Ammonia Gas Discharged at San Diego Manufacturing Plant; No Injuries
Reported

   Location  Date of Incident
   San Diego, CA, United States  3/21/2001- 9:30 AM
   CSB Incident Number  NRC Report Number  Board Ref. Number
   2001-5095  None Reported  None Reported
   Current Status  Date of Report Update
   No CSB Action  3/22/2001 - 7:03 PM
   Incident Types  Location Types
   - Release to Environment  Fixed Facility
   Evacuations  Injuries  Fatalities
   Yes - Number Unknown  None Reported  None
   Chemicals Involved
   - Ammonia
   Description or Latest Development
   -----

Information Added: Thursday, March 22, 2001 - 7:11 PM
-----
SEMX Corporation reported an ammonia gas discharge at its Carroll
Canyon Road manufacturing facility in San Diego, Calif.  The
company's announcement said "the leak occurred from the over
pressurization of an external storage tank and was immediately
contained."

Frank J. Polese, president of SEM's Microelectronic Packaging Group
and President and CEO of Polese Company, said, "Polese Company's
supervisory personnel reacted immediately, the back-up systems
performed their functions and the situation was brought under control
quickly.  I am very proud of the manner in which our employees
reacted to mitigate any potential health and safety issues."

The company went on to say, "Although the authorities re-certified
entry into all facilities around noon, the company will not restart
selected operations affected by this incident until all appropriate
repairs have been made."

"At this time, the full extent of the interruption of production is
not know, but the Company expects that sintering operations will be
affected for several days... it is unclear what impact this may have
on the Corporations's first quarter financials...."

NOTE FROM CSB: The CSB did not independently verify the information
contained in this company announcement.


   Sources ( * indicates the original source)  Source Details
   Company *
  SEMX Corporation 3/22/01 0838EST

Fuel spill poses environmental threat

BEAUFORT - While environmental concerns remain, a quick and
calculated response by firefighters and hazardous materials experts
suppressed any fire or explosion threat Monday from leaking gasoline
at the former Tee Pee convenience store east of Beaufort at the
junction of Highway 70 and Merrimon Road.
Officials estimated some 3,500 to 5,000 gallons of gasoline leaked
from the corroded, above-ground tank over about 12 hours before it
was detected at 11:45 a.m. Monday and stopped around 4 p.m. Monday
afternoon.
The spill was detected when the smell of fumes became obvious at the
gas station and convenience store, owned by N.C. Sea-Mart.
District Manager Larry Blakeley, who was on scene Tuesday, told
Beaufort Fire Chief Jim Lynch that the tank, the middle of three, had
a 20,000-gallon capacity, but he didn't immediately know how much
had leaked, how much had been used and how full the tank was when it
began leaking.
"The dike around the tanks did not contain the gasoline,"
Chief Lynch
said.
"It seeped into the ground and subsequently into the surrounding
wetlands."
That, however, was not firefighters' immediate concern. The fire
and explosion danger was.
"If one person with a cigarette or one person close to the tank
generated a spark, the whole thing would have gone up," said
Carteret County Fire Marshal Al Hadley, a member of the incident
command team at the scene.
Beaufort called for assistance from the Cherry Point Hazardous
Materials team, surrounding fire departments, including North River,
Otway, Marshallberg, Morehead city and Atlantic Beach, and the state
Highway Patrol.
The fire departments provided tankers to supply water for
firefighting foam that was sprayed around the leaking tank to hold
down the fumes.
Early on, firefighters attempted to stop the leak with a wooden peg,
but the tank was so badly rusted that effort only enlarged the hole.
"It was coming out in a stream about as big as my finger,"
Chief Lynch said. "The more we did, the worse it got. When HAZMAT
got there they were going to try to make a patch, but it wouldn't
adhere."
Chief Lynch and the fire marshal said that the gas didn't pool,
and it was not possible to use absorbent pads to mop up the fuel.
Instead, it seeped into the ground within the containment dike and
beyond that barrier.
So, firefighters continued to spray foam around the tank until
equipment arrived to siphon the remaining fuel from the tank, the
chief said.
There was some concern about the safety of students at nearby East
Carteret High School, but fire officials did not evacuate the campus.
Students planning to play on a ball field closest to the gas station
were diverted to another area of the school, and classes were
dismissed at the regular time.
"We coordinated with Lt. Mike Stafford (School Resource Officer)
at East Carteret High School to keep the students safe," Mr.
Hadley said. "We had a good crowd there," Chief Lynch said.
"Everything went really well, and no one got hurt."
In the meantime, officials notified the federal Environmental
Protection Agency and the state Division of Environmental Management
about the spill.
Southeast Response and Remediation Inc. of Wilmington, was on the
scene Tuesday, digging a rock-lined ditch around the tanks, then
vacuuming up the pooling liquid.

Tanker overturns in High Point, residents evacuated

http://www.newsandrecord.com/news/now/tanker19.htm

3-19-01

By CHERIS HODGES, Staff Writer
News & Record

Posted 10:35 a.m.; Updated 5:25 p.m.

HIGH POINT -- Residents were allowed to return to their homes about 3
p.m. today after a gasoline spill forced the evacuation of a Dillon
Road neighborhood Monday morning.


High Point firefighters clean up an overturned gas tanker on Dillon
Road Monday morning. (Jaime Dispenza/©News & Record)


An Eagle Oil transport tanker carrying 9,000 gallons of gasoline
overturned in a ditch. One of the compartments of the truck carrying
3,100 gallons of gasoline ruptured, spilling 1,000 gallons. The truck
also hit a telephone pole causing a transformer to fall to the ground.

Duke Power and the City of High Point turned off the electricity off
in the neighborhood to protect against a spark causing an explosion.

High Point fire and police officials were called to the scene at 5:16
a.m., and evacuation started a little after 7 a.m.

High Point Police Lt. Marty Sumner said the driver, John Eplin, told
police that he was trying to avoid an oncoming car when the accident
happened. "He said a car was coming over in his lane and when he
swerved, the tanker turned over," Sumner said.

High Point Police said they will not be filing charges in the
accident, but the driver may face charges from the Division of Motor
Vehicles.

The estimated damage to the truck was $55,000. Further inspections of
the truck will be made today.

Residents of the Dillon Trails and Woodbrook apartment complexes were
the first to be evacuated, said Denita Davis, fire department
spokeswoman.

People living in Dillon Trails were taken to the Morehead
Recreational Center via city transit.

"They were not able to get a vehicle out because of where we had our
equipment and we didn't think it was safe enough for them to take
their vehicles out," Davis said.

Barbara Dargan, a Dillon Road resident, said a fire fighter knocked
on her door a little after 8 a.m. and said she and her family had to
go.

"He told me that we had two minutes to get out," she said.

The truck was on its way to the Citgo station on Kivett Drive when
the accident happened.

Emergency workers sprayed the truck and gas with foam and sand to
prevent an explosion.

"We moved here about two years ago from Lexington Avenue, and I
thought this was a quiet neighborhood. But this street is busy,"
Dillon Road resident Joyce Darr. "Still, I never thought something
like this would happen here."

Darr said the police and fire fighters were careful to make sure the
residents were calm during the evacuation.

"They didn't cause a big panic. They just let us know what was going
on," she said as she and her daughter Danielle Owen headed to their
car.

Access to Dillon Road was limited after all of the residents were
gone. Southridge Road, Scientific Street, Dade Street and Westbury
Drive were closed until the clean-up was completed.

