headerdrawing1.jpg (96365 bytes)

Sulphuric Acid on the WebTM Technical Manual DKL Engineering, Inc.

Knowledge for the Sulphuric Acid Industry Line.jpg (1139 bytes)

Sulphuric Acid on the Web

Introduction
General
Equipment Suppliers
Contractor

Instrumentation
Industry News
Maintenance
Acid Traders
Organizations
Fabricators
Conferences

Used Plants
Intellectual Propoerty
Acid Plant Database
Market Information
Library

Technical Manual

Introduction
General

Definitions
Instrumentation
Plant Safety
Metallurgial Processes
Metallurgical
Sulphur Burning
Acid Regeneration
Lead Chamber
Technology
Gas Cleaning
Contact
Strong Acid
Acid Storage
Loading/Unloading

Transportation
Sulphur Systems
Liquid SO2
Boiler Feed Water
Steam Systems

Cooling Water
Effluent Treatment
Utilities
Construction
Maintenance
Inspection
Analytical Procedures
Materials of Construction
Corrosion
Properties
Vendor Data

DKL Engineering, Inc.

Handbook of Sulphuric Acid Manufacturing
Order Form
Preface
Contents
Feedback

Sulphuric Acid Decolourization
Order Form
Preface
Table of Contents

Process Engineering Data Sheets - PEDS
Order Form
Table of Contents

Introduction

Bibliography of Sulphuric Acid Technology
Order Form

Preface
Contents

Sulphuric Acid Plant Specifications
 

Google Search new2.gif (111 bytes)

 

 

Sulphuric Acid Plant Safety - Accidents (Archive)
November 14, 2021

 

Introduction
Associated Links

Storage Tank Failures

 

Accidents - Recent


Introduction

 

No matter how well a plant is designed and operated, there is the potential for accidents to happen.  Accidents can be as minor as small spills or releases to major incidents that require evacuation, personal injury or death.

 

Plans must be in place for all possible situations and personnel should be trained so they now how to react to minimize the impact of an accident.  The following are accidents, both minor and major that have involved sulphuric acid plants or sulphuric acid.

 

Categories:

Transportation - River, Ocean, Road, Rail, Marine

Spill

Exposure

Environmental - Release

Fire

Explosion

 

Type Date Location Details
Transportation - Road
Spill
July 10, 2015new2.gif (111 bytes) Beulah, North Dakota North Dakota Transportation Department officials have closed state Highway 49 near Beulah due to the crash of a semitrailer hauling sulfuric acid. Highway Patrol Lt. Tom Iverson says acid spilled in the ditch about 4 miles south of Beulah. He says it's unknown how much spilled and if there's any environmental damage.  The unidentified driver was taken to a Hazen hospital with unknown injuries. No other vehicles were involved, and it's unclear what led to the crash.  Iverson says the highway likely will be closed for some time as hazardous material crews clean up the spill.
Exposure June 20, 2015 Kuala Lumpur

A Chinese national suffered severe burns all over his body after he was splashed with sulfuric acid, following a tank explosion at a fertiliser factory in Port Klang.  Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations director Mohd Sani Harul said the 40-year-old man was working near the tank which was in operation at the time, at about 4pm Saturday, when it suddenly exploded and spewed acid all over.  The man was covered in the corrosive acid from the neck down and suffered severe burns.  “Our officers rushed there to clean the acid off him with a water hose. He was half conscious at the time and is in very critical condition,” Mohd Sani said.  The man was rushed to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital. The Fire Department is trying to contact the factory supervisor to ascertain what could have caused the explosion.

Exposure June 15, 2015 North Lincolnshire AN incident at an oil refinery "could have been avoided" had hazards been identified which led to a worker needing skin grafts.  The firm in question, Total Lindsey Oil refinery in North Lincolnshire, was fined for the incident involving molten sulphur.  Tanker driver Jack Vickers was loading the dangerous substance from his vehicle and was detaching the lance from a loading arm when he slipped.  After pulling his leg out of the 140 degree molten sulphur, Mr Vickers needed extensive skin grafts.  The Health and Safety Executive told the court that there were no safety practices in place concerning the manway, and potential hazards had not been identified and dealt with.  Total Lindsey Oil Refinery, was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £2,641 in costs with a victim surcharge of £120.  HSE inspector Jayne Towey said: "Mr Vickers sustained extremely painful injuries, which still affect him now. Yet this incident could have been avoided if Total had identified the dangers associated with attaching and detaching the loading lance and then taken action to reduce those risks.  "Loading molten sulphur is a common task within the refining industry. Total had two other loading units on site with a different system whereby a loading lance does not have to be attached to the loading arm."
Spill May 30, 2015 Maryland City, Maryland

Hundreds are briefly told to stay indoors after a sulfuric acid leak in Anne Arundel County.  It happened around 9 a.m. Saturday in the 3500 block of Whiskey Bottom Road in Maryland City.  Police say a hazmat team was called after a 45-foot trailer delivering totes of sulfuric acid leaked.

The leak was contained to the property, authorities said.  More than 500 residents were briefly told to shelter-in-place as a precaution.  The order was lifted around 10:30 a.m

Transportation
Ocean
May 29, 2015 Port Arthur, Texas

A bulk carrier loaded with a cargo of sulfur ran aground offshore Port Arthur, Texas, on Wednesday.  Jian Qiang (46,807 dwt, built 1996), owned by China’s Cosco, was outward bound from Neches Industrial park in Beaumont, Texas, when it ran hard aground.  US Coast Guard (USCG) responded to a call at approximately 1.30pm and were quickly on the scene. They were co-ordinating with the ship’s owners, the Texas General Land Office and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to find a way to release the vessel.  The 615-foot ship was still stuck as of late Wednesday night but there were no significant reports of damage, injury or pollution.  USCG are investigating the cause of the accident.

Transportation
Road
Spill
May 21, 2015 Modimolle, South Africa Police are investigating a case against officials who responded to the accident scene where a truck carrying sulphuric acid overturned on Saturday, May 16.  The truck carrying 28,000 litres of sulphuric acid was on its way to Zimbabwe.  DA leader for Limpopo, Jacques Smalle claims that the disaster management units arrived at the scene four hours after the toxic spill.  CCTV footage in the video above shows how disaster management officials then proceeded to clean up the spill by using water from a fire department truck to spray the acid into the Nyl River.  The DA has laid criminal charges against the heads of disaster management of the Modimolle and Waterberg municipalities, and the Waterberg fire chief for not complying with regulations in section 28 of the National Environment Act of 1998.  The environmental damage to the river has been extensive as locals have been warned not to drink the water or use it for farming.  Fish in the river have died and the national Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation has described the pollution as "very serious".  The pollution has been neutralised with a treatment of lime, to reduce the level of acidity, but further treatment is still needed.  Warrant officer James Findlay, spokesperson for the Modimolle police, said the charges laid are specifically “failure to comply with directive to cease activity and to rehabilitate the environment /contravene and fail to comply with conditions of the authorisation”.  Affidavits have not yet been obtained, said Findlay.  “The investigating officer will obtain statements from the three involved early next week.”  Findlay says this is an unusual case for Modimolle police.  “I’ve been here over 20 years and if I’m not mistaken most of our big truck accidents, like with petrol trucks, happen on the highway and don’t go into the water,” he said.  Smalle told eNCA.com that they are relieved that the national water affairs department is dealing with the issue.  However, the DA plans to watch the clean-up process closely.  “We will compile a comprehensive analysis report and present it at the Limpopo legislature so we can monitor ongoing process,” said Smalle.

Modimolle farmers in Limpopo have suspended farming activities after a sulphuric acid spill contaminated the Nyl River last weekend.A truck carrying sulphuric acid overturned in the town and acid spilled into the river. Water Affairs officials are busy with clean-up operations.
The Nyl River is the source of water for farmers in the Modimolle area. Water Affairs officials were busy working where the truck overturned at corner Thabo Mbeki and Nelson Mandela Streets last weekend.  They were using wheelbarrows to carry lime to the river to neutralise the acid. The scene was cordoned off. Officials refused to talk about the clean-up operations and referred all enquiries to their National Office.  Modimolle farmers are blaming the Waterberg District Municipality for the incident. Local farmer Johan Abrie says they have suspended all ploughing activities. Fish and other water species have died.  Abrie alleges that the municipality did not prevent the acid from spilling into the river. "Sulphuric acid spilled onto a tar road, what happened is instead of covering it and building a buffer zone so it cannot enter the river, the municipality, against every law in the book, took hoses to wash down into the Nyl River.  That is the most inhumanly possible thing they could have done. So instead of following international regulations and protocol how to treat this thing, the municipality decided to wash it into the river."  Waterberg District Municipal Manager, Sam Mabotja says the spill is a Water Affairs matter. The Water Affairs Department could not be reached for comment.  Meanwhile, retired Zoologist, Professor Koos Prinsloo, says the sulphuric acid that polluted the Nyl River is a danger to environment and its natural species.  He says delays in treating the polluted water will have negative effects on the ecological system. "Sulphuric acid is difficult chemical it comes in contact with water certain reaction start take place.  Some very serious toxic substances are formed. It is definitely affecting the plants, it is going to affect millions of macrobiotic in the water that play a very important role in keeping ecological balance."
Spill May 20, 2015 Dickerson
Montgomery County

More than 300 gallons of sulphuric acid were spilled in an accident at a power plant in Montgomery County on Wednesday, injuring one worker.  County fire and rescue service spokesman Pete Piringer said that the worker was not seriously injured and had been decontaminated after the acid splashed onto him.  Piringer said that workers were moving a container of the acid at a loading dock at an energy substation on Martinsburg Road in Dickerson. They accidentally spilled the caustic substance, he said.

Transportation
Rail
May 11, 2015 Bijoux Falls Provincial Park
BC
Eight train cars carrying sulphur derailed near Mackenzie on a railway crossing Highway 97 South at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, a Canadian National Rail Co. spokesperson has confirmed.Drive BC has indicated that Highway 97 will be blocked in both directions until further notice near Bijoux Falls Provincial Park.There were no injuries reported and the cause of the derailment is under investigation, CN said.Pierre Boivin, senior manager of stakeholder relations with CN Rail, told the Alaska Highway News Sunday night that the eight cars involved in the derailment were all carrying sulphur."The cars are upright and there are no indications that there is any spill or any environmental impacts," Boivin said.CN crews will work through the night to clear the crossing "as soon as possible," Boivin added, but he did not know how long it would take. "At this point all we know is that Highway 97 is blocked," Boivin explained. "Our crews are en route. As soon as they arrive they are going to work to clear the crossing."It's unclear at this time where the train originated from, or where it was headed.
Transportation
Road
Spill
April 20, 2015 Birmingham, Alabama

About 22 homes were evacuated from a north Birmingham neighborhood while crews moved a semi-truck carrying hazardous material that got stuck around midnight.  The semi-truck, which was carrying 3,000 gallons of sulfuric acie, was trying to navigate through a neighborhood when it hit a curve and jackknifed on a narrow street around midnight, according to EMA officials.  Police blocked off the area and evacuated people in the Fairmont community on 40th Avenue North near Lewisburg Road, off of Daniel Payne Drive and near Carver High School.  Birmingham police told residents that if the sulfuric acid mixed with water, it could possibly blow up.  A hazmat crew with Birmingham Fire Department responded to the scene as a precaution.  None of the sulfuric acid has spilled from the truck, according to Jody Hodge with the Jefferson County EMA. He says the truck driver is also OK and no one was injured.  The truck was turned upright and moved from the area where it got stuck by 8 a.m.  Residents who were evacuated say this isn't the first time a semi-truck has been stuck in their neighborhood.  “No it's not, it's happened before, we didn't have to be evacuated, they were able to get the truck up, but semis come through here all the time and turn over,” Sophia Holloway said.  “We've gone to talk to different people about getting some assistance with stopping these trucks from coming through here. We don't want this to happen. We don't want this neighborhood to blow up because of this type situation,” Holloway added.  Holloway explained that the semi-trucks often miss their exit off 41st Avenue and go to Fultondale to turn around, and the GPS routes the trucks through her neighborhood.  “Once they turn around, they come through the neighborhoods and there's really no room for them to maneuver in there,” she said.  Hodge said he believed the truck driver was trying to get to a truck stop in the area and the GPS took him a roundabout way. He said the driver turned on a narrow street and jackknifed.  “Some of these streets are very narrow, have sharp curves, and you know, with an 18-wheeler, it just happened," Hodge said.  He said about 10 families chose to not evacuate and shelter in place.

The Red Cross had a shelter on standby, but it was never opened.  Police will determine when residents are allowed to return to their homes.

Spill March 8, 2015 Krasnodar Territory

At the Tihoretsk station of the North Caucasus Railway in Krasnodar Territory, sulfuric acid has leaked from a holding tank, the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Measures of the Russian Federation in the region reported.  The leak occurred last night about 21:20 Moscow time in the park "B" of Tikhoretsk station, Interfax cites the report.

Transportation
Road
Exposure
March 8, 2015 Salt Lake City, Utah

Sue Turley and Raquel Sever received a phone call Tuesday they never expected. They learned their sister's husband, Joshua Schade, had been in a terrible accident on the job.  "We really don't know exactly what happened at this point," Sever said.  Although the investigation is ongoing, they do know some of the details. Their brother-in-law was transporting sulfuric acid for Basin Western Trucking Company to Delta on Tuesday. When he went to unload it, something went horribly wrong.  "It poured all the way down his body, from his head all the way down," Turley said.  They said first responders took him to a hospital for decontamination, then he was flown to University Hospital's burn center.  Schade has already undergone one skin graft surgery with more planned.  "They keep reminding (my sister) he's in very critical condition and they don't want to give her the impression that he's definitely going to make it home," Turley said.  Turley said Schade began the job only a few weeks ago and was excited because the schedule allowed him to spend more time with his family. Now they're hoping the 29-year-old father will get that time.  "We're just trying to be hopeful and have faith that he'll make it," Sever said.  "My sister has said so many times she doesn't care what he looks like," added Turley. "She doesn't want him in pain, and she just wants to have her husband."  "Everyone is hoping and praying for Josh and his family at this time," said Lloyd Dean, a spokesman for Western Basin Trucking Company.  Dean said the company is conducting its own investigation to determine what happened.

Environmental - Release February 18, 2015 India

Days after leakage of sulphur dioxide caused suffocation to workers and people residing in the area, Tamil Nadu Chemical Products Ltd, a factory manufacturing dyeing substance, in Kovilur was today ordered to be closed down by the state pollution control board.  Three school children had fainted upon inhaling sulphur dioxide from the factory on February 12. The leak also caused suffocation to factory workers and people living around.  On inspection of the 35-year-old factory, officials of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board found that main units had not been maintained properly leading to the gas leakage.  The chairman of the board ordered closure of the factory, the officials said.

Transportation
Road
Spill
February 10, 2015 Corpus Christi

Crews were busy cleaning up a sulfur pellet spill Tuesday morning.  It happened in the area of Suntide and Up River Road.  A private contractor was taking prilled sulfur from the Flint Hills West Plant to the bulk terminal, when a portion of the load spilled from the truck onto the roadway.  According to a spokeswoman from Flint Hills, clean-up crews were called in to sweep up the material.  Because the sulphur was in pellet form, it was not hazardous and no streets had to be closed.  The chemical is commonly stored outdoors and is used in fertilizer.

   

Transportation
Road
Spill
February 8, 2015 Ndola, Zambia

PEOPLE who depend on Chililabombwe’s Lubengele stream for water have been left stranded after a tanker delivering sulphuric acid to KCM overturned on Friday, spilling its contents into the stream. Chililabombwe Municipal Council health inspectors confirmed the development. “Lubengele Stream is important because many families get their water from there. This is a serious threat and something must be done before the whole stream is contaminated,” the officers warned. The inspectors said Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company obtained water samples to determine the amount of acid in the stream. They said immediate measures had been put in place to stop the spillage but that the council and Mulonga Water would carry out further investigations. And Abrahman Yessus, the owner of the tanker, explained that the driver failed to control the vehicle which fell on the road, causing the spillage. “Around 06:00 hours, I received a call that my tanker carrying sulphuric acid for delivery at KCM had an accident. What happened was that the driver lost control because he was going uphill and the tanker fell on the road. There are no injuries and with the help of KCM, we have managed to control the sulphuric acid by putting lime,” said Yessus.

Transportation January 31, 2015new2.gif (111 bytes) Richmond Hill, Ontario
Canada

A train derailment in Richmond Hill has closed Elgin Mills East Road between Yonge Street and Newkirk Road.  Two cars on a southbound CN Rail train partially derailed at around noon on Saturday according to CN and York Regional Police.  One was carrying steel, the other was carrying sulphuric acid. No one was injured and no material leaked, officials said.  The cause is under investigation. 

Transportation
Road
Spill
January 24, 2015 New Zealand

A truck has spilled 500 litres of toxic acid near Feilding today.  The truck lost its load of sulfuric acid on Awahuri-Feilding road about 12.15pm, and roadblocks were put up while the chemical was cleared.  Greg Bevin, Horizons team leader consent monitoring, said the acid was at 70 per cent concentration.  It was contained in a dry roadside drain and there was no threat to waterways or public safety, he said.  A Horizon's environmental protection officer was assisting the Fire Service.

Transportation
Road
Spill
January 21, 2015 Tennessee, USA

A tanker carrying 48,000 gallons of sulfuric acid overturned on Interstate 24 near mile marker 23 on the eastbound side, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The accident happened at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday.  One eastbound lane has been reopened, according to dispatch. Westbound traffic remains unaffected. The Tennessee Department of Transportation doesn't expect the wreck to be cleared until 5 p.m.  The driver has been identified as Calvin L. Morgan, 67, of Turtletown. He was injured in the wreck, but was not taken to the hospital, according to the preliminary THP report.  Morgan was driving eastbound on I-24 when his truck's left front tire exited the roadway into the median. He overcorrected and lost control of the vehicle. The trailer disconnected from the truck and came to rest in the median. The truck crossed both lanes of eastbound traffic and crashed into several trees along the right shoulder, according to the report.  Hazmat crews were dispatched to the scene when the call came in, dispatch confirmed.  None of the acid was spilled in the accident, according to THP.  Morgan was charged with having an expired medical card and other charges are pending, authorities say.

Transporation
Rail
Spil
December 19, 2014 Didsbury The cause of a Dec. 19 train derailment near Didsbury is under investigation.  Six Canadian Pacific Railway train cars carrying sulphur derailed a few miles northwest of the town onto farmland north of Highway 584 near Rge. Rd. 2.1 around 11:40 p.m. that Friday night.  Two of the cars spilled solid sulphur pellets along the tracks, said CP spokesperson Salem Woodrow.  There were no injuries and no public safety issues in the incident, she said adding railway crews able to clean up the sulphur the following day.  “CP immediately enacted emergency protocols and all safety precautions and measures were taken,” she said.  The line reopened late on Dec. 20.  The cause of the mishap is under investigation. It is not known how long the investigation may take, she said.  Didsbury RCMP were notified of the derailment but were not dispatched to the scene.  “Where it was, there was no need for traffic control or anything,” said Cpl. Warren Wright.
Transportation
Road
November 5, 2014 Bonghwa, South Korea A tanker truck carrying sulfuric acid hit a guardrail along a local road Wednesday and overturned, spilling some of the acid into Nakdong River, South Korea's longest river, firefighters and police said.  The truck, which had a load capacity of 25 tons, was carrying about 20,000 liters of sulfuric acid. About 200 liters of the acid spilled into the river, which passes through Gyeongsang Provinces in the country's southeast, they added.
Transportation
Road
November 1, 2014 Wisconsin Rapids After almost 12 hours of being shut down to traffic, Wisconsin Rapids roads have reopened following a sulfuric acid spill that occurred at 4:03 a.m. Saturday near the roundabout at Second Avenue South and Gaynor Avenue.  The sulfuric acid escaped from a tanker as it was leaving Chemtrade, 311 12th Ave. S., said Captain Chuck Peeters of the Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department. The driver of the truck realized his vehicle was leaking as he reached the roundabout at Second Avenue and Gaynor Avenue. A Hazmat team from Minneapolis was called into address the situation.  The following streets were closed during the incident: The West Riverview Expressway's northbound lane, from Chase Street to Second Avenue; Twelfth Avenue from Chase Street to Alton Street; Chase Street from 13th Avenue to the West Riverview Expressway; and south and west bound traffic on Second Avenue from West Riverview Expressway to Seneca Road.  Peeters urges anybody who drove through the closed streets between 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. to wash their cars to avoid any kind of damage from the chemical.  The amount of sulfuric acid spilled is unknown, Peeters said, but he said the effects of the spill were minimal. Nobody was hurt and the road suffered no noticeable damage.  Peeters said authorities closed off the storm drains immediately, and no environmental effects stemmed from the spill.  "It is turning out well," Peeters said. "We got fortunate with the weather. Had it been raining, it would have been (a) much more difficult (situation)."  During the traffic closure, Peeters said agents treated the affected areas in three steps: applying Oil-Dri to the spill, using street cleaner to further scrub the area; and then applying soda ash mixed with the water to neutralize the chemicals.  Four agencies were involved in the containment and clean up of the spill: the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Rapids Police Department, Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department and Wood County Emergency Management. Because of the chemicals involved, the state will be notified of the incident, Peeters said.
Transportation
Road
October 24, 2014
Great Falls A sulfuric acid leak west of Great Falls has emergency crews working to clean up the spill.  Vince Kolar, the Disaster & Emergency Services coordinator for Cascade County, says that a truck driver pulled off in Simms because of an air-line issue and noticed that his tote was leaking at around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday.  The county road department hauled sand out to help contain the spill, which is estimated at about 250 gallons.  Kolar and other emergency personnel remained at the scene until a cleanup crew arrived at around 8 a.m. on Friday.  The clean-up is continuing, and Kolar says it will likely take most of the day.  Crews are putting down soda ash to neutralize the acid and repeating the process.  Kolar says that there is no public health threat.
Spill
Environmental- Release
September 21, 2014 Sonora, Mexico The authorities asked people not to use water from the river after an orange stain appeared in it.  Mexican civil protection authorities in the northern state of Sonora issued on Sunday a new alert of a toxic spill in the Bacanuchi River from a copper mine operated by Buenavista del Cobre, a subsidiary company of Grupo Mexico SAB (GMEXICOB).  The alert triggered protection measures for the surrounding Sonora River population. Some 25,000 residents of the area have been urged to avoid using the water after local municipalities complained of a toxic plume where the spill occurred. The population of the area has gone without a reliable water supply for 45 days.  The announcement came after authorities flew over the area which according to them had an abnormal orange stain. They estimated that the mine contaminated the river with 40 thousand cubic meters of sulfuric acid.  Meanwhile GMEXICOB said today in a statement that heavy rains during Hurricane Odile caused new flooding, sparking pollution concerns in the mine. According to the company, the bad weather caused two reservoirs at the mine to fill with water, prompting them to activate pumping teams in order to contain the situation.  A spill at the same mine on August 6 contaminated the water supplies of at least 24,000 people, according to the government. The company has denied the accusations and has set up a US$150 million trust to pay damages.  Mexico's environmental authorities accused the company of lying about the spilling of millions of gallons of acids and heavy metals that contaminated two rivers and a dam downstream, and they said the company also lied about the measures it took to control the effects. 
Transportation
Rail
September 17, 2014 Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada

Crews are currently working to clear a Canadian National train derailment just outside of Slave Lake, Alberta.  No injuries have been reported.  The Transportation Safety Board says four engines and three cars came off the tracks on Tuesday about 10 kilometres east of Slave Lake, near Mitsue.  Two of the derailed cars were carrying sulphuric chloride while one was carrying sulphuric acid.  While none of the cars carrying the hazardous material are believed to be leaking, Slave Lake fire chief Jamie Coutts says they are working to contain a small leak from one of the engines. www.theglobeandmail.com

Explosion
Environmental - Release
August 27, 2014 Whiting, Indiana, USA

A fire broke out about 9 p.m. Wednesday after an explosion at the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana, fire officials said.  BP America spokesman Scott Dean confirmed in a news release early Thursday that the Whiting refinery experienced “an operational incident” on a process unit on the refinery's north end, the Post-Tribune is reporting. Its in-house fire department responded, and the fire was extinguished by 10:55 p.m.  “Refinery operations were minimally impacted as a result of the incident, and the refinery continues to produce products for customers,” Dean said.  One refinery employee was taken to a local hospital as a precaution but was later released, Dean said.  Two neighbors said via social media that they heard or felt the blast about 9 p.m.  The blast was heard as far away as Highland and Griffith.  Bernie Niceswander lives on the corner of Schrage Avenue and 121st Street, just across the street from BP's new expansion site.  “I felt what sounded like a big boom, kind of like roman candles exploding,” he said late Wednesday. “My window screens were shaking. But I didn't see anything, except a lot of chaos, with police cars and sirens.”  Jorge Torres, who also lives near the refinery, said the explosion felt like an earthquake.  “I was here at home around 9 p.m. when we heard a big explosion and the house vibrated,” he said. “When we came out, we couldn't see anything, but then we looked toward the refinery and we saw white smoke.”  Torres drove toward the refinery and saw everybody coming out of their houses. He said Indianapolis Boulevard was blocked for an hour.  BP officials have notified the state of Indiana that more than 500 pounds of sulfur dioxide were released into the air following the explosion.  Indiana Department of Environmental Management spokesman Dan Goldblatt says the agency is still preparing a report but the initial indication is that the release didn't cause any air quality problems.  BP spokesman Scott Dean says there's no indication the explosion had any environmental impact.  Dean says the explosion Wednesday night was caused by a compressor in one of the units of the refinery. He says the plant was continuing to operate Thursday. He wouldn't comment on whether it affected the production at the plant.  Wednesday was the anniversary of a disastrous explosion in Whiting.  On Aug. 27, 1955, a series of explosions ripped apart the Standard Oil Refinery's 250-foot tall fluid hydroformer unit 700 in Whiting. Only two were killed but the conflagration is considered one of the worst industrial disasters in the region's history.

www.myfoxchicago.com

Transportation
Rail
August 26, 2014 Sonora, Mexico

A train carrying sulfuric acid derailed near the north-flowing Santa Cruz River in Sonora on Sunday, but officials said none of the corrosive spilled.  The Hermosillo daily El Imparcial, citing Sonora state civil protection officials, reported that the derailment occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the Ejido Miguel Aleman, a community in the municipality of Santa Cruz, approximately 25 miles southeast of Nogales, Sonora.  The officials told El Imparcial that 15 train cars jumped the tracks, including three tankers that were each carrying 80 tons of sulfuric acid. The train was reportedly on its way to the United States when it derailed.  The officials said no acid was spilled.  Ray Sayre, emergency services director for Santa Cruz County, said he first learned of the incident at 9:36 a.m. Monday from Louis Chaboya, co-chair of the Arizona-Sonora Commission’s emergency management committee.  Chaboya also said there had been no spill, Sayre said.  Even so, Sayre said, he notified the Arizona Division of Emergency Management, as well as a hydrologist at the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).  “We are downstream, as you know, and that’s why I usually bump it up right away so the state’s aware of the situation,” he said.  “If we had a leak, or there was some other stuff on the ground, then that’s a game-changer," he said. "But I didn’t have any indication of that so I didn’t go any father with it.”  Sayre said he would continue to monitor the situation.  Grupo Mexico operates large copper mines in Cananea and Nacozari, Sonora, that connect to the rail line where the derailment occurred. Highly corrosive sulfuric acid is used in the mining process to leach copper from ore.  Earlier this month, more than 10 million gallons of sulfuric acid leaked from Grupo Mexico’s Cananea mine into the nearby, south-flowing Rio Sonora, leaving about 20,000 people in nearby communities without water and forcing the closure of more than 80 schools.

www.nogalesinternational.com

Spill
Environmental- Release
August 24, 2014 Sonora, Mexico

More than 10 million gallons of sulfuric acid from one of the world’s largest copper mines spilled into two major rivers—the Sonora and the Bacanuchi—in northern Mexico earlier this month, cutting the water supply of 20,000 people and closing 88 schools. Some locals even fear eating food.  “If [a cow is killed], we don’t know if we can eat it,” housekeeper and farm laborer Ramona Yesenia told AFP. “They say if the [cattle] drink just a little water [from the rivers], they get infected.”  Civil defense official Carlos Arias told The Associated Press that the spill in Sonora, Mexico, on Aug. 7 was caused by defects in new ponds that hold the acids used to filter metal. Residents discovered the reddened water, usually clear this time of year, the next day. Grupo Mexico, which operates the Buenavista copper mine, hadn’t told authorities.  Mine operators alerted the attorney general for environmental protection almost a full day after the leak, which was within the 24-hour filing requirement, according to Arturo Rodriguez, the agency’s head of industrial inspection. He said that careless supervision, rains, and construction errors seem to have resulted in the spill—noting that operators should have discovered the leak before a huge amount of sulfuric acid flowed into the rivers. Arias said the overflow has above-normal levels of arsenic and other pollutants.  Local Jesus Sabori told AFP that the water has become “more and more red every day…. It was only [Aug. 11] that they told us to keep our animals away.”  “We’re angry because they didn’t take the time to tell us either that the spill had happened or that they were cutting off our water,” said resident Israel Duran.  AFP reported that the mine’s executives blame “abnormal rains” for causing the acid to spill over from its tanks. They also claim to have notified the government by email, insisting that the acid is “not toxic in itself.”  Grupo Mexico’s international relations vice president, Juan Rebolledo, told a local radio station, “There’s no problem nor any serious consequence for the population, as long as we take adequate precautions and the company pours lime into the river, as it is currently doing.”  Lime, or calcium, will deacidify the Sonora and Bacanuchi rivers. “What you can’t get rid of are the heavy metals,” said Arias.  So far no serious injuries have been reported, but according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, short-term exposure to sulfuric acid may irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. Direct contact with skin and eyes will cause severe burns, and inhaling the vapor may result in tooth erosion, sore mouth, and trouble with breathing. Arsenic can cause cancer.  The Buenavista mine, which employs 9,000 people, hasn’t announced any plans to cancel or delay an upcoming expansion. By 2016, its output is expected to increase from 200,000 tons of copper to 510,000 tons.  Duran told AFP, “Even if [the mine] creates jobs, it would be better if they close it if they’re going to behave like this every time something happens.

Spill
Environmental- Release
August 18, 2014 Sonora, Mexico

- Authorities in Mexico said Monday they have closed about 80 schools after sulfuric acid leaked from a copper mine in the country's northwest and contaminated the Sonora River.  "About 5,000 students from around 80 schools will not have classes this week because of a lack of water and in some locations their proximity to the river," said the director of the Sonora state civil protection agency, Jesus Arias.  On August 6, some 40,000 cubic meters (10.6 million gallons) of sulfuric acid used to dissolve copper from ore for processing leaked out of a holding tank at the Buenavista copper mine, one of the largest in the world.  The chemical turned a 60-kilometer (40-mile) stretch of the Sonora River orange, causing authorities to shut off the municipal water supply to 20,000 people in seven towns.  The mine has poured tons of lime into the river to neutralize the acidity, but experts warn the water supply still poses a health risk because sulfuric acid releases heavy metals from the surrounding environment.  Potential risks for the local population include cancer, genetic deformities and developmental problems in children.  The government and the mine, which is owned by Latin American mining giant Grupo Mexico, say they have distributed four million liters of water to most of the affected communities.  The mine produces 200,000 tonnes of copper a year, and is seeking to increase annual output to 510,000 tonnes by 2016 with a $3.2 billion investment.  Prosecutors have said it could face a $224,000 fine for the leak. (Yahoo News)

Spill July 31, 2014 Blythe

A water treatment plant in Blythe was evacuated Wednesday after a tank containing 200 gallons of sulfuric acid leaked.  The spill happened about 6 a.m. at the Mesa Verde Water Treatment Plant, according to a news release from the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health.  A Riverside County Economic Development Agency employee noticed the leak, the release said. The tank was inside a secondary “containment bin.” However, because the containment bin was made of metal, the corrosive acid ate through it. The release did not say why a tank incapable of stopping a leak was used as a containment bin.  Dikes were placed around the low points of the plant to contain the acid to the property. The acid remaining in the tank was transferred to another tank by a hazardous-materials contractor. Contaminated soil was to be removed. (The Press Enterprise)

Exposure July 31, 2014 Augusta, GA, USA Two ChemTrade employees are being treated for burns after being sprayed with sulfuric acid Thursday.  Firefighters were called to the business on Columbia Nitrogen Road around 10 a.m. in reference to a spill, according to a fire department news release. First responders located two employees who had suffered burns. One employee suffered significant burns and the other less severe injuries.  Both were taken to the James M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital for treatment.  The sulfuric acid, which was contained within a dike system, had no environmental impact, officials said. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Spill July 25, 2014 Leoni Township, Michigan Police officers and the Jackson County Hazmat team were dispatched at 8:40 p.m. Thursday, July 24, for a report of a 300-gallon tote leaking sulfuric acid inside an isolated building, Blackman-Leoni Township Deputy Chief Jon Johnston said in an email.  The spill was contained to the building and there was no evacuation or health concern, Johnston said.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sulfuric acid, or battery acid, can cause irritation to eyes, skin, nose and throat; pulmonary edema, bronchitis; emphysema; conjunctivitis; stomatis; dental erosion; eye and skin burns; dermatitis.  Crews were on scene until 1:30 a.m. Friday, while a contract company cleaned up the spill and loaded the acid into a new container, Johnston said.  The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality was notified of the incident.
Transportation - Road July 17, 2014 Timmins, Ontario A transport truck carrying sulfur dioxide, rolled over in a ditch in the Town of Cochrane Wednesday night.Sulfur dioxide is a chemical which can be dangerous to public safety if dispersed in the air. Even short-term exposure to sulfur dioxide has been linked with an array of adverse respiratory effects including bronchoconstriction and increased asthma symptoms.The overturned vehicle has been contained and there is no leak detected and no immediate risk to public safety at this point, according to the Cochrane Emergency Measures Group which has convened and put together an action plan.“A transport truck has overturned on concession 2 and 3 in Cochrane and is currently resting upside down in a ditch alongside the road,” Cochrane Mayor Peter Politis, who is the town’s Emergency Measures Group Co-ordinator, stated in an release issued shortly after noon Thursday.“The truck is carrying sulfur dioxide which is a hazardous chemical that could put public safety at risk. Currently, there is no immediate risk to public safety and no leaks are being detected. We have some of the most experienced people in the country who have taken over the accident seen along with the Ontario Provincial Police and the Town of Cochrane.Politis said the transport moved onto the shoulder of the highway to allow another truck to pass when the shoulder gave way, causing the sulfur dioxide-filled transport to flip over into the ditch and onto its back.“The best technology available is being deployed and is currently being used by the team to monitor the site," said Politis. "The homes in the immediate area and down-wind of the incident have been informed and are being monitored closely by the control group. A plan has been put in place that has all the key services on the ready and that provides residents in the potential danger zone an option to either stay in their homes, or if they aren’t comfortable, spend the night elsewhere.”Politis said the hazard “should be cleared by late this evening (Thursday) barring no new occurrences. A plan is in place in the event a leak occurs during the mediation process to move people and provide protective services. The vehicle in question is a new vehicle and designed to withstand these kind of incidents. All considered, we are not declaring a public emergency at this point and don’t see an immediate danger to the public accordingly.“At the moment, people are safe and the best experts available are on the scene.”Residents in the area are asked to remain calm and visit the town website at www.cochraneontario.com to stay on top of any changes in the development.Politis said the Canadian Red Cross has been set up to accommodate those living within a kilometre of the overturned truck if they don't feel comfortable staying in their homes. (Timmins Press)
Transportation - Rail
Spill
July 12, 2014 Delle, Utah Emergency crews responded Saturday to a train car leaking sulfuric acid near Interstate 80 in Tooele County.  The North Tooele County Fire District reports from 40 to 50 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled on the ground, but the leak did not pose a public danger.  The district was notified about 7:15 a.m. of the leak coming from a car several cars behind the westbound freight train near the Delle exit.  Union Pacific officials say they were coordinating a cleanup.
Spill July 11, 2014 Colorado, USA A hazardous materials team was deployed to a University of Colorado lab Friday evening, after a facilities worker discovered sulfuric acid leaking from the building's ventilation system.At about 7:30 p.m., emergency officials became aware of the leak, which occurred at CU's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. The Boulder Fire Department's haz-mat team and CU's Environmental Health Safety Department both responded.According to Mike Lowry of CU police, the leak was discovered by a heating and air conditioning worker, who had noticed liquid dripping from a vent hood.In his attempt to stop the leak, one of the man's hands came in contact with the acid. According to Lowry, the man has recovered and did not need immediate medical care.By 9:30 p.m., Lowry said, the leak was contained. The building will resume normal hours Saturday.Sulfuric acid is strong and highly corrosive, and used mainly in petroleum refining as well as the manufacture of fertilizers, chemicals and explosives.This is the second time haz-mat has been deployed to CU since June 20, when a lab assistant had to be taken to the hospital following a leak in a shipment containing frozen human plasma, breast milk and feces. 
Explosion July 10, 2014 Liaoning Province, China The former manager of a chemical company in Northeast China's Liaoning province who didn't assume responsibility for a sulfuric acid leak that left seven people dead has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by Beipiao city court, Legal Daily reported on Wednesday.Gou Weimin, former manager of Yantong Commercial and Chemical Company in Beipiao, changed the thickness and height of the company's sulfuric acid storage tanks, according to Beipiao city people's procuratorate.In March 2013, a sulfuric acid tank exploded as a worker was welding it. The tank leaked 26,000 tons of sulfuric acid, killing seven workers. The economic losses from the incident reached 12.1 million yuan ($1.95 million), according to reports.
Transportation - Rail July 3, 2014 Sumter County, Florida A Sumter County railroad crossing is back open after a train struck a tractor-trailer.It happened around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the railroad crossing on County Road 104 and U.S. 301.Florida Highway Patrol troopers said an Allied Van Lines tractor-trailer was traveling westbound on CR-104 when the trailer's landing gear became impaled at the crossing.The conductor of a 68-car Union Pacific train saw the obstruction on the tracks and attempted to stop to avoid the collision, but was unsuccessful.The train, which was full of molten sulfur, hit the trailer.Troopers said the train did not derail or lose its load.No injuries were reported and charges are pending in this crash.
Transportation - Rail
Fire
July 3, 2014 Burnaby, BC Traffic was detoured Wednesday afternoon near Bainbridge Avenue as firefighters dealt with a small fire in one of CP Rail’s open-top sulphur cars running along the Winston Avenue corridor.  The Burnaby Fire Department was called out to the 6800 block of Winston Avenue around 1:15 p.m. on July 2 when one of CP’s open-top rail cars carrying sulphur began smoking, assistant fire Chief Rick Weir told the NOW.  “The sulphur was on fire. No visible flame just smoke,” he said.  The department’s Hazmat team from the Edmonds fire station was dispatched to the scene. The fire itself was contained to one car only and took minutes to extinguish, Weir added.  “We went through our protocol – had the Hazmat team respond, contacted CANUTEC (Canadian Transport Emergency Centre), and we contacted CN hazardous materials team,” he said. “They (CN) sent out a representative and it was just a simple matter of putting spray over top of the cart.”The area, however, was closed for several hours while firefighters and CN staff set up a perimeter to ensure the surrounding wildlife and waterways wouldn’t be damaged, Weir said.  “It took a couple of hours to set up and just to confirm with all the different agencies that there was going to be no run-off or run-off problems into Still Creek or Burnaby Lake. Once that was taken care of, we knocked it (the fire) down with water,” he said.  Weir added that the cause of the fire is unknown and the local department won’t likely investigate it further.  Once the fire was put out, CP staff and Burnaby firefighters checked the rest of the train before it was allowed to continue on its way.
Transportation - Road
Spill
June 30, 2014 Lahore, India Shahdara Town police 'unnecessarily' impounded a Chakwal-bound truck loaded with two tones of sulphur on late Saturday.  A police official claimed that personnel deployed at Ravi check-post stopped the truck for checking and impounded it after finding a huge quantity of sulphur.  Saeed Khan and Hazrat Muhammad Khan were legally transporting chemical used for blowing salt mines, he added.  The official said the suspects also showed license to policemen who instead preferred impounding the truck and booked two 'suspects' in a case complaining that sulphur, an explosive substance, was being transported in an unsafe manner.  Police registered a case under Sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) of Pakistan Penal Code and formally arrested two suspects.  City SP (Operations) Asad Sarfraz Khan claimed the suspects, who were just carriers, had failed to produce original license and a staff member of the person who owned chemical later showed a copy of license which was not considered as admissible evidence.  He said police had yet to receive original license from the person who owned the seized quantity.
Spill June 27, 2014 Pittsburgh, USA No one was hurt in an acid leak at a water treatment plant in Pittsburgh's North Side on Friday, officials said.  Fire and EMS officials were called to the ALCOSAN plant on Preble Avenue shortly after 1 p.m. for a report of sulfuric acid leaking from a 1,500-gallon tank, public safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler said. Sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive mineral acid that's used in wastewater processing.  The acid spilled into a container built into the system as a safety feature, she said. She estimated about 200 to 500 gallons of acid spilled into the container.  Officials evacuated four people from the building, Toler said.  “It was truly a tank failure,” said ALCOSAN Executive Director Arletta Scott Williams. “It just ruptured.”  ALCOSAN hired a contractor to remove the material and clean up the spill, and will investigate the incident, she said. The container the acid spilled into is designed to hold up to 162 percent of the contents of the tank, she said.
Transportation - Road
Spill
June 21, 2014 Kitwe, Zambia A TRUCK carrying 28,000 litres of sulphuric acid on Thursday overturned in Mufulira and the chemical spilt into a tributary of the Kafue River, raising fear of water contamination. The incident happened at 14:30 hours after the driver of a Gomes Haulage truck registration number ACK 6984 which was ferrying sulphuric acid from Mopani Copper Mine's plant to the Democratic Republic of Congo, failed to negotiate a corner and overturned few metres away from the Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company water treatment plant.  The two tanks on the truck openedand the acid scotched grass and the nearby vegetation.  The acid also produced strong acid mists that affected many motorists, school-going children and people that were in nearby buildings.  Rescue and fire brigade teams from Mopani Copper Mines and Mufulira Municipal Council moved in swiftly to prevent Sulphuric acid from causing further damage by pouring bags of lime in the affected areas.  Water experts from the mine, Mufulira district administration and the water utility, Mulonga Water, were seen taking samples to ascertain the levels of pollution the acid spillage had caused to the water.  Mufulira district commissioner Chanda Kabwe, who rushed to the scene, said all stakeholders had teamed up to prevent further damage to the water, the environment and to also to protect the lives of the people.  "The driver of the truck was speeding and he failed to negotiate the corner on that curve and that's how the truck flipped. That stream flows into Kafue River and our worry was that Kafue River is our source of water because the water utilities pump from that river and there are a lot of other activities such as fishing and farming that is done by people," Kabwe said.  He said the government district administration had done everything possible to ensure that the seepage does not harm people.  "We have gone around the townships in Mufulira with public announcement systems advising people not to take water from taps until further notice. We have also advised everyone to keep children away from the streams and the main Kafue River because it's dangerous in the meantime. We have barricaded these places," Kabwe said.  And Mopani Copper Mines public relations manager Cephas Sinyangwe said the company reacted swiftly and with assistance of the local emergency services contained and neutralised the acid.  "The driver of the contractor truck was not injured and there was no one else involved in the incidence. We continue to work closely with the relevant authorities and the cause of the incident is being investigated," Sinyangwe said.
Transportation - Rail
Spill
June 16, 2014 Fort Frances CN Rail continues its cleanup of — and investigation into — a train derailment near Fort Frances.The railway has confirmed some hazardous material spilled when 35 cars went off the rails three weeks ago.  In an e-mail to CBC News, the railway said most of the derailed cars carried potash, while two contained molten sulphur.  Both materials spilled when the cars derailed.  CN said molten sulphur is a dangerous good, but calls the amount of it that leaked "very minor." Potash is not a dangerous good under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act.  The railway's environmental and engineering crews remain at the scene to monitor and repair the site. The railway and Transportation Safety Board are still trying to figure out what caused the derailment.  Fort Frances resident Debra Elias said the incident has her thinking about railway safety.  “If they want to travel with dangerous goods or anything like that down the tracks, I just want to make sure everything is being taken care of,” she said. “The majority of us do live along the tracks.”  Elias said even her workplace overlooks the train tracks.  Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Sheppard said one of the cars containing the molten sulphur had about an 18 inch breach.  He said the spill was considered very minor because “one of the characteristics of the product is — if it does leak out — it cools and, generally, as it did in this case, will form a plug and seals itself. It really was a best-case scenario, and there was very little risk to anyone."  The derailment happened on May 23, at 3:30 p.m. central time.
Transportation - Road June 12, 2014 Wellton

A semi-truck carrying corrosive acids caught fire Thursday morning, causing the closure of Interstate 8 in both directions near Wellton for several hours, according to the Wellton Fire Department.  Battalion Chief David Rodriguez said the call came in at about 8 a.m. and firefighters were en route to the scene, which was at mile post 33, when they were informed the truck was pulling a trailer carrying five tanks filled with hydrochloric and sulfuric acid.  "We don't know why, but the fire started underneath the back end of the trailer," Rodriguez said.  Once on scene, Rodriguez said firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and cooled the tanks down so they wouldn't rupture. The three tanks closest to the end of the trailer, he said, suffered fire damage while the two tanks near the front of the trailer were undamaged.  Two of the tanks, however, one containing hydrochloric acid and one containing sulfuric acid, did develop leaks and began spilling acid onto the roadway.  The Tacna Fire Department also responded with a water tender and relayed additional water to Wellton's engine so firefighters could continue spraying the tanks.  Rodriguez said Interstate 8 in both directions was closed, and as a precaution the area within a mile of the incident was cleared.  "With the wind changing directions, we didn't want traffic driving into the fumes," Rodriguez said.  While the eastbound lanes reopened at 10 a.m. Rodriguez said the westbound lanes remained closed until noon, some four hours after the incident.  A Hazmat crew from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma was called in to plug the leaks on the tanks while the Arizona Department of Public Safety flew another crew in on a helicopter from Kingman to handle the cleanup.  The Wellton Police Department, The Yuma County Sheriff's Office and TriValley also responded to the incident.

Transportation - Rail
Spill
June 4, 2014 Lac La Biche, Alberta Crews are working to clean up 50,000 litres of molten sulfur that spilled when seven train cars derailed northeast of Edmonton.  The Canadian National Railway train derailed on Friday afternoon 72 kilometres north of Lac La Biche.  Alberta Environment says a CN dangerous goods team contained the spill from three of the cars and continue to clean it up.  No one was hurt.  The government says molten sulfur doesn't pose a risk to human health or the environment unless it is heated to an extreme temperature.  CN says the rail line has since reopened.
Spill May 15, 2014 - Firefighters were called to deal with an acid spill at a warehouse in Sutton last night.  Crews from Ashfield and Stockwith were called to deal with a spillage of 25 litres of sulphuric acid at the premises of Kuehne and Nagel on Orchard Way at 10.24pm.  Firefighters wore chemical protection suits and breathing apparatus to tackle the spillage.  Absorbent granules and matts were used to contain the chemicals.  There were no reported injuries caused by the incident.
Spill May 14, 2014

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

A state environmental spokeswoman says a sulfuric acid leak at a silica plant in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle has been stopped. Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Kelley Gillenwater says an unknown amount of sulfuric acid leaked Tuesday afternoon from the U.S. Silica plant along U.S. 522 in Morgan County.  Gillenwater said Wednesday that there also was a leak of caustic material. She didn't know what the material was or have details about that leak.  She says both leaks were stopped shortly before midnight Tuesday.  Gillenwater says the sulfuric acid leaked as workers were transferring the substance from a 6,000-gallon tank to a smaller tank. She says both leaks were contained on the plant property.  No injuries were reported. Inspectors with the WV DEP were on site at U.S. Silica May 13 and 14 assessing the leak of sulfuric acid and caustic or petroleum sulfonate.  The leak occurred May 13 and it is estimated about 5,000 pounds of the acid, 3,000 pounds of caustic and 600 pounds of petroleum sulfonate were released into secondary containment.  A spokeswoman for DEP said the company will be conducting soil samples as a precaution. Although, they say the leak was contained in a secondary containment wall after an employee accidentally pulled a line loose with a loader as material was being transferred from a large tank to a smaller one.  While initial indications are that the material stayed within secondary containment, the company will conduct the soil samples to make sure nothing leached into the soil, DEP said.  The Environmental Protection Agency also has a representative on the spill site, officials said.
Spill May 3, 2014 Australia More than 150 litres of sulphuric acid has spilt at a car making plant in Victoria overnight.  Emergency crews were called to the Ford Broadmedows Assembly Plant just after 5pm, where they stayed for more than seven hours to contain the spill.  One man was taken to hospital as a precaution, but the mess does not pose any threat to the public.
Spill April 25, 2014 Hawaii Hawaii County emergency response teams investigated a sulfuric acid spill early Friday afternoon in Hilo.  Battalion Chief Warren Sumida said approximately 250 gallons of sulfuric acid fell off the back of a flatbed truck at BEI Hawaii located at 430 Kekuanaoa St.  BEI Hawaii distributes fertilizers, industrial and agricultural chemicals.  Kekuanaoa Street was closed temporarily while BEI employees cleaned up the spill.  Sumida said other emergency response teams were called upon to investigate potential damages.  Sumida said the spill leaked into a nearby dry well and that the Department of Health was on the scene testing the waters near Wailoa River State Recreation area to see if any contamination had occurred.  Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, said the spill was contained.  “It was discovered that the acid spill from the BEI location was contained in a dry well and none of the acid reached the Waiakea Pond or any waters in our park. Our park is not affected,” she said.  Sumida said one employee was taken to the hospital as a precaution.  No statement was given by BEI as of noon Friday about the condition of the individual or the incident.  The Hawaii County Fire Department, the Hazardous Material Response Team, representatives from the Department of Health and DLNR were present following the spill.
Spill April 23, 2014 - A spill of low-grade sulfuric acid drew emergency personnel to an east lot behind Valent BioSciences Corp. in Osage on Thursday morning, but no one was injured and the spill was trapped and later removed.  Capt. Kris Olson of the Osage Fire Department said a Cargill vehicle with a box trailer was pulling away from the building Thursday morning when the driver noticed something leaking from the vehicle. The material was battery acid.  None of the spill occurred within the Valent building and was unrelated to the Valent operation or car go, according to Olson.  A 300-foot radius of the area was evacuated. The acid was washed to a drain and trapped; a hazardous materials recovery unit was on the scene Thursday afternoon to pump out the acid and remove it.
Spill March 5, 2014 -

A Glenrothes factory was at the centre of a chemical spill on Wednesday morning.  There was a small leak of sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide at Semefab’s plant on Eastfield industrial estate in Woodside.  The company manufactures semi-conductors. The fire service was initially alerted to the incident when the firm’s fire alarm was activated.  One crew from Glenrothes went to investigate but when they got there they asked for a second unit to attend.  Then the firefighters requested the decontamination team from Methil as it became clear chemicals had been involved.  Fire crews donned decontamination gear and breathing apparatus sets but the incident was being handled by the workforce itself.  One crew is still there and has been laying down absorbent pads to soak up the spill.

Spill February 26, 2014  Port of Spain A Chemical leak aboard a vessel at the Port of Port of Spain yesterday caused seve­ral workers to be rushed to hospital and a section of the port to be shut down for some five hours.  According to reports, around 2 a.m., there was a leak of diluted sulphuric acid from a consignment belonging to Specialist Chemicals Ltd.  The incident took place on Bay 13.  Three workers complained about feeling unwell and were rushed to the Port of Spain General Hospital. The doctors gave the employees a clean bill of health and the trio all returned to work.  One of the employees, however, complained of still feeling sick when he returned to work.  He was sent back to the hospital for further examinations.  The leak was said to have occurred on the deck of a vessel, which was moved to a section of the port that was evacuated.  The area of the leak was “cleansed and sanitised” and measures were taken to avoid any further contamination.  The deck was washed down.  Public relations manager of the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago Betty Ann Gibbons yesterday confirmed the incident, saying a “very minor leak of diluted sulphuric acid had occurred”.
Gibbons said the safety officers at the port were able to get the situation under control.  President of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers’ Trade Union (SWWTU) Michael Annisette yesterday said the union’s safety officer met with officials on the issue of the leak.  An investigation is to be launched to determine the cause.  Annisette said luckily for the affected workers, the sulphuric acid was diluted or else the repercussions could have been “dangerous and hazardous”.  Annisette called for mechanisms and processes to be put in place to avoid a recurrence.
Spill February 24, 2014 New Zealand A fire service clean-up crew is responding to a sulphuric acid spill near Halswell Junction Rd.  A spokesman said the 30-litre spill was at a commercial property in Foremans Rd.  ''It is [a reasonable spill], but I wouldn't call it substantial,'' he said.  ''Initial reports were that it had fallen off a truck.''  ''I believe it has all been contained.''  Representatives from Environment Canterbury, WorkSafe New Zealand, Christchurch City Council and the police were on site.  The spokesman said sulphuric acid was ''certainly a hazardous substance'', but ''the scene has been made safe''.
Exposure February 23, 2014 Austin, Texas

A man was taken to the hospital after he was burned by sulfuric acid at Samsung Austin Semiconductor Sunday afternoon, officials said.  The incident was reported about 3:40 p.m. on company property at 12100 Samsung Blvd. in Northeast Austin, according to Austin-Travis County EMS. The man, who was in his 40s, burned 9 percent of his body with sulfuric acid that had a concentration of 95 percent, EMS spokesman Mike Benavides said.  The man was taken to University Medical Center Brackenridge with injuries that were not considered life threatening.  Benavides said that the company’s emergency response team decontaminated the man and prepared him for transport before EMS arrived.

Spill February 21, 2014 Kazakhstan F - 1.5 tons of sulfuric acid have spilled in southern Kazakhstan, Tengrinews reports citing the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan.  The accident happened on February 19, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. local time.  The driver of a Sintuonik tank truck owned by Zarechnoye company lost control of his vehicle when transporting sulfuric acid and tipped the truck over spilling 1.5 tons of sulfuric acid on the ground. Nobody was injured.  The tanker was put back on wheels and towed to the base, the spill site was scraped and covered with soil.  There were several similar cases back in 2013 when sulfuric acid spills happened in Kyzylorda Oblast in southern Kazakhstan. 1.5 tons of sulfuric acid was spilled on May 5, 2013 and then 34 tons of acid was spilled in June the same year.
Spill February 20, 2014 Newberg

The southbound lanes of Highway 99W near Newberg were partially closed late Thursday afternoon because of a hazardous materials spill in the area.  A spill of sulfur dioxide was reported  about 3:15 p.m. just southwest of Newberg, where 99W widens into four lanes.  The southbound part of the highway was closed about 3:30 p.m., then one lane was reopened to traffic. Traffic was flowing northbound.  Fire officials said they were helping several patients get out of a nearby business, Newberg Steel and Fabrication.

Fire February 19, 2014 Lomond Everything seemed normal when staff at Phillips Fertilizer in Lomond decided to take a lunch break on Wednesday, Feb. 19.  Before grabbing a bite, staff was using a reciprocal saw to remove metal support rods from a storage room housing a sulfur pile. The bars hadn’t been necessary for about 10 years and were getting in the way of the new storage method.  As they left for lunch, workers looked over the pile to make sure sparks from the saw hadn’t ignited the sulfur.  Everything looked clear, and so they left.  But about half an hour later, employee Karlee Garrett noticed smoke coming from an exhaust fan and asked the plant’s owner Robert Phillips if it that was normal.  A quick inspection of the sulfur pile revealed it had begun to smolder, and the Lomond Fire Department was called.  The gases emanating from burning sulfur are dangerous and cannot be inhaled, said Phillips, himself a volunteer firefighter.  Until responders arrived, Phillips made about a dozen trips into the storage room — holding his breath — to combat the fire, and ended up going through four fire extinguishers.  Once on-scene, the responders used their breathing apparatus to deal with the smoldering sulfur, and, in less than an hour, the situation was safely resolved.  Staff had been removing the old metal support bars with a reciprocal saw because the bars were impeding the new storage method. But until the support bars were removed, the forklift didn’t have room to manoeuvre and stack the bags up.  The metal bars once served a purpose when the fertilizer was dumped directly into the storage room — as the level rose, the walls would have been pushed outwards if not for the bars holding them in place.
Transportation - Road
Spill
February 10, 2014 Tulsa, Oklahoma A sulfuric acid leak from a tanker truck backed up northbound traffic on Highway 75 at 23rd Street South Monday.  The Tulsa Fire Department says 10 to 20 gallons of sulfuric acid leaked onto the highway from the tanker parked in the outside lane.  Traffic was backed up for several miles as authorities moved all northbound traffic to the inside lanes.  The fire department says firefighters are standing by as a remediation crew cleans up the spill  to get the outside lane reopened.  The Oklahoma Department of Transportation says drivers should expect to see significant delays in the area for several hours.
 
Transportation - Road
Spill
February 7, 2014 Clarksville, Tennessee

 A tractor-trailer carrying sulfuric acid came unhitched Friday morning on Needmore Road near Home Depot.  At about 10:15 a.m., the tanks on the back of the vehicle came unhitched from the cab.  There were no leaks, according to Clarksville Police spokeswoman Natalie Hall, but, as a precaution, Clarksville Fire Rescue responded, and traffic was diverted away from the scene.  Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.  By 12:30 p.m., the scene was clear, the truck was back in motion, and the road was open, Hall said.

Transportation - Road
Spill
December 10, 2013 -

No molten sulphur released after tractor trailer hits ditch.  Dawson Creek RCMP has released further information about the tractor trailer that ended up in the ditch on the Dangerous Goods Route around that city Monday morning. Sergeant Scott West says the incident occurred before 10:45 a.m. when a B-train lost control and went off the road.  The trains remained upright, while the tractor ended up on its side.  The truck was carrying molten sulphur at the time, but luckily there was no release of product or risk to the public. The tanks were emptied, and removed following the towing of the cab.  The driver sustained minor injuries as a result.  Slippery roads are being considered a factor in the accident, and as such, RCMP is reminding drivers to slow down as highways are covered in packed snow and ice.  “Please leave extra time for your trip and call ahead to advise your destination you might be late,” says Sergeant West. “It is always better to go slowly and get their late rather than not getting there at all.”

Exposure November 29, 2013 Hampshire, UK A HAMPSHIRE chemical company has been fined £120,000 after three workers suffered acid burns when pipework at its plant near Southampton ruptured, sending a jet of sulphuric acid 20 metres into the air.  The three men were hit by a spray of the corrosive chemical without warning when 50 year-old pipes that had been allowed to corrode finally gave way.  The men were all employed by an on-site contractor at the Polimeri Europa UK Ltd chemical plant in Hythe.  This comes as company has formally announced the closure of its site in Cadland Road, Hythe, by March next year, after more than 50 years trading.  The firm - which manufactures synthetic rubbers mainly used for tyres and moulded foams - says 134 employees face losing their jobs, but many more contractors work there bring the total to as much as 300.  The incident, on 13 December 2011, was investigated and the Polimeri was prosecuted at Southampton Crown Court today for serious safety failings.  The court was told the three men had all sustained acid burns to their faces but prompt showering on site and first aid treatment by a fellow worker helped prevent more serious injury.  All three were subsequently able to return to work The incident involved pipework, used to carry 96 per cent sulphuric acid, which had split close to where the three men were working on an unrelated task in the roadway in between areas of plant.  The pressure in the pipe turned the corrosive liquid into a jet spray as it was forced through the small perforation.  The investigation identified that Polimeri, part of one of Europe's largest chemical companies, Versalis, did have a plan to inspect their pipework systems in 2008, but initial target dates had been missed.  Priority was being given to pipework carrying other hazardous substances, which were considered a greater risk to people on and off site.  It was foundthe company had failed to make sure its pipework - the company has around 9,250 metres of it - was in a safe condition and corrosion had been allowed to take hold of the section that carried the acid.  Polimeri Europa UK Ltd, of Cadland Road, Hythe, Southampton, was fined a total of £120,000 and ordered to pay £18,023 in full costs after admitting a breach of both Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Transportation - Road
Spill
December 4, 2013 Lauderdale, Louisiana An 18-wheeler carrying molten sulfur overturned early Wednesday and closed a portion of River Road in St. James Parish for seven hours, forcing detours, Louisiana State Police reported.  Trooper Evan Harrell said the sulfur spilled from the truck across the highway, blocking both lanes of La. 18 two miles south of the Sunshine Bridge. The area is near the Mosaic Faustina plant.  The driver, Calvin Brown, no age or hometown available, fell asleep behind the wheel while he drove eastbound on La. 18, said Harrell, spokesman for State Police Troop C. The Savage tractor-trailer went off the highway and overturned about 4:06 a.m., he said.  Brown was cited for careless operation and had minor injuries, Harrell said. 
Emergency response crews, including State Police Hazardous Materials, contained and cleaned up the sulfur, Harrell said.  Responders used fire hoses to cool the heated, molten sulfur still leaking from the tanker until it hardened and was sealed inside the tanker, he said. The 18-wheeler had to be towed away.  River Road reopened about 1:08 p.m. Wednesday, Harrell said
Fire November 6, 2013 New Zealand

The Rotorua District Council is urging locals to be on the lookout for smoke or fires around Sulphur Point and Ngapuna following a number of small sulphur fires in the past two weeks.  Council geothermal inspector Peter Brownbridge said sulphur fires were natural events which could occur as a result of sulphur growing and pushing its way to the surface, forming yellow mounds.  Leaves and twigs from nearby tea trees accumulate on the mounds when there is no rain to wash it away.  A combination of heat in the ground and the sun can ignite the dry material, which in turn ignites the sulphur.  Mr Brownbridge said in the past couple of weeks there had been four sulphur fires in the Sulphur Point area alone.  "So far we've been lucky the fires have been spotted and our fire service has extinguished them before the flames have reached nearby dry scrub.  "The reason we're having fires at this time of year is still a bit of a mystery, although some patterns are starting to emerge.  "We're certain however, that the fires are a naturally occurring phenomenon and are not being deliberately lit."  Mr Brownbridge said that, in daylight the flames were not visible and apart from the smoke, all that could be seen was a black mark spreading along the ground as the sulphur slowly burns.  He urges local people to call the Rotorua Fire Brigade as soon as they see smoke in these areas.  "I'd caution people not to approach the fire because when sulphur burns it produces sulphur dioxide which is a very toxic gas and is an acute irritant.  "The tea tree and debris is tinder dry and people may potentially find themselves in a life-threatening situation if the fire takes hold in the scrub.  "Some of the ground surface in these areas has a very thin crust which people can also fall through, so this is another danger to be aware of," he said.

