriousness of this spill, Turner responded, "Initially, it was Level A, requiring the team to wear fully encapsulated suits. Later, it was downgraded to Level B."
When asked how local emergency responders compared to others across the country, he said, "You can't compare response teams in areas as different as Los Angeles, Chicago and the Poconos. But, I can tell you that this team was excellent. They spared no time in getting manpower and vehicles and equipment here. And they joined into a unified command and very wisely decided to let us handle our piece of the response," he said. When asked to clarify what he meant, Turner said, "For instance, in Chicago, they call the shots on everything." Turner said his company handles 3,000 calls a year nationwide from small incidents to heavy industrial spills like the recent oil spill in San Francisco. His clients include the top 100 trucking firms and eight of the top 10 tanker companies as well as railroads.
Timeline of the emergency spill response:
7:50 a.m. Vertellus employees place a 911 call to report a chemical spill and notify their private contractor, HMHTTC.
7:51 a.m. Bruce Henry, deputy director of the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management is listening to the police scanner at home in Tobyhanna when he receives the call from the 911 center. On the way to the Delaware Water Gap, Henry speaks to the Monroe County hazmat team to determine if the county or a private company will handle the chemical spill.
911 Center places a call to Delaware Water Gap Fire Company. DWG requests assistance from Shawnee, Marshall's Creek Fire Company and Stroud Township. Marshall's Creek has a truck with 3,000 feet of five-inch hose, which will be used for pumping water from Cherry Creek at the intersection of Route 611 and Broad Street to the spill site. Stroud Township supplies a command unit — a trailer utilized for meetings to coordinate the response. Suburban Ambulance is called to the scene. Dr. Robert Wallen, on staff at Pocono Medical Center and medical adviser to the Red Cross is called.
7:55 a.m. Henry, en route, calls Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in Wilkes-Barre to request assistance from their emergency response people.
After 8 a.m. Howard Ike, chief of the Delaware Water Gap Fire Company, instructs firefighters to evacuate residents of Delaware Water Gap.
Dr. Wallen contacts Red Cross volunteers to prepare to set up emergency shelters.
Monroe County Transit Authority is called to bring buses to the Interstate 80 Welcome Center for transport of evacuated residents.
Martz Bus Co. is instructed to reroute buses away from Delaware Water Gap bus terminal.
8:20 a.m. Henry arrives on scene. First responders of HMHTTC arrive to assess situation.
By 9:30 a.m. Two trailers from HMHTTC arrive with equipment. Volunteers and staff are at Red Cross headquarters. Shelters are set up at two schools, Smithfield Elementary and Stroudsburg High School. Residents have been evacuated. Salvation Army canteen sets up in staging area to provide snacks and water for firefighters.
9:30 a.m. Tobyhanna Army Depot's fire company sends a vehicle and an EMT to each emergency shelter.
10 a.m. HMHTTC, wearing Level A protection, assesses leak. It is determined that foam will be needed to suppress vapor from the chemical in the concrete containment pit beneath the tanks. Blue Ridge Fire Chief, Leon Clapper, brings a trailer from the Public Safety Center in Snydersville specifically equipped for Foam suppression. Lackawanna County also sends a foam equippped trailer as a back up.
Noon. Executives from Vertellus arrive on scene.
1-2 p.m. After HMHTTC concludes its inspection, foam is sprayed on pit beneath tank by volunteer firefighters wearing full protective gear.
2:30 p.m. Stroudsburg High shelter shuts down. Smithfield remains open.
3 p.m. HMHTTC vacuums liquid out of containment pit into storage tank.
4 p.m. Most of liquid has been removed from containment pit. Solid chemicals are removed after liquid.
5 p.m. Decontamination of firefighters who had contact with the chemical spill.
6 p.m. Residents return to homes. Emergency responders leave scene. HMHTTC employees remain to complete shutdown of site.
Seed Newsvine By KIETRYN ZYCHAL
Pocono Record Writer
January 13, 2008
"You tell the people of Monroe County that they should be very proud of their emergency responders," said Charles Decker, director of environmental health and security at Vertellus Health and Specialty Products, the site of an early-morning chemical spill in the Delaware Water Gap. "I have national responsibility for this company and I can tell you that the people here today are professional to the nth degree."