Monday, Mar 19th, 2001 09:25 AM
(High Point) -

A gas tanker truck overturned on Dillon Road at Scientific Street
early Monday morning, spilling hundreds of gallons of fuel and
forcing evacuations of nearby residents.
Hazardous Material crews, along with police and fire officials spent
the morning at the scene cleaning up and trying to determine the
amount of environmental damage the spill caused.
The tanker was hauling 9-thousand gallons of gas at the time of the
accident.
The truck driver was taken to a local hospital for treatment of
injuries he received during the accident.
Police went door-to-door in the surrounding neighborhood, asking
residents to leave. They brought a bus in and took them to a nearby
recreation center while they got assessed the dangers associated with
the fuel spill and the clean-up.




WFMY
Story prepared by Shelby Erdman.

Overturned rig closes U.S. 401 for hours



Families are evacuated from their homes when the truck, loaded with
liquid propane, turns over.


By Todd Leskanic
Staff writer

Fayetteville, NC - A stretch of U.S. 401, Raeford Road, was closed
for nearly 12 hours Saturday and some nearby residents were evacuated
from their homes while crews righted an overturned tractor trailer
that was hauling liquid propane.

Tow trucks back up to the propane tanker to try to right it after it
overturned Saturday.  Stephanie Hardy, a spokeswoman for the
Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, said the accident happened
about
9:30 a.m. Hardy, who was providing information on behalf of the Lake
Rim Fire Department, said investigators were told by the truck's
driver that a blown tire caused the accident. No other vehicles were
involved, she said.

The accident happened west of Fayetteville, between Old Raeford and
Gillis Hill roads.  The truck came to rest on its right side in the
northbound lanes, but faced oncoming traffic.

The driver, Nathaniel Williams Jr. of Bennettsville, S.C., suffered
minor injuries. Williams, who is 33, was taken to Cape Fear Valley
Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Hardy said Williams was driving for McKenzie Tank Lines Inc. from
Cheraw, S.C. Ron Carter, vice president of the company, declined to
comment. Hardy said the company will have to pay for the costs of
having the truck righted.

Law enforcement officials detoured traffic onto Old Raeford Road
while crews worked on the overturned truck.

John Gerber, assistant chief of the Lake Rim Fire Department, said
crews inflated air bags under the tank to slowly stand it up. Four
tow trucks were attached to the tank to stabilize it.

The truck was finally righted about 7:30 p.m., about an hour after
the process started. The propane was then drained into other tankers.
The road was re-opened about 9:30 p.m., and residents were allowed to
go back to their homes.

The Lake Rim Fire Station became a shelter for people evacuated from
their homes. Hardy said about 50 to 60 families from the Rayconda
subdivision were told to leave their homes because of their nearness
to the accident.

Ruth Malter, who lives on Ancon Drive, and her family were at the
fire station waiting for the truck to be cleared. Malter said her
family was asked to leave their home about 11:45 a.m.

"It's funny,'' she said. "When you can't go
home, it's the only place
you want to be. If we had been home, we probably would have been
looking to go somewhere else."

Linda Seaford and her husband, Tom, who also live on Ancon Drive,
were at the shelter. They spent the day shopping and waiting at their
son-in-law's house near Hope Mills before winding up at the fire
station.

"We tried to go home earlier, but a deputy stopped us and told us
he'd rather we didn't," she said.


Onlookers
Many people pulled their cars off to the side of Old Raeford Road to
look at the truck, which could be seen across an open field.

"We were just coming back from a car show in Myrtle Beach,''
said
Jeff West, who was driving home to west Cumberland County with his
wife. "We didn't know what it was."

One man parked his pickup and began snapping pictures. Other drivers
craned their necks as they drove by.


Susan Kistler drove through the area about 9:45 a.m. and was driving
through again just before the sun went down.

"I couldn't believe it was still here this late,'' she
said.


Staff writer Todd Leskanic can be reached at 486-3572 or
leskanict@...

Ledyard police are investigating incident with powder in home that
brought out haz-mat team, sent 8 to hospital

By Georgina Gustin - More Articles
Published on 3/16/2001


Ledyard — Police officials said Thursday they would investigate
an
unusual incident that sent eight people, including a mother, three
young children and four medical professionals, to the hospital
Wednesday night after they came into contact with a mysterious powder
in a local home.

All eight people had to be decontaminated outside the home at 113
Spicer Hill with a liquid solution by the hazardous materials team
from the U.S. Navy Submarine Base Fire Department before being taken
to The William W. Backus Hospital for treatment.

The powder, which was found in a desk drawer by a 2-year-old child,
has been sent to a state laboratory by officials from the Oil and
Chemical Spills Emergency Response Team of the state Department of
Environmental Protection.

Officials can't confirm what the substance is but say it had the
effect of a tear gas or pepper spray. It could be several days before
the laboratory completes its testing of the powder.

The children's father, Seth Traystman, owner of the Oak Tree
supermarket in Groton, was not home at the time of the incident, but
was called in later by officials.

Traystman said Thursday he does not know what the powder is, but that
it could be something he came into contact with during his years in
the military.

The incident began late Wednesday afternoon when the Traystman's 2-
year-old child came across a film canister filled with a tan-colored
powdery substance in a desk drawer in the parent's study.

An ambulance was called when the child showed a number of symptoms,
including nausea, tearing eyes and a burning throat. Shortly after
medical personnel arrived at 113 Spicer Hill Road, they noticed the
two other children and their mother also showing the same symptoms.

Moments after the three EMT technicians and a paramedic entered the
home, they too experienced tearing eyes and a burning or tingling
sensation in their noses and mouths.

Firefighters from Center Ledyard Fire Department were called to the
scene, and determined that a hazardous material was involved, but
they did not have the technical equipment and protective clothing
needed to contend with the chemical.

The Submarine Base department, the closest that was equipped to
handle the incident, arrived at the scene about an hour after the
first ambulance was called, according to Lt. Michael J. McKernan of
the Center Groton Fire Department.

Firefighters from the Submarine Base then set up a decontamination
operation, which entailed pumping water from a Gales Ferry fire
tanker, into a manifold, though another hose, into a special
hazardous materials truck and into a shower unit that doused each of
the people affected by the chemical. Each of them was then sprayed
down and scrubbed with a special detergent by specially trained
officials wearing sealed, protective clothing and masks.

"This was a very emotional experience," said McKernan.
"Think about
it; you're sitting in the back of an ambulance and you're told you
have do go through a d-con line."

All eight people were treated and released from the hospital late
Wednesday, and, according to Traystman, the family spent the night at
home and no one was feeling any lingering side effects on Thursday.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, March 16 —  A crippled oil rig slipped
deeper into the south Atlantic on Friday, as federal petroleum giant
Petrobras weighed the risks of trying to go aboard to prevent a spill
of the 400,000 gallons of oil on board.

THREE EXPLOSIONS Thursday killed one worker and left nine others
missing and presumed dead.
"We want to be sure it won't sink suddenly, and that
if experts go aboard there is no risk," said Irani Varela, the
company's director of security.
The blasts damaged a pillar supporting the rig, Brazil's
largest, 75 miles off the Atlantic coast. The rig was the top
producer in the rich Campos Basin, 120 miles northeast of Rio, which
accounts for most of the 1.5 million barrels Brazil produces daily.

Petrobras said 164 people were ferried to safety. One worker
died of burns and another was hospitalized in serious condition. Nine
others were missing and presumed dead, Varela said.
  The rig was listing at a 30-degree angle and had sunk between
20 and 40 inches since Thursday, he said, adding that it had not
tilted any further and there was still a chance to save it.
"We are working to recover it," Varela said. "We
are trying to remove part of the water (from flotation tanks) so it
will return to a horizontal position."