Transportation - Road
Spill
November 4, 2013 Queensland, Australia

An unexpected split in the trailer involved in today’s Barkly Highway sulphuric acid spill has been discovered as rescue crews attempted to return the trailer to its wheels.  Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) Acting Area Commander Anthony Brewin said it was revealed the trailer had a split from the accident as a rescue crane worked to lift the overturned trailer.  It was originally hoped that more than half of the 14,000 litre tank carrying the corrosive acid had not leaked but it’s understood the majority of the load has leaked onto the side of the road. The acid is 98 per cent concentration.  “There was a crack on the lower side (of the trailer) as they went to return it to its wheels,” Mr Brewin said.  “They had to lower it back down to stop it all running out.”  The Department of Environment and Heritage has been informed and is liaising with on-site scientific experts.  The last of three prime mover trailers carrying 14,000 litres of sulphuric acid tipped about 42 kilometres from Mount Isa shortly after 11am today. The Mount Isa to Camooweal Road was blocked until earlier tonight but traffic is now being allowed to pass through intermittently.   The driver was uninjured but it’s believed he swerved to avoid hitting a kangaroo.  Crews will now work into the night with a bulldozer, crane and recovery services on site to mitigate any danger.  Mr Brewin said 4.5 tonnes of soda ash and 15 tonnes of hydrated lime was headed for the crash site to neutralise the acid.  Chemical experts are on site.  Makeshift dams on the side of the road are being dug to help dispose of the acid.

Transportation - Rail November 3, 2013 Alberta, Canada

A Canadian National Railway Co. (CNR) train derailed about 180 kilometers (111 miles) west of Alberta’s capital Edmonton today.  Thirteen cars on a train traveling eastbound derailed around 1 a.m. local time, including 12 loaded with lumber and one carrying sulfur dioxide, which is considered a dangerous good, Patrick Waldron, a CN Rail spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement.  There were no injuries or environmental concerns because the car carrying sulfur dioxide is upright and not leaking, Waldron said. CN Rail crews are on site and the cause of the derailment is being investigated, he said.

Fire September 18, 2013 Canton

A scrapping and recycling company was removing sulfur from an industrial plant Monday morning before a chemical reaction forced several hundred people from their northeast-side homes.  No workers were inside the factory when the chemical reaction occurred. They’d been working several weeks inside the former Convoy Containers plant without incident, said attorney Jon Troyer, who represents the building’s owner.  But there were warning signs long before Monday’s widespread evacuation.  In late 2010, while Convoy Containers was winding down operations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited and fined the cardboard- and plastic-container maker for, among other things, failing to adequately control the accumulation of sulfur dust, an explosive.  Convoy Containers operated at the 1811 20th Street NE site for more than 35 years, according to Scott Zurakowski, an attorney who represents former company officials.  One of Convoy Containers’ main products was known as “Chemboard,” an exclusive product developed in 1947, according to the company’s website.  The plant had nine vats, or dip tanks, of sulfur, according to its air quality permit, said Mike Settles of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The company used the dip tanks to “french fry” the Chemboard, according to its website.  When OSHA cited the company in December 2010, it noted that there was the potential for an explosive concentration of hydrogen sulfide above the liquid sulfur in the dip tanks, but no way to detect or prevent a possible explosion. The company also failed to adequately control sulfur dust, the agency said.  OSHA fined the company, which went out of business in 2011, for several “serious” violations. It later agreed to an informal settlement with OSHA.  The building’s owner, Howard Trickett of Marlboro Township,  also was fined. Convoy Containers had been the building’s long-time owner, but sold it to Trickett in 2009. In turn, he leased 19,200 square feet back to the company. Trickett operated his own business, EnvirOpak, out of the plant for a short time, including the period when the OSHA violations occurred.

Spill August 27, 2013 Idaho Falls

Idaho Falls firefighters responded to a HAZMAT incident and a minor fire at Idaho National Laboratory facilities on Tuesday.  The more serious of the two incidents occurred shortly after 2 p.m. in an INL building that is under construction at 775 University Boulevard. Idaho Falls Fire Department Division Chief Brad Pettingill said a 55 gallon barrel of sulfuric acid was accidentally punctured; the acid subsequently spilled in the basement of the building and splashed onto a construction worker’s arm.  The man, whose name was not released, was treated at the scene and then transported by ground ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center with what appeared to be minor burns, Pettingill said.  The building was evacuated while HAZMAT crews worked to contain the spill and ensure that the acid didn’t seep into the sewer system through a drain. Pettingill said they were able to secure the area and a specialized team is expected to go in and clean up the sulfuric acid. The second incident involved a minor fire at the Engineering Research Office Building, located at 2525 N. Fremont Ave. Pettingill said a maintenance worker spotted a fire in the area of an elevator that had recently been repaired. The worker shut off the power and used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.  The fire, which may have been caused by the elevator’s motor, was already extinguished when firefighters arrived, Pettingill said, adding that the building had also been evacuated due to the fire alarm.  The employees were able to return to their work roughly 30 minutes later, after firefighters confirmed that everything was OK, Pettingill said.  Misty Benjamin, an INL spokesperson, said 663 people work in the Engineering Research Office Building, including Battelle Energy Alliance employees, subcontractors and visiting scientists and engineers among others.  “The office building doesn't contain research laboratories or nuclear materials and the only lab space in the building is related to high performance computing,” Benjamin said.

Spill August 22, 2013 Sharon, PA Officials in Mercer and Lawrence counties are dealing with a sulfuric acid spill at Wheatland Tube early Thursday.There was a storage tank containing a 12 percent sulfuric acid solution that ruptured, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.“The solution overflowed secondary containment, flowed out of the building and across the parking lot in a storm drain and was discharged into a drainage ditch,” according to the report.The ditch flows into an unnamed tributary and then to the Shenango River about a quarter mile downstream.“An estimated 5,000 gallons of the solution was released with an undetermined amount reaching the ditch,” according to the DEP report.The emergency response team noticed that there were some dead fish where the river and the tributary met, according to the report.“The next available downstream location was checked; no dead fish were observed and the pH was similar to upstream locations above the impacted area. It was surmised that the dead fish were from the tributary and washed into the Shenango River, and the spill had minimal impact on the Shenango River,” according to the report.
Environmental - Release August 14, 2013 Uncle Sam, Louisiana
Spill August 14, 2013 Long Beach, California

The southbound Long Beach (710) Freeway onramps from eastbound and westbound Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach were closed Wednesday morning to allow crews to clean up a non-hazardous spill of sulfur, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The spill was reported at 10:18 p.m. Tuesday, according to the CHP.  The closure was originally expected to last around two hours, but the onramps remained closed at 7:15 a.m. as crews worked to clear the scene, according to the CHP.  It was unclear how the sulfur spilled.

Environmental - Release August 8, 2013 Tampa, Florida

Fire rescue officials in Tampa, Fla., asked residents to stay indoors temporarily after a release of sulfur dioxide from a tank in the port.  Tampa Fire Rescue Spokesman Capt. Lonnie Benniefield said the chemical was produced Thursday morning when firefighters poured water onto a small blaze in a silo containing sulfur in the Port of Tampa. Winds carried the smell into the downtown area.  Benniefield says sulfur dioxide can be harmful if someone is in an enclosed area, but is not as harmful in the open air.  But as a precaution, officials briefly asked people to stay indoors to avoid any possible irritation to their eyes and lungs. The request was later canceled.

 

A plume of smoke and gas was rising from a sulfur storage tank at Gulf Sulphur.  Officials say workers there were battling a small fire that started during routine maintenance. They tried to douse the flames with steam, but that only created a new problem, because the roof of the tank had holes in it and the steam and gas were not contained.  "When you add water to sulfur in that state, it turns into sulfur dioxide which is -- if it gets out -- can cause some eye irritation and maybe some throat irritation," said Capt. Lonnie Benniefield.  Video provided by Tampa Fire Rescue closer to the scene, shows Haz-Mat workers trying to contain the escaping gas cloud, but they soon realized the wind was pushing the fumes toward the city.

 

August 13, 2013

For the second time in less than a week, Tampa Fire Rescue put out flames at the same Port of Tampa fertilizer tank.  The tank is owned by Gulf Sulphur.  Now, firefighters and the fire marshal are closely watching as company workers offload the sulfur so the tank can be thoroughly inspected.  The process is expected to take a minimum of three days.  Once empty, the tank must pass a complete inspection and must submit a certificate to the fire marshal's office.  Last week Thursday, the fire at the tank prompted the department to issues warnings about potentially harmful fumes.  Residents in south Tampa and Harbour Island were even told to stay indoors if possible because the fumes could cause eye, skin and throat irritations.  Tonight, only one business south of the fire was evacuated.  However, a precaution was issued to people in south Tampa.  Officials said there was no imminent threat  tonight because Mother Nature is lending a hand.  With the wind heading in a southeast direction, the fumes are moving away from highly populated areas.   Ladder trucks are out sprayed water into the tank.  Bennefield described the sulfur as being molten.

Bennefield explained that the the sulfur is kept warm by a system of heated coils that are installed around the tank.  As of 7 p.m., the cause of the fire had not been determined.  Tampa Fire Rescue did contain the fire in less than an hour.  The Port remained open through the ordeal.

Transportation - Rail
Spill
August 6, 2013 Naco, Arizona

Clean up continues at the site of a train derailment which ruptured four containers spilling sulphuric acid after a wooden bridge over a wash collapsed Tuesday morning, seven miles south of Naco, Ariz.  Mario Novoa, the Douglas Fire Chief, reported that firefighters from Cananea, Agua Prieta, and Naco, Mexico were on the scene at the derailment, waiting for heavy equipment to arrive, late Tuesday evening.  Twelve cars, each carrying approximately 23,775 gallons of sulfuric acid, were involved when the bridge collapsed between 7:30 and 8 a.m. Tuesday. Four of the cars ruptured in the crash, two of which emptied completely shortly after the event.  “The actual derailment occurred sometime between 7:30 and 8 o’clock this morning,” Novoa said Tuesday evening.  The fire chief said he was first notified of the accident by the Environmental Protection Agency’s San Francisco office.  “At this time we have reports that the acid has traveled approximately 800 meters close to the communities of Cauthemoc and Zaragoza townships,” Chief Novoa said.  At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night, it was being reported that firefighters were “… waiting for heavy equipment to help dike the acid and they are also waiting for lime to neutralize the acid.”  Call said it did not appear the spill would have an impact on the San Pedro River.  “At this point the spill is not thought to be a danger to the waters of the San Pedro river and there are no reports of casualties,” Call said in his newsletter.  No injuries or deaths due to the accident have been reported, Novoa said.

Fire August 1, 2013 Chile

An explosion at a refinery owned by Chile's state oil company ENAP has killed one worker.  ENAP says contractor Francisco Segundo Suarez Sandoval died in Wednesday's blast while performing maintenance with other workers.  The company said the explosion at Aconcagua refinery was caused by a sulfuric acid leak inside the refinery's hydrogen plant.  At least three people were taken to hospitals with injuries.  ENAP says the refinery has started an investigation into the accident.

Spill July 27, 2013 Savannah, Georgia

Savannah-Chatham County police say crews are cleaning up sulfuric acid leaked by a tanker truck as it traveled through downtown Savannah and into neighboring Garden City.  The Savannah Morning News report authorities found the leaking truck Saturday and discovered traces of the acid along its route. Police spokesman Julian Miller says several vehicles appear to have been damaged by the leaking chemicals. But no injuries to people had been reported.  Police warned drivers in the area to steer clear of puddles that may contain acid.  Chatham County Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Kelly Harley says owners of cars and trucks that may have been contaminated by sulfuric acid should cover the area with baking soda and then rinse it with water to neutralize any acid.

Fire July 27, 2013 Liaocheng,Shandong, China A massive explosion destroyed a chemical factory in eastern Chinese province of Shandong today. The Luxi chemical factory site in Liaocheng city, where the explosion took place, was engulfed in a ball of fire.  The Chinese state television showed photographs from the scene with the area turned into a heap of twisted steel.  No reports about any casualties were available immediately. The factory produces refined chemicals including sulfuric acid and chemical fertiliser.
Exposure June 11, 2013 Herculaneum, MO

Scary moments Tuesday morning at the Doe Run Company smelting plant in Herculaneum after a pipe full of sulfuric acid broke injuring three workers.  Two had only minor injuries and they were treated and released from nearby hospitals.  One man however was hit in the face with acid. He was airlifted to Mercy Hospital`s burn unit in St. Louis.  But a firefighter at the scene said those facial burns were apparently not the ambulance crew`s most immediate concern.  “Anytime you have a burn to the face you are always concerned about the airway because things swell up real bad on you and getting that airway secured in essential to maintaining their life and survivability,” said Capt. Kevin Baker of the Herculaneum Fire Department. “The patient started feeling some tightness so the ambulance district decided to (put a breathing tube) in him and transfered him to St. Louis.”  There was no update Tuesday night about the identity of that man or his condition.  According to the company, the trouble started when workers went to check on a small leak in a storage line carrying sulfuric acid.  In a written statement, Gary Hughes, General Manager of the smelting division explains what happened next.  “It appears that during the course of the inspection, an employee may have accidentally come into contact with the line and the connection broke apart… The damaged line has been isolated, and there is no further risk to other employees or the environment. The incident is under investigation.”

Spill June 7, 2013 Arizona, USA Illegal dumping of sulfuric acid on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands near the Battle Axe Road trailhead parking area near the junction of Battle Axe Road and State Route 177 has created a public health hazard requiring remediation. On June 7, 2013, BLM Tucson Field Manager Brian Bellew signed a temporary Closure Order to restrict public access on June 14 during the site cleanup. The road will reopen the following day.  An environmental emergency response contactor will be at the site on that date. “The company will excavate, containerize, remove, and dispose of sulfuric acid contaminated soils at a licensed landfill,” said BLM geologist Dan Moore, who serves as the HazMat coordinator for the office. Underlying soils will be treated with an acid neutralizer. Moore added that, “Due to the nature of the contaminant and the remediation activities planned, the potential for the release of sulfuric acid vapors and contaminated dust creates a risk to persons in the immediate vicinity during the remediation operation.”Thus, under the authority of 43 CFR § 8364.1, the public lands in Township 3 South Range 13 East Section 8 SW¼ SE¼ and Section 17 NW¼ NE¼, Gila and Salt River Meridian, Pinal County, Arizona, will be temporarily closed. This closure includes Battle Axe Road from the State Route 177 turn off west to the Battle Axe Road trailhead parking area. The area is closed to all public entry on June 14, 2013, reopening to public entry on June 15, 2013.
Spill April 17, 2013 Provo, Utah A contained sulfuric chemical spill on Wednesday forced the evacuation of a building in downtown Provo.  A company near 500 West 500 South that tests how much heat chemicals produce when mixed together was changing out a tube of sulfur trioxide when the tube fell, reacting to the moisture in the air and started giving off a lot of smoke, said Provo Fire Battalion Chief Tom Augustus. When sulfur trioxide comes in contact with water, it forms sulfuric acid, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Spill April 7, 2013 Pascagoula, Mississippi

Chevron Corp. (CVX) reported that material from a sulfur transfer line was leaking into a bayou at its 330,000 barrel a day Pascagoula, Miss. refinery in a filing with the U.S. Coast Guard's National Response Center Sunday.  The company reported that a sulfur transfer line at a flange was leaking, and material is entering Bayou Cassotte, a tributary of Mississippi Sound. The company wrote in the filing that a maintenance crew was on the way to the line.  A spokesman for Chevron was not immediately available for comment.

Spill March 2, 2013 Fangshen Village
Lianoning Province
China

A massive sulphuric acid leak at a warehouse in northeast China has killed at least three people.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday that the leak spread into areas surrounding Fangshen village in Liaoning province, preventing rescuers from approaching the area. It wasn't exactly clear when the leak occurred, and Xinhua said authorities were still trying to verify the number of dead.

Xinhua said the 2,000 cubic meters (2,616 cubic yards) of sulphuric acid leaked from a storehouse used by a family business. It did not give a cause for the accident, and local government officials reached by phone said they had no information.

Improper storage and transportation of explosives and dangerous chemicals is a frequent cause of deadly accidents in China.

Transportation - Rail February 21, 2013 Cecil County
Baltimore, USA

Just before midnight Wednesday, three words brought a stream of emergency crews and hazardous materials units to a wooded corner of Cecil County just north of Interstate 95: liquid sulfuric acid.  A train operated by CSX Corp. derailed about 11:45 p.m., and initial reports said two cars contained the highly corrosive and environmentally dangerous substance.  Luckily, officials said, the acid didn't leak, even though the cars containing it were off-kilter.  "They were either sideways or just off the rail, but none are on their side," said CSX spokesman Bob Sullivan of the nine cars determined to have slipped off the tracks.  The derailment comes as the federal government investigates another recent CSX train derailment in Maryland that killed two young women.  Emergency crews from three states responded to Wednesday's incident, including the Cecil County Department of Emergency Services' hazardous materials team and units from Elkton and North East, Newark, Del., and West Grove, Pa., the county department said.  Officials at the state Department of the Environment also sent their own hazardous materials experts to oversee the process of righting the cars containing the acid without causing a leak, said Jay Apperson, a department spokesman.  No injuries were reported, and there was no danger to residents in the area, near Route 213 north of Elkton. That road was closed by the emergency response.  Sullivan said the 90-car train, pulled by three locomotives, was traveling from Selkirk, N.Y., to Hamlet, N.C. Aside from the cars full of acid, the train carried cars with boxed merchandise and covered hoppers full of iron ore.  The railroad expected to clear the derailment by Thursday night, Sullivan said. The cause will continue to be investigated. 

The derailment came nearly six months to the day after another CSX train derailed in historic Ellicott City in Howard County, killing two college students who were sitting on a railroad bridge over the former mill town's Main Street and raising concerns about the safety of CSX rail lines throughout the region.  Just before midnight on Aug. 20, 21 cars of an 80-car coal train jumped the tracks, burying Ellicott City natives Elizabeth Nass and Rose Mayr, both 19, and the street below in coal.  A massive cleanup followed.  A preliminary report on the derailment released by the National Transportation Safety Board in September appeared to focus on track conditions, further stoking concerns about safety. The report named the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, a union whose members handle track maintenance, as a party to the investigation.  The report showed the train was traveling at the speed limit of 25 mph at the time of the derailment.  Eric Weiss, a NTSB spokesman, said the Ellicott City derailment investigation was continuing but could not say when the final report would be released. The NTSB is not investigating the Elkton derailment, he said.  Sullivan said CSX did not have any updates on the Ellicott City derailment, either, and is awaiting the NTSB report.  Last year, CSX experienced 130 derailments from January through November, according to the most recent data available from the Federal Railroad Administration, the regulatory agency for the industry.  The Ellicott City derailment caused more than $735,000 in equipment and track damages. Initial estimates put total damages, including environmental remediation costs, at about $2.2 million.

Transportation - Rail February 20, 2013 India

The busy National Highway stretch at Chackai was closed to traffic on Tuesday morning after a huge spillage of sulphur was discovered on the road. The spillage mixed with rainwater caused vehicles to skid dangerously, forcing the authorities to shut down the road and launch frantic efforts to wash away the mess.  The yellow-coloured chemical element was found spilled all along a half-kilometre stretch of the Chackai- Enchackal road and is presumed to have fallen off a vehicle transporting it. The heavy rain on Monday night aggravated the problem. A foul smell also pervaded the entire region. The Vanchiyoor police, who are investigating the case, have not identified the vehicle yet.  Pocket roads in the region witnessed traffic snarls for hours after the police started diverting vehicles. The police cordoned off the area and the incident caused traffic snarls on all the nearby roads.  The spillage was detected as early as 3 am on Tuesday, but the danger was identified only after the traffic movement on the stretch increased by 8 am. By then, the Fire and Rescue Services Department had rushed two fire tenders from its Chackai unit for damage control.  Fire and Rescue Services personnel said they launched their operations on a war-footing on Tuesday morning after motorists complained of skidding. ‘’The sulphur had mixed with the rainwater causing vehicles, especially two-wheelers, to skid. We immediately launched efforts to wash off the sulphur from the road,’’ an official said.  By afternoon, firemen succeeded in removing the spillage to either side of the road. ‘’We sprayed water to reduce the slippery nature of the road. The work was completed by noon,’’ a top Fire official said.  “The cause of the leakage was not known and the vehicle has not yet been identified. The incident happened on the National Highway. The vehicle is yet to be identified,’’ Vanchiyoor sub-inspector George said.  Vehicles moving towards East Fort through Enchackal were caught in the traffic snarl. The diversions that were put in place by the Highway Police were not effective as the alternative roads were narrow and the volume of traffic was too large.  Shopkeepers in the area had no option but to down shutters owing to the intensely foul smell. “This busy part of the town, which leads to Airport, Ananthapuri Hospital and East Fort, has been so since Tuesday morning. We had to take a roundabout route to reach hospital,” said the Satheesh T, who was accompanying a patient to the nearby Ananthapuri Hospital.

Transportation - Rail February 17, 2013 Revda, Russia

Rescuers are working to contain a sulfuric acid leak from cisterns which derailed at a copper plant in the Russian Urals Sverdlovsk region on Sunday.  “The sulfuric acid leak area is 100 square meters,” Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said. The accident has not affected the work of the plant, it said.  A total of 12 cisterns derailed at the plant. Only two cisterns were filled with sulfuric acid, local emergencies services said.  Some 27 rescuers and 57 workers of the Sredneuralsk Copper-Smelting Plant at Revda are involved in the effort to contain the leakage.

At least a dozen tanks carrying sulfuric acid derailed on a line at a plant in the Urals. The acid spilled over an area of some 100 square meters.  The acid escaped through the tanks’ valves as part of the train cars overturned in the Sverdlovsk region, said the spokesman of the regional Ministry of Emergency Situations.  "There was a spill of sulfuric acid, but there is no threat to residents as the nearest homes are 20 kilometers away from the scene," Valery Gorelykh said.  The incident happened on Sunday at about 4 pm Moscow time (12 GMT at the "Sredneuralskiy copper smelter” in the town of Revda).  Measures are being taken to tackle the consequences of the accident. Sorbent has been used to neutralize the sulfuric acid, Gorelykh said. 27 emergency rescuers and 57 employees of the plant are operating at the site.  10 vehicles are involved in the process.  The exact number of tanks and the contamination of the area is still unclear. Earlier RIA Novosti news agency reported citing the emergency representatives at the site, that 15 tanks derailed and spilled acid on an area of 1,000 square meters.  Meanwhile, the Federal Service of the consumer’s rights reported that the acid spilled from two derailed cars on an area of 500 square meters. The agency sent experts to examine the level of contamination in the area.  The plant is still operational and there has been no evacuation of personnel, as no health risks are present, according to the ministry.  A previous major accident involving sulfuric acid happened in the Sverdlovsk region in November 2010 when two cargo train cars collided causing a spill at the Yekaterinburg- Sortirovochniy railway station.  The area of the contaminated soil was 105 square meters. Smaller incidents involving acid are quite frequent.  Sulfuric acid is a very aggressive substance. Human exposure affects the respiratory tract and skin causing burns. Penetrating into the soil sulfuric acid dissolves easily in water and evaporates. The acid contamination of soil causes the increase of heavy metals in ground waters which can be toxic to the environment.

 

Transportation - Rail January 17, 2013 Port Arthur, Texas
USA

Traffic was shut down Thursday night when a tractor towing a tank trailer containing molten sulfur crashed into a Toyota Camry in the 4300 block of Memorial where TX 69 connects with SH 73 in Port Arthur.  At about 6 p.m., police were dispatched to the location and discovered that the tractor had failed to merge into the correct lane from SH 73 onto TX 69 and struck the Camry that was in the inside lane, according to Sgt. C. Segler with the Port Arthur Police Department.  Segler said the Toytoa hit the concrete retaining wall, while the tractor attempted to steer away from it by overcorrecting the wheel, which caused it and its connected trailer to overturn.  Due to the Haz-Mat conditions of the wreck, the roadway was closed and traffic was diverted for a few hours while the Port Arthur Fire Department and emergency services inspected the overturned tractor for any leaks, which were not found.  Both drivers had minor injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment, Segler said.  At press time, no sulfur leakage was found and all compartment hatches were secure, he said.  Via Blackboard and the Southeast Texas Alerting Network, PAPD was able to notify area media and the public about the wreck in hopes to stop any further traffic problems.

Environmental - Release October 17, 2012 Houston, Texas
USA

A sulfur dioxide leak at BP’s refinery in Texas City in the U.S. state of Texas led to the issue of an alert for surrounding communities on Wednesday, local media reported.  Sulfur dioxide leaked out of a stack uncontrolled at the refinery at about 10 a.m. local time, according to the local TV channel KHOU.  The leak only lasted for a few seconds, according to a spokesman for Texas City Emergency Management.  Shortly after the leak occurred, a Level 3 alert was issued for the plant, and workers were evacuated, the report said.  The Level 3 was later reduced to a Level 1, and workers were allowed to return.  Sulfur dioxide is a toxic gas that can caused respiratory problems and death, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.  The Texas City refinery is the site of an explosion in March 2005 that killed 15 people and injured scores of others.

Spill October 3, 2012 Burns Harbor

Burns Harbor firefighters successfully contained a release of 1,000 gallons of sulfuric acid on Tuesday in the parking lot of the Pilot Travel Center at 243 U.S. Highway 20.  The BHFD was dispatched to the scene at 1:30 p.m., Fire Chief Bill Arney told the Chesterton Tribune today, after a trucker hauling 10 500-gallon containers of sulfuric acid reported a leak.  The trucker advised that he’d been on the road, was forced to brake hard, and felt his load shift. He then pulled into the Pilot center to check for any damage to the containers and immediately noticed the acid pouring from the rear of his box truck. “The guy said it looked like a waterfall,” Arney said.  The acid itself was packaged in square plastic “totes” reinforced by a metal framework and intended to be not only stackable but more or less unbreachable. “Ideally, they’re not supposed to puncture,” Arney noted.  Two of them did, however, and a stream of acid was the result, leading from the truck to the back of the Pilot parking lot.  Firefighter used 42 50-pound bags of oil dry—more than a ton of it—as well as “haz-mat booms,” which Arney described as “big absorbent socks,” to contain the acid before it got into a pair of detention ponds at the rear of the property.  Sulfuric acid is a lung irritant, though, and firefighters were forced to wear masks and air tanks for respiratory protection, Arney said. As a precaution, the Pilot itself was evacuated until the BHFD had monitored the air quality in the business and given the all-clear. Employees were then allowed back inside.  For a time too U.S. 20 in front of Pilot was closed to traffic.  Also responding to the scene were a hazardous-materials team from the Porter County Environmental Department and an inspector from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Arney did say that, as a corrosive, the acid caused the asphalt in the parking lot to soften and bubble, until a private contractor retained by the trucking company—Gully Trucking Inc. of Quincy, Ill.—had applied a chemical to neutralize the acid. Under Burns Harbor Town Code, the trucking company is responsible for the cost of the cleanup, Arney added.  The BHFD officially cleared the scene around 3:30 p.m. but personnel were on site until 10:30 p.m.  The Porter Fire Department remained on standby for the BHFD at its own station, PFD Chief Lewis Craig said.

Spill October 2, 2012 Springfield No injuries were reported Tuesday morning when a small amount of sulfuric acid leaked out of a 75 gallon barrel at the Solutia Inc. plant in Indian Orchard.  Firefighters were summoned to the 730 Worcester St. facility shortly before 10:15 a.m., Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant said.  “The acid ate a hole through the side (of the barrel) and it started leaking,” said Leger, adding that the acid was safely contained within a dike area. “It didn’t pose a hazard to anybody.”  Solutia’s in-house hazardous materials team dealt with the incident and the Springfield Fire Department was called in to standby as a precaution, Leger said.
Spill October 1, 2012 Beaumont

The southbound lanes of MLK near Cardinal drive are open, but the northbound lanes are expected to be closed until at least 6 p.m. Monday following a sulfur spill Monday morning.  Emergency environmental clean up crews and the Beaumont Fire Department were called to an area near Lamar University early Monday to clean up the spill. It happened on MLK Boulevard near Cardinal Drive. Crews began cleaning up the mess around 1 a.m.  The spill caused MLK to be shut down from Sulphur Plant Road to East Lavaca.  No injuries were reported.

Spill September 27, 2012 Nashville, Tennessee

The exit to James Robertson Parkway from Interstate 24 eastbound is expected to reopen today after being closed since Monday when a tanker spilled sulfuric acid. Beth Emmons, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, said the acid contaminated the soil, requiring more time for cleanup.  The trucking company responsible for the spill, identified by Clarksville Police as Palm Trucking of La Vergne, brought in a cleanup crew from West Nashville HAZMAT, she said.  “We just handle the road closure,” she said. “They are having to dig up a lot of tainted soil, but they are in the process now of putting dirt back.”

Officials said Wednesday afternoon that the exit ramp would reopen by 6 a.m.  The spill occurred near exit 48 on James Robertson Parkway, east of LP Field, around 6:10 p.m. Monday after the driver noticed a leak in his tanker near downtown Nashville, Metro Fire Department spokesman Charles Shannon said.  This stretch of Interstate 24 was the subject of a months-long project by the Tennessee Department of Transportation over the summer. Crews worked to repair a series of bridges from the Interstate 65 split to the Shelby Avenue bridge.  Emmons said the spill was not affecting any of that work.  “We sent a lab tech out to test what effect the sulfuric acid would (have on) the pavement,” she said. “As it turns out, there is no damage.”  The tanker appears to have leaked sporadically after leaving the Nyrstar zinc plant in Clarksville, according to Jerry Buchanan, interim director of the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency.  Parts of some roads were closed in the Clarksville area Monday night, but the leak does not appear to have persisted along the driver’s entire route, Buchanan said.  “(Palm Trucking was) supplying a customer,” said Darin Cooper, spokesman at Nyrstar. “To the best of our knowledge, the tanker sprung a leak after it left our property. Emergency services has told us that there was minimal environmental damage and minimal risk to the public, but we’re as interested as you are in finding out what happened.”  Efforts to reach Palm Trucking were unsuccessful.

Spill September 14, 2012 Xingning District, Nanning
China

Six people, including a toddler, were injured in a sulfuric acid spill in China's southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local police have said.  Over two tonnes of sulfuric acid flew through the gate of the plant and onto a busy road outside, toppling several motorcycles and injuring at least six people, police said.  The accident took place on Friday when the sulfuric acid was being unloaded from a truck at a plant in Xingning District of the provincial capital Nanning, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.  A one-year-old child sustained serious burns covering 19 per cent of his body, it said.  An initial investigation shows that an improper unloading practice caused the spill, it added.

Spill September 13, 2012  

Mormugao planning and development authority (MPDA) is waiting for the town and country planning department (TCP) to decide on the demolition of tanks of Ganesh Benzoplast Ltd. The plant suffered a sulphuric acid leak at berth No. 8 of Mormugao port on Tuesday.  MPDA had served a demolition notice to the company over 10 days ago, but the company approached TCP. MPDA chairman Krishna Salkar told TOI that TCP's decision is awaited.  The latest leak occurred during pumping of acid from the port to the plant.  MPT chairman P Mara Pandiyan immediately suspended the operation and ordered an inquiry. As a precautionary measure MPT decided to also decant all the residual sulphuric acid in the pipeline to ensure it was dry and safe.  Pandiyan told TOI that the company has been informed that no new ship of theirs will be allowed in the port till all precautionary measures are in place.  A preliminary inquiry shows the leakage was caused by the movement of a crane over the pipeline. It was also determined that the pipeline contained about 160 tonnes of sulphuric acid.

Spill September 9, 2012   Snubbing efforts by authorities to stop its controversial operations, Ganesh Benzoplast Ltd was allegedly involved in yet another leakage when sulphuric acid spilled into the sea.  The incident occurred at Berth No. 8 of the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) on Saturday evening during pumping operations to the Ganesh Benzoplast Ltd tanks at Sada Bogda, Vasco.  The incident came to light when the dead fish was found floating in the sea.  According to a source, the vessel ‘Galaxy’ carrying 8,000 metric tonnes of sulphuric acid anchored at Berth no. 8 on Saturday at about 5 pm.  The source further informed that while pumping the sulphuric acid to the Ganesh Benzoplast tanks on Saturday, at about 7.30 pm, the acid leaked into the sea, due to which dead fish was seen floating near the vessel.  “The matter was brought to the notice of the port authorities, who immediately suspended the pumping operations and directed Ganesh Benzoplast officials to plug the leakage and start the operation only after securing all safety measures,” added the source.  The source said the operation was suspended for almost two hours and only after the leakage was plugged, the pumping operations resumed.  When contacted, MPT officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the leakage, but declined to comment further.  Speaking to Herald, Murgao Action and Vikas Samati President Sankalp Amonkar informed that he had forewarned the authorities about the sulphuric acid vessel that will be anchored at Berth No. 8, but Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA) failed to act in the matter.  “The Ganesh Benzoplast tanks are a threat to human life and despite the residents opposing construction of the two LPG tanks. Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) surprisingly gave permission to construct the tanks and carry out its activities,” stated Amonkar.  When contacted, MPDA Chairman Krishna Salkar said the company has appealed against their order with the TCP and as such the matter is sub-judice.  Salkar, however, maintained that MPDA will strongly pitch for the demolition of the tanks, as it concerns the lives of the residents of Mormugao and Vasco.  It may be recalled that on July 5, a furnace oil leakage was reported at Ganesh Benzoplast tanks and after inspecting the site, the MPDA had issued a stop order. Since the company failed to comply with the order, the MPDA on August 27 served demolition notice, which is pending before the TCP.
Spill July 18, 2012 Urbana

Eleven employees at the Guardian West Flex-n-Gate facility in Urbana have been taken to hospitals in Urbana after they were exposed to a cloud of sulfuric acid.  Fire Chief Mike Dilley said firefighters were called to the facility at 2:48 p.m. Wednesday after a truck driver released the sulfuric acid into the plant when he unloaded a product in the back of the facility.  Dilley said the truck driver apparently didn’t complete the hookup correctly. He was not among the victims taken to the hospital.  Firefighters used fans to clear the sulfuric-acid vapors out of the building.  Dilley said sulfuric acid is an irritant to the human respiratory system.  “If somebody inhales sulfuric acid, it can irritate the nose, throat and lungs,” Dilley said. “A person would have to inhale quite a bit of sulfuric acid to be affected.”  Dilley said on Wednesday evening that he has no information on how much sulfuric acid was involved in the incident at Guardian West.  “The incident created a misty-looking vapor cloud, but the cloud had largely dissipated by the time we (the fire department) got there, and after we used a fan, the cloud was gone.”  Dilley said the area where the spill took place had been ventilated and that operations resumed at the facility at about 5 p.m. Wednesday.  Dilley said the fire department has no information on the identity of the truck driver, and nobody from the fire department talked to the truck driver.  Dilley said the truck driver did not work for Guardian West, but worked for an independent trucking company that delivered product there.  Dilley had no information on the name of the company that employed the truck driver.  Dilley said the fire department has no information on the identity of the 11 people who were sent to the hospital or the medical condition of any of them.  Dilley said the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act prohibits private companies like Guardian West from providing information about the identity of victims to a fire department if the fire department had not acquired that information by the time the victims were taken to the hospital.  Calls to Guardian West for comment were not returned on Wednesday evening, but company spokesman Jim Woodcock issued the following statement:  “We understand that 11 employees were taken to the hospital, and our concern for their health and the safety for all of our associates is paramount. The plant has been fully ventilated and is now reopened. Tonight and in the days ahead, the company will closely look into what caused the fumes, including whether required protocols for outside suppliers were followed. We will not comment further until a thorough investigation of this matter is complete.  “We would like to offer our thanks to the Urbana Fire Department and the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District for their assistance, service and commitment.”  All 150 workers who were in the plant at the time of the accident were evacuated.  The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District sent three buses to the plant to provide a place for the workers to stay cool.  Dilley said that Wednesday’s incident is not related in any way to problems that led the Occupational Health and Safety Administration to fine the company $57,000 in June for “serious” violations affecting workers at the Urbana plant.  An OSHA spokeswoman had said in June that workers at Guardian the plant were exposed to dangerous chemicals and did not receive proper training, examinations or monitoring from their employer.

Environmental - Release July 5, 2012 Nanjing, China

Twenty-eight people remain hospitalized after a sulfur dioxide leak occurred Thursday morning at a chemical plant in east China's Jiangsu province, local authorities said.  Around 10 a,m. Thursday, a small amount of sulfur dioxide was leaked in a chemical plant belonging to Jiangsu SOPO Group Co., Ltd. in Zhenjiang City, according to an investigative report released by the environmental protection bureau of Jianbi county.  The leak lasted for about five minutes, the report said.  Shortly after the spill, dozens of plant employees and local residents began complaining of an "uncomfortable" feeling and were sent to a local hospital.  The 28 patients who remain in the hospital are under observation and are in no imminent danger.  The plant shut down a sulfuric acid production facility linked to the accident.  A further investigation is under way.
Residents of Jianbi township of the city's Jingkou district reported around 10 am that they smelled irritating gas and had a hard time breathing. Some residents were immediately taken by ambulance to downtown hospitals.  Zhu Wenzhong, director of the district's environmental protection bureau, said the gas leak was the fault of workers at the Zhenjiang Sopo Chemical Industry New Development Co, which makes chemical products and raw materials.  "The leak lasted about five minutes," Zhu said. "The company turned off the device that leaked the sulfur dioxide immediately after noticing the problem. The pollution was halted, and residents could not smell any gas by the afternoon."  The city's Jiangsu University showed that the amount of sulfur dioxide in the air did not exceed the country's legal limits. Of the seven air-monitoring sites the environmental bureau has around the company, five did not detect any sulfur dioxide, and two detected only small amounts of it.  But some residents disagreed, complaining on the Internet that they couldn't breathe and the density of the sulfur dioxide wasn't low.  "Some people even said on the Internet that they smelled chlorine, which was totally wrong," Zhu said.  "Many people who are now in the hospital were not sent by the ambulance. They just went to hospitals for a health check on their own, to make sure that there was nothing wrong."  Zhu said the company will not be allowed to resume operations until the problem that created the leak has been solved.  "Sopo will be punished for the leak after the environmental bureau's evidence collection and investigation are done," Zhu said.  Company Chairman Song Qinhua apologized to the public Thursday afternoon.  "We'll investigate the leak and do what we can to keep this from happening again," Song said.

Transportation
River
July 5, 2012 River Rhine A tanker carrying 1,300 tons of sulphuric acid which ran aground in the Rhine early on Thursday morning, has been freed without incident.  "The ship is free again," a spokesman for the Bingen Shipping and Water Authority said.  The operation to free the ship was easier and ran more smoothly than expected, he said.  No spillage of the toxic cargo was reported as the cargo tanks remained intact.  The Dutch tanker Synethese III was carrying its load of sulphuric acid from Ludwigshafen to Antwerp in Belgium when it went off course and ran aground outside the shipping channel near Oberwesel in Rhineland-Palatinate.  The river authority said the ship was double-hulled, meaning there was little danger of it sinking or spilling its toxic cargo into the river.  Shipping between Oberwesel and St. Goar was been suspended following the accident. About 240 tonnes of the cargo was transferred to another vessel before the ship could be freed.  Both ships will now travel to Duisburg for safety checks.
Spill

July 2, 2012

 

The 4400 block of East Texas Street in Bossier City is reopen to traffic following an hazardous spill.  A tanker truck carrying a load of sulfuric acid spilled a portion of its load which forced emergency crews to East Texas Street from Pearl Drive to Industrial Drive, according to officials.  The road was closed about two hours while a private contractor hired by the trucking firm neurralize the acid.

Spill

June 29, 2012

Boissier City, Texas
USA

A sulfuric acid leak at a south side chemical company was quickly contained Wednesday morning.  Lieutenant Bonnie Hensley said an employee at General Chemical at 1598 South Senate found the pinhole leak in a pipe that leads to a large storage tank.  The company put its emergency plans into action.  A team that is trained to handle hazardous materials was called to the scene, along with IFD, Citizens Water and the Marion County Health Department.  About 1,000 gallons of the highly corrosive acid leaked from the pipe and came dangerously close to a storm water drain.  Employees contained the spill with soda ash.  Crews offloaded acid from the leaky tank into two other stationary tanks and a semi tanker truck.  No one was hurt and no homes were evacuated.

Transportation
Spill

June 27, 2012

Seremban, Malaysia

A trailer driver helped prevent a disaster when he noticed that the sulphuric acid he was transporting had leaked onto the middle tyres of the vehicle.  S. Saravana Kumar, 32, said he had earlier felt a dryness in his throat.  Based on the training he had undergone to transport hazardous material, he suspected there was a leak.  He, along with his assistant, S. Thiagaraja, 32, were transporting the sulphuric acid from Singapore to the Kulim Technology Park in Kedah when the incident occurred at 7.30pm on Monday.  "I had just left the Pedas rest area when I felt my throat getting unusually dry.  "I decided to stop at Km259 of the North-South Expressway near the Port Dickson toll plaza.  "Upon checking the trailer, I noticed there was a leak in the middle and the acid had spilt onto the tyres. During my training, I was told to contact the authorities if there was any untoward incident.  "I immediately called the Fire and Rescue Department," he said at the scene.  Senior head of operations for the Seremban 2 Fire and Rescue Department, Sabarudin Ahmad, said two engines from the Seremban 2 and Senawang stations rushed to the scene, along with a hazardous materials unit (Hazmat) involving 21 personnel.  "Twenty-six canisters containing the acid were moved to another lorry, which was dispatched by the company concerned.  "Investigations revealed a crack in one of the canisters.  "If the driver had not stopped, the crack could have gotten worse and there could have been a disaster."  He added adding that the cracked canister was patched up before the second lorry transported the chemicals. "We finished moving the canisters at 2am as we had to wait for the second lorry to arrive."  Sulphuric acid is a strong acid and has a dangerous dehydrating ability.  The acid produces severe and possibly life-threatening burns to the skin and reacts violently when added with water.

Spill June 13, 2012 Colleyville, Texas

A large amount of sulfuric acid spilled in Colleyville on Wednesday afternoon, partially leaking into a storm drain and sending one man to the hospital with chemical burns.  A police spokesman said he had no idea why the owner of a storage facility in the 1800 block of Industrial Boulevard needed 275 gallons of the highly caustic chemical. Nor did he know how the container spilled in an open garage about 2:20 p.m.  It spread several feet into a nearby storm drain before emergency crews could respond, although Colleyville police spokesman Raymon Canon said the acid in the drain had been contained and “posed no immediate threat to public health.”  Fourteen nearby agencies responded and were helping a haz-mat team soak up the spill. Business to the east of the spill were initially evacuated as officials worried high winds could send dangerous fumes their way — which is no longer a concern, Canon said.  A man in his late 20s was transported to a hospital in stable condition, with burns on his hands, lower legs and feet.

Accident June 5, 2012 Oklahoma City
USA

LSB Industries, Inc. released an update on progress in certain areas of its El Dorado Chemical Company subsidiary's facility located in El Dorado, Arkansas.  The Company previously announced that on May 15, 2012 the El Dorado Facility suffered significant damage when a reactor in its DSN 98% concentrated nitric acid plant ("DSN") exploded. No employees or anyone in the El Dorado community were injured as a result of the explosion, and there was no environmental impact. Following is an update to the earlier announcement.

Assessment of Damages and Resumption of Production at the El Dorado Facility

At this time, the Company intends to re-start regular nitric acid and ammonium nitrate ("AN") production, on a partial basis, in approximately 30 days, and increase that production over the next 90 days, as various plants are brought back on-line. At this time it is not known when the El Dorado Facility will produce 98% concentrated nitric acid.

-- DSN concentrated nitric acid plant -- It is unlikely that repair of this plant is feasible. At this time the Company, along with its insurance carriers, are evaluating the damages. This evaluation will take several months to complete. The DSN concentrated nitric acid plant produced approximately 20% of the nitric acid manufactured at the El Dorado Facility. The Company intends to replace the nitric acid production capacity lost by this event.

-- Other "regular" nitric acid plants -- The three other nitric acid plants, which produce approximately 80% of the nitric acid at the El Dorado Facility, in concentrations from 56% to 65%, sustained less damage. We are in the process of undertaking repairs, which should be completed over the next 30 to 90 days. Production from these plants will be phased in over that period as repair of each plant is completed.

-- High-density prilled AN plant -- This plant was returned to operation last week and is running on a limited basis with feedstock from other sources. High-density AN is used for agricultural and high-purity industrial applications.

-- Low-density prilled AN plant -- This plant required only minor repairs, which have been completed. When nitric acid is available from one or all of the three "regular" nitric acid plants, the El Dorado Facility will resume production of low-density AN. Low-density AN is used primarily for industrial / mining applications.

-- Transportation -- The El Dorado Facility has restarted the truck loading facilities for certain products to enable the facility to ship inventory that was on hand prior to the incident.

-- Control systems -- The El Dorado Facility main nitric acid control room structure was destroyed by the explosion; however, most of the controls remained intact. A temporary control room will be utilized until a new permanent control facility is erected.

-- Sulfuric acid plant -- The sulfuric acid plant sustained substantial damage and, as a result, as of this date the Company is unable to set a target date for return of this plant to operation.

-- General -- In addition to the damage sustained by the primary production plants discussed above, the electrical service and various support facilities were damaged. Temporary electrical service is available at this time. Repairs to the permanent electrical service and various support facilities will be made over the next 30 to 90 days.

Customers

The Company is working closely with customers to identify alternatives for supply.

Insurance

The Company believes that it has sufficient insurance to cover the damages to the El Dorado Facility and to cover the Company's lost revenue, after $1 million deductible as to property damage and a 30-day waiting period as to business interruption, per insurance policy provisions.

CEO's Remarks

Jack Golsen, LSB's Board Chairman and CEO stated, "The Company regrets the difficulties this incident has caused its customers, and is committed to restarting production units as quickly as possible."

Mr. Golsen continued "This interruption of business activities has been unfortunate; however, we are very positive about the future of our El Dorado Facility. We are committed to repairing and rebuilding the El Dorado Facility as soon as possible, as we consider it an important part of our overall Chemical Business. At this time our three other chemical manufacturing facilities are producing product and continuing to conduct business."
Spill May 21, 2012   The Massachusetts state hazmat team suits up after a sulfuric acid spill at a Goddard Memorial Drive business.  Fire officials say a 250 gallon container of 50-percent sulfuric acid spilled Monday as workers were moving with a forklift and punctured it.  “It was punctured somewhere down about 6 inches from the bottom. A good deal spilled out and leaked on the asphalt,” says Deputy Chief John Sullivan.  The business, Pan-Glo New England, was evacuated.  Two people, including a truck driver and another employee, were taken to a nearby hospital after coming in close contact with the chemical.  “They were obviously exposed, inhalation exposure. They were transported for evaluation.”  The hazmat team placed two small pools under the truck. Goal here is to keep it from spreading any further.  Investigators are taking the tier 2 hazmat situation very seriously.  A portion of the road was closed while the crews worked to quickly contain the spill.  Pan-Glo provides pan cleaning, straightening and coating services.  Officials say sulfuric acid is used in that process and that it can be extremely dangerous.  “Sulfuric acid is a common industrial use product. As an acid, it is highly corrosive.”  Investigators were able to contain the spill to a small area in the pan-glo lot and say nearby homes and businesses should not be concerned.  Clean-up crews were still on scene late afternoon Monday.  The Massachusetts Department of Environmental protection is now investigating.
Spill May 13, 2012 Warren Township, Ohio
USA

The Warren Township Fire Department says a flange on a line that didn't work is responsible for a sulfuric acid leak at Arcelor Mittal Steel.  Officials say about 12-hundred gallons of sulfuric acid spilled into a ditch and into a drive at the plant.  The Trumbull Hazardous Materials Team assisted the Warren Township Fire Department to make sure the corrosive acid and its vapors didn't get into the water system through a nearby ditch.  21 News has been told that Arcelor Mittal Steel, which makes coke for the steel making process, has hired local contractors to use lime to neutralize the acid.  No one was injured.

Spill May 4, 2012 Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Cleanup of a Salt Lake City chemical company’s 2,000-gallon acid spill was expected to be completed this weekend.

On Friday afternoon workers at Brenntag Pacific, 2334 W. Directors Row (1100 South just west of I-215) were unloading sulfuric acid from a rail car when a hose broke and acid overflowed a containment area, spilling toward nearby train tracks. All 10 workers evacuated after the 1:30 p.m. spill, but no one was injured.  A cleanup company began cleaning the site Friday night, monitored by the Utah Health Department, Salt Lake City Fire spokesman Jasen Asay said Saturday.  The health department will make sure "all the sulfuric acid gets cleaned from the soil," Asay said.  Brenntag Pacific is a chemical distributor with locations around the western United States.

Transportation
Road
May 2, 2012

Gorman, California, USA

 

A semi truck carrying a load of sulphur rolled off the northbound side of Interstate 5 near Highway 138 just after 2 p.m. today.  The truck came to rest near Copco Avenue just east of I-5 and responding California Highway Patrol officers arrived to find the driver crawling out of the cab, a CHP report said.  "He suffered only minor cuts and bruises," a CHP officer said.  A Hazardous Material cleanup crew arrived just after 2:40 p.m.  Sulphur is its dry form is not hazardous but diesel fuel was also leaking from the truck, a Fire Department official said just before 2:30 p.m.  Northbound traffic on I-5 through the area has not been affected, the report said.

Transportation
Road
April 26, 2012 Johor Baru

A section of Km16 Jalan Johor Baru-Skudai had to be closed to traffic for three hours after two drums containing chemicals fell off a lorry.  The lorry was believed to be heading towards Johor Baru when the accident took place at around 9am yesterday.  Twenty-three firemen, including a hazmat (hazardous material) team from Taman Universiti Fire and Rescue Department, rushed to the site about 10 minutes later to retrieve the contents of the 1,800kg drums, believed to be sulphuric acid, which spilled onto the road.  Fire operations commander C. Kesavan said the drums were leaking when his men arrived.  “There were no injuries and we stopped the leak at around 1pm.  “Initial investigations found that the lorry driver did not put a harness around the drums, which caused them to fall off the lorry,” he added.  The driver was believed to have driven off leaving the drums in the middle of the road.  Johor Baru (North) OCPD Asst Comm Ruslan Hassan said police had taken a sample from the drums.  “No one was injured in the incident,” he said, adding that police are looking for the driver to help in investigations.

Transportation
Road
April 24, 2012 Polk County Florida

About 1,000 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled from a trailer in Polk County, burning a truck driver and forcing officials to close a roadway.  The spill happened about 5:50 a.m. Tuesday on Highway 60 at Rifle Range Road in Bartow.  All lanes of Highway 60 have been closed in the area.  According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the driver made a "hard stop," causing six pods of sulfuric acid to fall off the trailer he was pulling.

 

Hazmat crews spent most of the day Tuesday cleaning up a dangerous acid spill that shut down a section of Hwy 60 near Bartow for over 12 hours.  A truck driver hauling sulfuric acid made a hard stop at Hwy 60 and Rifle Range Road around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, according to Polk County Fire Rescue spokesperson Brad Ruhmann.  When he did, six pods, each containing 250 gallons of the corrosive liquid, went over and off the rig.  Close to 1,000 gallons spilled onto the roadway.  Ruhmann says authorities immediately sent out a reverse 911 call to area residents and businesses to warn them of the spill, because sulfuric acid can be very dangerous if inhaled. Thankfully though, Ruhmann told us, the wind was blowing toward a direction where there were no area residents, so no evacuations were necessary.  That was good news for those who live nearby, but it wasn't the same for the truck driver, identified as Eric Garland of Wauchula, Florida.  According to Ruhmann, he "got out of the truck, and from what I understand, he attempted to clean up some of the mess." Which was not the right thing to do.  Garland was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital suffering from second-degree burns to 10 percent of his body, mainly his legs.  Florida Highway Patrol says there is a long list of regulations in place to prevent these type of spills. All drivers not only need a commercial driver's license, but also a special permit to transport chemicals.  "Motor carrier drivers are required to understand and know what they're transporting at all times," said Sgt. Steve Gaskins with FHP. "They're also required to do pre and post trip inspections of their load, and periodic inspections as well throughout their routes."  Polk Fire Rescue says the company involved in the accident is Davis Supply Inc. based in Fort Myers.  According to the Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, this was not the company's first incident.  The agency reports two previous chemical spills in 2010 in Florida, with one caused by an abrupt stop. There were no reported injuries in those accidents.  Davis Supply Inc. was also fined more than $500 last year for unloading materials improperly, according to the agency.  ABC Action News left several messages on the phone numbers listed on the company's web site, but has not received a call back.  The road was finally opened by 6:45 p.m.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z71Ia3bKMXs

Transportation
Road
April 23, 2012 Yosemite National Park
USAA

A portion of Highway 41 just south of Yosemite was closed Monday. A tractor trailer carrying powdered sulfur lost control and slammed into a guard rail. Highway Patrol says the driver was under the influence.  Hazmat crews worked in the blistering sun dressed head to toe in safety gear. CHP tells us a tractor trailer lost control and slammed into a guard rail.  "He was under the influence of something," said CHP officer Doug Corbett.  The sulfur did start a fire. It raged one acre up a hillside

Transportation
Road
April 23, 2012 Ramanathapuram, India

Police force has been deployed at Soliyakudi village here after an acid-laden lorry fell into the village oorani (water body) in the wee hours on Sunday. Sources said the lorry was heading to Chennai with sulphuric acid from a Sterlite industry in Thoothukudi. The accident occurred when the driver, Ilayaraja of Cuddalore, lost control of the vehicle, which fell into the oorani located at the entrance of Soliyakudi village.  Ilayaraja, who was trapped under the lorry, was killed after he was corroded by the acid. The sulphuric acid spilled into the oorani and got mixed with the water, which was being used by the local people for several years, mostly for bathing.  Meanwhile, officials and local people witnessed a large number of dead fish floating in the oorani due to the acid spill. Based on information, a police team led by Superintendent of Police Kaliraj Maheskumar rushed to the spot and prevented the entry of people into the water body. A temporary thorn fencing has been erected around it.  Meanwhile, the services of Tamil Arasan, Safety Officer from CECRI-Kovilur, Karaikudi, were requisitioned to take some water samples to test the extent of acid in the water.  A team Pollution Control Board officials from Sivaganga, led by Bharathi Dasan, checked the area for pollution, since acid fumes were emanating from the oorani for some hours.  It is said that a team of officials from the Sterlite company came to the spot to make efforts to neutralize the water for public use.  SP Kaliraj Maheskumar told ‘Express’ that the team of experts from Pollution Control Board and CECRI conducted water tests in the oorani.  “Steps are being taken to neutralize the water. As such, no one will be allowed to go anywhere near the oorani till the situation is back to normal,” he added.

  April 16, 2012

Nanxiong City

Guangdong Province

China

A truck transporting 20 tons of sulfuric acid overturned yesterday in Nanxiong City, south China's Guangdong Province, spilling the toxic chemical into the Zhenjiang River.  The accident occurred on the provincial Highway 342 yesterday morning. Firefighters sprayed water and alkaline solution to dilute the acid, according to today's Yangcheng Evening News.  A Nanxiong government official said the Zhenjiang River is not the source of the city's tap water, therefore the spill won't pose threat to local residents, but he warned people not to eat dead fish floating on the river.  A heavy rain last night helped to wash off the acid spilled over the field. Local environmental authorities are closely monitoring the water quality in the river, the paper said.  No one was injured in the accident and hundreds of nearby residents were evacuated, it said.
Transportation
Road
April 3, 2012 Hendersonville
North Carolina

Law enforcement shut down I-26 eastbound at the Upward Road exit after a wreck on the Peter Guice Bridge Tuesday evening.  A Hazmat truck was on fire at around 10 p.m. Tuesday night on Peter Guice Bridge on Interstate 26 in Saluda, closing all lanes and forcing the evacuation of residents in the area.  Saluda and Blue Ridge fire departments were called to the scene.  All lanes have been shut down.  Dispatch also reported that the driver said the truck's contents were at least 51 percent sulfuric acid.  At 10:15 p.m. dispatch also requested mutual aid from Valley Hill and Dana fire departments. It was also reported that there was damage to the bridge.  At 10:20 p.m., rescue personnel at the scene reported that acid from the truck was running down toward the river.  Regional Hazmat arrived at 11:42 p.m., according to scanner traffic.  The interstate was closed at the Saluda exit westbound and the Upward Road exit eastbound.

 

An overturned tractor trailer shut down part of Interstate 26 Tuesday night.  The North Carolina Department of Transportation closed I-26 eastbound and westbound at the Peter Guice Memorial Bridge that crosses the Green River Gorge at mile marker 54.  Detours are set up near mile markers 53 eastbound and 59 westbound. The accident happened at 10:08 p.m. Troopers said the tractor trailer crashed and caught fire and then started leaking sulfuric acid. Flames were reported to have reached 50 feet high.  The tanker was driving eastbound. As of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, the westbound lanes had reopened. The eastbound lanes of I-26 remain closed at this time and will be closed while crews inspect the bridge.  Officials said the inspection was expected to last until Thursday, and they will reschedule eastbound lanes reopening based on the inspection's findings. They said the bridge was built in the 1970s and has been upgraded over the years.  Drivers traveling eastbound will use exit 53 (Upward Road) to U.S. 176 West to U.S. 25 South into South Carolina, then S.C. 11 East back to I-26 East.  Officials said they evacuated 51 homes within a mile of the accident. According to dispatchers, the evacuation was lifted later Wednesday morning.  Hazardous materials teams were called in to clean up the sulfuric acid. Officials said the chemical could have caused damage to the steel on the bridge, so Department of Transportation crews will check the bridge to make sure it is structurally sound.  Sulfuric acid is a strong corrosive acid that's used to make detergents, dyes, drugs, explosives, pigments, fertilizers and other products.  According to the City of Asheville Fire Department, their crews were called to the crash to help in the cleanup.  Firefighters said the sulfuric acid mixture was leaking at a rate of approximately one gallon per minute, so they spread more than 2,000 pounds of lime to neutralize the leak.  Crews said they were able to keep the spill out of the Green River. Cleanup operations have been turned over to Hepaco Inc., a private company.  Other crews were removing any remaining product from the tanker. The highway patrol is investigating the cause of the accident.  The fire was extinguished by 7 a.m., but the bridge could be closed for days, according to dispatch.  The Red Cross opened a shelter at First Baptist Church in Hendersonville. It's located at 312 5th Ave. Red Cross officials said two families showed up to the shelter and made alternate arrangements.  Officials said the driver of the tanker was taken to the hospital, but was released Wednesday. Troopers said they will talk to him to try and find out how the wreck happened. No word yet on if he will face charges.  Reports said a law enforcement officer was also transported with breathing difficulties, but there were no other reported injuries.

 

April 4, 2012 - Emergency crews remain on the scene of an accident which shut down I-26 in Henderson County overnight Tuesday.  Troopers say around 10 p.m. Tuesday night a tanker truck was traveling east on I-26 and overturned just before the Peter Guice Memorial Bridge, also known as the Green River bridge.  The truck slid out onto the bridge and burst into flames from sulfuric acid the tanker was carrying.  Investigators say the driver Allan Thomas Van Damme of Ontario, Canada has non life threatening injuries and was taken to Mission-St. Joseph’s Hospital.  Fire officials say the sulfuric acid mixture was leaking at about a gallon per minute.  Two-thousand pounds of lime was spread over the chemical and they say none of the sulfuric acid made it into the Green River below.  The Western North Carolina Haz Mat Team remains on the scene.  The N.C. Department of Transportation has established a detour route to help drivers headed east avoid the area.  Motorists traveling on I-26 East should take Exit 53 (Upward Road) to U.S. 176 West to U.S. 25 South into South Carolina, then S.C. 11 East back to I-26 East. NCDOT expects the eastbound lanes of the interstate to reopen no sooner than Thursday, however it could be longer if damage is discovered.  Bridge Engineer Chris Lee on the scene tells 7 On Your Side that there are five bridge engineers currently going over the bridge to look for any structural damage. They're looking for cracks, corrosion and any effects the intense heat from the truck fire might have had on the bridge. They even use x-ray machines to indicate possible problem areas.  Lee says the westbound side looks good, but the eastbound side will take longer.  He says the bridge was built in 1970s and has had several upgrades since then.