Decker's sentiments were echoed by division president Robert Molino.
Related Stories
Water Gap evacuated: Chemical leak ousts residents; no one hurt (with video) "This incident was handled very quickly and efficiently. This is a first class operation," he said. "I can't stress enough how grateful we are that no one was injured. And we apologize to the community for disrupting their Saturday, but there was a lot of flammable material and the fire chief felt they didn't want to risk having anyone here in the event the chemical was ignited."
Scott Turner is president and CEO of HMHTTC Response Inc. of Mount Arlington, N.J., the hazardous materials cleanup company contracted by Vertellus to handle chemical emergencies at its Delaware Water Gap plant. HMHTTC Response cleans chemical spills all over the United States. His business card reads "Masters of Disaster." When asked about the seriousness of this spill, Turner responded, "Initially, it was Level A, requiring the team to wear fully encapsulated suits. Later, it was downgraded to Level B."
When asked how local emergency responders compared to others across the country, he said, "You can't compare response teams in areas as different as Los Angeles, Chicago and the Poconos. But, I can tell you that this team was excellent. They spared no time in getting manpower and vehicles and equipment here. And they joined into a unified command and very wisely decided to let us handle our piece of the response," he said. When asked to clarify what he meant, Turner said, "For instance, in Chicago, they call the shots on everything." Turner said his company handles 3,000 calls a year nationwide from small incidents to heavy industrial spills like the recent oil spill in San Francisco. His clients include the top 100 trucking firms and eight of the top 10 tanker companies as well as railroads.
Timeline of the emergency spill response:
7:50 a.m. Vertellus employees place a 911 call to report a chemical spill and notify their private contractor, HMHTTC.
7:51 a.m. Bruce Henry, deputy director of the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management is listening to the police scanner at home in Tobyhanna when he receives the call from the 911 center. On the way to the Delaware Water Gap, Henry speaks to the Monroe County hazmat team to determine if the county or a private company will handle the chemical spill.
911 Center places a call to Delaware Water Gap Fire Company. DWG requests assistance from Shawnee, Marshall's Creek Fire Company and Stroud Township. Marshall's Creek has a truck with 3,000 feet of five-inch hose, which will be used for pumping water from Cherry Creek at the intersection of Route 611 and Broad Street to the spill site. Stroud Township supplies a command unit — a trailer utilized for meetings to coordinate the response. Suburban Ambulance is called to the scene. Dr. Robert Wallen, on staff at Pocono Medical Center and medical adviser to the Red Cross is called.
7:55 a.m. Henry, en route, calls Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in Wilkes-Barre to request assistance from their emergency response people.
After 8 a.m. Howard Ike, chief of the Delaware Water Gap Fire Company, instructs firefighters to evacuate residents of Delaware Water Gap.
Dr. Wallen contacts Red Cross volunteers to prepare to set up emergency shelters.
Monroe County Transit Authority is called to bring buses to the Interstate 80 Welcome Center for transport of evacuated residents.
Martz Bus Co. is instructed to reroute buses away from Delaware Water Gap bus terminal.
8:20 a.m. Henry arrives on scene. First responders of HMHTTC arrive to assess situation.
By 9:30 a.m. Two trailers from HMHTTC arrive with equipment. Volunteers and staff are at Red Cross headquarters. Shelters are set up at two schools, Smithfield Elementary and Stroudsburg High School. Residents have been evacuated. Salvation Army canteen sets up in staging area to provide snacks and water for firefighters.
9:30 a.m. Tobyhanna Army Depot's fire company sends a vehicle and an EMT to each emergency shelter.
10 a.m. HMHTTC, wearing Level A protection, assesses leak. It is determined that foam will be needed to suppress vapor from the chemical in the concrete containment pit beneath the tanks. Blue Ridge Fire Chief, Leon Clapper, brings a trailer from the Public Safety Center in Snydersville specifically equipped for Foam suppression. Lackawanna County also sends a foam equippped trailer as a back up.
Noon. Executives from Vertellus arrive on scene.