FEAR OF ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER
        But Petrobras Chief Executive Henri Philippe Reichstul was
more pessimistic, saying the rig could sink within 48 to 72
hours. "Our efforts continue but the platform is sinking more and
more," Reichstul said at a news conference. The prospects of
stabilizing the platform are diminishing," Reichstul said, adding
that the company, Brazil's biggest, was doing everything possible
to save the rig.
   Workers were pumping nitrogen into the damaged hull of the
platform to keep it afloat. The rig, insured for $500 million, is
listing to one side and slowly sinking after Thursday's blasts
damaged one of its support columns. Officials said on Friday it was
listing around 24 degrees, or over 2 times more than the Leaning
Tower of Pisa.
   The accident could turn into Brazil's worst environmental
disaster, according to engineers. "If the rig sinks there is the
distinct possibility that some or all of the 21 pipelines could
rupture," said Argemio Pertence, director of the Association of
Engineers who worked for Petrobras for 25 years. "It would be a
catastrophe."
   Thirteen ships with floating anti-oil barriers were stationed
around the rig, he said. Some 400,000 gallons of crude oil and diesel
fuel were still aboard and could spill into the sea if the rig sinks.
  If it does not sink, the threat to the environment is minimal,
Reichstul said.

PETROBRAS UNDER FIRE
        Meanwhile, Petrobras workers hung a huge black banner from the
company's headquarters in downtown Rio on Friday in mourning for
the victims and to protest against what some said were lax safety
standards.
   Petrobras has had two major oil spills and a series of
accidents in which 81 workers died in the last three years.
   Oil workers at Reduc, one of the country's biggest
refineries, also held a two-hour protest wearing black arm bands
before punching in and employees at another refinery held a moment of
silence for the victims of the explosion.
   "I don't know if I'll be able to go back to
work," said a platform worker in Macae, where Petrobras'
heads up
offshore operations for Rio state. "I've always known that
there is a
constant risk but this just makes you think again."
   Workers accuse Petrobras of outsourcing work to inexperienced
workers to cut costs, thus putting employees at risk and endangering
the environment.


MSNBC NEWS SERVICES

FAA Proposes $72,000 Penalty Against Xerox for Hazmat Violations

The Federal Aviation Administration, Southern Region, has
proposed to assess a $72,000 civil penalty against Xerox Corp.,
of Des Plaines, Ill., for allegedly violating Department of
Transportation hazardous materials regulations.

FAA alleges that Xerox improperly shipped a padded envelope
containing one eight-ounce plastic bottle of Xerox Film Remover, a
flammable liquid, on a United Parcel Service cargo flight. Ground
handling employees at the UPS sort facility in Louisville, Ky.,
discovered the shipment during a document search.

Xerox offered the hazardous material for transportation when it
was not packaged, labeled, marked, classed, described,
documented, or in condition for shipment as required by
regulations. Xerox also failed to ensure employees were trained to
properly package and handle hazardous materials, and did not
make available at all times the required emergency response
information.

Xerox has 30 days from receipt of the FAA notice to submit a
reply to the agency. This announcement is made in accordance
with the FAA's practice of releasing information to the public on
newly issued enforcement actions involving penalties of $50,000
or more.

--This story is posted courtesy FAA

FAA Proposes $165,000 Penalty Against FedEx for Hazmat Violations

The Federal Aviation Administration, Southern Region, has
proposed to assess a $165,000 civil penalty against Federal
Express Corp., of Memphis, Tenn. for allegedly violating
Department of Transportation hazardous materials regulations.

FAA alleges that the FedEx improperly shipped a fiberboard box
containing a chemical oxygen generator on a FedEx cargo flight
from Los Angeles to the company's package sorting facility in
Memphis where employees discovered the shipment.

FedEx offered the shipment for transportation when it was not
packaged, labeled, marked, classed, described, documented, or in
condition for shipment as required by regulations. FedEx also
failed to ensure employees were trained to properly package and
handle hazardous materials, and did not make available at all
times the required emergency response information.

FedEx has 30 days from receipt of the FAA notice to submit a
reply to the agency. This announcement is made in accordance
with the FAA's practice of releasing information to the public on
newly issued enforcement actions involving penalties of $50,000
or more.

--This story is posted courtesy FAA

Man hurt in spill of chemical

Tuesday, March 13, 2001
BY DELAWESE FULTON
Of The Post and Courier staff


One man was injured, and residents were told to stay inside Monday
night in the Hickory Hills subdivision in West Ashley after chemicals
spilled from the back of an exterminator's truck and caught fire.
Firefighters from St. Andrews Fire Department extinguished the blaze
on Doncaster Drive after being called to the fire at about 9 p.m.
The burning chemicals were nine-quart containers of aluminum
phosphide and three 35-gallon containers of methyl bromide, which are
commonly used in home pest control, said Fire Chief Joseph Heyward.
The chemicals had somehow spilled and ignited.
One man, the driver of the National Exterminators truck, was injured
and taken to a local hospital, he said. The man's name and
condition were not known late Monday night.
Officials of the state Department of Health and Environmental
Control, and hazardous materials teams from Charleston County and the
city of Charleston blocked off a small residential area in a cul-de-
sac on Doncaster Drive and advised residents there to stay inside
their homes and keep pets inside until further notice.
The incident happened during a driving rain storm. Heyward said rain
runoff of the chemicals would pose no problem to residents.

Barge Spills Flammable Chemical After Collision

Bolivar Ferry Temporarily Shut Down
GALVESTON, Texas, 5:38 p.m. CST March 9, 2001 --

A collision Friday morning involving two petrochemical barges shut
down the Galveston Bolivar Ferry and the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway
for several hours.

The accident happened shortly before 5:30 a.m. Friday near the
Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston, where the Houston Ship Channel and
the Intercoastal Waterway intersect. The channel was reopened at
10:30 a.m. Friday, and the ferry resumed.

U.S. Coast Guard officials told News2Houston that a tank on one of
the barges ruptured during the collision, spilling 44,000 gallons of
a chemical called naphtha.

It's a volatile, often flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture distilled
from petroleum, coal tar and natural gas. It is used as fuel, as
solvents and in making various chemicals.

"We've had no effect to the environment that we can distinguish,"
U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Richard Kaser said. "We were very fortunate
that the winds were favorable."

Coast Guard officials said that the chemical tends to remain on the
surface of the water and evaporates.

Traffic was backed up for several miles as motorists waited to board
the ferry, which provides the only link between Bolivar Peninsula and
Galveston.

Two tugs were pushing the barges when they collided.

No one was injured in the crash.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Wednesday, March 7, 2001


Haz-mat team responds to glowing chicken
By Amneris Solano
Staff writer
The Fayetteville Fire Department responded to a report of glowing
chicken Tuesday night.
John Fairley, who lives at 5303 Sonnet Drive, said he was about to
feed the leftover chicken to his dog, Tasha, when he noticed the
bones were glowing green.

"It freaked me out," said Fairley. "I couldn't
believe my eyes."

Fairley called Womack Army Medical Center. He then contacted the Fire
Department, which responded along with personnel trained to handle
hazardous materials.

Fayetteville Fire Department Capt. John Jones said he saw the glowing
chicken bones. He said he did not know why it was glowing. But it
could have been the result of some sort of reaction involving salt,
he said.