April 24, 2012 - Concerns about contamination of the Green River have subsided three weeks after a tanker carrying sulfuric acid wrecked on the Peter Guice Memorial Bridge, but questions about what could happen if there's a next time have not.

“The concern is, there's a lot of things traveling on our roads, and no matter what we do to try to protect ourselves, hazardous substances are traveling our roads in an unsafe manner,” David Weintraub, executive director of the Hendersonville-based Environmental Conservation Organization, said of the April 3 accident. “We have very little control over that. This could have been an incredible disaster.”  Particularly disturbing to Weintraub is that the dangerous liquid was being transported late at night on a notoriously dangerous stretch of Interstate 26 in the Green River Gorge. Luckily, the truck crashed on the opposite end of the long bridge from where a narrow stretch of the Green River flows beneath it, and the N.C. Department of Environmental Resources concluded that no chemicals entered any surface water.  Tim Bell, owner of Green River Adventures in Saluda, said he and many others in the community were very concerned initially that the spillage might have leaked into the Green River, but he's seen no evidence of contamination during several kayaking trips and is satisfied that the river is OK.  However, Weintraub said, It “still begs the question: Why were 41,000 pounds of highly toxic sulfuric acid traveling on probably the most dangerous stretch of road in Western North Carolina at 10 o'clock at night?”

  April 1, 2012 Ridgewood, New York

Ridgewood emergency responders evacuated a downtown commercial office building Sunday after a report of a possible sulfuric acid leak from a battery.  According to Ridgewood Fire Cpt. Robert Kozielski, a worker in the basement of 45 N. Broad St. smelled an odor he suspected was sulfuric acid just before 3:30 p.m.  The building's basement contains assorted batteries and other equipment for the Nextel cell antennas on the roof, according to officials.  Bergen County HAZMAT was called to the scene and after ventilating the building, the agency allowed occupants to return shortly before 5:30 p.m. Sunday.  There were no reports of illness or injury, and carbon dioxide readings in the building were low, responders said.

Transportation
Rail
March 27, 2012 Noble County, Indiana

Nearly 200,000 pounds of molten sulfur spilled from a Norfolk Southern train car when it derailed early Tuesday morning, northwest of Ligonier. It's not yet known how much of the molten sulfur has entered a wetland area which empties into the Little Elkhart River.  Right now, state environmentalists are working to limit the potential damage.  The train has cars carrying two hazardous material: toluene and molten sulfur. It is the molten sulfur that is creating issues.  One of the cars carrying the molten sulfur started on fire shortly after the derailment. Michael Newton, Noble County Emergency Management director, told WSBT the big focus is the chemicals leaking into the marsh and from there into the river, not so much the fire. Officials are letting it burn itself out because putting water on it would cause the chemicals to leak out more than they are.  Crews set up at least two booms to try and stop any leakage into the river.  No injuries have been reported after 27 cars of the 59-car train derailed. It's not yet known what caused the derailment in the area of 1100 West 900 North, northwest of Ligonier.  Dave Pigeon, Norfolk Southern spokesman at the scene, told WSBT the eastbound train left Elkhart en route to Bellevue, Ohio.  Officials told WSBT it was recommended to six families that they evacuate the area, which is predominantly rural. However, environmental officials don't believe there is a public safety risk. As soon as the fire is out, railroad crews can clean up the mess and this quiet, rural area can get back to normal.  Crews say they will be there until at least Wednesday afternoon.  The derailment stopped about 400 Amtrak passengers from getting to Chicago for a while. They were stuck in Ohio for about three hours before getting started again.  Some were picked up by a bus. Others got onto another train and took a detour through Michigan.

 

March 28, 2012

Norfolk Southern has brought in specialists to evaluate the train derailment near Ligonier.  Crews will now smother the burning train cars with clean soil.  Once it's completely out, they'll dispose of the dirt and remove the cars.  They say this will help control the chemical so it doesn't leak into the air or nearby river.

Norfolk Southern says 21 rail cars derailed when an eastbound freight train derailed Tuesday around 4:40 a.m. near Ligonier, Ind. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, three of the derailed cars (two cars containing molten sulfur and one car containing wine) were still burning.  Eleven of the derailed rail cars contained items classified as hazardous materials. Ten cars contained molten sulfur (used for making plastics, dyes, detergents, pharmaceutical products, fertilizer) and one car contained toluene (used to make paint, paint thinner, fingernail polish, rubber). None of the toluene appears to be leaking.  Norfolk Southern is working with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to monitor air and water quality in the area, and at this time, there appears to be no evidence of any release of molten sulfur to any waterway that connects to the Elkhart River.  As a precautionary measure Tuesday morning, an area of approximately a half mile has been evacuated around the crash site. Tuesday evening, according to officials, three additional homes were also evacuated. It's not known when residents will be allowed to return.  No injuries have been reported. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.  An average of 90 to 100 trains, including two Amtrak passenger trains, use this route daily. Norfolk Southern is rerouting trains that normally use this rail line in coordination with other carriers as well as over alternate routes.  More than 300 Amtrak passengers traveling to Chicago have been stranded in Ohio by a freight train derailment in northeastern Indiana.  Amtrak is arranging buses or other transportation for short-distance passengers.  Several agencies are investigating and working the scene of a train derailment in Noble County.  It happened at 4:40 a.m. on the Norfolk Southern Line near Ligonier.  Noble County Emergency Management Director Mick Newton said the train was carrying molten sulfur and flammable toluene.  Molten sulfur is used for making products such as plastics, dyes, detergents, pharmaceutical products, and fertilizer. Toluene is used for making products such as paint thinner, fingernail polish, and rubber.  Officials also said a rail-worker was down checking on the derailment when he noticed a small flame, that eventually caught fire to some of the chemicals the train was carrying.  Officials said right now, the biggest health concern in air quality.  That's because of the burning sulfur.  They said they have tested the water for sulfur and so far, it is clean.  The train was made up of three locomotives and 59 freight cars.  According to Noble County Sheriff Doug Harp, only one car was on fire. However, multiple cars had derailed just west of the crossing on N 1100 W between W 950 N and W 1000 N. That location is about 2-3 miles northwest of Ligonier.  Harp said an evacuation was initially ordered for a one mile radius around the site, but that was later downgraded to 1/2 mile. Harp said it only affected about six homes. Officials said they don't plan to evacuate any more homes at this time, but that could change if they can't get the sulfur fire under control or if the winds shift.  The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is concerned about an environmental impact from the hazardous material. Crews decided to let the fire burn itself out, but IDEM officials were monitoring any chemicals that were going into the air and into a nearby swamp.  IDEM officials were monitoring the runoff in that swamp which eventually feeds to the Little Elkhart River.  Officials were also keep an eye on wind conditions, which are blowing from the southeast away from Ligonier. Conditions at the crash site, including wind direction, could eventually force further evacuations. But officials were not sure if that would happen.  Officials on scene said the train had between 30 and 50 cars, but were not sure how many cars actually derailed.  Multiple agencies, including the Indiana State Police, said there were no injuries from the derailment.  Sheriff Harp also said several agencies from Noble and Elkhart Counties were assisting with the situation. Several agencies from the State were also helping.

 

Transportation
Ocean
March 21, 2012 Guangdong Province
China

Authorities are looking at two methods of salvaging a ship that sank on March 13 near the coast of southern Guangdong province, but they say there is no guarantee that the sulfuric acid it is carrying will not leak into the sea.  The Kenos Athena, a ship registered in South Korea, was carrying 7,000 metric tons of concentrated sulfuric acid and 140 metric tons of residual fuel oil when it sank in waters adjacent to Zhelang Island, according to a statement on the State Oceanic Administration's (SOA) website.  Authorities are considering two salvage plans, an official who declined to be named told China Daily on Tuesday.  One plan is to remove the sulfuric acid tank from the sunken vessel, then set the ship upright, and then pump it so that it will float. The other is to salvage the ship and then remove the sulfuric acid, the official said.  But regardless of the method chosen, the acid could leak, and if it touches the water could even explode, the official said.  According to China Central Television reports, the plan to begin the salvage operation by removing the tank would take about 25 days, and the second plan would take about twice as long. The TV report said authorities are leaning toward the first plan, but no decision had been made.  The ship's owner and the insurance company arrived in Shanwei, Guangdong, to discuss the salvage operation and cost, according to the official.  A salvage ship would reach the area on Tuesday and await instructions, CCTV reported.  The vessel sank in a shipping lane and authorities are blocking vessels from coming within 2 nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) of the site.  Wu Jiancheng, a salvage expert in the Guangzhou salvage bureau of the Ministry of Transport, said at a news conference on Tuesday that he had never worked on salvaging a vessel carrying so much sulfuric acid and that there had been no comparable case for six decades.  Sulfuric acid reacts violently with water, releasing enormous heat, and a spill would change the pH value in the water, which could threaten marine plants and animals, a marine environment forecaster from the SOA surnamed Yuan told China Daily.  The movement of the water would gradually restore a normal pH value, but it would take time, he added.  The SOA's South China Sea Branch said on Thursday that "an oil slick" covering 5 to 6 square kilometers was seen on the ocean surface southwest of the wreck, and the slick contained a large amount of petroleum-related substance, indicating leakage from the vessel. No obvious change in the water's pH value had been detected as of Tuesday, according to the Guangdong's administration of ocean and fisheries.

 

March 22, 2012 - China has urged the owner of a South Korean ship, which sank in waters off Guangdong province, to find a professional salvage company as soon as possible after local maritime authorities received no response to their salvage request.  The Republic of Korea registered Kenos Athena was loaded with 7,000 tons of concentrated sulfuric acid and 140 tons of fuel when it sank after water entered its ballast 4.1 nautical miles (7.6 km) offshore near Shanwei city last Tuesday.  Transport ministry spokesman He Jianzhong said Thursday that "the sulfuric acid and fuel could leak at any time and cause serious pollution."  The ministry spokesman said that salvaging a ship fully loaded with chemicals would be "very difficult because China has no experience in salvaging such a ship before". So far, no leakage had been reported.  Guangdong maritime authorities said they have asked the ship's owner twice to engage a salvage company and present a detailed salvage plan, but so far have not received a response.  The owner of the 27-year-old ship should take full responsibility for the accident, He said.

September 27, 2012

After six months of salvage work, the wreckage of a vessel from the Republic of Korea (ROK) was completely cleaned up on Thursday near the coast of south China's Guangdong Province, local authorities said Thursday.  All the wreckage of the Kenosathena, which was registered in the ROK and sank in March, has been cleaned up, said an official with the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration.  The Kenosathena became a focus of media and public attention after it sank 4.1 nautical miles (7.6 km) off the coast of the city of Shanwei, as it was loaded with 7,000 tonnes of concentrated sulfuric acid and had 140 tonnes of fuel in its tank.  Experts decided to clean up the concentrated sulfuric acid and fuel before salvaging the wreckage. No pieces of wreckage or sources of pollution had been detected after the salvage work was completed, the official said.  All responsibility for the wrecked ship should be taken by the ROK side, as the ship's own problems were to blame for its demise. Guangdong's maritime administration will seek compensation from ship's owner, the official said.  All 18 crew members -- including 10 from Myanmar, four from Indonesia and four from the ROK -- had been rescued.

Transportation
Water
March 15, 2012 Guangdong Province
China

 A shipwreck that occurred Tuesday near the coast of southern Guangdong Province has resulted in "a certain amount of oil spill," the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said on Thursday, citing monitoring results.  The SOA's South China Sea Branch and Guangdong Provincial Administration of Ocean and Fisheries started immediate monitoring of potential seawater pollution after receiving a report that Kenos Athena, a vessel from the Republic of Korea loaded with 7,000 tons of sulfuric acid and 140 tons of residual fuel oil, was wrecked in water adjacent to Zhelang Island.  According to a statement released Thursday by the SOA, "a patch of rufous oil slick" covering about five to six square km was spotted on the sea surface southwest of the wreckage site, and the slick contained a large amount of petroleum-related substance, indicating leakage from the vessel.  Meanwhile, further monitoring was under way to confirm whether the sulfuric acid had also leaked, said the statement.

Transportation
Road
March 8, 2012 Louisiana
USA

Police are closing River Road at the Jefferson / St. Charles Parish line on the Westbank.  It comes as officials investigate a reported chemical leak at a Cornerstone Chemicals plant in Waggaman.  Louisiana State Police report no evacuations at this time.  A trooper tells WWL First News that a team is on the scene and evaluating the situation.  He says the chemical is sulfuric acid.

A reported leak of sulfuric acid at a chemical plant near Waggaman turned out to be not as bad as feared, and Louisiana State Police reopened the highway mid-morning Thursday.  "It's all good to go," said Louisiana State Trooper Nick Manale.  "The leak wasn't as bad as initially thought and actually had already been secured" by the time state police hazardous materials experts arrived on scene at Cornerstone Chemicals, Manale continued.
Transportation
Road
March 1, 2012 Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia

A TRUCK towing a tanker filled with sulphuric acid caught fire near Darlington today.   CFA crews were notified around 10.35am that a prime mover was on fire.  It was towing a b-double tanker filled with 19,000 litres of sulphuric acid and authorities.  The incident occurred on the Hamilton Highway, about four kilometres west of Darlington.  The fire was doused quickly and the highway remained open.  Two tankers and a hazmat unit, as well as a police traffic management unit, were sent to the scene.  No one was injured in the incident.

 

March 2, 2012 - A truck driver was yesterday thanking his lucky stars that he survived after the cabin of his B-double tanker burst into flames as he was hauling a load of sulphuric acid.  Peter O’Donnell, from Melbourne, was on his way to Hamilton carrying 19,000 litres of the dangerous substance when he noticed a small amount of smoke. “I pulled over and there was a flame under the right-hand side of the cabin,” he said.  “I just didn’t realise how quickly it would go up.”  “There’s not much left of the old girl.”  Mr O’Donnell has been driving trucks for 30 years and said it was the last thing he expected to happen.  He said another truck pulled over to help and they both used their fire extinguishers to put the flames out and called triple zero.  “We used the fire extinguisher but it was just too windy,” Mr O’Donnell said yesterday.  “It could have been worse. It didn’t do any damage to the tanks.”  Warrnambool CFA operations officer Henry Barton said the wind directions helped to move the fire direction away from the tanks.  “We were lucky with the wind,” he said.  “Sulphuric acid won’t explode but it can give off a toxic vapour.  “The brigades got here quickly and had it all confined to the cabin.  “We did have crews for air monitoring but it was all OK.  “It’s fairly typical for it to happen quickly when the fire is in the motor. He’s very lucky to have had the time to pull up to the side of the road. The fibreglass, rubber and vinyl burn quickly.”  Acting Sergeant Stephen Clissold, from Terang police, said the incident was called in at 10.38am.  “I’d say the driver was very lucky,” he said. Acting Sergeant Clissold praised the work of fire crews from Woorndoo, Noorat, Wooriwyrite, Mortlake and a Warrnambool hazmat unit. “They were here quickly and brought it under control,” he said.

   

Exposure February 29, 2012 Temecula, California
USA

An industrial worker was hospitalized today when he dropped sulfuric acid on himself.  The incident was reported at 10:23 a.m. at an industrial building in the 42000 block of Winchester Road in western Temecula.  An employee at an unnamed business was carrying two glass jars of acid when he dropped them on the floor, then slipped and fell into the corrosive liquid, according to Melody Hendrickson of the Riverside County Fire Department.  The acid gave him second-degree burns on 18 percent of his body, mostly on his back and shoulder. He was also badly burnt on his right hand by the shattered glass, Hendrickson said.  He was airlifted to a burn facility, and the Riverside County Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Team was cleaning up the mess this afternoon.  Three fire engines, a helicopter and 11 firefighters responded to the incident, according to the fire department.

 

March 3, 2012 - Temecula, CA — A worker dropped two glass jars filled with sulfuric acid, which left him critically injured at a Temecula industrial plant Wednesday morning, February 29, 2012. The industrial accident occurred just before 10:30 a.m. at Optiforms Inc., at 42310 Winchester Road, reported the Press-Enterprise.  According to reports, the 44-year-old electroforming manager apparently slipped and dropped the jars filled with acid. The worker then fell onto the broken glass and acid, leaving him with a cut to his hand from the glass and second-degree burns from the acid to over 18 percent of his body, which included his shoulder and back.  But, Cal-OSHA’s findings found that the worker dropped a gallon jar of acid while transferring it to the cart, before slipping on the acid.  Responding emergency crews airlifted the worker to a burn unit at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton for medical treatment.  Officials believe about a gallon of acid was spilled.  The Riverside County Environmental Health Department and the fire department hazardous materials team responded to the scene.  Investigations into the industrial accident are underway.

Transportation
Road
- - A 39-year-old driver narrowly escaped death after the lorry ladened with industrial chemical landed on its side at Km55.8 Jalan Johor Baru-Mersing recently.  The ill-fated lorry landing on its side after the driver lost control of the vehicle in Jalan Johor Baru-MersingJalan Mawai Kota Tinggi.  Kota Tinggi district police chief Supt Che Mahazan Che Aik said the 28-tonne lorry was ferrying sulphuric acid when the driver lost control and it skidded to the roadside about 6.20am.  He said the driver was heading towards Pasir Gudang from Kemaman in Terengganu.  "He only sustained minor bruises at the back of his body. A passer-by sent the driver to the district hospital for outpatient treatment," he said.  Kota Tinggi Fire and Rescue Department chief Mohd Ismail Abdul Latif said 15 firemen in two fire engines rushed to the scene  immediately after they received a call.  "It took us six hours to remove the lorry using two cranes.  "A Hazmat team was also present to ensure  no chemical leakage  from the lorry," Ismail said. 
Transportation
Road
January 31, 2012 Louisiana, USA A collision of two 18-wheelers early Tuesday morning killed both drivers and blocked the intersection of La. Highways 28 and 8 east of Leesville in Vernon Parish for about 11 hours.  Harold C. Durand, 54, of Pollock and Joseph J. Winford, 29, of DeRidder died in the wreck, Louisiana State Police Troop E reported.  The crash occurred about 4:10 a.m. Tuesday when Durand, who was driving a 2000 International west on La. 8, ran a stop sign and entered La. 28, where his vehicle collided with Winford's 2007 Mack truck, police said.  The wreck closed the highways to traffic in that area, and hazmat units from the Louisiana State Police and Fort Polk responded to scene of the accident.  One of the trucks was carrying molten sulfur, and the other was a log truck. A police news release didn't specify which one was driven by Durand and which was driven by Winford. The molten sulfur didn't spill onto the roadway, authorities said.  The highways were reopened to traffic around 3 p.m. Tuesday.  Police said Durand was not wearing his seat belt. He was taken to Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria, where he was pronounced dead.  Winford was pronounced dead at the scene. It's unknown if he was wearing his seat belt.  Routine toxicology tests are pending.  Tuesday's wreck was the fourth fatal crash in the State Police Troop E area in January. Six people died in those accidents.
Transportation
Rail
January 12, 2012 Kansas, USA

November 30, 2016

EPA Region 7 has reached a proposed administrative settlement with Union Pacific Railroad Company to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) at its Herington Kansas Rail yard, according to a media release.As part of the settlement, the company has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $24,000 and complete a Supplemental Environmental Project valued at $338,100.In January 2012, two railroad tank cars at the Herington facility collided, leading to the release of 11,000 gallons of sulfuric acid.About 1,500 gallons were contained in a ditch, but the remainder flowed through an adjoining ditch and discharged into Lime Creek. The discharge impacted an estimated two miles of Lime Creek and resulted in a fish kill.
In addition to the civil penalty, Union Pacific will be required to complete a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) to install earthen berms, flow barriers, and manually-operated drop gates that will seek to minimize runoff and releases from reaching Lime Creek. A SEP is intended to be a project that produces environmental or public health and safety benefits, earning partial credit by EPA to offset the cost of the penalty. This project is estimated to cost $338,100.  Union Pacific also paid $155,300 to the state of Kansas in restitution for damage to the state’s natural resources in August 2013.The proposed settlement with Union Pacific is subject to a 40-day public comment period before it becomes final.

 

According to reports, a rail car in Kansas has spilled 11,000 gallons of sulfuric acid at the Union Pacific rail yard. This is a site that is nearby Lime Creek. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports the specific area of the spill is from U.S Highway 56 north to 1000 Avenue.  Due to this spill, residents in this area have been asked to avoid this area for recreation and drinking purposes. People should keep all livestock and pets from drinking water in this area as well.  Chancy Smith, who is a Dickinson Country Emergency management director, said that the spill of hazardous chemicals happened around 5pm on Sunday. Apparently, this happened after two cars bumped into each other while switching. He went on to say that the impact caused one rail car to run under the bottom of the second. Unfortunately, one was carrying the highly corrosive sulfuric acid. From here, the chemical ran from the damaged rail car and into the ground. After that it ran across the road and down into Lime Creek.  Smith went on to say that the cold temperatures on Sunday night helped. This caused little smell from the spill in the area. As most people already know, sulfuric acid has a very distinctive rotten egg smell to it.  Of course, it was stressed that the residents in Herington are in no immediate danger following the spill. This is because the rail yard is on the north side of town, and Lime Creek runs northward out of town. However, many dead fish have already been seen in Lime Creek in the immediate area of the spill.

January 27, 2012 - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) continues to work with state and local partners to clean up and monitor the sulfuric acid spill from Union Pacific Railroad’s rail yard in Herington.  “Recent measurements indicate that Lime Creek pH levels have returned to normal ranges, which is above 6.8 pH,” explained Jennifer Nichols, Environmental Administrator for KDHE’s North Central District Office in Salina. “A range of 6.0 to 9.0 means the water is safe for consumption by animals. It is good to see these results and we’ll continue to monitor in the coming weeks.”  Testing has been ongoing since the spill on Jan. 8 and Union Pacific Railroad has worked to finalize the neutralization of the acid from the spill. The limestone filter dams, which have worked to contain the tainted water, are still in place and will be removed at a later date. The soil at the rail yard has also been neutralized and removed by a Union Pacific Railroad contractor.  Another round of verification sampling will be coordinated between KDHE and Union Pacific Railroad in the coming days.

Transportation
Road
December 6, 2011 California

A Big Rig carrying sulfuric acid overturned on Highway 198 about 1 1/2 miles east of Parkfield Grade Tuesday morning. The California Highway Patrol says Highway 198 is scheduled to be closed until 6:00 p.m. from Firestone Avenue in Coalinga to the Monterey/Fresno county line.  CHP is advising drivers to use alternate routes such as Highway 41, Highway 46 or Highway 152.

Transportation
Road
December 6, 2011 Thatcher, Arizona Several roads around Thatcher were closed for hours Monday morning after a Bulk Transportation tank trailer intermittently leaked sulfuric acid from the intersection of Highway 70 and Norton Road to the Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. Safford mine.  Graham County Sheriff's Office deputies were alerted to the problem at about 7:57 a.m. Deputies closed Norton Road, parts of Reay Lane and Safford/Bryce Road as well as Freeport McMoRan Road.  According to the Material Safety Data Sheet, sulfuric acid is extremely corrosive and causes serious burns through skin contact. It is highly toxic, and ingestion can be fatal. Chronic exposure may result in lung damage and possibly cancer.  Bulk Transportation terminal manager Todd Donham allegedly told a Sheriff's Office Lieutenant that the truck driver failed to seal the tanker's lid correctly, and acid escaped every time the truck stopped or turned.  Bulk Transportation tried to bring its HAZMAT team from Tempe, but they could not get through the mountains east of Superior due to inclement weather and an automobile crash.  A HAZMAT team from FMI joined a crew from Bulk Transportation and the Graham County Highway Department to spread soda ash on the acid to neutralize it. The resulting mash was then washed off the pavement, and the roads were reopened at about 12:30 p.m
Environmental December 6, 2011 Hukou County, China

About 20 tonnes of concentrated sulphuric acid leaked from a factory in China that led to billowing acid smoke over the area, officials said.  The incident took place on Monday in Hukou county of east Jiangxi province. There were, however, no casualties and no untoward incident, Xinhua reported citing a government spokesman.  The acid leaked at the Jiujiang Tianci New Material Ltd. in the town's industrial park, he said.  The company implemented emergency measures to collect the acid with help from firefighters and environment protection departments.  Till late Monday, about 18 tonnes of the acid had been transferred to other tanks or collected, but smoke still remained over the area.

Environmental December 2, 2011 Chiba, Japan JFE Holdings Inc., Japan’s second- largest steelmaker, said its steel mill in Chiba, near Tokyo, is operating normally after four workers were injured by an explosion at JFE Chemical Co.’s sulfuric acid tank.  The explosion, which occurred within the site of JFE’s steel works at 9:55 a.m., Japan time, didn’t cause a fire and hasn’t impacted steel production, spokesman Seiji Iwashita said today by telephone.  JFE is investigating the cause of the accident, he said. JFE Chemical is a wholly owned unit of JFE
Exposure November 25, 2011 Cottenham

Two people suffered acid burns after a spill at an oil plant.  More than 20 litres of sulphuric acid were leaked from Malary Environmental Services at Brookfield Business Centre on Twenty Pence Road in Cottenham.  Four fire crews and a hazardous material unit attended the scene at 12.30am this morning.  Two workers suffered minor acid burns and were decontaminated and taken to hospital.  Andy Tucker, station commander for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "This spill was dealt with quickly and efficiently.  “As soon as the chemical and associated risks were known firefighters wearing appropriate protective equipment used on site materials to absorb the spillage."

Exposure November 16, 2011 London, England Five people have been hospitalised after they were sprayed with sulphuric acid as they walked near Buckingham Palace.  The substance was thought to have dropped from the back of a lorry before mixing with concrete and being thrown into the air.  The incident, which took place at around 11am outside the Grosvenor Hotel, also forced local shops to close.
Transportation
Road
November 11, 2011 Canacona, India

A tanker carrying sulphuric acid overturned along the Barcem-Paddi route of NH 17 early morning Thursday while allegedly trying to avoid stray cattle.  Fire department personnel who attended to the incident said the driver sustained serious injuries and was shifted to the Goa Medical College and Hopsital, Bambolim, after undergoing preliminary treatment at Hospicio, Margao. The cleaner too has sustained injuries, officials said.

Transportation
Road
October 25, 2011 Northboro, Massachusetts Traffic was snarled from Route 20 east in the Route 9 area this morning after a tanker-truck broke down.  The Route 9 westbound ramp to Route 20 east was closed. The interchange is near the new Wegmans supermarket.  Traffic was detoured while the truck's cargo of sulfuric acid was unloaded, according to authorities. There was no leakage, according to authorities.
Transportation
Rail
October 21, 2011  Cloncurry 

QR National is investigating a major chemical incident after a train carrying sulphuric acid derailed at Cloncurry.  Six of 15 bullet wagons loaded with the dangerous chemical derailed at the Cloncurry station about 5.15pm on Friday.  One is leaning over and will be emptied.  A QR National spokesman said there had been no chemical leak and the cause of the derailment was still being investigated.  “There is no major issues … this was a low level derailment … we are working with firies,” the spokesman said.  A Queensland Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said fire crews would begin decanting the chemical from the wagons once QR National investigations were complete.  “When that process begins we may have to look at putting in evacuation zones around the stations in case of a leak, to consider all scenarios,” the spokeswoman said.  “We are probably looking at three days to get that done because it is a complicated process.”

October 24, 2011 - Emergency services are in the fourth day of clean up following the derailment of a train carrying acid near Cloncurry.  The QR National train, which had more than 1.5 megalitres of sulphuric acid on board, jumped the tracks at the Cloncurry railway station late Friday afternoon, the North West Star reports.  The train's 52 carriages were each holding around 32 000 litres of acid.  According to Queensland Fire and Rescue Service inspector Ross Mutzelburg no acid was actually spilled in the incident.  "Thirteen of them are derailed but they're still upright," he told the North West Star.  Around a dozen firefighters were at the accident site on Sunday to oversee the recovery.  Mutzelburg said it was a dangerous job as the train's carriages were linked to one another by a network of hoses through which the acid flowed.  "We've got experts here undoing the hoses and pumping the acid out. They're wearing acid protection suits which get very hot so there's always a bit of risk to them  "It takes about two hours to disconnect each hose."  He went on to say that every time a hose is disconnected there is a chance the acid may spill.  However "there's only been about a cup spilled, which isn't bad out of more than a million litres".  There is no danger to the public, as the train derailed away from the town.  Track repairs will be needed, but disruption to services is expected to be minimal as the incident occurred in the rail yard, and not the line itself.  According to the CourierMail, the train came from the Phosphate Hill mine.

Transportation
Road
 October 19, 2011 China 

Authorities in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan confirmed on Wednesday that a road accident had triggered the spillage of 38 tons of concentrated sulphuric acid into a tributary of the Yangtze River.  The spill happened on Sunday after two vehicles collided on a bridge where the Chaotian to Guangyuan section of the Guangdong to Shaanxi national highway crosses the Jialing River, the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper reported.  It said the Guangyuan government had dispatched an emergency task force to handle the pollution in the river.  "After the incident, we reported it and went to the scene to deal with the problem," an official on the Guangyuan municipal environmental testing team said on Wednesday.  "After we took samples from the water, they were tested at the municipal testing station," he said. "There were no abnormalities in the water."  But he added that the water had shown some changes following the spill.  "At the time there probably was some [acidity] in the water, but after a couple of days, and once it was cleaned up, then it was fine," he said.  But a professor of environment and resources at Beijing's University of Technology told overseas media that the ecological damage from the spill was likely to be severe, as the acidity in the water would still be above normal levels, affecting the habitat for most species.  "Aquatic life can't exist under such conditions of acidity," the professor said. "We can definitely expect that this will cause a high degree of die-off among aquatic life."  The Guangyuan environmental official said a report had been released, but that it said the water quality was within the normal range.

‘Normal' readings
Zhejiang-based environmental campaigner Chen Faqing told RFA's Mandarin service that he had encountered similar situations in his work.  "In situations where there is clearly pollution, the test results from environmental protection agencies show a normal reading," he said.  "The environmental agencies alone get to say whether the water quality is good or bad," he said.  Chen said the authorities usually handled such incidents by partially admitting the truth.  "In cases where it's bad, they will say it's not too bad, and in cases where it's disastrous, they will admit there are some problems with water quality," he said.  "They are afraid that if they tell it like it is, they will cause panic in the local population."  Residents of Guangyuan said in interviews on Wednesday that they hadn't heard anything about the pollution in the Jialing River, the main water source for many households.  "We didn't know about this," said one resident. "Maybe they reported it but we didn't know because we didn't pay attention."  A second resident said he hadn't heard of any problems either.  "I don't know about this," he said. "I didn't pay attention [to the news] so I didn't hear about this."

Incidents unreported
Chen said many incidents of pollution, even quite major ones, along with subsequent protests by local people, go unreported across China.  He said several thousand people turned out in protest in the eastern province of Zhejiang in June after cancer rates skyrocketed among residents near a chemical plant in Deqing county.  "Around eight or nine thousand people blocked the gates of the factory and wouldn't let production continue," he said. "The police said they were creating a disturbance and arrested a few people."  "The government sent out work teams door-to-door to all the households in Zhongguan township to make sure they didn't protest or talk to the media," Chen said.  "They said they would close the plant, but the polluted environment is still there."  Last month, China pledged a clampdown on the dumping of toxic waste following a chromium pollution scandal linked to a river in its southwestern province of Yunnan which prompted food safety fears in Hong Kong.  The country has been rocked by a series of pollution scandals after years of lax enforcement of what environmentalists say are, on paper, high environmental standards.  Many of the poisonings have involved lead and various toxins from chemical and electronics factories, often affecting the health of local children.  Also last month, fish farmers in the southeastern province of Fujian blocked a major highway and clashed with police over large-scale pollution of the Min River, which they said was behind massive die-offs among their stock.  Top environmental officials have warned that the ecology of China's lakes and rivers has become unbalanced, and that water resources management in China faces "major challenges."    
Transportation
Road
 October 11, 2011 Burleson County, Texas 

Roads were opened and an evacuation order was lifted early Monday after crews cleaned up a 12-car train derailment in Burleson County along Texas 36.  Joe Faust, a spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, said a cause for the derailment has not been identified but is under investigation.   No one was injured in the accident, which left four cars derailed upright and eight on their sides, he said. The train had one conductor and two engineers aboard at the time, according to the sheriff's department.  One of the upright cars was carrying sulfuric acid -- a highly corrosive and colorless acid -- which is why county officials ordered a temporary evacuation and closed Texas 36 from 8 p.m. Sunday night until 2 a.m. Monday, Faust said.   The railway bridge over the highway was reopened for service at 1 p.m., Faust said.

Transportation
Road
October 5, 2011 Mount Maunganui, New Zealand

A truck-trailer unit carrying sulphuric acid had a close call at Mount Maunganui early this morning when it almost tipped over.  Mount Maunganui, Greerton and Tauranga Fire Brigades responded to the call at Totara Street around 4.20am, where a truck unit carrying the dangerous chemical was found balancing on its stays.  Mount Maunganui Station Officer Peter Clark says the trailer could easily have tipped over.  “The unit was partially dislodged. A crane had to be brought in to lift the trailer back onto another truck.“The driver was driving easily and noticed something wasn’t quite right. It was lucky it wasn’t more serious.”

Exposure October 3, 2011 New Brunswick, Canada

WorkSafeNB is investigating an incident at the Irving Oil refinery last week where some workers were exposed to acid fumes.  The incident happened last Wednesday at the refinery's sulfuric acid regeneration plant, which was shut down for maintenance.  Dino Scichilone, the assistant regional director for WorkSafeNB, said a vacuum truck was pumping water out of a concrete pit at about 3 p.m. when some workers in the area smelled some fumes.  Scichilone said the area was evacuated and 35 workers were sent to the onsite health unit.  He said three of them required first aid treatment, including oxygen.  However, none of the workers were treated in hospital.   But Scichilone said it appears some residual acid fumes escaped from the pump truck's tank.  Carolyn Van der Veen, an Irving Oil Ltd. official, said in an email that two employees in the direct vicinity of the truck "noticed some discomfort."  She said "all employees have been cleared with no adverse effects reported."  Van der Veen said "mitigation steps have been taken" to avoid another incident but it's unclear what those include.

Transportation
Road
September 27, 2011 Guiyang, China

Four people were killed and another was injured in a traffic accident that occurred in Southwest China's Guizhou province on Tuesday, according to local authorities.  The accident took place around 7 am on a highway linking the cities of Yuping and Tongren. A truck loaded with sulfur dioxide collided head-on with a motorcycle and subsequently crashed into a nearby hill, local authorities said.  Both of the people riding the motorcycle, as well as two passengers in the truck, died at the scene. The collision resulted in a sulfur dioxide spill that is still being cleaned up.   Traffic had yet to be resumed as of 10 am Tuesday. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Transportation
Road
September 26, 2011 Tyler, Texas Texas Department of Public Safety troopers had to direct interstate traffic after a semi-truck leaked sulfuric acid Monday.   An official with Texas Department of Public Safety said the spill was on the eastbound side of Interstate 20, on the overpass above Texas Highway 31.  By 9:30 p.m., troopers were still on scene controlling traffic.   Larry Krantz, Texas Department of Transportation public information officer, said there was no reported damage to the overpass bridge.  While leaking acid "sounds bad," he said it was not severe, and the spill was quickly cleaned up.
Fire September 23, 2011 Dixmoor, Illinois Residents in south suburban Dixmoor woke up Friday back at home after a chemical fire forced them out of the area.   A fire in a chemical plant storage tank sent sulfur dioxide fumes into the air around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.  Sulfur in the outdoor tank caught fire at the Rhodia plant, and the fumes were so bad that around 6 p.m., the fire department ordered some residents to leave their homes. Breathing in sulfur dioxide can cause respiratory problems.  The plant, which makes soaps, detergents and shampoos, employs about 45 people, though the plant was closed for maintenance when the fire started.  A nearby mobile home park and another business were evacuated as a precaution. The fire department said those toxic vapors are gone, and neighbors were allowed back into their homes.   The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Exposure September 22, 2011 Australia A West Australian chemical plant has been fined $90 000 after four workers were injured in an acid spill.  Millennium Inorganic Chemical’s pleaded guilty to the acid spill at its Australind chemical plant, with resources safety director dangerous goods safety Phillip Hine saying that incident was due to inadequate inspection of the recently replaced sulphuric acid pipe work system.  “A problem was detected with the system that indicated acid was not flowing into the finishing tanks,” Hine said.  “Three staff went to identify the cause of the problem when a valve failed and sprayed them with concentrated sulphuric acid.”  Millennium is world’s second-largest producer of titanium dioxide and a leading producer of titanium chemicals.  Another worker sustained injuries when he came to their aid.  All four suffered acid burns, two severely, one of whom later had to have a leg amputated.  “The investigation by the department found that the valve that failed was from the old pipe work system and was designed to carry 40 percent sulphuric acid,” Hine said.  “The valve was exposed to 98 percent sulphuric acid for an extended period of time. This resulted in the valve diaphragm dissolving and the failure of the valve.”  Millennium’s inspection of the valve failed to notice that it had not been replaced.  Hines stated that the accident could have been avoided if proper safety measures were in place.  Millennium is the world’s second-largest producer of titanium dioxide and a leading producer of titanium chemicals. 
Exposure September 20, 2011 Bunbury, Australia

Fifty-six-year-old Nick Ciffolilli and three other employees suffered serious burns after a sulphuric acid pipe burst in February last year.  The company was fined $90,000 in Perth Magistrate’s Court last week after pleading guilty to charges related to the acid spill.  Mr Ciffolili said he had no hard feelings against the company where he has been employed for 32 years.  “I am most certainly happy to be back at work,” he said.   Mr Ciffolilli returned to work as a shift supervisor with the company last April.   He was given time off to rehabilitate and was transported to Perth for treatment.   The Department of Mines and Petroleum investigated the incident and safety director Philip Hine said it could have been prevented if adequate safety measures were in place.   Mr Hine said the incident was the result of inadequate inspection of the recently replaced sulphuric acid pipe work system.  “This decision sends an important message to employers about their obligation to thoroughly inspect all systems of work to ensure safety, particularly when making changes,” Mr Hine said.  “A problem was detected with the system that indicated acid was not flowing into the finishing tanks.   “Three staff went to identify the cause of the problem when a valve failed and sprayed them with concentrated sulphuric acid.”  Two employees were severely burned and one had to have a leg amputated.  Mr Hine said the department investigation showed the valve that failed was designed to carry 40 per cent sulphuric acid but it was exposed to 98 per cent.  An inspection by the company failed to identify that the valve had not been replaced.  Company site director Simon Morten said the company had upgraded its maintenance and auditing functions.  “Three of the workers have returned to work and the company continues to support all of them in their rehabilitation,” Mr Morten said.  He said the court had acknowledged the company’s exemplary safety record and that it had done everything reasonably expected in response to the incident.

Transportation
Road
September 16, 2011 Safford, Arizona A collision Wednesday night between a semi truck hauling molten sulphur and a pickup truck resulted in a hazmat situation and the closure of Safford/Bryce Road for nearly 13 hours.  According to a press release from the Graham County Sheriff's Office, the County Dispatch received a call regarding the collision at about 6:21 p.m. The incident occurred as both vehicles were westbound on Safford/Bryce Road just west of Branding Iron Road.  According to Sheriff P.J. Allred, the driver of the semi truck, Dwayne Elders of Thatcher, was attempting to pass the pickup truck when the collision occurred. Apparently, the driver of the pickup truck, Dana Carrasco of Safford, attempted to make a left turn into a private driveway when she was sideswiped by the semi. The semi rolled onto its side and stretched across both lanes of the road. Allred told the Courier that Elders said the pickup truck didn't have its turn signal on, but Carrasco insisted that she did.  Elders was transported to the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center by Southwest Ambulance where he was treated and released. He suffered a head laceration and fractured collar and rib bones, according to Allred.  Carrasco had her 4-year-old daughter with her in a child safety car seat, and neither was injured.  Molten sulphur began leaking out of the top cap of the transport tanker but was quickly contained and handled by the Safford Fire Department. Hazmat teams from the Department of Public Safety traveled from Globe and Tucson and assisted with the leak as well. According to the United States government Material Safety Data Sheet, molten sulphur gives off an odor of rotten eggs and is flammable.  It can cause eye and skin irritation and should only be used with adequate ventilation.  Safford Assistant Fire Chief Tony Goodman told the Courier that the biggest issue with dealing with the molten sulphur was that it was hot. He said the department sprayed down the leak with water to cool it.  Once it was cooled, the molten sulphur solidified. Members of the Fire Department worked the scene until 4 a.m. to keep the molten sulphur contained.  "The only hazard is that it's hot. As soon as it hits air, it cools down and solidifies pretty quickly . . ." Goodman said.   Representatives from Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. and Savage Trucking also assisted with the crash recovery. The semi is registered to Savage Trucking and was transporting molten sulphur to Freeport's Safford Operations copper mine.  Freeport representatives brought a crane to assist with the removal of the semi. Tow trucks from Barnett Towing from Willcox and Tucson were also used to set the semi upright and remove it from the road.  Personnel from the Graham County Highway Division were also on hand to assist with the cleanup and fix damage to the road. The road remained closed from Landfill Road to the Talley wash until about 7 a.m. on Thursday.  According to the Sheriff's Office, the cause of the crash is yet to be determined and is under investigation with assistance from a Graham County Attorney's office crash reconstructionist.
Exposure August 29, 2011 Galveston, Texas

Claiming he was doused with liquid sulphur while working at a Texas City plant last month, Santa Fe resident Alan Snyder has filed a lawsuit against his employer.   Snyder's suit against Gulf Sulphur Services alleges a supervisor ignored the his pleas to shut down a malfunctioning unit at the facility. According to the original complaint filed Aug. 22 in Galveston County District Court, Snyder was doused with chemicals when the unit spewed its contents.  The plant's owner and operator, Savage Services Corp., is not a defendant in the case.  Snyder, an independent contractor, was in the midst of his sixth day working at the premises on July 8 when the incident occurred.  According to the suit, "It was apparently common knowledge that many of the plant units that handled liquid sulphur had been out of service, and the plaintiff became concerned when the unit on which he was working was not operating properly."   The plaintiff claims he tried to address the concern only to be told to continue working.  "Suddenly and without warning, liquid sulphur sprayed from the unit and splashed onto the plaintiff's face, arms, body and leg," the suit states.   Snyder claims his skin continued to burn as he sought relief, and he had to be sent to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for treatment.  Consequently, the plaintiff seeks unspecified monetary damages.  He is represented by Abraham, Watkins, Nichols Sorrels, Agosto & Friend.  The case has been assigned to Galveston County 212th District Court Judge Susan Criss.  Case No. 11-cv-1353

Exposure August 16, 2011 Norfolk, UK

A man has suffered acid burns in an incident at a sugar factory in Norfolk.  East Anglian Air Ambulance said it was called to the Wissington plant, near Downham Market,on Tuesday morning.  The man in his 40s suffered sulphuric acid burns to his neck, chest and hands, it added. He was taken to the Broomfield Hospital in Essex.   Paramedic Jemma Varela said the situation would have been far worse had the man not been wearing protective clothing.

Transportation
Road
August 2, 2011 Hancock County

Aug 2 - Tanker Leak.jpg (131430 bytes)State Police shut down part of I-70 in Hancock County on Monday after they stopped a semi that was leaking sulfuric acid.   The right lane of eastbound I-70 and the Ind. 9 exit ramp were closed after officers stopped the truck about 4:40 p.m., Indiana State Police said.  Hazardous material crews were on the scene. The left lane remained open, but police said traffic may be stopped while the cleanup continues.  Westbound traffic was not affected.

Fire July 28, 2011 San Bernardino County Redlands firefighters responded after a 1,400-pound load of sulfur dumped at the San Bernardino County landfill caught fire Thursday afternoon.  Firefighters received the call of a refuse fire at the landfill, off San Timoteo Canyon Road, at about 12:30 p.m. When they arrived and discovered the source of the fire additional resources were called in. Two engines, a water tender and a medic engine responded with a total of 13 fire personnel.  Two landfill employees were treated for smoke inhalation.  The sulfur, once a common agricultural product, was inadvertently dumped at the landfill following cleanup at an old farmhouse. The chemical can become highly flammable when dust particles meet the air. The combustion occurred when equipment at the landfill moved the pile of sulfur.  The Fire Department contacted county water and regulatory agencies and determined that the chemical would be safe on site once it is covered. Fire personnel remained on site to extinguish the fire, water down the sulfur and ensure that the chemical was appropriately covered.
Transportation
Road
July 28, 2011 Asheville, North Carolina Asheville firefighters have reportedly cleared the scene after a sulfuric acid leak Thursday morning.  The Buncombe County Emergency Operations Center reports the leak happened at 8:28 a.m. at 56 Truckers Place. Asheville City Fire Station 2 was called to the scene.  A trucker with Conway Trucking told crews that one of the 55 gallon drums within the truck was leaking sulfuric acid.  AFD Haz-Mat crew members found a pencil width size hole on the bottom of the barrel and stopped the leak by tipping the barrel on its side and rotating it so that the hole was located at the top.  A sample of the product was tested by the Haz-Mat unit on scene and was confirmed to be sulfuric acid.  Neo Corporation, a local chemical spill clean up company, is cleaning up the scene now.   There are no reported injuries. 
Environmental
Release
July 20, 2011 Arizona, USA

Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc. has agreed to a $150,000 settlement for releasing 168,000 gallons of sulfuric acid and heavy metals from a pipeline into Lower Chase Creek, a tributary of the San Francisco River. This is according to a statement  released last week by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Arizona General’s Office.  According to the AQEQ  Freeport-McMoRan will pay a $75,000 penalty and complete a supplemental environmental project valued at $75,000 as part of a consent judgment in Maricopa County Superior Court for water quality violations caused by the Oct. 30, 2008, spill from its Morenci copper mine in Greenlee County.

Transportation
Road
July 15, 2011 Sullivan, Missouri

West bound I-44 was closed for most of Friday night while a Hazmat team cleaned up an acid spill in the Sullivan area.  A truck carrying sulfuric acid was leaking and pulled over by Sullivan police.  One officer suffered breathing problems and was taken to a hospital, but police tell KMOX he has been taken off of a breathing apparatus and is doing well.

Transportation
Rail
June 24, 2011 Fort McMurray, Alberta RCMP blocked traffic along Highway 881 outside of Fort McMurray Thursday afternoon as a result of a six-car train derailment, near mile marker 268 roughly eight kilometres from Anzac.   The derailment occurred around 12:30 p.m. on a southbound CN train. CN officials responded immediately and the cause of the derailment is under investigation. No injuries were reported in the derailment. The cars were carrying sulfur, some of which leaked at the scene, but a CN representative says they aren't aware of immediate risk to the public.  In addition to CN, regional emergency services responded on scene, as did a helicopter from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, and representatives from Alberta Environment.
Environmental
Release
June 21, 2011 Oakley, Ohio

A sulfuric acid leak leads to evacuations at a plant in Oakley. Fire crews were called to Cast-Fab Technologies on Forrer Street just before seven Monday evening. Investigators say an employee was working on a 5,000 gallon tank that holds sulfuric acid when a pipe broke.  Firefighters had to put on protective suits to go into the building. District Fire Chief Anson Turley described the scene this way,"By the time they got in level A and got into the building they had the leak plugged within 7 minutes. About 1,000 gallons of acid did leak out before we could complete the process."   Power was shut off to the building because sulfuric acid is flammable. Hazardous materials crews were able to patch the leak. It is up to the company to complete the cleanup process.  Workers do metal casting and fabrication at the plant.

Transportation
Road
June 9, 2010 Black River Falls, Wisconsin

Cleanup crews will be back on the scene this morning after a semi crash led to a sulfuric acid leak Wednesday afternoon in Jackson County.  According to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, a semi hauling containers of sulfuric acid and caustic soda crashed shortly before 4 p.m. on Hwy. 121 near NW Burnette Road in the town of Garden Valley.  Units from the Alma Center Fire Department, Alma Center First Responders, Black River Falls Fire Department and EMS, Jackson County Sheriff's Department and Wisconsin State Patrol responded to the scene along with Jackson County and Eau Claire hazmat teams.  The driver of the semi was transported to Black River Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released.  Hwy. 121 was closed to traffic until approximately 1:40 a.m. today as the scene was cleaned up and the semi removed.  With cleanup crews returning today, any unnecessary travel in the area is discouraged, according to the sheriff's department.

Semi Crash.jpg (87839 bytes)

Transportation
Road
June 4, 2011 - Traffic was blocked off on Interstate 49 between Alexandria and the Woodworth exit Friday following a traffic accident in which an 18-wheeler carrying sulfuric acid overturned.  State Police Troop E responded to the accident, which occurred about 11 a.m. Friday north of the Woodworth exit.  The northbound and southbound lanes on I-49 were closed for hours after the accident, the Louisiana Traffic Management Center reported.  Traffic was diverted onto U.S. Highways 71 and 165.

Truck overturn I-49.jpg (39652 bytes)

Exposure May 31, 2011 Belle, West Virginia

Two workers at the DuPont Co. plant in Belle were transported to a hospital Tuesday after sulfuric acid sprayed from a hose during the demolition of the facility's sulfuric acid production unit, officials said.  DuPont spokesman Nate Pepper said the incident occurred at about 1:12 p.m., while contractors working for DuPont were using a hose to transfer material from a tank into a pump truck came out of the tank.   "The two contractors were showered and transported by ambulance to the hospital," Pepper said in a prepared statement. "One employee was transported for treatment and the other transported for precautionary purposes."  Tuesday's incident occurred as Kanawha Valley residents wait for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to release a report it has completed on a series of leaks at the Belle plant in January 2010, including a phosgene release that killed longtime plant employee Danny Fish.  CSB investigators have completed a draft of the report, and DuPont has been allowed to review a copy of the report. But so far, board members have not agreed on a plan for releasing the document to the public.  C.W. Sigman, deputy emergency services director for Kanawha County, said emergency officials were told a hose came loose and acid was released while contractors were working to tear down the acid-production unit.  DuPont officials called Kanawha County's Metro 911 office at 1:12 p.m., saying that two males had been exposed to some sort of toxic material. The company did not initially report the material involved, but asked for medical assistance, officials said.  Six minutes later, at 1:18 p.m., DuPont called Metro 911 again to report that the workers were being treated in decontamination showers.

Environmental
Release
May 30, 2011 Allentown, Pennsylvania Emergency personnel responded to the municipal sewage plant Monday night after a water pipe broke, causing another pipe and valve to fail spraying sulfur dioxide inside a secured room on the site, according to the fire marshal.  Firefighters initially responded around 8:30 p.m. on Monday after an alarm was tripped by a broken pipe spraying water inside a containment room at the sewage plant which lead to a pipe containing the sulfur dioxide to break and contaminate the room, Fire Marshal Dennis Symons said.  The Monmouth County HazMat team responded and the situation was under control and cleared by about 12:30 a.m Tuesday morning, Symons said.  No injuries were reported, and there was no danger to the public, Symons said.   Allentown, Groveville and Robbinsville fire companies responded to the scene.
Transportation
Marine
May 20, 2011 Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Mississippi River traffic is shut down for a five-mile stretch in Baton Rouge after four barges came loose Friday afternoon, with one of them striking another barge and the other three sinking.  The Coast Guard has halted traffic until they can locate the sunken barges and make sure navigation is safe.  A 195-foot vessel, the Crimson Gem, lost four of its 20 barges, all of which were carrying grain. One of them struck another barge that was moored at a dock near the US 190 bridge. That barge was holding sulfuric acid.  Officials said there were no injuries and that none of the chemicals spilled.  “We did thorough checks on the void spaces to insure that either water or sulfuric acid was not being accumulated,” said Tom Dodds, the operations manager of Rhodia Plant. “We’ve done all the checks and we had the Coast Guard double check to make sure there was no leakage.”  The biggest concern now stems from the three other barges that got loose and sank.  “The river will remain closed until the location of all the barges have been confirmed and a safe, navigable waterway has been established,” said Lt. Commander Quincy Davis of the Coast Guard.  It’s the second time in a week that barges have gotten loose near the 190 bridge. The area has been tagged as a high risk area for navigation, and historic river conditions have forced heightened restrictions.  Commander Davis said with the investigation in its early stages, the Coast Guard isn’t sure if any of the heightened restrictions were not followed.

Environmental
Release
April 27, 2011 Alexandria, North Virginia

A hazardous material team was called to the GenOn power plant in Alexandria Wednesday morning.   Fire officials said that a 5,000 gallon tank of sulfuric acid had sprung a leak.   The acid spilled out into a collection pan directly below the tank, so that the spill was contained.  In total, 1,300 gallons of acid ran out of the tank into the pan.  Alexandria fire officials said that the leak posed no threat to the public, because the acid was not fuming into the air.  Streets surrounding the plant, located on the Potomac River, had initially been closed, but by sunrise all roads were reopened.   According to the plant, the acid tank is used to recycle waste produced by the coal-burning power generating facility.  A private contractor was on the way Wednesday morning to collect the spilled acid.

Environmental
Release
April 23, 2011 West Pottgrove, Pennsylvania

Numerous area fire companies spent more than 12 hours on the scene of a hazardous material spill on the campus of Universal Concrete Saturday after crews initially responding to a fire learned a bin containing a sulfuric acid mixture melted and leaked.  According to township Fire Marshal David B. Matyasovsky, the 200 gallons in the bin was 30 percent sulfuric acid diluted, however, it spilled over a 60-by-60-foot area inside Inno Chem Inc., in the 400 block of Old Reading Pike.  “It’s watered down,” Matyasovsky said of the sulfuric acid mixture.  He explained that the leak occurred after a fire broke out in a piece of equipment inside Inno Chem Inc., where metal is processed to separate the salvageable metal from scrap. The fire melted a container in which the sulfuric acid mixture was stored, and the mixture leaked.  Although the mixture was diluted, Matyasovsky said precautions were taken and Montgomery County Hazmat was called in.   Matyasovsky said no injuries had been reported among any of the responders Saturday, however, some of the equipment brought in by the responding crews was damaged.   “Anything that (the acid mixture) touches, you throw away, and the fire companies lost a lot of equipment,” Matyasovsky said. “All their turnout gear, the hoses ... I know West End (Fire Company of Stowe) lost at least five sets of new gear.”

Transportation
Rail
March 27, 2010 Port Hope, Ontario

Sunday's train derailment east of Port Hope, Ont., could have unleashed a "perfect storm" due to the hazardous materials being transported, a firefighter said.  The 12:15 p.m. derailment just east of Port Hope, 109 kilometres east of Toronto, sparked an evacuation order that affected about two dozen homes in a rural area. Train cars involved in the derailment include one containing propane, two with aviation fuel, one carrying residual sulphuric acid and two with residual petroleum. As well, a natural gas line was reportedly ruptured.  At least one tanker could be seen burning approximately a half-kilometre away and sparked a grass fire.  Flames were still coming from the area late Sunday.   Port Hope Police Const. John Oosterhof was one of the first on the scene.   "There were flames and smoke visible from the wreckage and tanker cars were stacked up like Lincoln logs," he said.  Police from Cobourg, Ont., Port Hope and Northumberland OPP immediately tried to keep people away from the area and shut down the highway.  "It was difficult getting the message across to people they were in the blast area should one or more of those tanks explode," Oosterhof said.   Provincial police officers from Peterborough, Whitby also responded, as did investigators from CN Rail, CN Hazmat (hazardous materials) Team, the ministry of environment, the provincial police aviation Unit and members of the forensic identification unit.  Ontario fire departments from Baltimore, Harwood, Bewdley, Port Hope and Cobourg were involved in the emergency along with numerous paramedics.   Emergency Management Ontario recommended evacuated residents quickly select basic clothing, medication, toiletry supplies, pets and other essentials for several days' absence.  Oosterhof said arriving on the scene was "quite startling."   "I know if I can see it I'm too close and being within a few hundred metres of it was pretty scary," he said.  At the time of the derailment, people had been working in the field near a backhoe just metres away from where the wreckage landed.  

The red alert issued Sunday afternoon by Emergency Management Ontario due to the train derailment and fire in Hamilton Township, near Port Hope, has now ended.  An 800-metre evacuation zone remains in place around the site.   Highway 2 is closed between Hamilton Road and Augustine Road and motorists are asked to avoid the area due to a large number of emergency vehicles in the vicinity.   Emergency responders are on scene and clean-up efforts are expected to continue into Monday.  Emergency Management Ontario, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of the Environment are in the area and are assisting with the response.

Environmental
Release
March 24, 2011 Yarwun Alumina Refinery

Investigations are being carried out into a sulphuric acid spill at Rio Tinto’s Yarwun alumina refinery.  According to the Gladstone Observer, the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) is taking action after a reported spill of 25 000 litres of sulphuric acid from the refinery on Sunday.  The acid spill occurred during heavy rain, with most of it washed into the on-site storm water catchment system and into Boat Creek.  To date, DERM has found no evidence of environmental damage caused by the spill.  Rain and high tides have apparently diluted the acid.   According to Rio Tinto’s early investigation, only 3000 litres of acid was spilled into the process area.  “The vast majority of this was contained on site and only a small amount of sulphuric acid and sea water mix was released into the creek,” a Rio Tinto spokesperson told the Observer.  A faulty drain valve believed to be the cause of the spill was immediately removed and will remain out of operation until investigations have finished.

Environmental
Release
March 23, 2011 Lubbock, Texas

Several businesses and homes were temporarily evacuated in Slaton on Wednesday because of a chemical spill at the Slaton Rail Park.  The regional hazmat crew was called out around 3:15 p.m. after a bystander saw a rail car leaking a fluid, which crews identified as sulfuric acid.  Slaton Fire Department and Police also responded to the spill where rail road authorities estimate about 50 gallons of sulfuric acid leaked. The rail car is capable of carrying 90,000 pounds, but hazmat crews quickly contained the leak and residents were allowed back in the their homes.  Rail road hazmat crews from Amarillo also inspected the leak and are taking any necessary precautions to fix the rail car or tracks.  Slaton Fire Chief Freddie Rainwater says the leak could have been caused by a pop-off valve getting too hot with pressure expanding the valve.  This acid is found in car batteries as well as oil refining and waste water processing, but can cause lung damage if inhaled and can burn the eyes and skin.

Environmental
Release
March 22, 2011 Stockton, California Hazmat crews were called to control a sulfuric acid leak at an ethanol plant in Stockton Tuesday afternoon.  Just after Noon, the Pacific Ethanol plant called emergency crews about the leak of the highly flammable acid.  The leak was from a joint on a 5,000-gallon tank at the Stockton plant along Navy Drive.  Pacific Ethanol was not evacuated, but workers are being kept away from the area of the leak. A police training facility is nearby, they stopped their exercises for safety reasons.  The crews were able to slow the leak, not completely stop it. But the leaking acid is being contained, and is not a risk at this time.  According to Pacific Ethanol's website, they operate four production facilities in California, Oregon and Idaho; combined they produce 200 million gallons per year.
Exposure March 1, 2011 Baltimore, Pennsylvania A hazmat crew was called to an Essex community college after someone was injured after spilling sulfuric acid Tuesday afternoon.   Fire crews were called to the Community College of Baltimore County, Essex campus at 5 p.m. after getting reports of the spill.   Baltimore County Fire Department spokeswoman Elise Armacost said a person was taken to Bayview Hospital after spilling the acid.   Armacost didn't say how the spill happened but said the person used a shower at the school before crews got there.  Sky Team 11 Capt. Roy Taylor reported that the person was a woman. He said she burned her feet and hands in the incident; however, there's no word on the extent of her injuries.  The investigation continues.
Environmental
Release
February 26, 2011 Co Clare, Ireland

Workers had to be evacuated from a factory in Co Clare early yesterday after 250 litres of sulphuric acid were accidentally spilled inside the plant.  The alarm was raised at about 6.30am when staff reported the spill in a storage area at the rear of an Essilor Ireland plant on the outskirts of Ennis.  The company, known as Organic Lens Manufacturing, produces ophthalmic corrective lenses and is located in the Gort Road industrial estate where it employs more than 300 workers.  About 50 staff were working at the time and they were quickly evacuated to emergency meeting points outside the plant where management carried out a roll call to ensure that everyone was accounted for. The company’s emergency response team was deployed pending arrival of the emergency services.   Within minutes, gardaí and four units of the fire brigade from Ennis arrived at the scene, while medical emergency services were also alerted. No medical assistance was required and ambulances were stood down. No one was injured or affected by the fumes.   The company notified the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the incident and an inspector from the authority arrived at the scene at about 10.30am where she met fire officers and received a briefing about the spillage.  It is understood that two drums containing sulphuric acid fell from a pallet while they were being moved within the plant. One of the 250-litre drums was full and burst open after hitting the ground.   Assistant chief fire officer for Co Clare Denis O’Connell said: “On arrival at the site, the factory had been evacuated and the Essilor emergency response team had already been deployed. It was a relatively small spillage but due to the nature of the substance, sulphuric acid, all chemical procedures were put in place and all firefighters wore full chemical suits before entering the building.  “There was a risk area established in the vicinity of the spill and so the only people allowed inside that area were emergency services.”  The EPA said: “The incident involved a spill of 98 per cent sulphuric acid within a building at the facility.  “An EPA inspector has visited the site to assess the situation and has liaised with the environmental manager on-site, and the fire service. The EPA inspector has verified that the spillage was contained within a building at the facility.  “The EPA considers that the spillage has been contained with no resulting off-site impact of environmental significance,” the agency added.

