Bhopal, NJ?

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A Union Carbide factory in NJ has some sort of runaway chemical reaction going on, they're preparing to evacuate the surrounding community.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 19, 1999

Answers

WAAAHOOO!

The baloon has gone up! Hint...it's a Beach Secondary Clock issue. Sort of a Pseudo Jo Anne Effect...watch for more next 11 Days.

-- Z (Z@Z.Z), December 19, 1999.


Well cripes...where did you get this information?? Please enlighten us Schwarzie.

-- (tsk@tsk.tsk), December 19, 1999.

Fox News "this just in" type announcement.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 19, 1999.

Fox just did a news update..... nothing about Union Carbide.

-- (tsk@tsk.tsk), December 19, 1999.

Union Carbide just can't seem to get it together, can they ? This will be another major payout for sterilizing that section of the earth. I'm on my way to Walmart before battery prices go up again !

Oh, and in passing I guess I can say there is one good thing about NAFTA. They aren't sterilizing their home turf (I know, very calloused). Sorry.

-- Rob (maxovrdrv51@hotmail.com), December 19, 1999.



Well hey there, Tucskie, are you accusing me of lying?

If so, you should brace for a ration of crow.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 19, 1999.


OK, what's up with this? Nothing on the local news radio, nothing on any news sites, including Fox. I'll watch the 11:00 news.

How about a little help here people, I'm in NJ!!! <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), December 19, 1999.


Schwartz,

Don't have a cow. I just said there was nothing on the news about it. Christ you are a paranoid son-of-a-bitch.

-- (tsk@tsk.tsk), December 19, 1999.


Let's keep your mother out of this, bro.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 19, 1999.

Hey here's the story...

http://hotnews.nj.com/cgi-free/getstory.cgi?j0162_AM_NJ-BRF-- PlantEmergenc&NJO&news&njreg

For educational and evacuational purposes only:

Town prepares for evacuation as chemical overheats at Union Carbide plant

The Associated Press 12/19/99 9:02 PM

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- Residents near the Union Carbide plant in this Somerset County town were advised to prepare for an evacuation Sunday night after a toxic chemical inexplicably began to overheat, reaching temperatures nearly four times normal, officials said.

Township manager Kenneth Daly said the tank containing ethyl acrylate, a paint-making chemical that is normally kept at a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, began overheating Sunday afternoon.

The few employees at the plant were evacuated, and an emergency cooling system was activated, but Daly said temperatures continued to rise, reaching 112 degrees Celsius by 8 p.m.

Daly said the company did not know what caused the temperature to continue rising, and township police began notifying residents near the plant to close windows and doors and prepare for a possible evacuation.

If the chemical reaches a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius, Daly said a device would activate automatically to release pressure by expelling some vapors.

Please send any questions or

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), December 19, 1999.



I'll keep my mother out of it if you keep your nose out of Heller's ass.

-- (tsk@tsk.tsk), December 19, 1999.

And a follow up, looks like it's stabilizing.... for educational and stop bickering you assholes purposes only....

Evacuation on hold after overheating chemical at Union Carbide plant stabilizes

The Associated Press 12/19/99 10:26 PM Eastern

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- Residents near the Union Carbide plant in this Somerset County town were advised to prepare for an evacuation Sunday night after a toxic chemical inexplicably began to overheat, reaching temperatures nearly four times normal, officials said.

By 10 p.m. the temperature had stabilized, and township manager Kenneth Daly said evacuation plans were on hold until a hazardous materials team could determine whether the chemical would cool.

Daly said the tank containing 2,000 gallons of ethyl acrylate, a paint-making chemical that is normally kept at a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, began overheating Sunday afternoon.

The few employees at the plant were evacuated, and an emergency cooling system was activated, but Daly said temperatures continued to rise, reaching 112 degrees Celsius by 8 p.m.

Daly said the company did not know what caused the chemical to overheat, and township police began notifying residents near the plant to close windows and doors and prepare for a possible evacuation.

Had the chemical reached a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius, Daly said a device would activate automatically to release pressure by expelling some vapors.

Gases from the chemical can cause respiratory problems.

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), December 19, 1999.


Holy Sh*t! Sysman, are you anywhere near Somerset County?? Please, please be well.

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), December 19, 1999.

Enjoy your latenight snack of crow, jerk.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 19, 1999.

