Document bap0k68m12p9YwLq876D4DbkO

C-.f.F-. A -/* t- st~l1 / REPORT ON CHLOROPHENOL TANKCAR DERAILMENT -- Jan. 11, 1979 8:15 a.m. The latest report from Krummrich is that the 20,000 galtankcar full of^chlorophenol has drained out and the car is empty. The area has been diked off and work has been started to cover*the chemical with sand. The background is that early today a derailment occurred at Sturgeon, Mo., which is about 130 miles west of St. Louis, on a Norfolk and Western line. The tankcar was enroute from Krummrich to Tacoma, Washington. Radio reports are that 800 to 1,000 residents were evacuated after the car was punctured by a wheel that had become detached during the derailmentA team from Krummrich including Phil Kirk and Joe Starzak was enroute to the scene. Bob Neunreiter is also on the way Chlorophenol is an intermediate chemical used for wood pre servative. It is also described as chlorinated -carbolic acid. It is listed as corrosive and toxic. It is irritating to the eyes and respiratory system and can burn (on contacj^^^h the skini^~It can burn but does not support burning"by itself. COOS20 ';. ' * kionsdr.: r1DCM ^ If. Ml.-1Of.1io'.-1-.ic.Kii J. S. Metcalf, St. Louis R2NK L*A7L = February 27, 1979 it.. J i f . T : 'LPtNCC OCP Crude Sturgeon Spill T O : File c r K . W. Easley 1920 D . B. Edwards B2NA J . R. Foehr B2SA T . L. Gossage B3SB R . C. Isham BIRD D . E. Munie B3SB D . P. Roman N2B P . A. Tierney N3A J . D. Wilson N3A On February 27, 1979, I received a phone call from a Ms . Jo Ann Pervak, A. D. Little. Charles Poole, of EPA-OTS, had given her my name. ADL has an EPA contract with the Monitoring and Data Support Department (?) to evaluate the environmental impact of 2,3,7,8 TCDD. Since this compound was allegedly present in the OCP Crude spilled at Sturgeon, she wanted to know how it was used. I told her the vast majority was used as an intermediate in the preparation of penLaclilorophenol. I did not divulge names of customers, but mentioned that there were few producers of penta. I explained to her our .concern over the unfortunate EPA press release, the fact that none of the three scientists involved in the University of Illinois claimed the 2,3,7,8 isomer had been proven present, the general chemical facts behind our belief that this isomer, if present at all, could not be the predominant tetrachloro isomer present, and finally our hope that A. D. Little would not add to the confusion already existing over the dioxins in OCP Crude. IN * IO t Rr.V P ' 7 7 C004 S C; yj PRESS QUERY CQM P A NY (OpUnit or Corporate): MCI SUBJECT: Chemical car derailment at Sturgeon, Mo. REPORTER &.MEDIA: Ed Shafer, AP; Dave Punt, KWIX; Curtis Peck, Mexico Ledger; Howard Mitchell, KFRU, TIME & DATE: January 11, 1979 et al QUESTION & RESPONSE: The derailment of a Norfolk & Western train at Sturgeon, Mo., caused a leak in a tankcar of 20,000 gallons of an industrial chemical en route from Monsanto's plant at Sauget, 111., to Tacoma, Wash. An evacuation of residents was ordered this morning as a precautionary measure. The railroad has experts on the scene to direct the cleanup. A team of specialists from Monsanto is on the scene to advise. X News Bureau X J. T. Nolan X J. E. McKee X D. R. Bishop X W. J. McCarville __ W. R. Mulhall ___ J. F. Hussey-Washington, D.C. __ S. Pickard-Washington, D.C. __ New York Public Relations __ Brussels Public Relations _X_ M AP PR _X-- MCI PR MIC PR _X_ M P R P R JL_ M T C P R _X_ INT'LPR F. E. Reese E. N. Brasfield M. Dmytryszyn The product is described as an intermediate chemical used as an ingredient in wood preservatives. It is called chlorinated carbolic acid (ortho chlorophenol-crude). It is a non-explosive corrosive liquid that can burn. It is irritating to the eyes and respiratory system, is toxic, and can burn the skin on contact. coOS25 SOURCE OF ANSWER Howard Curtis, Charlie Farley, Joe Metcalf HANDLED BY: John J. Spano G 2907 (R F V 1 1/7B)