1-2 p.m. After HMHTTC concludes its inspection, foam is sprayed on pit beneath tank by volunteer firefighters wearing full protective gear.
2:30 p.m. Stroudsburg High shelter shuts down. Smithfield remains open.
3 p.m. HMHTTC vacuums liquid out of containment pit into storage tank.
4 p.m. Most of liquid has been removed from containment pit. Solid chemicals are removed after liquid.
5 p.m. Decontamination of firefighters who had contact with the chemical spill.
6 p.m. Residents return to homes. Emergency responders leave scene. HMHTTC employees remain to complete shutdown of site.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
HAZMAT Crew Utilized in Road Spill
HAZMAT spill temporarily closes the Midtown Tunnel Saturday
Updated: May 14, 2007 02:00 PM EDT
Commuters ran into trouble at the Midtown Tunnel early on Saturday.
The tunnel was closed for nearly five hours as HAZMAT crews cleaned up a hydrochloric acid spill.
The trail of hazardous material ran through the Midtown Tunnel and caused a trail of traffic to back up for hours.
"There was no crash. There was a load shift. One of the drums got cracked on the bottom and was leaking hydrochloric acid," explained Cheif Bruce Evans of the Norfolk Fire Department.
25 total gallons leaked from the truck. According to investigators the driver of the tractor trailer did not stop at the inspection station on the Portsmouth side of the tunnel prior to driving through. The truck was hauling three 55 gallon drums of hydrochloric acid and one drum of sodium hydroxide.
"Basic problems with hydrochloric acid is it's an irritant, it's an inhalation hazard, it's corrosive to the mucus membrane and liquidy tissues like the eyes, throat, things like that," said Evans.
Firefighters used an absorbant material to soak up the mess outside. The acid inside the tube will get special attention.
"They have a containment system for any runoff inside the tunnel, so that product will be contained within systems of the Midtown Tunnel," said Evans.
Fire officials said the driver faces four misdeamnor charges for having an improperly marked vehicle. State police may also file additional charges.
No one was hurt.
Updated: May 14, 2007 02:00 PM EDT
Commuters ran into trouble at the Midtown Tunnel early on Saturday.
The tunnel was closed for nearly five hours as HAZMAT crews cleaned up a hydrochloric acid spill.
The trail of hazardous material ran through the Midtown Tunnel and caused a trail of traffic to back up for hours.
"There was no crash. There was a load shift. One of the drums got cracked on the bottom and was leaking hydrochloric acid," explained Cheif Bruce Evans of the Norfolk Fire Department.
25 total gallons leaked from the truck. According to investigators the driver of the tractor trailer did not stop at the inspection station on the Portsmouth side of the tunnel prior to driving through. The truck was hauling three 55 gallon drums of hydrochloric acid and one drum of sodium hydroxide.
"Basic problems with hydrochloric acid is it's an irritant, it's an inhalation hazard, it's corrosive to the mucus membrane and liquidy tissues like the eyes, throat, things like that," said Evans.
Firefighters used an absorbant material to soak up the mess outside. The acid inside the tube will get special attention.
"They have a containment system for any runoff inside the tunnel, so that product will be contained within systems of the Midtown Tunnel," said Evans.
Fire officials said the driver faces four misdeamnor charges for having an improperly marked vehicle. State police may also file additional charges.
No one was hurt.
No Hazmat Job Too Big
September 24, 2008
I thought it would be appropriate to go back into the archives and pull up this equipment decon application. Pictured at right is a C140 plane in use by the U.S. Air Force. It flies missions all over the world where it risks being exposed to radiological and biological weapons. After such missions, it returns to base for decon in a 180'x180' Sentry Quickberm. Both equipment and personnel wash down are important aspects of proper hazmat decon.
Hazmat Response Unit Utilizing New Equipment
Reposted from: New Iberia Parish Haz Mat Response Unit
KLFY - Lafayette,LA,USA
and No Spill Zone
New Iberia Parish Haz Mat Response Unit
Posted: Dec 12, 2007 01:36 PM EST
Quicker response times. That’s what the Fire Chief says Iberia Parish will see now that their Fire Department has their own Haz-Mat spill Response Unit.