Fairley said nine people ate the chicken on Monday. They were
complaining of nausea and diarrhea Tuesday night.

Members of Fairley's family went to Cape Fear Valley Medical
Center
to be checked, but no one was severely ill. They took the chicken
bones to the hospital to be tested. A hospital employee said she did
not know if the chicken bones would be tested.

"We want to find out what is making it do this," Fairley
said.

Bacteria Eat AZ Fuel Spill

HEATHER CASEY
Firehouse.Com News

After a fuel spill Feb. 19, Tucson firefighters cleaned up the
highway by spraying it with billions of diesel-eating bacteria.

The Bacillus bacteria used on I-10 digest diesel and other
hydrocarbons, breaking them down into carbon dioxide and water.

"It saves us a ton of money in disposal fees," said Tucson Fire
Department spokesman Joe Gulotta. "If we can have this micro-organism
eat it, we don't have to go through and pick it up."

This clean-up process, known as bioremediation, degrades harmful or
hazardous materials into less harmful or benign components. It has
been used at high-profile spills, such as the recent oil spill off
the Galapagos Islands and the oil well fires in Kuwait after the
Persian Gulf War.

The accident on I-10 caused one vehicle's fuel tank to rupture
and
dump about 50 gallons of diesel fuel onto the highway, where cars
spread it for about half a mile. "Vehicles were slipping and sliding
almost like they were on ice," Gulotta said. After shutting down the
highway and removing the disabled vehicles, the fire department had
to get the road in safe condition.

Gulotta said they couldn't hose down the highway because then the
fuel would contaminate the ground water. The old-fashioned way of
cleaning up spills is to put sand on top of them and then to pick
everything up, but sand isn't naturally absorbent, and can be
dangerous on the highway, Gulotta said. "It' s like having little
marbles all over the road. It doesn't stay on the road and
becomes a
bigger hazard."

Eric Lamar, director of training and education for the IAFF, said
bioremediation is rare for fire departments. "It's much more
common
for fire departments these days to put down a clay-based absorbent,
and then some kind of state or private service picks up the absorbent
and disposes of it," he said.

Lamar said he can imagine bioremediation becoming more common,
because it could be favorable when a spill's location makes it
difficult to pick up with absorbents, or when a spill occurs on a
minor roadway.

Because the bioremediation process isn't as fast as absorption,
it
may not be the best choice for spills on major highways. "When time
is of the essence, you're still going to prefer absorbing it,"
Lamar
said.

If traffic is closed down on a major highway, the economic impact on
that area can be as severe as the environmental impact of the fuel
spill, Lamar said. Plus, you have the added risk that the slow down
will cause additional accidents.

The bacteria product used for bioremediation is inexpensive enough
that other Tucson city vehicles, such as garbage trucks, carry it as
well, Gulotta said. "The entire city uses this for spill mitigation,"
he said.

There are a variety of bioremediation products, but Tucson uses one
called Micro-Blaze Emergency Liquid Spill Control made by Verde
Environmental, Inc.

William L. Scogin, president of Verde Environmental, Inc., said the
agencies that use his product are predominantly located in the South
and Southwest because the company is based in Houston, Texas.

The Tucson FD was the first department in Arizona to start using the
bioremediation process in 1994. Gulotta said the department had never
heard of it until they were approached by a marketer for Micro-Blaze.

After the bacteria finished eating the fuel Tuesday, firefighters
spread a powdery, clay-like substance on the highway for better
traction

Methuen Fire struck 3 alarms for a fully loaded Gas tanker that
ignited while making a delivery to a gas station at 330 AM. The gas
station located in a neighborhood cause the evacutions of surrounding
homes. Flames extended some 80 feet in the air. Numerous foam units
were called in. A tier two HAZ MAT team response was called. As of
600 AM the tanker was still on fire and officials decided to let it
burn out. Mutual aid from Lawrence, North Andover, Salem NH, Andover.

------------------
C-12

Chemical fire draws lawsuit


----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
Injuries blamed on mishandling


By Terry Flynn
The Cincinnati Enquirer

NEWPORT — Sharon Everett, who was critically burned last July in
a freak chemical explosion inside her car, has sued several companies
and individuals connected with the manufacturing, packaging and
handling of the materials.
The suit, filed in Campbell County Circuit Court, claims that
negligence caused the fire in the victim's car in the driveway of her
Fort Thomas home July 9.
Mrs. Everett, 51, bought items at a Meijer store, including a pool
cleaner containing calcium hypochlorite, and an algaecide. The suit
alleges that both chemicals leaked from their containers and
combined, creating a flammable substance that ignited in her car.
She was severely burned in the intense flash fire and lost her
eyelids, lips and ears. Mrs. Everett returned home last week after
eight months in the hospital.
Named in the suit are Meijer Inc.; Haviland Inc. of Grand Rapids,
Mich., manufacturer of the pool cleaners; two packaging firms that
make the bags in which the items were carried; the plastics company
that manufactured the containers; and the cashier and bagger who
handled her purchase.
The suit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. It
claims the containers were leaking when they were placed in the bag
at the store.
Attorneys Fred Shaley and Jerome Epping Jr., requested a jury trial
before Circuit Court Judge Leonard Kopowski.

Greensboro police say they have discovered city's first meth lab 3-1-
01
News & RecordUpdated: Police release suspect's name
GREENSBORO -- Police officers tending to an injured man say they
discovered the city's first meth lab when they took him inside his
southwest Greensboro apartment Wednesday night.  Officers with the
Greensboro Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration and the State Bureau of Investigation spent the
evening working on a search warrant so they could further investigate
suspected operations inside a Stonesthrow apartment at 2414-A S.
Holden Road.
Police did not release the name of the man, who is
believed to live in the apartment. They did say he had been taken to
Moses Cone Hospital for treatment, and that charges were pending.
Sgt. Rick Smith of the Greensboro Police Department's vice/narcotics
division said a patrol officer arrived at the apartment about 7 p.m.
Wednesday and called for backup when he noticed a strong chemical
odor and saw beakers and other equipment inside. Smith said the
officer had just completed special drug-lab training on Tuesday.
DEA statistics show only six clandestine meth lab seizures were
reported in North Carolina in 1999, the latest year figures are
available.  Smith said agents have been expecting methamphetamines to
move into the area for some time. "We've been hearing about this for
years," he said.  Like cocaine, methamphetamines are potent
stimulants that affect the central nervous system. The drugs usually
are cooked in hidden labs and sold on the street for about $20 a dose.
Six people inside neighboring apartments were evacuated for the night
because police feared the chemicals were too dangerous.
News spread quickly Tuesday around the Stonesthrow apartment complex,
which is across the street from Smith High School. Residents said
they weren't surprised to hear about drugs but still found it
frightening.  "I guess it could happen anywhere," said neighbor Gary
Bywaters.

news-record.com
The Depot News & Record

You have sent this exact same item to my e-mail three times in the last two
days.

-----Original Message-----
From: Patrick Metts [mailto:wpmetts@...]
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 8:05 PM
To: hazmat101@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [hazmat101] Arizona Fire Department uses "bioremediation"


Arizona Fire Department uses "bioremediation"

Tucson firefighters sprayed billions of petroleum-eating microbes on
diesel spill

By Mitch Tobin
The Arizona Daily Star



Feb, 21-- While motorists were fuming during yesterday morning's
monstrous traffic jam on Interstate 10, Tucson firefighters were
spraying billions of petroleum-eating microbes on the diesel spill
causing the backup.
After the microbes finished their meal, firefighters absorbed the
liquid leftovers
with a material made from ground-up corn cobs. Then they spread
ground-up pencil erasers to improve traction on the highway, which
had become clogged with cars from Speedway to Ina Road.

