Betcha don't see this on CNN or CNBC or Yahoo...wonder why?

United States Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board Report:

Incident Title: Anhydrous Ammonia Leak at Ice Plant; Nearby Resident Dies, Eight Workers Exposed Location Date of Incident Davey, FL, United States 1/5/2000 CSB Incident Number NRC Report Number Board Ref. Number 2000-4564 None Reported None Reported Current Status Date of Report Update Preliminary Assessment Underway 1/6/2000 - 1:57 AM Incident Types Location Types - Release to Environment Fixed Facility Evacuations Injuries Fatalities Yes - Number Unknown 8 (Estimate) 1 Chemicals Involved - Ammonia (anhydrous) Description or Latest Development ----- Information Added: Thursday, January 6, 2000 - 1:11 AM ----- The anhydrous ammonia leak was observed off-site in a small residential area near the plant. The victim was an elderly resident with a history of heart and respiratory problems. The preliminary report from the county coroner indicated the death was due to accidental exposure.

Six workers complained of burns and rashes, were decontaminated on scene and decline transport to the hospital. Two workers had respiratory distress and were transported to Pembrook-Hollywood regional medical center.

The incident occurred at the Reddy Ice Co. plant.

An employee tried to call 911 from inside the plant on the way out of the facility, but had to drop the phone. When employees opened the door, a cloud surrounded the whole building.

When the first emergency units arrived on scene no cloud was visible, but a strong odor was reported. Because the initial units did not have Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBAs) the units retreated to a safe distance. Hazmat units with Level A protection subsequently entered the area.

The victim was evacuating his residence with family members when he collapsed on the street.

The release is believed to have come from a pressure relief valve.

Most of the employees were reported to be Haitians, and spoke only limited English. Emergency responders did not speak Haitian.

This information is based on preliminary reports and is subject to verification and change.

Sources ( * indicates the original source) Source Details National Response Center * 1-5-2000 0400EST Emergency Management - State Florida Emergency Mgmt., Tallahassee Fire Marshal - Local Fire Battalion 38, Broward County 1-5-2000 Law Enforcement - Local Police Davey PD, 1-5-2000

Direct link to story

http://www.humanitarian.net/challenges.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 06, 2000

Answers

The victim of this incident, God rest his soul, doesn't care whether it was a Y2K incident or not. And from one perspective, it doesn't really matter any more: since we're now several days into January, it's obviously too late to remediate and test any of these systems. Whatever problems occur at this point are going to be solved with a fix-on-failure approach, regardless of whether they're Y2K-related or something else.

The reason it's so important to continue reporting these incidents is to see whether there are any visible patterns. Are problems like this only occuring in Florida? (Apparently not.) Do they only involve anhydrous ammonia plants? (Several other threads in the past few hours have identified other types of chemical-plant problems.) Are they happening more frequently now than they have in the past? (Don't know, too early to tell.)

Why bother with any of this? Because if I happened to live next door to one of these plants, I would have a personal interest in knowing whether my family and I were being exposed to a greater risk than before. It's interesting that this particular incident DID occur in a residential area; innocent citizens were exposed to serious risks through no fault of their own.

Ed

-- Ed Yourdon (ed@yourdon.com), January 06, 2000.

Holy shit... hell of a link! You should have posted the whole site!

-- Carl (clilly@goentre.com), January 06, 2000.

This was only one of the reports here you gotta see!

-- Carl (clilly@goentre.com), January 06, 2000.

I see you are, good find Carl!

-- Carl (clilly@goentre.com), January 06, 2000.

LINK

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), January 06, 2000.

You're damn right I didn't here about it - and I live about 3/4 of a mile from there! It's a small industrial park tucked into the middle of a (mostly) residential area. It's not a very big plant, maybe 30,000 or so square feet. Good thing it didn't happen during the middle of the day - it's right next door to an auto emmisions testing facility that normally has cars linud up for a half block. I guess due to the time that it happened, it was to late to make yesterdays paper, but it looks like it made todays... or at least it is in the internet edition. Thank God the plant is west of me, and our winds have been from the east. Here's the newspaper story....