Fire Chief Chad Sonnier Says: ”In the past it would take an hour and a half of response time before they’ve even made it on the scene for search and rescue efforts to begin. Now, with this truck in service we’ll have rescue efforts underway with in 10 minutes after dispatch.”
The unit was first used when a Navy training jet crashed near the Acadiana Regional Airport. Using things like special absorbent pads and containment booms, Firefighters soaked up leaking jet fuel. Because of this equipment, the Fire Chief tells us the spill had a zero percent impact on the environment.
The unit has things like splash suits. They cover the entire body and protect Firefighters from chemical exposure. Special equipment like Spill Blocker Dikes can connect to form a perimeter on land to contain chemicals. The same can be done on water with BoomDikes. The unit even contains special blockers to fit over drains to keep chemicals from leaking through.
Fire Chief Chad Sonnier tells us since July his Department has received eight calls for flammable liquids spills. Before this new unit was established, the Parish was able to get private companies to respond to seven of those spills. At the latest spill the Department was able to successfully respond to with their new equipment.
KLFY - Lafayette,LA,USA
and No Spill Zone
New Iberia Parish Haz Mat Response Unit
Posted: Dec 12, 2007 01:36 PM EST
Quicker response times. That’s what the Fire Chief says Iberia Parish will see now that their Fire Department has their own Haz-Mat spill Response Unit.
Fire Chief Chad Sonnier Says: ”In the past it would take an hour and a half of response time before they’ve even made it on the scene for search and rescue efforts to begin. Now, with this truck in service we’ll have rescue efforts underway with in 10 minutes after dispatch.”
The unit was first used when a Navy training jet crashed near the Acadiana Regional Airport. Using things like special absorbent pads and containment booms, Firefighters soaked up leaking jet fuel. Because of this equipment, the Fire Chief tells us the spill had a zero percent impact on the environment.
The unit has things like splash suits. They cover the entire body and protect Firefighters from chemical exposure. Special equipment like Spill Blocker Dikes can connect to form a perimeter on land to contain chemicals. The same can be done on water with BoomDikes. The unit even contains special blockers to fit over drains to keep chemicals from leaking through.
Fire Chief Chad Sonnier tells us since July his Department has received eight calls for flammable liquids spills. Before this new unit was established, the Parish was able to get private companies to respond to seven of those spills. At the latest spill the Department was able to successfully respond to with their new equipment.
Hazmat Survival Tips: Stages of a Hazardous Material Incident
Haz-Mat Survival Tips: Stages of a Hazardous Materials Incident
Beyond the Rule of Thumb
Survival Tip 23
By Steven De Lisi
Hazardous materials generally present little threat to first responders and those who handle the material unless there is an unintended breach of a container resulting in a release of the material. Containers of hazardous materials are typically breached as a result of internal pressure created by exposure to excessive heat; a chemical reaction of the contents that causes an increase in pressure or deterioration of the container; or mechanical damage, such as when a container strikes an object with force or it is struck by another object, as when punctured by a forklift blade.
Regardless of the type of stress applied to a container, first responders will find that hazardous-materials incidents can often be divided into three stages, each stage with its own unique challenges. These stages are
Containers with an on-going release
Containers with the potential to release their contents
Containers that have already released their contents
Determining the stage of a hazardous-materials incident should be included during the initial size-up and hazard assessment by those first to arrive at the scene of a hazardous-materials incident. By doing so, first responders will be better able to determine just how aggressive they should be in attempting to manage the incident. For example, incidents involving a container with an ongoing release may require quick action to contain the spilled material, whereas those involving containers exposed to heat or a chemical reaction with the potential to release their contents (often as a result of the container's bursting) may require a rapid evacuation of all persons in the affected area. However, when dealing with incidents involving containers that have already released their contents prior to the arrival of first responders, there may be little that they need to do to improve the situation other than to isolate and deny entry to the spill area.
Although there are specific concerns for each stage of a hazardous-materials incident, first responders should remember that the stage can change throughout the course of an event, thereby presenting a combination of challenges to the safe handling of the incident.