No one was seriously injured in yesterday's five-car, chain-reaction
accident, which occurred just before 7 a.m. just north of the
Speedway exit and closed all three lanes on eastbound I-10 for nearly
2 1/2 hours.

About 50 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled on the interstate near
the Speedway exit.

It may be small consolation to the folks stuck in traffic yesterday
morning, but the cleanup was an example of "bioremediation," an
emerging technology that uses natural products to break down harmful
or hazardous materials into their
less harmful or benign components.

Besides its use after fender benders, bioremediation has also been
employed in high-profile cleanups, including the recent oil spill off
the Galapagos Islands and the Kuwaiti oil well fires after the 1991
Persian Gulf War.

Bioremediation may not be quick, but backers say the process is a
safer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly way to handle
chemical spills.

In the past, firefighters simply hosed spilled fuel and automotive
fluids off the
road or down the street, polluting stormwater drains and risking
lawsuits from neighbors, said Capt. Mike Jones, who helps oversee the
Tucson Fire Department's disposal of hazardous wastes.

But in recent years, environmental regulations and new products have
led the Fire Department and other agencies to adopt a different
strategy.

After yesterday's fuel spill was contained with dikes, firefighters
added
"Micro-Blaze" to their hose lines and sprayed the pools of diesel.
Micro-Blaze contains about 100 billion Bacillus bacteria per quart,
and those bacteria have a ravenous appetite for diesel and other
hydrocarbons.

When mixed with water, the bacteria emerge from their dormant spore
stage and double their numbers every 20 minutes. Then, on the
microscopic level, the bacteria break down fuels into harmless carbon
dioxide and water.

"They just thinks it's candy," said Don Board, vice president of
sales and service for Verde Environmental, the Houston-based company
that created Micro-Blaze in 1986.

Bacillus is a naturally occurring bacteria and a cubic yard of soil
has just 1,000 of the microbes, Board said. In Micro-Blaze, however,
strains of bacillus are concentrated and fed a nutrient
called "Budkicker."

"There's no waste matter left over, no sludge and we're not
introducing anything new to the earth," Board said.

The Environmental Protection Agency listed Micro-Blaze on its
National Contingency Plan in 1991, giving the product its seal of
approval for use
during emergency spills.

In 1994, the Tucson Fire Department became the first agency in
Arizona to use Micro-Blaze, which costs 26 cents per gallon. The Fire
Department's
Jones said the microbes have reduced the amount of hazardous material
the department must dispose of after car accidents by one-half to one-
third.
Micro-Blaze can also be used in a firefighting foam that lessens the
risk of dangerous explosions, Jones said.

After Micro-Blaze finished dining on the diesel on I-10 yesterday,
firefighters applied pads of "Drysorb" - an absorbent material made
from ground-up corn cobs. The pads soaked up the remaining fluid and
were to be sent
to a hazardous waste incinerator in Utah.

With the fuel removed from the roadway, firefighters then turned
to "Magicsorb," a fine powder of ground-up pencil erasers that blends
with the asphalt and restores its traction.

Capt. Joe Gulotta, a Fire Department spokesman, said vehicles passing
through the accident scene after yesterday's crash spread fuel for
one-quarter to one-half mile down the highway, creating a slick
surface that could have caused more accidents.

"Had we been hasty in getting people traveling again, we could have
ended up hurting someone," Gulotta said.

Even so, the delay incensed some motorists and Gulotta recalled that
one irate driver "honked his horn and flipped us off" when he finally
made it through the cleanup scene.

"But what he doesn't realize," Gulotta said, "is that when he goes
home tonight and drinks a glass of water, it won't have any of these
chemicals
in it."

Rush-hour traffic had slowed to a stop at about 6:52 a.m. when an 18-
wheeler driven by Charles Wood, 31, struck the rear of a flatbed
truck
and ruptured its fuel tank, said Department of Public Safety Officer
Denise Gorman.

The flatbed truck, driven by Louis Garcia, 32, then crashed into the
back of a Chevy Tahoe driven by Leonard Stuessel, 39, which then
hit a Mitsubishi driven by Michael Murray, 26, which then struck a
Mazda driven by Jeffrey Youmans, 30, Gorman said.

All the drivers except Wood, who has a Texas drivers license, are
Tucsonans, Gorman said. Wood was cited for failing to control his
vehicle to avoid a traffic collision, Gorman said.

Authorities allowed one lane of traffic to pass by the accident on
the right-hand breakdown lane, but the accident reportedly slowed
traffic some nine miles back on I-10 to Ina Road, said
Cliff Riley, highway maintenance supervisor for I-10.

All lanes were reopened at about 9:20 a.m., Riley said.

Besides creating a slick road, spilled diesel fuel also can eat away
at asphalt, Riley said.

"The cleanup was the big thing," Riley said. "If there hadn't been a
diesel spill, it would have been 30 minutes and they would
have been out of there."




----------------------------------------------
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Day Care Evacuated After Leak From Rail Tanker Discovered

SIMPSON, N.C. (AP) -- Authorities evacuated dozens of homes and a day-
care center Tuesday in Simpson after a railroad tanker car leaked
part of its load.
Susan Bland of Norfolk Southern said a tanker parked on an embankment
leaked sodium hydroxide, which is used as a bleaching agent for paper
products.  Pitt County Sheriff Mac Manning said no injuries were
reported, but about 30 homes in a three-square block were evacuated
as a precaution. Initial reports were that 27 children from a day-
care center were also taken to the local fire station.
Officials from the railroad were en route to the scene Tuesday
afternoon.
WRAL
www.wral-tv.com

Arizona Fire Department uses "bioremediation"

Tucson firefighters sprayed billions of petroleum-eating microbes on
diesel spill

By Mitch Tobin
The Arizona Daily Star



Feb, 21-- While motorists were fuming during yesterday morning's
monstrous traffic jam on Interstate 10, Tucson firefighters were
spraying billions of petroleum-eating microbes on the diesel spill
causing the backup.
After the microbes finished their meal, firefighters absorbed the
liquid leftovers
with a material made from ground-up corn cobs. Then they spread
ground-up pencil erasers to improve traction on the highway, which
had become clogged with cars from Speedway to Ina Road.

No one was seriously injured in yesterday's five-car, chain-reaction
accident, which occurred just before 7 a.m. just north of the
Speedway exit and closed all three lanes on eastbound I-10 for nearly
2 1/2 hours.

About 50 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled on the interstate near
the Speedway exit.

It may be small consolation to the folks stuck in traffic yesterday
morning, but the cleanup was an example of "bioremediation," an
emerging technology that uses natural products to break down harmful
or hazardous materials into their
less harmful or benign components.

Besides its use after fender benders, bioremediation has also been
employed in high-profile cleanups, including the recent oil spill off
the Galapagos Islands and the Kuwaiti oil well fires after the 1991
Persian Gulf War.

Bioremediation may not be quick, but backers say the process is a
safer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly way to handle
chemical spills.

In the past, firefighters simply hosed spilled fuel and automotive
fluids off the
road or down the street, polluting stormwater drains and risking
lawsuits from neighbors, said Capt. Mike Jones, who helps oversee the
Tucson Fire Department's disposal of hazardous wastes.