Don't be surprised if the story was pulled.I heard on the local news (1070 AM)on thursday that a valve feeding coolant water to reactor #2(I Think)at Three Mile Island malfunctioned and caused a temporary shutdown.This is ironically similar to the recent Chernobyl malfunction. Nothing in the paper and no repeat broadcast.Searched the NRC website for over an hour today and nothing there either.I think news is being filtered already as .gov has stated it will filter news blips during the rollover.Listen close and absorb the message the first time as it may be the last time you hear it.

-- an observer (eyes@wide.open), December 19, 1999.


SchwarTz,

I never said you were a liar, just a paranoid brown nose. hahahaha

-- (tsk@tsk.tsk), December 19, 1999.


for the .gov to filter info? Missed that one. Thanks in advance.

-- What is the referance (??????@?????.com), December 19, 1999.

Both of you grow up!!

-- Lobo (atthelair@yahoo.com), December 19, 1999.

Shelter In Place: Make Your Kits

Shelter In Place

aka SIP

[ Courtesy of ECHO Caer Group, Emergency Communications for Hazardous Operations, taught through the Portland, Oregon Fire Dept Training Center ]

[ For Educational Purposes ]

"There may be a time when an emergency takes place in your community due to an airborne toxic chemical release. The outside air quality may be affected to the point that it is not safe to be outside or evacuate. In a case like this it is usually safer to shelter-in-place until wind disperses and moves the toxic chemical away.

NOTIFICATION

Many, but not all, facilities (chemical/industrial plants) and emergency vehicles have alarm, siren, horn, or similar notification devices or systems. A three to five minute continuous signal means:

"Turn on TV or radio. Listen for essential emergency information."

These various signal devices may use different tones. The key is that they will be continuously activated for three to five minutes. If you hear this signal go inside immediately and turn on your radio or TV.

For Airborne toxic chemical releases the safest immediate action is to shelter-inplace while listening for further instructions.


SHELTER-IN-PLACE

1. Move inside immediately and turn on radio or TV for emergency information.
Proceed right away to:

2. Close all windows and doors.

3. Turn off ventilation systems. Remember heating, cooling, air pumps, bathroom fans, kitchen fans, oven/stove ventilation fans, dryer exhaust, chemney/fireplace vents, etc.

4. In buildings, go into and seal a room if possible.

5. Continue to listen to radio or TV for further instructions.


INSTRUCTIONS

Go inside the nearest structure such as a home, school, store, public building. Bring pets inside if practical. If indoors already, stay there. Turn on radio or TV for emergency information. If you are in a vehicle, close all windows, manual vents and ventilation systems.

In a structure:
Shut all windows, doors, chimney or fire place vents. This includes everything that can quickly and easily be closed to prevent the chemical from entering.

Turn off forced air heating or cooling systems. Turn of stove and bathroom exhaust fans.

Go into a room, preferably with no, or few, windows or outside air vents. If possible seal doors, windows, vents, etc. with plastic and tape or wet rags.

Continue to listen to the radio or TV on a local emergency alert system station until the emergency is over or until you are given instruction to evacuate. (Use a battery powered radio if the power is off.)


SHELTER IN PLACE PRE-PLANNING

It is important that you have a plan for your home or business for sheltering-in-place. Some key steps in this plan are:

* Knowing what doors and windows are likely to be open and assigning some one to check and close and LOCK them. Locking seals better.

* Knowing where the manual vents are and how to close them.

* Knowing where forced air heating or cooling controls/power exhaust vents are and how to turn them off.

* Knowing what room you will go to and how to seal it. Have a kit pre-prepared for this consisting of things such as plastic sheeting, strong tape, duct tape, rags, towels, water, snacks, etc.
Pre-cut the plastic to completely seal all windows and doors and any vents in your designated shelter room. With easy-to-see large labels, clearly mark on the plastic which opening/window/door/vent it fits.

* Have a radio (preferably two). Have one electric and one battery operated radio in the room you've identified. Know the emergency alert system station(s) for your area and have the station numbers written on a piece of tape attached to the radio.


SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Most chemical release incidents are short-term in nature. But for any potential emergency situation, always keep an adequate supply of contained food and water sources, flashlights, first aid kit, batteries, a portable radio, essential medicines and other essentials. Practice safety drills to be prepared and know the emergency plans for your workplace and schools.

