Chemical Plant disaster scenario on front page

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We have lived in the same house for fifteen years - five miles north of the chemical plants in this article. I cannot recall anyone warning of these scenarios in the last 15 years. The article says not to worry "they have an extensive computerized warning system, including sirens and automatic calls to the 1,000 residences within the warning area". Well, GOSH, I feel so much better knowing the whole damn warning system is COMPUTERIZED!

Does anyone know of the federal law mentioned in this article? Is compliance with the law by June 21st and Y2K just a coincidence? Why do I get the feeling that the author of this article is trying to "misdirect" the true intent?

Is this happening in your vicinity at the same time?

Got gas masks?

link: http://www.wichitaeagle.com/news/local/community/wichita/docs/vulcan0318_txt.htm

Sorry, I don't know how to hotlink this yet.

begin cut and paste:

Being prepared, just in case Law requires that companies make disaster scenarios public

By Jean Hays The Wichita Eagle The worst imaginable accident at the Vulcan Chemicals plant southwest of Wichita would release a cloud of chlorine gas that could be hazardous to people 25 miles away. Paul Tobia, manager of Vulcan's Wichita plant near 55th Street South and Ridge Road, says such a catastrophic accident involving the company's 600-ton chlorine tank is highly unlikely because of safety equipment designed to prevent such accidents. The provocative scenario, though, is the outgrowth of a new federal law requiring chemical companies, warehouses, manufacturing plants, co-ops and water treatment plants to make public their worst-case scenarios for chemical accidents. About 1,300 facilities in Kansas will have to file worst-case accident scenarios with the federal government by June 21, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. About 400 companies in Sedgwick County routinely store hazardous chemicals. But only 20 or 30 of them have large enough quantities of extremely hazardous chemicals to trigger the reporting of worst-case accidents, according to estimates by Vulcan Chemicals. This week, Vulcan and a neighboring chemical plant, Air Products, are telling people living close to the plants of the potential disasters. They are the first local companies to comply with the law. In the coming months, residents of Riverside and adjacent neighborhoods will learn that they face potential danger from tanks of chlorine and ammonia stored at the city's water treatment plant, near Cowtown and Botanica. Nearly every small town with a farmer's co-op will be reminded of the deadly potential of ammonia. The contents of a one-ton cylinder of chlorine could travel as far as three miles before it dissipates to the point that it is no longer hazardous. The contents of a 100-ton ammonia tank -- a standard size found at co-ops -- can travel 14 miles before it is no longer dangerous to human health. Vulcan also is making public its "realistic worst-case scenario." Tobia thinks it is far more likely -- but still unlikely -- that a bad accident at the plant could release a chlorine cloud about 3.3 miles long. That would be enough to cover perhaps 1,000 homes and as many as three schools with chlorine, a gas that can irritate eyes and lungs and, at high enough levels, cause blindness or even death. Intended to scare Companies are nervous about making the plans public. "This is a planning tool, not a prediction," Tobia said. "Most probably it never will happen. Of course it is going to scare people. That is what it is intended to do." Indeed. Congress decided that the public had a right to know about the chemicals used and stored in their neighborhoods after a chemical release at a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, killed 2,500 people in 1984. Although U.S. industries argued that it couldn't happen here, a chemical release at a Union Carbide plant in West Virginia eight months later injured 135. The requirements, which are part of the Clean Air Act, are patterned after the toxic release inventory, which requires companies to tell the public the amount of toxic chemicals released to the air, water and land every year. In response to public scrutiny, 26 of the companies required to file have reduced the amount of toxic chemicals escaping through smoke stacks and being poured into streams by 90 percent from 1987 levels. Now the EPA is hoping the same public scrutiny will help reduce the potential for chemical accidents by forcing companies to re-examine safety precautions. The law also is intended to make sure companies and communities are prepared for a catastrophe. For instance, in the past several years: Eighteen residents were injured and four workers were killed when 5,700 tons of ammonia were released from a fertilizer plant in Port Neal, Iowa. People living as far as 15 miles away were evacuated. About 2,000 residents were evacuated when hydrogen sulfide was released from a terminal in Savannah, Ga. Some could not return home for 30 days. Eighteen residents and 58 employees were injured in a chemical plant explosion in Elkhart, Ind. Sedgwick County has not had an accident involving chemicals that endangered the public, according to Mike Rudd, Wichita's deputy fire chief. Companies in Sedgwick County reported 84 accidental releases and spills of toxic or flammable chemicals last year, according to the adjutant general's office. Only Butler and Johnson counties reported more spills and accidents. Most of those were not serious. The city and county's hazardous materials response unit averages about one call a month where there is a potential threat to the public, Rudd said. Local responses The Sedgwick County Emergency Preparedness office is just now beginning to educate the public about chemical releases. Staff members are visiting area school districts, showing teachers and principals how to "shelter in place" -- go inside, turn off all fans and ventilation systems, tape the windows and doors shut and breathe through wet towels. The Wichita public school district plans to review its chemical emergency plan, also built around sheltering in place, with principals in August. Already, some companies have made changes to make their plants safer. All four aircraft companies have switched to less toxic chemicals in the past few years, thanks to right-to-know laws. Air Products, 6601 S. Ridge, also has made changes. The company changed its processes several year ago so that it no longer needed to store ammonia at the plant. An ammonia release would have spread dangerous levels of gas for 14 miles. Now that the ammonia tank has been removed, the most dangerous chemical at the plant is acrylonitrile, which, if inhaled, can damage the nervous system and burn lungs. Air Products estimates that in its worst-possible accident, a cloud of acrylonitrile could travel 2.6 miles, just far enough to reach Oatville Elementary School, 4335 S. Hoover. At the school, which is less than three miles from three chemical plants, children practice chemical-release drills, right along with tornado and fire drills, said Pat Yorgensen, the principal. Whenever there is a chance that something can go wrong, the chemical plants alert the school, she said. Students shelter in place about once a year. The response is so automatic, Yorgensen said, that when the DeBruce Grain elevator exploded in June, she automatically began shutting doors and windows and turning off fans. To keep the public informed, Vulcan, Elf Atochem and Air Products have installed a computerized alert system that will simultaneously call 1,000 homes within the 3.5-mile area. Although none of the plants has reported a release in which chemicals have reached a residential area, the alarm does go off a couple of times a year, said Leland Wells, the closest neighbor to Vulcan. He and his wife keep a portable radio handy at all times so they can tune in for instructions on what to do. Still, Wells said, he is not worried. "I have no quarrel with Vulcan," he said. "I believe if and when they think there is a problem, they will take steps to correct it." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jean Hays writes about the environment. She can be reached at 268-6557 or jhays@wichitaeagle.com.