But in recent years, environmental regulations and new products have
led the Fire Department and other agencies to adopt a different
strategy.

After yesterday's fuel spill was contained with dikes, firefighters
added
"Micro-Blaze" to their hose lines and sprayed the pools of diesel.
Micro-Blaze contains about 100 billion Bacillus bacteria per quart,
and those bacteria have a ravenous appetite for diesel and other
hydrocarbons.

When mixed with water, the bacteria emerge from their dormant spore
stage and double their numbers every 20 minutes. Then, on the
microscopic level, the bacteria break down fuels into harmless carbon
dioxide and water.

"They just thinks it's candy," said Don Board, vice president of
sales and service for Verde Environmental, the Houston-based company
that created Micro-Blaze in 1986.

Bacillus is a naturally occurring bacteria and a cubic yard of soil
has just 1,000 of the microbes, Board said. In Micro-Blaze, however,
strains of bacillus are concentrated and fed a nutrient
called "Budkicker."

"There's no waste matter left over, no sludge and we're not
introducing anything new to the earth," Board said.

The Environmental Protection Agency listed Micro-Blaze on its
National Contingency Plan in 1991, giving the product its seal of
approval for use
during emergency spills.

In 1994, the Tucson Fire Department became the first agency in
Arizona to use Micro-Blaze, which costs 26 cents per gallon. The Fire
Department's
Jones said the microbes have reduced the amount of hazardous material
the department must dispose of after car accidents by one-half to one-
third.
Micro-Blaze can also be used in a firefighting foam that lessens the
risk of dangerous explosions, Jones said.

After Micro-Blaze finished dining on the diesel on I-10 yesterday,
firefighters applied pads of "Drysorb" - an absorbent material made
from ground-up corn cobs. The pads soaked up the remaining fluid and
were to be sent
to a hazardous waste incinerator in Utah.

With the fuel removed from the roadway, firefighters then turned
to "Magicsorb," a fine powder of ground-up pencil erasers that blends
with the asphalt and restores its traction.

Capt. Joe Gulotta, a Fire Department spokesman, said vehicles passing
through the accident scene after yesterday's crash spread fuel for
one-quarter to one-half mile down the highway, creating a slick
surface that could have caused more accidents.

"Had we been hasty in getting people traveling again, we could have
ended up hurting someone," Gulotta said.

Even so, the delay incensed some motorists and Gulotta recalled that
one irate driver "honked his horn and flipped us off" when he finally
made it through the cleanup scene.

"But what he doesn't realize," Gulotta said, "is that when he goes
home tonight and drinks a glass of water, it won't have any of these
chemicals
in it."

Rush-hour traffic had slowed to a stop at about 6:52 a.m. when an 18-
wheeler driven by Charles Wood, 31, struck the rear of a flatbed
truck
and ruptured its fuel tank, said Department of Public Safety Officer
Denise Gorman.

The flatbed truck, driven by Louis Garcia, 32, then crashed into the
back of a Chevy Tahoe driven by Leonard Stuessel, 39, which then
hit a Mitsubishi driven by Michael Murray, 26, which then struck a
Mazda driven by Jeffrey Youmans, 30, Gorman said.

All the drivers except Wood, who has a Texas drivers license, are
Tucsonans, Gorman said. Wood was cited for failing to control his
vehicle to avoid a traffic collision, Gorman said.

Authorities allowed one lane of traffic to pass by the accident on
the right-hand breakdown lane, but the accident reportedly slowed
traffic some nine miles back on I-10 to Ina Road, said
Cliff Riley, highway maintenance supervisor for I-10.

All lanes were reopened at about 9:20 a.m., Riley said.

Besides creating a slick road, spilled diesel fuel also can eat away
at asphalt, Riley said.

"The cleanup was the big thing," Riley said. "If there hadn't been a
diesel spill, it would have been 30 minutes and they would
have been out of there."

Arizona Fire Department uses "bioremediation"

Tucson firefighters sprayed billions of petroleum-eating microbes on
diesel spill

By Mitch Tobin
The Arizona Daily Star



Feb, 21-- While motorists were fuming during yesterday morning's
monstrous traffic jam on Interstate 10, Tucson firefighters were
spraying billions of petroleum-eating microbes on the diesel spill
causing the backup.
After the microbes finished their meal, firefighters absorbed the
liquid leftovers
with a material made from ground-up corn cobs. Then they spread
ground-up pencil erasers to improve traction on the highway, which
had become clogged with cars from Speedway to Ina Road.

No one was seriously injured in yesterday's five-car, chain-reaction
accident, which occurred just before 7 a.m. just north of the
Speedway exit and closed all three lanes on eastbound I-10 for nearly
2 1/2 hours.

About 50 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled on the interstate near
the Speedway exit.

It may be small consolation to the folks stuck in traffic yesterday
morning, but the cleanup was an example of "bioremediation," an
emerging technology that uses natural products to break down harmful
or hazardous materials into their
less harmful or benign components.

Besides its use after fender benders, bioremediation has also been
employed in high-profile cleanups, including the recent oil spill off
the Galapagos Islands and the Kuwaiti oil well fires after the 1991
Persian Gulf War.

Bioremediation may not be quick, but backers say the process is a
safer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly way to handle
chemical spills.

In the past, firefighters simply hosed spilled fuel and automotive
fluids off the
road or down the street, polluting stormwater drains and risking
lawsuits from neighbors, said Capt. Mike Jones, who helps oversee the
Tucson Fire Department's disposal of hazardous wastes.

But in recent years, environmental regulations and new products have
led the Fire Department and other agencies to adopt a different
strategy.

After yesterday's fuel spill was contained with dikes, firefighters
added
"Micro-Blaze" to their hose lines and sprayed the pools of diesel.
Micro-Blaze contains about 100 billion Bacillus bacteria per quart,
and those bacteria have a ravenous appetite for diesel and other
hydrocarbons.

When mixed with water, the bacteria emerge from their dormant spore
stage and double their numbers every 20 minutes. Then, on the
microscopic level, the bacteria break down fuels into harmless carbon
dioxide and water.

"They just thinks it's candy," said Don Board, vice president of
sales and service for Verde Environmental, the Houston-based company
that created Micro-Blaze in 1986.

Bacillus is a naturally occurring bacteria and a cubic yard of soil
has just 1,000 of the microbes, Board said. In Micro-Blaze, however,
strains of bacillus are concentrated and fed a nutrient
called "Budkicker."

"There's no waste matter left over, no sludge and we're not
introducing anything new to the earth," Board said.

The Environmental Protection Agency listed Micro-Blaze on its
National Contingency Plan in 1991, giving the product its seal of
approval for use
during emergency spills.

In 1994, the Tucson Fire Department became the first agency in
Arizona to use Micro-Blaze, which costs 26 cents per gallon. The Fire
Department's
Jones said the microbes have reduced the amount of hazardous material
the department must dispose of after car accidents by one-half to one-
third.
Micro-Blaze can also be used in a firefighting foam that lessens the
risk of dangerous explosions, Jones said.

After Micro-Blaze finished dining on the diesel on I-10 yesterday,
firefighters applied pads of "Drysorb" - an absorbent material made
from ground-up corn cobs. The pads soaked up the remaining fluid and
were to be sent
to a hazardous waste incinerator in Utah.

With the fuel removed from the roadway, firefighters then turned
to "Magicsorb," a fine powder of ground-up pencil erasers that blends
with the asphalt and restores its traction.