Containers with an ongoing release
Incidents involving containers with an ongoing release may be the result of mechanical damage to the container or valves, or exposure to heat, which has activated a pressure relief device. In this stage, first responders are faced with three considerations:
Behavior of the hazardous material based upon its physical state.
Stopping the release.
Containing the release.
The physical state of a hazardous material may be solid, liquid, or gas. For first responders, a gas is the most difficult form of material to deal with since containment, especially outdoors, is difficult. However, solids and liquids can create dust and vapors respectively, and they present the same containment difficulties as any gas.
To contain the release of liquids, first responders are usually taught how to construct temporary barriers using soil, granular absorbents, or specially designed absorbent booms. When using any of this containment equipment, the following questions must be asked:
Is containment equipment available at the scene?
Will the containment medium react with the hazardous material?
How much material has already been released?
How much more material will continue to be released?
The importance of estimating the size of the release is critical to ensure that containment areas are of adequate capacity. For example, retention basins created to contain the release of a liquid hazardous material may need to be pumped out during the course of an incident to avoid overflowing. Remember that the time to order a vacuum truck for this purpose is long before the liquid reaches the top of the basin.
When dealing with cargo tanks, some first responders may assume that all have multiple compartments, so that a tear in one compartment will result in a release from only that section of the tank. However, some cargo tanks may be what are sometimes referred to as a "single shot" tank, meaning that the tank is open from end to end and a breach in any one portion of the tank could result in the release of the entire contents.
The release of a liquid from a container will usually subside when the level of the liquid reaches the level of the breach. Although some first responders may then assume that the leak may then subside, the reality is that as the liquid level in a container changes, the center of gravity changes as well. For containers resting solidly on level ground, this is of no consequence. However, for those found in an unstable configuration, such as a cargo tank that has overturned down an embankment, the position of the container may shift as the liquid level drops, thereby continuing to lower the breach below the liquid level and allowing the container to leak long after first responders believed it would stop.
The potential for some containers of hazardous materials to shift position during an incident can pose a severe threat to first responders working nearby. In these situations, it is important to stabilize containers. This can be accomplished with wooden blocks for individual containers such as drums or securing large vehicles with cables from a wrecker truck or crane.
Access to containment equipment is often a challenge for first responders. For many departments, this equipment is normally not carried on first-due apparatus but is often relegated to a small trailer or special utility truck. Unfortunately, the arrival of these trucks and trailers is usually delayed, forcing first responders to use makeshift means for containment.
In the absence of absorbent booms, you can sometimes construct an underflow dam by using a small section of plastic pipe, but since this pipe is likely carried on the same truck or trailer as the booms, you may have to use a section of hard suction hose instead. Always remember that, for booms or underflow dams to be effective, the hazardous material to be contained must not mix with water and it must float on the surface.
Containers with the potential to release their contents
Containers of hazardous materials that have not released their contents do not normally present a danger to first responders unless there is the threat of a chemical, thermal, or mechanical stress that can affect the integrity of the container. Potential sources of mechanical stress include situations such as the structural collapse of a building, a tank resting in an unstable position with the potential to fall, or first responders handling a container. As mentioned previously, chemical and thermal stress can increase internal pressure; and if the container is not equipped with a pressure-relief device, as is the case with most containers of liquids, the increase in pressure can cause the container to burst with great force.
Remember that thermal stress is not just the result of exposure to fire, but also can be caused by ambient temperature and exposure to direct sunlight. Depending on the location of the incident and the time of year, there can be wide fluctuations of outdoor temperatures during the course of an incident.
There can always be a combination of stressors acting on a container, and they can present unique hazards to first responders. In particular, a container that has already been weakened by mechanical damage may fail sooner if subjected to an increase in internal pressure from subsequent chemical or thermal stress.
For containers equipped with a pressure-relief device, there may be less of a chance of the container's exploding from this excessive internal pressure. However, the effectiveness of a pressure-relief device may be compromised by mechanical stress to the container, since the amount of pressure a damaged container can withstand may be less than the setting of the pressure-relief device, meaning that the container may burst before the pressure-relief device opens--or even while the device is in operation.
