Hyderabad: A huge fire broke out in a chemical factory in Mallapur industrial area on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Huge flames were leaping out of the factory premises, spreading panic among people in nearby residential area.
There was no report of any loss of life. Employees were not present in the factory at the time of the blaze.
Six fire engines were battling for over three hours to douse the fire which started around 3 p.m. Fire fighting personnel were trying to prevent the fire from spreading to three adjoining factories.
Rachakonda Police Commission D.S. Chouhan rushed to the spot and was supervising relief and rescue operation
A short circuit is suspected to have caused the fire.
“This could be a concern if those levels were sustained over the long term,” said Weihsueh Chiu, a professor of veterinary physiology and pharmacology at Texas A&M University, which conducted the analysis of EPA data collected between Feb. 4 and this past Tuesday.
The findings, which the school posted on Twitter on Friday, come after weeks of rising anger among residents skeptical of the government’s assurances that they faced no health risks. Some local residents have complained about unusual ailments such as bloody noses and dizziness.
“It’s hard to trust anybody right now, for everything that we’ve been through,” resident Courtney Newman said at a town hall hosted by CNN on Wednesday evening. Newman said her son has had daily bloody noses and that she developed “skin issues” since returning home after evacuating because of the chemicals.
Chiu acknowledged that it’s difficult to determine from this initial data that the concentrations are responsible for any residents’ specific ailment, partly because EPA’s data averages levels over multiple hours, which may not reflect brief spikes.
An independent research team from Texas A&M and Carnegie Mellon University — which is located in Pittsburgh, about an hour from the crash site — are collecting their own data with a mobile monitoring van that could reflect short-term bursts, though it will likely be a week or two before that analysis is complete.
EPA, which has had workers on the scene since hours after the Feb. 3 crash, reiterated in a statement that it has not detected levels dangerous in the short-term.
“EPA’s 24/7 air monitoring data continues to show that exposure levels of the 79 monitored chemicals are below levels of concern for adverse health impacts from short-term exposures,” the agency said. “The long-term risks referenced by this analysis assume a lifetime of exposure, which is constant exposure over approximately 70 years. EPA does not anticipate levels of these chemicals will stay high for anywhere near that long.”
Chiu agreed the levels should drop as the cleanup continues but said East Palestine residents should keep an eye on air quality data over the coming weeks to be sure.
“We weren’t trying to be alarmist,” he said. “It was just that nobody had done any interpretation of these levels, to our knowledge.”
The analysis found high levels of acrolein, which in liquid form is used as a component in the manufacturing of other chemicals or as a pesticide. It wasn’t carried in that form on the train, according to Norfolk Southern’s inventory, but can be formed as a byproduct of burning petrochemicals or via cigarettes or vaping.
“These levels are not because people are vaping right outside of the monitor,” Chiu said. “I’m not sure of the source but because it’s a combustion product, maybe it’s possibly from when they burned the material.”
Acrolein is an irritant in the respiratory tract, and research has found it can cause nasal lesions in animals after long-term exposure, Chiu said. It may also cause cancer with chronic exposure, but additional research is needed to determine that.
The median concentration of acrolein picked up around East Palestine was 0.14 micrograms per cubic meter of air. That comes with a hazard quotient — a measurement of chemicals’ non-cancer health risk — of 7, according to Texas A&M’s analysis; quotients over 1 are of concern. An EPA survey in 2014 found that Columbiana County, where East Palestine is located, had a quotient of 0.83, slightly below the average U.S. county quotient of 0.89, according to the Texas A&M researchers.
The highest sampling this month in East Palestine showed concentrations of 0.8 micrograms, with a quotient of 40.
EPA said the levels of acrolein being detected are within levels typically found in the air as defined by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Eight other chemicals showed higher-than-normal concentrations, though none surpassed a quotient of 1. However, chemicals can add up cumulatively to cause concern.
Vinyl chloride, a chemical that was burned off by Norfolk Southern days after the crash to prevent an explosion, is one of the substances showing higher than normal concentrations in some parts of East Palestine.
Some of the other chemicals may have come from the burning of crude oil or are being emitted by evaporating petrochemicals that soaked into the ground after the crash. Among them are benzene and naphthalene, both of which can cause cancer or — through chronic exposure — non-cancer ailments such as blood disorders, cataracts, respiratory issues and reproductive effects, according to EPA’s website.
The team from Texas A&M and Carnegie Mellon is gathering independent data on about 80 chemicals in the air via its mobile monitoring van. Chiu said they plan to conduct a detailed analysis and release more information in a week or two.
The partnership was formed to study air pollution in the wake of Superfund disasters and is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, Chiu said.
[ad_2]
#Air #East #Palestine #high #chemical #levels #risk #isnt #imminent #researchers
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Hundreds of residents of the Ohio village upended by a freight train derailment and the subsequent burning of some of the hazardous chemicals on board, have questioned officials over potential health hazards.
Norfolk Southern, the rail operator, did not join Wednesday night’s meeting in East Palestine – which was billed as an open house gathering with local, state and federal officials – because of concerns for their staff’s safety.
