ESI Newsletter Summer 1997

Discarded Barrels Cause for Concern

Cass County Roads Department employees discovered two discarded barrels along side a county road near Beaver Lake. Because the barrels labels has been deliberately painted over, workers approached with caution. Closer inspection showed the barrels had been carefully sealed and were covered with flies. Supervisors for the Cass County Roads Department decided that a potential danger existed and called ESI for assistance.

ESI technicians arrived on site within minutes and assessed the situation. John Sempeck, ESI Emergency Response Coordinator, had technician Mike Norman suit up in an EPA Level B Suit and SCBA tank before having him carefully inspect the barrels. Once the seals were broken and the lids removed, a visual inspection was done by the Cass County Sheriff and the Cass County Civil Defense Director.

The content of the barrels was found to be decomposing deer carcasses which posed no real health or safety hazard. Although poachers may have been responsible, the reason for carefully sealing and discarding the carcasses in barrels remains a mystery.

Clean-ups: An Opportunity To Clean Up Industry Image

The Nebraska Motor Carriers Association (NMCA) is the statewide organization representing truckers and businesses who serve the Nebraska trucking industry. One of the core activities of the association is promoting a positive public image of the industry, which historically has been a tough job.

Heightened awareness of the dangers of hazardous materials leads people to fear that a train or truck will crash and release something toxic in their communities. What can help ease that fear is more information about the countermeasures already in place to protect the public.

NMCA member organizations like Environmental Solutions are experts in handling these potentially harmful situations. Trucking companies routinely seek out such experts rather than trying to manage the incidents themselves, provide extra training for drivers hauling hazmat loads, and are obligated to notify emergency responders in the event of a release.

Although any spill or release is unfortunate, accidents do happen. In those situations, the best public message is that the hazardous situation is being managed by experts, not amateurs. Trained professional drivers and concerned trucking companies working with environmental specialists are the right combination, not only to clean up the spill, but also to clean up the image of hazardous materials transportation.

ESI wishes to thank the Nebraska Motor Carriers Association for contributing this article.