Chemical stress includes situations in which certain types of corrosive material stored in lined metal containers attack the container wall because of lining failure. Chemical stress can also occur when certain materials are mixed, such as when employees in the act of disposing of hazardous waste place material in the wrong container or when a rail car containing a small amount of liquid residue is filled with another, incompatible material.
Thermal stress can sometimes be relieved by cooling containers with water or moving them from the source of heat exposure. You must first consider the potential of hazards to first responders should the containers burst before undertaking these activities. In some situations, first responders may instead decide that a retreat to safety is in order.
Likewise, removing all persons from an affected area may be the best approach when dealing with containers subject to chemical stress, since there is most likely very little first responders can do to correct the situation. Allowing the container to burst with all persons withdrawn from the area or waiting for the chemical stress to relieve itself may be the only ways to safely stop the increase of internal pressure.
Containers that have already released their contents
Incidents in which containers have released their entire contents prior to the arrival of first responders usually involve small containers such as those intended for use by consumers. Examples include one-gallon and five-gallon containers, paper bags, plastic containers, and cardboard boxes. Since they are intended for ease of handling, the volume and weight are usually limited, yet the very fact that these containers are designed to be handled invites the potential for them to be dropped or otherwise exposed to mechanical stress.
These incidents typically result in a relatively small release of product when compared to bulk tanks, yet first responders must remember that five gallons of material can still have a significant impact--for example, if it were spilled into a waterway. Likewise, a jar of pesticide concentrate may contain very little product, yet the potential for extreme toxicity is a real threat that cannot be underestimated because of the small size of the release.
There are two advantages to first responders when dealing with containers that have already released their contents: (1) They can usually visualize the amount of material released and are therefore are better able to estimate potential exposure and determine the size of a containment area; (2) there is no need to deal with the hazards of an ongoing release or an incident with a potential for release mentioned previously. Furthermore, unless the material is migrating from the incident scene, such as on a sloped surface moving towards a drain, there may be little first responders need to do to contain the material. Of course, although some first responders may be content with this fact, remember that incidents occurring outdoors are subject to environmental factors, most notably rain, and that a sudden storm moving through an area can turn a relatively minor spill involving five gallons of paint into a fast-moving nightmare that needs to be contained in a manner that is no different than handling an ongoing release from a cargo tank.
The stage of a hazardous-materials incident should always be a factor when determining the level of involvement of first responders attempting to resolve the incident. Of all the stages, remember that the most critical is the one in which first responders are faced with a container without an active release on arrival. All too often, first responders may be lulled into a false sense of security, yet there may be disastrous consequences unless they determine early in the incident the potential for the container to release its contents and take the appropriate steps to protect themselves and the public.
Click here for more info on Steven De Lisi's book, Hazardous Materials Incidents: Surviving the Initial Response.
Steven M. De Lisi retired after a fire service career spanning 27 years that included serving as a regional training manager for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) and most recently as the deputy chief for the Virginia Air Guard Fire Rescue. De Lisi is a hazardous materials specialist; he continues to coordinate a statewide training program for the investigation of environmental crimes as an adjunct instructor for VDFP. De Lisi began his career in hazardous-materials response in 1982 as a member of the hazmat team with the Newport News (VA) Fire Department. Since then, he has also served as a hazardous materials officer for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management; in that capacity, he provided on-scene assistance to first responders involved with hazardous-materials incidents in an area that included more than 20 local jurisdictions.
December 23, 2007
Beyond the Rule of Thumb
Survival Tip 23
By Steven De Lisi
Hazardous materials generally present little threat to first responders and those who handle the material unless there is an unintended breach of a container resulting in a release of the material. Containers of hazardous materials are typically breached as a result of internal pressure created by exposure to excessive heat; a chemical reaction of the contents that causes an increase in pressure or deterioration of the container; or mechanical damage, such as when a container strikes an object with force or it is struck by another object, as when punctured by a forklift blade.