“Unfortunately, after consulting with community leaders, we have become increasingly concerned about the growing physical threat to our employees … around this event stemming from the increasing likelihood of the participation of outside parties,” the railway said in a statement.
The meeting came as the community continued to seek answers over the potential impact on drinking water and the plans for cleanup. There also remain concerns over the huge plumes of smoke and persistent odors.
Even as school resumed and trains were rolling again, people in and around East Palestine were asking whether the air and water was safe for people, pets and livestock. Community members have asked for assistance in navigating the financial help that the railroad offered hundreds of families who evacuated.
Ohio attorney general Dave Yost advised Norfolk Southern on Wednesday that his office is considering legal action against the rail operator.
“The pollution, which continues to contaminate the area around East Palestine, created a nuisance, damage to natural resources and caused environmental harm,” Yost said in a letter sent to the company.
The state’s Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that the latest tests show water from five wells supplying the village’s drinking water are free from contaminants. But the EPA also is recommending testing for private water wells because they are closer to the surface.
This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Photograph: Gene J Puskar/AP
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimates the spill affected more than 7 miles (11.2 kilometers) of streams and killed about 3,500 fish, mostly small ones such as minnows and darters.
There hasn’t been any confirmed deaths of other wildlife, including livestock, state officials said.
Norfolk Southern announced Tuesday that it is creating a $1m fund to help the community of about 4,700 people while continuing remediation work, including removing spilled contaminants from the ground and streams and monitoring air quality.
It is also expanding the number of residents who can be reimbursed for their evacuation costs, to cover the entire village and surrounding area.
“We will be judged by our actions,” Norfolk Southern president and CEO Alan Shaw said in a statement. “We are cleaning up the site in an environmentally responsible way, reimbursing residents affected by the derailment, and working with members of the community to identify what is needed to help East Palestine recover and thrive.”
No one was injured when about 50 trains cars derailed on the outskirts of East Palestine on 3 February. As fears grew about a potential explosion, officials seeking to avoid an uncontrolled blast had the area evacuated and opted to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five rail cars, sending flames and black smoke billowing into the sky again.
A mechanical issue with a rail car axle is suspected to be the cause of the derailment, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it has video appearing to show a wheel bearing overheating just beforehand. The NTSB said it expects its preliminary report in about two weeks.
Misinformation spread online in the aftermath of the derailment, and state and federal officials have repeatedly offered assurances that air monitoring hasn’t detected any remaining concerns. Even low levels of contaminants that aren’t considered hazardous can create lingering odors or symptoms such as headaches, Ohio’s health director said Tuesday.
Authorities say that precautions are being taken to ensure contaminants that reached the Ohio River don’t make it into drinking water.
[ad_2]
#Ohio #residents #demand #answers #weeks #toxic #chemical #train #derailment
( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
A train carrying hazardous materials heading from Pennsylvania to Illinois derailed in early February, causing a major fire and alarm over a possible imminent explosion. The situation has local people worried, despite reassurances from officials, and has highlighted how vulnerable many Americans are to similar incidents.
Up to 2,000 residents living in the immediate area were evacuated as chemicals being carried by the train, run by Norfolk Southern Corporation, were released to prevent an explosion.
Evacuated residents returned to their homes last week but residents report concerns over the lingering effects of the chemicals in the air, water and soil even as officials monitoring the area have deemed it safe. Officials are still investigating the potential long-term environmental impacts of the derailment.
Here is what we know about the derailment and the chemical release so far.
What happened
On the night of Friday 3 February, at least 50 out of 150 train cars of a train heading from Conway, Pennsylvania, to Madison, Illinois, derailed. The train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a town of about 5,000 residents along the Ohio and Pennsylvania border. A huge fire that spanned the length of the derailed cars erupted. No injuries or deaths were reported.
Residents within a one-mile radius of the derailment were evacuated as officials noted that over a dozen cars carrying vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic chemical, were involved in the derailment and could have been exposed to the fire.
On Monday 6 February, officials enacted a mandatory evacuation, threatening to arrest residents who refused to evacuate, as fear of an explosion rose. Governor Mike DeWine told residents that leaving was “a matter of life and death”. Crews ended up releasing toxic chemicals from five derailed tanker cars to prevent an explosion. Small holes were made into the train cars, whose chemicals were released into pits that were lit on fire. Pictures of the chemical release showed huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the sky over homes.
Evacuated residents, who were staying at shelters and schools, were given the clear to return to their homes on Wednesday 8 February as officials deemed air and water samples safe for residents.
What chemicals were released
The most concerning chemical being carried by the derailed train was vinyl chloride, which is used to make polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, a hard resin used in plastic products. Vinyl chloride is colorless and highly flammable. It has been linked to a rare form of liver cancer, as well as other types of cancer like leukemia and lung cancer. Short-term exposure effects include dizziness and drowsiness, while high exposure can lead to hospitalization and death. Another chemical on board was butyl acrylate, also used in plastic production.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) later released information that showed three previously unreported chemicals were also released upon the derailment: ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. Exposure to the chemicals can cause shortness of breath, burning in the skin and eyes, coughing, headaches and nausea, among other symptoms.