Transportation
Road
February 23, 2011 Kanpur, India

The gas emitted from a leakage in a tanker carrying sulphuric acid led to the death of a 22-year-old woman in Jajmau area on Tuesday evening. The woman, Shabina alias Shabbu, was found dead in the bathroom of her house, which was near the spot of the mishap.   Three other residents — Ruksana, Salim and Gafoor — who fell unconscious were rushed to Nasir Hospital. They are reportedly stable now.  To minimize the impact of the leakage, water was sprayed on the spillage and Kanpur Nagar Nigam teams sprinkled lime-salt in the area.  Additional District Magistrate (City) Shailendra Kumar Singh, said: “After the tanker carrying sulphuric acid broke down near Siddhnath Ghat of Jajmau, a crane was called to shift it to one side of the road. However, a part of the tanker got damaged and the acid fell on the road and trickled into the nearby sewer line connecting several houses of the vicinity.” Singh said the gas emitted by sulphuric acid suffocated Shabina and she died inside the bathroom. An ex-gratia would be given to the family members of Shabina, he said.  Additional SP (Kanpur) Kush Har Saurabh said: “It appears the sulphuric acid was being taken to one of the leather units of Jajmau area.”  Shabina’s brother Arshad said while other family members rushed out when gas entered the house through sewer line, her sister who had gone to the bathroom to wash clothes could not.

A day after 40,000 litres of sulphuric acid spilled from a tanker onto the road in Dada Miyan Ki Mazar locality in Jajmau area, the local residents still complained of breathlessness and bouts of vomiting on Wednesday. It may be mentioned here that a 20-year-old girl, Shabeena, had died in the incident and several others got fainted on Tuesday evening.  People said they were facing problems in breathing due to fumes emanating from the spilled acid.  Several people, including housewives and elderly persons, visited hospital for treatment on Wednesday.  Some of the affected persons - Zafar, Yaseen Ahmed, Yasmin Fatima and Israr Husain - were discharged after treatment.  Presently, six persons are still undergoing treatment for respiratory problems, said Dr Nasir who was attending to patients at a nearby private nursing home.  "As patients inhaled the acid fumes, they developed breathlessness and are facing burning sensation in eyes, on face and hands," said another doctor.  ADM (city) Shailendra Singh had visited the affected area on Tuesday late night.  He said that a probe would be conducted in the acid spill incident.   Deceased Shabeena, daughter of Mubeen Ahmed, had got recently engaged and was to get married in two months, said the kin of the victim while recounting the incident.   "My daughter was busy doing household chores. All of a sudden, she started coughing. We opened our window only to see locals running all around, gasping for breath," said Mubeen, the father of Shabeena.  He added, "There was no time to think. We ran out of the house but my daughter collapsed. The scene in the entire locality was chaotic. Even walking four steps left us breathless and we got bouts of vomiting."

The district administration on Wednesday provided Rs 20,000 as immediate compensation to the family of the girl, Shabeena, who had died after inhaling sulphuric acid vapours on Tuesday in the city.  Additional district magistrate (city) Shailendra Kumar Singh said, "The district administration has provided immediate monetary compensation to Shabeena's family. The district officials have written a letter to the state government for providing more monetary help."  He added that a monetary compensation would also be demanded from the owner of the tanker from which the acid had leaked. The three persons who fell ill after the incident have been discharged from the hospital, he said.   The mishap occurred on Tuesday when acid leaking from a stationary tanker mixed with the discharge flowing in a nearby drain.  The vapours which spread through the toilets in the locality diffused into the air and residents rushed out of their houses due to strong foul odour with many complaining dizziness and nausea.  Shabeena died and three others fell ill after inhaling the poisonous vapours. The police have been deployed in Chakeri to control any untoward incident after locals created a furore after the incident, said SP (city) Kushar Saurabh.  The driver and the cleaner of the tanker are absconding and a search is on to catch them, he added.

Transportation
Rail
February 22, 2011 Amarillo, Texas One man was injured when a railroad tank car released sulfuric acid today, authorities said.  Amarillo firefighters treated the unidentified railroad employee at 1900 S. Johnson St. after vapors escaped the tank about 9:35 a.m., said Fire Capt. Wes Hall.  Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway spokesman Joe Faust said the victim appeared uninjured initially, but began to experience symptoms that concerned supervisors.  Faust said the vapors appeared to escape because the tank was overfilled. The tank was in the railroad’s yard, Faust said. Firefighters did not have to decontaminate the victim, Hall said. An ambulance transported the victim to the hospital.  Hall said a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway haz-mat team was on the scene. Four Amarillo firefighters responded to the incident. http://amarillo.com
Transportation
Rail
February 20, 2011 Roanoke, USA Two contract railroad workers who were seriously injured Sunday trying to contain a rail car chemical leak in Roanoke were not wearing protective equipment, a Norfolk Southern Corp. spokesman said.  A rail car carrying molten sulfur was on a repair track near Shaffers Crossing when employees noticed a sulfurous odor coming from the car, said Robin Chapman, spokesman for the Norfolk-based freight railroad.  The employees discovered a gasket in the tanker dome was leaking and called W.E.L. Inc., an environmental cleanup company based in Concord, Chapman said.  Two contract workers were overcome by fumes when they removed the dome, Chapman said.  They were taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where they were in serious but stable condition, Chapman said. A Norfolk Southern employee was taken to the hospital and later released, Chapman said. Names of the injured men were unavailable Monday.  Roanoke Fire Chief David Hoback said Sunday the W.E.L. workers suffered chemical burns and respiratory injuries.  A phone message left at W.E.L.'s Roanoke office was not returned Monday.  W.E.L.'s website says it "provides environmental and safety training to all employees which meets or exceeds all federal, state, or local requirements."  The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, which investigates workplace injuries, was closed for Monday's holiday. It was unclear whether it would investigate.  The leak prompted emergency crews to evacuate homes and businesses within a half-mile of the leak. The scene was cleared in four hours.   Molten sulfur is used to make sulfuric acid and to bleach wood pulp for paper manufacturing.  The rail car carrying the chemical originated in Canada and was destined for Charleston, Tenn., Chapman said.  www.roanoke.com
Environmental
Release
February 15, 2011 -

At least 10 Metropolitan Fire Brigade units were called to contain a chemical spill at a North Sunshine industrial site last Friday.  The units were called to Air Liquide's Bunnett Street site at 8.56am to deal with sulphur dioxide spilling from a 15-tonne tank. An MFB spokesman said the spill was brought under control within two hours. "A sulphur dioxide spill on a wet day is taken very seriously indeed," he said.  Inhaling sulphur dioxide has been associated with increased respiratory symptoms and disease, breathing difficulty and, in extreme cases, death.  Hazmat units attended and air quality was tested to ensure employees and surrounding businesses and residents were safe. "We don't believe it was a major airborne hazard that required a mass evacuation," the spokesman said.  The remaining sulphur dioxide was transferred to another tank. No injuries were reported. Air Liquide did not reply before the Weekly went to print.

Environmental
Release
January 24, 2011 Manly, Iowa

Emergency crews showed up at a chemical spill in the Manly area late this morning.  The Worth County sheriff says they learned a train car was spilling sulfuric acid around 11.   He says some of the chemical did get on the ground.  He didn't know how much spilled, though he said it was a smaller amount.  They did bring in hazmat to check things out.  “It's not a huge concern at this point in time, we do have hazmat that's up here that's checking it out and that and they're getting it taken care of,” said Sheriff Jay Langenbau. “We don't have to evacuate anybody at this time or anything, it's not that big of a problem at this point in time.”

Transportation
Marine
January 13, 2011 Germany

A large 100 meter-long barge carrying sulphuric acid capsized and went adrift on the Rhine. The accident occurred this morning near the legendary Loreley Rock in the vicinity of the town of St. Goarshausen when, due to unknown causes, the large barge carrying 2400 tons of sulphuric acid capsized. Two of the four crew members have been rescued while there is an ongoing "feverish" search for the other missing crew members with the help of a helicopter.  The ship was traveling from the chemical company BASF, Ludwigshafen in southern Germany to Antwerp, Belgium.  Local authorities said they did not know what caused the tanker to capsize. With the water temperature hovering around 4 degrees Celsius (39 degress Fahrenheit), the missing men could not be expected to survive long, they said. The two rescued crew members were brought to a nearby hospital and were in good condition, local authorities said.   There were no indications that the ship was leaking, and testing on the Rhine downstream showed no abnormalities,  The spokesman added that the vessel appeared to be double-hulled, meaning there stood a good chance the acid would not leak into the river. Sulfuric acid, when mixed with water, can become highly corrosive.

January 21, 2011 - The river Rhine in central Germany has been partially reopened to shipping after being blocked by a capsized tanker loaded with sulphuric acid, the German inland navigation authority said on Thursday.  A vessel carrying 2,400 tonnes of acid capsized on Jan. 13 at Loreley near Wiesbaden blocking shipping since.   The river has now been opened to southbound sailings by vessels of up to 135 metres in length following test sailings past the capsized ship, a navigation authority spokesman said.   About 20 vessels have now been able to sail past the capsized tanker and about 200 ships are waiting to pass, he said.  It was not known when northbound sailings could start, he said.  Cranes have now arrived and salvage work is getting underway, while no significant volumes of cargo have escaped from the ship, he said.  The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including grain, minerals, coal and oil products including heating oil. It is also a major route for Switzerland's commodity imports.   The ship was carrying acid for German chemical company BASF from its works in Ludwigshafen in Germany to the Belgian port of Antwerp.  BASF said on Thursday it was experiencing difficulties with raw material supplies following the tanker accident.

January 27, 2011 - St. Goarshausen, Germany - Highly flammable hydrogen showed up Thursday in a sunken barge in Germany's Rhine gorge, causing a new hitch in plans to reopen Europe's biggest inland waterway.   Some 300 barges were stuck upstream from the site of the January 13 capsizing.  Marine officials said hydrogen showed up in the seventh tank of the barge, which is loaded with sulphuric acid.   Rescuers were pumping nitrogen into the tank to render the hydrogen harmless.   Road, rail and water traffic through the gorge was stopped this week for fear that the Waldhof barge may blow up, either through the hydrogen igniting or its sulphuric acid reacting with the water.  Main north-south rail lines and highways run through the gorge, which cuts through rugged hills. Five nations depend on Rhine shipping to deliver loads from Europe's biggest seaport, Rotterdam.  Two empty barges are standing by for the next salvage phase, pumping out the cargo of the Waldhof, which is being held in place by floating cranes and cables. Once safe, the barge will be raised and taken away.   Waiting ships were allowed to travel upstream past the wreck earlier this week, but authorities then ruled it was too dangerous as the ships might slam into the hulk.   Two of the four crew were still missing after the sinking.

February 7, 2011 - Some 80 tonnes sulphuric acid per hour will be removed from the ship in order to lessen stress to its hull, members of the salvage team told a press conference in St. Goarshausen in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.  "In the worst-case scenario 1,000 tonnes of acid will have to be directed into the Rhine," a spokesman said, adding the ship had taken a "slight banana shape" after 240 tonnes were pumped into another tanker.  A laboratory vessel will supervise the pumping operation to make certain the concentration does not exceed twelve litres of acid for every 1.6 million litres of river water per second. Experts expect the environmental impact to be minimal.  The wreck of the “Waldhof,” which continues to hinder traffic on one of Europe’s most important waterways, has already leaked some 900 tonnes of acid since tipping over near the fabled Loreley rocky point on January 13, officials said. Some of remaining toxic liquid will be pumped into another ship with stainless steel tanks on Tuesday.   The massive backlog of ships waylaid by the accident is slowly starting to ease – though some 300 vessels are still unable to proceed down the Rhine. On Monday, the first multi-ship barges were allowed to navigate past the wreck.  What caused the “Waldhof” to capsize remains unclear. Two crew members died in the accident.   The narrows near the Loreley have been the bane of sailors for centuries. According to legend, a beautiful siren at the spot calls to those sailing the Rhine, causing them to crash their boats on the rocks.

February 13, 2011 - German authorities said Sunday they had found a body on a tanker carrying nearly 2,400 tonnes of sulphuric acid that capsized on the Rhine river last month.  Authorities were for the first time able to gain access to the living quarters of the ship, the Waldhof, the Waterways and Shipping Office (WSV) said in a statement.  "In the completely destroyed rooms, the recovery team found and salvaged a body," the WSV said, adding: "We currently have no information as to the identity of the dead person."  Two of the four-member crew were rescued following the January 13 accident. The other two -- a German and a Czech national -- could not be found.  It is not immediately clear what caused the incident, which occurred near a celebrated rock outcropping known as "Lorelei" above a narrow point in the river where the current is very strong and accidents are not uncommon.  Officials pumped around 550 tonnes of the acid onto another ship, with the rest leaking into the Rhine. Authorities have said there is no environmental impact, as the acid was heavily diluted.

February 14, 2011 - The Rhine River fully reopened to shipping on Monday, one month after a tanker carrying sulfuric acid capsized, closing shipping lanes in the busy German waterway, Reuters reported.  The Waldhof sank on Jan. 13 near the narrowest stretch of the river. Over the weekend, salvage crews worked to remove the ill-fated tanker from the shipping lane.  The tanker was carrying about 2,600 tons of dangerous acid, which made the salvation particularly challenging.   Instead of risking the rupturing of the ship, which would have released a massive acid shock to the ecosystem, authorities decided that they would opt for allowing a slow leak, thus giving the river a chance to dilute the acid as it seeped into the water, according to German newspaper Deutsche Welle.   Two crew members survived, but the bodies of the other two still have not been recovered.

February 21, 2011 - Mammoet Maritime recovered a 105 metre ship from the River Rhine in Germany after it sank and blocked downstream shipping for weeks.  On 13 January 2011, the Waldhof capsized and sank, with the loss of two lives. The ship was carrying 2,400 tonnes of concentrated sulphuric acid from BASF's plant in Ludwigshafen, to Antwerp in Belgium. The resultant blockage blockage created a backlog of more than 400 vessels.  Mammoet deployed 25 operatives and engineers from bases in the Netherlands and Germany. With them, they brought two sheerlegs, a crane pontoon, a tug and a pusher tug, winch pontoons and specialized equipment for dealing with the hazardous sulphuric acid.  The company stabilised the tanker by positioning wire ropes underneath it so it could be supported by the sheerlegs Amsterdam and Grizzly. Holes were then drilled through the hull to analyse the contents of the seven acid tanks.  It was discovered that chemical reactions had released hydrogen gas in the tanks. This posed a serious explosion hazard so Mammoet's specialists flushed the tanks with nitrogen gas  to displace the hydrogen. following that, the tank contents were investigated. This showed that, due to the ingress of river water, there was a layer of dilute acid floating on top of the concentrated acid.   Submersible pumps were lowered through the 500 mm holes in the hull to mix the acid and obtain a uniform concentration. Mammoet personnel transferred about 550 tonnes of acid from the Waldhof to a tanker pontoon.  Due to distortion of the Waldhof's hull, it was decided, in consultation with the authorities, that it would be safer to discharge most of the remaining acid into the river, under an environmental permit.  The discharge had a negligible environmental impact, according to Mammoet, as the flow rate was controlled and a monitoring vessel nearby tested the acidity of the water in the Rhine.  On 13 February the Waldhof was refloated by pumping water from the tanks and righted using the sheerlegs. The vessel was then moved to a mooring nearby and handed over to the owners on 17 February.  Shipping authorities will investigate the cause of the accident.

Capsized-Barge-1.jpg (98881 bytes)  Capsized-Barge-2.jpg (19178 bytes)  Capsized-Barge-3.jpg (11384 bytes)  Capsized-Barge-4.jpg (43016 bytes) 

Capsized-Barge-6.jpg (597158 bytes)  Capsized-Barge-7.jpg (468699 bytes)  Capsized-Barge-8.jpg (174645 bytes)  Capsized-Barge-5.jpg (47089 bytes)

Fire December 7, 2010 Caroline, Alberta

Shell Canada has confirmed a vessel at its Shantz sulphur plant caught fire and exploded Friday.  No injuries were reported in the incident near Caroline, Alta.  "We had afire and a tank at our Shantz (sulphur forming) facility that we had a problem with on Friday," said spokeswoman Alice Murray."   The incident is under investigation. The tank had an unknown volume of sulphur in it.  Shell is Canada's largest producer of sulphur. A byproduct of sour natural gas, the highly flammable substance is used to produce fertilizer, chemicals and other products.

Transportation
Road
December 3, 2010 Denver, Colorado, USA

A stretch of I-25 in Denver has reopened after a truck leaked sulfuric acid on the highway.  The Denver Post reported that a tractor-trailer leaked about 250 gallons of sulfuric acid as it drove along the highway.  Other drivers reported it.  Some of the acid, which is highly corrosive, got into nearby drains.  Firefighters created dams around the spillways to try to prevent more acid from flowing into the drains.  Denver Fire spokesman Phil Champagne said some vehicles drove through the spill and the acid may corrode them.  The spill closed northbound I-25 at South University Boulevard for about 10 1/2 hours.

Environmental
Release
December 4, 2010 North Wales

Staff were evacuated after a chemical spill at a North Wales factory.  A quantity of two types of acids came together in a designated area.  No one was hurt.   The incident happened at Gardner Aerospace plant on Hawarden Business Park in Flintshire and was reported at 9.39am.  Fire crews in protective, green chemical suits from Deeside, Mold and Wrexham rushed to the factory, which makes aeroplane parts.  A North Wales fire and rescue service spokeswoman said: “500 litres of sulphuric acid and chromic acid came out of containers into a bunded, metal, treatment area. They were not supposed to be together. There was a standard mobilisation of the fire and rescue service.”   She added there had been fears the acids could have entered the water supply.   Environment Agency Wales officials were alerted but those fears turned out to be unfounded.  The fire and rescue service spokeswoman said firefighters dealt with the initial situation but it was the responsibility of the company to deal with clearing up the spillage.  No-one from Gardner Aerospace was available to comment.

Transportation
Road
November 19, 2010 Vienna, Austria

A busy motorway was closed down for several hours this morning (Fri) after a lorry transporting a dangerous substance came off the road.  The 54-year-old driver of the Hungarian truck carrying sulphuric acid was uninjured when the vehicle overturned and landed on the embankment at around 5.30am on the A4 eastern motorway. The man may fallen asleep behind the wheel, police have said.  Fire-fighters managed to pump off around 20 litres of the leaked substance. The incident caused long tailbacks, and authorities stressed substantial damage to the environment could not be ruled out.  The A4 is a key route in the Vienna area since it connects the city to rural Burgenland, a region from which thousands of people commute to the capital. The motorway is also the quickest way to get to the Vienna International Airport (VIA) and Hungary.

Environmental
Release
November 12, 2010 Martinez, California Eighty-four gallons of sulfuric acid leaking from a tank into a concrete basin at the Golden Eagle refinery capped a rough couple of weeks for Tesoro on Friday.  The spill, which was first reported just before 11:30 a.m., has been contained and there are expected to be no off-site impacts, according to the Bay City News Service. 
Fire November 10, 2010 New Zealand Fire trucks were called to a sulphur fire at a Napier fertiliser plant last night.  The small fire, in a shed at the Awatoto plant, burned about one square metre of sulphur, said Napier fire officer Bryan Dunphy.  Fire crews used a front-end loader to separate the sulphur to prevent the fire spreading. "There is always the potential for a big incident if things aren't dealt with quickly," Mr Dunphy said.  The fire was thought to have been started by a spark from machinery.
Environmental
Release
November 4, 2010 Port Augusta

Last Wednesday the city’s contingency plans were put to the test when emergency services were forced to clear the structure for about an hour to clean a sulphuric acid spill.   Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) station officer Darren McNamee said the spill was a hassle for many, both locals and the huge numbers of people who travel through the city.    However he added the whole incident could have been avoided if cars did not drive through the puddle of sulphuric acid and track it onto the bridge.  The incident was originally sparked by the spillage of 40 to 60 litres of sulphuric acid just after 1pm on Wednesday from a tanker on the intersections of Flinders Terrace and Victoria Parade, and the Eyre and Stuart highways.  Later, plans to close the bridge were delayed when another spill was discovered 15 kilometres north along the Stuart Highway and another fire vehicle had to be sent for across the main bridge.  Local police, the Country Fire Service, MFS and State Emergency Service were involved in the clean up.   The Environment Protection Authority and local officials are conducting enquiries into the spill.  The acid spills were the second incident of this type in the past month. They were neutralised using soda ash and hosed down with water.

Environmental
Release
November 3, 2010 Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Chemtura-Chemical-Leak.jpg (10278 bytes)A chemical cloud that formed over a Scarborough factory on Wednesday morning has started to dissipate, Toronto police say.  Residents in the area were advised to remain indoors after Chemtura Canada — located at 10 Chemical Court, in the area of Lawrence Avenue and Morningside Avenue — notified authorities of a chemical leak.  But Constable Wendy Drummond says firefighters have capped the leak, and the sulfuric acid cloud that formed is dissipating thanks to the weather.  “We are still advising people to shelter in place until we can confirm that there is no longer a danger,” she said.  The leaked chemical is highly corrosive and toxic, Const. Drummond said, citing unconfirmed reports that one delivery person had been affected. The chemical produces a burning sensation and is accompanied by a sulfuric smell.  Police asked residents in the area to close their windows and air ventilation systems, while local schools were cautioned to keep children indoors.  Police received a call from the factory shortly after 11 a.m., and the cloud took about an hour to start dispersing.   Const. Drummond said while the event is not typical, police have attended similar calls in other areas of the city.

Update - Two weeks after a Scarborough chemical plant released a cloud of sulfuric acid and a neighbourhood warning system was activated there are no clear answers on what caused the spill or what must be done to prevent a similar accident.   Ontario's environment ministry is still waiting for the company, Chemtura Canada, to finish investigating the Nov. 3 spill but the company has shut down the part of its plant where the chemical leak occurred until the source of the problem is found, said Kate Jordan, a ministry spokesperson.  The province's labour ministry said its own accident investigation continues.  Chemtura is part of the Toronto East CAER (Community Awareness and Emergency Response) network, which maintains and tests sirens to warn residents of the Manse Valley area between Morningside Avenue and Highland Creek to seek shelter indoors during a dangerous event.  Sirens did sound on Nov. 3, but some residents complained the warning came nearly an hour after the spill.  Such concerns could be brought to a community meeting of the CAER network, but the last such meeting was on Oct. 19 and they are usually held every six months.  Member companies of the network are, however, scheduled to meet privately on Dec. 8 with government and emergency services representatives.  This week, Al Deli, a spokesperson for the network, predicted members will urge Chemtura to release more information on the accident to the community.  The network's community advisory panel, which serves as a liaison between the companies and residents, is expected to meet sometime in early 2011.

December 3, 2010 - Chemtura Canada released a cloud of acid mist from its West Hill plant on Nov. 3 after contractors removing scaffolding from a room tripped an electrical breaker, the company and Ontario's environment ministry now agree.   That morning's error caused a pump to shut off, which allowed an oil-based feedstock to back up and mix with fuming sulfuric acid.    A computer monitoring system meant to detect this failed to shut down the system, a ministry spokesperson said last week releasing results of the company's investigation of the accident.  Kate Jordan added the company would install back flow valves and examine its monitoring system to prevent a similar problem.  "We're satisfied with the work they have done and the improvements they've committed to," she said. "There wasn't any impact to the community."  Some residents, however, remain concerned.  Ron Moeser, the local city councillor, said he wants to ask Chemtura officials what other steps can be taken and "to get as many details as possible on a range of possibilities."  He will get his chance, possibly missing part of a Scarborough Community Council meeting next Wednesday, Dec. 8, when members of the Toronto East CAER (Community Awareness and Emergency Response) network meet in private with emergency services representatives.  Companies in the network run a warning system to alert residents of the Manse Valley area when an accident takes place. On Nov. 3, however, it was not Chemtura but the city's fire department that contacted the ministry and determined the siren should be sounded.  Moeser said he wants an explanation of who made the decision to sound the alarm - the first time this has happened during an actual emergency - and why.  "The process (leading to such decisions) has to be reviewed," he said, adding he will ask nearby residents if they heard the alarm and whether they know what is expected of them when it sounds.  The network's community advisory panel is expected to meet in early 2011, and a community meeting would normally follow in the spring.  Ontario's labour ministry is continuing its own investigation of the Nov. 3 incident.January 31, 2013 - As environmental fines continue to increase, Chemtura Canada Inc. was fined $150,000, plus the victim fine surcharge of $37,500, for spilling sulphuric acid mist into the air, contrary to the Environmental Protection Act.Chemtura's Toronto manufacturing facility produces sulfonates and silicates used in lubes, industrial oil formulations and greases. When a pump failed, Chemtura released sulphuric acid mist, which caused adverse impacts to the surrounding environment and community. Those exposed to the mist reported health impacts, businesses were shut down, people in the area were evacuated, and a number of schools in the area were affected. Sulphuric acid mist can burn sensitive tissues in the noise, mouth and lungs, as I can attest from personal experience.

Environmental
Release
October 31, 2010 Texas, USA New people and procedures are in place at Texas State University's co-generation plant in the wake of a September chemical spill that could have caused serious damage to the San Marcos River.  Approximately 446 gallons of sulfuric acid were accidentally released Sept. 16 after a valve on secondary containment system was left open, the university's Director of Facilities Juan Guerra said.  The acid had leaked from the primary storage tank to the secondary containment system after a tank fitting broke, Guerra said.  "That was discovered about 7 in the morning and we immediately contacted the police department and the fire department and the hazardous control team" about the fact the chemical had entered the sanitary sewer system, Guerra said crews immediately began using soda ash and lime to neutralize the acid as it entered the sewer system, and notified city officials because the chemical could do damage to the wastewater treatment plant.  Guerra said the university's containment efforts were complete by around 9 a.m. and within an hour most of the clean-up effort had been accomplished.  San Marcos firefighters worked for several hours to inject soda ash and lime into the sewer system at points between the co-gen plant and the River Road treatment plant.  Guerra said subsequent to the spill, a number of new measures have been instituted at the co-gen plant.   "We've increased the frequency of inspection and maintenance of hazardous materials storage containers and we've also increased the frequency of inspection of the secondary containment to make sure it's empty with no rainwater or other debris and that the valves we use to drain the secondary containment are secure."  He said spill prevention control measures have also been given a second look, with plans updated "to identify those additional steps we're going to take to make sure we don't have recurrence."  Six people lost their jobs in the wake of the spill. Guerra said in addition to changing the management team, the university has mandated additional training "for people that operate and maintain those systems."  "We have procured additional safety equipment and spill containment equipment and we are developing written processes and protocol so people will have a guideline they can refer to instead of just verbal instruction."  Guerra said while written procedures did already exist, they were "pretty loose" and incomplete. "So we reviewed all of those along with our environmental health and safety people to make sure they're much more comprehensive," plainly laying out what needs to be done, the frequency at which it needs to be done and "actions to be taken to make sure we identify problems early and fix them before they turn into bigger problems."  The co-gen plant went online in 1987. Prior incidents included a December 2009 release into the sewer system of hot water which could have damaged the city's treatment plant and a 2006 release of a solvent called "rust free."  In both instances, Guerra said university and city crews worked together. Neither resulted in serious harm.  The sulfuric acid is used to clean scale from elements of the co-gen plant, Guerra said.
Environmental
Release
October 26, 2010 Owatonna, Minnesota A chemical leak in Owatonna, Minn., sent three workers to the hospital Monday night and halted activity at a window and door hardware production facility for many hours, authorities said Tuesday.  The leak occurred about 5:20 p.m. Monday at the Truth Hardware site in the 200 block of 24th Avenue SW., when a valve broke as a worker was discharging sulfuric acid, said Fire Chief Mike Johnson.  About 300 gallons of the chemical were lost, Johnson said. The worker was decontaminated at the scene, taken to a hospital in Owatonna and then moved by air ambulance to a second hospital. The employee's condition was not immediately known. Two other workers were also taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Transportation
Road
October 21, 2010 Gweru, South Africa A South African Company, Stonetrading, has been slapped with a US$800 fine by the Gweru Environmental Management Agency, (EMA) because its truck ferrying the substance to Kadoma had spilt the acid.   A Stonetrading truck carrying 30 tonnes of 98 'per cent' sulphuric acid spilt four tonnes of the acid while it was on its way to Rio Zim in Kadoma.  Provincial Environmental quality scientist, Justice Muchemwa said sulphiric acid was very corrosive and dangerous when inhaled by human beings.  He said that the driver of the truck only realised there was a spillage at a traffic circle near Gweru Central Business District.  “Much of the substance spilled at National Tyre Services,” he said.  The company was fined under a section of the Act which states that “any person who causes any spillage of harzadous substances or waste into the environment should be guilty to an offence liable to a fine”. 
Transportation
Rail
October 18, 2010 Cornwall, Ontario Via Rail says passenger trains are being rerouted because of a freight train derailment near Cornwall in eastern Ontario.   Via says trains in the Toronto-Montreal corridor are being rerouted through Ottawa, adding about two hours of travel time.  Service could be affected into Tuesday, and Via has stopped selling tickets for train service along the route.  More than a dozen cars of the freight train left the tracks this morning, and a handful contained dangerous goods including ammonium nitrate, sulphuric acid and sodium cyanide.  CN spokesman Jim Feeny says there was a small leak of about nine kilograms of sodium cyanide but no one has been injured.  Feeny says the spill has been contained and all of the train's other cars are intact.  Freight service is being held up because of the derailment.
Exposure October 14, 2010 India

The trouble for metal giant Sterlite at its copper plant in Thoothukudi compounded on Wednesday after a contract worker died of acid burn injuries on Wednesday morning.  S. Muthukrishnan, 24, driver of a tanker lorry that carried sulphuric acid from the harbour to the Sterlite Industries’ copper smelter unit, suffered acid burns inside the plant premises on September 18.  According to officials at the Sipcot police station, Muthukrishnan was standing on the tanker while the acid was being unloaded. They said he accidentally fell on the acid that had spilled on the ground, suffering fatal injuries.  Environmental activists and politicians, including CPI state assistant secretary C. Mahendran, who have been campaigning against the Sterlite unit over allegations of damaging local environment, raked up the issue leading to a controversy on Wednesday, which was accentuated by a seemingly hasty post-mortem analysis done early in the morning.  Relatives of the worker refused to receive the body from the medical college hospital there and staged a protest, which was withdrawn only after senior police officials who rushed to the spot promised to conduct a proper inquiry and take action against anyone found responsible.   Sterlite was in the news recently after the Madras High Court came down on it for polluting the environment and directed it to close the plant, an order that was stayed by the Supreme Court.  However, despite the legal breather, the company is still facing the ire of activists and local public who have continued their campaign against the copper smelting unit.

Transportation
Road
October 13, 2010 Shippensburg, Pennsylvannia

A tractor-trailer carrying corrosive items created a hazardous material incident on Monday at around 8:15 a.m. on Olde Scotland Road at Exit 24 of I-81.  Before the area was cleaned up, about 275 gallons of acid flowed out of the trailer. Fire Chief Mark Cleck of the West End Fire and Rescue Company said that the initial call was reported as a sulfuric acid leak, which was reported by several passing motorists and the driver of the tractor-trailer. Cleck said that the tractor-trailer was pulled off to the side of the roadway, with the operator out of the vehicle, and he could see a liquid flowing out of the rear of the truck onto the ground when he arrived on the scene.  Traffic was stopped in both directions on Olde Scotland Road, at Woods Road and Mt. Rock Road, and the northbound exit ramp at Exit 24 was also shut down, keeping motorists away from the scene. A nearby business was also shut down.  Cleck said that the tractor-trailer was hauling several different types of corrosive items, one of which was sulfuric acid, according to the paperwork the operator had in his possession. The operator said that most of it was stored in 13 totes at 275 gallons each. The operator said that while he was driving his load shifted, causing a breakage and spill.  Hazardous Material Teams from both Franklin and Cumberland Counties responded to the scene, along with additional fire apparatus for the water and extra manpower. Trained personnel then suited up in protective gear and air packs, preparing to walk near the tractor-trailer for observation. A decontamination wash was se tup for the team for when they finished.  The scene was deemed safe, and the trained personnel returned back. A hazardous material cleanup team was already on the scene, and was given the okay to make the proper cleanup.  Chief Cleck couldn't confirm exactly what type of corrosive acid spilled, only that it was no longer a threat to the area. Cleck said that there were about 75 personnel on the scene, which included firefighters, EMS, hazardous material teams, hazard material staff, fire police, state police and PennDOT officials. Units began clearing the scene at around 12:15 p.m.  Chief Cleck said that he was grateful to the Shippensburg Pizza Hut, McDonalds and Papa John's for donating food to everyone that was on the scene.

Transportation
Road
October 11, 2010 Chambersburg, Southampton, Township, Pennsylvania

The northbound exit and entrance ramps of Interstate 81 at Exit 24 are closed this morning because of a possible sulfuric acid spill.  State police and fire personnel are currently investigating the incident at the intersection of Pa. 696 (Olde Scotland Road) and I-81.  A PennDOT spokesman said emergency dispatchers were notified this morning of a spill at the exit, and a placard on the truck indicated the truck was carrying sulfuric acid.  I-81 remains open in both directions. Pa. 696 is closed at the bridge.  PennDOT spokesman Greg Penny said it's too early to say how much damage was caused by the spill.  The Franklin County Department of Emergency Services said it will release information on the incident.

Exit 24 of northbound Interstate 81 in Franklin County, Pa., was closed for about five hours Monday after a tractor-trailer’s load shifted and caused hazardous material to leak on the ground, a Pennsylvania State Police spokesman said.  The tractor-trailer contained 20,000 pounds of sulfuric acid, according to the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services.  The incident, which occurred at about 8 a.m., prompted officials to close the portion of Pa. 696 from I-81 to Woods Road, police said.  Crews were on the scene until 1:08 p.m., according to the Department of Emergency Services.

Environmental
Release
October 1, 2010 New Orleans, Louisiana

Department of Environmental Quality inspectors are investigating a Valero Energy Corp. leak in a transfer line that released about 1,000 pound of sulfuric acid into the Mississippi River, a DEQ spokesman confirmed Friday.  The leak happened at its Norco St. Charles refinery Thursday.  The leak was on a transfer pump while transferring sulfuric acid from a storage tank to a process unit. The amount leaked is approximately 65 gallons, or just more than one drum, and it occurred over 80 minutes.  DEQ spokesman Tim Beckstrom said a department scientist investigating the incident does not see a public safety concern with the leak.  "Acids such as sulfuric are capable of being neutralized quite quickly, given the PH," said DEQ spokesman Tim Beckstrom. "The leak occurred over 80 minutes, so it was not a sudden large surge, but more like a gallon per minute."

Environmental
Release
October 1, 2010 Corpus Christi, Texas

An unknown amount of sulfur leaked into the Corpus Christi Inner Harbor as it was being pumped from Flint Hills Refinery to a docked barge Thursday afternoon, officials said.  Company spokeswoman Katie Stavinoha said the amount of the spill had not been measured after the 1 p.m. equipment failure, but she believed it to be a small amount.  Sulfur is a byproduct of the crude oil refining process that is moved through a pipeline to a nearby dock where it is pumped through a hose onto waiting barges and sold as an export, Stavinoha said. The leak came from the hose.  The Refinery Terminal Fire Company was called and put up booms around the spill to keep it from extending further into open water, she said, and those efforts were successful.   “It was contained very quickly. There was no impact to the public,” she said.  Sulfur can be an irritant in high concentrations but the amount spilled Thursday would not be enough to cause damage or harm, Stavinoha said.  “There is an investigation under way and all appropriate agencies were notified,” she said.

Transportation
Road
August 26, 2010 Las Vegas, Nevada

A sulfuric acid spill brought traffic to a halt on parts of Interstate 15 for nearly three hours Wednesday.  Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski SAYS a 55 gallon drum containing the hazardous liquid began leaking from the back of a truck after 4 p.m. Wednesday.  A driver who spotted the leak called 911 to alert authorities.  Firefighters neutralized the acid by using another chemical.   At first, traffic was blocked on both sides of I-515 near East Charleston Boulevard and Las Vegas Boulevard. But officials began allowing some traffic to move as the cleanup got under way.  The entire roadway was reopened about 7 p.m.

Environmental
Release
August 25, 2010 Florida Hillsborough emergency crews responded to a report sulfuric acid spilled at the Reckitt Benckiser plant on Route 206 at 2:10 p.m. Wednesday.  Police responding to the scene determined some acid vapor leaked as it was being unloaded and transferred from a truck to a holding tank.  The leak was contained, police said.  There were no injuries reported at the scene.   In addition to the police, the Somerset County Hazmat team and Hillsborough Board of Health officials investigated the incident, also reporting no additional health concerns.  Other crews responding were from the Rescue Squad, and all three Hillsborough fire companies.
Transportation
Rail
August 16, 2010 Coeymans, New York

Officials are looking into what caused 27 cars of a CXS train to derail in Ravena Monday morning.  They say it happened around 5 a.m. on a single track area in the town of Coeymans.  Police say the cars were carrying diesel fuel and sulfuric acid, however no contents were spilled.  The wreck is however causing some headaches for other trains in the area.  ”This is the main line that runs from NYC to the Selkirk yards, just north of the derailment it opens up to two tracks but unfortunately where it's at is a one track area and all train traffic is currently stopped,” said Coeyman Police   Chief Gregory Darlington.  Crews are hoping to have the tracks cleared up by 9 or 10 p.m. Monday evening.  The cause of the crash remains under investigation.  The last time a train derailed in that area was in the early 1980's.

Transportation
Road
August 11, 2010 Petoria, South Africa

Tshwane Emergency Services finished cleaning operations near the Fresh Produce Market, west of Pretoria.  The market was closed on Wednesday after a truck carrying sulphuric acid experienced a leak there on Tuesday night.   The liquid is corrosive and toxic if inhaled. Officials evacuated people in a kilometer radius from the vehicle.  Tshwane Emergency Services’ Johan Pieterse said, “The product was classified as sulphuric acid and was evaluated and the fresh produce market as well. We evacuated the area due to the wind direction that was directly behind the fresh produce market.”  The market will resume normal trading on Thursday morning.
The Tshwane Fresh Produce Market, in the west of Pretoria, re-opened for business on Thursday, following a spillage of sulphuric acid from a truck on Tuesday.  The acid has been cleaned up by the Tshwane Fire Brigade Services and, together with the Agriculture and Environmental Management Department, it has declared the area safe.   The market was closed to ensure cars and pedestrians did not step on the acid residue on the piece of road affected or walk into the market and so that there was no inhalation of the gasses from the acid which can have an irritating affect.   "The city would like to dispel rumours about the possibility of the produce having to be destroyed as a result of gasses from the spill," says City of Tshwane spokesperson Console Tleane. He said in fact the acid spill had not affected the produce at all. 

  August 11, 2010 Kansas City, Kansas A bulk materials storage company in Kansas City, Kan., has been fined $97,000 to settle allegations that it violated federal laws on toxic chemical storage.  The Environmental Protection Agency announced the settlement and civil penalty against Tanco Kansas City on Tuesday.  The agency contends Tanco failed to file proper documents about its storage of sulfuric acid from 2006 to 2008. A subsequent report showed that in 2009 Tanco stored more than 2 million pounds of the hazardous chemical.  The EPA also says Tanco did not have a plan to guard against spills into a tributary of the Missouri River.  The EPA says Tanco's facility can store about 7 million gallons of liquid asphalt, sulfuric acid and calcium chloride.
Transportation
Rail
August 10, 2010 West Vancouver, British Columbia One person suffered minor smoke inhalation after a smouldering sulphur fire broke out in a CN railcar near the Lions Gate Bridge Tuesday afternoon. West Vancouver Police say people living nearby were asked to stay in their homes and close their windows until firefighters doused the blaze.   Firefighters say everyone in the area cooperated. People within 800 yards of the tracks were evacuated. Crews say sulphur fumes can turn into sulphuric acid once they're hit with water.
"The sulphur in there was smouldering and causing a moderate amount of smoke.   It wasn't free flaming.  We went in and put it out.  The Squamish Nation and Norgate were put on evacuation warning.  Police went througn with their PA systems and asked residents to shelter in place." Assistant Fire Chief Martin Ernst of  West Vancouver Fire and Rescue played many roles today: media relations manager, firefighter, and coordinator, as sixteen fire fighters worked to extinguish smouldering sulphur in an open box car on the Capilano Reserve.  "We were mobolizing the Can Alert system because the smoke was starting to drift and increase.  The moment we were able to put water on it, smoke died down.  Winds were in our favour, because they were quite light.   We got the call at 2:45.  We arrived at the scene 8 or 9 mintues later.  We have to go through the process of product identification.   There was a victim. He was asthmatic.  We had to see how we deal with this specific product.  We established there was a half mile radius of immediate evacuation and that others would be put on alert.  Everybody stayed put.

 Sulphur-Fire-1.jpg (92179 bytes)  Sulphur-Fire-2.jpg (67051 bytes)

  August 10, 2010 Waco, Texas Emergency crews responded around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday to the report of a hazardous material spill at the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant located in the 2700 block of Central Texas Parkway.  Firefighters say about 10 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled outside of the plant loading dock after a load of industrial-type batteries, used to operate motorized pallet jacks and forklifts, crashed to the ground.  Waco Firefighters established command of the scene and requested EMS and HAZMAT crews while the plant manager evacuated the loading dock, isolated the spill area and shut down ventilation to the plant.  A neutralizing agent was applied to the spill as HAZMAT crews worked to establish a cleanup plan.  No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
  August 4, 2010 Bencia, California Two contractors suffered minor injuries following a leak of sulfuric acid at the Valero Refinery Tuesday, Public Affairs Manager Sue Fisher Jones said.  The lead occurred within the utilities, or process block, area of the refinery and was contained on site, Fisher Jones said.  An exact time of the leak was not immediately available as was the exact nature of the injuries.   "The leak was contained locally and there were no off-site impacts and all is operationally normal now," she said.  An investigation will be conducted to determine the exact cause, a process which may take a few days, she said.  One injured worker left the site in his own vehicle to go to a private doctor while the other worker was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation and will be returning to work, Fisher Jones said.
Transportation
Road
July 27, 2010 Massachusetts The Blandford Service Area on the westbound side of the Massachusetts Turnpike was closed after a tractor trailer developed a sulfuric acid leak Tuesday afternoon.  State environmental officials and the regional hazardous materials team rushed to the rest stop after the dripping acid was spotted.  Mass Pike motorists and the employees of the McDonald's restaurant and service station were told to leave the area.  Traffic kept flowing in both directions along the Pike while crews worked to contain the spill.

Hazardous materials officials have completed off-loading of sulfuric acid waste from a carrier truck on the Massachusetts Turnpike, but the clean up is scheduled to continue at least until Thursday.  The tanker remains isolated at a service plaza in the Hampden County town of Blandford. The rest stop is expected to be closed at least another day.  State police say the truck contained approximately 40,000 pounds of the waste sulfuric product. Hazmat officials who opened the tanker on Tuesday discovered a rupture of one of its compartments.  Police say there is no danger to the surrounding area. However, the substance poses a threat to those exposed to it.  Police say the truck driver suffered an initial minor exposure and that the leak is limited to the rest area.

The load, being hauled in a truck registered to the Ashland Company, originated at Fort Devens and was bound for Binghamton, N.Y. The company is licensed to haul harmful chemicals.  It contained 40,000 pounds of a sulfuric acid waste product. The load was distributed among 12 to 15 tote containers, each measuring approximately 3,500 pound and 500 gallons. During transit, the load shifted and one of the containers apparently ruptured.  Some two to four of the totes were damaged when the load shifted, Keefe said, adding that only a small amount of acid is believed to have spilled outside the truck. A stainless steel containment system inside the truck caught most of the acid

  July 27, 2010 Port Moody, British Columbia On the evening of July 18, a minor amount of sulphur dust was generated during the loading of a vessel at PCT in Port Moody. This incident did not pose any threat to the public.  The sulphur was being reclaimed from a stockpile that had dried out due to recent dry weather.  As the product was being loaded, all of PCT’s dust suppression systems were fully functioning, however the shiploader was positioned too high above the hold of the vessel and some dust was generated as sulphur dropped into the hold.  There was a relatively minor amount of dust that lasted for about 15 minutes.  Some dust was also generated for very brief periods when loading commenced in other holds.  Unfortunately, PCT’s dust control systems were not able to control the dust from this very dry product for brief periods.  PCT has an air quality permit with Metro Vancouver. PCT discussed the incident with Metro Vancouver on July 20, and the permit enforcement officer from Metro Vancouver visited the site on July 22 to investigate.  He reviewed all of our dust suppression systems and observed that they were all functioning properly.  A report is pending.  PCT has taken measures to adjust the dust suppression for this type of product and to ensure the shiploader drop heights are minimized. We continue to ensure all dust control systems are working.  Over the years, PCT has invested more than $90 million in terminal improvements — all with a focus on environmental protection — including dust suppression systems. This is the first complaint PCT has received about dust from shiploading in approximately four years, which provides an indication of our diligence and success in managing our air quality systems.  PCT takes dust control issues very seriously and has worked diligently to ensure dust is not generated from our operations. We are very concerned that this incident occurred, and we will work extremely hard to ensure it is not repeated.
  July 26, 2010 Carson, California BP reported emissions of sulfur dioxide in unknown amounts on Sunday at its 265,000 barrel per day Carson refinery in California, according to a filing with state environmental regulators.  The incident occured when too much pressure was applied while steaming a line. It is under investigation.
Transportation
Road
July 19, 2010 Arizona Sulfuric acid is leaking from a trailer after a crash in southern Arizona Monday morning.  Arizona Department of Public Safety Officials said a trailer and pickup collided around 9 a.m. on State Route 77, just north of Mammoth.  DPS said the trailer is leaking sulfuric acid and traffic is being directed around the crash area.  The roadway is expected to be cleared by 11:20 a.m., according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.  No major backups have been reported.
  July 15, 2010 Newark, New Jersey

A 400-gallon container filled with sulfuric acid exploded inside a Newark processing plant today, seriously injuring a nearby employee who was splashed with dangerous chemicals, officials said.  Authorities are still trying to determine what caused the explosion, which forced 60 firefighters and Department of Environmental Protection officials to respond to the bio-diesel fuel processing plant on Passaic Street around 3:40 p.m., according to Newark Fire Chief Michael Lalor.  The victim, who was not identified, suffered third-degree burns to eighteen percent of his body and was taken to Saint Barnabas Medical Center’s burn unit in Livingston with non-life threatening injuries, Lalor said.  The man was apparently connecting hoses to a tanker truck filled with methanol when the acid container burst behind him, according to Lalor.  He said the facility mixes acids and other chemicals to make bio-diesel fuels.  Firefighters and DEP representatives spent nearly 21/2 hours trying to decontaminate the building. Lalor said 100 to 200 gallons of acid spilled and flooded the structure, and hazmat teams weren’t able to fully neutralize the acid in the area until 6:10 p.m.  Methanol and sulfuric acid are flammable substances, according to Lalor, and officials on the scene had to work quickly to close the methanol container after the acid leak, fearing a possible second explosion.  "It has a low flash point, but we wanted to make sure it didn’t ignite at all," Lalor said.   The incident also forced State Police to shut down water traffic in the nearby Passaic River for about an hour, as firefighters worked to dissipate a vapor cloud that was floating toward the river as a result of the acid explosion.

  July 14, 2010 Manchester

A sulfur dioxide leak from an old refrigerator forced seven people from their Birch Street home Tuesday night.  Two people - a resident and a firefighter - were taken to Manchester Memorial Hospital as a precuation. They were treated and discharged, fire department said, and the four-family house has since been declared safe.  The leak happened about 8:20 p.m. in one of the apartments at 64 Birch St., where a man and woman were cleaning ice out of a very old refrigerator, according to a press release from the town's fire department, Manchester Fire-Rescue-EMS. The refrigerator contained sulfur dioxide, a precursor to Freon, which is a poisonous gas that is severely irritating to the skin, eyes, nose, throat and lungs. The substance was phased out as a refrigerant in the 1960s, the fire department said.  The gas escaped when a refrigerant line inside the freezer was punctured, fire officials said. Some refrigerant was sprayed in the face of a female resident. Both the man and woman, who were exposed to the pungent odor of escaping gas, flushed their faces with water, firefighters said; they and the other five occupants left the apartment and called 911.  A regional hazardous materials team and the state Department of Environmental Protection joined fire crews at the scene. The house was ventilated and the refrigerator removed.

  July 13, 2010 Richmond, Virginia Fire and rescue crews spent hours tending to a hazardous materials incident at the Richmond wastewater plant Tuesday morning. A potentially dangerous chemical was leaking in the 1400 block of Brander Street - just off Interstate 95 near Ancarrow's landing in Richmond's southside.  A worker inside called emergency crews after smelling something he thought was sulfur dioxide.  Richmond fire Lt. Shawn Jones says the employee was right. Rescue crews detected a small dose of sulfur dioxide leaking from a pipeline connecting a rail car and the facility.  Jones says sulfur dioxide in large quantities can be very toxic and the worker who inhaled the sulfur dioxide was checked out as a precaution. It was determined that he was okay and the other workers were kept outside for hours for their safety.  Chris Rossi works at the facility and is also a volunteer Hanover firefighter. His experience came in handy. Rossi spent part of his morning investigating the incident himself - trying to figure out the dangers of sulfur dioxide.  "I checked my handy dandy hazard book," said Rossi. "Dangers of sulfur dioxide, distance, etc."  Lt. Jones says the leak is plugged, but the work isn't over. The complete cleanup was expected to take hours, so everyone was kept away for hours. The plant has since been reopened.
  July 02, 2010 Port Neches 11 workers from the Huntsman plant in Port Neches were treated at hospitals and returned to work Friday after they were exposed to sulfur dioxide, according to information the plant manager provided to KFDM News.  No one was seriously hurt, according to Jordan Morgan, the plant manager, and the workers were taken by ambulances to several hospitals for treatment of irritation and other symptoms of exposure to sulfur dioxide.  "About 11 a.m. we had a valve on a pipeline within the plant leak sulfur dioxide," said Morgan. "It remained on site. 11 of our employees were exposed to it. It's not toxic but an irritating and corrosive gas."  Morgan told KFDM News the Huntsman emergency response team shut down the pipeline and isolated the leak. Although the leak was stopped, wind blew the sulfur dioxide to an area where workers were located, according to Morgan.   "Our medical staff treated the people and about 11 were transported local hospitals."  7 Acadian ambulances responded, and Morgan told KFDM News three ambulances transported the workers to Renaissance Hospital, the Medical Center of Southeast Texas, Christus Hospital St. Mary and Christus Hospital St. Elizabeth.  The employees were all released from hospitals and returned to work Friday afternoon.   Morgan said the plant is operating normally, with the exception of the pipeline and related equipment.  Huntsman has notified OSHA and the TCEQ.  "We're trained to respond to emergencies and our people did a real good job of dealing with it," said Morgan.
Transportation
Rail
June 14, 2010 St. Adolphe, Manitoba Police say about 12 cars on a Canadian Pacific cargo train have derailed in a collision with a garbage truck near St. Adolphe south of Winnipeg.  The train was hauling sulphur and sulphuric acid but there was no damage to those cars and none of it leaked.  Some diesel fuel did escape, however, and the environmental impact is being assessed.  One house was evacuated as a precaution.  The driver of the garbage truck, a 43-year-old man from Oakbank, Man., was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  Tracey Dinsmore and her husband live right by the crash site.  "We heard the brakes happen and we saw a big cloud of smoke and some of the train had derailed. My husband drove the car to the end of our driveway, because it did happen right by our yard here, and he went to go look for people," she said.  "(He) found one lone occupant and had pulled him out from by the truck and by that time I was calling 911."  Dinsmore said her husband also checked on the locomotive engineers and they were OK.
  June 12, 2010 Phoenix, Arizona

Two employees at a Buckeye chemical plant were taken to a hospital this week after they were burned by sulfuric acid, officials said.  The men were taken Tuesday from the Thatcher Company chemical plant to the burn unit at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix in stable condition, Buckeye Fire Chief Bob Costello said. They had "at least second-degree burns" on their heads and faces.  Plant manager Philip Belden said the men were released from the hospital about two hours later.  Firefighters responded to the chemical plant at 6321 N. Rainbow Road about 11:15 a.m., Costello said.   Belden said the incident is under investigation. The men were repairing a sulfuric-acid pipeline when the acid spilled. The men had been working on the pipes for two days "so they had several pieces of it apart and had been replacing parts," Belden said.  The employees were wearing full protective equipment, including Gore-Tex acid suits, rubber boots and gloves, hardhats, face shields and goggles, according to safety protocols, Belden said. They had completed extensive safety training in accordance with company standards.  The employees followed the standard protocol for spills, he said, which prioritizes helping the injured employee.  "Protocol is obviously different depending on the situation, but your standard protocol is obviously first aid," Belden said. "If it's beyond the ability of plant personnel, then it goes out to a 911 call."  Belden would not say what other procedures and standards the company has in place to protect employees.  Belden said Tuesday's incident was the first chemical spill at the plant in the three years he has worked there.   "We do our best to make sure that this place is safe with all the safety precautions, engineering controls, training procedures," Belden said.   "This was something that certainly is not commonplace. . . . so we'll have an investigation into it and make sure that we do corrective measures to make sure this type of incident doesn't happen again."  Ten people work at the Buckeye plant. Thatcher Company is a chemical manufacturing and distributing company based in Salt Lake City, according to the company's website. It employs more than 250 people in eight states.

Transportation
Road
June 8, 2010 Valparaiso, Wisconsin

A sulfuric acid spill closed one westbound lane on U.S. 30 through Monday evening's commute.  About 55 gallons of the acid leaked out of a tractor-trailer traveling from KCI Chemical in Kingsbury in LaPorte County to Wisconsin.   A container holding the chemical had fallen over in the truck, as did another container of phosphoric acid that leaked a lesser amount of that corrosive.  A Valparaiso police officer pulled the truck over after noticing the leak about 1:30 p.m.   The driver, according to some accounts, noticed the problem first after hearing a crash inside his trailer, opened the back door and inhaled fumes.  He was taken to Porter hospital for observation, although officials didn't know if he'd been admitted.   "He got a good whiff," said Greg Eckhardt, deputy director of Environmental Operations for Porter County.  Eckhardt, who was the hazmat worker on the scene, compared the inhalation to using strong cleaning chemicals in a small room.   No one else was hurt, and Eckhardt said that as long as no one touched it directly, the acid wasn't a threat.  There was no cloud or major fume collection from the chemical.  A clean-up contractor was expected to remove all the truck's chemicals and neutralize the acid with a strong base, such as baking soda.  Some of the topsoil that the acid leaked onto would also be removed.  The Valparaiso officer first noticed the leak near the intersection of U.S. 30 and Indiana 2 and pulled the truck over west of Marsh Street, Senior State Trooper Tom Quinn said.  Quinn couldn't speculate how long the materials had been leaking, but state police planned to inspect the truck for any violations. "We know right away there's going to be a securement violation on the load," Quinn said, referring to the tipped drums on board.

  May 25, 2010 Memphis, Tennessee

Potentially dangerous chemical fumes at the Lucite International plant near Millington led to the evacuation of businesses and residences along Highway 51 and Fite Road Tuesday morning.   The Lucite plant, which is next to the Dupont plant, started fuming a vapor mix of sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide, which reacts with moisture in the air to create a dense sulfuric acid mist. Sulfur trioxide can be harmful if ingested or inhaled, and can also cause skin and severe eye irritation on contact.  Plant spokesman Tom Eubanks said there was not a chemical leak, but referred to the situation as "a fuming condition" as the sulfuric acid regeneration plant was started up.  The Shelby County Fire Department and HAZMAT teams were called in to assist.  Several businesses along Highway 51 between Fite Road and the Loosahatchie River in about a one mile radius were evacuated until emergency crews safely cleared the scene.  Steve Shular, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, said 30-40 people in the immediate area were affected by the evacuation.  No injuries have been reported.

  March 23, 2010 Palmyra, Missouri The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is responding this morning to the report of an on-going air release of sulfur trioxide from the BASF plant in Palmyra.  The department was notified this morning by plant officials that the plant began venting the gas about 8 a.m., and the release was continuing through mid-morning.   The department has dispatched an emergency environmental responder from its Macon office to the scene to help determine the extent of the release and possible human health and environmental effects.  When mixed with water, sulfur trioxide becomes sulfuric acid.  BASF officials have evacuated the plant and neighboring industries. As a precaution, the U.S. Coast Guard has stopped traffic on the Mississippi River between mile markers 325 and 318.  Prevailing winds from the southwest are carrying the vented gas over a primarily rural area of Illinois. The department has contacted both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency office that covers Missouri as well as the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.  The department has also notified Marion County emergency management officials.

Investigations are under way after an estimated 200 pounds of the acid rain-producing gas sulfur trioxide leaked into the air Tuesday at the BASF plant near Palmyra.  There were no injuries and no immediate environmental impact was detected.  Initial company tests showed the chemical was contained to the sprawling site along Missouri Highway 168 near the Mississippi River.  The leak took place in an isolated part of the plant. It was detected about 7 a.m. and lasted until 10 a.m. Only 25 of the more than 300 employees were evacuated. As a precaution, barge traffic was suspended until 1:05 p.m.  Plant Manager Michael McFarlane said that the leak “more than likely” resulted from a mechanical failure, but added that at least a dozen BASF personnel would be searching for what went wrong using data that records glitches in the system and how to prevent it from happening again.  State investigators also were going to test for environmental damage and look at whether regulatory action was needed.  “It’s too early to say if there’s anything that needs to be remediated,” said Judd Slivka of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.  “We work hand-in-hand with regulators to make sure we do everything we need to do,” McFarlane said.  Winds may have blown some of the gas toward Illinois, but Adams County Emergency Management Director John Simon in Quincy had received no reports of problems and a spokesman for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said no testing was planned.  “Our understanding is the plume dissipated pretty rapidly,” Slivka said. “If it had to happen, the weather was perfect for it. There was a light wind and no rain.”  Sulfur trioxide is a precursor to sulfuric acid, which BASF uses to make herbicides. It is one of the most massively produced chemicals in America, and is a component in acid rain.   The chemical is caustic and can cause respiratory problems. When sulfur trioxide is exposed to air, it rapidly takes up water and gives off white fumes. If it combines with water, it releases considerable heat while forming sulfuric acid.  McFarlane said production of sulfur trioxide would be halted until the internal review was completed. He said the plant’s emergency precautions worked well.  “The people on site are trained to handle this type of thing,” McFarlane said. “Everybody moved into action pretty quickly. Everything was done by the book. Above all, we’re glad everybody’s safe.”  If investigators find that the plant exceeded its permitted level of sulfur trioxide, the state could fine BASF. The allowable level for BASF is 2,000 parts per million in a three-hour period, according to the state.  The release was the second reported by BASF in the last 10 months. In May 2009, an apparent failure during an incinerator test led to the discharge of the anti-corrosion chemical hexavalent chromium into the river.  Slivka said the Department of Natural Resources is seeking “enforcement action” against BASF because of the incident, but declined to discuss specifics because the case remains open

  May 20, 2010 -

Bapco has admitted a spillage caused by the loading and transportation of sulphur from its refinery in Askar to the Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Hidd.  A company spokesman said Bapco was aware of a small spill, which occurred outside of residential areas.   However, he said that irrespective of the quantity, Bapco was further reviewing the operation and would put in place measures to avoid it happening again.  Bapco also thanked Muharraq Municipal Council technical committee chairman Ali Al Muqla, who directed them to the incident, for his concern for the safety of the public.  'We assure Al Muqla that the company is concerned about the safety and well-being of anyone who interacts with it, whether a member of the public, a contractor or employee,' said the spokesman.  'The company encourages people to report any safety or environmental concern they may have directly to the management, which would immediately take action.

Transportation
Rail
March 16, 2010 Detroit, Michigan

No chemicals have spilled from a train derailment on Detroit’s west side, according to the Detroit Fire Department Hazardous Materials Unit.  The unit was sent to the tracks at Joy and Freeland roads after at least two cars carrying sodium nitrate and sulfuric acid jumped the track at 11:33 a.m., Detroit Fire Department Capt. Gerod Funderburg said. No one was injured in the derailment.

Transportation
Road
March 2, 2010 Prosser, Washington A semi-truck hauling a load that included sulfuric acid crashed early Tuesday on Highway 221 south of Prosser after its brakes failed.  A “minimal amount” of the acid spilled, and the state Department of Ecology was contacted, reported the Washington State Patrol. The wreck happened at 12:15 a.m.  The 1997 Volvo semi-truck with two trailers, driven by Jody L. Fuller, 50, of Everett, was headed south on the highway approaching the intersection with Highway 14 when its brakes lost air pressure, the state patrol said.  The truck rolled onto its side as it attempted to turn left. Fuller was not hurt.
  February 25, 2010 Australind, Western Australia Four workers have arrived in Perth after suffering serious burns after a sulphuric acid pipe burst at an industrial site in Australind this morning.  A Royal Flying Doctor Service spokeswoman said it was believed the men suffered the injuries after the Millennium Inorganic Chemicals plant, at the Kemerton industrial park, was shut down because the pipe was blocked.  When they went to investigate, the pipe burst, the spokeswoman said.  A 59-year-old man had "very severe" burns to 45 per cent of his body, mainly his lower body, and was transported back to Perth with a 48-year-old man who had acid "splashes" to his feet, face and back.  A 25-year-old man also has full skin thickness burns to his legs, while a 54-year-old man had acid "splash" burns on his legs. The pair have just arrived at Jandakot.  All four men will be treated at Royal Perth Hospital's burns unit, run by Fiona Wood.  A Worksafe spokeswoman said both Worksafe and Resources Safety inspectors were at the site, and it would be decided who would investigate the incident after they were allowed into the complex, which is still under the control of the Fire and Emergency Services Authority.  Millennium Inorganic Chemicals, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian-based Cristal Global, runs a titanium operation at the plant.