Capt. Joe Gulotta, a Fire Department spokesman, said vehicles passing
through the accident scene after yesterday's crash spread fuel for
one-quarter to one-half mile down the highway, creating a slick
surface that could have caused more accidents.

"Had we been hasty in getting people traveling again, we could have
ended up hurting someone," Gulotta said.

Even so, the delay incensed some motorists and Gulotta recalled that
one irate driver "honked his horn and flipped us off" when he finally
made it through the cleanup scene.

"But what he doesn't realize," Gulotta said, "is that when he goes
home tonight and drinks a glass of water, it won't have any of these
chemicals
in it."

Rush-hour traffic had slowed to a stop at about 6:52 a.m. when an 18-
wheeler driven by Charles Wood, 31, struck the rear of a flatbed
truck
and ruptured its fuel tank, said Department of Public Safety Officer
Denise Gorman.

The flatbed truck, driven by Louis Garcia, 32, then crashed into the
back of a Chevy Tahoe driven by Leonard Stuessel, 39, which then
hit a Mitsubishi driven by Michael Murray, 26, which then struck a
Mazda driven by Jeffrey Youmans, 30, Gorman said.

All the drivers except Wood, who has a Texas drivers license, are
Tucsonans, Gorman said. Wood was cited for failing to control his
vehicle to avoid a traffic collision, Gorman said.

Authorities allowed one lane of traffic to pass by the accident on
the right-hand breakdown lane, but the accident reportedly slowed
traffic some nine miles back on I-10 to Ina Road, said
Cliff Riley, highway maintenance supervisor for I-10.

All lanes were reopened at about 9:20 a.m., Riley said.

Besides creating a slick road, spilled diesel fuel also can eat away
at asphalt, Riley said.

"The cleanup was the big thing," Riley said. "If there hadn't been a
diesel spill, it would have been 30 minutes and they would
have been out of there."

Incident Title  * IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
   Fire and Explosions at Urethane Manufacturing Plant Prompt
Evacuation of About 100 Families
   Location  Date of Incident
   Moody, AL, United States  2/25/2001- 4:00 AM
   CSB Incident Number  NRC Report Number  Board Ref. Number
   2001-5085  None Reported  None Reported
   Current Status  Date of Report Update
   No CSB Action  2/26/2001 - 4:35 PM
   Incident Types  Location Types
   - Explosion
- Fire
- Release to Environment  Fixed Facility
   Evacuations  Injuries  Fatalities
   350 (Estimate)  1  None
   Chemicals Involved
   None Reported
   Description or Latest Development
   -----
Information Added: Monday, February 26, 2001 - 4:38 PM
-----
Residents of nearly 100 homes were evacuated after a fire and
explosions erupted at a urethane manufacturing plant not far from
City Hall early Sunday morning.

The fire at Miller Urethane Products Inc. started at about 3 a.m. and
bellowed thick smoke through the building's tin roof, officials said.
The company manufactures urethane washers and seals.

The only injury was to a police officer who was treated at a local
hospital for smoke inhalation and later released.

Bob Waites Jr. of Hoover, the plant's co-owner said he couldn't
comment on the fire on the advice of his insurance agent.

Firefighters attempting to enter the building were met by several
small and large explosions, said Moody Fire Chief Joe Nobles. They
then backed out and fought the blaze from the outside.

``It was hot. It was glowing,'' Nobles said of the blaze. One of
Nobles' concerns was a potentially hazardous mercury compound inside
the building. But he said the drum containing the mercury was sealed
and intact.

When burning, urethane can give off fumes that can affect the nervous
system and liver.

Toxic smoke from the plant fire moved in a north-northeasterly
direction over Moody, leading police to evacuate residents. Many
began returning to their homes at about noon.


   Sources ( * indicates the original source)  Source Details
   Media - Associated Press *
  02-26-01 0111EST

Police Charge Two Minors in Airport Fuel Spill
Monday, Feb 26th, 2001 12:56 PM
   (Alamance County) -

Last weekend a prank forced some piedmont families out of their homes.

Now comes word that the suspects... are only 11 and 13 years old.

From our alamance county newsroom

Last sunday crews were called to the Burlington-Alamance Regional
Airport.

Authoritieis say vandals broke into "Lab Corp" on Anthony Road.

They dumped more than 5-thousand gallons of jet fuel and 16-hundred
gallons of high octane gas.

The fuel leaked out and seeped under some trailers at a nearby mobile
home park .

At least 7 families were evacuated.

Police believe the boys are also accused of vandalizing tractors and
other heavy equipment in several other incidents... to the tune of
more than 7 thousand dollars.



WFMY News 2

Story prepared by Adrianne Flores.

Thank you for subscribing to Hazmat 101 News. The following issue is
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Hazmat 101 News – February 2001
1. Revision to Standards for Infectious Substances and Genetically
Modified Micro-Organisms (USA)

2. Hazmat Resources on the Internet--Signs
--------------------------------------------------------------
Revision to Standards for Infectious  Substances and Genetically
Modified Micro-Organisms (USA)

The Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), a U.S.
Department of Transportation agency, is proposing to revise
transportation requirements for infectious substances, including
regulated medical waste,

· by adopting defining criteria and packaging requirements for
infectious substances and genetically modified micro-organisms that
are consistent with international standards;

· revising the current broad exceptions for diagnostic
specimens and biological products; and

· authorizing bulk packaging options for regulated medical
waste consistent with requirements in international standards and DOT
exemptions.

These proposals are intended to assure an acceptable level of safety
for the transportation of infectious substances and to facilitate
domestic and international transportation.

For more information, read the proposed rule in the Federal Register,
January 22, 2001 Page 6941. RSPA accepts comments by April 23, 2001.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Resources on The Internet--Signs

Signs are found everywhere, at home, at work, in stores, in offices,
and in transportation. Signs are used to communicate hazards, or to
provide instructions or warnings. Placards, labels, and markings one
type of signs often seen on packages and transport vehicles
containing hazardous materials.

Many agencies developed standards for signs: some of these standards
are regulations-they have the force of law. Others are recommended
practices—they are voluntary.

Below are two Internet links to that included articles about the
meaning and selections of proper signs.


Sign Frequently Asked Questions:
http://www.electromark.com/Help_Hints/Signs/sign_faq.asp

Article on how to select DOT shipping labels:
http://www.electromark.com/Help_Hints/research/how_to_select_labels.as
p

(PS: I wrote one of the articles on this site. You could say I have a
bias.)

Author
The Hazmat 101 List Owner
www.erols.com/prokopis/

---------------------------------------------------------
Copyright and Disclaimer
Copyright 2001, The Hazmat 101 List. The list owner cannot guarantee
the accuracy of any information presented in this document.
INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' WITHOUT
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. The user assumes the entire risk as to the
accuracy and the use of this document.  The newsletter may be copied
and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1. All text must
be copied without modification and all pages must be included. 2. All
copies must contain the copyright notice and any other notices
provided therein. 3. This document may not be distributed for profit.

--- In hazmat101@y..., "Patrick Metts" <wpmetts@e...> wrote:
> Check out this site for this year's HazMat seminars.
>
> Patrick

Sorry here is the site:
http://www.hazmatseminars.com/

Check out this site for this year's HazMat seminars.

Patrick

Pool Supply Fire Scorches Engine

CARLA FIREY
Firehouse.Com News

A swimming pool supply company building in Lawrence, MA exploded into
flames Friday. The City of Lawrence Fire Department responded to the
initial alarm at 2:30 a.m., said Deputy Fire Chief John Marsh.