In total, the EPA has reported five chemicals that were contained in rail cars that were “derailed, breached and/or on fire”, in a letter the agency wrote to Norfolk Southern.
Investigation into the derailment and chemical release
The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates major rail accidents, said a malfunction of an axle – a rod that connects two train wheels – caused the derailment. Surveillance camera footage from a Salem, Ohio, manufacturer showed a fire under the train happening before it reached East Palestine. An investigation into the derailment is still under way.
Meanwhile, the EPA has been actively monitoring environmental conditions in East Palestine and surrounding towns. Residents have signed up for voluntary home screenings by the agency. As of 13 February, the EPA did not detect vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride – a chemical that is released by burning vinyl chloride – in 291 screened homes, with 181 homes waiting for screening. Officials have told residents that monitoring has shown the area’s drinking water to be safe.
Concerns from residents
Despite reassurances from officials that the area’s air and water quality is safe, residents in the vicinity of the derailment have reported multiple health symptoms, including nausea and burning sensation in their eyes. One resident in a town 10 miles north of East Palestine told a local TV news station that six of their chickens died suddenly a day after the chemical release. Another nearby resident reported seeing dead fish floating in a local creek. Experts have expressed concerns that the agency is not testing for other chemicals that could have been made through the burning of the toxic substances.
Local business owners and residents are suing Norfolk Southern in an effort to get the company to cover medical screenings for residents within a 30-mile radius of the derailment. The lawsuit argues that the company “failed to exercise reasonable care to protect” local residents, who were “exposed to toxic substances, toxic fumes and carcinogens”.
The EPA warned Norfolk Southern that it could be liable for costs related to the derailment, including cleanup and prevention efforts.
History of toxic derailments goes back a decade
Reports have shown that as many as 25 million Americans live in zones that are vulnerable to deadly derailments of trains carrying toxic materials, including substances that can cause explosions.
Just over a decade ago in November 2012, a similar derailment in New Jersey caused 23,000 gallons of vinyl chloride to be released into the environment. The incident sparked a push for further regulation of the rail industry over how it handles the transportation of toxic materials, including crude oil and hazardous chemicals, according to investigative news outlet, the Lever. The push ultimately led to a law that required trains carrying toxic substances to be retrofitted with electronic braking systems, which brake trains cars immediately altogether, rather than front to back like conventional brakes.
The Trump administration, under pressure from lobbyists who argued the change was costly to rail companies, rescinded the rule.
[ad_2]
#Ohio #train #derailment #toxic #chemical #leak
( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
Barabanki: Eleven students were hospitalised after they inhaled chemical fumes emanating from a garbage pile, including expired medicines, set afire by ragpickers near their school here on Wednesday, police said.
The incident took place in Kamhariya Bagh area under Kotwali police station area, they said.
Some ragpickers burnt some expired medicines along with garbage near a private school. It appears that the students inhaled the chemical fumes and their health deteriorated, said Circle Officer (CO) Naveen Kumar.
School principal Rumi Tiwari said, “At around 11 am, fumes from the fire started coming towards the school and some students started coughing. The school staff acted in time and made arrangements to send the students back home.”
“Eleven students, including four girls, were taken to the district hospital,” the principal said.
Three of the students were later sent to Lucknow for further treatment, the police said.
Meanwhile, a police team reached the spot and detained three men for burning garbage near the school.
“We have detained one Shekhu, Sher Ali and Babloo who were found burning garbage and expired medicines behind the school. The matter is being investigated,” Kumar said.
Damascus: The Syrian Foreign Ministry has slammed as “lacking credibility” a recent report by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) accusing the Syrian air force of being behind a 2018 alleged chemical attack near the capital Damascus.
In a statement, the Ministry on Saturday listed Syria’s own accusations and condemnations in response to the OPCW report, pointing at the possible role of the US in politicising and fabricating reports about incidents in Syria, Xinhua news agency reported.
“The report lacks any scientific and objective evidence, and no sane person or specialist can reach the misleading conclusions of its authors, who neglected the objective observations raised by state parties, experts, academics, and former inspectors from the organisation who are known for their experience and knowledge,” the Ministry said.
It urged the OPCW and the UN to assume their responsibilities to preserve the independence, credibility, and future of the OPCW, and not to allow the US-led Western countries to dominate its work and role, or to politicise its tasks and use it as a tool to achieve their political goals.
On Friday, the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team issued a report, claiming that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Syrian Arab Air Forces were the perpetrators of the chemical weapons attack on April 7, 2018, in Douma, Syria”.
It said that during the attack, at least one helicopter of the Syrian “Tiger Forces” Elite Unit dropped two yellow cylinders containing toxic chlorine gas on two apartment buildings in a civilian residential area in Douma, killing 43 named individuals and affecting dozens more.
The Syrian government has repeatedly denied previous reports that indicated an involvement of the Syrian military in the alleged attack.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