 

April 8, 2012 - Two workers who suffered horrific burns after a sulphuric acid spill at an Australind chemical plant have launched a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against their employers.  The men and two other workers were sprayed with the corrosive in February 2010 when a valve failed at the plant in Australind, 155km south of Perth.  They were flown to Royal Perth Hospital where burns specialist Fiona Woods headed a team of surgeons who carried out skin grafts and other operations.  Lawyers for one worker, who had to have a leg amputated, and chemical engineer Andrew Carruthers this week confirmed lawsuits would be lodged against plant owner Millennium Inorganic Chemicals and contractor CCR Group.  A writ for Mr Carruthers was submitted in the Perth District Court this week.  He was in hospital for more than three months and still requires medical treatment.  The document said Mr Carruthers would never be able to work again, which forms part of his claim.  Millennium Inorganic Chemicals was fined $90,000 in September for four counts of breaching the Dangerous Goods and Safety Act

 

April 11, 2012 - Former employees of an Australind chemical plant will take the plant owners to court in a multi-million dollar lawsuit after they were severely injured by a chemical spill in 2010.  Two of the four men who were injured when a sulphuric acid pipe burst have lodged lawsuits against plant owner Millennium Inorganic Chemicals and contractor CCR Group.  One of the men had to have a leg amputated.  The other was severely burned by the acid.  A writ for one of the men was submitted to Perth District Court last week.  No date has been set for the matter to go to court.  The company was fined $90,000 in Perth Magistrate’s Court in September last year after pleading guilty to charges related to the acid spill.  The Department of Mines and Petroleum investigated the incident.  At the time of the investigation, safety director Philip Hine said it could have been prevented if adequate safety measures were in place.  Mr Hine said the incident was a result of inadequate inspection of the recently replaced sulphuric acid pipe work system.  “This decision sends an important message to employers about their obligation to thoroughly inspect all systems of work to ensure safety, particularly when making changes,” Mr Hine said.  “A problem was detected with the system that indicated acid was not flowing into the finishing tanks.  “Three staff went to identify the cause of the problem when a valve failed and sprayed them with concentrated sulphuric acid.”  Mr Hine said the department investigation showed the valve that failed was designed to carry 40 per cent sulphuric acid but it was exposed to 98 per cent.  An inspection by the company failed to identify that the valve had not been replaced.  After the investigation, company site director Simon Morten said the company had upgraded its maintenance and auditing functions.  He said the court had acknowledged the company’s exemplary safety record and that it had done everything reasonably expected in response to the incident.

Transportation
Road
February 14, 2010 Donaldsonville, Louisiana Portions of La. 3127 and La. 70 are expected to remain closed throughout the night as Ascension Parish Hazardous Materials crews continue to clean up after a tanker truck holding nearly 4,000 gallons of sulphuric acid overturned, a State Police spokesman said.  Investigators believe thick fog caused the driver of the truck, Phillip Vallare, 37, to lose control as he was traveling west on La. 3127 just before 8 a.m. today, said Trooper 1st Class Russell Graham, State Police spokesman.  Vallare ran a stop sign at the intersection of La. 3127 and La. 70, then swerved to the left, Graham said.  The tanker began to rotate counter-clockwise and struck a utility pole before overturning and coming to rest in a ditch on the side of La. 70, Graham said.  State Police closed portions of both highways and crews were still working on the cleanup as of 7:30 p.m., Graham said.   Vallare suffered minor injuries was treated and released from a local hospital, Graham said.  Troopers cited him with careless operation and failure to obey a stop sign, Graham said.
  February 14, 2010 Aukland, New Zealand Firefighters wore protective suits to tackle a chemical spill in south Auckland on Sunday morning.  Three fire crews, three support vehicles and a hazardous substance unit, went to business premises in Heritage Way, Flat Bush, just after 11am.  They plugged a leak from where 20 litres of sulphuric acid had spilled, according to Paul Radden, northern fire communications shift manager.
  February 13, 2010 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia

Area firefighters and a county decontamination team were sent to an RIDC Park company Friday at about 8 a.m. for a leaking tanker.  O'Hara police Superintendent James Farringer said hot, liquid sulfur was leaking from a tanker that arrived sometime Thursday at Sauereisen Inc. at 160 Gamma Drive.  The company manufactures specialized acid- and temperature-resistant adhesives, sealants and cements.  "No one has been evacuated and no one is hurt," Farringer said.  Allegheny County 911 dispatched Highland Hose of Tarentum and other Alle-Kiski firefighters with special hazardous materials handling equipment to assist.  The units formed a convoy to reach the industrial park.  Sauereisen Vice President Carl Sauereisen said the leak was contained and was being dealt with.  "Molten sulfur solidifies almost immediately (when it comes in contact with air), especially in these temperatures," Sauereisen said.  He said the tanker, which doesn't belong to the company, leaked in a contained area and Sauereisen employees were able to continue work in the plant.   The solid sulfur was to be taken away when it cools, he said.  Molten sulfur can be used in a process to test the strength of concrete mixes. It also can be used as a bonding mortar on utility poles.  Sauereisen employs about 38 people.  The company was founded in 1899 to make cements used in high-temperature, corrosive or acidic situations.  The company continues to develop new products and ships many of them overseas, Sauereisen said.

Transportation
Road
January 22, 2010 Ohio, USA

The Ohio State Patrol said traffic resumed to normal around 2 a.m. on Interstate 75 after an acid leak shut down the highway for nearly 12 hours.  It took about 10 yours for police, fire and hazmat crews to clean up the sulfuric acid spill that shut down the highway in Harrison Township and prompted an evacuation.  Lt Bill Peck said, “He thought he had a flat tire and then realized he had spillage in the trailer.”  The driver of the semi pulled over near Needmore Road as he headed north. Then, clouds of vapor started to appear.  Police and fire crews quickly realized that they had an acid spill and were forced to shut down the highway. Then, they called in the Dayton Regional Hazardous Materials team.  The driver told authorities that he was hauling three different kinds of acid in the truck. The acids had already been used in an industrial process and were headed for proper disposal.  According to the driver, there were 40-50 containers in the trailer, some of them 55-gallon drums. Others were 250 plastic containers known as totes.  As night fell, workers suited up in Level A hazmat suits, which provides the biggest protection available and went into the trailer.  The hazmat crew identified the problem as a leaking tote that had spilled much of its 250 gallons of used sulfuric acid. They were able to neutralize the material that had spilled on the ground, putting an end to the vapors that can cause nose, eye, throat and lung irritation.  The decision was then made to take the trailer slowly up to an exit ramp, transfer the other barrels and totes and take them back to the plant in West Carrollton, where the came from.  Each container will have to be decontaminated and then reloaded on another truck for disposal. Workers will look at the plastic container that leaked.  A hazmat supervisor told News Center 7 what the plastic container was made of. Denny Bristow said, “Polyvinyl, polyethylene-type container. It’s very thick-walled. It’s not like a gallon milk jug. It’s a very thick plastic.”  Officials said the truck left the Veolia plant in West Carrollton with the used and contaminated acids and were headed for a disposal site in Michigan near the Detroit area.  Troopers said they do not anticipate that the driver will face any charges.  Firefighters did evacuate Northridge High School and Timberlane Elementary as a precaution, but there were no reports of any injuries.
Technical Solutions said it will re-evaluate its procedures following an acid spill Wednesday, Jan. 20, that shut down traffic on I-75 in both directions for hours.   Denny Bristow, coordinator or the Dayton Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team, said Thursday that the spill was caused when a valve from one container cracked another container in the back of the tractor-trailer rig.  Curtis Mabry, spokesman for Veolia, said the containers of waste acids were loaded and packaged in accordance with Department of Transportation guidelines, but a review of procedures could result in changes companywide. Bristow said investigators consider the spill an accident. He did not expect any fines or citations would be issued.
The spill involved a 300-gallon container of sulfuric acid on a truck loaded with hydrochloric, sulfuric and phosphoric acids. A cloud from the spill drifted across I-75 from east to west, causing a potential health hazard. About 50 employees of a nearby aerospace company’s plant were evacuated for safety reasons.

Transportation
Road
January 22, 2010 Trenton, Ontario, Canada

It could have been a major event earlier this morning no the 401 between Belleville and Trenton.
A tanker truck carrying sulphuric acid caught fire around 6 on the 401 westbound…east of the Glen Miller Road.  Fortunately, the fire started on the trucks tires, and Quinte West firefighters from Tuckers Corners had the flames out before they could effect the tank’s contents. Meanwhile..be warned….traffic is slow on the 401 westbound between Belleville and Trenton, as only one lane is open as crews continue to clean up the accident scene.

Transportation
Road
January 21, 2010 Houston, Texas, USA

A big rig wreck blocked a freeway connector ramp in southeast Houston for hours Thursday afternoon.   The crash happened on the ramp connecting the Gulf Freeway inbound to the eastbound loop at about 11am. Crews were being cautious with the accident because according to a placard on the tanker truck, it was hauling sulfuric acid. Thankfully none of the liquid spilled.  Firefighters had to pull the pinned driver out of the truck. He didn't appear to be seriously injured

  January 13, 2010 Lynden, Washington

Firefighters were called to contain a sulfuric acid spill at the Darigold plant.  At about 3 p.m. an employee noticed the smell and realized an acid spill had occurred at the plant, 8424 Depot Road. Lynden Fire Department crews arrived to find about 15 to 20 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled out of one of the plant's warehouses, said Chief Gary Baar.  A cracked pipe or valve had led to the spill, which seeped out of the warehouse and onto the road. The spill was caught and contained with sandbags before any acid got into the city's sewer or stormwater drains.  No one was injured in the spill, and there was no threat to neighboring businesses, Baar said.  Local Darigold representatives did not return calls about the spill. According to the Darigold Web site, the Lynden plant was built in the 1920s and has been producing dried-milk products since the 1970s.

Transportation
Road
January 9, 2010 India

The cars and transport vehicles plying between Dutywa and Mthatha on the N2 freeway were compelled to take a different route after an incident of toxic spillage. A part of the road was closed after a truck carrying large amount of sulfuric acid developed a leak. The incident took place in the wee hours of the morning. Tshepo Machaea, the Arrive Alive provincial spokesperson said that the acid was highly corrosive. It could pose serious threat tote cars and motorists had they come close to it. The administration did not want to take any chances after 4 vehicles plying on the road after the spillage took place got damaged. In fact several parts of those vehicles were damaged along with the tyres. Later mechanics were called to help out the drivers.

The acid got spilled over 4 km on the road. Even the grass at the roadside started changing color, such was the strength of the acid. Around 15 cleaners were deployed in the area to make the road usable again. They used a material known as road lime to neutralize the acid. Tshepo Machaea said that at least one lane of the road can be opened to traffic and the motorists would be able to use it. Superintendent Mzukisi Fatyela, a police spokesperson said that people living in adjacent areas were told to keep their kids away to avoid any mishap.
The residents were also advised to keep their pest away from the road. Luckily the spillage did not cause any injury or accident as it was spotted early. By the end of Saturday the cleaning is likely to be over.

  January 9, 2010 Globe, Arizona

A mining accident nearly took the life of a valley man Saturday.  A worker fell into some sulfuric acid while working in Globe.  The man was hit in the chest by a 500-pound pipe, and fell backwards into a tank of sulfuric acid used to clean metals.  The unidentified worker fell backward into runoff from a leaching operation that contained a very low amount of sulfuric acid. The man was airlifted to Maricopa Medical Center, and while being transported, the flight crew complained of burns to their hands.  About 20 firefighters set up a hazardous materials unit at the hospital when the medical helicopter landed.  "We're monitoring not only the situation and the byproducts of that chemical, but we are also watching the staff as they treat this patient," says Phoenix Fire Dept. Capt. Jonathan Jacobs.  They were able to contain the hazardous material, and the victim remains in critical condition.

Transportation
Rail
November 23, 2009 Gilbert, South Carolina

A Norfolk Southern freight train carrying sulfuric acid derailed early Sunday morning in Gilbert.  The incident prompted authorities to issue voluntary evacuations in the surrounding area.  Around 5:10 a.m. Sunday, the Norfolk Southern freight train left the tracks near Isiah Hall Road and Hayes Crossing Road.  Officials say the train had two locomotives and ten cars.  Eight of the ten cars derailed.  Six rolled on their side, including a tanker full of sulfuric acid.  Railroad officials say the train was going from Linwood, North Carolina to Savannah, Georgia. There were no injuries reported.  "The concern that we have is the integrity of the tank itself. It's a double-walled tanker," says Thom Berry, a spokesperson for the State Department of Health and Environmental Control. "There are some creases on the outside of the tank and so far it hasn't leaked."  After visual and thermal inspections, no leaks were detected on the overturned tanker. He says that the car is back on the track and will be headed to the Norfolk Southern rail yard sometime this morning. 

Transportation
Road
November 13, 2009 Salgaa, Kenya

One person died and 37 others sustained injuries after a trailer loaded with Sulphuric acid collided with a bus in Salgaa along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.  The two vehicles were reduced to shells after they caught fire on impact.  According to Nakuru Provincial General Hospital Superintendent George Muganya, 27 people sustained minor injuries while 9 suffered chemical burns. Three of the survivors are in critical condition

Transportation
Marine
November 9, 2009 Melbourne, Australia Fire crews expect to spend the day cleaning up leaked battery acid on a container ship in Melbourne.  The Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) says a worker noticed a strange smell coming from one of the containers when it was unloaded in Coode Road, just after 5:00am this morning.  More than 100 litres of the chemical spilled inside a container and on the ship.  Commander Frank Besanko says cranes will be used to move forty containers.  "Once we get the containers off the ship, then we'll be able to get to the area on the deck of the ship, because the container that had the battery acid, leaked down amongst these other containers," he said.  "We've got to neutralise all the other containers that were in the vicinity and also neutralise the sulphuric acid on the deck of the ship."
Transportation
Road
November 6, 2009 Dunn, Tennessee A tractor trailer accident yesterday caused a diesel spill and a morning rush hour delay for many people on their way to work and school.  The truck veered off of Highway 43 in the Dunn community. According to the WDXE website, the Lawrenceburg Fire Department’s Haz-Mat responded to the scene.  Luckily, the only thing that needed to be cleaned up was the diesel spill. Fire Chief Don Kelly told WDXE that it could have been a lot worse if the truck spilled its load of sulfuric acid it was hauling.
  October 26, 2009 Pascagoula, Mississippi Chevron Corp. said it had a molten sulfur leak from a pipeline while a barge was being loaded with it at the marine terminal of its 330,000-barrel-per-day Pascagoula, Mississippi, refinery.  "We had a leak of elemental sulfur from a pipeline. We were loading a barge at the refinery when this occurred," said Steve Renfroe, a refinery spokesman, referring to the Sunday morning incident.  "We stopped loading and we are repairing the line and are in the process of retrieving the sulfur," he added.  Renfroe declined to comment on whether production at the refinery was impacted, citing company policy.  He said initial reports that about four tons of sulfur may have leaked into Bayou Casotte in Mississippi were overstated.  "We believe it's much less than that," Renfroe added.  The cause of the leak was under investigation, he said.

A spokesman for Chevron’s Pascagoula Refinery said Tuesday that nobody was injured from fumes or heat when about four tons of molten sulfur spilled from a pipeline Sunday into the water of Bayou Casotte.  There were people in the operating area, but nobody was in the immediate vicinity of the spill.  Steve Renfroe, spokesman for the refinery, said that workers involved in loading the barges have protective equipment for that part of the refinery’s operation.  Sulfur is a byproduct of refining crude oil and Chevron sells it for several uses, including fertilizer. It pipes molten sulfur from the refinery to barges at the company docks on Bayou Casotte for shipping.  At about 11 a.m. Sunday, the pipeline leaked what the company estimated to be four tons of the molten material into the bayou.  Renfroe said the material is dense, so that amount is equal to about two cubic yards.  He said on Tuesday that the pipeline is repaired and back in operation.  The molten sulfur turned to a solid when it hit the water, he said, and sank to the bottom of the bayou. He said the company had divers on the scene Tuesday and plans to remove the hardened material from the bayou.  “We’re preparing to send divers to investigate the bottom,” he said. “It’s our intention to remove any sulfur that we can find.”  Robbie Wilbur, spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Quality, said the DEQ did not go to the spill on Sunday, but contacted Chevron by phone.  “Chevron will send us an accidental release report in a letter. We’re waiting on that,” Wilbur said.  He said the material spilled “is not hazardous to wildlife or fish or people.”  But the company must clean up the spilled sulfur as it impacts the waters of the state, he said.

Transportation
Road
October 10, 2009 Pingdu City
Shandong Province
China

About 3 tons of concentrated sulfuric acid leaked from a truck on Thursday morning in Pingdu City, Shandong Province, after a crash involving a bus and a tricycle. The truck, carrying 18 tons of the chemical, rolled over in the collision at a junction at about 5am, Qingdao Morning News reported yesterday. Six people were injured by either the crash or the acid, the report said. Firefighters took about six hours to clean sulfuric acid from the road and neutralize and dilute 2 tons of the chemical which had spilled into a nearby construction site.

Transportation
Road
October 2, 2009 Edmonton, Alberta Highway 15 at Range Road 22 will be closed until midnight while crews clean up a sulphuric acid spill.  Strathcona RCMP said a tanker truck carrying sulphuric acid collided with another vehicle around 5:50 a.m. Crews have been on scene since cleaning up the spilled liquid.  Nobody was seriously injured in the crash. A police investigation is underway.
  September 23, 2009 Saint John, New Brunswick No one was hurt when a fire broke out today in a molten sulphur tank at the Irving pulp and paper mill in Saint John, N.B.   Fire crews arrived just before noon and are still at the scene monitoring the temperature of the tank and for vapours.  District fire Chief Mark Gillian says the fire started when a contractor was installing industrial insulation around the tank.   He was finishing up when dust around the tank ignited.
Transportation
Road
September 23, 2009 New Orleans, Louisiana State police say the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 near LaPlace have been shut down because of an accident involving a tractor-trailer rig.  A fire was reported as a result of the Wednesday morning accident and traffic near mile marker 203 was being diverted.  The crash involved two 18-wheelers and a car. One injury has been reported.  "According to Louisiana State Police, Interstate 10 East near LaPlace is completely shut down to traffic. Trooper Russell Graham said traffic was being diverted at the Gramercy exit," according to WAFB in Baton Rouge.  "Troopers said Airline Hwy is getting backed up due to all of the traffic using it as a detour route.  "One of the semi-trucks carried sulfuric acid, which must be off-loaded before the truck can be moved."
  September 13, 2009 Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican authorities say 300 tons (270 metric tons) of sulfuric acid have spilled into the sea near the world's seventh-largest natural harbor.  The island's emergency management agency says the spill originated from a container at Port Bustamente in Kingston Harbor, where mostly cargo ships dock. The agency said in a news release Saturday that police are investigating the spill, which happened late Friday.  Officials say the waters near the harbor and Greenwich Town Fishing Beach are still highly acidic and advised people to avoid swimming or fishing in the area.

September 15, 2009

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has served a Breach Notice on the management of Industrial Chemical Company (ICC) Jamaica Limited, in relation to Saturday's (September 12) Sulfuric Acid spill at the company's storage facility close to the Greenwich Town Fishing Village, Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston.  In a release tonight, NEPA said that, under the terms of the Breach Notice, ICC has 30 days in which to construct a bund (embankment or dyke) at the facility. Additionally, the Agency says it will be taking further action against ICC, under the Natural Resources Conservation Act and the Wildlife Protection Act.  NEPA, in partnership with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), the Jamaica Fire Brigade and the Marine Police has all but completed its investigations into the spill, which has affected residents and fishing in and around the fishing village, which borders West Kingston and South West St. Andrew.  "Tests have shown that the pH level of the ambient water quality in the area is returning to normal. Both surface water and water taken from a depth of three metres were tested by NEPA's laboratory staff," the NEPA release said.  "There are still residues of the acid in the soil, along the path the material took to the sea. There is a concern that a period of heavy rain could wash out the sediment into the marine environment. If there is no rainfall in the area, the land is expected to be rehabilitated within the next four weeks. However, NEPA is unable to say whether such a washout will have any significant impact on the marine environment.  "Based on laboratory tests, there is no evidence to prevent the resumption of all activities in and around the area affected by the acid spill. ICC is expected to submit a report to NEPA by Tuesday, September 15, 2009."   NEPA also reported that it has convened a four-member team to complete a quick-scan of the coastline along the Kingston Harbour, to identify those enterprises which conduct trade in hazardous substances. Once the scan is completed, the enterprises will be directed to apply for permits for the relevant activities.

   

 

July 28, 2009

 

 

Charleston

West Virginia

Management at DuPont Co.'s chemical plant in Belle waited more than two days before reporting a toxic material leak to state and local authorities last week, government and company officials confirmed Tuesday.  The leak of sulfur trioxide started at 11 a.m. on July 22, but was not reported to the state until 4:36 p.m. on July 24, according to state Environmental Protection and Homeland Security officials.  No injuries were reported, and DuPont officials described the leak as a minor incident.   "It was essentially a non-event when you get right down to it," said DuPont Plant Manager Bill Menke. "Normally, we wouldn't have said anything."

The leak occurred in a sulfuric acid production unit that was the subject of a major federal enforcement action. In April, DuPont agreed to pay $2 million in fines for not upgrading pollution-control technology when the company added equipment to increase production.   Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said he was shocked that DuPont did not report the incident, especially given the public furor over Bayer CropScience's withholding of information about the fatal explosion and fire at its Institute plant in August 2008.   Initially, DuPont officials estimated the leak at 300 to 400 pounds of sulfur trioxide. Federal law requires companies to immediately notify federal, state and local officials of leaks of 100 pounds or more of sulfur trioxide.  Menke said the company later downgraded its estimate of the leak's size to about 18 pounds -- an amount that would not kick in the required notifications to government agencies.

Last week's incident occurred in the Belle plant's "SAR" unit, where sulfuric acid is produced by burning spent sulfuric acid to form sulfur dioxide. The sulfur dioxide is then converted to sulfur trioxide, and then to sulfuric acid.  The unit had recently been shut down, and had just started back up when a two- to three-inch hole was discovered in a duct on the unit when workers saw "puffs" of sulfur trioxide coming out of it. "It was puffing intermittently," Menke said.  Company officials attached an "elephant trunk" hose to capture the leaking material and funnel it back into the SAR unit, Menke said. The goal was to control the leak until the unit could be shut down for repairs, he said.

But the shutdown didn't occur for 18 hours. And, Menke said, it is unlikely that the "elephant trunk" caught all of the sulfur trioxide that may have leaked from the hole.  "Did the elephant trunk capture 100 percent of that material? The answer is likely not," Menke said.  Menke said that it was not safe to shut down the unit right away for repairs.  "It takes a little time to actually de-pressure and turn it down," Menke said. "There would have been production to be sure we had the facility in line."  Menke said he was personally aware of the incident the day it began, but did not think to call government authorities.  After the unit was shut down, Menke said, a plant environmental official asked for a calculation of the size of the leak.  That produced the initial estimate of 300 to 400 pounds, Menke said.  Based on those figures, DuPont then notified state and local authorities late in the afternoon on July 24, a Friday. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials said that neither they nor the National Response Center were notified.  DuPont officials quickly realized that estimate did not take into account any material captured by the "elephant trunk." A rough recalculation then produced the 18-pound estimate, Menke said. So, they called back state and local officials with the lower estimate, he said.  Jesse Adkins, assistant chief for enforcement at the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Air Quality, said his agency is waiting for a written report from DuPont before considering further action.

  July 1, 2009 Montana Two Montana Rail Link employees are in the hospital after being splashed with sulfuric acid.  The Laurel Police Department says they responded to the MRL yard office, off Shannon Road, around 9:30 Tuesday night.  Officer Stan Langve says employees were in the process of switching cars that were connected and one tanker splashed sulfuric acid on the two workers.  An ambulance took the two to a nearby hospital.
Transportation
Rail
June 19, 2009 Mississippi Truck Train Accident.jpg (15752 bytes)A log truck collision with a Canadian National freight train in Perry County damaged nearly a dozen box cars and tankers filled with molten sulfur.  However, there were no injuries were reported.  Mississippi Highway 198 was blocked for several hours after the collision occurred around 11:45 a.m. Thursday.  Michael Pol, assistant to Southern District Commissioner Wayne Brown, said he lives near the scene of the accident and arrived shortly after the collision.  "There was a truck coming south across the tracks and he must have failed to yield to the train," he said.  Pol said he contacted the Mississippi Department of Transportation rails division to report the incident. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality assisted in the cleanup of debris and spillage from tankers, Pol said.  Molten sulfur is not toxic unless it catches fire, emitting an acrid smoke, Pol said.  A rail crossing signal mast also was damaged in the incident.
   

 

June 17, 2009

 

 

Macomb

A sulfuric acid spill at Macomb's water plant late Wednesday night never reached the city's water supply, Public Works Director Walter Burnett said Thursday.  Macomb firefighters were called to the city's water plant, in Glenwood Park, just before 10 p.m. Wednesday. Most of the park was then sealed off to the public.  The spill caused no injuries and did not affect the water-treatment process, officials said.  Burnett said an automatic shut-off valve malfunctioned on a tank that holds 39 percent sulfuric acid, spilling about 400 gallons of acid used in the water treatment process.  "The automatic shut-off didn't shut off," Burnett said.  Firefighters were at the treatment plant for about five hours Wednesday night and Thursday morning.  In addition to the Macomb department, firefighters from Emmet Chalmers were called in to help at the scene and to help man the Macomb station in the case of any additional emergency calls. The hazardous materials teams from the Galesburg and Canton fire departments also were called in.  The tank that spilled is used by water plant employees during the day to mix the acid into the city's water supply. Burnett said the acid is a "pH balancer" for the water.   To counteract the acid, firefighters, dressed in fully sealed hazardous materials suits, covered it with powdered lime.  Most of the acid was found in the room where the reverse osmosis process is handled as well as an adjacent electrical room. A small amount went out a back door but was contained.  The two rooms have been sealed off, and city workers were allowed back in the building at about 3 a.m. Thursday.  Burnett said the cleanup will including shoveling up the lime-covered acid, bagging it, putting it in a barrel and transporting it to an approved hazardous waste disposal site. A cleanup team from Peoria arrived at the water plant at about 3 a.m. Thursday to begin that process.  The only damage to the water treatment plant, Burnett said, was blistering on the paint on the floor.  McDonough County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Coordinator Dan Kreps said the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Emergency Management Agency were notified of the spill. Burnett said Thursday he didn't anticipate the IEPA would visit the plant because it was not a treatment violation.
  June 12, 2009 Carthage, Missouri, USA A sulfuric acid leak on Friday at the Renewable Environmental Solutions plant in Carthage prompted Carthage Fire Chief John Cooper to prepare for to evacuate homes in the area of the plant, but no evacuation was necessary.  Cooper said a tank containing residual sulfuric acid started leaking this morning.  The acid was left over from when the plant was operational.  Cooper said Carthage police officers were available to evacuate homes in the city around the plant and Jasper County Sheriff’s deputies were on standby to evacuate homes in the county.   The county’s new reverse 911 system was also put on standby.   One of the big fears was that an approaching rain shower might spread the sulfuric acid into nearby Spring River, but Cooper said crews managed to contain the leak and none of the acid escaped the dyke surrounding the plant.  Firefighters and officers cleared the scene at approximately 11:45 a.m.
  June 1, 2009 Sudbury, Ontario

A chemical leak at Vale Inco smelter facility in Copper Cliff, Ont., near Sudbury, has been downgraded to a Level 1 emergency, which means the incident did not have any impact off-site and there is no threat to the environment or to the general public.  The leak has been stopped and isolated to one area in the facility, according to Ontario's Ministry of Environment spokesperson Kate Jordan. A chemical called Oleum, similar to sulphuric an acid, was leaking.  In response to the leak, Inco initiated an emergency response protocol shortly before noon Monday.  A bulletin, alerting area residents to stay indoors and to turn off furnaces and air conditioners was sent to residents living near the plant.  Staff at the Ministry of Environment are on standby, waiting for the area to be declared safe.

Transportation
Rail
May 18, 2009

Hermon, Maine

Railroad officials say four cars carrying sulfuric acid and ethanol that are derailed in Hermon don't pose a danger to the public because none of the liquid has leaked.  The cars from Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway derailed about 8 o'clock yesterday morning behind LMS Transportation. That's in an industrial park off Cold Brook Road in Hermon.  John Schultz, the vice president of transportation with the railroad company, says crews continue to make repairs to get the cars back on track. Three of them contain sulfuric acid, one has ethanol. A hazardous materials team is on site, too, while workers off-load acid from two of the cars to make the job easier.  The Hermon fire department is also on the scene as a precaution.  Schultz says the train was on its way to customers in Searsport when the cars left the track.  He says the cause is under investigation and the re-railing work should be done by tomorrow night.
  May 4, 2009 Utah A contract worker was flown from a Kennecott smelter to University Hospital on Monday morning after he suffered sulfuric acid burns on his neck and arms.  The man was using a vacuum system to load acid into a tanker around 10:15 a.m. when some of the liquid escaped, said Kennecott spokeswoman Jana Kettering. She did not have further details on how the acid seeped out.  The man, who works for North American Industrial Services, was wearing protective gear, including clothing to guard his body, face, eyes and head, Kettering said.  "But some acid still made contact with the skin," she said, adding that the contractor suffered burns on his wrist and neck.  The man received immediate medical attention, including a decontamination shower. He was flown to University Hospital, where he was treated and later released.
  April 27, 2009 Delaware City DNREC’s Emergency Responders, along with a cleanup crew from REACT Environmental Services, Philadelphia, are on the site of a hazardous spill that occurred Monday.  A tractor-trailer tanker enroute from Sunoco Marcus Hook traveling to the DuPont Red Lion facility on Del. Route 9 spilled an unknown quantity of sulfuric acid onto River Road between Hamburg Road and Governor Lea Boulevard near Delaware City.  The incident happened at about 11:40 a.m.; DelDOT closed Del. Rt. 9 between Del. 72 at Hamburg Road.DNREC responders and environmental protection officers are investigating the incident. The road is expected to be closed for at least several more hours to allow the cleanup crew to safely remove any remaining residue from the spill from the roadway and until DelDOT determines the road is safe to open.
  April 27, 2009 Plant City, Florida Three workers are being treated for injuries after a scaffolding collapse outside Tampa.  Authorities say the incident happened shortly before 2 p.m. at C.F. Industries in Plant City, a phosphate fertilizer facility about 30 miles east of Tampa. A company official says the employees were doing maintenance work on an 8-foot-high platform inside a processing vessel when it gave way and tossed them off their feet.  C.F. Industries say the workers were not trapped and appear to have non-life threatening injuries. They were taken to area hospitals. Three had serious injuries. The third has minor injuries.  The company says the employees are contractors, and plans to investigate what caused the collapse.
Transportation
Marine
April 9, 2009 Sri Lanka

June 3, 2010 - The Colombo High Court today imposed a fine Rs 10 million on a captain of a Turkish vessel for releasing sulphuric acid into the territorial waters of Sri Lanka in Trincomalee.   Senior State Counsel Riaz Hamza appearing on behalf of the State complained that the accused Sir Sidath, the Captain of the vessel "M T Grand of Turkey" had released the hazardous chemical into the Sri Lanka Waters from April 5 to 9, 2009.   The Accused pleaded guilty for the charge and consequently the High Court imposed a fine of Rs 10 million on the captain of the vessel.  In default of the payment of the fine, the accused was sentenced to one year imprisonment.

Sri Lanka government is to take legal action against the Turkey Shipping Company, the owners of the sunken tanker with a load of sulphuric acid off Trincomalee Harbour.  Ranjith Kularatne, Chairman of the Marine Environmental Protection Authority said the legal action would be taken due to the marine pollution caused by the sulphuric acid leaked to the sea from the tanker. Necessary reports are being compiled in this regard, he said.   According to the Marine Environmental Protection Authority the ship, 'MV Grand Bar' finally sank 90 nautical miles off Trincomalee after the Navy managed to tow the vessel to the deep sea.  The Navy confirmed that it went down at a depth of 3,000 meters of the sea.  The tanker carrying 6,250 metric tons of sulphuric acid was plying from Tuticorin to Kakinadan in India when it developed troubles on Monday, April 6. The ship's crew of 19 had been rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy after the ship was crippled 8 kms off Foul Point in Trincomalee. Naval personnel boarded the tanker found that its cargo tanks were damaged and the Sulphuric Acid was leaking into the ballast tanks.

The 19-member crew of the Turkish tanker that sank off Sri Lanka is to return to Turkey next week.  The Turkish Transportation Ministry said that the crew would depart Sri Lanka for Turkey on April 14, news agency reports said.  The Turkish-flagged chemical tanker had been abandoned by its crew off the eastern Sri Lankan port of Trincomalee after its cargo of sulphuric acid began leaking last weekend.  Later the Navy and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority vessels towed the tanker further out onto the high seas to prevent marine pollution near the coast.   The tanker sank totally 50 miles off Trincomalee port on Wednesday midnight.

The crew of a Turkish tanker that sunk off Sri Lanka will return to Turkey next week, officials of the Turkish Transportation Ministry said on Friday.  Nineteen crew members of a Turkish-flagged tanker that sunk off Sri Lanka the previous day would depart Sri Lanka for Turkey on April 14, the officials were quoted by the semi-official Anatolia news agency.  A Turkish-flagged chemical tanker "GRANBA" started to sink off Sri Lanka on Monday after the sulfuric acid it was carrying melted the tanks.  Sri Lankan authorities evacuated Turkish crew members from the tanker, and the crew were in stable condition and staying at a hotel near the port.  The tanker totally sank 50 miles off Trincomalee port the previous day.

Transportation
Road
April 3, 2009 Utah Workers are trying to clean up sulfur that spilled when a tractor-trailer overturned on U.S. Highway 6 in central Utah.   The wreck occurred near the lines of Carbon and Utah counties and is not obstructing traffic, said Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Cameron Roden. The rig ran off the road about 1:15 a.m. Friday, spilling the sulfur into a gorge. Roden said the terrain is making it difficult to retrieve the tractor-trailer and the sulfur.  The truck's driver escaped injury.
Transportation
Rail
March 9, 2009 Detroit, Michigan

The Detroit Fire Department is overseeing a chemical spill clean-up after an undetermined amount of sulfur dioxide leaked from a railroad car today in southwest Detroit.  The 10:30 a.m. leak happened at a city wastewater treatment plant, 9300 W. Jefferson, just west of Zug Island, Detroit Fire spokeswoman Katrina Butler said.  “The railcar had a leak in it,” Butler said. “How it happened, they don’t know. It didn’t hit anything.”  The leak was so small the city’s health department, which responds to incidents that could affect the health of area residents, was not involved, she added.  The car was carrying about 90 tons of sulfur dioxide, but it was unclear how much leaked out, Butler said. A professional chemical handling company was overseeing the transfer of the remaining sulfur dioxide to another railcar this afternoon, she said.

Transportation
Rail
March 6, 2009 Plaquemine, Louisiana derailment 1.jpg (84986 bytes)A freight train car carrying molten sulfur derailed and sprung a leak Saturday, dribbling stinking orange-and-yellow goop into Bayou Plaquemine and prompting evacuation of more than 100 people from a nearby motel.  Nobody was hurt.  The five cars that derailed were near the rear of a 67-car train that was going 16 mph at the time of the accident and itcluded four of the 12 empty cars, Union Pacific Corp. spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said.  She said Union Pacific railroad and the Federal Railroad Administration are investigating.
None of the train cars fell into the bayou just inside Iberville Parish; the only one carrying cargo was the leaking car, which was upright on the bridge, Cain said. He said much of the sulfur -- the chemical which gives rotten eggs their stink -- was solidifying on the bridge and bank; any of it that hit the water would solidify more rapidly and fall to the bottom.
The sulfur car was 51st in line. Two empty cars just in front of the sulfur car tumbled onto the bank, and two just behind it remained upright, she said.
Transportation
Road
February 15, 2009 Louisiana An overturned tanker truck loaded with acid forced traffic to be diverted onto side roads while crews worked to clear the wreckage on Interstate 20 near Minden.  The driver remained trapped in the wreckage for almost three hours while crews from the Minden Fire Department struggled to free him.   Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton says it was delicate operation to lift the mangled cab off the victim, "You had two lines going to have to pick the truck up. If you'd lifted to onside or the other, it would have crushed the guy. So the rescue personnel were being extremely cautious."   Sexton says 55 year old David Yeager of El Dorado had acid burns on his head, but was talking to rescue workers and was airlifted to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, in serious but stable condition.  The truck was headed from Shreveport to El Dorado, Arkansas with about 3800 gallons of sulphuric acid.  Some of the acid leaked out spreading fumes into the air. There were no evacuations of homes or business. The breezy day quicikly dispersed those potentially dangerous fumes.  Sexton says, "The wind's kind of in our favor today. If it would have been a still day and a light breeze we might have had some problems."
Transportation
Rail
February 15, 2009 San Bernardino, CA

Eight cars from a Union Pacific freight train derailed early Saturday near West Rialto Avenue and South Macy Street in San Bernardino.  The 12:30 a.m. incident involved three box cars carrying soda ash and five tanker cars that previously carried sulfuric acid, San Bernardino Fire Department spokesman Steve Tracy said by phone.  "It was an interesting call with a large potential for hazards, but fortunately it was a low-speed derailment, so we really lucked out," Tracy said. "I can assure you not at any time were any residents in danger."  Two containers of soda ash spilled during the derailment as the train traveled northeast, Union Pacific spokeswoman Zoe Richmond said by phone. Soda ash is used in making soap powders, glass and paper.  The track is near a BNSF Railway line used by Metrolink.  None of the double-walled freight cars were breached, Tracy said. The rail line has an estimated 200-foot right of way, with homes and mobile homes nearby.  The train cars were marked with placards indicating the nature of the loads, and fire officials were able to quickly find out details from Union Pacific.  "They let us know those sulfuric acid cars were empty," Tracy said, with at most a residual of 10 to 15 gallons each.  There also is a Kinder Morgan fuel-transport pipeline adjacent to the railroad. Union Pacific contacted Kinder Morgan, and the line was shut down as a precaution, Tracy said.  The train cars stretched from Mill Street on the north to about a quarter-mile south of Rialto Avenue.   Union Pacific's Richmond said the 80-car train was 4,461-feet long.  The cleanup was expected to be finished Saturday afternoon.

Transportation
Rail
January 17, 2009 Englewood, Colorado Derailment.jpg (28491 bytes)A southbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train carrying molten sulfur derailed about 11:45 p.m. in Littleton.  Three of the 17 cars involved in the derailment leaked about 100 gallons of liquid sulfur that quickly solidified in the cold air, said Gus Melonas, BNSF spokesman. Two cars fell onto their sides and 15 were leaning.  Neither of the two crew members was harmed, Melonas said. The freight tracks could be repaired and running by this afternoon, he added.  No one was evacuated because the spill was not a health hazard.
Transportation
Road
January 13, 2009 El Dorado, Arkansas

truckoverturned.jpg (69587 bytes)An 18-wheeler loaded with sulfuric acid overturned at approximately 8:30 a.m. Monday on U.S. 63 near Old Union, spilling several hundred gallons of the hazardous chemical onto the westbound shoulder of the highway, according to the Union County Office of Emergency Management. The truck, owned by the Groendyke Transport Co., was traveling eastbound at the time of the accident. The driver was taken to the Medical Center of South Arkansas in El Dorado for non-life threatening injuries.

 

Transportation
Road
January 3, 2009 Darwin, Australia Environmental officers are working to save remote wetlands from a serious chemical spill after a truck rolled outside Kakadu National Park.  About 6000 litres of sulphuric acid poured onto the Arnhem Land Highway near the turn-off to Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve, 100 kilometres from the entrance to the heritage-listed national park.  The spill is believed to be one of the largest recorded and there are concerns about the effect on surrounding wetlands.   John Woinarski, the Northern Territory Government's acting executive director of environment, heritage and the arts, said work was under way to neutralise the spilt acid, which covers an area about 50 metres long and three metres wide.  "There is no threat to wetlands in Kakadu National Park and Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve," he said. "The spilt product is being neutralised and it is expected that this will be completed shortly.  "The product is quite viscous and does not mobilise readily, making containment effective.  "Environmental officers will remain on site until we are satisfied that all actions have been effective in protecting the surrounding environment and community."  The rear trailer on the road train — headed for the Ranger uranium mine located in the middle of Kakadu — overturned on Thursday evening.  The acid is hazardous to touch or breathe in. Its spill has prompted calls for a review of the transport of dangerous liquids through wetland wilderness areas.   Friends of Fogg Dam president Heather Boulden told ABC Radio in Darwin: "It would be very difficult to clean up, I'm sure, and in a wetland I would imagine there is huge potential for it to spread over a vast area."  Ms Boulden said there could be serious ramifications for birdlife if the acid seeped into the water supply.   Police are investigating the accident.
Transportation
Road
December 26, 2008 Ohio Emergency and hazardous materials cleanup crews are on the scene of a tanker truck accident that killed the driver at Steels Corners and Akron-Peninsula roads. The vehicle was carrying sulfuric acid, and work is now beginning to remove the substance from the terrain, said Mark Williamson, spokesman for the city of Akron.
Akron Police have closed Akron-Peninsula Road at the Steels Corners Road intersection, and Akron-Peninsula Road is shut down about "a half mile" in each direction, said Williamson. He added he expects the roads to be closed "most of the day."
Williamson said the vehicle was found in a wooded area near the intersection of Steels Corners and Akron-Peninsula roads at 7:20 a.m. He added it is not known when the accident happened, but noted the tanker had been traveling west on Steels Corners, went through the Akron-Peninsula Road intersection and into the wooded area.
Information is not available on the driver's identity. There was no one else in the vehicle.
He said sulfuric acid is "leaking slowly" from the tanker. Once a second tanker is brought in, the substance will be siphoned into that vehicle, said Williamson.
Transportation
Road
December 6, 2008 Australia

A tanker truck carrying sulphuric acid has rolled off the Bruce Highway in central Queensland forcing emergency crews to impose a 250m exclusion zone to contain leaking acid.  It is understood both tanks on the B-double tanker were leaking and that the truck came to rest beside the road in long grass.  Emergency services have evacuated the area on the Bruce Highway north of Bloomsbury, which includes a couple of farmhouses, due to inhalation concerns.  Firefighters from Mackay and Proserpine were on the scene and attempting to contain the leaks.  The truck driver, who was out of the vehicle when emergency crews arrived, was taken to Proserpine Hospital with minor injuries.  Paramedics remained on standby at the incident.

Transportation
Road
December 1, 2008 Ohio A tanker truck, carrying molten sulphur, overturned and caught fire on Ohio 65 near Cairo this morning.  Allen County safety forces and fire departments have been sent to the scene where there have been injuries reported.  No details are immediately available, however. The accident happened about 9:30 this morning.  Fire departments from Beaverdam, Cairo and Bath Township were called to the scene, where smoke can be seen from nearby U-S 30. Hazardous materials rescue crews and others from American Electric Power are also on site.  Ohio 65 traffic has been detoured.
Transportation
Marine
November 14, 2008 China

Two people were killed and four others were injured in an explosion that sank two ships, causing one to leak concentrated sulfuric acid at a dock yesterday in Hangzhou City, capital of Zhejiang Province.  Environmental protection workers are trying to clean up the acid leak as one of the ships was transporting 250 tons of the chemical, Xinhua news agency reported today The explosion occurred on a docked ship about 7:50am in Tangqi Township, Yuhang District. The blast caused it and a nearby ship loaded with acid to sink, the report said.  Nearby residents and factory workers were evacuated to safety yesterday.  Maritime affairs authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion.  The dock was shut yesterday afternoon after the explosion and the priority is to clean up the concentrated sulfuric acid as quickly as possible,’’ Chen Guoqing, vice director of Yuhang District Transport Bureau, told Xinhua.  We will also salvage the sunken ships.  Yuhang District Environment Protection Office officials said they had used liquid caustic soda to neutralize the polluted water and were monitoring neighboring waterways.  As of 11pm last night, the water quality on the whole was normal,’’ they were quoted as saying.  Though the water around the explosion site is still partially acidic.  The two who died were on the ship that exploded while the injured were on ships nearby. Three of the injured are being treated at Yuhang District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and are in stable condition while the other has already been discharged, the report said.

Transportation
Road
November 10, 2008 Australia

Fire Service Northern Communications shift manager Colin Underdown said the accident happened on State Highway 12 between Ruawai and Dargaville, about 1 km south of the Tokotoka Tavern, about 6.30am today.  Four pumping appliances and a hazardous materials unit were at the scene as well as members of the Northland Hazardous Substances Technical Liaison Committee.  Mr Underdown said there was no word at this stage about any environmental contamination.  He did not have any information on the dangers involved in such an acid spill on the road.  Sulphuric acid can boil and spit dangerously when added to water.  Sue Phipps from police northern communications said there was a "hell mess all over the road", but also there was no indication that there was any danger to the environment or the road.  Two truck loads of sand and a crane were needed at the scene, she said.  The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries.  Road diversions were in place and it could be a couple of hours before the road was open again.
Emergency services and hazardous chemical experts are unhappy that an Auckland company's specialist recovery unit took eight hours to arrive at a serious acid spill on a Northland road. Northland Regional Council hazardous substances manager Jerry Nelson said he felt the company was "under-prepared" and its response WAS "very slow". The lack of personal protection equipment for its workers was also a concern. "I'm astounded that people would be involved in decanting sulphuric acid without proper equipment ... I will be writing to Jascol regarding the matter," he said.

  October 31, 2008 Umkomaas, South Africa A section of the Sappi Saiccor plant in Umkomaas, south of Durban, has been shut down following a gas leak earlier in the week, the plant's chief executive Alan Tubb said on Friday.  We hope to find the root cause of the problem soon and until then it will remain closed," he said.  A team of environmental experts was expected to investigate why 48 people were exposed to toxic sulphur dioxide gas.  Khulekani Ntshangase, spokesperson for the agriculture and environmental affairs department said on Friday they would have to determine whether the leak was an accident or the result of human error.  "We have also told the plant that they need to give us a report on the incident within 14 days. Then once we determine whether the leak was an accident or caused by human error, we will decide whether to penalise them or not," he said.  Sappi, a global producer of coated fine paper and chemical cellulose, confirmed that 34 mill employees and 14 residents were affected by a sulphur dioxide leak in the plant's newly commissioned pipeline on Tuesday night.  The employees were treated at the mill's hospital and discharged.  The affected residents were assessed at GJ Crookes hospital in Scottburgh. They were discharged the same night.  Sappi general manager Gary Bowles said technicians at the mill were able to isolate the malfunctioning pipeline. He gave assurances that precautions would be taken to prevent further emissions.  "The mill has procedures in place to deal with eventualities of this nature on a priority basis, and we were able to contain the leak promptly," he said, adding that the incident was regretted.
  October 30, 2008 Clifton, Arizona, USA Police in Clifton Arizona, near the Arizona/New Mexico border, are working on containing a sulfuric acid spill.  Emergency crews have built up burms to keep the acid from spreading outside of a creek in the middle of town.  The acid come from the freeport mine.  If the emergency crews can not contain the spill it could flow into the San Francisco river that feeds in to the Gila River.  Currently there are not any evacuation orders or problems with drinking water throughout the state.
  October 24, 2008 Charleston, West Virginia, USA DuPont Co. officials said this afternoon that they had contained a small leak of concentrated sulfuric acid from their chemical plant in Belle.  The leak from a flange was discovered at about 11:30 a.m. in a half-inch sampling pipe in unit that recovers sulfuric acid as part of the plant's acrylics production process, said DuPont site manager Bill Menke.  "It was just a drip type of leak," Menke said.  Menke estimated that only an ounce or two of concentrated sulfuric acid, called oleum, was released. But when the material hits air, it generates fumes that created a grayish cloud in the area, Menke said. Crews used water to try to limit the fumes.
Transportation
Road
October 24, 2008 Lewiston, Idaho, USA

Two people were injured in a crash involving a pickup and a semi hauling liquid sulfur on the Lewiston Hill Friday afternoon.  It happened at about 1:00 p.m. Idaho State Police said Kurtis Scheffer, 37, of Blaine, WA was southbound in a semi on the inside lane when, William Slemp, 43, of Lewiston came in from behind in a Toyota pickup on the outside lane to pass.  ISP said Slemp looked off to the left and drifted into the driver’s side of the semi. The pickup collided with the first tank on the trailer, and then Slemp jerked the wheel to the left. The vehicle rolled once coming to rest in an upright position.  Slemp and his 12-year-old son were extricated from the pickup and transported to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. ISP at the scene said both suffered head injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.  There was minor damage to the semi but no sulfur spilled.

  October 17, 2008 Mulberry, Florida, USA

A sulfur dioxide release left 29 workers with injuries this morning.  According to Polk County officials, the leak happened at the Mosaic facility on Highway 60 in Mulberry just before 8 a.m.  A company spokeswoman says the plant routinely admits sulfur dioxide, but weather conditions this morning caused the noxious cloud to hug the ground instead of drifting away.  Sulfur inhalation can cause respiratory problems and nose and throat irritation, and 18 contractors had to be hospitalized with varying degrees of those symptoms.  One person was admitted in serious condition.  As of 9 a.m., the sulfur cloud had dissipated and the scene cleared.

  October 12, 2008 Petrolia, Pennsylvania, USA

At least 2,500 residents were forced to evacuate after a toxic spill in a chemical plant in western Pennsylvania on Saturday.  A corrosive liquid overflowed from a tank at a chemical plant, evaporating into a dense toxic cloud which moved close to the ground in parts of Petrolia, Pennsylvania.  The liquid known as oleum, which resembles sulphuric acid, leaked from a tank at the Indspec Chemical Corp. plant in Petrolia, said plant manager Dave Dorko.  Authorities evacuated 2,500 people within the spill’s range and took them to shelters in nearby towns.  Three residents were taken to the Butler Memorial Hospital, officials said.  The state Department of Environmental Protection said authorities were concerned about the potential for respiratory damage and skin burns. Red Cross officials said they expected to shelter only 50 to 100 people overnight.

Followup

April 13, 2009 - The manager of a western Pennsylvania chemical plant that had a toxic leak in October says the worker who caused the leak was fired.  Indspec Chemical Corp. Petrolia plant manager Dave Dorko says the company plans to meet with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to work out a settlement. OSHA has proposed fining Indspec more than $120,000 for the leak, which led to an acid cloud and forced 2,500 people from their homes for a day. Dorko says Indspec wants to resolve things with OSHA and move on.

May 20, 2009 - State environmental officials have announced a $34,187 fine against a chemical company for a toxic leak that caused and acid cloud that forced hundreds of western Pennsylvania residents to evacuate.   Indspec Chemical Corp. already faces $121,500 in federal workplace safety fines for the leak at its plant in Petrolia on Oct. 11.  About 3,300 pounds of oleum leaked when a transfer tank overflowed because its internal pumps powered by an electrical outlet without an automatic shut-off. Oleum reacts with the atmosphere and the resulting sulfuric acid cloud forced 2,500 people from their homes for a day.

  October 9, 2008 Geismer, Louisiana

Nearby plant workers and residents across the Mississippi River in White Castle sheltered in place Thursday when a valve at the PCS Nitrogen plant in Geismar leaked sulfuric acid, State Police said.  Roads near the plant and in White Castle were blocked for several hours while officials observed the cloud of sulfuric acid vapors produced by the leak, State Police Sgt. Markus Smith said.  The release “didn’t have  a significant impact and there were no reported injuries,” Smith said.  “It sounded worse than it was,” he said.  Nevertheless, the offices of Homeland Security in Ascension and Iberville parishes issued the sheltering in place warnings to plant workers and White Castle residents.  Sheltering in place means people need to stay inside their homes and businesses, turn off their air conditioners and close their doors and windows, said State Police Trooper Russell Graham, public information officer for Troop A.  Law enforcement officers blocked roads in Ascension Parish leading to the plant and in White Castle until the sulfuric acid cloud dissipated, Graham said.  PCS officials reported a weld broke in the storage tank, causing the acid to leak into the atmosphere, Graham said.  “The tank was leaking 30 to 50 gallons a minute,” Graham said. “They have slowed the leak down to about 10 gallons a minute.”  Graham said water trucks sprayed a curtain of water on top of the cloud to keep it down until the emergency was over.   Workers pumped acid out of the leaking, 700-ton capacity tank until it was empty and the emergency was ended, officials said.

  October 1, 2008

An employee working on a filter at Decas Cranberry's water treatment plant was exposed to sulfuric acid Wednesday morning and rushed to the hospital.  At 1 p.m. Wednesday, Decas Cranberry Company President and CEO Jeff Carlson said hazmat officials were still on the scene, but the employee had been treated and released from the hospital "without any permanent injury".  Police received a 911 call at 7:57 a.m. that a chemical spill had occurred at the company.  Carlson estimated between three and five gallons of sulfuric acid, which is used to clean the treatment's filtration system, spilled and affected the employee's eyes.  "We have safety procedures in place and our employees use full equipment when handling anything hazardous," Carlson said.  "The employee was able to get to a nearby wash station and wash his eyes out immediately which is very important. His skin was not burned, but the fumes came in contact with his eyes. After the fire department is done with their work, we'll assess what happened, why it happened and determine if changes need to be made," he said.  The Fire Department said further details would be available after 2 p.m.

  September 28, 2008 Finland

About 2,700 litres of sulphuric acid was spilt at the YIT factory in Ylivieska in Finland on Thursday.  Rescuers said the spill had been caused by human error when filling a tanker lorry.  Some of the acid seeped into the storm drain, but factory workers and firefighters managed to stop it from flowing into the town's water supply.  The fire brigade pumped out some of the acid from the ground and the drain and neutralised the rest with cream of lime.

Transportation
Road
September 27, 2008 Hazardous materials crews from the Unified Fire Authority along with officials from the Utah Department of Transportation and Salt Lake Valley Health Department are trying to figure out how a batch of sulfuric acid ended up on the side of a state road Friday.  A little after 8 a.m., fire crews responded to a 911 call of a possible field fire right off the onramp from state Route 202 to I- 80 near Saltair.   The first responding crews saw a plume of smoke but immediately recognized it did not look like smoke from a field fire, said UFA spokesman Wade Phillips. They recognized it as a chemical spill and called a hazmat crew.  That crew used binoculars to confirm it was a chemical spill. When sulfuric acid meets water it releases white plumes of smoke, which crews had originally believed to be a field fire.  Hazmat crews conducted a "Level-A" entry to the field about 8:45 a.m., meaning they were getting into encapsulated suits to get a closer look at what might have burned, Phillips said. He said there were some foaming bubbles on the ground.  The spill started on the shoulder of state Route 202 and spread over a 45-foot by 25-foot-wide area, Phillips said. The hazmat crew took soil samples and determined it was sulfuric acid. Yet, crews are still not sure exactly how it got there. There were no barrels on the ground to indicate it dropped off a truck, Phillips said. Investigators were looking at all possibilities from a spill to an illegal dump.  The plume never posed a large threat to motorists, as there was little wind, Phillips said, so the freeway remained open.
  September 25, 2008 Grand Haven A small leak from a faulty plug in a one-ton sulfur dioxide tank delivered this week to the city's wastewater treatment plant forced authorities to evacuate about 75 homes for three hours Thursday.  Plant superintendent John Stuparits said the leak on a reserve tank at the rear of the property at 1525 Washington Ave. was discovered by a worker, who immediately called authorities.  Stuparits suspects the plug had a faulty thread, allowing the liquid substance to escape and immediately turn to gas.  Grand Haven Department of Public Safety Capt. Rick Yonker said the concentration of the gas never reached dangerous levels, but the emergency response erred on the side of safety.  Sulfur dioxide is used in municipal treatment plants to neutralize chlorine during the cleaning and disinfection process. Chlorine is toxic to aquatic life, and the plant sits adjacent to the Grand River.  Yonker said police went door-to-door to alert residents of the evacuation over a five-block area on the city's east side. There were no reported injuries or effects from the gas release.  "It's a dangerous irritant and can make breathing difficult if it is out in high concentrations," Yonker said. "Thankfully, that didn't happen here. But you never know how quickly the line will get capped or if the size of the leak will increase."  Mary O'Neill, who lives about a block west of the plant, said she never noticed the pungent odor that spread over the area around the plant. She went to visit her daughter when she was cleared from her home.  "It wasn't much of a problem at all," O'Neill said. "There sure seemed to be a lot of commotion, a lot of police cars. But I never felt that it was a danger."  Residents who were displaced were brought to a nearby church if they had nowhere else to go, Yonker said. City buses transported those people from the area.  "Everything went real smooth," he said.  A county hazardous material team was called to the scene about 4:30 p.m. and had the leak shut down by 7:45 p.m., authorities said.  Stuparits said he doesn't believe the tank was leaking long before it was reported.
  September 21, 2008 Richmond

A gas leak at Richmond's wastewater-treatment plant forced an evacuation of the plant at about 7:30 p.m. yesterday and sent seven people to area hospitals as a precaution.  "We're taking this very seriously," said Robert C. Steidel, deputy director of the city's Department of Public Utilities and one of the first people to respond.  Police said 11 people apparently were affected by the leak of sulfur dioxide gas.  The plant south of the James River near Ancarrow's Landing treats up to 70 million gallons of wastewater a day.  Steidel said the four workers who were on duty at the time detected the leak, immediately evacuated the plant and were treated with oxygen.  Sulfur dioxide can be fatal if inhaled in large quantities, according to medical Web sites.  Four people in the area of the landing who apparently had been fishing were treated at the scene and released. Two other bystanders, an ambulance authority worker and the four plant employees were taken to area hospitals to be examined.  Steidel said the gas is piped from railroad tank cars into a chamber within the plant, where it is injected into water. That mixture is then added to wastewater to rid the water of chlorine before it is discharged into the James River.  The leak apparently occurred in the mixing chamber, which automatically becomes sealed off and airtight when a leak occurs. About 8:40 p.m., hazardous-materials teams determined that the leak had ceased and allowed utilities personnel to re-enter.

