Environmental Solutions
Incorporated
24 Hour Emergency Response Number: 402.896.3600
Incorporated
24 Hour Emergency Response Number: 402.896.3600
hazardous waste |
Summer 1996... Response Team Cleans Sulfuric Acid Spill ESI recently responded to a spill of sulfuric acid in central Nebraska. A 300 gallon tote tank was leaking and sulfuric acid was flowing on the dock. The Fire Department was called to the scene and promptly acted according to the DOT Emergency Response Guidebook. They diked the tote with dry sand and effectively contained the acid running from the tote. They spread sand on the remainder of the spilled aced in order to adsorb it before it flowed off the dock. Unfortunately, a great deal of acid was absorbed by the pallets and packaging, creating a difficult clean-up. The leaking container was packed tightly with other material and access difficult. Soon after arrival, ESI began sorting material and moving uncontaminated goods off the dock while maneuvering around the diked tote. Contaminated goods were destroyed to render them unusable, neutralized with soda ash and disposed of in a roll-off. The contaminated sand was then covered with a layer of soda ash and allowed to neutralize. The crew deposited the sand in a roll-off beside the dock. Once the dock was clear the team attacked the diked and leaking tote. The valve was leaking so there was no reliable means to transfer by the valve. After close inspection, the team determined that the tote tank itself was not damaged and could be tipped backwards to raise the valve in the air. The team used the forklift to tip the tote and slide it out of the dike. The valve remained in the dike. Once the tote was free of the dike and tipped back the valve opening was upright and no longer leaking. The team inspected the opening, valve, threads and clamps for damage. No damage was evident and the assembly was intact so the crew reattached the valve. The leak was repaired rapidly and the tote set back down on its skid without incident. All that remained was to remove the small amount of contained sulfuric acid from the dike and neutralize the remaining sand on the dock with soda ash. Once the sand and acid was up, soda ash was laid down on the dock and allowed to react with the residue before the dock as washed down. When the pH levels on the dock surface were close to neutral, the response was terminated. The entire response, from load out to termination was 13 hours.
ESI Welcomes New HazMat Response Coordinator ESI welcomes John Sempeck, our new hazardous materials response coordinator to the team. John joined ESI in July, coming from Vironex, an environmental remediation company in El Segundo, California. John is a California State Certified HazMat Specialist who spent four years with the Edwards Air Force Base Fire Department. He has spent a great deal of time in EPA Level A and B Protective Ensembles and has responded to many serious emergencies. John also has extensive experience in railroad tank car and tank truck emergency response operations, to include product transfer and chlorine release kit installation. Prior to joining the Air Force, he was a member of the Millard Fire Department for two years. In the unfortunate event of a spill or release, it will probably be John’s voice you hear on the other end of the phone. John has brought a family with him; he and his wife Christine are Omaha natives who are happy to be back in the area. They have two children, Caitlyn, age 5 and Jacob, age 2 whose chief concern at this time is being back with their grandparents. After a brief orientation period, John will be heading a number of projects late this summer. If he happens to be heading a project for you, please join us in welcoming him back to Nebraska.
From the Desk of: John Smith Environmental & Safety Training Manager Nebraska Safety Council Risk Management Program Ruling Announced by EPA The Environmental Protection Agency has just announced the long awaited Risk Management Program (RMP) Ruling, which falls under the Clean Air Act Section 112 (r). The core of this ruling deals with those organizations that handle chemicals listed under section 112 (r) of Title III of the Clean Air Act, and may be subject to accident prevention regulations. Under the accident prevention provisions of section 112 (r), EPA has developed a list of 77 toxic substances, 63 flammable substances, and high explosives as a category. Threshold Quantities (TQ) were established for these materials and are listed in EPA 40 CFR Part 68. This list will identify facilities subject to accident prevention regulations. The CAA 112 (r) list includes several substances in solution that are listed only in certain concentrations; including ammonia, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen fluoride and nitric acid. All have various TQs dependent upon their concentration. Any facility that handles, processes or packages a TQ of a listed hazardous chemical will be affected by this new rule and require a hazard assessment, worse case scenarios, and state implementation. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more that 65,000 facilities will need to be in compliance with the new rule.
Copyright © 1999 Environmental Solutions, Incorporated
hazardous waste |
Summer 1996
Omaha, Nebraska 68138-3600