2001 06 24
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The Author of this Report, John Randall Schmidt, M.S., provides comments in (this) typography: blue Lucida Console (more apparent in color mode). The Author makes no claim regarding thoroughness or accuracy of this Report, which is offered for evaluation based on the references cited, by repeatable discovery. The first two citations best introduce the subject. Subsequent notes by the Author explain the use of typography to indicate the source of remaining citations, all from the Internet on the above date. A concluding summary is provided at the end of this 7-page WordPad document saved in Rich Text Format, downloadable at ncad.net.
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http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu21le/uu21le00.htm#Contents 1996 United Nations University Press Publication educating preparedness for Industrial Disasters.
http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu21le/uu21le03.htm#industrial%20disaster%20burdens
Recent studies by the American think-tank Resources for the Future and the Swiss Reinsurance Company suggest that at least 10,000 people are killed each year in major industrial accidents and that insured losses are in the vicinity of US$5 billion annually.4,5 The losses are increasing. In 1970, comparable figures were around 1,000 deaths with insured losses of US$1 billion (Marbacher 1990; Glickman, Golding, and Silverman 1992). However, these figures merely hint at the magnitude of the problem. The complete burden of industrial hazard and disaster is undoubtedly much larger. No comprehensive data on global losses have been compiled, and available figures mainly pertain to acute and intensive events. They do not report uninsured losses, or delayed losses associated with acute events, or losses due to chronic industrial pollution such as that which has affected places like Minamata, Japan.
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Two main web sites provide a running index of incidents appearing in the news that may include the type of unwelcome surprises that could occur in conjunction with any activity in which industrial magnitudes of combustion occur. The search was limited to events occurring in only the past 3 years. Only incidents that are related to power generation and/or natural gas are included. Events are listed in chronological order and include other citations with typography in black Times New Roman. [A redundant citation is placed in brackets.]
(1) http://www.fireworld.com/incidents/ Chronicle of fire-related incidents appearing in the news, the basis for most reports dated after 1999 Jan 01. Typography is purple, Arial Western. Underlined citations indicate human fatalities.
(2) http://www.justpeace.org/explosions.htm#1999 Chronicle of explosion-related incidents appearing in the news, the basis for some reports dated before 2000 Jan 01. Typography is red, Times New Roman.
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1998
July 15, 1998, Illinois, Commonwealth Edison, fire in coal fired electrical plant
July 28, 1998 Indiana Hammond Southern Energy generating plant (allegedly coal dust)
September 25, 1998 Australia Victoria, Esso Longford, gas plant explosions
http://cgi.cnn.com/US/9811/14/illinois.gas.fire/index.html
98 11 14 FISHER, Illinois (CNN) -- Officials say a fire at a natural gas plant in east-central Illinois is out after an explosion Saturday morning that required a nearby neighborhood to be evacuated.
Flames shot 400 feet in the air when a gas main exploded, said Steve Zehr of the Sangamon Valley Fire Protection District.
http://cgi.cnn.com/US/9812/12/minn.explosion.01/
98 12 12 ST. CLOUD, Minnesota (CNN) -- Central St. Cloud was recovering Saturday from a natural gas explosion that killed four people and injured 16.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/chrn1998.html
98 December 28 A natural gas pipeline explodes in a rural hamlet in northern Colombia, killing at least 12 people, bringing down power lines, and setting homes on fire. Another 80 people are injured. Authorities have not determined the cause of the explosion, but say it appears accidental. (DJ)
1999
http://www.fireworld.com/incidents/January1999.html
99 Jan. 2 - Pendleton, OR: A pipeline explosion destroyed a natural gas facility, cutting off fuel to nearly 10,000 people.
January 3, 1999, Virginia, Wytheville, explosion at natural gas substation, 1500 customers lose service, visible 20 miles away, house and business destroyed. Roanoke times.
[Jan. 3 - Wytheville, VA: An explosion and fire at a natural gas substation destroyed a nearby house, together with a small business.]
January 10, 1999, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS, natural gas explosion in the base's environmental plant.
January 14, 1999 Duluth, Potlatch Corp strandboard plant, propane-fired pollution control device explosion, DULUTH NEWS-TRIBUNE
99 Jan. 17 - Olney, MD: A fire and explosion at an electrical substation knocked out power to more than 70,000 homes and businesses
January 22 (?) 1999, Alabama, Bridgeport, natural gas line explosion, 3 killed, dozens of businesses damaged. LEDGER-ENQUIRER
[Jan. 22 - Bridgeport, AL: Utility employees were at work on a natural gas pipeline when escaping gas exploded, leveling three downtown buildings and killing three.]
January 26, 1999, California, Long Beach, "plant explosion," PRESS-TELEGRAM, "gas may have ignited boxes".