Transportation
Road
September 18, 2008 Savavvah, Georgia Emergency responders have closed Bay Street from Fahm to President streets because a tanker truck was leaking sulfuric acid.  Savannah-Chatham police say Bay Street is closed in both directions as Hazmat teams clean up small puddles of sulfuric acid left on the road.
  September 16, 2008 Australia A SUNSHINE North manufacturer has been ordered to pay more than $66,600 to local environment groups after a major sulphur dioxide leak from its plant last year.  The leak of 473 kilos of sulphur dioxide in February last year resulted in a large-scale evacuation of surrounding residences and businesses.  Air Liquide Australia, which operates a gas distribution and dry ice operation in Bunnett St, Sunshine North, was ordered to pay $49,840 to the Moonee Ponds Creek Coordination Committee for an environmental education program for school students in the local catchment and $16,800 for native grassland revegetation in Spring Gully Reserve, Keilor East.  Sunshine Magistrates’ Court heard that Air Liquide discharged sulphur dioxide into the air, which “made the condition of the atmosphere so changed as to make or be reasonably expected to make the atmosphere harmful or potentially harmful to the health, welfare, safety or property of human beings”.  Sulphur dioxide is a common pollutant to which the community is exposed every day at very low levels. Its effects can be extremely debilitating in larger quantities.  The National Ambient Air Quality Standards and Goals recommendation is that exposure to sulphur dioxide is, in an average period of one day, that exposure be no more than 0.08 parts per million, for just one day per year.  Exposure to concentrations of 10 to 50 parts per million for five to 15 minutes causes irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, choking and coughing. Those with im-paired heart or lung function and asthmatics are at increased risk.  Air Liquide national manager specialty gases, Tim Passmore, said the company had made several changes since then, to prevent a recurrence of the incident.  “We have set about updating some of the equipment, even though the plant is only three or four years old,” Mr Passmore said. “We’ve had the Metropolitan Fire Brigade come through and have a look, we had an open day where Work Cover and the neighbours came in, so we could show them what we’ve done and the changes that we’ve made to reassure them that nothing like this will happen again.”
  September 15, 2008 - A worker from Eck Industries in Manitowoc was sent to the hospital late Sunday night after a chemical leak ain the aluminum foundry.  The Manitowoc Fire Department says it happened about 11:00 p.m.  Eck Industries is in the 1600 block North 8th Street.  The haz-mat team had the scene cleared up by 6:00 a.m.  Firefighters say a small amount of sulfur dioxide gas leaked from a tank. One worker came into contact with the gas.  He was taken to the hospital.  His condition was not known as of Monday morning.  All workers, about 30 to 40 workers, according to the fire department, at the plant evacuated when the leak happened.  No one else in the area was evacuated. The fire department says Eck uses sulfur dioxide in its aluminum molding process.  According to the EPA, sulfur dioxide can be acidic and react with other chemicals to make dangerous compounds, and can cause respiratory problems.  Eck Industries officials say business will run as usual Monday.
Transportation
Road
September 15, 2008 Martinez, California A spokesman from the Shell oil refinery in Martinez confirmed today that a truck contracted to remove sulfur from the refinery this morning appears to have spilled a small amount of it on the Marina Vista onramp to southbound Interstate Highway 680.  The material, known as elemental sulfur, has dried on the roadway and is not considered a health or safety risk, Shell's health and safety supervisor Tom McKnight said.  A shell employee noticed the spill as he was driving home from work at 6:38 a.m. and reported it to the California Highway Patrol, Shell spokesman Steve Lesher said.  The trucks were contracted to take the material, a byproduct of the refining process, from the refinery for further processing. Elemental sulfur is used to make a variety of other products, including fertilizer.  The spill area, located at the base of the onramp, is about 10 feet by 15 feet with a 50-yard trail, Lesher said.  Shell crews were still assessing the situation this afternoon to decide whether they would clean it up.  "We don't believe it needs cleaning up," McKnight said. "There's no real hazard there."  He said the spill was too small to be a slip hazard and that the material is not harmful in its current state.  If they do attempt to clean up the spill, the California Highway Patrol would have to close the ramp so crews could chip the material off the roadway, which could damage the pavement, Lesher said.  Shell officials are looking into how the spill occurred and have been talking to the trucking company to find out which truck dropped the material.  No road closures have been necessary and the spill was not considered a hazardous materials situation, Lesher said.
  An acid spill at a Chicago chemical company sent at least one person to the hospital and caused several others to get treatment for respiratory problems.  Hazmat crews were called to two separate locations near the TBS Chemical Company in the 2900-block of East 126th Thursday afternoon. Firefighters say 30 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled.  The acid caused a plume of smoke which may have drifted to the second location nearby.
Transportation
Road
August 22, 2008 Benton County, Indiana A semi rear ended a tanker on US 41 and State Road 352 near Boswell spreading sulfuric acid on the road and releasing toxins in the air.  The semi was coming up behind the tanker apparently not paying attention and at the last minute, swerved to the left and clipped the tanker in the rear and busted open his tanker.  The accident spilled 750 gallons of sulfuric acid and empty aresol cans all over US 41.   The sulfuric acid stung eyes and noses, so the police evacuated homes and businesses closest to the crash and closed the road.  Boswell residents were told to stay inside their homes.
  August 16, 2008 Edmonton, Alberta A fire at the Apache Zama Gas Plant Complex sent three workers to High Level Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  Zama City is about 600 km northwest of Edmonton.  The fire started at 1:30 p.m. on a block of sulphur and was extinguished by 5:30 p.m. Fifteen workers from the plant were evacuated and 30 residents in Zama City fled of their own accord.  The Energy Resources Conservation Board is investigating the cause of the fire. They have not detected any off-lease emissions from the fire.
  August 13, 2008 Australia

OAKEY Abattoir's 700 workers were evacuated yesterday after more than 800 litres of sulphuric acid spilt on site.  Emergency service crews, including a 8specialised Hazardous Chemical Unit, responded quickly to the potentially deadly situation after receiving the call at 9.38am.  All roads surrounding the abattoir were blocked.  Luckily, no-one was injured.  Oakey Abattoir plant manager Bob Bradford said the 800 litres of acid had leaked from a tank located outside the rendering building.  Initially, it was feared 2000 litres had been spilt, however Mr Bradford said the tank only held 2000 litres and that it had been in use for quite some time before the accident occurred.  Mr Bradford said the steel tank had a concrete bunded area around it which contained the spill.  "The tank was reasonably new, actually, as we had replaced the old one recently," he said.  "We're in the process of pumping the fluid from the bunded area to other vessels and then once that is done, the tank will be inspected to find out why it had sprung a leak."  The inspection will be carried out today.  Staff was evacuated and kept outside for 50 minutes before returning to "business as usual".  "We haven't evacuated the plant for anything like this before," Mr Bradford said.  "Everything went as planned, the bunded area worked perfectly and we took the right precautions of evacuating people."

 

August 4, 2008

Houston, Texas

Valero Energy Corp said production at its 130,000 barrel per day Houston refinery was temporarily reduced after an incident that heavily damaged a sulfur loading tank on Monday morning.  The Houston Fire Department said the tank, which contained sulfur dioxide, ruptured, leading to a shelter-in-place order to nearby residents in Houston's Manchester neighborhood. The shelter order was lifted about two hours after the incident.  A total of five workers -- three contract employees from the refinery and two contractors from nearby facilities -- were taken to hospitals following the incident with breathing problems.  All had been released by mid-afternoon, the company said.  Earlier Valero said four workers were taken to hospitals.  Small homes in the Manchester neighborhood are across local streets from the refinery, which is at the west end of the Houston Ship Channel.  Local television station KHOU-TV showed video of a smoldering tank with a large hole in a portion of its roof at the refinery in a Monday morning news report. Debris could be seen on the ground near the tank.

  July 28, 2008 Richmond, Virgina A sulfuric acid spill at the Chevron refinery this morning has caused no injuries or adverse effects to surrounding areas, the company said.  A leak in a pipeline containing the chemical was discovered around 8:10 a.m. and involved about 1,000 pounds of the liquid, said Chevron spokesman Walt Gill.  Because the sulfuric acid was in liquid and not vapor form, there was no harmful odor emitted, Gill said. Crews have been dispatched to clean up the spill.  Even though the spill did not cause any significant damage or harm, Gill said, the volume of the spill required the company to report it to county and state authorities.
Transportation
Road
July 28, 2008 Sand Springs. Oklahoma

A tanker loaded with sulfuric acid and bleach burns on US 412 Monday morning. Emergency responders shut down the busy highway both directions while fighting the blaze.  The driver of the truck said he was hauling the chemicals on US 412 near the Keystone Dam, when a tire on his truck blew out.  "I just know that I was suddenly in the rail," he said.  Doug Stevens, the operations manager for the chemical company involved, said bleach could have a reaction to sulfuric acid, but said there was little danger to the firefighters or general public from the smoke released from the fire.  Sand Springs Fire Chief Mark Joslin said there was concern about spraying water on the sulfuric acid. That could produce a violent chemical reaction. That, combined with the potential for runoff of the dangerous chemicals into the lake, played into firefighters' decisions to let the fire burn itself out.  The blaze sparked several grass fires, as well.  Emergency workers shut down US 412 for hours while fighting the blaze. As of press time, there was no word on when it would be re-opened.

  July 18, 2008 Grand Blanc Residents near Grand Blanc Processing off Baldwin Road were evacuated early today when several tanks filled with sulfuric acid caught fire.  Police were called to the plant at 10151 Gainey Drive about 4 a.m., said Grand Blanc Area Fire Department Fire Chief Jim Harmes.  Most of the fires were quickly under control, but firefighters were concerned about hazardous vapors in the air so began evacuating residences and businesses about 5 a.m. in about a half-mile area from the plant. One tank continued to burn from the inside, making it difficult for firefighters to put the flames out, Harmes said.
  July 16, 2008

South Elgin, Illinois

One man was injured and dozens of firefighters were tied up for several hours Tuesday after an industrial accident spilled an estimated 40 gallons of sulfuric acid in a Custom Aluminum Products building at 410 Division St.  Capt. Burt Lancaster of the South Elgin & Countryside Fire Protection District said a 58-year-old male employee sustained second-degree burns on his arms when the acid began leaking from a pipe about 10:45 a.m. The man, whose name had not been released, was taken to Provena Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin, where he was reported to be "in good shape," Lancaster said.  Fire Chief Joe Cluchey said that when firefighters arrived, they found employees working to shut off the spill, but "we also noted product still being released from some of the dispensing equipment. Employees confirmed that this product was sulfuric acid."   Cluchey said 15 workers were evacuated from the anodizing factory, which is one of a complex of seven adjoining buildings operated by Custom Aluminum and the affiliated company Casco Industries. However, when testing revealed the outside air was not dangerously contaminated with fumes, work was allowed to continue in the other six buildings.  The chief said Custom Aluminum managers believed they were able to shut down the leak by shutting down an air compressor. But help from six other fire departments was called to get enough trained hazardous-materials technicians to enter the building, make sure the leaking had stopped, and make sure no liquid acid was leaking into any drains or areas outside the building. One crew of technicians entered the factory wearing impermeable plastic suits and positive-pressure breathing gear, while another crew, similarly equipped, waited outside in case anyone in the first crew collapsed.  Misting fans and tent-like shelters were set up to cool off the heavily encumbered technicians as a cloudless sun beat down through the 90-degree air.  About 1 p.m., the spill was declared to be contained, and a crew from Hazchem Environmental Corp., a private cleanup contractor hired by Custom Aluminum, had arrived to remove the acid and complete repairs.  South Elgin firefighters were assisted by technicians, ambulances and/or standby fire engines from the Elgin, West Dundee and Hanover Park fire departments, plus the Hampshire, Pingree Grove & Countryside, and Rutland-Dundee Townships fire protection districts.

  July 10, 2008 Kurashiki, Okayama A pipe that carries sulfuric acid at an oil refinery of Nippon Oil Corp. in Kurashiki was discovered early Monday to be partially broken, resulting in a leakage of the high-concentration liquid, police said.  An employee at the Mizushima oil refinery noticed the leak at about 2:40 a.m. and contacted the local fire department.  It is believed that up to about 1,000 liters of the acid leaked from the five-centimeter-diameter pipe, and there are fears some of the liquid might have spilled into the Seto Inland Sea.  No damage has been reported so far, but the Mizushima Coast Guard Office ordered surveillance vessels to the area to investigate possible damages.  According to the refinery, highly concentrated sulfuric acid used to produce gasoline was sent via the pipe to a factory from a tank about a kilometer from the refinery.
Transportation
Road

July 10, 2008

-

A roll over accident on an I-75 exit ramp had environmental clean up crews busy this morning.  A semi carry sulfuric acid tipped over when it tried to take the exit ramp from State Route 65 to 75.  A small amount of the acid leaked out in the crash.  The State Highway Patrol says that the ramp had to be closed for a short time so that the spill could be cleaned up, but only a small amount is said to have gotten out.

  July 9, 2008 Baltimore, Maryland

Firefighters worked yesterday morning to contain a spill of sulfuric acid at the Maryland Chemical Co. on Childs Street in South Baltimore.  A Fire Department spokesman said a contract worker was injured when some of the chemical spilled on his hands.  Chief Kevin Cartwright said the worker, whose age and identity were not available, was taken to a hospital.  He said the man had been trying to repair a 4,000-gallon tank when it ruptured about 9:30 a.m.  Most of the spill was contained by a berm set up for that purpose, and Cartwright said there are "no concerns environmentally."  The Fire Department contained the spill by 11 a.m.

Transportation
Road

July 2, 2008

Rochester, Minnesota

A tank carrying approximately 175 gallons of sulfuric acid fell off the back of a semi truck on Highway 54 near Grant Avenue in Portage County this morning.  Authorities closed the highway between Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids to clean up the spill. The road was still closed at noon. Hazardous materials teams from the Whiting Fire Department and Waupaca county were dispatched to the scene.  The tank was laying in the center median of the highway, and some of the acid pooled in a nearby ditch.  According to Lt. Dan Kontos of the Portage County Sheriff’s Department, the truck was leaving the So-White building on 54 when it turned west and the tank fell.  “There was a vapor cloud when I arrived on the scene,” Kontos said. “I could smell it as soon as I got out of my truck.”  Authorities will set up a series of booms and dikes to keep the chemical from penetrating the ground and reaching the ground water. The next step will be to apply soda ash to neutralize then remove the tank, Kontos said.  “Conditions are good right now because the wind is out,” said Plover Fire Chief Tim Kluck. “At this time we aren’t evacuating the nearby businesses.”  The chemical is used to clean concrete and can be harmful if inhaled, Kluck said.
The state Department of Natural Resources, the Portage County Sheriff’s Department, the Plover Police Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol also responded.

  June 19, 2008 Hillsboro, North Dakota The American Crystal Sugar Co. plant in Hillsboro, N.D., was evacuated, and more than 20 people were taken to local hospitals after a chemical leak at the plant.  Sulfur dioxide, which is used in processing sugar beets into sugar, leaked from a hose from a delivery truck parked outside the plant unloading the chemical into a storage tank at the factory. The gas was released shortly before noon Wednesday and drifted into the factory.  A statement released by Traill County Sheriff Mike Crocker said 21 people at the plant, mostly contractors, were transported to Union Hospital in Mayville, N.D., and the Hillsboro Medical Center in Hillsboro.  Some complained of respiratory problems caused by the inhalation of sulfur dioxide, a cold, compressed gas.  The driver of the delivery truck, who was wearing proper protective gear and managed to shut off the flow of the chemical from the truck to the storage tank, also suffered sulfur dioxide burns to his feet, according to the sheriff’s department.  About 225 people, 150 of them American Crystal employees and the rest contractors, were evacuated from the plant, according to the company. Emergency crews were present at the scene giving oxygen to those who were exposed, the company said in a press release.  Authorities still were investigating the leak and monitoring the plant late Wednesday. The Grand Forks hazardous materials team was called in to inspect and remove the hose from the truck, which still was leaking a small amount of sulfur dioxide into the air.  “American Crystal will conduct a full and thorough investigation,” Schweitzer said. “But it looks like all appropriate actions were taken to limit the amount of sulfur dioxide released, to evacuate our factory and to take the proper precautions so the event was minimized as much as possible.”  Schweitzer blamed the leak on an apparent hose malfunction, allowing a vapor cloud to be released. He said such an accident is rare.  “It is not a common occurrence,” Schweitzer said. “In the 13 years I have been working with American Crystal, I can’t remember something like this happening.”

March 31, 2011 - A man who alleges he was injured in 2008 by a sulfur-dioxide leak at a sugar beet processing plant in Hillsboro, N.D., wants three companies to be held responsible for his medical expenses and lost wages, according to a suit filed in federal court.  A man who alleges he was injured in 2008 by a sulfur-dioxide leak at a sugar beet processing plant in Hillsboro, N.D., wants three companies to be held responsible for his medical expenses and lost wages, according to a suit filed in federal court.  Conrad Rostvet, 56, of Adams, N.D., is suing American Crystal Sugar Co. of Minnesota, Lock City Transportation Inc. of Michigan and Smart-Hose Technologies Inc. of Pennsylvania.  Rostvet’s suit says he was working as a contractor June 18, 2008, at the beet plant owned by American Crystal. The same day, a truck driver from Lock City Transportation had been hired to pick up sulfur dioxide from the plant, the suit says.  To transfer the sulfur dioxide, the suit says, the truck driver used a hose made by Smart-Hose Technologies. During the transfer, the hose or other parts broke or malfunctioned, releasing sulfur dioxide into the air, the suit alleges.  At the time, Rostvet was working nearby, and he was “significantly and severely injured” by the gas, the suit says.  Sulfur dioxide, which is used to process sugar beets into sugar, is a colorless gas with a strong odor. When inhaled, it can affect the lungs and at high levels may cause “burning of the nose and throat, breathing difficulties and severe airway obstructions,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  According to Rostvet’s suit: Lock City Transportation was negligent in transferring the sulfur dioxide; Smart-Hose Technologies’ hose and equipment were defective; and American Crystal did not properly oversee the transfer.  American Crystal denies Rostvet’s allegations and blames Lock City Transportation for the leak, according to court documents filed last week. Lock City Transportation and Smart-Hose Technologies have not responded to the suit.  In 2008, the Herald reported on the leak which sent 21 people, mostly contractors, to local hospitals. Some complained of respiratory problems caused by the inhalation of sulfur dioxide. The truck driver, who was wearing protective gear, suffered sulfur-dioxide burns on his feet, according to the Traill County Sheriff's Department.   About 225 people, 150 of them American Crystal employees and the rest contractors, were evacuated from the plant, the company said. The leak, which occurred shortly before noon, was contained the same day, and the plant was re-opened that night. Officials said the leak posed no risk to the public.

  June 14, 2008 Kiev

Kiev, 14 June: Sulphur dioxide leaked out at [chemical plant] Stirol Concern in Horlivka, Donetsk Region, at 0600 [0300 gmt] today during the launch after repairs of a facility to manufacture sulphuric acid, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency has learned from the press service of the territorial directorate of the state mining inspectorate in Donetsk Region.  A chemical cloud covered the territory of the state-owned coal mine Shakhta Oleksandr-Zakhid.  The press service said that 17 mine workers had complained they felt bad and had undergone a medical examination.  A total of 15 mine workers have been diagnosed as having poisoning and admitted to hospital.

  June 6, 2008 - NOWRA Chemical Manufacturers has been fined $100,000 in the Land and Environment Court over an acid spill.  The Land and Environment Court heard that Nowra Chemical Manufacturers Pty Ltd allowed 1700 litres of a sulphuric acid solution to escape from its premises in January last year.  The company admitted that during the early hours of the morning on January 19, 2007, 1700 litres of sulphuric acid solution leaked from an unbunded storage tank with a flange not suitable for storing sulphuric acid, located on the premises.  The court heard company employees hosed the acid down an on-site stormwater drain.  The acid solution mixed with tap water flowed to a nearby heavily vegetated stormwater easement.  The court found 5000 litres of the acid solution mixed with tap water were recovered from the easement.  The court found that the leak caused severe harm to common plant species within a 22-metre stretch of the stormwater easement.  The court also found there was the potential for greater harm, but this was ameliorated by the company’s prompt clean-up works.  It was noted the decision to store the acid in the unbunded tank represented a high level failure at the company.
  May 31, 2008 Hull RESIDENTS in part of north Hull were urged to keep doors and windows closed after a chemical leak left a toxic plume over an industrial estate.  About 40 firefighters, some wearing chemical suits and breathing apparatus, worked to contain the concentrated sulphuric acid.  Crews from Humberside Fire and Rescue Service were called to the incident at Holmes Halls Tanners in Air Street, Wincolmlee, at about 9.30am yesterday.  A worker called the fire service after spotting smoke, caused by the acid reacting.  About 250 gallons of acid leaked from a ruptured 500-gallon cylinder.  Glenn Ramsden, of Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said: “It's not dangerous, but there was an extremely unpleasant smell and for that reason people were asked to keep doors and windows closed.  “Fortunately for us it's not a densely populated area, which worked in our favour.  “We have been blowing the fumes out of the factory using fans.”  Sulphuric acid is used in the process of tanning leather.  It is highly toxic and can cause severe burns if in contact with skin or eyes.  Crews stemmed the flow of acid before applying lime or calcium carbonate to neutralise the acid.  No one from the firm was available for comment
  May 26, 2008 Tanzania Reports from Tanzania say there was scare at the Dar es Salaam port when suspect cargo alleged to be carrying more than 12,000 metric tonnes of bright yellow sulfur, a highly toxic chemical, caught fire.  The chemicals, which arrived aboard a Cambodian shipping vessel, MV SALINA, were received by a Dar es Salaam-based company, Grindrod Tanzania Limited.  It is understood that some of the chemicals were also spilt while being transported by rail after being offloaded from the ship.  “The huge bulk of cargo of yellow sulfur in powdered form is highly toxic, highly hazardous and dangerous to human life, animals and environment”, said a court document filed by Dar es Salaam law firm, Sheikh’s Chambers of Advocates.  The document, a written statement of defense, was filed on behalf of the owner of MV SALINA after the company was sued at the High Court in Dar es Salaam by Chemical Initiatives (PTY) Limited, the South African owner of the chemicals, which is demanding a 2bn/- compensation for an alleged contamination and theft or loss of some of the cargo.  Official court documents quoted by a local daily, ThisDay say a total of 12,356.740 metric tonnes of bright yellow sulfur arrived in Dar es Salaam on March 14, this year, contrary to the country’s Industrial and Consumer Chemicals (Management and Control) Act Number 3 of 2003.  Contrary to Tanzanian laws and regulations on chemicals, the cargo of yellow sulfur was unloaded from the vessel without any special necessary measures being taken by the plaintiff’s agents, Ms Grindrod Tanzania Limited, to protect the stevedores and the environment from pollution”, says the statement from Sheikh’s Chambers of Advocates.  Advocate Hamida Sheikh, maintains that the chemicals, which are the main object in the suit, are highly hazardous and are described by Tanzanian laws as chemical wastes prohibited from being imported into Tanzania.  Section 43 (1) of the Industrial and Consumer Chemicals (Management and Control) Act states that “’No person shall be allowed to import chemical wastes in the country”.  But lawyers representing the ship owner maintain that the cargo was illegally imported into the country, hence the lawsuit in question was in fact asking the court to enforce an unlawful contract.  The chemicals, originating from the Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company of Saudi Arabia, were reportedly in transit to Zambia.
Transportation
Road
May 6, 2008 Makkah The Road Safety Administration (RSA) and the Civil Defense in Makkah have come under severe criticism for failing to take quick action to avert a possible environmental disaster when a truck leaking highly hazardous acid broke down close to the holy city on Saturday.  “The truck, which was leaking concentrated sulfuric acid, remained on the expressway a little away from the entrance to the holy city for 22 hours. It was neglected by the RSA and the Civil Defense, which are the bodies responsible for dealing with such situations,” said Fahd Al-Turkistani, a chemical expert and environmental activist.  The truck, which broke down at about 10 p.m. on Saturday, was only noticed around 8 p.m. the next day by the RSA, which called the Civil Defense. It was then taken to a safe place away from the road and its load was transferred into another truck.  The Civil Defense also used alkaline substances to neutralize the leaked acid. This operation took about 16 hours, according to a spokesman for the Civil Defense.  The truck was taking the acid from a Dammam factory to a desalination plant in Jeddah. When it arrived in Jeddah, the plant refused to take delivery after a leak in the truck’s tank was discovered.  On its return to Dammam, the truck broke down and the acid began leaking on the road. It was then that the driver requested his company in Dammam to send another truck to take back the cargo.  “The truck’s owner should be held accountable for not taking necessary precautions. The desalination plant also deserves to be penalized for its irresponsible handling of the situation,” said Al-Turkistani. “The company should have informed the police of the situation and should not have permitted the driver to take the toxic cargo all the way back to Dammam in a leaking truck,” he added.  Al-Turkistani said he was surprised by the response of the Chemical Safety Wing at the Presidency for Metereology and Environment when he asked it to send a truck to transfer the acid.  “Some officials at the presidency asked me who would pay the cost of the truck, instead of sending emergency help,” said Al-Turkistani.  On the other hand, Lt. Col. Ali Al-Muntasheri, official spokesman for the Makkah Civil Defense, said his department responded quickly when the truck was discovered.  He said firefighters neutralized the leaked acid and moved the truck to a safe place before transferring its content to another truck, he said.
Transportation
Road
May 1, 2008 Londonerry, UK Traffic in the Altnagelvin area of Londonderry has been brought to a standstill after a tanker containing sulphuric acid overturned.  All approach roads to Altnagelvin roundabout are closed and police have advised motorists to find alternative routes and avoid the area if possible.  A police spokesman said there were no reports of any injuries.
Transportation
Rail
March 31, 2008 Northfield, Minnesota A derailment of 28 cars on a Union Pacific Corp. (UNP) freight train near Northfield resulted in a leak of sulfuric acid.  Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said the derailment occurred near a residential area at about 2 a.m. Monday.  No injuries were reported from the derailment and no evacuations had been ordered as of 6 a.m.  The acid was leaking slowly from only one tanker car.
Twenty-eight of 104 cars on the train left the track.  Emergency crews poured lime on the spilled acid to neutralize it and built an earthen dam to contain it.  An environmental crew also monitored air quality and tested the soil.  Workers planned to pump out the tanker and remove the sulfuric acid in trucks.  The railroad didn't know how much sulfuric acid spilled or exactly how much the tanker contained, but the tanker held up to 14,000 gallons. A second derailed car holding sulfuric acid did not leak.

Follow-up

Car positioning appears to be what caused a 28-car train derailment in Northfield, according to a railroad official.  “The derailment at Northfield on March 31 was determined to have been caused by the way the various train cars were placed or positioned in the train makeup — the way the loaded cars and empty cars were positioned in the train,” said Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific.  The 104-car train headed southbound on its way to North Platte, Neb., derailed north of Greenvale Avenue around 2 a.m. March 31, causing a tanker to leak about 655 gallons of sulfuric acid. There were no injuries nor evacuations, although Davis said he was checking to see if any residents had filed claims with the railroad of suffering poor health as a result of the derailment.  Other than the tanker that was half full with sulfuric acid and another tanker that held peanut oil, the rest of the train’s cars were either empty or carrying stick lumber, Davis said immediately after the derailment.  Davis said Friday in an e-mail that the railroad is running simulations to determine exactly how the makeup of the cars contributed to the wreck. Once they have that information, Davis said, they’ll review it with all employees to ensure proper loading and empty car placement. Federal law also requires that the railroad file a report on its findings to the Federal Railroad Administration.  “An example of how train makeup can contribute to a derailment — if there are too many empty cars in front of heavy-loaded cars as the train is coming to a stop, the heavy cars’ weight will ‘push’ an empty car off the track,” Davis said.  The FRA’s report on the derailment is pending, according to its Web site. At the time of the derailment, FRA spokesman Steven Kulm said it would be months before its investigators would complete their report.

  February 20, 2008 Pascagoula, Mississippi Gases were released on site at a sulfuric acid plant Wednesday when a weld near the top of a converter vessel suddenly ruptured, Mississippi Phosphates Corporation said.   Two employees received burns as a result of the accident and both were released after receiving treatment at local facilities, the company said.  The plant is one of two sulfuric acid facilities operated by Mississippi Phosphates at its diammonium phosphate, or DAP, fertilizer facility in Pascagoula.  The company said it continues to conduct air monitoring and had found no detectable concentration of gas or odor outside its facility.  "On-site gas levels fall below threshold levels of concern," the company said in a statement. "All appropriate governmental authorities and agencies have been notified and the group continues to closely monitor what appears to be an improving situation."  The cause of the apparent weld failure and the extent of damage to the plant are being investigated, the company said.  Representatives of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality were sent to the plant.  In January, the company had said that one of its 1,500 ton-per-day sulfuric acid plants would be down for several weeks while additional repairs were made to a boiler. It said the boiler had suffered a major failure in July of last year and that initial repairs had been after repairs. At the time Mississippi Phosphates blamed the problem on the contractor that had done the work.
Transportation
Road
February 13, 2008 China

Chinese tanker truck carrying more than 30 metric tons of sulphuric acid has crashed in southwest China, spilling its load into a river and causing "serious pollution," state media said on Wednesday.  The accident occurred on Tuesday, the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday, when the truck ran into the guard rail on a highway linking Anning and Chuxiong in the mountainous province of Yunnan, Xinhua news agency said.  "Some of the sulphuric acid has flown into a roadside river and has caused serious pollution. Many fish were killed," Xinhua said.  No human casualties were reported, but up to 1,000 vehicles were stranded along a section of the highway, it said.  "The government has sent for another truck to load the sulphuric acid still in the truck," Xinhua said. It did not say if the spill had affected any drinking water supplies.

Transportation
Rail
February 4, 2008 Richmond County, Georgia A leaking train car caused a road to shut down in south Richmond County.  The leak was found in the morning in a tank car containing sulfur trioxide. The leak stopped on its own.  As a precaution, Goshen Industrial Boulevard was been shut down until DuPont representatives arrive around 3 p.m. today to clean up the spill. The tank car is owned by DuPont.  At the time, no one was in danger from the spill. They hope to have the leak patched by nightfall.  The spill occured on a rail line owned by Norfolk Southern.
  January 24, 2008 China Sulfuric acid leaked into the water supply from a chemical factory in central China, poisoning at least 26 villagers who were admitted to hospital.  Authorities said the victims had nausea and swollen faces.  An underground pipe broke at the factory - part of the Xiaoping coal mine complex in Banqiao town in Hunan province's Chenxi county - causing the chemical leak into groundwater supplies, said Yang Changyou of the Chenxi information office.  "There are 26 people seriously poisoned and hospitalised, and more than 200 villagers are receiving free medical check-ups, but no one died in the accident," Yang said.  The government was providing free bottled water and extra water supplies from four fire engines, he said, adding that authorities were trying to track and contain the leak.  The Beijing News said the number of poisoning cases could reach 1,000, citing the hospital and relatives of those sickened by the polluted water.  That estimate could not be immediately confirmed.
Transportation
Road
January 23, 2008 Bristol, Virginia Traffic on Interstate 81 began moving normally at about 8:15 p.m. Thursday, some 26 hours after a two-truck crash brought the artery to a standstill.  Both north- and southbound lanes first were closed about 6 p.m. Wednesday when a tanker carrying sulfuric acid ground to a stop in the grassy median after being struck by another tractor-trailer that crossed from the northbound lanes.  The tanker and its caustic cargo remained there, at the 8.7 mile marker, until another tanker could be brought to the scene and the acid could be safely pumped into it Thursday. Officials feared moving the wrecked tanker because its exterior was damaged, said Sgt. Michael Conroy of the Virginia State Police.  "They had trouble finding a tanker to transfer the load. You might think they’re all alike, but they have different insulation and the first one they located was not properly insulated. It’s a very specialized product," Conroy said of the acid cargo.  One lane on both the north- and southbound sides was opened Thursday morning as authorities waited for the second tanker to arrive from Alabama, Conroy said.  A tanker from Texas-based FSTI arrived about 1:45 p.m., and contract environmental workers wearing green biohazard suits and face shields began the process of hooking up hoses and a pump to transfer the acid.  After testing revealed a small leak in the system, repairs were made and the process to off-load about 2,400 gallons of the acid got under way.  Because the acid is so flammable and so dangerous, authorities again closed both sides of the interstate between 4 and 5 p.m., said Michelle Earl of the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Transportation
Rail
January 19, 2008 -

No one was injured when a rail car carrying sulfuric acid came off the tracks at GAC Chemical Corp. and released a small amount of the chemical.  The accident occurred while GAC was taking delivery of four or five carloads of sulfuric acid that came in on the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway. The car derailed due to human error, he said, and came to a rest leaning at a 45-degree angle.   The car's connection to the rest of the train prevented the rail car from tipping completely over.  Once the crane arrived, Dittmeier said the tipped car was hoisted and loaded onto an empty car, so it would remain upright. The process took between two and three hours, he said, to give GAC personnel time to inspect the tracks and rail car for any damages. Dittmeier said there appeared to be no damage to either. Then, the crane was used again to reset the car onto the track.  When the car was being transferred the last time, the repositioning caused it to "burp," according to Dittmeier. This caused about 10 gallons of sulfuric acid to spill onto the top of the railcar, a problem that was easily contained.

  January 13, 2008 Kunnming, Yunnan Province, China Five people were killed and 32 injured when an explosion ripped through a chemical factory in southwestern China's Yunnan province on Sunday.  Two people remain missing after the early morning explosion at a sulphuric acid plant in the provincial capital of Kunnming ignited a large fire on the factory premises, Xinhua news agency said.  The injured had been hospitalized and were out of danger. An official with the city's publicity office told Xinhua that seven seriously injured people were in critical condition.  Rescuers were searching for the missing, according to a notice issued by the city government of Kunming.  "Rescuers said the survival chances for the two missing are very slim," said an official who declined to give his name.  The explosion happened at a sulphuric acid plant under the state-run Yuntianhua International Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., a leading chemical fertilizer producer in China, at 3:52 a.m. Sunday and caused a big fire.  Sulphur powder exploded and caused the fire when workers were loading them in front of a store house, said investigators from the city's work safety administration.  The fire was put out at around 8:00 a.m. Sunday. Air quality in the neighborhood of the sulphuric acid plant, which is less than 40 kilometers from the downtown area of Kunming, remained normal, according to the city's environment protection bureau.  On Sunday afternoon, a great deal of sulphur powder could still be seen in the messy warehouse when policemen with masks and helmets were busy investigating at the scene.   Wang Xiaoguang, vice mayor of Kunming, arrived at the site to supervise the rescue operation and told the city's factories to carry out thorough safety examinations.  The Kunming city government had set up a task force to investigate into cause of the accident and to deal with the aftermath, said Wang.  Located at the Haikou town in Xishan District in western part of Kunming, the sulphuric acid plant is run by the Yunnan Sanhuan Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Yuntianhua International Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., and it has more than 1,000 employees.  According to Huang Helong, an official with the Yunnan Sanhuan Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., all the victims were workers of the plant.  Huang said the rescue operation had almost finished and the whereabouts of the two missing were still unknown.  Founded in the 1970s, the sulphuric acid plant, which covers more than 50 hectares, is designed to produce 1.39 million tons of sulphuric acid and 1.2 million tons of phosphate sulfate fertilizer annually.
  December 31, 2007 Franklin, Virginia Outside International Paper in Franklin, steam filled the air, but it's what you couldn't see that had hazmat teams concerned Monday night. Just outside the plant a train car was leaking sulfuric acid.  "They're thinking it got over pressurized," said Chief Chris Carr of the Carrsville Volunteer Fire Department.  Chief Carr was just one of many people stationed at a nearby staging area, in case their help was needed.  "They have a team in place at the mill for these types of situations. They basically handle all of them, but being this one was just outside the plant when it happened we were called in," said Chief Carr.  Chief Carr says the on-site hazmat team was able to handle the spill, which turned out to be minor. He says mill employees were able to contain the spill which posed no threat to the public.  "Very little risk to people in the area or to workers, either one," said Chief Carr.  He says, had their been any serious risk, crews would have worked to neutralize the acid. Instead they decided to move the car inside the plant and off load what was left.
  December 31, 2007 Rialto, California No evacuations were ordered and no roads were closed Monday after a small amount of sulfuric acid leaked from a Union Pacific Railroad tanker car in Rialto, officials reported.  Union Pacific spokesman James Barnes said the acid -- a thick goop which sticks to surfaces -- never touched the ground.  The leaked acid, which was estimated at 5 gallons, was cleaned up within hours of the initial 9 a.m. report.  A Rialto Fire Department report said the leak resulted from mechanical failure involving a valve at the top of the tanker car.  Repairs were made and the tanker was back in service without incident by 1 p.m., the news release said.  After the leak was reported, hazardous-material crews from Union Pacific and the Rialto Fire Department responded to Union Pacific's West Colton Classification Yard near Slover Avenue.  Crews entered the area wearing protective chemical gear, Rialto fire Capt. Brian Park said.  Before assessing the damage, crews determined whether the damaged car could be repaired or if they needed to transfer the estimated 130,000 gallons of sulfuric acid to a second tanker car.
Transportation
Rail
December 27, 2007 Pevely, Missouri A train derailment in Pevely involving sulfuric acid transport cars left cleanup workers scrambling Thursday.  The incident occurred Wednesday at about 9:30 p.m. when four cars containing the acid plunged down an embankment near the Dow Chemical Company plant on Route Z.  Two cars not carrying acid were also damaged.  No one was injured, and no chemicals leaked from the cars despite a drop of roughly 100 feet.  No evacuation was necessary.  The cause of the derailment is unknown.  "It's still under investigation," said Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad.   Officials with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were contacted in the aftermath of the derailment following concerns about a possible chemical leak into a ravine at the scene of the incident.  A DNR environmental emergency response worker was called to the scene along with officials from neighboring fire and police departments and the Jefferson County Hazardous Material Team.  Cleaning crews transferred sulfuric acid from damaged cars into tank cars as part of the cleanup process.  Davis said the rail cars were able to withstand such a drop thanks to their solid build.  "It's really a testament to today's tank car design," he said. "We work with car manufacturers on design and safety, and to have this type of incident with no leak really punctuates that."  Davis said the train, more than 40 cars in length, travels between Ste. Genevieve County and the city of St. Louis.  Rosemarie Rung, spokeswoman for Dow Chemical, said the derailment caused only minor disruption to the plant.  "Only a little, because of the increased traffic," she said. "It's nothing we can't recover from. There's no spillage."
Transportation
Road
December 14, 2007 Detroit , Michigan A truck spilled 550 gallons of chemicals in Fraser this afternoon, closing Masonic Boulevard, between Groesbeck Highway and Utica Roads.   Local businesses were evacuated and crews conducted a total cleanup of the area.  Fraser Public Safety officers responded to a call around 3:30 p.m. Friday of a vacuum truck containing about 550 gallons of sulfuric and nitric acid developing a leak near one of its valves.  The Clinton Township hazardous materials team arrived on the scene and determined all of the truck's contents had emptied, some of which ran off the road and into a nearby sewer and drain.  No one was injured in the incident.  
  December 10, 2007 Houston, Texas A truck driver was burned on more than 90 percent of his body Saturday in a work-related accident.  The incident happened around 12:53 p.m. at the Brazos Valley Energy Power Plant at 3440 Lockwood Road.   According to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office, an off-loading hose burst during loading, spilling 500 gallons of 93 percent sulfuric acid.  Vincent Lewis, 44, was flown by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital and was admitted to the burn unit. Officials said he's in stable condition.  A power plant worker, 31-year-old Allen Perez, was also burned but not as badly. He was transported by EMS to Oak Bend Hospital.
Transportation
Road
November 27, 2007 Mount Laurel, New Jersey A tanker truck leaking sulfuric acid caused traffic problems along Route 73.  Crews worked to contain the spill.  Police said the leak was reported by a motorist around 7:20 a.m. who saw the truck as it exited I-295.  Officers stopped the truck at the intersection of 73 and Church Road. They contacted the Burlington County Hazardous Material Response team.  Route 73 was partially closed for nearly two hours as crews worked to contain and clean the leak. Police said there were no evacuations and no injuries.
Transportation
Marine
November 11, 2007 Kerch Strait, Black Sea A storm sank two vessels, the Volnogorsk and the Nakhichevan, which were each carrying 2,000 tons of sulphur.

Update December 14, 2007 - European Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) presents experts' report on oil spill in Kerch StraitIt concluded that the sunken sulphur did not pose an immediate acute risk to the environment but recommended that the sunken ships with sulphur on board be salvaged so that the sulphur can be appropriately processed.

Transportation
Road
November 5, 2007 Fresno, California A truck carrying sulphuric acid rolled over while entering Highway 168 on an onramp.  It was unclear if the truck was traveling at an unsafe speed or if the load shifted. The truck rolled over and blocked the lanes of traffic.  People on the scene tried to help the truck’s driver who was trapped inside the cab before CHP arrived. Firefighters sawed open the twisted metal to reach the driver who was in critical condition. The driver was airlifted to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.  Since the tanker truck was full of sulfuric acid when it crashed, authorities had to bring another truck to pump out the acid before they could clean up the crash site.  The front of the truck was crushed but the tank remained intact.
Transportation
Road
October 19, 2007 Hughenden, Queensland, Australia

A road train carrying three trailers of sulphuric acid overturned near Hughenden, in central north Queensland.  The Flinders Highway was closed after the eastbound road train crashed about 30km east of Hughenden.  Police said the road train was passing a truck and sedan travelling in the opposite direction when its third trailer veered into a ditch before swerving across the road and overturning.  None of the sulphuric acid was spilt in the accident and there were no other environmental concerns.  No one was injured in the accident.

  October 12, 2007 Syracuse, New York About 1,000 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled at the Bristol-Myers Squibb plant.  The spill traveled across the property eventually flowing into a sewer.  The sewer is a closed sewer on the site so no acid ever left the property.  The acid was neutralized while in the sewer by an outside contractor.  The acid is used to treat boiler water.
Transportation
Road
October 10, 2007 McCoole, Maryland Allegany County’s Hazardous Incident Response Team and other emergency personnel responded to the Crooks Avenue area late Wednesday morning when a tanker was reportedly leaking sulfuric acid from an exterior hose of the rig.  Maryland State Police also responded to incident that shut down Crooks Avenue, which is located off McMullen Highway near state Route 135.  The chemical leak, which was first reported to the Allegany County 911 Joint Communications Division at 11:16 a.m., prompted McCoole Volunteer Fire Company to the scene along with State Highway Administration personnel. The Maryland Department of the Environment was also notified of the emergency.  Initial reports indicated an “exterior hose” was leaking the sulfuric acid and the driver detected the leak but was unable to shut it off. The tanker was reportedly parked on the side of the road at Crooks Avenue when the incident began.  Early Wednesday afternoon, no information was available concerning the amount of acid that had leaked from the tanker or the rate at which it was reportedly leaking.
Transportation
Road
October 9, 2007 Fairland, Indiana A collision between two tractor trailers resulted in a sulphuric acid leak from the lead trailer.  A tractor trailer hauling sulphuric acid was rear-ended as it slowed to leave an exit ramp.  The collision caused heavy damage to the rear of the trailer damaging a valve allowing sulphuric acid to leak out.  A spill recovery team was able to contain the leak to a small area.
  October 2, 2007 Taft, California

A woman crashes into a tank causing an acid spill near Taft.  A hazmat crew was called out after the vehicle had put a four inch gash into the side of a tank carrying sulfuric acid.  The acid was coming out at a slow rate, but did cause a small puddle.  Hazmat determined there was no immediate threat so now it's up to the owner of the land to clean up the mess.  Sulfuric acid is often used in water that farmers use to irrigate.

Transportation
Road
September 17, 2007 India The accident involving a tanker lorry, a mini-lorry and a cyclist at Collectorate Junction in which the cyclist was killed, has more than what meets the eye.  The ten-wheeler lorry was carrying highly-concentrated sulphuric acid, the spillage of which would have been disastrous.  It would have caused harmed human lives.  It would have led to groundwater getting polluted in many areas.  Luckily, there was no spillage though the huge lorry fell on its side into a road-side ditch.  Personnel from the FACT arrived at the spot to prevent spillage. Deputy Transport Commissioner M.N. Prabhakaran said drivers of most tanker lorries were unaware of the forces acting on the vehicle when their liquid consignment moves laterally and is thrust towards the front of the tank, when the brake is applied. Lorries carrying petroleum products have compartments within the tank, whereas many lorries carrying acids and chemicals do not have such partitions.  Any application of brake, negotiating a sharp curve at high speeds or sudden change of lane, will result in the driver losing control of the vehicle. Wednesday’s incident saw the lorry crash into a median and a mini-lorry before overturning, which shows that the driver did not slow down at all at the busy junction.  Mr. Prabhakaran said the lorry was 25-years-old which shows that it was not fit to carry such a substance. “We will soon direct the factories and companies that manufacture chemicals, acids and other inflammable substances to entrust their transportation with firms having a fleet of modern tanker lorries. In addition, the drivers and cleaners have to be made aware of the nature (and implications, in case of accidents) of the consignment,” Mr. Prabhakaran said.
Transportation
Road
August 28, 2007 Louisiana

Louisiana Highway 520 in Claiborne Parish was shut down this morning after a truck hauling sulfuric acid wrecked.  The spill occurred about 1 a.m., half a mile south of the Louisiana 161 intersection in the north part of the parish, State Police said.  There were no homes in the immediate vicinity of the wreck and no one was evacuated, State Police said.

  August 28, 2007 Pocatello, Idaho A worker at J.R. Simplot's Don Plant has died of burns from an accident at the fertilizer plant in Pocatello.  Company officials say 53-year-old Frank Rowberry was sprayed with molten sulfur as he inspected a clogged pipeline on Tuesday. The sulfur caught fire, and he was rushed the University of Utah Burn Center in Salt Lake City with burns over more than two-thirds of his body.  A plant spokesman, Rick Phillips, says the company received word Thursday that Rowberry had died the previous night.  Simplot and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating, partly to determine why the sulfur caught fire. 
Frank Rowberry was a maintenance worker who was doing a routine part of his job Tuesday afternoon, unloading sulfur from railcars and working on a clogged pipe when the sulfur suddenly ignited lighting Rowberry on fire.  Officials say Rowberry was wearing the plant's required protective gear but was burned on more than 50 percent of his body.
Transportation
Road
August 21, 2007 South Africa A Durban-based transport company faces a clean-up bill of millions after the chemical spill on the N1 in Centurion this week - and damages claims from drivers whose vehicles were damaged after the spill.  A Warden Cartage tanker transporting a solution of 98 percent sulphuric acid overturned near the John Vorster Drive off-ramp on he N1 south at about 3.30pmIt lost about 10 000 litres of its load.  No one was injured in the incident, but there have been scores of reports from motorists whose vehicles were damaged by the corrosive liquid.  These vehicles had driven over the chemical on the road before emergency workers could cordon off the areaTshwane emergency services spokesperson Johan Pieterse said their control room received dozens of calls from vehicle owners complaining that their tyres, wheels and bodywork had been corroded by the acid.

South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) N1 route manager Tommy Bedford said the clean-up operation cost about R120 000.  The cost of the environmental clean-up of the soil on the side of the road will run into millions.  They have to remove the soil from the surface to a certain depth. Environmental officers will test the soil every second day until they are satisfied with that the clean-up had been successfulBedford said they were able to stop the chemical from reaching the nearby Sesmyl River.  Two chemical spill response companies ran the clean-up operation. The highway was closed for about 20 hours, which caused huge traffic problems. Vehicles were backed up as far as the R21 turn-off.  The highway was opened at about 11.30am on Wednesday.
Transportation
Road
August 19, 2007 Romney Traffic at U.S. 231 and Ind. 28 were rerouted after a semi-tanker leaked an estimated 100 gallons of sulfuric acidTraffic was rerouted through Tippecanoe County roads until the spill could be neutralized before the evening rains arrived to the areaThe incident started west of the intersection on Ind. 28 about 4:30 p.m.  The sulfuric acid exited through a valve on the tanker.  The valve appeared it did work like it was suppose toFor some reason, the tank built up pressure, whether it was the heat of the day, it leaked off some of the sulfuric acid but not any more.
Transportation
Rail
August 17, 2007 Conroe, Texas Four rail cars at a chemical company in Conroe fell off the tracks.  The accident happened at Jefferson Chemical on FM 1485.  There are no residential areas nearby, but authorities say one of the cars leaked sulfuric acid.  No evacuations were called, and no injuries were reported
  August 9, 2007 Riverdale Someone accidentally poured sulphuric acid onto a street, prompting a hazardous materials response this morning in Riverdale.  Fire crews were notified at 11:35 a.m. of the situation near the intersection of Halsted and 141st streets. Someone trying to clean out a barrel "inadvertently" poured a "minor amount" of the liquid acid on the pavement, Riverdale fire Lt. Chris Van Dyke said. The incident happened outside a rail yard building, he said.  A hazardous materials response team was called and the substance was cleaned up by 12:44 p.m., the lieutenant said.  The person, acting on behalf of the rail yard, had been trying to clean out the 55-gallon barrel, then rinsed it with water and poured it onto the pavement, he said.  The water reclamation district and public works department were notified, but no evacuations were necessary and no one was hurt.
  August 4, 2007 Bangkok, Thailand More than 50 workers of a paper factory in Ang Thong province were rushed to a provincial hospital on Saturday after they inhaled contaminated gas released from a nearby textile factory.  After about an hour of treatment, the Ang Thong hospital discharged some 30 workers. The rest remain there.  Police investigators said villagers said bad smell came from Thai Reyor factory located nearby. But when they arrived at the scene, the factory stopped emitting the gas.  Department of Industrial Works said the smell resulted from leakage of sulphur dioxide, which happened after a blackout in the area. The blackout caused machines at the factory to operate with some problems.
  August 1, 2007 Bakersfield, California An overnight fire was a cause for concern for Kern County and Bakersfield firefighters. A large fire ignited at the Hondo Chemical Plant just before midnight.  A hazardous chemical team was called to the scene to assist firefighters because the fire started inside some machinery that uses sulfur.   After the fire was out, firefighters had to stick around to water down the sulfur so it would not re-ignite.  Fire investigators say there was no need to evacuate any homes nearby because the sulfur would not harm anyone indoors.  The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Hondo plant lost $500,000 in damaged machinery due to the fire.
Transportation
Road
July 30, 2007 Timpson, Texas

A section of U. S. Highway 59 was shut down due to a hazardous chemical spill.  An 18 wheeler that was carrying about 40,000 pounds of sulfur, crashed into a stalled vehicle on US 59 in Timpson around 7:30 p. m. Monday.  The truck caught on fire and spilled its load all over the highway.  The initial danger was pretty high because of the fumes being emitted from the burning sulfur.  A couple of firemen had to be transported to the hospital due to exposure to sulphur dioxide.
 
The fire took more than four hours to put out.  The fire department initially used water on the fire which enhanced the fire.  A hazardous materials team had to use a special foam to get the flames under control.  The crash site was far enough away from homes that no evacuations were needed.

  July 20, 2007 Rupert, Idaho

A fire at the J.R. Simplot Co. fertilizer plant at 200 W. 225 S. caused the evacuation of a 1-mile radius around the plant, as a deposit of sulfur was ignited.  The cause of the fire and extent of its damage were unknown.  East End, West End and Rupert fire departments responded to the fire.  About every 15 minutes, firefighters in two-man teams took turns scaling a ladder to reach the fire through a hole in the roof of one of the plant's buildings. By 7 p.m., the fire was mostly under control.

Transportation
Road
July 18, 2007 Virginia Virginia State Police say Interstate 95 southbound is closed at mile marker 138 in Stafford County because of a leaking truck.  HazMat crews were called to scene just before 1:00 p.m. Wednesday because the truck was carrying sulfuric acid.  Investigators say the truck was not involved in an accident.  What caused the leak remains unclear.
  July 16, 2007 Atholville, New Brunswick Sulphur dioxide was mistakenly released into the air at a northern New Brunswick pulp mill, prompting an investigation by environment officials.  The incident Monday at the AV Cell pulp mill in Atholville started when a pipe that transports sulphur dioxide from a rail car to the mill broke.  The gas leaked for about 15 minutes before the problem was fixed.  "At this stage, the Department of Environment was on the scene [Tuesday] and they gathered as much information as possible," said Paul Fournier of the department.  Fournier said it's not clear how much of the gas was released Monday.  He said the next steps would involve AV Cell presenting the department with a report of the incident, and the department must do a study on what measures should be taken to minimize the risk of another incident.
  June 15, 2007 Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Nine people were treated and released from hospital following a gas leak at an Inco Ltd. acid plant in Greater Sudbury June 15.  Inco spokesperson Cory McPhee said the plant had a power interuption Thursday at 9:30 am which caused the SO2 (sulphur dioxide) leak into the atmosphere.  "Normally the plants shut down, but in this case one of the fans in the booster house kept going so there was gas sent out that shouldn't have been," said McPhee.  The acid plant is located inside Inco's smelter complex and is used to capture SO2 gas that would normally go up the Super Stack, and turn it into sulphuric acid.  Eight contractors and one Inco employee were sent to hospital after being exposed to the sulphur dioxide. Some were sent home for the day while others came back to work. The gas causes irritation in the throat and lungs.  It (gas) just dissipates  . . . they were able to address the problem but why it happened is still under investigation," said McPhee.  Inco has launched an internal investigation into the matter. McPhee said the company will "file a report of an unusual occurrence" to the Ministry of the Environment, which is standard procedure.

Transportation
Road
July 2, 2007 Camas, Washington

Part of Lake Road near WaferTech in Camas was closed for nearly two hours after a tanker truck spilled about a gallon of sulfuric acid onto the road.  The acid was contained and cleaned up with no runoff and no damage to the road.  Sulfuric acid is a byproduct of WaferTech's manufacturing process, during which silicon wafers are etched with circuitry to make computer chips. The company sells the acid to other manufacturers.  The spill, from a Chemical Transfer Company vehicle, may have been the result of an improperly secured hose, which had been used to drain the acid from WaferTech tanks into the truck.  The vehicle's driver stopped as soon as he realized the chemical had spilled, at about 1:30 p.m.  Southeast First Street was closed between WaferTech's west entrance and Northwest Friberg-Strunk Street until about 3:15 p.m., when cleanup efforts were complete.  The Camas Fire Department worked with WaferTech to neutralize the chemical and clean up the spill.  WaferTech will submit a full report to the state Department of Ecology, which may prompt further review by the agency.

Transportation
Road
June 29, 2007 Dallas County, Arkansas A tractor-trailer, carrying 40,000 pounds of sulfuric acid, overturned on Highway 9 in Dallas County Friday afternoon.  The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management says a small amount of sulfuric acid leaked from a gauge on the tanker and as a precaution seven homes were evacuated in the area three miles north of Princeton.  Families returned home Friday night.  The local coordinator from the Dallas County Office of Emergency Management, along with a Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) response unit offloaded the sulfuric acid.  No injuries have been reported.
  June 28, 2007 Raleigh, North Carolina An accidental spill of sulfuric acid at a Raleigh chemical plant yesterday caused evacuations of three nearby schools for several hours.  In addition, local residents were told to stay indoors for part of the day.  The 3,000 gallon acid spill occurred at the Mallinckrodt Chemical facility located at 8801 Capital Boulevard.  Initially, a statement was issued by Division Chief Frank Warner with the Fire Department saying that the leak was "confined to the company's property and poses no threat to the general public."  However, later in the day, officials were concerned that potential rains could have a chemical interaction with the sulfuric acid, releasing a gas.  Due to those concerns, the city later asked residents who lived within a half mile radius of Mallinckrodt Chemicals including the Riverhaven Apartments complex to stay inside their homes.  Late in the day on Thursday, the Raleigh Fire Department Haz Mat units were able to clean up the spill and the city advised local residents that it was safe once again for them to go outdoors in the area.
  June 22, 2007 Freeport, Texas A small explosion and fire at a sulfur plant caused no injuries and had no environmental impact.  At about 8:30 a.m., Freeport Fire Department personnel responded to a call at SF Sulfur Corporation.  Process overpressure blew out a vent on top of a building at the 13-acre complex and led to some spot sulfur fires.  Authorities reported no injuries, no impact to the ground or air and minor damage.  SF Sulfur crews contained the incident.  Two Freeport units responded and fire officials were on scene for about an hour.  SF Sulfur receives sulfur and grinds it for shipping. 
Transportation
Road
June 22, 2007 Marana, Arizona A tanker truck carrying sulfuric acid overturned on the Interstate 10 frontage road in Marana and caused the closure of the road for part of the morning and most of the afternoon.  The tanker did not leak.  The acid had to be pumped from the tanker to another truck before the wreck could be removed.  The truck was the only vehicle involved and the driver, its sole occupant, was not injured.   The truck overturned shortly before 10 a.m. about 1.5 miles west of West Moore Road.  Investigators have not determined what caused the truck to tip on the straight stretch of road.  The truck was traveling from Hayden to Red Rock.
Transportation
Rail
June 20, 2007 Lake Park, Minnesota Authorities in Becker County say eight to ten cars of a westbound BNSF freight train derailed on the west side of Lake Park shortly before 3:30 pm.  Sheriff Tim Gordon said several dozen people were evacuated from some rural homes downwind of the site as a precaution because there are hazardous materials on the train.  Some of the cars contained ammonium nitrate, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid.  It was not clear if anything is leaking.  The container cars are piled up on top of another making it difficult to get an accurate count of the cars or get into the wreckage.  No injuries were reported.
Transportation
Road
June 22, 2007 Florida A man was killed in an early morning accident causing southbound Interstate 75 in Florida to be shut down for several hours.  The left front tire blew out on the tanker which was traveling northbound on I-75.  The driver lost control and the truck struck the concrete barrier separating the northbound and southbound lanes.  The impact caused the tanker, which was filled with liquid sulfur, to become airborne and cross over into the southbound lanes of I-75.  The tanker skidded about 200 feet before hitting a UPS tractor trailer head on.  The UPS driver died from injuries received in the accident, according to the Berea Police Department.  The driver of the tanker was not injured.  The northbound lanes of I-75 remained open but the southbound lanes were closed to clean up the liquid sulfur spill.  The spill was contained and posed no threat to the public.  The clean-up, which is estimated to take six to 10 hours, wass being directed by Madison County EMA.
Transportation
Road
June 8, 2007 Philadelphia

The truck was traveling Northbound on I-476 (Blue Route) and began to exit to get onto I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) when it overturned around 7:53 a.m.  Smoke was noticed coming from around the vehicle where the load had dumped onto the road and the shoulder of the road.  The smoke was actually corrosive sulpher dioxide gas.  The dry sulphur had apparently mixed with something else causing a massive chemical reaction.  Crews in full hazmat gear arrived.  At the crash scene, air samples showed gas concentrations 30 times the level that can cause respiratory distress.  Fortunately, the plume quickly dissipated.

  May 8, 2007 Texas City, USA

A sulfuric acid leak at the Dow plant caused only a minor amount of damage and no one was injured.  The leak at the plant in the 3300 block of Fifth Avenue South was small and contained by plant personnel.  A Level 1 alert was issued during the hour-long incident, which started about 1:15 p.m.  A Texas City Fire Department unit was dispatched to monitor the situation.

  May 3, 2007 Houston, TX, USA A man had to be transported to the hospital after breathing in sulfur fumes at the Arkema Plant.  The plant manager said the truck driver was unloading molten sulfur when he was overcome.  No one else was affected.
Transportation
Road
April 25, 2007 Kingsport, VA, USA A cylinder containing sulfur-dioxide burst on Interstate 26 in Kingsport.  Crews got the call around 9 a.m. Wednesday morning.  A 150-pound cylinder containing the substance came loose from a tractor trailer.  A car did run through the vapor, which resulted in two people going to the hospital.  A firefighter also had to be treated for exposure.  Crews re-sealed the leaking cylinder in a vacant area.
  April 18, 2007 Xifeng, Guizhou province, China A sulphur dioxide leak at a chemical fertiliser plant in southwestern China has put about 140 students and teachers in hospital with respiratory problems.  Five teachers and more than130 students from three schools reported respiratory problems and have been sent to a local hospital.  A local government official says heavy fog at the time of the leak stopped the gas dispersing.  Authorities are investigating the cause of the leak.
Transportation
Rail
April 17, 2007 Valemount, British Columbia At around 2:30 p.m. a CN sulphur train headed to Vancouver was reported to have sulphur smoldering.  There were no injuries and no danger associated with the smoldering product.  Valemount’s volunteer fire department responded to a call for help from CN Rail.  CN had trouble getting through to the dispatch centre in Prince George, so they called it into the local police, who got in touch with local volunteer fire chief.  The train was directed to stop north of town on Loseth Road by Crooked Creek because there was a good place to draw water from.
Transportation
Road
April 16, 2007 Cornwall, Ontario, Canada A rollover involving a truck carrying sulfuric acid knotted up traffic along Highway 138.  Police said the weather played a factor in causing.  At around 5:30 a.m., a tractor-trailer heading south on Highway 138 ended up in the ditch just north of Sand Road.  The driver of the vehicle was not injured.  Traffic was reduced to one lane as a long line of emergency vehicles, including Cornwall's hazardous materials unit and officials with the Ministry of the Environment, tried to prevent the acid from spilling.  Ultimately, they were successful in preventing the spill.
  April 14, 2007 San Roque, Spain The Cepsa refinery in the San Roque area was at the centre of further controversy after a major leak of sulphur was registered.  The incident took place between seven and eight on Saturday evening when a technical fault was experienced at the petro-chemical plant causing a high level of sulphur dioxide to be released.  Although the company has claimed that there was no risk to the surrounding population, over 32 emergency calls were received by the Spanish 112 emergency services, with reports of over 2,000 residents in the area affected by the high level contamination.  The incident saw a larger than normal release of smoke, as well as an increase in the smells surrounding the plants, causing some discomfort to residents in the area.
  March 30, 2007 Murarrie, Queensland, Australia A man was sprayed in the face with sulphuric acid and three others suffered minor burns when a pipeline ruptured at the Goodman Fielder manufacturing plant in Murarrie about 1.30pm.  The man, a subcontractor, had been pumping acid from a holding tank into a truck to allow for routine maintenance when the incident occurred.  Somehow in that process we believe a valve was opened at the incorrect time...and there was a pressure build up that there shouldn't have been.  He was sprayed over his back, neck, arms and face and was immediately put into the emergency safety shower.  A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said the man had been rushed to the Royal Brisbane Hospital in a critical condition, but the full extent of his injuries is not yet known.  The others were taken to the Mater Hospital suffering a combination of acid burns and vapour inhalation.  Firefighters remained at the scene for some time to clean up the sulphuric acid, which is used at the factory for cleaning.
Transportation
Rail
March 30, 2007 Englehart, Ontario Two dozen cars of an Ontario Northland train jumped the tracks about 16 kilometres north of EnglehartNine cars carrying sulphuric acid went off the tracks.  One of the cars spilled its entire contents, estimated to be about 100 tonnes, and four cars were still leaking acid into the Blanche River on the next day.  Residents along a section of river in Northern Ontario have been advised not to use its waterOntario Environment Ministry officials are taking water samples and have arranged for lime to be added upstream of the spill site to counter the effects of the acid.
Transportation
Rail
March 29, 2007 Godmanchester, Quebec A freight train derailment occurred in Godmanchester, about 60 kilometres southwest of Montreal.  Amongst the derailed cars were three sulphuric acid tank cars.  There were no leaks, no injuries and no evacuation.  The cars left the track on the outskirts of Huntingdon about 1 p.m.  The Canadian National Railway train was being operated by a CN crew on track owned by CSX Transportation.  Investigators of the federal Transportation Safety Board are assessing whether there will be a need for an in-depth investigation.
Transportation
Rail
March 26, 2007 Columbus, Ohio A train derailment resulted in seven tank cars derailing on a South Side railroad track.  A tank car containing molten sulfur leaked less than a gallon of sulphur onto the railroad ties.  No one was injured.  The derailment was most likely caused by a broken rail or a broken wheel on the train.  The cause is under investigation.  Another tank car containing molten sulfur, didn't spill anything. The molten sulfur was cleaned up by a hazardous-materials crew.
  March 26, 2007 Bainbridge, Georgia The Georgia Gulf Sulphur plant located at 1300 Spring Creek Road sustained heavy damage due to a fire at the plant.  The exact cause of the fire was not immediately known but it is suspected that something metal created a spark, which in turn caused dust associated with sulfur being stored at the plant to explode.  Flames burst through the side of a large building used to mix and grind the sulfur and quickly spread to the roof of an adjacent storage building and office.  The fire began at approximately 2 p.m. and was not fully controlled until about 4 p.m. Almost two dozen firefighters and more than eight fire trucks responded to the scene.
Transportation
Rail
March 26, 2007 Bradenton, Florida Hazardous material crews contained a 30 gallon spill of sulphuric acid at Norfolk Southern’s Brosnan Yard.  The spill was considered relatively minor because the location was a railyard and not a populated area.  There was indication the acid leaked from a pressure valve on a rail car.
Transportation
Road
March 17, 2007 Newark, New Jersey

An overturned tractor-trailer near Newark early today spilled diesel fuel on the highway and caused lane closures along I-95 well into the afternoon.  Initially police reported that sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid had spilled from the truck, but later the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control determined that it was just fuel from the truck that leaked.  The trailer also contained numerous individual containers of hydrofluoric acid, which was of concern due to the high flammability of the chemical.

