Document R9N6a5xwoyvNkZ1YOwpr035z

*; ff- Feb. 24# 1940. JCMFIDEETIAL *'r. K.C. Bees Baltimore# Fd. Bear Claire, 1 am submitting herein a report and history on the recent lead poisoning case at the Gulf Oil Carp* Terminal# llorfolk, ?a The accident occurred while cleaning Tank #11 which ia 25*000 barrel capacity* This tank was spiked with two drums of fluid in Sept. 1952. The emergency blend was mad by Fr. !,. F. Shank using a regular eductor eet-up and at the completion of the addition of trie lead the tank was turned over two times for complete circulation* This was the first cleaning since the spiking in 1952* Records show that at the tin of the spiking the tank had about a 5 inch water bottom and since that time it has varied between 4 and 5 inches. During the week of April 29* 1939 I contacted this terminal regarding their tankcleaning program and they thoroly understood that wo were to be notified when this took place. In Fay 1939 we were notified that Jim Baldwin of the H.Y Division had contacted the Gulf Offices in fhiladelphia and left notification cards bearing my name and address so that we might be notified of any cleanings don in this division by the Philadelphia crew* Fr* Houseman of fhlladeiphla was in charg^oftti 0 tonicleaning and he had two regular employees a Mr* WMHJV ond ?-fr fPHHHHR Five temporary employees were used three of wnTof^rero white and two colored* The names of the whites were^lH^, ^HHIB a*1'* flHB n3 the colored Olds and l Olda died prior to the time that Fr* Lewis was notified and was in the hospital and still is* At present core than holdin^nla own and expected to recover* It lie ray understanding that choked severe lead intoxication while flHHA shwaa mild case of lead intoxication. The tnrl^nraj^tlar employees were negative* The antire medical angle of this case was handled by Or* Willard t'achle and additional information on this phase will have to be obtained from him. Pag Gulf case - Norfolk* Va* OCHFTDTHTXAL when the manhead was removed there was about 4 Inches f water in the bottom of the tank and Hr* ^^ H^ntered wearing completo safety equi merit including a blower t^^urlin hose mask* He remained in the tank about an hour and shoveled out part of the sludge throwing this on the ground outside of the taanhead* This sludge remained on the ground until the following day when it was buried* The following day the fire temporary employees entered the tank wearing their regular clothes, boots and raincoats, but HO masks* They then washed down the tank with a fire hose and forced the ramining sludge to a sussp where It was picked up by a centrifugal pump and discharged into the pit dug for the burial of the sludge* The overflow from this pit covered about 59# of the ground inside the firewall with a fine rusty appearing sediment* Although the pit was covered when we arrived the sediment still remained uncovered on the ground. This sediment was regarded as a potential hazard and four hundred pounds of chlorinated line was sprinkled over same* This was allowed to stand over night, during which we had a fairly heavy rain, and turned under the next day. Conclusion This accident occurred frost gross negligence on the part of the Gulf Oil Corpi* In the first place both the local terminal superintendent and the foreman of the Philadelphia crew admitted knowing that we should h&ve been notified yet failed to do co and secondly both parties know and understood our rules end regulations regarding tczdocleaning yet disregarded earns* I might also add that an enamel warning sign was placed on the aanhead of this tank, along vTiih four other tanks which had been spiked, in 19J6 and our tankcleaning regulations were posted in the terminal office I eon assure you that this accident would not have happened had we been notified midi 1 had been present to supervise the cleaning* In order to prevent the recurrence of this tragedy plans are being mad to recontact all oil companies sad again review the necessity of notifying us when tankclesninga ar to take place so that they may foe properly supervised* Yours very truly. John 3. Col, HE 0021024