End cut and paste......

-- Planebuilder (Y2KOldgeek@aol.com), March 18, 1999

Answers

Law Requires That Companies Make Disaster Scenarios Public

Updated THURSDAY March 18, 1999

Being Prepared, Just In Case

Law requires that companies make disaster scenarios public

By Jean Hays, The Wichita Eagle

The worst imaginable accident at the Vulcan Chemicals plant southwest of Wichita would release a cloud of chlorine gas that could be hazardous to people 25 miles away.

Paul Tobia, manager of Vulcan's Wichita plant near 55th Street South and Ridge Road, says such a catastrophic accident involving the company's 600-ton chlorine tank is highly unlikely because of safety equipment designed to prevent such accidents.

The provocative scenario, though, is the outgrowth of a new federal law requiring chemical companies, warehouses, manufacturing plants, co-ops and water treatment plants to make public their worst-case scenarios for chemical accidents.

About 1,300 facilities in Kansas will have to file worst-case accident scenarios with the federal government by June 21, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

About 400 companies in Sedgwick County routinely store hazardous chemicals. But only 20 or 30 of them have large enough quantities of extremely hazardous chemicals to trigger the reporting of worst-case accidents, according to estimates by Vulcan Chemicals.

This week, Vulcan and a neighboring chemical plant, Air Products, are telling people living close to the plants of the potential disasters. They are the first local companies to comply with the law. In the coming months, residents of Riverside and adjacent neighborhoods will learn that they face potential danger from tanks of chlorine and ammonia stored at the city's water treatment plant, near Cowtown and Botanica.

Nearly every small town with a farmer's co-op will be reminded of the deadly potential of ammonia. The contents of a one-ton cylinder of chlorine could travel as far as three miles before it dissipates to the point that it is no longer hazardous. The contents of a 100-ton ammonia tank -- a standard size found at co-ops -- can travel 14 miles before it is no longer dangerous to human health. Vulcan also is making public its "realistic worst-case scenario." Tobia thinks it is far more likely -- but still unlikely -- that a bad accident at the plant could release a chlorine cloud about 3.3 miles long. That would be enough to cover perhaps 1,000 homes and as many as three schools with chlorine, a gas that can irritate eyes and lungs and, at high enough levels, cause blindness or even death.

Intended to scare

Companies are nervous about making the plans public.

"This is a planning tool, not a prediction," Tobia said. "Most probably it never will happen. Of course it is going to scare people. That is what it is intended to do."

Indeed.

Congress decided that the public had a right to know about the chemicals used and stored in their neighborhoods after a chemical release at a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, killed 2,500 people in 1984. Although U.S. industries argued that it couldn't happen here, a chemical release at a Union Carbide plant in West Virginia eight months later injured 135.