1 dead, 2 hospitalized in Davie ammonia leak

sun-sentinel.com      
Web-posted: 7:53 a.m. Jan. 5, 2000

Updated at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday
     DAVIE -- An elderly man died and two other people were hospitalized early Wednesday after an ammonia leak spewed from an ice factory into a neighborhood.
     A Davie Fire Department spokesman said the leak occurred in the area around Reddy Ice, 5050 SW 51st St., shortly after midnight and that it had been stopped by 7:30 a.m.
     Several homes in the neighborhood around the business were evacuated after the leak was discovered.
      Seven people were reported inside the building when there was an explosion, followed by the release of ammonia.
     Most of the employees were decontaminated at the scene but two were hospitalized.
     The dead man was identified as Julio Lopez, 70, who lived near the plant. He was found by emergency workers in his yard. According to the Davie Police department, Lopez had serious health problems.
     Lopez was discovered ill and rushed to a hospital in serious condition, police said. He died a short time later. An autopsy has been ordered.
      ``There was a terrible ammonia smell. We were awoken by police officers who evacuated us immediately and we just ran out with what clothing we had on us,'' said Bill Denver, who lives in the neighborhood.
     Davie Fire investigators blamed the ammonia release on a pressure buildup of anhydrous ammonia in the pipes and said the relief valves activated and freed the poisonous gas.
     The plant will remain closed while engineers study what caused the ammonia release, said Sid Marchant, a spokesman for the Davie Fire Department.
     Broward County Fire Rescue, and the Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood departments assisted.

-- Bob (bob@bob.bob), January 06, 2000.

Forgot the link...

1 dead, 2 hospitalized in Davie ammonia leak

-- Bob (bob@bob.bob), January 06, 2000.

I'm sorry, Carl...but I fail to see the connection to a Y2K mishap here. It is a tragedy, but could you please point out the link for me?

Thank you.

-- Ynott (Ynott@incorruptible.com), January 06, 2000.

Hi ynott,

"Davie Fire investigators blamed the ammonia release on a pressure buildup of anhydrous ammonia in the pipes and said the relief valves activated and freed the poisonous gas."

Whaddaya think might have caused the buildup of gas and why aren't reporters pressing companies for the answers to these kinds of questions? Oh, and your disinformation routine is very transparent. Go get a real job...

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 06, 2000.

Funny thing... I woke up about 12:45 AM Tuesday morning, because one of my dogs was having a seizure... was up for about an hour. Didn't hear a thing.

The paper edition had a second story posted, and is now on the website

Davie ice plant leaks ammonia - and a grandfather dies

On the second to last day of his life, Julio Lopez, 70, woke up and told his grandson how good he was feeling. Early Wednesday, the last day of his life, he awakened to see his family panicking, while his lungs burned and a cloud of deadly ammonia hung low outside his home.
   Something had gone wrong across the street at Reddy Ice, the ice-making plant on the 5000 block of 51st Street. The pressure of a gas leak forced the top of a rooftop safety valve to pop off, and more than 100 pounds of ammonia was released, according to Reddy Ice. Because it was a humid, still night, the gas absorbed moisture, sank, and invaded the lungs of workers and neighbors just after midnight, fire officials said.
   Two of seven employees were treated and released from Memorial Hospital Pembroke. Julio Lopez never returned from Memorial Regional Hospital.
   The cause of his death was heart disease and chronic emphysema, but inhaling the ammonia is what "set him off," said an investigator in the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office.
   As his son led him running from their home, Lopez told him he couldn't breathe, that he couldn't go any farther. He collapsed about a block from the house, his son said, then police arrived, picked him up and drove him one block more. He lost consciousness in the car.
   "He just fell over," said the son, also named Julio.
   Meanwhile, Julio Cesar Lopez, the grandson, and his mother had turned back to the house.
   "If I kept going I knew I was going to pass out and probably die right there on the street," Vanessa Lopez said.
   Mother and son closed themselves in her bedroom. They stuffed blankets under the door and pushed pillows against the windows, to prevent the gas from overtaking them.
   "It's like drowning and having fire inside your body at the same time," said Julio Cesar, 15.
   The cause of the leak and exactly how much ammonia was released have yet to be determined. Both the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and environmental inspectors are investigating.
   "We've been OK'd to run, but I'm not running till I feel comfortable," said David Smith, Florida Zone Manager for Reddy Ice. He awaited the report from an independent engineer.
   Such a large leak is very uncommon, Smith said. He said he didn't think the factory's operation posed an ongoing threat to neighbors.
   "There's ice plants all over the nation in neighborhoods," he said.
   Neighbors, however, fear for their lives.
    The Lopezes said they would probably move. Next door, Charles Tyler, 74, looked sadly at his tomato garden, the plants wilted and scarred brown by the gas. He said it's the third time the factory has leaked in the last 10 years.
   "Last time they promised me it'll never happen again," he said. "I said, 'Yeah, I'll probably be dead and won't know it.'"
   County inspectors said the plant leaked less than two pounds of ammonia -- a relatively small amount -- in 1995. Reddy Ice passed its last inspection for hazardous materials in August 1998. Although inspectors visit at least every two years, they are not experts on the machinery and can only check for obvious signs of gas releases, officials said.
   Machinery upkeep is left to the company, and Reddy Ice officials said they conduct ongoing preventive maintenance. If inspectors determine Reddy Ice was negligent, the company could face fines.
    Tanya Weinberg can be reached at tweinberg@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7923.
   