Transportation
Road
March 15, 2007 Tucson, Arizona

A semi-truck drove into a passenger car, which became lodged under the trailer.  The collision then ruptured an acid load in the truck and started a fire.  Three people in the passenger vehicle suffered serious injuries with one listed in critical condition.  The truck driver, as well as three firefighters and four DPS officers, were treated for inhalation problems.  The truck was carrying 1,500 pounds of sulfuric acid, phosphorus acid and sodium hydroxide.

  

Transportation
Road
February 28, 2007 Burley, Idaho

Two 55-gallon drums of sulfuric acid punctured when a truck overturned on Interstate 84 near the southern Idaho town of Burley, closing the highway for about three hours.  Police say the westbound tractor-trailer tipped over on a cloverleaf.  An unspecified amount of sulfuric acid spilled after the accident and the westbound lane was closed.  A state-contracted crew cleaned up the spill after officials with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Homeland Security determined the leak had stopped.

  February 26, 2007 Longview, Washington

A sulfuric acid leak at Weyerhaeuser's main Longview plant shot the liquid 45 feet in the air after a valve malfunctioned while a truck was unloading acid.  The leak occurred in a decontamination area and a crew of 15 hazard management workers were nearby to clean the spill up within three hours time.  No one was injured.  The decontamination area had a built-in shower, which made the clean-up easier.

Transportation
Road

February 23, 2007

Ogden, Arkansas

A retired Bastrop Police Department officer is in stable condition in an Arkansas hospital after he was injured when the truck he was driving overturned in southwest Arkansas, spilling sulfuric acid onto the roadside.  Chris Branum, 55, was driving south along U.S. 71 near Ogden, Ark., just after 1 p.m. on Feb. 17 when he apparently lost control of the tanker truck he was driving. A spokesman with Arkansas State Police Troop G headquarters said Branum's skidded almost 150 before it entered the median, where it traveled another 80 feet before it overturned.  According to a story published by the Texarkana Gazette, rescue crews arrived on the scene but were initially kept away from the scene because of the leaking sulfuric acid.  Branum was transported to CHRISTUS St. Michael Health Center in Texarkana and treated for lung and head injuries. On Wednesday, he was reported in stable condition.  The State Police spokesman said no citations were issued following the wreck.

Transportation
Road
February 18, 2007 Ogden, Arkansas

While sulfuric acid was leaking from a ruptured valve on an overturned tanker truck Saturday, the driver was rescued by emergency crews and passing motorists on U.S. Highway 71.  Branum was southbound on U.S. Highway 71 about a mile south of Ogden near the Arkansas Highway Police weigh station when the accident happened.  Authorities say Branum lost control of the rig as he entered a curve in the highway. The truck is owned by Phoenix Transport. Investigators also say gusty west winds may have contributed to Branum losing control of the tanker truck, which was loaded with sulfuric acid.  Firefighters used shovels to dig a trench to direct the flowing acid to a culvert. They also used a smoke ejector fan to blow possible fumes away from the firefighters who were shoveling the dirt.  A backhoe was later used to dig a deeper trench to contain the acid.

Transportation
Road
February 17, 2007 Mumbai, India The Mumbai-Goa highway had to be closed down for over five hours after a tanker carrying a chemical substance collided with a Maruti car near Panvel early Friday morning.  The tanker overturned in the process and spilled its contents onto the highway.  The chemical compound (oleum), which the tanker was carrying, then spread over a radius of five km causing such a dense fog that motorists lost visibility even at an arm’s length.  The police had to then step in and close down the highway for a seven-km stretch until the fumes settled down and the area was cleared.
  February 9, 2007 Melbourne, Australia A cloud of sulphur dioxide leaked from the Air Liquide plant in Berkshire Road, North Sunshine, just before 6.30am.  About 100 people were evacuated and 15 treated by paramedics after a potentially fatal toxic cloud leaked from a plant in a Melbourne suburb.  Fifteen people needed medical treatment and residents were told to stay indoors at the height of the drama in North Sunshine.  Police have urged residents south of Berkshire Road, Sunshine North, to stay indoors, shut their windows and turn off external air conditioners.  Police spokesman Senior Constable Adam West said the sulphur dioxide spill caused "agitation and aggravation" to people in the immediate area.  Metropolitan Ambulance spokesman Phil Cullen said 15 people - residents and local workers - were treated for symptoms including shortness of breath.
  February 6, 2007 Paulsboro, New Jersey

Sulphur dioxide was accidentally accidentally released into the air and the gas seeped into Paulsboro High School during first period, causing headaches, feelings of nausea and some instances of vomiting in as many as 15 students and a handful of faculty members.  Valero officials tested the interior of the high school after the release measuring sulfur dioxide at levels between zero and five parts per 1 million parts of air.  The smell of rotten eggs lingered in Paulsboro until the late afternoon, almost disappearing entirely by 4 p.m.

  January 26, 2007 Tillsonburg, Ontario

A chemical spill in Tillsonburg caused an evacuation, and sent 7 people to hospital.  At around noon a chemical spill of Sulphur Dioxide happened at Guardian Industries.  Two employees were taken to hospital, were treated and released, five other also went to the hospital were found not to have suffered any effects.  Neighboring businesses and six homes were also evacuated.  Roads in the immediate area were closed for several hours.  The Tillsonburg Emergency Control Group was activated but an emergency was not declared.  The Spills Action Centre was contacted as well as the chemical supplier have dealt with the clean up.

  January 25, 2007 La Porte, Texas

A gas cloud from the DuPont plant located at 12501 Strang Road forced officials to issue a shelter-in-place and shut down a freeway.  Officials said oleum was released from the unit that produces sulfuric acid.  "We had an upset in that process. As a result, we vented a significant amount of sulfuric acid mist," said Ken Martin, DuPont's safety supervisor.  Oleum came out of a 300-foot stack for about 10 minutes.  The unit was shut down and the release was stopped but not until after a large cloud covered the area.  "The cloud itself was a very, very fine sulfuric acid mist. I personally drove through the cloud multiple times in my personal car. The thing I would recommend people do if you thought you were exposed to a significant amount of it or your vehicle, something like that, wash it off this afternoon," Martin said.

Residents south of the plant and along Highway 225 were asked to shelter-in-place until it was lifted at 1 p.m.  Residents in the Pasadena subdivision of El Jardin were under a shelter-in-place until 1:30 p.m.  La Porte Independent School District schools were included in the shelter-in-place.  Highway 225 was shut down in both directions between at Highway 146 at Sens Road.

No one was injured.

Transportation
Road
January 24, 2007 Moratalla, Spain A truck driver died in an accident on the C-3211 road, after his tanker came off the road near Moratalla and fell from a height of 8 metres into the Rambla La Murta.  The tanker was carrying 15,000 litres of sulphuric acid.  A specialist team from the fire brigade was called in to neutralise about 25 litres of the acid which leaked from the tanker.  The company which owned the vehicle removed the remaining cargo to another vehicle.  There are no homes in the immediate area of the accident.  The operation was supervised by Protección Civil, who activated the emergency plan for transport of dangerous goods.
  January 19, 2007 Niles

Nearly 100 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled a parking lot at French Paper Co. in Niles.  There were no injuries and no equipment was damagedA container tipped while being transported by a  forklift.  Mill staff contained, neutralized and cleaned up the spill Nobody was injured and at no time was anyone in danger.  Sulfuric acid is used in paper making for pH control.  French Paper employees and emergency personnel used a powder to soak up the sulfuric acid and it was then placed in a dumpster and French Paper is waiting approval from state agencies to dispose of it.

Transportation
Rail
January 7, 2007 Montmagy, Quebec Shortly after 1 a.m., 24 cars of the 121-car Canadian National freight train derailed, vaulting one of the rail cars across a residential street, just missing the train station and stopping within a few metres of a house.  The freight train was headed for Dartmouth, N.S., from Toronto. Mangled freight cars carrying automobiles, lumber, grain, salt, even corn syrup, were scattered along both sides of the railway tracks as CN crews spent the day cleaning up.  Four of the derailed freight cars were filled with sulphuric acid, but none ruptured under the impact. No toxic substance was spilled and plans to evacuate part of the community were abandoned.
  December 18, 2006 Houston, Texas Four people were taken to hospitals after a 55-gallon drum of sulfuric acid exploded Monday night at a southeast Houston chemical plant.  The fire started about 8:20 p.m. at SET Environmental Inc.  The company stores and mixes hazardous chemicals.  A truck driver and a plant employee near the explosion were rushed to hospitals with unknown injuries.  Two more employees exposed to smoke also were taken to hospitals.  Firefighters believe the drum contained a solution of 60 percent sulfuric acid and another chemical.  The cause of the explosion is unknown because employees were not tending the drum at the time.
  December 12, 2006 Jinzhou, China About 40 residents in a city in northeast China were hospitalized after a sulfur dioxide spill from a petrochemical company.  The spill occurred around 9:00 a.m. Tuesday at the Jinzhou Petrochemical Industrial Co Ltd, in Liaoning Province, according to the Jinzhou City Work Safety Administration.  The leak lasted ten minutes and five kilograms of sulfur dioxide were released.  All the residents who fell ill complained of pain in the throat and chest, and were taken to nearby hospitals.  A two-millimeter crack on a pipe led to the spill, according to the administration.
  December 7, 2006 Macedonia The impending contamination of Probistip and its outskirts, caused by sulfuric acid leakage, has been thwarted, i.e. the contamination was neutralized before it came into contact with the waters and the land.  According to a statement released by the Ministry of Environment & Spatial Planning, contamination threat was bridged in due time.  The statement comes after last Tuesday's report saying roughly 1.5 tons of sulfuric acid leaked at car battery plant Sap Vesna.  "The samples of land and water near the car battery factory Sap Vesna have tested negative. The testing showed that the land and the water were not polluted," the Ministry said. Toxicity tests have been conducted on samples of five rivers and the surrounding land.  State Inspectorate ordered the factory to immediately remove the damaged pipe that caused the leakage.
Transportation
Road
November 23, 2006 Parksville Lake, Tennessee

A spokesperson for the Polk County, Tennessee Sheriff's Office says that they have been forced to shutdown Highway 64 due to a sulfuric acid spill. A tanker truck has overturned on the Highway near Parksville Lake and is apparently leaking acid. Emergency and Hazardous Materials Teams are on the scene, or enroute to try and contain the leak. There are no homes or businesses in the immediate area so no evacuations are underway. However, again, Hwy. 64 is closed in both directions near Parksville Lake.

Transportation
Road
November 18, 2006 Brentwood, California A truck carrying molten sulfur spilled part of its contents and caused the shutdown of traffic through a portion of Brentwood. The 12:30 p.m. incident happened on Brentwood Boulevard, a two-lane highway which was closed for several hours between Havenwood Avenue and Sunset Road.  Motorists noticed a substance leaking from the truck and alerted the driver who then stopped.  While a small amount of molten sulfur that spilled on the road was not considered dangerous, the high temperature of the chemical makes it a potential hazard.  Crews cleaned off the road and police reopened it shortly before 7 p.m.
Transportation
Rail
November 16, 2006 Zambia

A train spilled around 35 tons of sulphuric acid destined for the copper industry after being derailed by broken tracks.  The train was carrying some 72 tons of the acid which was headed for the country's largest copper mine, the Indian-owned Konkola Copper Mines (KCM).  The accident occurred 50 miles north of the tourist capital Livingstone.  Railway officials told the local press that unless the spill could be quickly neutralized with lime, there was a good chance that rain would wash it into a nearby canal, posing a danger to local people, livestock and wildlife.  This was the second major accident in as many weeks for KCM, which last week allowed untreated effluent from a plant in the town of Chingola to spill into a nearby river.

  November 6, 2006 Stockholm, Sweden

A truck driver was filling his truck with the dangerous liquid when something apparently went wrong. He’s been taken to a local hospital. The extent of his injuries remains unclear.  Between 500 and 1000 liters of the acid reportedly leaked, but apparently did not get into the water, where it would have combined to produce a poisonous gas.

  October 30, 2006 South Hadley, Massachusetts

Teams from around the region yesterday were trying to recapture about 1,500 gallons of sulfuric acid that escaped from a tank near the Granby town line Monday night and forced the cancellation of school in South Hadley and the evacuation of 88 households in Granby and South Hadley.  A police officer was treated for exposure to sulfuric acid fumes.  In Granby, 68 households were evacuated as a precaution following the spill about 8 p.m. on Monday at Presstek Inc., 755 New Ludlow Road.  The liquid leaked into a cement holding pit.  On Tuesday, the evacuation was extended to include 20 homes on East Street in South Hadley because the spill formed a gas inside the building.

  October 20, 2006 Vero Beach, Florida City Water Plant officials were busy cleaning up 50 to 80 gallons of sulfuric acid that leaked from a pump at the Water Plant.  The leak began about 11:08 p.m. Thursday when the pump moving the acid failed to transfer some of the liquid to a holding container.   The acid is used to remove impurities from drinking water.  The pump has a shut-off valve but it was below the leak, making it impossible for staff to manually shut off the pump without getting burned by the acid.   Unable to stop the leak, which was seeping acid at a rate of about a gallon a minute, staff called the Indian River County's Hazardous Materials squad, a group of firefighters trained to clean hazardous chemical spills.  The squad spent about two hours assessing the leak, turning off the pump and making sure there was no other damage done to the plant.  said the leak was contained to a concrete pad and did not run off into the ground.
Transportation
Road
October 11, 2006 Toronto, Ontario

One eastbound lane of Hwy. 401 near Milton remains closed this morning after diesel fuel and sulfuric acid leaked from a tractor-trailer after it collided with a car last night.  Sulfuric acid leaked onto the highway in a “small amount,” which was “immediately contained”Emergency crews were called to the eastbound 401 just past Hwy. 6 where the two vehicles collided, sending a female in the car to Hamilton General Hospital with what appeared to be non life-threatening injuries just before 7 p.m.  All eastbound lanes at the site of the collision were closed down as hazardous materials crews clean up the acid and fuel, and the tractor-trailer is removed from the ditch.  The Ministry of Environment has also been called in to investigate.

  October 10, 2006 Cleveland, Ohio

Hazardous material crews are at the scene of a spill at an east side chemical plant.  Crews were called just before noon on Tuesday to Chemsol Products, at East 163rd Street and St. Clair.  Officials said there was a sulfuric acid spill there when a 3,000-gallon tank leaked about 1,000 gallons into a secondary containment dike.  About 20 gallons leaked into the ground, a small amount of which may have leaked into the sewer system.  No boil alerts have been issued and there have been no evacuations.

Transportation
Rail
October 07, 2006 Prince George, British Columbia

Prince George RCMP were called to  help out in diverting traffic along Highway 97 last night after a southbound CN train had a fire on several sulfur cars.  The Bear Lake fire department had evacuated homes adjacent to the tracks in Bear Lake as the train moved south  to a location where the fire could be fought without increasing risk  to neighbours.  The Prince George Fire Dispatch and Bear Lake Fire Department decided the best way to deal with this kind of fire was with a  water fog so they wouldn't create any dangerous gases.  The train moved to a spot about 2 kilmetres south of Bear Lake, near Hart Lake.  That spot was chosen as there was more than enough water supply, and any possible fumes would not  endanger the  community to the north.  The Bear Lake  Fire Department responded with two pumper units and crews in breathing aparatus.  They extinguished the fire and the train continued southbound to a spot on the outskirts of Prince George where Prince George Fire Crews  inspected the cars.  Because there needed to be a safety zone of 800 metres from the tracks, all traffic on highway 97 north of the city was blocked.  It took  firefighters about 45 minutes to ensure the  cars were safe, and traffic backed up for about a quarter of mile in either direction.   Thee were no injuries, but the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

  October 4, 2006 Houston, Texas

An accidental gas release at the Valero refinery in east Houston sent nearly 30 workers to area hospitals, where they were treated for respiratory complaints.  Alarms sounded about 9:30 a.m. when sulfur dioxide gas from a sulfuric acid tank escaped into the atmosphere at the refinery on Central near Manchester.  It prompted an evacuation of workers and a shelter-in-place order for the surrounding neighborhood and several schools near the refinery that lasted about 45 minutes.  The leak was quickly contained, and workers were allowed back inside the refinery shortly after 1 p.m.  The refinery had just begun a 40-day maintenance turnaround that closed the entire plant.  Sulfur dioxide gas leaked from a sulfuric acid tank

  September 28, 2006 Shreveport, Louisiana Four workers at an acid recycling plant at the Port of Shreveport-Bossier were burned after they were accidentally sprayed with sulphuric acid.  Three plant employees and one contract worker were burned.   The injuries were not life-threatening.
The accident is under investigation but it appears that there was some type of mechanical failure that lead to the accident.
The injured suffered first- and second-degree burns to their necks, with one person sustaining facial burns. All were taken to the burn center at LSU Hospital in Shreveport.
Transportation
Road
September 26, 2006 Elizabeth, New Jersey A trucking company worker damaged a pressurized tank containing sulfur dioxide releasing a cloud of gas that sickened dozens of people.   51 people were decontaminated and taken to three hospitals but none of the injuries was considered serious. One firefighter also was taken to a hospital for breathing difficulties.  Those who were treated had respiratory problems.  Sulfur dioxide irritates the eyes and lungs.  The accident happened at about 3 p.m. as a worker was attempting to dismantle a pressurized tank similar to a welding tank at Full Circle Carriers, a trucking company.  While working on it, he snapped the neck of it off, which released a cloud that traveled across the street and sickened several people.  
Police closed roads leading into the area, an industrial section near Port Elizabeth.  The cloud of gas sickened dozens at Columbia Containers, a truck yard across the street from Full Circle.  Victims were decontaminated at the scene. When they got to Trinitas, they underwent a second decontamination in a yellow tent with hoses before being taken inside.
  September 7, 2006 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Intense flames and sulphur dioxide gas spewed into the air as a flash fire burned at a natural gas plant just north of the city early yesterday morning.  Hwy. 2A at the intersection of Hwy. 72, was shut down by Airdrie RCMP and the Calgary Fire Department hazardous materials unit for almost two hours, as a sulphur-dioxide cloud formed above the Crossfield Prime West Energy plant.  One person suffered minor injuries
  September 4, 2006 Hubei Province, China A total of 184 people were hospitalised in central China's Hubei province after suffering sulphur dioxide poisonning.  All but ten were discharged later.  The accident occurred on Sunday evening when sulphur dioxide leaked from the Hubei Yihua Dajiang Fertiliser Co.  The leakage sent 184 local residents living more than a kilometre from the site to hospital, local officials said.  By Monday, 163 had been released from hospital while 10 were still being treated for poisoning.
Transportation
Road
August 29, 2006 Atlanta, Georgia, USA A chemical spill shut down the main street through downtown Austell during the morning commute.  A dump truck overturned about 7 a.m. at C&S Chemicals on Railroad Avenue, knocking a hole in a tank of sulfuric acid.  About 200 gallons of the acid, which the company used to manufacture bleach, spilled from the tank.  The acid was contained to company property, and no injuries were reported.  A two-block stretch of Veterans Memorial Highway — the major route through the south Cobb County town — remained closed at 9:30 a.m.  No evacuations were ordered, but a nearby lumber yard and a couple of other small businesses in the immediate area were asked to delay opening.
Transportation
Road
August 14, 2006

Silver City, New Mexico

Crews have spent hours so far cleaning up New Mexico Highway 90 after a tractor-tanker loaded with 3,000 gallons of sulfuric acid overturned south of Silver City.  An undetermined amount of acid leaked from the tanker and flowed away from the road after a pickup truck crashed head-on into the tanker.  Both drivers were taken to area hospitals, and police say a first responder was also hospitalized for breathing fumes from the tanker.  The Grant County Emergency Management hazardous materials unit and Phelps Dodge workers distributed lime to neutralize the acid.  The owner of the tanker, mine contractor CTI of Arizona, dispatched a team from its Tucson headquarters to complete cleanup yesterday.

September 6, 2006 - The state Environment Department is requiring the tracking company to clean up groundwater contamination from a spill of sulfuric acid in the crash near Silver City.  The acid flowed along N.M. 90 and about a half mile down an arroyo on Phelps Dodge Mining Co. property 10 miles south of town after an Aug. 14 crash between two vehicles _ one of them a Chemical Transportation Inc. truck hauling the acid for Phelps Dodge. 
  Low pH in groundwater is not a primary health concern, but such low pH causes contaminants such as heavy metals to more easily dissolve into groundwater.  Although Phelps Dodge is not responsible for the spill, the mining company is helping the trucking firm with the cleanup.

October 6, 2006 - SILVER CITY, N.M. (AP) - Officials say it’ll take an additional three to four weeks to clean up a sulfuric acid spill on New Mexico 90, south of Silver City.  A tanker truck loaded with about 3,000 gallons of acid collided with a pickup truck August 14th.  About 500 gallons of the acid spilled on the highway and adjacent property.  The tanker is owned by Arizona-based Chemical Transportation Incorporated.  A company official, Jack Smith, says the cleanup likely will cost more than $250,000.  Crews have excavated more than 12,000 cubic yards of soil.

Transportation
Road
August 14, 2006 Police arrested one person in connection with the accident in which six persons had suffered burns while they were riding on the Tirunelveli National Highway after they had slipped and fell on the sulphuric spillage from the tanker last Thursday.  They also picked up five acid tanker drivers for interrogation in this connection.  On the order issued by the Superintendent of Police, Senthamarai Kannan the Police picked up the five drivers on Sunday who had the permit for transporting acid on the day when the incident had taken place, following which Madasamy (40) was arrested and his tanker was seized.
  August 9, 2006 Prince George, British Columbia

Just after 11:00, the chemical company on Industrial Way, was restarting its machinery following a brief maintenance shut down.  When the equipment fired up, a plume of sulphur dioxide was released, and the wind carried the emissions to the Rustad Sawmill plant.  Thirteen sawmill workers were rushed to hospital in Prince George Wednesday after being overcome by fumes from a nearby chemical plant that manufactures sulphuric acid and liquid sulphur dioxide.  Fire officials say a large dark cloud of sulphur dioxide drifted across the tracks from the nearby Marsulex plant to the sawmill on Wednesday morning.  But workers at Canfor's Rustad planer mill didn't develop breathing difficulties for several hours.  Seven of them were taken to the Prince George Regional Hospital by ambulance, while the other six were able to make their own way to the emergency ward.  The 13 victims were treated with oxygen for 90 minutes and then released.  Canfor's Prince George manager Mark Feldinger says workers are angry and frustrated by the incident, and he says there are a lot of questions that need answering.  "We'll be dealing with the appropriate regulatory agencies and Marsulex to find out what their procedures are, what the regulatory requirements are and what we need to do to protect our employees."  The sawmill was closed for a few hours with all employees sent home, but it has resumed operations with the afternoon shift.

  August 3, 2006 Islington, UK Hundreds of residents were evacuated from their homes amid fears of a terrorist attack on a bus.  Police and fire crews rushed to the scene after a mystery chemical began to fizz after it was spilt on a number 21 bus in Southgate Road, Islington.  Several roads were cordoned off and residents were alarmed to see men in bright yellow and orange decontamination suits surrounding the bus.  After a thorough investigation fire crews discovered that the spilt chemical was the highly corrosive sulphuric acid.  The Health and Safety Executive website says that inhalation of the mist given off by sulphuric acid when it is exposed to the air will cause severe irritation of the lungs and throat and may increase the risk of cancer.  But the acid turned out to have been spilt by a cleaner who immediately notified the driver.
Transportation
Marine
August 3, 2006 Hangzhou, China A cargo ship carrying 200 tons of sulfuric acid sank in the Grand Canal in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province.  Some of the acid spilled into the water. A rescue team comprised of maritime, environmental, and fire control departments was established to deal with the situation. No one was injured in the accident.  Officials dumped liquid alkali into the contaminated water to neutralize the acid.  The section of the canal was closed for 12 hours.

Ship_sinking_1.jpg (12089 bytes)  Ship_sinking_2.jpg (14617 bytes)         

November 17, 2006 - A Chinese shipowner was arrested on Friday following a spill of sulphuric acid which forced more than 1,500 residents to evacuate and killed fish by the thousands.  Xu Changjun, 41, would face unspecified criminal charges for the spill in August on the Grand Canal, a 900-year-old waterway in east China, Xinhua news agency said.

July 6, 2007 - A Chinese court sentenced a ship owner and captain to three years in jail for not preventing an accident that dumped 200 tons of sulfuric acid into the 900-year-old Grand Canal last year, state media said Friday.  The Yuhang People's Court in east China's Hangzhou city on Wednesday convicted the cargo ship's owner, Xu Changjun, and the captain, Liu Guanhe, of allowing their vessel to dump the chemical into the water last August, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
The report said the ship had been damaged and repaired a month before the accident but failed to undergo a required safety check before being put back into operation.  The two men tried to use liquid soap, glue, and iron flakes to patch holes in the ship when it started to leak and kept sailing until it capsized, it said. They alerted local authorities only after two thirds of the ship was underwater.  Local authorities were forced to pour 900 tons of liquid alkali into the waterway to neutralize the acid after the spill.  Xinhua said the men were also ordered to pay 23,200 yuan ($3,050) in compensation to two downstream fishing companies that suffered economic losses from the pollution.
China's waterways are dangerously polluted after decades of rapid economic growth and lax enforcement of pollution controls.  A quarter of the length of the country's seven main river systems are so polluted that even touching the water is harmful to skin, the vice minister of China's State Environmental Protection Agency, Pan Yue, told state media earlier this week. Seven of the nine major lakes the agency monitors were equally toxic.

Transportation
Rail
July 29, 2006 North Stockton Safety officials expected to spend at least all of Saturday night and most of today clearing a 16-car derailment that happened at about 6 p.m. Saturday in north Stockton.  Cars containing sulfuric acid and chlorine were expected to require special attention.  No chemicals spilled during the crash. No injuries were reported as of Saturday night and the cause of the derailment was still under investigation.
Transportation
Road
July 29, 2006 South Africa Tshwane Emergency Services say sabotage could be behind a sulphuric acid spill on the N1 highway outside Tshwane, towards Polokwane.  Emergency services say on arrival at the scene at the Panorama Petroport, they discovered that both valves of the tanker transporting the acid were open. They say it is still too early to conclude that sabotage was at play, but expect police to investigate the possibility.  An emergency services spokesperson, said over 20 000 litres of the highly toxic sulphuric acid will now have to be cleaned up by the Spillage Response Team. The operation was expected to take over six hours.
Transportation
Road
July 28, 2006 Paulding County, Georgia A tanker truck carrying sulfuric acid overturned in Dallas Friday, just before 10 a.m. near the city's two major intersections, Ga. 61 and Ga. 278.  The accident will slow traffic into the evening.  Emergency crews evacuated several shopping centers in the area as well as the Hillcrest apartments.  A tanker for the cleanup effort was en route from Chattanooga.
Transportation
Road
July 28, 2006 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam A car accident in Ho Chi Minh City Friday morning caused 12,000 liters of sulfuric acid to spill over the trans-Asia roadway in Thu Duc District, sending 10 people to the emergency room.  A lorry carrying four tanks of acid was forced over the lane divider by an overtaking container truck, the tumble causing the hazardous liquid to spill over 200 meters of road.  Many passersby fled from the poisonous white fumes, but many were caught and found later burned and unconscious.  Three fire trucks were later dispatched to flush out the poisonous liquid.  The fumes were powerful enough to destroy many neighborhood TV sets, refrigerators, motorbikes and other property.
  July 26, 2006 Salt Lake City, Utah Fire teams issued evacuation notices in an area of west Salt Lake because of a chemical spill.  High winds toppled a huge tank of hydrochloric acid.  The spill was contained in a bunded area but the acid began eating away at a tank that contains 10,000 gallons of sulfuric acid located in the same bunded area.  The Asst. Chief, Salt Lake City Fire said "The other tank of sulfuric acid is corroding. We made the determination, along with the company employees, that we could no longer solve this problem."  An area around the plant was evacuated.
  July 26, 2006 Martinez, California Rhodia’s sulphuric acid regeneration plant released a gas plume this morning from a scrubber that spurred Contra Costa County's hazardous-materials department to send out a brief alert.  An "upset" to a scrubber that cleans out impurities in gases before open-air release resulted in the plume's release from the plant in the 100 block of Mococo Road shortly after 8 a.m.  Rhodia spokesman said the plume was "very brief and small" and happened when a tube came loose up on a tower.  The plant operators elected to file the notifications with the county as a precaution should there be any inquiries or concerns. Operations at the plant were never impacted.  Most of those gases were water vapor, but also some sulfur dioxide within permitted amounts to be released.
Transportation
Road
July 25, 2006 Walnut Creek, Nevada A box of batteries fell off a flatbed truck onto the roadway, spilling acid and shutting down the busy northbound Interstate Highway 680 at the state Highway 24 interchange near Walnut Creek for several hours.  CHP Officer Scott Yox said that the spill was reported at 10:39 a.m. after a box holding 18 forklift batteries jostled loose from a flatbed truck transporting forklifts.  The box of batteries hit the road and one of the batteries bounced up and smashed into the windshield of a dark blue Ford Explorer.  Broken glass and battery acid struck a 16-year-old passenger riding in the Ford Explorer.  The girl was treated at the scene and then taken to a nearby hospital.  The driver was also taken to the hospital for scratches from the broken glass.
Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Specialist Paul Andrews said that Hazmat teams neutralized the acid.  They used a sodium carbonate to neutralize the acid.  Once the sodium carbonate was on the acid, it only took minutes to neutralize it.
The CHP, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, the San Ramon Valley Fire Hazardous Materials Team, the Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Programs and Caltrans were on the scene
  July 20, 2006 Zambia THREE workers at Sino Acid plant in Chambishi were injured in an accident.   Kalulushi district commissioner Joshua Mtisa has advised Sino Acid Zambia owners to improve safety standards so that accidents can be avoided.  Meanwhile, Leach Plant chief executive officer Xie also assured Mtisa who went to make an on-the-spot check, that all the dangerous and high risk jobs would now be done by Chinese nationals.  Xie confirmed the accident, which occurred around 10:00 hours on Tuesday.  He said a four-metre acid tank lid blew off when some workers were trying to weld a tank in order to block a leakage.  He said the new tank, which was tested between July 13 and 15 contained 300 tonnes of sulphuric acid and because of pressure the lid flew off about 20 metres away, causing panic at the plant.  Xie said the victims, Reagan Mulenga, Pearson Masheka and Maybin Kalumba who are admitted at SinaZam Hospital, formerly Nkana Mine Hospital in Kitwe, were injured as they were trying to run away from the accident scene.  “We are really sorry about this accident, we appreciate government’s concern. We feel sorry but we are doing our best to rectify the problem,” he assured. “All the dangerous jobs will be done by the Chinese because we love this country.”  And Mtisa told Xie that as a former miner, he believed that accidents of such nature could be avoided by improving safety standards.  He hoped that the investigations would be concluded soon.  “The memories of the BGRIMM accident where many lives were lost are still fresh in the minds of the people and we can’t afford to have another disaster,” he said. “Human life is very important in such operations.”
  July 11, 2006 Chicopee, MA City firefighters and members of the state Hazardous Materials Team worked hours to contain a toxic chemical spill that injured one person.  Two maintenance workers were at the company and were attempting to evacuate some sulfuric acid out of tubs that treat the metal.  It was a 137 gallon mix of water and sulfuric acid.  The workers were attempting to remove the sulfuric acid with a vacuum-type device that sucks it out when something caused a chemical reaction.  The liquid started to foam and released some toxic vapors, and one of the men suffered from burns in his mucous membranes and lungs.  The injured man was transported to Holyoke Medical Center for evaluation, but no further information was available.  The moving of the sulfuric acid is part of the normal process at the company, but the reaction in the vacuum was not normal.  Emergency response teams did some testing in an attempt to neutralize it and it kept reacting.  Crews attempted to neutralize it with sodium bicarbonate and soda ash and it kept changing.  It was finally diluted with water and the liquid was placed in a storage container.
Transportation
Marine
June 24, 2006 Camp Vicente Lim, Laguna, Philippines

The Philippine Coast Guard on Sunday assured the public that a barge loaded with sulfuric acid, which was reported early Saturday to have sunk off the waters of Bauan, Batangas, did not cause a major spill in the Batangas Bay.  A conflicting report stated that the ill-fated Billy Star spilled a minimal portion of its 1,270 tonnes of sulfuric acid as it sank on Batangas Bay.

Lieutenant Commander Darryl Vargas, duty officer of the Coast Guard regional office in Batangas City, said they had completely contained the toxic chemical from the Billy Star barge.  The sunken vessel had been cordoned off to avoid any potential environmental destruction it might bring.  Despite the heavy rains brought by typhoon “Domeng,” Coast Guard personnel were able to bring the barge to a drydock.  The barge has been undergoing repair since June 14 at the shipyard of Keppel drydock in barangay (village) San Miguel, Bauan town when the incident was reported at around 12:40 a.m. Saturday.  The barge came from Romblon and was undergoing repair after its bullet tank containing 1,270 metric tons of sulphuric acid was damaged by typhoon “Caloy” last month.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on Monday warned Batangas City residents against eating fish caught in Batangas Bay after a barge loaded with sulfuric acid sank off the coast of Bauan town Saturday.

July 6, 2006 - THE Philippine Coast Guard will start this Thursday or on Friday a cleanup of the Batangas Bay, where a barge containing more than 1,000 tons of sulfuric acid sank in late June, an official said Wednesday.  The Coast Guard has hired Hideya Waste Management Corp. to do the cleanup, and a British insurance company that covers the sunken Billy Star barge will shoulder the cost, said Antonio Principe, regional environmental director for the Southern Tagalog region.  The sulfuric acid will be transferred from the four “bullet tanks” of Billy Star to another vessel, where the chemical will be neutralized, Principe told reporters.  The neutralized acid will then be disposed 25 nautical miles southeast of Lubang Island

Transportation
Road
June 20, 2006 Matshiloni Village, South Africa 29 000 litres of concentrated sulphuric acid spilled near Matshiloni Village, 50km from Beitbridge, after a tanker, in transit to Zambia, burst a front tyre and overturned.  The Civil Protection Unit and a team from South Africa reacted swiftly to contain and neutralise the spill to minimise danger and environmental damage but there is concern that some acid was collected by bus passengers who mistook it for diesel.  The tanker driver escaped with minor injuries and was rushed to Beitbridge Hospital where he was treated and discharged.  The vehicle, owned by a South African company, was travelling from Pretoria to Zambia on the Beitbridge-Masvingo Road when it overturned at 4am.
Transportation
Road
June 3, 2006 Townsville, Queensland, Australia A chemical spill sparked an emergency clean-up and a potential environmental disaster was narrowly avoided when a tanker carrying 25 tonnes of sulphuric acid began to leak.  Police and emergency services cordoned off an area at the Caltex roadside truck stop on the Flinders Highway about 6.50am as the boiling sulphuric acid threatened to leak into nearby Stoney Creek.  Queensland Fire and Rescue Service teams, police and ambulance officers spent most of the day in attendance while Chemtrans employees cleaned up the spill.  Chemtrans North Queensland operations manager estimated about two tonnes of sulphuric acid had leaked into the ground.  A valve on the tank, which had been replaced just a week earlier, had failed, causing the chemical to spill.

The sulphuric acid was headed for a mine in the Northern Territory where it would be used to extract metal from ore.  About five tonnes of hydrated lime was used to neutralise the acid spill.  A backhoe removed the contaminated lime and soil from the area and took it to a recognised dump site.

The remaining acid was decanted into another tanker.

Transportation
Road
June 1, 2006 Axis, Alabama A freight train struck a tractor-trailer rig hauling sulfuric acid, just after it pulled out of the Akzo-Nobel chemical plant on U.S. 43 in the Axis area injuring four people and causing eight train cars to derail Three men and a woman were injured in the crash.  None of the sulfuric acid was spilled from the tank trailer being hauled by the rig. It ended up wedged between two derailed train cars.  None of the train cars overturned, and nothing spilled from them when they derailed.  The train hit the cab of the truck and not the tank filled with sulfuric acid.
  May 22, 2006 Waukesha, Wisconsin

A section of Frame Park was blocked off with bright yellow caution tape Monday morning as authorities dealt with a chemical spill in a small stream leading into the Fox River.  About 350 gallons of sulphuric acid entered the Fox River through a storm drain when a container full of sulphuric acid broke open at the International Truck & Engine Corp.  When the container broke attempts were made to contain the spill within the boundary of the company but the attempts were not successful and the acid entered the river.

Dead Fish.jpg (15563 bytes)

  May 18, 2006 Tucson, Arizona About 100 gallons of a sulfuric acid solution spilled onto a street when a refrigeration line at a campus cooling facility backed up.  No injuries were reported.  An employee at the University of Arizona's Central Refrigeration Plant called emergency crews around 1:45 p.m. when a water line backed up in one of the coolant tanks.  The backup caused about 300 gallons of a solution containing 40 percent sulfuric acid to spill into a containment field, eventually spilling 100 gallons into the street.  A Tucson Fire hazardous material crew was able to neutralize the spill using sodium bicarbonate.  Sulfuric acid is used to treat the water in the cooling plant.
Transportation
Rail
May 16, 2006 Taunton, Mass..

Police and fire dispatchers say six cars of the C-S-X freight train left the track around 4 a-m. No injuries are reported but the mishap is blocking traffic at Tremont and Somerset Streets. Authorities are checking unconfirmed reports that one car was carrying sulfuric acid, but they say there is no leakage and no evacuations have been ordered.

  May 12, 2006 Indianapolis, Indiana

Sulfuric acid splashed on two workers sending them to a hospital today and forcing the evacuation of a Westside aluminum fabricator.  Wayne Township firefighters said 20 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled inside Magnode Corp., 4151 W. Washington Street, about 10:45 a.m.  About 100 employees were evacuated and Marion County sheriff’s deputies stopped traffic on Washington between Holt and Lynhurst roads.  Employees inside the plant were transferring the acid from a delivery tanker.   “They were trying to fill a sulfuric tank,” co-owner Marianne Walter said. “There was too much pressure and it blew a pipe and acid sprayed.”   Two workers were taken to Methodist Hospital. No conditions were immediately available, but fire officials said their injuries were not life threatening.  Walter identified one of the victims as supervisor Norm Carpenter. The name of the other worker was not released.  Firefighters were cleaning up the spill.

Transportation
Road
May 11, 2006 Fieldsboro, New Jersey

A broken valve allowed sulfuric acid vapors to be released from a tanker truck at the Stepan Co. chemical plant yesterday, prompting authorities to halt service on a nearby section of the River Line light rail for two hours.  State police said the incident was reported about 10:20 a.m. after vapors were discovered coming from the acid-filled tanker.    Stepan employees quickly evacuated the area, as state troopers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and the Burlington County hazardous materials team rushed to the plant.  The vapors released from the tanker were concentrated in an area of about 50-by-50 feet, but because the wind was blowing toward the railroad tracks, NJ Transit, as a precaution, suspended service on the River Line between the Roebling and Bordentown stations.  State police said hazardous materials team members were able to shut off the damaged valve and stop the release. The vapors that had already vented soon dissipated, state police said.  Emergency personnel left the plant and River Line service was restored by about 12:30 p.m., state police said.

  May 10, 2006 Ventura, California Firefighters Wednesday worked to clean up about 200 gallons of sulfuric acid that leaked from a tank at a west Ventura linen and uniform service and ended up in a storm drain.  Ventura city firefighters cordoned off part of the 100 block of North Olive Street after responding to a 6:50 a.m. call from Mission Linen employees who had found the acid leaking from an above-ground container.  Mission Linen representatives told authorities they had a chemical delivery overnight and a 400-gallon container of sulfuric acid was half-empty and liquid was on the ground when employees arrived Wednesday morning.  The liquid ran down a driveway and into a nearby storm drain, according to fire officials.  About 18 firefighting units, including ones from the Ventura, Oxnard and county fire departments, as well as county Environmental Health officials responded to the spill.  Authorities found acid in a drain where Olive intersects with West Main Street, about a half-block from Mission Linen.   Storm drains on either side of that location and toward the Ventura River checked out OK.  Crews stopped the spill from spreading, then unsuccessfully tried to fix the slow leak from the tank Wednesday afternoon.  Firefighters had to wait for a company to vacuum out the tank before the cleanup could be finished.  Authorities planned to continue an investigation into the leak, including why the tank malfunctioned.
Transportation
Road

April 26, 2006

Ireland

A major accident plan was activated after four 40 gallon barrels fell from an articulated truck onto the main N28 road between Ringaskiddy and Carrigaline in Co Cork at 10:15am.   There were unconfirmed reports that the truck, which was coming from The Carbon Group plant in Ringaskiddy, had to swerve and brake suddenly to avoid a car just off the Shannon Park roundabout.  It is understood cables designed to hold the barrels in place broke loose.    Gardaí, fire brigade crews from Cork city, Carrigaline and Crosshaven, and environmental officials from Cork County Council rushed to the scene and cordoned off a large area.  Fire brigade crews, dressed in special chemical suits, sprayed the road with soda ash to neutralise the acid, which, according to fire officers, was 96% concentrated.  Nobody was reported injured.
Transportation
Road
April 21, 2006 Wendover, Nevada

A Montana truck driver was killed in a collision with another rig on Interstate 80 in eastern Nevada.   Investigators said a rig driven by Forrest Smith, 48, of Crescent Valley, was westbound on the interstate, climbing a steep grade at a slow speed last night when a tractor-trailer driven by Nathan Folsom, 54, of Ennis, Mont., drove up behind him.   Folsom apparently underestimated Smith’s speed as he closed in.  He hit the brakes and steered sharply to the left, but clipped the rear of Smith’s vehicle.   Folsom was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected. He died at the scene.   Smith’s last trailer contained sulfuric acid, but it was not breached and no leakage was detected. He was not hurt.  The interstate was limited to one lane in each direction for about seven hours.

Transportation
Road
April 20, 2006 Hamilton, Bermuda

A toxic chemical spill triggered a rush-hour alert at Hamilton docks as firefighters wearing breathing masks raced to contain a sulphuric acid scare on the Bermuda Islander container ship.   Emergency crews hosed down the top deck of the boat, where the bulk of a 250 litre drum of the substance had leaked during the trip from New Jersey.  Nobody was injured in the incident.  Lt. Wenda Godfrey, of the Bermuda Fire Service, said it appeared that one of six sulphuric acid tubs stored on a palette on the Islander had slipped off and leaked.  The palette was removed from the Islander once it arrived in Hamilton.   Some of the sulphuric acid still in the leaking drum appeared to spill on the docks before firefighters covered the affected area in sand.  Inquiries were ongoing to find out who owned the chemical at the centre of the scare. “At this stage we do not know who it belongs to,” she added, stating that it looked like a strap had slipped off one of the drums during the voyage.
Lt. Godfrey said such spills were rare. A fire service emergency plan to deal with chemical spills swung into action yesterday, although an emergency support unit on the dockside, dealing with hazardous material leaks, was not needed.
Six fire trucks and eleven firefighters attended the call out just before 9 a.m. yesterday, when the rush-hour commute was in full flow.  Bermuda Islander arrived in Hamilton at about 8.15 a.m. And Maurice Brimmer, superintendent at Hamilton docks, said staff were aware of the spill as soon as the boat berthed, carrying a total of 123 containers.  “We were alerted by the personnel on the boat,” added Mr. Brimmer, who said he was not certain how the chemical spilled on the deck, although a hole in the drum may have been behind the leak.  An eyewitness said that a morning downpour led to the acid “smoking up” from the floor around the palette, before firefighters quickly moved to sand it down during the clean-up operation.

  April 18, 2006 Vadodara, India

A fire broke out during the start-up process of the SA-3 plant in Gujarat State Fertilizer Company (GSFC) near Chhani on Tuesday evening.  Five plant staffers sustained 30 to 40 per cent burn injuries in the mishap.  The incident created alarm and confusion among angry staffers when the injured were not provided with proper medical aid on time.  The accident occured around 6 pm during the start-up process, following a shut-down process of the SA-3 plant two days back.  A back fire from the acid unit that trapped five men.   Later, the fire also caused damage to the acid pipeline carrying sulphuric acid to the unit.

Transportation
Road
April 13, 2006 Quito, Ecuador

A truck carrying sulphuric acid rolled over on a highway in northwestern Ecuador, killing the driver and spilling its chemical cargo into the river that provides the drinking water for the city of Santo Domingo de los Colorados, Ecuavisa television reported.  The accident occurred near the town of Alluriquin, some 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) southwest of Quito, on the highway that links the mountainous region of the country to the coast.   The truck driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel, Ecuavisa reported, citing witnesses.  Sulphuric acid spilled into the Toachi River, but officials in the city of Santo Domingo de los Colorados said the chemical should not pose a hazard to the city's residents.  Residents of Alluriquin, however, told Ecuavisa that white foam formed on the surface of the Toachi River and they feared the chemical would kill fish and other wildlife.

Transportation
Road
April 7, 2006 Dharmapuri, India One person was charred to death and three others injured when a tanker lorry containing sulphuric acid caught fire after colliding with another lorry filled with a chemical powder.  The driver of the Goa-bound tanker lorry died on the spot.  The injured, including the driver of the other vehicle, were hospitalised.  The tanker lorry was proceeding from the Tuticorin Sterlite company, while the other vehicle from Andhra Pradesh was bound for Erode when the mishap occurred at 06:00 hrs.  Four fire tenders put out the fire after a three-hour struggle. 
Transportation
Road
April 6, 2006 Pori, Finland

Approximately, 16 cubic metres of concentrated sulphuric acid was spilled after a tanker veered off the road and into a ditch on trunk road 2 in Finland on Thursday. The accident happened in Pori in the Satakunta province.  Rescuers said the road could not be safely reopened for traffic before midday.  No one was hurt even though the tanker ploughed through the median barrier and through oncoming traffic. The road surface was extremely slippery at the time of the accident.

Transportation
Road
April 4, 2006 Brussels, Belgium

A massive clean-up operation on the Brussels ring road ended at about 11pm, some five hours after a collision involving two trucks.  The tail-end collision took place on the internal ring just before the Vilvoorde junction.  About 5,000lr of acid made up of phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid and sulfates was spilled across the road surface by a leaking tanker.  The DHL truck was carrying 20,000lr of acid when the accident took place at about 4pm.  No one was injured in the collision, but the acid spill forced one side of the motorway to be sealed off, leading to long traffic delays.  Residents and companies were urged to keep windows shut and to stay indoors.  The acid is hazardous for the skin, eyes and breathing.  And the effects of the acid worsen when mixed with water, meaning emergency services could not simply hose the liquid off the road. A truck with chalk was called in. Once mixed with chalk, the acid is neutralised.  The remaining 15,000lr was pumped from the damaged tanker to another DHL truck and the road was given the all clear at about 11pm.  Motorists on the ring road were diverted via the A12 and the exits Grimbergen and the military hospital of Neder-over-Heembeek. Traffic jams extended to 20km.  Motorists were ordered to keep their windows shut and turn off their car air conditioning systems.

Transportation
Road
March 30, 2006 Paddi, Quepem, India

A tanker truck carrying sulphuric acid went off the road in the early morning leading to spillage of the entire content of 30 tonne on the ground and contaminating a nearby rivulet.  This caused a fear among the people in the area as the vehicle continued to remain in the same position till late evening.  The tank truck was carrying sulphuric acid from Tuticorin destined to the Zuari Industries Ltd at Zuarinagar.   Immediately on noticing the contamination, the fire officials along with officials of ZIL emptied 800 kg of chunnac (chalk) into the rivulet in a bid to neutralise the acid content.  Residents kept on thronging to accident spot since morning and were told by the authorities of the hazards that the acid could pose.

Tanker_Overturn.jpg (35498 bytes)

Transportation
Rail
March 15, 2006 Du Quoin, Illinois, USA

A Canadian National (CN) train hauling sulfuric acid overturned just before 2 a.m. at a switching site on the company-owned tracks forcing the evacuation of about 250 southern Illinois homes in a half-mile radius of the accident.   Emergency teams are evaluating the situation and have implemented a 1/2 mile evacuation zone as a precaution.  The train was hauling four cars, including one that contained paper and two cars that were empty.  There was no leak from the tank car even though it rolled down an embankment.  Track crews were able to put the overturned sulfuric tank car on a new set of trucks, and the car was to be taken to a siding near Dubois today to have the sulfuric acid contents transferred to another tank car.

Three years ago, on February 9, 2003, another Canadian National Railway train derailed in Tamaroa, Illinois, about six miles from Wendesday's accident.  In the 2003 derailment, toxic chemicals spilled from the train, forcing the evacuation of more than 800 residents from a three-mile radius for more than a week.

Train_Derail_Illinois.jpg (19593 bytes)   Train_Derail_Illinois_2.jpg (11725 bytes)

 

February 28, 2006

Atlanta, Georgia A sulfuric acid spill has brought in hazmat teams to a large church campus in northwest Atlanta.  The spill on Tuesday afternoon happened at the Mt. Paran Church of God's campus at the corner of Northside Parkway and Mt. Paran Road, just off of Interstate 75.  Construction workers were unloading some containers of chemicals, but found one leaking.  Nearby buildings that were downwind of the spill have been evacuated, and according to rescue officials, hazmat teams were called in as a precaution.  The hazmat teams have set up a decontamination tent, also as a precautionary measure.  According to Atlanta Fire Department Captain Byron Kennedy, winds have helped dissipate the acid fumes, but regulations require an evacuation within at least 150 feet from a sulfuric acid spill.  No injuries have been reported.
Transportation
Road
February 8, 2006 Kolkata, India An acid tanker overturned on the Tala bridge near Shyambazar in the northern part of the metropolis.  The tanker, carrying sulphuric acid, oveturned while speeding away on the Tala bridge at around 7.50 a.m.   Three fire tenders were pressed into service to wash out the acid that leaked out of the tanker on the road.  No injury was caused due to the incident.
Transportation
Rail
January 17, 2006 Taylor, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania A CSX Transportation freight train derailed dumping 10,000 gallons of sulfuric acid into a company rail yard.  Seven freight cars overturned at about 10:30 a.m. at the yard in Taylor, about two miles south of New Castle.  Emergency workers using lime and a vacuum had the spill contained about noon.  Nobody was injured, said authorities.  Favorable weather conditions and the spot of the spill kept the situation from becoming serious.  Winds blew away from buildings where others were working, and the acid was dumped between two sets of tracks that kept the material from spreading.  Two of the seven derailed cars were carrying sulfuric acid, but only one -- containing 10,000 to 13,000 gallons of the material – leaked.  That tanker was gashed by the coupling on another derailed car.  The other five cars carried non-hazardous freight.  The cars were being moved in the yard when they derailed.

Tank_Car_Accident_1f.jpg (19773 bytes)

Transportation
Road
January 9, 2006 Crestwood, Tennessee

About 2,000 pounds of sulfuric acid leaked from a tractor-trailer after a wreck on Interstate 71.  No homes were evacuated, but the southbound lanes were closed indefinitely for the cleanup.   The collision of two tractor-trailers — the other carrying isopropyl alcohol — may have been caused by a crash a short time earlier and about a quarter-mile away.

When the trucks crashed, Oldham County police sought help from the Jefferson County hazardous material team and the state fire marshal, as well as other area fire and emergency units.  Many emergency crews could reach the scene only after the southbound lanes were closed, allowing them to drive the wrong way in those lanes toward the crash site.  One of the truck drivers was flown by helicopter to University Hospital.  The alcohol carried in one of the trucks did not leak.

Transportation
Marine
January 8, 2006 Jiangsu Province, China

A cargo ship carrying more than 460 tons of sulfuric acid on board sank into the Yangtze River in eastern China's Jiangsu Province.  No spill was immediately detected.  One crewmember was rescued while two others were missing.  The ship named Susuqian No. 498 was a transporting vessel from Suqian City of east China's Jiangsu Province.  It ran into reefs and sank with three people aboard around 03:40 am in the morning.  The local government shut down the water intake of water factories along the Yangtze River and was monitoring water conditions in the area.  The local maritime rescue team has begun salvaging the sunken ship and continues to search for the two missing crewmembers.

Barge_Lifting.jpg (20805 bytes)

Transportation
Road
December 9, 2005 China

Three southern Chinese cities were struck by chemical spill scares this week following traffic accidents involving tanker trucks.  The spills happened as authorities try to solve a three-week crisis over a toxic slick that polluted a northeastern river, forcing the shutdown of water supplies to millions and raising alarm bells in Russia as it flows into that country.

The city of Hechi in the southern Guangxi region went off high alert on Friday after winds dispersed an "acidic mist" of poisonous yellow phosphorous escaping from a tanker truck that overturned and ruptured on Wednesday.  Many people in the city of 200,000 were "overcome with nausea from the fumes".

Also on Wednesday, 23 tonnes of sulphuric acid poured out of a dangerously overloaded truck that overturned near Guangxi's capital of Nanning.  Fields around the crash site were burnt black and tests had shown land further away was severely polluted.

The string of chemical spills and coal mine disasters raises questions about the cost of China's breakneck economic boom as it rushes to meet insatiable demand for energy and chemicals.

Transportation
Road
December 2005 Nathkuva (Halol), India

A tanker full of oleum located outside Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL)  plant compound leaked oleum.  The factory manager called at 0145h informing the villagers about the leakage and to cover their faces with damp cloths and evacuate the village immediately.  The area outside the factory was covered in thick white fumes.  Neighbours and some youths were sent to wake up others.  The Gogamba police sub-inspector sent constables to the village to hurry up the evacuation but provided no police vehicles.  No vehicles or guidances were provided for evacuating the village. 

A mock evacuation drill had been conducted by the district authorities some months back but none of the guidelines were followed by the authorities themselves.

Workers at the factory reported that after the leakage occured, no siren was sounded.  They had no wind of what was happening outside the factory.  Management had vanished from the unit in their private vehicles. On discovering the leakage, workers ran for their lives leaving the plant running.

The Goghamba sub-inspector and the mamlatdar arrived at the factory where the tanker had leaked.  But with no technical know-how they were of little help.  There were no sprinklers that could be turned on to ward off the fumes and even the fire-fighters ran out of water.  Ultimately, the tanker was allowed to empty out its entire load of 11,000 litres of oleum and the fumes cleared in eight hours due to natural wind course.  There was no loss of life.   After the incident, about 392 people consisting mostly of women and children from the village reported sick at the Ranjitnagar public health centre after inhaling sulphuric acid fumes produced by oleum.

Transportation
Road
December 6, 2005 Shanghai, China A tanker carrying sulfuric acid collided with a container truck in Pudong District of Shanghai on Tuesday, leaking acid into a roadside watercourse which ends in a pond.  No casualties occurred in the accident.   Rescuers have stemmed the drainage outlet of the pond. Sulfuric acid contaminated an estimated 1,000 square meters of water surface.  Investigators found that the container truck, registered in Shandong, bumped into the rear tank of the tanker owned by the Fourth Branch of the Shanghai Chemical Commodity Transportation Co. and caused the accident.  The two vehicles have been pulled away from the accident site. Firefighters and relevant departments used water and caustic soda to dilute the pollutant.   Local environmental officials said the pond water is used for greenery, not as a source for drinking water, and the contamination has been brought under control. The accident does not post a threat to the health of local residents, they said.
  November 18, 2005 Borås, Sweden The area around an industrial estate in Borås was sealed off on Friday morning after 1,000 litres of sulphuric acid leaked from the premises of Brandsta Nordic Chemical company. a acid was disocvered in in Borås on Friday morning.  An area with a radius of 50 metres around the factory buildings on the Viared industrial estate was sealed off.  The area was thoroughly cleaned on Friday morning with chalk to stabilise the acid, which was then flushed in to tanks inside the factory. The closest residential area was only one kilometre away from the site but according to the police and rescue services the leak did not pose any threat to people in the immediate area.
Transportation
Rail
November 16, 2005 Jones, Oklahoma

Authorities say residents here were forced to evacuate their homes after a train derailed.  About eight cars left a track owned by Stillwater Central Railroad on a stretch located north of Britton Road between Hiawasse and Sooner roads. Authorities say some of the cars were tankers. Firefighters could not locate the engine that had been pulling the train. An Oklahoma City Fire Department hazardous materials crew responded to the scene.   Reports are that molten sulfur was in the tanker that overturned.

  October 18, 2005 Tampa, Florida, USA A storage tank at the Port of Tampa ruptured Monday, leaking about 4,500 tons of molten sulfur.  Most of the spilled liquid was contained on land owned by Gulf Sulfur Services, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Tampa Port Authority.  Three to four tons escaped into the waters of Sparkman Canal, east of Harbour Island, where it was quickly contained by the Coast Guard. No injuries were reported.  The leak developed at a broken weld. When Tampa Fire Rescue units arrived about 3:40 p.m., company employees were pumping the sulfur from the damaged tank to another container.
  2005 Pocatello, Idaho, USA

Four workers at J.R. Simplot's Don plant were treated and released from hospital care Saturday night after an undetermined amount of sulfur dioxide was accidentally released into the air in their vicinity.  A valve was mistakenly left closed within a system of ducts that transports the gas. Computer monitors showed there was a system malfunction as gas built up at the valve. After the system was shut down at 9:15 p.m., sulfur dioxide seeped from a large vent for between 10 and 15 minutes.  The sulfuric acid plant had been shut down for repairs, and workers were in the midst of starting it back up.  A female laboratory technician complained of nausea, a headache and a sore throat - classic signs of sulfur dioxide inhalation. She and two men who were working outdoors within the facility were transported to the hospital, where they were given oxygen and pain relievers.  A driver for Simplot's private plant ambulance, which transported the three workers, also asked to be checked at the hospital.  Simplot will also investigate whether mechanical failure or operator error is responsible for the shut valve.  The incident was determined to be a Level One emergency, meaning it was contained within the facility, there is no cleanup necessary, no physical damage to the facility and it's appropriate for Simplot to conduct the investigation on its own.

  September 17, 2005 Thane, India

Two workers were killed and six injured following two explosions in Century Rayon Factory at Shahad near Kalyan on Friday. Police held the company's management and some private contractors carrying out installation work on the factory premises responsible for the accident. The first blast took place at 9.45 am and instantly killed two workers.  They were working on a 55,000-litre tank that was being installed in the factory.  The tank was filled with water to check for leaks.  The water in the tank came in contact with sulphuric acid that seeped out from an overhead pipe.  The gas formation increased the pressure inside the tank leading to the explosion.  The workers were thrown away to a distance by the impact of the blast.  It is likely that hydrogen gas formed inside the tank.

Transportation
Road
September 15, 2005 New Jersey, New York, USA

A several-mile stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike was closed for two hours after a tractor-trailer, initially believed to be carrying sulfuric acid, struck a car and caught on fire.   Hazardous materials response crews were called out because the tanker had a placard that indicated it contained sulfuric acid.  The fire department placed a protective layer of foam around the truck while the cab fire was extinguished.  The tanker turned out to be empty.  The tanker apparently sideswiped a car while making a lane change.

  August 31, 2005 Mumbai, India

A sulphuric acid leakage was reported at the decomposed pipeline of the sufala plant of the public sector Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilisers (RCT) Limited at Trombay.  According to RCF officials, a minor gas leakage was noticed in the pipeline between 12.30 pm and 1.00 pm, and it was soon brought under control. No casualties or damages were reported, the officials said. Fire brigade sources said that four fire tenders, one water tanker and one oxygen vehicle were rushed to the spot to bring the gas leakage under control.