WHAT TO DO IN A CHEMICAL EMERGENCY (SHELTER-IN-PLACE)

When a release or spill is identified, some chemical plants dispatch trained emergency responders to quickly assess the situation and plan an approrpiate response. If offsite impacts are possible, local response agencies (Emergency Management Agency, Fire Department, etc) are contacted and consulted with. The local response agencies will then decide what actions, if any, are necessary to protect the surrounding community.

[ Note: these instructions were not written with Y2K in mind, when communications may be overwhelmed or out and emergency responders completely overwhelmed. ]

Sheltering inside a building is considered to be a proven method of protecting yourself and your family in the event of an accidental release.

IF ASKED TO SHELTER IN PLACE

* Close all doors to the outside and close and lock all windows (windows sometimes seal better when locked);

* Turn off ventilation systems;

* Monitor the local Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio station for updates and remain in shelter until authorities indicate it is safe to come out.

Select a room in the building where occupants can be the most comfortable and which is easy to seal off. This room should, if possible, provide access to water, toilet facilities, and adequate room for people to sit or lie down. The room should have a battery-powered radio, snack foods, and bottled water.

Many people opt for the master bedroom area with bathroom.

If the gas or vapor is soluble or even partially soluble in water -- hold a wet cloth or handkerchief over your nose and mouth if the gases start to bother you. For a higher degree of protection, go into the bathroom, close the door, and turn on the shower in a strong spray to "wash" the air. Seal any openings to the outside of the bathroom as best as you can. Don't worry about running out of air to breathe. That is highly unlikely in normal homes and buildings.

Be sure to make Shelter-In-Place kits, with pre-cut, marked heavy plastic and strong tape to seal your closed doors, windows, vents, exhaust systems -- anywhere anything from outside could get in. Keep your kit accessible in the designated room. Make sure all members of the family know what the kit is for, how to use it, and why. Drill and practice Sheltering-In-Place.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), December 19, 1999.


Ethyl Acrylate?? Respiratory distress?? Try Cyanide poisioning!

-- K. Stevens (kstevens@ It's ALL going away in less than two weeks.com), December 19, 1999.


Oh, please, moron -- the "that's not what my exact words said" type of clintonics, as a weasel-out when confronted with your sneering inuendo -- just won't cut it.

PS: mom said she always liked me better than you.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 19, 1999.


Ron, LOL!

the assholes are out in force aren't they?

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), December 19, 1999.


Well yeah, didn't you hear? There's a bad moon risin'. [g]

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 19, 1999.

Thanks for the update folks.

My office has a Princeton address, but we're really in the SW corner of South Brunswick. Franklin Township starts on the NE side, several miles away, and the UC plant is a few from there. This doesn't sound too serious, but I'll have my ear on the radio in the AM! I've got to go "near" there on my way to NYC... <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), December 19, 1999.


Residents near the Union Carbide plant in this Somerset County town were advised to prepare for an evacuation Sunday night after a toxic chemical inexplicably began to overheat, reaching temperatures nearly four times normal, officials said.

...

Daly said the tank containing 2,000 gallons of ethyl acrylate, a paint-making chemical that is normally kept at a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, began overheating Sunday afternoon.

The few employees at the plant were evacuated, and an emergency cooling system was activated, but Daly said temperatures continued to rise, reaching 112 degrees Celsius by 8 p.m.

I hope the statement about "temperatures nearly four times normal" was from the reporter, not the company. Can anyone here figure out why that is a ridiculous statement?

-- Steve Heller (stheller@koyote.com), December 19, 1999.


Other than because 0 Celsius isn't absolute 0?

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 19, 1999.

Other than because 0 Celsius isn't absolute 0?

Right. What if the normal temperature was -10? What would "four times the normal temperature" be then?

-- Steve Heller (stheller@koyote.com), December 20, 1999.


What if the normal temperature was -10? What would "four times the normal temperature" be then?

+30.... unless you're playing math games, insteed of real life.... what's your point?

-- CT (ct@no.yr), December 20, 1999.


Let's say that tomorrow, someone comes up with a new scale. They decide that neither F or C gives enough precision, so they invent the Poopledorf range. 0 Deg. P is equal to 68 Deg. F. And 100 Deg. P is equal to 72 Deg. F.

If the "normal temperature" in your bathroom is 10 Deg. P, would 40 Deg. P be "four times the normal temperature"?

If your answer is "yes", please explain the logic.

BTW, this test has been adjusted for room temperature I.... oh, nevermind.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 20, 1999.


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