-- Bob (bob@bob.bob), January 06, 2000.

As mentioned in the thread about Pine Bluff Arsenal's White Phosphorus leak, I find it a bit un-nerving.. Y2K related or not.

-- Lisa (lisadawn@yahoo.com), January 06, 2000.

June 21, 1999

Bulletin: Ammonia Leak at U of C Campus Cleared up in Two Hours

At 4:46 a.m., Sunday, June 20, an ammonia leak was detected at the Olympic Oval on the University of Calgary campus. Campus Security alerted the City of Calgary Fire Department which, after investigation, called out its Hazardous Materials Response unit and established a command center on-site. Because the escaping ammonia was lingering in close proximity to the Student Residences, Campus Security and the Calgary Fire Department made a decision to evacuate the residence buildings as a precautionary measure. Students, guests and staff at the residence were quickly evacuated to the Olympic Volunteer Center at McMahon Stadium.

Photo: Ammonia leak prompts apartment evacuation

The Advocate, Published on 1/26/99

Archiver (rr) note: firemen wearing self contained air supplied respirators) Advocate staff photo by Donny McCallum --Benny Hughes and David Wilson, Baton Rouge Fire Department hazardous material officers, exit Hudson Technologies Inc., 11997 Airline Highway, where an ammonia leak Monday forced the evacuation of more than 40 Jefferson Lakes apartments behind the facility, fire department spokesman Barry Mounce said. Other residents within a quarter-mile were told to stay indoors from 5:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. A 40-year-old woman at the complex was taken to Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center with respiratory problems, but paramedics were unable to determine if her condition was related to the leak. The leak appeared to come from a drum of water mixed with ammonia that overflowed at Hudson Technologies, a refrigeration services company. A vacuum truck was driven to the site to suck up the ammonia.

Ammonia leak - Wednesday 19 May 1999 Call time: 0910hrs Stop: 1110hrs Type of call: Ammonia leak (300 litres) Address: National Foods, London Rd, Mile End Number of Appliances: 5 Number of Firefighters: 20 Found: Leaking pipe Action taken: Evacuated 68 staff and proceeded to disperse vapour cloud How long to control: 2 hours Occupant Number: 68 staff (evacuated) Age: Adult Sex: Male & Female Injuries: Yes Injuries type: Inhalation Injuries MFS: No Cause: N/A Location of fire: Ammonia leak Property Value Approximately $: N/A Damage and $ Value: N/A Smoke alarms fitted: N/A Comments: Cause of ammonia leak was caused by forklift reversing into a pipe. Crews in hazardous substance suits and using positive pressure fans vented the area and used water sprays to disperse the vapour cloud. 2 males & 1 female were treated on the site. 1 male was transported to hospital for observation.

Beloit Daily News - Tuesday, June 3, 1997

Ammonia leak spurs evacuation BRISTOL, Wis. (AP) _ An ammonia gas leak took place at the Morningstar Merkt plant, injuring a 26-year-old maintenance worker and leading to the evacuation of several nearby businesses, authorities said. Michael Wozniak of Des Plaines, Ill., was listed in good condition at Siena Hospital-South with chemical burns from the knees down after the incident Monday afternoon.

