Document bOyOE8bxzg48N8yz9gwDmxyVg

Tuesday, May 2 CARBON 50 cents Plants must have disaster scenarios New rules require plan for chemical accidents By LINDA N. WELLER Telegraph staffwriter The accidental release of What local companies are doing, A-7 toxic methyl isocyanate gas in December 1984 in Bhopal, What chemicals are India killed more than 2,500 being used, A-7 people. It also disabled tens of thou with chemical "plumes" sands more, shocking Ameri spreading from their plants cans into realizing that such a that will illustrate both disaster could happen on threats, which may include their soil. "kill zones." Nearly 14 years later, fallout The facilities must reveal from the Indian disaster con the likelihood of accidental tinues to have an impact on releases, the potential magni American industry and the tude of human exposure to public alike. accidental releases and sever A new set of EPA regula ity of any adverse health tions will go into effect June effects in event of an acciden 20, 1999 that require facilities tal release. to publicly spell out "worst The facilities also must for case" and "likely" scenarios mulate emergency plans of accidental chemical leaks. which they will submit to their Besides written reports, the local disaster administrator, facilities will compile maps D See SCENARIOS, Page A-7 Sample map of accidental leak scenarios OOUFlty tO pUt HAZ MAI team ip place The Telegraph By UNDAN. WELLER Telegraph stallwriter In event of an accidental chemical leak, area fire departments for the most part are limited to evacuating peo ple from the area and isolat ing the problem -- but not stopping it By next fall, however, Madi son County is expected (o have a special hazardous waste team in place to plug leaks so less hazardous liquids and gases are released. The 60-qiembcr crew will be comprised of firefighters from departments throughout the county, said Jack Quigley, director of the Madison Coun ty Emergency Management Agency. Until the "IIAZ MAT" team is in place, though, fire departments must "evacuate and isolate" while awaiting arrival of experts to stem the leaks, potentially wasting pre cious time. A recent such incident illus trates the difference: Late May 16 someone dis covered anhydrous ammonia was. escaping from a tank id the 6100 block ofCenter Grove Road in Edwardsville. near the intersection of Illinois Route 157. "We evacuated and isolat ed," said Edwardsville Fire Chief Mike Karlechik. "Wc evacuated (nearby) Imo's (piz za), which had the largest number of people in the area. We checked the (adjacent) warehouse for people. "We isolated it (leak) by blocking off (Route) 157 and Center Grove Road. We called O See HAZ MAT. Page A-7 OSW 138251 Companies ready to comply By LINDA N. WELLER Telegraph staff writer tion to meet these require East Alton, said Olln repre ments," Bernbom said. "What sentatives meet with those we've found already In com from other area industries.to Although the Environmen municating with the communi discuss the n^w risk manage tal Protection Agency's new ty, In large measure, complies ment requirements. risk management regulations with the letter and spirit of the They also discuss their Will not go Into effect for Another year, local municipal ities and industries began prepaelng last year for steps they will'take to comply with the pew rules. ; The regulations ask facili ties with hazardous materials to come up with "most likely" and "worst-case" scenarios in events of leaks, Including causes, maps, predictions of amount of materials release and impact on population that is exposed to the chemical. ..That Information is sup posed to be made readily regulations that go Into effect plans with the Community next June." Awareness and Environmen Bernbom said data about tal Response Council -- a hazardous materials stored at group of representatives from Clark's Hartford plant already area industries, and fire and! are filed with fire, police, police departments. 1 county and EPA officials. The Information also is available to the public at local libraries. The company has a commu nity advisory panel that com municates hazardous materi- als-related Issues with the Internally, she said, "We're managing regulated materi als, limiting quantities and 1 container sizes on site. When- ' ever possible, we're using a 3 safer substance." i* public. Before writing their preven- 1 Clark Is working on charting tlon and rcnctlon plnns, Bris- y the accident "scenarios" tow said Olln first is "climi- ^ required June 20, 1909. natlng some of the risks." p available to the public. . I- Representatives from some facilities began meeting infor mally last year to discuss how they will comply with the reg ulations as well as taking Bernbom said plans contin She said there are plans for V ue to evolve as to how the creating a corporate-wide bro- 3 Information will be released chure on hazardous materials ic to the public. but she does not know how P "It's on an ongoing and Information will be dissemi- s: expanded basis," Bernbom ' nated locally. of Internal steps. ; John Bernbom StLouIsbased vice president of Clark Oil and Refining Corp., said the new regulations that free up more information