Regardless of the type of stress applied to a container, first responders will find that hazardous-materials incidents can often be divided into three stages, each stage with its own unique challenges. These stages are
Containers with an on-going release
Containers with the potential to release their contents
Containers that have already released their contents
Determining the stage of a hazardous-materials incident should be included during the initial size-up and hazard assessment by those first to arrive at the scene of a hazardous-materials incident. By doing so, first responders will be better able to determine just how aggressive they should be in attempting to manage the incident. For example, incidents involving a container with an ongoing release may require quick action to contain the spilled material, whereas those involving containers exposed to heat or a chemical reaction with the potential to release their contents (often as a result of the container's bursting) may require a rapid evacuation of all persons in the affected area. However, when dealing with incidents involving containers that have already released their contents prior to the arrival of first responders, there may be little that they need to do to improve the situation other than to isolate and deny entry to the spill area.
Although there are specific concerns for each stage of a hazardous-materials incident, first responders should remember that the stage can change throughout the course of an event, thereby presenting a combination of challenges to the safe handling of the incident.
Containers with an ongoing release
Incidents involving containers with an ongoing release may be the result of mechanical damage to the container or valves, or exposure to heat, which has activated a pressure relief device. In this stage, first responders are faced with three considerations:
Behavior of the hazardous material based upon its physical state.
Stopping the release.
Containing the release.
The physical state of a hazardous material may be solid, liquid, or gas. For first responders, a gas is the most difficult form of material to deal with since containment, especially outdoors, is difficult. However, solids and liquids can create dust and vapors respectively, and they present the same containment difficulties as any gas.
To contain the release of liquids, first responders are usually taught how to construct temporary barriers using soil, granular absorbents, or specially designed absorbent booms. When using any of this containment equipment, the following questions must be asked:
Is containment equipment available at the scene?
Will the containment medium react with the hazardous material?
How much material has already been released?
How much more material will continue to be released?
The importance of estimating the size of the release is critical to ensure that containment areas are of adequate capacity. For example, retention basins created to contain the release of a liquid hazardous material may need to be pumped out during the course of an incident to avoid overflowing. Remember that the time to order a vacuum truck for this purpose is long before the liquid reaches the top of the basin.
When dealing with cargo tanks, some first responders may assume that all have multiple compartments, so that a tear in one compartment will result in a release from only that section of the tank. However, some cargo tanks may be what are sometimes referred to as a "single shot" tank, meaning that the tank is open from end to end and a breach in any one portion of the tank could result in the release of the entire contents.
The release of a liquid from a container will usually subside when the level of the liquid reaches the level of the breach. Although some first responders may then assume that the leak may then subside, the reality is that as the liquid level in a container changes, the center of gravity changes as well. For containers resting solidly on level ground, this is of no consequence. However, for those found in an unstable configuration, such as a cargo tank that has overturned down an embankment, the position of the container may shift as the liquid level drops, thereby continuing to lower the breach below the liquid level and allowing the container to leak long after first responders believed it would stop.
The potential for some containers of hazardous materials to shift position during an incident can pose a severe threat to first responders working nearby. In these situations, it is important to stabilize containers. This can be accomplished with wooden blocks for individual containers such as drums or securing large vehicles with cables from a wrecker truck or crane.
Access to containment equipment is often a challenge for first responders. For many departments, this equipment is normally not carried on first-due apparatus but is often relegated to a small trailer or special utility truck. Unfortunately, the arrival of these trucks and trailers is usually delayed, forcing first responders to use makeshift means for containment.
In the absence of absorbent booms, you can sometimes construct an underflow dam by using a small section of plastic pipe, but since this pipe is likely carried on the same truck or trailer as the booms, you may have to use a section of hard suction hose instead. Always remember that, for booms or underflow dams to be effective, the hazardous material to be contained must not mix with water and it must float on the surface.
Containers with the potential to release their contents
Containers of hazardous materials that have not released their contents do not normally present a danger to first responders unless there is the threat of a chemical, thermal, or mechanical stress that can affect the integrity of the container. Potential sources of mechanical stress include situations such as the structural collapse of a building, a tank resting in an unstable position with the potential to fall, or first responders handling a container. As mentioned previously, chemical and thermal stress can increase internal pressure; and if the container is not equipped with a pressure-relief device, as is the case with most containers of liquids, the increase in pressure can cause the container to burst with great force.