January 27, 1999 Canada, British Columbia, Taylor, Solex Gas Liquids Plant Explosion (caused by accidental gas leak)
[99 Jan. 27 - Taylor, British Columbia: A series of explosion engulfed a natural gas plant forcing the evacuation of more than 1,000 nearby residents.]
February 1, 1999 Michigan, Dearborn, power plant at Ford Rouge plant explodes, several workers killed, Ford manufacturing system thrown into disarray.
[http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/feb1999/ford-f02.shtml
The explosion occurred shortly after 1 p.m. at the Number Three boiler at the power house which generates electricity for the 1,200-acre industrial complex, located about 7 miles outside of Detroit. Witnesses said flames shot up hundreds of feet into the air, and nearby streets were littered with bricks, cinder blocks and debris. One office worker in a building in the giant complex reported that the blast felt like an earthquake, shaking the multistoried building and blowing out windows in cars parked across the street.
About 100 workers were in the power station at the time. One worker, Brian Papke, told reporters, "I thought we were dead because of the way the ceiling and debris fell on us. It was black with smoke and hard to see. I helped one of my coworkers out. He came up to me with his skin burned off and said he was blind." Jerry Sullivan, the president of UAW Local 600, who went to the scene, said, "I haven't seen anything like that since my days in Vietnam."]
February 7, 1999, Canada, Alberta, natural gas pipeline explosion, creates mushroom cloud seen 62 miles away. The Arizona Republic.
February 17, 1999, Missouri, Kansas City, power plant explodes
02/19/99, Indiana, FORT WAYNE, rail car explosion at cement plant, Journal Gazette
Published on 03/08/99, Michigan, Plainwell, natural gas line explosion THE JOURNAL GAZETTE GAS PIPELINE BLAST LIGHTS MICHIGAN SKY PLAINWELL, Mich. --
April 8, 1999, Tampa, Florida, TECO Energy Company power plant explosion (hydrogen leak), 3 killed, 49 injured, 39 hospitalized (Miami Herald, eventually blamed on worker) On April 9, 1999, article appeared in the Bradenton (Florida) Herald, stating that almost all power plants use hydrogen to cool their generators.
99 04 08 http://www.sptimes.com/News/40999/TampaBay/Problems_have_halted_.shtml
Before Thursday's explosion, which killed two workers and injured dozens, the Port Sutton plant had been shut down at least five times because of fires, leaks or explosions.
April 14, 1999, Arizona, Tempe, Heraeus Amersil, hydrogen supply line explosion, Arizona Republic
April 15, 1999, Indiana, Notre Dame, fire and explosion in power plant of Notre Dame University, 2 injured
April-May 1999 (date uncertain), Holly Power Plant, Austin, Texas, fire
May 12, 1999, Alabama, Decatur, Daikin America chemical plant explosion, 3 dead, Ledger Enquirer
May 13, 1999 Korea Ulsan refinery fire (world's largest refinery)
May 24, 1999, Ahaz, Iran, gas pipeline explosion (during a repair), 70 injured, San Jose Mercury
July 1, 1999, Missouri, Jackson County (KC), Missouri Public Service substation explodes.
July 9, 1999, Texas, Panola County, near Beckville, 30 inch natural gas pipeline explosion and fire (reported in Shreveport media, fire was 400 yards long and hundreds of feet in the air)
July 25, 1999, Cartagena, Colombia, transformer/generator explosion, six killed, "during routine maintenance."
July 28, 1999, Mobile Oil Company refinery explosion, Torrance, California
August 10, 1999, gas pipeline explosion, Austin, Texas
[99 August 10 - Liberty Hill, TX: A worker digging holes for electric poles was killed when he punctured an ethane propane pipeline, triggering an explosion.]
99 Dec. 29 - Hallam, NE: An explosion in an 80-foot silo used to store ash from a power plant hurled to workers to the ground, killing them.
2000
00 Feb. 2-Milford, CT: Steel beams at a natural gas plant collapsed, burying a 100-foot crane. Two construction workers were killed and at least two were injured.
Feb. 3-Palm Beach, FL: Fires burned at a utility plant for five and a half hours after up to 1,000 gallons of fuel oil leaked from a feeder line.
Feb. 19-Puyang, China: Thirteen people died and 54 were hospitalized after a natural gas explosion in a workshop in Central China.
March 16-Corunna, Ontario, Canada: A flare went out on a stack at a refinery, releasing gases into the atmosphere. 200 employees of a call center in the community complained of nausea, sore throats, and dizziness. Air quality testing showed low levels of hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur containing compounds called mercaptans.
March 22-Kenedy, TX: Part of Highway 181 was closed after a natural gas pipeline exploded, shooting flames 90 feet into the air.