Transportation
Road
August 26, 2005 Rua San Tome, Panjim-Goa, India

In yet another mishap involving a vehicle carrying hazardous liquid, a tanker carrying 18,000 litres of sulphuric acid swerved off the road and turned turtle near the Forest Rest House at Poinguinim in the wee hours of Friday.  The tanker (KA-01-D -315) was proceeding to Zuari Nagar, Vasco, for unloading. The two occupants of the vehicle including the driver sustained injuries.  According to Canacona police, the driver of the vehicle drove his vehicle at the extreme left side. The soft soil could not withstand the weight of the tanker and the vehicle overturned by the roadside.  SDPO Quepem Jayprakash Nagvekar along with Canacona PI Braz Menezes and Margao Traffic PI Darmesh Angle rushed the site.  The slight leakage from the vehicle prompted Canacona fire services to rush to the spot. Canacona Fire Station Officer P Prabhu Desai told Herald that he immediately used one can of foam and neutralised the hazardous liquid.  Later, experts from Zuarinagar, Govind Lotlekar and Chetan Despande also visited the site to initiated measures to prevent further leakage from the tanker.  This is the second mishap involving a tanker carrying hazardous liquid within a gap of eight days, after a tanker carrying naphtha turned turtle near Bendulem on August 19.

Transportation
Road
August 23, 2005 Fort Worth, Texas

A tanker truck filled with sulfuric acid fell on its side in north Fort Worth, and tied up traffic near the Interstate 35W-Highway 287 split.  Hazardous-materials crews said there is no danger to drivers -- only delays -- while crews cleaned up the mess and moved the truck. Less than 10 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled, according to officials.  The accident occurred on southbound I-35W at the Highway 287 northbound ramp. The 18-wheeler was uprighted and lanes were opened on the freeway by 8 a.m.

Transportation
Road
August 18, 2005 San Jose, California, USA

About 100 gallons of a sulfuric and nitric acid mixture spilled from a tank truck traveling on Highway 101 in San Jose causing traffic backups on the highway.  The tanker truck spill was caused by a leak and not an overturn, so it was easier for crews to contain and clean up.    An additional 200 gallons was captured in containment vessels.  The rest of the acid was pumped directly from the leaking truck into another tanker. The spill was on the dirt, so it was relatively easy to pick up using a loader.  The dirt was scooped up and put it in barrels and then transported it to an industrial waste site. ``We were able to collect the fluids that were leaking, so we were able to stop the vast majority of the fuming. That really minimizes the problem for us. As long as you can keep shoving tubs under there, you can handle it for a while.''  The trouble began shortly after 9 a.m. when the truck driver hauling 538 gallons of the acid mixture pulled over to the southbound side of the highway just north of Bernal Road to try to fix a corroded valve.  Alarmed motorists called the California Highway Patrol to complain of a stinging sensation.  The truck driver was taken to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center for observation. He inhaled acid vapor and some of the acid splashed on his clothes, but he didn't sustain any serious injuries and was released.  There was no record of any problems with California Tank Lines, the registered operator of the truck, over the last 15 years.

Transportation
Road
August 15, 2005 Chocolate Bayou (Houston), Texas

A barge carrying 425,000 gallons of sulfuric acid ran aground and began leaking. Workers noticed the partially submerged barge about 2 a.m. Tuesday en route to a Solutia Inc. terminal about 1.5 miles north of the FM 2004 bridge.  The Coast Guard is monitoring the sulfuric acid spill.  The barge was moved about a quarter-mile to open Chocolate Bayou to make removal of its cargo easier.  Approximately 126,000 gallons of acid was taken off tank barge MGM3030 onto a smaller barge. The acid was taken to a storage facility.  Officials were conducting tests to determine the direction and density of the acid plume.  The area is considered ecologically important because it has significant wetlands and marshes that provide habitat for wildlife.  The tank barge was grounded Monday evening (August 15) when it started to sink. The starboard bow of the barge is now partially submerged.  The tank barge and the cargo are owned by Martin Product Sales.  The transfer of 430,000 gallons of sulfuric acid to another vessel from the barge was completed late Thursday, August 18.  The sulfuric acid was stored in two separate containers, but only a small amount leaked into the bayou.   The cause of the barge sink is unknown.

Transportation
Rail
August 11, 2005 Santa Cruz, Mexico An estimated 24,000 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled from two train cars and contaminated the Santa Cruz River.  The contamination followed a derailment on the FeroMex Railroad on Thursday, Aug. 11 at about 3 p.m.   The accident happened near the Santa Cruz River about 40 river miles south of the international border in the vicinity of Santa Cruz, Mexico.  Private well-users in the South and North River Road areas and along State Route 82 were are asked to not use water from their wells until the situation is mitigated.  A team of emergency-management officials monitored the water flow at the border throughout the night. Public works crews from Nogales and Santa Cruz County built a number of berms in the river north of the border about 1,000 feet apart. Firefighters from the Nogales Fire Department are continuously testing the pH levels in the river.  As of midnight on August 11, the pH had decreased to four.  After being treated with lime, the pH levels had risen to seven by 11 a.m. Friday.
  August 11, 2005 Taylorsville, Utah

A man was flown to the hospital Thursday morning, after he was suddenly splashed with sulfuric acid at the American Express processing facility in Taylorsville.  Officials say that sulfuric acid is routinely used at the facility as part of the company's processing, and it somehow came into contact with the victim's face and arm. It wasn't immediately clear what the unidentified man was doing at the time or how he came into contact with the chemical.   He was flown to the University of Utah Hospital's burn unit in good condition.  
Officials say the man was treated rather quickly, thanks to a decontamination unit that is constantly stationed at the facility.  This is the second chemical spill at the American Express processing center this month.  A large barrel of sulfuric acid sprung a leak there on August 5th. More than a dozen people were evacuated from the building in that incident, but no one was hurt.

Transportation
Road
July 29, 2005 Arizona, USA

A head-on collision between a small pick-up truck and semi-truck carrying a full load of sulphuric acid claimed one life and injured two other people.  The accident occurred at about 11 p.m. near mile marker 279 on the west side of Bylas, about 2 miles from the Bylas bridge.  The driver of the pick-up truck was traveling west on Hwy. 70 when he crossed the center line and ran head-on into a semi-truck carrying sulphuric acid.  The collision caused the semi to roll, killing the driver of the vehicle, whose name was not released at the time of publication. He was declared dead at the scene.  Because the dome of the acid truck was breached, the scene was declared a hazardous materials situation, and the San Carlos Police Department was required to reroute traffic to the Coolidge Dam area until 2 p.m. on Saturday, causing delays for travelers on Hwy. 70. San Carlos firefighters on the scene were treated at a Phoenix hospital for injuries related to acid exposure.  The truck involved in the accident was carrying a sulfuric acid solution to be used in mining operations at the Phelps Dodge Morenci mine.  It was being transported by CTI trucking company.

  July 13, 2005 Planeview, Texas Discharge of 30 t sulphuric acid from loading arm that broke away during loading of tank car.  The spill was contained using soda ash.
  July 6, 2005 Indianapolis, Indiana, USA Indianapolis firefighters were called to Color Inc. when a seam on a tank being filled with sulfuric acid split open.  Approximately 3,100 gallons of sulphuric acid had just been pumped into the tank from a semi and it was unclear how much acid spilled onto the ground.  Eighteen people were evacuated from the business, which anodizes aluminum.  People were also evacuated from a nearby warehouse.
  June 22, 2005 Guadalajara, Mexico City At least three dozen children and teachers got sick today from sulfuric acid fumes that were released from a nearby chemical company.  The victims suffered from headaches, vomiting, nausea and throat irritation at the Licenciado Francisco Medina Ascencia children's center.  The victims were given oxygen by emergency crews and taken to the hospital.  The source of the fumes was identified as Silicatos y Derivados, S.A. de C.V.
Transportation
Marine
June 2005 Panama Canal, Panama The escape of sulfuric acid gas from a Norwegian ship transiting the Panama Canal caused the visitors’ center at Miraflores Locks to be evacuated yesterday as a security measure. All nonessential Canal operations personnel were also evacuated until the ship completed its transit through the locks.
 

June 3, 2005 

Fieldsboro, Pennsylvania, USA Two mechanics suffered severe burns when they were accidentally sprayed with sulphuric acid while working at Stepan Chemical Co.  The mechanics were sprayed in their faces with sulphuric acid that was contained in the line.  The workers believed the line to be empty.  The workers suffered burns to the face and chest.  They were wearing protective masks and clothing.  The workers were rushed to safety showers and then treated with a solution to soothe the burns.
Transportation
Road
May 19, 2005 Umdloti, South Africa Two police officers were watching for overloaded vehicles when a tanker conveying sulphuric acid from Umbogintwini to Mandeni passed them.  The officers were sprayed by sulphuric acid as the tanker passed them.   The fire department was contacted and the tanker was stopped at the Tongaat Toll Plaza and taken to the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) office to assess the leak.  It was found that a faulty valve was responsible.  The tanker would only be released after the valve was replaced.
Transportation
Rail
March 25, 2005 Huntington, USA Crews were called Thursday to the scene of the second railroad tanker-related chemical leak in Huntington within five months. A spokesperson for BPS Printing Systems, formerly BASF, said a sulfuric acid leak was reported at the 5th Avenue manufacturing plant at about 10 a.m. Thursday.  About 50,000 pounds of 98 percent sulfuric acid, leaked from a rail tanker.  The leak was spotted by an employee watching the rail cars that carry raw materials to the plant.   He said the leak was caused by a malfunctioning hose that ruptured on the top of the rail car. The hose was carrying the acid from the rail car to the plant.  The site’s emergency response team immediately began cleaning up the leak.  No one was hurt or needed medical treatment because of the leak. 
Transportation
Rail
March 17, 2005 Plant City, Florida, USA Nine railcars carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in downtown Plant City.  Five derailed cars carried sulfuric acid, three phosphate and one with fluorosilicic.  The derailed cars remained upright, there were no injuries and no hazardous materials spilled.  The train had 38 loaded cars and 68 empty cars.  CSX officials said they did not know whether the derailed cars were empty or loaded.  The train was heading north from Mulberry to Wildwood when the railroad cars slipped off the tracks about 9:45 p.m., shortly after rounding a curve.
Transportation
Rail
March 6, 2005 Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

A railway tanker ruptured and spilled its toxic contents in a rail yard in South Salt Lake. The tank car was carrying nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, ammonia and acetic acid in a water solution, according to the Utah Department of Health.  Lab tests also indicate phosphoric acid may have been present.  The tank car was not designed to carry this mixture of acid.  A federal investigation is under way.  And the companies involved are scrambling to explain what happened.  About 6,000 residents were sent packing and traffic was halted on the state's busiest highway.  The car's manifest, which is supposed to travel with the tanker and detail its contents, did not account for every chemical inside.
The tanker's owner, Kennecott Utah Copper Corp., contends the car should only have been holding one chemical: sulfuric acid.
Officials from the company believed to have filled the tanker, Houston-based Philip Services Corp., claim the rail car was properly loaded and labeled for shipment when it left their command in Fernley, Nev., near Reno. And the company says the car's manifest - which was signed by a representative of Union Pacific - notes the tanker was being used to transport sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids.

Philip Services officials call the 12,500-gallon concoction a "waste corrosive liquid" - a mix of acids and water - and say the mixture's contents comply with the terms of their contract to use the Kennecott tanker.
A Kennecott spokesman pointed out that the tanker is clearly labeled for sulfuric acid use only.
On March 2, the tank car was sitting in South Salt Lake's Roper Train Yard, according to Union Pacific.  Early Sunday morning, yard workers noticed acid bubbling from three holes in the tanker. It wasn't until late Sunday, however, that emergency officials felt they had a grasp on what was in the tanker and what should be done.

Tank_Spill.jpg (43302 bytes)

  February 4, 2005 Helsingborg, Sweden

About 11,000 tons of sulfuric acid leaked from the Kemira Kemi factory in central Helsingborg, forming a poisonous gas cloud over the city of Helsingborg that forced citizens to stay indoors for four hours.  Thirteen people were injured, but none seriously.  No fatalities were reported.  The acid leaked out shortly after 4 a.m. (0830 IST).  Carina Mohlin, director of the Helsingborg Lasarett hospital, said six factory employees were taken to the hospital, some with teary eyes and respiratory problems, but none with serious injuries.  Two police officers and five others were also taken in with similar symptoms, but all 13 had been cleared from the hospital by 11 a.m., she said.
The acid had leaked during the loading of a ship.  A portion of the acid spilled into the sea causing a chemical reaction that formed a steam cloud containing droplets of sulphuric acid.

Transportation
Rail
January 30, 2005 Kenwood, Ontario, Canada Crews worked through the night to clear the CN tracks after 17 cars derailed and one leaked sulphuric acid into a treed area near Kerwood -- the fourth train derailment since 1991 on the same stretch.  No one was hurt or evacuated in the derailment.  Fifteen cars were on their sides and two others that had slipped off the tracks.   And one of two derailed cars carrying sulphuric acid was leaking.  The derailed cars were from the middle of the 125-car train, which was headed west from Toronto to Sarnia.
Transportation
Marine
January 29, 2005 Hamburg, Germany Chemical tanker Stolt Fulmar (4,300 dwt, built 2000) carrying 5000 t of sulphuric acid collided with bridge and tug on River Elbe in fog.  No significant damage to tanker.
Transportation
Rail
January 26, 2005 Gwanda, Zimbabwe

Freight train derailed in Southeast Zimbabwe spilling 40,000 litres of sulphuric acid from one tank car into a stream feeding the Mtshabezi River

Transportation
Road
January 3, 2005 Pretoria, South Africa Road tanker overturned on N1, spilling 15,000 litres of sulphuric acid
  July 25, 2004 Dujiang City, Jiangsu, China At 8am on 25 July 2004, a connecting pipe to a tank ruptured and resulted in a 60-ton leakage of sulphuric acid in Dujiang City, Jiangsu. The toxic acid transformed into gas and formed a cloud causing officials evacuate nearly 400 households in the immediate vicinity. Police allowed residents to return 15 hours later after the accident.
Transportation
Marine
July 1, 2004 Hamburg, Germany

A tanker carrying sulphuric acid capsized late on Monday following a collision with a container ship, causing a major pollution concern.

Much of the highly toxic sulphuric acid on board a tanker which capsized in the German port of Hamburg has escaped into the river Elbe around the harbour.

Out of 960 tons of sulphuric acid originally on board the vessel ENA 2, only about 430 tons is still in its cargo tanks, said Werner Marnette, CEO of vessel owner Norddeutsche Affinerie, Europe's largest copper producer.  "We believe today that when the ship capsized, the sulphuric acid escaped through its eight ventilation chambers into the Elbe," Marnette said.  Remaining acid in the ship was considerably diluted by river water three days after the original accident, he said.   Police incident commander Peer Rechenbach said it was a "regrettable mistake" that authorities had until now believed that most of the vessel's cargo was still on board.  Hamburg's city environment agency it did not believe the river Elbe had suffered major environmental damage. But shortly after the accident local television stations showed large numbers of dead fish floating in the water.  Salvage teams with floating cranes were on Thursday afternoon still continuing the operation to turn the ship upright so that the remaining acid can be pumped out. The port continues normal operations.

Transportation
Road
June 26, 2004 Fayette, Mississippi, USA A tanker truck overturned on Mississippi Highway 61 spilling approximately 1,500 gallons of sulfuric acid into a Jefferson County creek.  The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department were on the scene and there were no reported evacuations.  The spill was at North Fork Cove Creek about six miles north of Fayette.  The creek leads to Cove Creek which runs into the Mississippi.
Transportation
Road
June 16, 2004 Ottumwa, Iowa, USA A tanker-truck accident spilled 2,500 gallons of sulfuric acid into Sugar Creek just west of Ottumwa, killing all the fish in the creek between the site and the Des Moines River almost 1 mile away.   The tanker contained 5,000 gallons of 95 percent sulfuric acid. The accident, which injured the driver, occurred on U.S. Highway 34.  The creek was extremely acidic and officials sprayed lime into the creek in attempts to neutralize the acid.
  March 5, 2004 Guelph, Ontario, Canada

A chemical spill in Guelph Friday injured one person and forced the evacuation of businesses, homes and a school.   The spill of sulphuric acid and ferric chloride, which combine to create toxic hydrochloric acid, happened around 8 a.m. at the Gay-Lea Foods facility in the north end of the city.  Police evacuated a five-block area surrounding the plant as a precaution.   The evacuation order was lifted around 10 a.m., but people have since been told to stay indoors and keep their windows, doors and ventilation systems shut until further notice.  The spill reportedly occurred while an acid tanker truck was unloading materials at the plant.

Transportation
Road
February 4, 2004 Camp Pendleton, CA

Authorities shut down the Basilone Road offramps on Interstate 5 on Wednesday morning when a truck carrying sulfuric acid leaked the corrosive liquid.  The truck's tank was too full as the big rig was traveling south on the freeway, said Inspector Scott Simpson of the Camp Pendleton Fire Department. He said some of the oily, colorless liquid started to seep out.  The driver pulled off at the Basilone Road exit just before 9 a.m. to get help at the gate to the Marine base, officials said. A San Diego County hazardous-materials team was called.About 10 to 15 gallons of the liquid spilled, but no one was hurt, said a California Highway Patrol officer.The Basilone Road offramps on both sides of the freeway were shut down to keep drivers away from the spill. A traffic alert was issued for the area. The spill was cleaned up about 2 p.m., officers said.

  November 25, 2003 Olympic Dam, Australia

WMC ordered an external review of the accident-prone Olympic Dam after a leak at its sulphuric acid plant put an end to copper production for up to three weeks at a cost of $1.5 million a day.   The acid plant shutdown will lose WMC 600 tonnes of copper and 12 tonnes of uranium oxide a day in production, and is expected to trim pre-tax earnings by as much as $31.5 million.  WMC was shooting for up to 180,000 tonnes of copper production in 2003, but the replacement heat exchanger will take between two and three weeks to install at a cost "in the order of $3 million". As a result, the new output could be as much 12,600 tonnes lower.

Transportation
Marine
November 3, 2003 Texas City, Texas, USA

A barge operated by Martin Product Sales LLC containing 235,000 gallons of sulphuric acid capsized at Sterling Chemical’s No. 2 dock.  When the barge flipped some of the contents spilled.  The area was evacuated because emergency crews deemed there was a risk of an explosion The lack of equipment and equipment to safely move or contain the acid prompted the decision to drain the contents of the barge into the water way.  During the draining operation water entered and mixed with the acid in the barge causing a cloud of steam to form.  As well, a budge formed in the barge hull from the apparent build-up of hydrogen gas in the hull.  Holes were drilled in the hole to allow any hydrogen gas to escape.  Water sprays were used to prevent any gases from escaping.  Draining of the barge was completed on November 13, 2003.  The barge is equipped with several compartments and if a compartment leaks or is breached, the cargo can shift causing the barge to flip.  The barge was towed to Newpark Shipping in the Houston Ship Channel where it will be examined and repaired.  The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the accident.

Barge_capsize.jpg (8098 bytes)  barge2.jpg (7154 bytes)

  September 10, 2003 Adelaide, Australia Three men have been sprayed with sulphuric acid in a chemical spill north of Adelaide.  Police said the men were removing the acid from trucks at Lochiel this morning when a hose broke.  One man suffered burns to his face, chest and hands and was taken to the nearby Balaklava Hospital for treatment.  He was expected to be transferred to the Royal Adelaide Hospital later today.   The other men suffered burns to the hands and face but were treated at the scene. Workplace authorities were conducting an investigation of the incident.
Transportation
Road
August 29, 2003 Toluca, Mexico A truck transporting sulfuric acid lost control on a mountain road in central Mexico on Friday, killing seven people, state authorities said.  The truck collided with a sport utility vehicle traveling in the opposite direction on a two-lane highway near San Juan de Las Huertas, about 15 miles outside the Mexico state capital of Toluca.  Seven out of nine people traveling in the sport utility vehicle were killed, including a nine-year-old and three teenagers. The truck also struck a house, where two people were injured.  The impact of the truck striking the oncoming vehicle and house accounted for the deaths and most of the damages, according to Arturo Vilchis, director of the Mexico state civil protection department.  
Nevertheless, local firefighters and state emergency personnel worked Friday night to dilute corrosive acid that spilled from the truck, and about 70 people from 12 homes near the wreck were evacuated to a shelter in San Juan de las Huertas.
It was unclear how much sulfuric acid the truck had been carrying and whether it contributed to the injuries.
The Mexico state prosecutor's office had identified the company that owned the truck and its driver Friday and were investigating the cause of the wreck, including whether the truck's brakes were functioning properly.
  July 18, 2003 Twinsburg, Ohio

Hazmat officials said there's minor concern about 2,000 gallons of sulfuric acid that leaked into a tributary of Tinkers Creek. The leak was from a 6,000-gallon storage tank at Univar on East Highland Road.  Employees reported the leak when they noticed an odor around the tank. Twinsburg service department crews used heavy machinery to build three dams on the creek to contain the spill. The cleanup consisted of reducing the pH level of the acid with soda ash and sodium bicarbonate. Then the contaminated water was vacuumed up and fresh water was used to flush the area. City officials said the public is not at a high risk since the area is largely industrial and the main concerns are environmental.

Transportation
Rail
May 21, 2003 Orillia, Ontario, Canada A Canadian National (CN) freight train derailment near Orillia, Ontario blocked off a chunk of Highway 12 and forced Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to briefly evacuate a small town called Gamebridge, located near the crash site, on Highway 12 just north of Beaverton, Ont.

Twenty of the 40 cars in the train were carrying sulphuric acid.  Although acid is leaking from three of the cars, OPP Sergeant David Lee said that the chemical is spilling into a farmer's field and is nowhere near a water source.

The evacuation order was cancelled after it was determined that there was little danger to residents of the town and that the spill was nearly under control.

"Sulphuric acid is only dangerous if it comes in contact with your skin," Sgt. Lee told globeandmail.com. "But the town was evacuated because acid was leaking into ditches by the roadside and causing a lot of smoke to billow up."

Crews are currently working to contain the spill by building dirt barriers, and Highway 12 is still closed between Brechin and Beaverton.

trainderail.JPG (12353 bytes)

  May 05, 2003 Plant City, Florida, USA CF Industries, Inc. experienced a sulfur trioxide gas release due to an interruption of electric power at its Plant City Phosphate Complex, north of Plant City, Florida, . The resulting cloud dissipated and there were no injuries to employees and no reports of injuries or other known adverse impacts outside the facility.  CF cooperated with local officials to ensure the continued safety of its employees and the nearby community. Also, the community alarm system and telephone ring-down systems were activated as precautionary measures. At the same time, appropriate state and local emergency response officials were notified of the incident. It was also immediately reported to federal and state authorities.
Transportation
Marine
March 13, 2003 Yangtze River, China A cargo ship carrying more than 200 tons of sulphuric acid has sunk in the Yangtze River after a collision with another vessel.   Two crew members are still missing. Investigators said the accident was the result of darkness and the crew's carelessness.  Salvage and rescue workers who were rushed to the scene said one of the sunken acid containers was slowly leaking into the river.
Transportation
Marine
December 21, 2002 Turkey

The 1974 built 5339 DWT Chemical tanker ‘Metin Ka’, believed to be laden with 5,000 tonnes of Sulphuric Acid, ran aground at Yenikoy Point in the Bosphorus Strait at about 1530 local time on 20th December 2002. The Turkish-flagged tanker was on its way from Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, bound for Mersin.

Divers had been engaged to check the ship’s hull and there have been no reports of acid leaking from the tanker as yet. The Master reportedly tried to anchor but the vessel drifted because of strong winds and ran aground about 10 metres off the shore of Istanbul's Yenikoy residential area. Attempts are being made to refloat the vessel by her own means.

Transportation
Rail
December 4, 2002 Seven Persons
Alberta, Canada
An 80-car Canadian Pacific Railways freight train carrying molten sulphur derailed in southwestern Alberta causing a chemical fire and a brief evacuation of nearby residents.  42 cars on the eastbound train left the tracks around 1:35 a.m. local time and sulphur began leaking from some of the cars that ruptured.  Fire crews from Medicine Hat and Seven Persons were at the scene quickly but stayed back about 800 metres at first while they planned their response. There was a risk of explosion and potential respiratory problems from the sulphur, which becomes toxic sulfur dioxide when it burns.  Firefighters wearing breathing equipment put out the blue-burning fire at about 7 a.m. but continued to douse the tanks until 10:30 a.m.

"The fire went out fairly easy, but keeping it out was the problem," said Terry Bush, acting captain of the Medicine Hat Fire Department. "This stuff is hauled at 150 degrees Celsius, so it literally flashes again. So that's what we're doing with all this water, trying to cool it down."

Sulphur is classified as a dangerous good. Barry Heath, a remedial measures specialist with Transport Canada who was supervising the containment of the sulfur and the tanker cars, said the major concern with sulphur is when it burns. Once the fire is extinguished, the sulphur solidifies and poses little danger to people or the environment, he said.

With the temperature at —14 C range and firefighters pouring massive amounts of water onto the spill, much of the sulphur had solidified and lay in the ditch beside the twisted wreckage of black tanker cars.

The train, which wasn't carrying any other chemicals, had an engineer and conductor as crew. Neither was injured, Ms. Park said.

The derailment happened in a sparsely populated farming area about 250 kilometres southeast of Calgary.

derail.jpg (12437 bytes)

  November 30, 2002 Bristol, UK

A massive chemical spill sparked a huge clean-up operation in Bristol. Emergency services were called in when concentrated sulphuric acid leaked out into the road at a tanker washing station. But when water was added to the acid to try and wash it away, a chemical reaction created a cloud of gas.  Military fire crews spent more than six-and-a-half hours clearing up the spillage in the Avonmouth area of the city on Friday evening.

The alarm was raised at 1516 GMT on Friday when Green Goddesses were called to deal with a spill of sulphuric acid at the Pickfords Vanguard site. It is believed water was added to what was thought to be 2,000 litres of diluted acid.  But the acid was actually 98% concentrate, and the water caused a chemical reaction, releasing a huge plume of gas.

A police spokesman said: "Military crews were called to a tanker washing facility in Avonmouth where sulphuric acid had leaked into the road. "Chemical fumes were being discharged from an underground storage tank."

He added: "A Red Goddess fire engine and a breathing apparatus response team (BART) were sent to the scene from the temporary fire station at Flying Fox in Bristol. Local water company Wessex Water said there was no danger of the acid getting into the water supply.  Gillian Winstone, spokesperson for Wessex Water, said: "There is no concern at the moment.  "Wessex Water is monitoring the pumping station, in case any of it goes into the sewers.    "There is no danger of it getting into the water supply as this is totally separate."

Transportation
Road
November 9, 2002

Gulfport, Mississippi, USA

A sulfuric acid spill at U.S. 49 and Airport Road sent a Gulfport motorcycle patrol officer to the hospital and shut down northbound travel for two hours.

An estimated 15 to 20 gallons of the hazardous chemical spilled onto the highway at the traffic light after a trailer hauling cleaning supplies broke loose from the driver's van, officials said. Police charged the driver with running a red light and spilling his load.

Sulfuric acid is a corrosive acid that can cause severe respiratory problems and can become volatile when mixed with water, said Gulfport Fire Chief Pat Sullivan. The motorcycle officer, who witnessed the accident and began redirecting traffic until help arrived, was treated for respiratory problems. No one else was injured.

  October 14, 2002 Birmingham, UK A man suffered horrific injuries when he plunged into an acid bath at a Birmingham metal processing factory.  The 29-year-old worker managed to drag himself out of the 6ft deep vat of sulphuric acid but had already been severely burned by the deadly chemical. He was taken to City Hospital following the accident at 5.25am at Birfield Extrusions in Austin Way, Handsworth Wood, but later transferred to the burns unit at Selly Oak.  Sub fire officer John Surrof said: "He did well to get himself out of the vat considering the temperature of the acid was 70 degrees centigrade.   "Someone had got his boiler suit off and put him under the works shower when we arrived but the skin was already coming off, especially from his left leg and upper torso.
  September 2002 Freeport, Texas, USA

A railcar containing cyclohexanone oxime exploded at BASF’s Freeport, Texas site rattling windows miles away and causing an evacuation of the facility.BASF is still investigating the cause of its explosion and any required corrective action. Besides the railcar, the explosion damaged a nearby storage tank, releasing an undetermined amount of oleum, a concentrated sulfuric acid. The chemicals involved are used in the production of nylon. Overall, four workers had minor injuries and three of 16 units at the site were shut down.

Transportation
Rail
September 16, 2002 Knoxville, Tennesse, USA A Norfolk Southern  train carrying 10,600 gallons of the hazardous chemical derailed in the Farragut community near Knoxville.  The train was traveling from Knoxville to Birmingham, Ala., when the accident occurred.  Twenty-four cars of the 141-car train left the track.  No one was seriously injured, but at least 3,000 people were evacuated.  Residents living in 20 subdivisions within about a mile of the derailment were asked to leave their homes.  The highly corrosive acid, used in manufacturing, was transported as a liquid, but became a gas upon release.  Twenty people and one emergency worker complained of minor skin and lung irritation and were taken to a hospital, where they were treated and released, said Lt. Jeff Devlin, a member of the Knoxville Special Hazards Team.  About half a dozen schools in the area were cancelled Monday as a precaution.   Gas continued to spew from the tanker Sunday night. Emergency workers were using water, foam, and lime and soda to neutralize the spill.

knoxville_story.acid.leak_sep_17_2002.jpg (11305 bytes)

Transportation
Road
September 4, 2002 Prague, Czech

 

About 600 litres of sulfuric acid leaked on Sazecska ulice in Prague 10 - Malesice at around 9:30 a.m.   The acid leaked from a container on a lorry.  The Prague sewer system has been damaged by the recent flooding and the Prague water treatment plant is not functioning, thus the acid would go directly into the Vltava River.  The acid leaked out of the container over a 50 metre long area and damaged the underbelly of five passing cars.   "Some container or tank fell off a lorry, allegedly," Daniela Razimova from the Prague police administration said as to the cause of the spill. It is not clear, however, whether this was caused by an accident.

Transportation
Road
August 19, 2002 Henan Province, China A Chinese family have been killed after their vehicle collided with a tanker of sulphuric acid.  Li Yanbiao and his two sons were 'reduced to bone' within minutes of the crash, the Straits Times reports.   Police say the truck was carrying ten tonnes of the chemical illegally in Henan province, central China.  Mr Li's nephew was rescued by the police but died hours later from severe burns.  His wife suffered 70% burns while their five-year-old daughter may lose her legs.  Police are looking for the truck driver who ran away after the crash.
Transportation
Rail
August 2, 2002 Fort Worth, Texas

Investigators say a break in a section of railway could be to blame for a potentially dangerous derailment in Fort Worth. Two cars overturned late Thursday night in the 100 block of Northside Drive, between North Main Street and Interstate 35-W. What made the situation dangerous was the cargo. The cars were carrying about 26,000 gallons of sulfuric acid. Fire officials said the cars are not leaking and they did not have to evacuate anyone from the area.  Crews expect to have the overturned cars upright within the next few hours. No one was injured.   Both the railway cars and the track belong to Fort Worth Western Railroad.

  July 20, 2002 Ludwigshafen, Germany A leak of sulphuric acid from a BASF chemicals plant in western Germany left around 10 people complaining of respiratory problems late on Friday, police and firefighters said.  The accident occurred when around five kilograms (12 pounds) of an acid known as oleum escaped from a leaking pipe.   Oleum is used in the making of dyes and detergents.  After the hour-long spill, police told local residents around the site to close doors and windows.
  July 17, 2002 Cape Town, South Africa The Democratic Alliance has called on the Department of Environmental Affairs to conduct an independent investigation into an accident at a Richard's Bay industrial plant that resulted in almost 200 people being gassed. The accident took place in the KwaZulu-Natal town on Monday afternoon, after a start-up procedure at a Foskor-owned sulphuric acid plant went wrong, sending a toxic cloud of sulphurous gas billowing across a busy public road.

Reports from the province shortly after the incident described the casualty departments of the town's hospitals as "war zones", with medical staff battling to cope with dozens of nauseous victims, many of whom had difficulty breathing.

In a statement on Tuesday, Foskor expressed regret over what it termed "an unfortunate incident". It said this "was triggered when the new sulphuric acid plant... had to be restarted... after a brief shutdown earlier in the day". "During the start-up, the stack emission unexpectedly descended to the ground, where it affected a number of people outside the plant."

The department on Tuesday issued a statement saying it had called on Foskor for "a report detailing the reasons behind a sulphuric acid leak". It is understood this report will be compiled by Foskor management, and not by independent inspectors. It is also not clear whether it will be followed by an inquiry into the accident.

Ambler-Moore said it was "frightening that... people have become victims of short-sighted planning on the part of Foskor, but even more disturbing is the fact that this scenario had already been identified as a possible worst-case scenario". The accident "was clearly a possibility Foskor was aware of, and had to take into account in their decision to go ahead with the opening".
  September 10, 2001 Hubei, China A total of 158 tons of sulphuric acid poured into the Yangtze River, causing widespread pollution in the river's Wuxue Section of Central China's Hubei Province on Sep.6, according to a report from sina.com. The accident occurred when a vessel owned by a company from East China's Anhui Province sank. The vessel was carrying industrial sulphuric accident.  The local environmental protection department is keeping a close eye on water quality and urged relevant departments and personnel to pay special attention.
  August 13, 2001 Christchurch, New Zealand

Two Christchurch companies were yesterday fined $20,000 after a factory worker was severely burnt when he slipped while pouring concentrated sulphuric acid into a vat.  The worker, Wayne Poskitt, suffered serious chemical burns to his face, arms, and legs. The Department of Labour immediately forced the factory, Jenkins Biolabs, to stop its method of having a staff member fill a bucket with acid and then climb on a chair to pour it into the vat.   "The process adopted can only be described as a Heath Robinson one," said Judge Michael Green at a sentencing in the Christchurch District Court yesterday. "A layman could have seen the potential problems with that."

Judge Green said: "Employers are not expected to be perfect. They are not expected to foresee everything that ultimately happens, but they are expected to look at their work practices intelligently and decide whether they amount to potential hazards. They are also required to see that their employees carry out the appropriate safety measures."

Jenkins Biolabs, which manufactures agricultural products, was charged with failing to ensure that its employee was not exposed to a workplace hazard, resulting in serious harm.

Soiltech Limited, which develops processes and products for Jenkins Biolabs, had set up the production system involving moving and pouring the concentrated acid from an open bucket. It was charged because one of its employees - the scientist who developed the process - had been carrying out the same procedures, though he was not involved in an accident.  The Christchurch service manager for Occupational Safety and Health, Margaret Radford, said yesterday the victim had suffered serious burns which continued to affect his daily life.

Transportation
Road
June 2001 Placer Dome, Porgera Mine, Papua New Guinea In June 2001, there was a sulphuric acid leak from a chemical convoy container at Watarais (160 km west of Lae) en route to Porgera.
  May 31, 2001 Scotland

Hundreds of fish have been killed after a Scottish stream was polluted with sulphuric acid.  Brown trout have been seen trying to leap out of the water after a factory pipe burst and flooded the River Almond in Newbridge with bright orange preservative.

Huge amounts of ferric sulphate were spilt from Grampian Country Foods, a chicken factory.  Residents watched dozens of fish at a time spring from the water to escape the chemical, which changes to sulphuric acid on contact with water.  Ferric sulphate turns to a dilute sulphuric acid when it is mixed with water and the burning sensation would have been driving the fish out.

  May 27, 2001 Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China A chemical spill at a mothballed dye plant in China's southern province of Guangdong sent a toxic cloud into the air, injuring 90 people who inhaled the fumes, state media said May 27. The chemical spill occurred at the Crown Chemical Works Co, a plant three miles from the city center, which was shut down in 1997. A two-ton tank holding nearly pure sulphuric acid ruptured around midday Saturday, mixing with rain and producing a poisonous white cloud over Zhanjiang city. No one had died, but some remained in the hospital with serious injuries after inhaling the fumes, which affected people over an area of around a square mile. The city government called in 30 members of a naval chemical warfare unit to contain the spill after local fire and rescue workers could not bring it under control. Soldiers brought the spill under control by digging a hole to contain the chemical and neutralizing the acid with caustic soda.
  March 23, 2001 Newark, New Jersey, USA Approximately 1000 gallons of sulphuric acid was spilled at a chemical plant
  March 5, 2001 Richmond, California, USA Oleum spill produced a small cloud of sulphuric acid.
Transportation
Marine
March 2001 Bay of Biscay, Northern Spain A freighter carrying sulphuric acid sank in the Bay of Biscay off the northern coast of Spain yesterday but the risk of pollution seemed minimal, authorities said. All 23 crew members were rescued when the Balu, a 24-year-old Maltese-registered ship, sank en route from Frederiksen in Denmark to the south of Spain.  A statement by the Malta Maritime Authority said yesterday that a casualty investigator from the Malta Maritime Authority will today join the authority's appointed flag state inspectors in Portugal to interview the 23 crew members including the captain and other senior officers of the Maltese-registered ship.  The vessel sank yesterday at around 10am approximately 144 miles off La Coruna in Spain.  Balu, said the MMA statement, was carrying a cargo of 8,000 tons of sulphuric acid from the port of Fredrikstad in Norway to the port of Huelva in Spain. The small tanker of 5795 gross tons and 120 metres in length was sailing in gale force 10 sea conditions when it sank.   All 23 crew members were saved following a distress message issued by the ship. The crew are at present on board two vessels and will be disembarking at the first port of call in Portugal.  A Maltese source disputed newswires reports that the seamen are from Malta.  AP reported that the police port authority in the western French town of Brest said the boat was carrying about 8,000 tons of sulfuric acid.  It sank 220 kilometers (136 miles) north of the Spanish coast and 350 kilometers (217 miles) south of Penmarc'h peninsula in the Finistere region of France, the authority said.

Lloyd's of London, the world's largest marine insurer, listed the freighter as belonging to Dundee Shipping and Trading Ltd.  According to a spokesman for rescue services dispatched to the region, the risk of pollution was minimal because sulfuric acid dilutes quickly on contact with water.  The spokesman, speaking on condition that his name not be used, said there was a possibility that some slight residue might evaporate and be blown north by the winds.  The French Transportation Ministry said it had ordered its Accident Inquiry Office to investigate why the freighter, which it said could carry 6,000 tons of sulfuric acid, sank.  The accident briefly raised the specter of another environmental disaster in a country still scarred by a massive oil spill in 1999, and a spate of other scares in its waters.  An aging oil tanker, also Maltese-registered, broke in two off the coast of Brittany in December 1999, spilling millions of liters (gallons) of foul-smelling oil into the Atlantic and onto beaches and the rocky coast.  Last October, another tanker, the "Ievoli Sun," sank in the English Channel with toxic chemicals aboard but little leakage was reported.  The "Balu" crew members were winched off the sinking boat by a Spanish rescue helicopter and transferred to two vessels nearby.  Winds of around 60 kph (37 mph) were blowing in the region on Tuesday morning, and there was a swell of up to five meters (16.5 feet).  The freighter sank in 4,600 meters (15,180 feet) of water, and no efforts could be made to retrieve the cargo before it sank.

Transportation
Rail
January 4, 2001 Sahuarita, Arizona, USA

A Union Pacific train derailed spilling about 10,000 USG of sulphuric acid forcing about 96 residents to evacuate overnight.  The 107 car train was north bound from Nogales to Tucson when 19 cars derailed about 20 miles south of Tucson.   Two of the cars spilled their cargo of acid.  Two crew members were not injured but one firefighter was treated for inhalation of acid fumes.  The train was travelling about 41 mph.

  2001 South Africa A sulphur dioxide emission during start-up of the Chemical Initiatives sulphuric acid plant at Umbogintwini led to16 members of the public being hospitalised briefly.   Additional equipment has since been installed to avoid a recurrence
  2001 South Africa A bulk tank of sulphuric acid failed during off-loading operations at Crest Chemicals.   Fumes from this incident drifted beyond the site’s boundaries but, fortunately, no injuries occurred
  September 11-18, 2000 Mitrovica, Kosovo A leak from a stationary tank at the Trpeca industrial facility in Mitrovica resulted in the loss of 1,090 metric tons of sulphuric acid onto the ground and into a nearby waterway.  The product is highly corrosive with the potential for significant environmental impacts.  There is some concern that the spill product could cross the Ibar River into the Republic of Serbia.  The Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit sent out an initial alert to key European donors identifying the required resources, following an official request for assistance issued by UNMIK.  So far, the Government of Germany has dispatched a team of 5 experts and 5.4 metric tons of clean-up equipment (pumps, hoses etc.) to the disaster site.  Other donors are expected to come forward with additional resources to assist in the clean-up efforts. 
  September 13, 2000 Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China

Recently, lots of fish and shrimps died in Hedi Reservoir of Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province. Investigation shows that over 3 tons of sulfuric acid was discharged into Jiuzhou River from a titanium powder factory in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The local EPA urgently controlled the pollution in the area. The water quality in Jiuzhou River returned to normal, and stabilized.

  July 6, 2000 Tooele, Utah, USA While workers were cleaning a line in the U.S. Army Chemical Weapons depot in Tooele, Utah, sulfuric acid leaked, injuring six workers. No chemical weapons were involved in the incident. The workers suffered from burns and inhalation of fumes; all were treated onsite and two were also evaluated at the University of Utah burn clinic. 
Transportation
Rail
June 15, 2000 Colton, California, USA Seventeeen vehicles including 2 locomotives came off the track near Colton, California. Six of the freight cars caught fire and one began to leak sulphuric acid. There was concern that a gasoline pipeline that runs longside the track may have been damaged. It is believed that the potential risk of a serious incident was relatively minor and nearby residents were not evacuated nor was a nearby freeway closed.   There is no indication of a cause for the derailment.   Colton is 50 miles (80 km) east of Los Angeles.
Transportation
Rail
March 14, 2000 Temagami, Ontario, Canada A 4:15 pm on Tuesday, March 14th, a south bound freight train derailed at Mileage 63.5 of the Temagami Subdivision (approximately 15 km south of Temagami).  Preliminary assessment at the scene indicated that 29 cars had been derailed, 25 of which contained sulphuric acid.  Immediate steps were taken to contain the spill by blocking off a culvert to stem the flow of water from the area.  Ontario Northland's Emergency Response team, accompanied by Ministry of Environment, Transport Canada and Noranda Inc. Emergency Response staff, were on site and conducted a detailed assessment of the situation.  Once the assessment was completed steps were taken to neutralized the acid.  Downstream sampling indicated some impact to the inflow point of Hornet Lake.  Sampling at the discharge point of the lake showed no impact.  Approximately 780 tonnes of acid was released.
  December 10, 1999 Campbell Industrial Park, Hawaii, USA The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has given Brewer Environmental Industries until Jan. 6 to respond to a list of questions related to the Thanksgiving Day spill of 35 tons of sulfuric acid at Brewer’s Campbell Industrial Park facility.  Brewer received an EPA letter requesting information on Monday and has 30 days to respond. Once the information is received, federal officials will determine whether any sanctions, including fines of up to $25,000 per violation, will be levied against the company.

Michael Feeley, deputy director of the EPA’s Superfund Division, inspected the plant yesterday and said the cleanup by state health officials and Brewer Environmental Industries appears to be going well. But Feeley said the EPA’s investigation has just begun and he would not comment on what violations, if any, have been found.  He did, however, describe the incident as a “significant spill” that the EPA is taking “very seriously.”

“When we heard the initial numbers, we viewed this as a significant release into the environment; not just a release, but an air release too,” Feeley said. “Sometimes the air releases are more risky and more hazardous.”

Feeley said the EPA’s request for information focuses on four issues, including the time it took Brewer to report the spill and whether there were previous releases and how they were reported. The other questions involve Brewer’s handling of hazardous wastes on the site.

On Thanksgiving Day, workers at neighboring Chevron Refinery discovered that sulfuric acid was leaking into a concrete sump and gravel trench along Brewer’s fence line. The acid mixed with chlorine bleach in the sump and created toxic chlorine gas.  The cleanup is expected to be completed in about a week.

Chemical_Spill.jpg (17482 bytes)  Chemical_Spill_2.jpg (5186 bytes)

Transportation
Marine
September 15, 1998 Sao Paulo, Brazil After the week-long release of sulphuric acid into an estuary in southern Brazil, a local judge has ordered an immediate stop to the dump operation after protests by Greenpeace and local groups. The salvage team and other agencies involved in the operation were given 24 hours to find transfer tanks to receive the highly corrosive cargo and 48 hours to remove all 100 tons of fuel from the ship.

A Maltese flagged tanker, MV Bahamas, released more than 6,000 tons of sulphuric acid into the Lagoa dos Patos estuary at the southern tip of Rio Grande do Sul. Greenpeace and local NGOs testified to the prosecutors' office on Friday and demanded the immediate halting of the dump into this important estuary. The authorities monitoring the environmental impact of the accident have published no information on the impacts of the release of acid.

MV Bahamas ran aground three weeks ago and started to leak sulphuric acid. Environmentalists were able to stop about half of the original 12,000 tons of acid cargo from escaping into the environment. Over 6,000 tons of acid have been released already into the marine environment with the full support of Brazilian Government officials.

November 3, 2010 - In 1998 a ship called the Bahamas was hired to carry sulphuric acid for three companies located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. On August 25 1998, while berthed, the ship began to discharge the dangerous chemical. The discharge to the first receiver had already been concluded when, on August 30, it was observed that the ship was no longer operating. Port authorities went aboard and ascertained that a serious leak of sulphuric acid was heading towards the Patos Lagoon, where the terminal was located.  State officials, including environmental agents of the federal and state public prosecution offices, joined forces to stop the leak and ascertain who should be held responsible. The first attempt to solve the problem involved pumping a mixture of acid and salt water from the ship's hold into the sea, with a constant monitoring of the seawater's pH level. This decision was motivated by concern that the ship might explode, since when sulphuric acid reacts with water, it releases oxygen, which would result in an increase in the internal pressure of the tanks.

Ten days after the measure was implemented, a court order suspended the dumping of the sulphuric acid. This decision was in response to an action for an innominate provisional remedy filed the previous day by the federal and state public prosecution offices. The lawsuit was based on an opinion from a local university professor, who asserted that there were no further risks of explosion and that the most appropriate course of action would be the removal of the acid onboard and the dumping thereof in the high seas, rather than the Patos Lagoon. Several questions had been raised concerning the risks of dumping diluted acid into the lagoon. On analysing the matter, the judge accepted the claim and ordered the removal of the cargo and its dumping in the high seas.  Despite the court order, the removal of the acid did not take place. The parties responsible for the ship alleged difficulties in finding a ship that would accept such a task. Not even the imposition of a daily fine of R5 million, effective from September 23, accelerated the process.  In view of the ineptitude of the companies involved, the federal and state public prosecution offices filed a lawsuit requesting that the Yeros perform the operation. As a result, the companies involved in the hiring of the Bahamas became jointly and severally liable for the financial burdens resulting from the hiring of the Yeros. This lawsuit was based on Article 5(XXV) of the federal Constitution, which authorises the government to use private properties, ensuring any indemnity to the owner in the event of any damages.

The Yeros performed several operations until all the acid had been removed from the Bahamas and discharged 150 miles off the coast. These operations took several months.   The accident involving the Bahamas resulted in several lawsuits. This update focuses on a special appeal filed by a Dutch salvage company and a UK insurer - a protection and indemnity club which sought to be excluded as a defendant from the lawsuit that determined that the Yeros be engaged and the ensuing remuneration.   According to the insurer, it did not have standing to be sued in the proceedings, insofar as it was the insurer of the Bahamas, since the contract was executed under English law and thus it was not contractually obliged to be held liable for the loss that occurred on the ship.

On the other hand, the salvage company asserted that it had been hired to carry out the transshipment of the sulphuric acid from the Bahamas to the Yeros, which it successfully performed according to its own case records. Therefore, it did not believe that it should be adversely affected through the loss of suit expenses, since its procedures in the operation had not been challenged.  For the Superior Federal Court, the lawfulness of the companies being taken to court lay in the possibility of them, together with the vessel's shipowner, complying with a requirement that was deemed essential to prevent any aggravation of the situation. It was also observed that Article 13 of Law 7542/1986 authorised the holding liable of the insurer and the salvage company, such as was determined in a previous decision of the Federal Court of Appeals of the Fourth Region.   This was one of the most serious accidents to take place in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and several related lawsuits are underway in the Brazilian courts as a consequence

bahama1s.jpg (12351 bytes)

Transportation
Road
July 9, 1998 Noida, India

Six persons and more than 20 sheep were killed when a truck collided head on with a tanker loaded with concentrated sulphuric acid early in the morning in the Dadri area. The two vehicles overturned after the collision which caused a traffic jam for two hours.   A truck carrying sheep, going to Ghaziabad from Etawah, collided head on with a tanker, loaded with concentrated sulphuric acid, parked at the road side near village Dhoom Manikpur around 3 am in Dadri area. The truck collided with the tanker crushing two men repairing the tanker. Both the vehicles overturned after the collision leaving four occupants of the truck dead. Only one person, who was sleeping at the top of the truck, survived the accident.

Fumes of the acid spilt on the road led to breathing trouble for bystanders. The matter was reported to the police immediately but the fire brigade reached the spot only after one-and-a-half hours after the incident and cleared the traffic jam.

Transportation
Rail
February 11, 1998

Timing
Ontario, Canada

A 26 cars of 52 car CP Rail train derailed at 1pm about 80 kilometres northwest of Sudbury.  Five of the 26 cars slid down the embankment making contact with the Spanish River, and at least one leaked about 7 tonnes of sulphur into the water.  While the sulphur was loaded into the cars in liquid state, it had frozen by the time of the derailment, said Thurston, and remained solidified along the shore and the bottom of the river Thursday.

The leaked sulphur has congealed like a solid lava stream from one of the cars running down into the river and, as long as it remains cold, it will stay that way and the spillage shouldn't contaminate anything, he said.

Officials have tested water quality both up and down river form the accident and have found no signs of contamination. 

  January 22, 1998

Amoco Polymers
Augusta, Georgia, USA

75 lbs of sulphur trioxide release due to problem with pump bearings
  January 11, 1998

Amoco Polymers
Augusta, Georgia, USA

82 lbs of sulphur trioxide released from a broken flex pipe
  November 19, 1997

Olympic Dam, WMC
Australia

Seventy workers at Olympic Dam have walked off the job after the second "life threatening" leak of dangerous sulphuric acid in two weeks, union officials claim. The workers walked off the job from the smelter area at Olympic Dam yesterday morning after several were overcome by fumes. A union official said 23 workers had been "gassed" by the emissions and one had collapsed from the fumes.  A spokeswoman for the Department of Mines and Energy confirmed they had been notified of a sulphuric acid leak by Olympic Dam operators Western Mining Corp.  It follows an incident at Roxby Downs two weeks ago when 10 workers were taken to the plant's medical centre after being overcome by sulphur dioxide fumes.  A safety audit undertaken by a union occupational hygienist yesterday afternoon recommended the workers not return to the site until "structural damage" to the pipe had been fixed. Union and management will meet this morning to determine when the workers will return.

Transportation
Marine
January 1997

A 22,400 GT bulk carrier carrying a mixed cargo of 33,000 tonnes of grain and animal feeds was under port pilotage to her discharging berth with one tug made fast aft and two others in attendance. The weather conditions were good and, as the bulk carrier had a bow thruster and good manoeuvrability, the Master and Pilot had agreed that it was not necessary to make a tug fast forward to assist with a planned turn to starboard. The size of the bulk carrier and the usual preferred turn position meant that her bow would swing close to a chemical tanker which was moored at a berth adjacent to the turning basin. Partly because the forward tug had not been connected the Pilot chose to keep power and headway on to help with the turn. The vessel was turning to starboard and still making headway when the bulbous bow came into contact with the side of the chemical tanker, which was discharging a cargo of 4291 tonnes of sulphuric acid.  Although the chemical tanker was holed below the waterline which caused her to list rapidly to about 35º there were no injuries and there was no pollution as a result of the accident.

  December 15, 1996 Chile

Despite official assurances that 13,000 liters of sulfuric acid and copper accidentally spilled into Loa River Dec. 15 by the El Abra copper mine have had no impact on plant or animal health, communities located closest to the accident report unexplained livestock death in the days immediately following the accident, and express disillusionment with the government's handling of the incident.   

The Regional Irrigation Authority (RIA) reported Friday that water acidity in the area has increased significantly, prompting Mining Minister Benjamin Teplizky to order El Abra to contract services with the Mining and Mineralogical Investigation Center (CIMM) for the next two months to monitor the area's water supply.

El Abra company officials say they had solicited the same precautionary studies days earlier, without a positive government response. 

While discounting any adverse health or environmental effect, Minister Teplizky expressed serious concern about El Abra's failure to promptly report the accident, thus putting the area population at greater risk.

Regional Intendente Tomislav Ostoic publicly denounced El Abra's handling of the incident last Thursday, saying the accident was not reported to regional health officials until Dec. 18, three days after its occurrence, and inspection officials were not allowed on company property to review the accident site until 11 days after the event.

The impact of the original spill of sulfuric acid on Dec. 15 was apparently made worse when company employees that same morning "washed" the spill from company grounds, says a report by the RIA.   The estimated 150,000 additional liters of water added to the spill in the "washing" process assured that the sulfuric acid mix was able to make its way to the Loa River, where it then flowed to the Conchi reservoir, which holds 2.7 million liters of water. 

Alberto Acuna, a member of the government's regional environmental committee, said he believes the El Abra sulfuric acid spill violates Article 64 of the new Environmental Base Law and could subject the company to a fine of 500 Unidades Tributarias each month (US$27,600).   Legal action is doubtful, though, says Acuna, because the regulations relating to the new law have yet to be promulgated.

Transportation
Rail
August 10, 1996 Kerwood, Ontario, Canada During transit, a total of 37 railcars derailed.   Two of the railcars were tank cars containing sulphuric acid.  One tank released about 4950 kg of acid.  The area was evacuated as a result of the derailment.  Emergency response crews were able to transfer the contents of the tank car, clean up the spil, remove the contaminated soil and remove the tank cars.
Transportation
Rail
February 22, 1996 Leadville, Colorado, USA

A runaway train derailed in the pre-dawn hours in Leadville, CO, killing two railroad employees and injuring a third. The February accident sent a "river" of sulfuric acid down a snowy mountainside and across a highway, contaminating rescue workers and early morning commuters alike.

The 82-car train was traveling at about 65 mph in a 15 mph zone, according to a spokesman for the National Transpor-tation Safety Board. Two locomotives and 41 cars of the Southern Pacific freight train derailed in the wreck, which occurred at 5:30 a.m. along U.S. 24 north of the town. Two tank cars containing 54,000 gallons of sulfuric acid ruptured in the incident. Two other tank cars containing the acid derailed but did not rupture.

According to witnesses, sulfuric acid flowed downhill in "three or four streams," flooding across the highway and forming pools in a parking lot on the other side of the road. Fortunately the acid did not reach the nearby Eagle River, which is the municipal water supply for several communities.

Dozens of drivers and rescue workers sought treatment at nearby medical facilities for exposure to fumes, with symptoms ranging from burning eyes to shortness of breath and nausea. Sulfuric acid is a corrosive that is highly poisonous by inhalation and causes severe burns in contact with skin tissue. Vapors are irritating to the eyes and throat.

Although the cold temperatures, snow and ice may have helped to contain the spill, the winter weather hampered clean-up efforts. Southern Pacific's hazardous materials team was unable to land at nearby Eagle airport because of heavy snow and had to drive from Grand Junction, 150 miles away. Hazmat teams also responded from the Colorado State Patrol and the Vail Fire Department.

Two million pounds of soda ash and lime, needed to neutralize the acid, was brought in by truck and rail. Hulcher Professional Services of Rapid City, SD brought in heavy equipment to clear wreckage from the tracks. The acid-tainted snow was collected and removed from the mountain. The highway remained closed for four days so that new tanker cars could be brought in to unload the two derailed tankers, which remained perched precariously above the highway.

The train was travelling from East St. Louis, IL to Roseville, CA. According to reports, this incident was "eerily" similar to a 1989 accident in which a 58-car runaway freight train derailed and spilled concentrated sulfuric acid down a steep embankment and onto a highway only one-half mile from the site of the Leadville wreck.

  April 1996
to
November 2000
BHP San Manuel
Arizona, USA
At BHP's San Manuel mining operations in Arizona, 27 spills of sulfuric acid, arsenic, copper and mining wastes were recorded from April 1996 to November 2000. Twenty-three of these spills were of sulfuric acid and total more than 245,000 pounds.
  August 20, 1995 Kentucky, USA In August 1995, the DuPont facility released more than 23,800 gallons of a sulfuric acid solution into the air over a four-hour period, creating a chemical cloud. Local authorities evacuated more than 1,000 residents from their homes, and several people underwent treatment for burns to their eyes, nasal passages and lungs. DuPont was unable to stop the release, or to minimize it in any way.

The Justice Department, on behalf of the EPA, sued DuPont in September 1997, alleging that DuPont failed to maintain a safe facility as required by the Clean Air Act. The charge arose from DuPont's use of cast iron piping in a tank used to store oleum (sulfuric trioxide dissolved in sulfuric acid) and the company's failure to inspect that piping. The oleum solution corroded the cast iron piping, which ultimately fractured on the night of August 20, 1995, leading to the release of sulfuric acid into the air.

DuPont's own written standard for tanks and piping used for oleum storage, as well as chemical industry standards, indicate that cast iron is an inappropriate material for use in tanks that store oleum. Cast iron is susceptible to corrosion and abrupt cracking when in contact oleum.

The Justice Department and the EPA have reached a $1.5 million settlement with E.I. du Pont de Nemours related to the 1995 chemical release in eastern Kentucky that led to the evacuation of several communities surrounding the plant.

The Delaware-based DuPont will pay an $850,000 penalty and spend about $650,000 to create a state-of-the-art emergency notification system for a 10-county region of Kentucky. The agreement filed today in U.S. District Court in Lexington settles federal claims that DuPont violated federal environmental laws at its Wurtland, Ky., plant.

"This enforcement action reflects the EPA's commitment to ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act to protect human health and the environment from excessive air pollution," said John H. Hankinson, Jr., Regional Administrator for EPA's Region 4 in Atlanta. "We will continue to vigorously use enforcement along with other cooperative approaches that benefit the environment."

The government also asserted that DuPont violated provisions of two federal laws that require a company to immediately notify emergency response officials as soon as the company learns about a release of a hazardous substance exceeding a specified threshold.

  July 26, 1993

General Chemical
Richmond, California, USA

15 mile cloud of fuming sulfuric acid (oleum) sent 20,000 people to the hospital with burning in the respiratory system and skin rashes.
  1993 USA An oleum spill at General Chemical cause a plume which resulted in thousands seeking medical treatment.  General Chemical paid $1.18 millon in damages.  This incident helpd spur the EPA to include oleum in the final list pf chemicals subject to accidental release prevention requirements.

oleumspill.JPG (29323 bytes)

Transportation
Rail
March 25, 1992 Kettle Falls, Washington, USA A railroad tank car carrying 13,000 gallons of sulfuric acid. The tank car cracked at the bottom center of the tank along a circumferential weld, resulting in the release of all the sulfuric acid. There was metallurgical evidence of a pre-existing crack in the area of the failure. The tank car had just passed visual inspections and a hydrostatic test the previous month, and it was carrying its first load of cargo since the inspection and test. The tank car failed as the train began to move forward.
Transportation
Marine
November 22, 1988 Herculaneum, Missouri, USA A barge loaded with 1400 tonnes of 93% acid sank in the Mississippi river.  The barge land in 3 m of water and there was no sign of leakage.  Three options were discussed to deal with the accident.

1. Transfer the acid out of the barge
2. Re-float the barge with the cargo aboard
3. Discharge the acid into the river

Transferring the acid posed too great a risk to personnel and re-floating the barge ran the risk of the barge breaking apart if it was not lifted properly.  The third option was selected as the course of action.  pH monitoring downstream of the barge was considered adequate protection against environmental damage.  Acid was removed by using an air-lift tube.  Compressed air was allowed to bubble upwards through the acid inside the tube drawing the acid from the tank.  Flow was controlled by the amount of air used.  The entire operation took several months.
Transportation
Marine
November 1988 Wilmington, North Carolina, USA 10,331 dwt chemical tanker PANAM PERLA was found to be leaking sulfuric acid from a cargo tank into the double bottom. An after hours telephone call led to a late night mobilization of a salvage/hazmat team, chemical pumping equipment and confined space entry equipment to Wilmington, North Carolina. Under the close observation of the US Coast Guard, the team transferred the acid (approx. 300 tons) into rail cars and then neutralized the remains aboard before flushing with water to enable entry and inspection by class surveyors.
  Date Unknown Rock Springs A cloud of sulfuric acid gas erupted from a phosphates plant and hovered for two hours near the facility before dissipating.  Neighbors were warned to evacuate if the cloud approached their homes but an evacuation never became necessary, said Bill Wonnacott, fire chief of Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1.  The cloud moved away from the plant and hovered southwest of the facility, he said.  ``The winds were calm and we weren't sure what direction the cloud was going to move,'' Wonnacott said.  The gas escaped following a 10:15 a.m. malfunction at SF Phosphates' sulfuric acid plant Wednesday, the company said in a press statement.  ``The release continued for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until the unit was shut down as a corrective action,'' the release said.   No one was injured, the company said. Wonnacott said he did not know how toxic the gas cloud was and that his department will request information about the product. The gas is known as oleum, which is made up mostly of sulfuric acid.  ``This was a fairly large release, in my opinion,'' he said.  SF Phosphates is southeast of Rock Springs.
Transportation
Road
Date Unknown New York State, USA A truck transporting sulfuric acid leaked several gallons due to a faulty seal. The spill, near a toll barrier, caused a three mile stretch of highway to be closed for about four hours. Ten toll collectors reported respiratory irritation and were taken to a hospital for observation.