to the public are "fully consistent" with Clark's philosophy of dpenness about hazardous said. "The emergency response plan Is a living docu ment in the process. There Is a recognition that the more the community is Informed, the better. "While we are focused on complying with the letter of the law, the real point Is com When the emergency plans _ are submitted to the Madison County Emergency Manage ment Agency, director Jack " Quigley said he will sit down with local representatives to 4 discuss If their plans are 1 workable. if materials. munity understanding." He also wants to come up 1 : "Clark Is working In con Monica Bristow,.communi with universal measurements junction with 10 or 12 other cations and public affairs of released materials for an & industries to work In coopera coordinator for Olin Corp., In even way of measuring them. I HAZ MAT 1 ........ .... ....................1,1 ........ Continued from Page A-1 - In complex situations, out cleansing materials and other for an expert on anhydrous side experts still will be used. equipment ammonia and we called Farm The chief said 11 of Once the HAZ MAT team is Service, the owner of the Edwardsville's 18 firefighters in force, the truck will rotate tank." are trained to join the HAZ through the county, spending While emergency workers MAT team. three or four months at each waited for an ammonia expert, Quigley said organizing the fire department While the to arrive to determine the team has been a two-year pro truck Is at a certain location, cause of the leak -- which cess. Paperwork still remains that department Is responsi t'umed out to be caused by an left to do, including getting ble for the vehicle's mainte open valve -- both Edwards- participating municipalities nance. \fllle and Glen Carbon police to sign cooperation agree The truck has been at Alton Were routing hundreds of cars ments. Fire Station 2 since the begin- from the two thoroughfares The team members also nlng of the year, said Alton and blocking some residents need baseline physical exami Fire Chief Donald Dugan, from reaching their homes in nations -- which Madison Alton firefighters have been the area for about an hour. County has agreed .to pay for organizing and mounting the .Anhydrous ammonia at $220 apiece -- and pagers equipment on the vehicle. c spreads across the ground and so they can be reached imme- Between 15 and 20 Alton fire ( oan be fatal If It Is inhaled. dlately. fighters will be on the HAZ i : Had the HAZ MAT team Donations of cash and MAT team, Dugan said. i been in force, members quick equipment are helping make "Getting HAZ MAT equip l ly could have determined the the team a reality. ment for every department Is c problem and put the valve cap . So far, the Illinois Emergen Impossible," Dugan said. "It 1 back on, stopping the leak. cy Management Agency and (team) won't be called In that i : "Even If It were not some the Fire Service Institute often, but you never`know. 1 thing as simple as a valve leak, have contributed more than You have to be prepared." they would be equlped to han dle that, too," Karlechik said. "Now we don't do any mitiga tion. This will make a big dif ference. It's a much needed resource In the county." I Quigley agreed: "If we had an Incident right now, all we c'an do in Madison County is evacuate. What we want to do is go In and plug the leak, and stop It from getting worse. Now we back off. There Is an assumption from John Q. Publlpjfyat 'somebody' Is going to take care of lb fMOntll we get people trained an&ready to go, all we can do now! Is evacuate.!' $45,000 to cover training costs. ' Quigley- said four "level A" protective "moon" suits have been donated, and four more are on the way. The suits fully encapsulate the emergency worker and supply an hour's worth of oxygen. "Close to $70,000 worth of equipment has been donat ed," Quigley said. The biggest donation Is a former beverage delivery truck which holds the equip ment Insldo Its various com partments. The truck holds the protective suits, decon tamination equipment such as buckets and shovels, body He said the suits will offer much better protection to fire fighters. With current protec tive suits, "we just don't have the capability" to handle such disasters, he said. Dugan said the team could be called Into action today if needed. In event of an accidental leak, Quigley would set up a command post with Ills com puters and radio equipment and direct the operation. Qulgloy divided the county into thirds, with 20 emergency workers from each section. .If necessary, all could respond, he said. 1 c t J I ( b B n C th is! 41 DSW 138252 STLCOPCB4038209 Tues., May 26,1998 A-7 Who is using what chemicals? By LINDA N. WELLER Telegraph staff writer ______ Some 67 facilities in Madi son County arc required to report yearly hazardous mate rials and their whereabouts on their properties to the Environmental Protection and other weather conditions are plugged into the comput er. The Telegraph recently obtained a recent list of chem icals from the Madison County Emergency Management Agency that area facilities have reported to local, county 01 in Corp. of East Alton; Southern Illinois University at