March 22-Hempfield Township, PA: An underground gas line ruptured, causing an explosion that damaged two homes and injured three men, two critically.
April 4-Spencer, NC: An explosion at a steam power plant killed one worker when a transformer exploded during routine maintenance.
00 May 6-Long Beach, CA: A ruptured natural gas pipe at an asphalt company set off a fire that sent flames up to 100 feet in the air.
May 15-San Luis Obispo: A nuclear reactor at a power plant shut down because of a small electrical fire. The fire released steam possibly tainted with low level radiation.
May 22-Kansas City , MO: A fire and explosion at a power company left over five hundred customers without power.
May 28-Ignace, Ontario: A section of natural gas pipeline ruptured during pressure testing.
00 July 19--Willoughby, OH: A spark or static electricity ignited propane gas leaking from overfilled tanks, causing an explosion that demolished the plant.
August 10-Venice, IL: Multiple explosions and fire ripped through a power plant.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/082200/d.html
00-08-22 natural gas pipeline explosion in New Mexico
The pipeline blast killed 11 people camping along the Pecos River about 500 feet from the pipeline. The explosion created a crater 86 feet long, 46 feet wide and 20 feet deep. Officials with the National Transportation Safety board said Monday that it could take several months to complete a report on the cause. "That was a very big pipe that popped; and it is a major feeder into the state (of California)," said Tom Williams, spokesman for Duke Energy, the company that owns the South Bay power plant.
Sept. 15-Toledo, OH: The entire city fire department was placed on standby during a fire at a local power plant.
Oct. 8-Chicago, IL: Electricity to a large area was lost due to a fire in a large transformer at a power plant.
Oct. 22-Longview, TX: Two people are missing after a series of explosions at a natural gas storage facility. The blast occurred as butane was being transferred from a tanker truck into a storage tank.
Oct. 27-Gulfport, MS: An explosion at a power plant reduced generating capacity by more than 10 percent.
Nov. 2-Salekhard, Russia: Four workers were killed when a gas pipeline under construction burst, causing a fire.
Nov. 4-Bountiful, Utah: A double gasoline tanker swerving to avoid a collision overturned and caught fire. Damage to the road was so extensive it had to be repaved.
Nov. 4-Osun State, Nigeria: More than 100 people were killed when a gasoline tanker burst into flames after crashing into a line of cars waiting on road repairs.
Nov. 5-Scottsbluff, NE: Eighteen cars of a train derailed, with three cars carrying benzene torn open. About 80,000 gallons of benzene spilled.
Nov. 26-Kansas City, MO, : A small amount of anhydrous ammonia from a holding tank at a power plant, but was contained without injuries
Nov. 28-Portland, TN: Three people were injured in an explosion at a facility operated by a natural gas pipeline company.
Dec. 1-Atlas Cove, Lagos: At least 50 people were killed in a pipeline explosion.
Dec. 4-Mont Belvieu, TX: A natural gas pipeline ruptured but did not ignite
Dec. 7-Jal, N.M. : A natural gas pipeline ruptured and burst into flames, igniting two tanks filled with methanol and glycol at a gasoline refinery.
Dec. 9-Singapore, China: A pipe carrying diesel exploded at a chemical plant, severely burning three workers.
Dec. 14-East Rutherford, N.J.: A large vapor cloud escaped from a local gas works.
Dec. 22-Philadelphia, PA: A fire at a gas works left nearly 5,000 people without heat.
[Gas Pipeline Explosion in Philadelphia Closes Area Highway (December 23, 2000)
A gas pipeline exploded in flames, lighting up the night sky and closing sections of Interstate 76. No injuries were reported. The blowout at a Philadelphia Gas Works plant left about 1,000 customers with low gas pressure Saturday, and some with no heat, and the company asked its approximately 500,000 customers to cut back on using the fuel. Highs for that day reached only into the twenties. The closure of I-76 delayed traffic for several hours, including departing fans from a Knicks-76ers basketball game. ]
Dec. 25-Douglas, WY: A propane leak sparked a series of explosions at an oil field service company. A 500-gallon tank of propane BLEVEd.
Dec. 29-East Hereford, Quebec: An explosion at a natural gas compressor station drew firefighters from Canada and the U.S.
2001
01 Jan. 4-Peculiar, MO: A pipeline explosion sent flames shooting more than 100 feet into the sky.
Jan. 4-Everett, MA: One worker died and two others were severely burned in an electrical substation fire.
Jan. 8-Duisberg, Germany: A series of explosions did extensive damage to a power plant. No injuries were reported.
Jan. 30-Long Beach, CA: With power supplies in the state critically low, a fire in an oil sump pump at a power plant shut down one of the plant's gas-turbine generators.