The plant, located in the Bristol Industrial Park, makes cold-pack cheese, pizza, sausage and other refrigerated foods. Lt. Gary Preston of the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department said the ammonia was used for refrigeration systems.

Wozniak was working on a valve to a 7,000-pound ammonia tank when the chemical burst out, Preston said.

Investigators determined the relief valve malfunctioned, the lieutenant said

Ammonia Leak Causes Panic The Sun, March 17, 1999

Bukit Mertajam (Penang) Malaysia - Villagers in Kubang Ulu panicked and fled their homes after pungent fumes from leaked ammonia solution permeated the air. More than a dozen firemen, including a team from the Hazardous Material Disposal Unit (HAZMAT) who were summoned to the area found 107 plastic drums of ammonia solution dumped at an abandoned factory site. Arrangements have been made for the toxic chemical to be removed to a factory for proper disposal.

Title: Mid America Pipeline System, Anhydrous Ammonia Leak, Conway, Kansas, December 6, 1973. NTSB Report Number: PAR-74-06, adopted on 11/11/1974 NTIS Report Number: PB-238158/AS

Saturday, January 10, 1998

Ammonia leak injures five 4 Monfort workers taken to hospital

Four Monfort workers were transported to St. Francis Medical Center after being overcome by ammonia fumes late Friday afternoon.

Public safety officials were called to the meatpacking plant at about 5:20 p.m. because of a pipe leaking ammonia, said Sgt. Marty Totzke of the Grand Island Police Department.

Those transported were apparently all women who worked in a refrigeration unit, Totzke said. One person was treated at the scene and declined transportation to St. Francis.

"By the time fire and police got there, the leak had been stopped and the environment had been considered safe," he said.

The Independent was unable to reach any Monfort officials Friday, and names and conditions of the victims were unavailable at press time. February 6, 1996 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------

Ammonia Leak Forces Evacuations STRATFORD, Texas (AP) - A noxious gas leak from a ruptured tank line sent five people to the hospital, injured 25 more and forced the evacuation of nearly all 1,800 residents from this northern Panhandle town.

The victims complained of chest pains, respiratory problems, nausea and vomiting. The five who were hospitalized, including one firefighter, were in stable condition.

``Some people say they have lost their animals,'' said Wanda Clark, nursing director at Dumas Memorial Hospital. ``But it could have been a lot worse.''

The accident occurred as workers tried to transfer anhydrous ammonia from a 17,000-gallon railroad tank car into a bulk tank when a 2-inch line broke, said Department of Public Safety spokesman Jerry Hatley.

Authorities were able to turn off the gas valve about two hours later.

Exposure to anhydrous ammonia, used as a fertilizer, can irritate the skin, and in large doses, inhalation can be fatal.

Shortly after midnight, residents were allowed to return to their homes.

Stratford is about 90 miles north of Amarillo.

Fumes Prompt Neighborhood Evacuation No One Hurt, But Several Treated For Exposure To Ammonia MINNEAPOLIS, Posted 5:55 a.m. July 30, 1999 -- Some residents of a south Minneapolis neighborhood are just getting to bed at this hour, after moving a safe distance from the source of a noxious fumes leak.

Firefighters themselves discovered the leak shortly before 2 a.m. Friday, according to a WCCO-TV report. Noxious fumes had seeped into their fire station near the intersection of West 28th Street and Blaisdell Avenue.

They traced the odor to the meat packing plant across the street. Two entire blocks of mostly apartment complexes were evacuated.

Hazardous materials crews were called in and determined that a vapor cloud was spewing from a 600-gallon tank of ammonia at GFI America, 2815 Blaisdell Ave. S. It took about 90 minutes to correct the problem.

No one was hurt, but several neighbors and firefighters were treated by paramedics for burning eyes, nostrils and headaches caused by the fumes.

Among those treated was Slibe Hodge, who told WCCO-TV the experience was "overwhelming."

-- John H Krempasky (johnk@dmv.com), January 06, 2000.

Mr. Krepansky, the instances you cite above are quite serious. Are you aware of the fact that you had to reach back to 1973 (!) to dig up some of them? In other words, the ammonia and other chemical leaks that have been posted to this and other forums have all occurred within the last 6 or 7 days. Am I the only one who finds this unnerving?

-- Daisy Jane (deeekstrand@access1.com), January 06, 2000.