Edwardsvillc and Wood River Wastewater Facility. Chromium -- Laclede Steel Co. of Alton. Ethyl alcohol -- Piasa Motor Fuels Inc., Hartford. Agency and to Jack Quigley, and state officials. Formaldehyde solution - director of the Madison Coun Below is a sampling of some Precoat Metals, Granite City. ty Emergency Management of those hazardous substances Hydrochloric acid -- Agency. and where they are located: Granite City Pickling and Quigley also is the EPA-des- Acetone -- Cope Plastics, Warehouse Inc., SIUE. ignated disaster administra Godfrey. Hydroquinone -- Intaglio tor for the region -- which is Acetylene -- Chemetco Designs Ltd., Alton. conterminous with county Inc., Hartford. lines -- and is in charge of the Anhydrous ammonia -- Local Emergency Planning Amoco Petroleum Additives Committee. Company, Wood River; BOC Metolachlor -- Hamel Feed and Farm Supply. Nitric acid -- Olin Corp. Nitrogen -- Air Products Besides facilities which are Gases, Hartford; Illinois it Chemicals Inc., Granite required to report hazardous American Water Co., Alton. City; BOC Gasses, Hartford; substances, an additional 150 Ammonium chloride -- Laclede Steel, Alton. more choose to report toxic Laclede Steel Co., Alton. Petroleum naphtha -- chemicals on their properties Ammonium nitrate, Bluff Chemetco; Koch Pipelines to officials. City Minerals and Jefferson Inc, -- Wood River Pipelines Records of some 125 such Smurfit Corp., both of Alton. Division. materials which are either in Atrazlne -- Hamel Feed Phosphoric acid -- inventory or in transit are and Farm Supply. Laclede Steel, Alton; Jeffer filed in Quigley's office, at the Benzene -- Amoco Oil son Smurfit Corp., Alton; Pre EPA and at local police and Wood River Terminal and coat Metals, Granite City. fire departments. Amoco Petroleum Additives D Polychlorinated biphe As the information comes in, Co. nyls -- Illinois Power. Quigley plugs it into a comput Carbon dioxide (refriger Podium chlorite solution er ated liquid) -- Fire-Safety -- Illinois Power. ' "The program tells me what Inc., Wood River; Illinois Sodium cyanide -- Olin. to do in case of a fire, for Power, East Alton; Nestle Sulfuric acid -- Affiliated example, and another is a Beverage Co., Granite City. Metals, Inc., and Air Products mapping program," he said. Chlorine -- Alton Mental Manufacturing Corp., both of The latter program can tell Health Center; Capri Sun Inc., Granite City; AT it T, Collins emergency crews how to deal Granite City; Conagra Inc., ville; BOC Gases, Hartford; with leaks or emissions, it can Illinois American Water Co., Laclede Steel, Alton; Illinois predict how far a gas might Jefferson Smurfit Corp. -- nil Power Co., East Alton; Nestle travel -- the dangerous of Alton; Godfrey Utility Beverage Co,, Granite City: "plume" -- once wind speeds (water), Illinois Power Co. and Olin, Prccoat Metals. SD \V> iohoos- )8J3U1 103 iBJOdf udtnt- )m 0 1381 18PPI P 1 Pli i uei. is on Hi.1 pJdi 3 01 1 V /P3UH:u Scenarios Continued trom Page A-1 report hazardous substances fire departments and state without being required for and federal EPA offices. "good neighbor reasons" or The facilities also will because they think they have report programs they have l to, he said. Implemented to prevent such . Besides the obvious oil leaks. refineries and manufacturing Industries and municipali plants In Madison County, ties which will be affected by municipal water plants, stor the new regulations, section age facilities, dairies and 112(r) of the amended Clean power plants also have dan Air Act, have started prepar gerous substances that must ing for the stricter require be reported. ments. "There are-eight classifica . Besides making internal tions of chemicals and I have preparations, personnel from no doubt we have all eight in facilities that house eight clas Madison County," Quigley ses of dangerous substances said. hazardous substances inform the public of the risks. The Clean Air Act of 1990 then placed the responsibili ties of risk management plan ning and public disclosure of risks on the facilities which house the substances. Those facilities must pre pare risk management plans that include a hazard assess ment, accident prevention program and emergency pro gram. Under provisions of the same act, the EPA determined types and threshold quantities of substances that must be reported. have been meeting since last The new regulations arc V iHj. ni year with fire and police rep resentatives, and representa tives from industries that arc l"s I). jof1 not affected by the new regu lations. Also included arc 25 members of the Local Emer > gency Planning Committee. Jack Quigley is administra jv tor of the local EPA region, which the Illinois EPA broke A aiiih Kn haiihIii tlr nlrr* simply the latest in a series of reactions to the Indian disas ter. After the Bhopal release, the Environmental Protection Agency established the volun tary Chemical Emergency Preparedness Program to raise awareness of hazardous substances and for states and COTTONWOOD CINEMA t Today's movie schedule at the Cottonwood Cinema in Cottonwood Mall is: - "Odd Couple II" (PG-13) - 7:30 and 9:50 p.m. daily; 2:30 nm Cnnrlov nnrl DSW 1 3 8 2 5 3 STLCOPCB4038210