Jan. 31-Toledo, OH: An electrical fire at a power plant caused minimal damage.
Feb. 2-Burns Harbor, IN: An explosion and fire at a steel plant killed two workers and injured five. Workers were attempting to repair a cracked valve on a gas pipe leading to the furnace.
Feb. 18-Leeds, AL: A slow-moving train derailed and struck a stationary train on the next track. Thirteen cars, including three tank cars containing ammonia nitrate, left the tracks. The resulting spill forced an area evacuation.
March 8-Yamburg, Russia: A natural gas pipeline in the Russian Arctic burst during maintenance work, killing three people and severely burning two others.
March 22-Weatherford, TX: A 12-inch natural gas pipeline exploded, creating a 16-foot crater. No injuries were reported.
April 2- Ashwaubenon, WI: A business jet crashed into a milk bottling plant, setting off an explosion and fire. Seven plant workers were hospitalized, three with critical burns. The pilot, alone aboard the jet, was killed.
April 2- Los Angeles, CA: A former refinery employee plead innocent to planning to blow up the facility. The FBI found an assault rifle, ammunition and bomb making literature at his home.
April 3- Green Bay, WI: A collision between a pickup truck and a gasoline tanker truck resulted in a firey explosion at an industrial park. Four people were killed.
April 7- Bydgoszcz, Poland: A teenager was rushed to the hospital after touching high-tension power lines at a local sub-station, seriously injuring himself and short-circuiting the local power supply.
April 10- Conway, KS: An accidental release of ethane, propane and butane from a natural gas facility forced an area evacuation. Work crews identified and repaired the leak.
April 12- Milford, CN: A partition fire was reported at a large power plant.
April 18- East Joliet, IL: An explosion knocked down a wall and ignited a fire at a power plant, disabling one of three generating units.
April 18- Labadie, MO: A hydrogen leak led to a fire at a power plant that burned a 30-foot-wide hole in the roof. The plant continued to operate three of its four turbines.
April 26- Cleveland, OH: A trailer section of a 18-wheeler carrying 8,000 gallons of ethanol overturned and began leaking. Police closed the area because of the danger of fire or explosion.
May 18- Hsinchu County, Taiwan: A boiler explosion at a chemical factory killed one person and injured nearly 100 more. Most were hurt by glass splinters and other debris that rained down more than 600 feet from the factory.
May 26- Heflin, LA: Two teens climbed a 20-foot tall crude oil tank to get a better look at the sunrise. One apparently lit a cigarette. The resulting explosion blew the roof off the tank, killing one and leaving the other with critical burns.
http://ptg.djnr.com/ccroot/asp/gateway/gwframesetter.asp
01-06-19 Relatives of Explosion Victims in Hutchinson, Kan., Sue Natural Gas Firm
KRTBN Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News: The Wichita Eagle - Kansas, 06/19/2001, 597 words.
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In summary, there is a non-zero risk of malfunction wherever there is any of:
automotive traffic,
railroad,
plane traffic,
high-pressure fuel,
tanks and pipelines,
high-voltage electricity,
machines,
workers,
trespassers, including
mischievous juveniles.
As multiple elements converge, the risk is multiplied. Already at 3000 Kenton Lands Road, there are most of these elements. While the record has apparently been clean thus far, the non-zero risk continues. The proposal is for a vastly increased risk.
Throughout the life of this quiet, apparently innocuous "gas plant" there has accumulated: increasing density, at increasing proximity, of increasing numbers of lives, either passing through or residing within 1200 feet of the proposed Power Plant. The new Kenton County Public Library will be constructed beginning 2001 July 10.
Based on some of the citations above, it is evident why 1200 feet is a standard, minimum distance by which to separate innocent lives from industrial combustion. Once an industrial plant is located, typically distant (buffered) from people, it is up to the free will of people to choose how close they may locate to an established industrial risk. Such risk was not evident to the existing, neighboring Kenton County residents, nor to those officials committing to this location for the new Library in 2000 May.
It is entirely inappropriate and against the constitutional right of every American, having freely committed to residential activity away from industrial risk, to then be asked to accept such risk after the fact of that commitment.
Undoubtedly, supervisors prior to these cited accidents were confident that no accidents would occur. The new proposal by a Limited Liability Company, structured for minimizing responsibility to victims, and for sale to the highest bidder (who may reside in another country), for 1-Billion-BTU combustion and high-voltage electricity on top of a concentrated conjunction of multiple, high-pressured gas piping, introduces more risk than will be tolerated by United States Citizens of Kenton County pursuant to the most fundamental guarantees of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
For further enquiry:
John R. Schmidt, M.S.
President, NCAD Corporation
john@ncad.net
(859) 727-9999