Firefighters arrived to a series of small explosions as chemicals
within the building ignited. One firefighter broke his shoulder as he
dove over a chainlink fence to avoid the blast.

The explosion damaged two fire trucks. "One truck was crispy," said
Marsh. The heat and flames had melted the hoses, paint, and warning
lights of the vehicle. Another truck, supplying water to the first,
suffered a melted ladder, decals, and taillights. "It looked like a
Salvador Dali picture," Marsh said.

A second firefighter suffered from nausea due to chemical smoke.
Neighboring Andover firefighters, mutual aid on the three-alarm fire,
evacuated twenty nearby residences to a local senior citizen center
because of the fumes. "The high toxicity of chlorine makes it
dangerous," said Marsh

The fire was under control by 6:00 a.m.

The Swimming Pool Center, located on the city line between Lawrence
and Andover, sold chemicals and supplies to the general public.

The City of Lawrence Fire Department protects a population of 70,000
residents, operating with 160 firefighters in six fire stations.

Excellent idea Jeff.

But I am in the USA. What is the internationl standard. Here in the USA I
have seen many format's for MSDSs. The most recent ones follow the 16 part
format which is an ANSI (a U.S standards organization)standard. I had the
opportunity ro review MSDSs for material my company imported into the U.S.
Some of them were very bad.  In some cases they did not include basic hazard
information  or constiutnet identifactions.

Luck
PC

>From: Jeff Simpson <jsimpson@...>
>Reply-To: hazmat101@yahoogroups.com
>To: hazmat101@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [hazmat101] Australian Drafts on Labelling & MSDS Preparation
>Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2001 18:02:45
>
>For all those interested in World harmonisation for chemical laberlling and
>MSDS preparation:
>
>
>Draft Australian NOHSC Codes of Practice on Labelling & MSDS - For Public
>Comment until the 20th April 2001: The “Labelling of Workplace Substances
>(Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Goods)” and “Preparation of Material
>Safety Data Sheets” Codes are key documents for manufacturers and suppliers
>to comment on, as labels and MSDS information is very important area for
>world harmonisation.

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

For all those interested in World harmonisation for chemical laberlling and
MSDS preparation:


Draft Australian NOHSC Codes of Practice on Labelling & MSDS - For Public
Comment until the 20th April 2001: The “Labelling of Workplace Substances
(Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Goods)” and “Preparation of Material
Safety Data Sheets” Codes are key documents for manufacturers and suppliers
to comment on, as labels and MSDS information is very important area for
world harmonisation.

They are intended to illustrate a simplified, integrated approach to
workplace chemical information systems. The labelling Code combines
Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Substances label requirements (but not
Scheduled Poisons which cover domestic use labelling). The MSDS code will
move to the 16 part international format and phase out the Worksafe
Australia format over 5 years. The quality and quantity of the information
to go into an MSDS is addressed in detail.

I have read over the drafts and there are some significant Australianisms
in both drafts that need careful evaluation.  I am concerned that the MSDS
may not be easily readable and understandable by the final user.

Electronic copies of these two codes can be obtained from the NOHSC website
at www.nohsc.gov.au under "New". They are in pdf format, the labelling one
is about 80 pages, the MSDS one is about 120 pages.

Hard copies can be obtained by contacting Australian NOHSC; Australian
freecall: 1800-252-226, ph: 02-9577-9555, fax: 02-9577-9202


For those who do review it, could they send a copy of any comments to me as
well. I am interested to compare your comments with mine. I am going to
prepare a detailed submission on both documents by mid March.


Regards


Jeff Simpson
Haztech Environmental
18 Laurel St, ASHBURTON Vic 3147 Australia

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Hazmat 101 News – January 2001
1. Reduction in Registration Fees for U.S. Shippers and Carriers of
Hazardous Materials.

2. Hazmat Resources on the Internet
--------------------------------------------------------------
Reduction in Registration Fees for U.S. Shippers and Carriers of
Hazardous Materials

In 2000, the Research & Special Programs Administration (RSPA), a
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) agency, changed the
registration program to expand applicability and increase the
registration fees for "persons" who transport or offer for
transportation hazardous materials. Under those changes, offerors and
carriers either paid $300 (for small businesses) or $2000. RSPA uses
the funds from the registration program to provide grants to local
emergency responders for training, preparedness and awareness.

Because RSPA collected $8.5 million more than the limit set by U.S.
Congress for this program, RSPA is proposing to reduce the fees to
$275 and $500 respectively over the next seven years starting with
the registrations due June 30, 2001. RSPA is, also, proposing to
reduce the fees for not-for-profit organizations.  They would pay the
same fees as small businesses.

The proposed DOT action would decrease the annual registration fee
for seven  years. Companies that paid for multiple years would
receive a refund for the overpayment.

For more information read the proposed rule in the Federal Register,
Dec. 7, 2001, p.76890.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Resources on The Internet

USA Federal Agencies--Home Pages
Federal Registers Online at GPO:
   http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html

US Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/

Occupational Safety & Health Administration: http://www.osha.gov/

US Department of Transportation: http://www.dot.gov/

National Center for Health Statistics:
   http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/default.htm

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health:
   http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
   http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html

Emergency Response, Hazardous Materials, Transportation Safety
NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration:
   http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/index.html

US DOT Hazardous Material Home Page: http://hazmat.dot.gov/

CHEMTREC® (U.S.) a service of American Chemistry Council (formerly
CMA):
   http://www.cmahq.com/

CANUTEC (Canada): http://www.tc.gc.ca/canutec/en/menu.htm

Material-Container Compatibility at Cole Palmer:
   http://www.coleparmer.com/techinfo/chemcomp/icrd2.asp

Motor Carrier Safety Ratings at SAFER: http://www.safersys.org/

Union Pacific Railroad (for tank car tracing):
   http://my.uprr.com/PUB/PET/index.shtml

CSX Transportation (for tank car tracing):
   http://www.csxt.com/

AAR NetRedi (for tank car tracing):
   http://www.railinc.com/

Material Safety Data Sheets, Hazards of Materials
MSDS Search: http://www.msdssearch.com/

Chemicals and Toxic Substances:
    http://www.lehigh.edu/~injrl/subindex/chemtox.html

---------------------------------------------------------

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--- In hazmat101@y..., ibflat2@a... wrote:
> what has become of this group. I looks it has been exacuated.

Richard,
   this group is still alive. It is unmoderated so anyone can send and
receive emails any time as long they are members. I was actually
about to compose a new short newsletter to send out this week. I am
the list administrator aka as PC (aka p.christou).

Our list was previously housed on eGroups. Yahoo took over and merged
eGroups lists into yahoogroups. I was waiting for the hazmat dust to
settle before I hazard to update the list settings.

Some action items for members:
1. Express your interests or suggestions on what you would like to
see coming and going thru the hazmat101 list. It is your list.

2. If you have any information that you think is pertinent to this
list, just share it.

3. I will continue to compile the hazmat101 newsletter. Yes, you can
contribute articles, ideas and materials. Just let me know.

4. You can get more out of this list, if you participate. So
parttipate. And  encourage others to join the list.

Here's updated list info according to Yahoogroups
All the features you know and love about eGroups have carried over
and we've added some new functionality that we hope you'll enjoy. All
eGroups email and web addresses will continue to work. All of the
group information and membership has been maintained.

The new list settings
Post message: hazmat101@yahoogroups.com
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List URL : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hazmat101
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You can post and read messages at the list's URL (i.e. no email
delivery.)

Happy and safe hazmats.

PC