Remember that thermal stress is not just the result of exposure to fire, but also can be caused by ambient temperature and exposure to direct sunlight. Depending on the location of the incident and the time of year, there can be wide fluctuations of outdoor temperatures during the course of an incident.
There can always be a combination of stressors acting on a container, and they can present unique hazards to first responders. In particular, a container that has already been weakened by mechanical damage may fail sooner if subjected to an increase in internal pressure from subsequent chemical or thermal stress.
For containers equipped with a pressure-relief device, there may be less of a chance of the container's exploding from this excessive internal pressure. However, the effectiveness of a pressure-relief device may be compromised by mechanical stress to the container, since the amount of pressure a damaged container can withstand may be less than the setting of the pressure-relief device, meaning that the container may burst before the pressure-relief device opens--or even while the device is in operation.
Chemical stress includes situations in which certain types of corrosive material stored in lined metal containers attack the container wall because of lining failure. Chemical stress can also occur when certain materials are mixed, such as when employees in the act of disposing of hazardous waste place material in the wrong container or when a rail car containing a small amount of liquid residue is filled with another, incompatible material.
Thermal stress can sometimes be relieved by cooling containers with water or moving them from the source of heat exposure. You must first consider the potential of hazards to first responders should the containers burst before undertaking these activities. In some situations, first responders may instead decide that a retreat to safety is in order.
Likewise, removing all persons from an affected area may be the best approach when dealing with containers subject to chemical stress, since there is most likely very little first responders can do to correct the situation. Allowing the container to burst with all persons withdrawn from the area or waiting for the chemical stress to relieve itself may be the only ways to safely stop the increase of internal pressure.
Containers that have already released their contents
Incidents in which containers have released their entire contents prior to the arrival of first responders usually involve small containers such as those intended for use by consumers. Examples include one-gallon and five-gallon containers, paper bags, plastic containers, and cardboard boxes. Since they are intended for ease of handling, the volume and weight are usually limited, yet the very fact that these containers are designed to be handled invites the potential for them to be dropped or otherwise exposed to mechanical stress.
These incidents typically result in a relatively small release of product when compared to bulk tanks, yet first responders must remember that five gallons of material can still have a significant impact--for example, if it were spilled into a waterway. Likewise, a jar of pesticide concentrate may contain very little product, yet the potential for extreme toxicity is a real threat that cannot be underestimated because of the small size of the release.
There are two advantages to first responders when dealing with containers that have already released their contents: (1) They can usually visualize the amount of material released and are therefore are better able to estimate potential exposure and determine the size of a containment area; (2) there is no need to deal with the hazards of an ongoing release or an incident with a potential for release mentioned previously. Furthermore, unless the material is migrating from the incident scene, such as on a sloped surface moving towards a drain, there may be little first responders need to do to contain the material. Of course, although some first responders may be content with this fact, remember that incidents occurring outdoors are subject to environmental factors, most notably rain, and that a sudden storm moving through an area can turn a relatively minor spill involving five gallons of paint into a fast-moving nightmare that needs to be contained in a manner that is no different than handling an ongoing release from a cargo tank.
The stage of a hazardous-materials incident should always be a factor when determining the level of involvement of first responders attempting to resolve the incident. Of all the stages, remember that the most critical is the one in which first responders are faced with a container without an active release on arrival. All too often, first responders may be lulled into a false sense of security, yet there may be disastrous consequences unless they determine early in the incident the potential for the container to release its contents and take the appropriate steps to protect themselves and the public.
Click here for more info on Steven De Lisi's book, Hazardous Materials Incidents: Surviving the Initial Response.
Steven M. De Lisi retired after a fire service career spanning 27 years that included serving as a regional training manager for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) and most recently as the deputy chief for the Virginia Air Guard Fire Rescue. De Lisi is a hazardous materials specialist; he continues to coordinate a statewide training program for the investigation of environmental crimes as an adjunct instructor for VDFP. De Lisi began his career in hazardous-materials response in 1982 as a member of the hazmat team with the Newport News (VA) Fire Department. Since then, he has also served as a hazardous materials officer for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management; in that capacity, he provided on-scene assistance to first responders involved with hazardous-materials incidents in an area that included more than 20 local jurisdictions.
December 23, 2007
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