The requirements, which are part of the Clean Air Act, are patterned after the toxic release inventory, which requires companies to tell the public the amount of toxic chemicals released to the air, water and land every year.

In response to public scrutiny, 26 of the companies required to file have reduced the amount of toxic chemicals escaping through smoke stacks and being poured into streams by 90 percent from 1987 levels. Now the EPA is hoping the same public scrutiny will help reduce the potential for chemical accidents by forcing companies to re-examine safety precautions.

The law also is intended to make sure companies and communities are prepared for a catastrophe. For instance, in the past several years:

* Eighteen residents were injured and four workers were killed when 5,700 tons of ammonia were released from a fertilizer plant in Port Neal, Iowa. People living as far as 15 miles away were evacuated.

* About 2,000 residents were evacuated when hydrogen sulfide was released from a terminal in Savannah, Ga. Some could not return home for 30 days.

* Eighteen residents and 58 employees were injured in a chemical plant explosion in Elkhart, Ind. Sedgwick County has not had an accident involving chemicals that endangered the public, according to Mike Rudd, Wichita's deputy fire chief.

Companies in Sedgwick County reported 84 accidental releases and spills of toxic or flammable chemicals last year, according to the adjutant general's office. Only Butler and Johnson counties reported more spills and accidents.

Most of those were not serious. The city and county's hazardous materials response unit averages about one call a month where there is a potential threat to the public, Rudd said.

Local responses

The Sedgwick County Emergency Preparedness office is just now beginning to educate the public about chemical releases.

Staff members are visiting area school districts, showing teachers and principals how to "shelter in place" -- go inside, turn off all fans and ventilation systems, tape the windows and doors shut and breathe through wet towels.

The Wichita public school district plans to review its chemical emergency plan, also built around sheltering in place, with principals in August.

Already, some companies have made changes to make their plants safer.

All four aircraft companies have switched to less toxic chemicals in the past few years, thanks to right-to-know laws.

Air Products, 6601 S. Ridge, also has made changes.

The company changed its processes several year ago so that it no longer needed to store ammonia at the plant. An ammonia release would have spread dangerous levels of gas for 14 miles.

Now that the ammonia tank has been removed, the most dangerous chemical at the plant is acrylonitrile, which, if inhaled, can damage the nervous system and burn lungs.

Air Products estimates that in its worst-possible accident, a cloud of acrylonitrile could travel 2.6 miles, just far enough to reach Oatville Elementary School, 4335 S. Hoover.

At the school, which is less than three miles from three chemical plants, children practice chemical-release drills, right along with tornado and fire drills, said Pat Yorgensen, the principal.

Whenever there is a chance that something can go wrong, the chemical plants alert the school, she said. Students shelter in place about once a year.

The response is so automatic, Yorgensen said, that when the DeBruce Grain elevator exploded in June, she automatically began shutting doors and windows and turning off fans.

To keep the public informed, Vulcan, Elf Atochem and Air Products have installed a computerized alert system that will simultaneously call 1,000 homes within the 3.5-mile area.

Although none of the plants has reported a release in which chemicals have reached a residential area, the alarm does go off a couple of times a year, said Leland Wells, the closest neighbor to Vulcan.

He and his wife keep a portable radio handy at all times so they can tune in for instructions on what to do.

Still, Wells said, he is not worried.

"I have no quarrel with Vulcan," he said. "I believe if and when they think there is a problem, they will take steps to correct it."

Jean Hays writes about the environment. She can be reached at 268-6557 or jhays@wichitaeagle.com

.................................................................

-- buddy (tahelp@ya.format), March 19, 1999.


It's a real law. Big companies have to have the information out in the first quarter and have community meetings and such by the second quarter. Saw the pamphlet put out by our local association. Real basic introductory stuff. It'll get deeper. My company (a chemical plant) introduced the program at our monthly safety meetings in January. We already had all this good neighbor stuff going on, now it seems everyone must be just as forthright. Not a bad idea to know the possibilities when you live so close to the disaster zone.

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), March 19, 1999.

Okay, how do I find this information? Where do I go to find out if there are any potential dangers in my area, and what/where they are? Right now I don't know where to start.

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), March 19, 1999.

Shimrod,

I would start by calling Jean Hayes at the Eagle and asking her to give you information on her sources for the report. There must be someone at EPA (don't know what their site address is) that you could contact for information on a specific area.

Jean Hays can be reached at (316)268-6557 or jhays@wichitaeagle.com

LOL

Mike.

-- Planebuilder (Y2kOldgeek@aol.com), March 19, 1999.


Also, try the Chemical Manufacturer's Association. They're responding responsibly to the requirement.

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), March 19, 1999.


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