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Chemical Leak from Train Wreck in South Carolina
AP - The State ^ | January 6, 2005

Posted on 01/06/2005 8:37:59 AM PST by Peach

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To: Peach
13 of 42 rail cars have derailed. All carrying chemicals in concentrated form.

What a mess. Good luck - stay as high above ground as possible! Cl2, and most hazardous vapors, are heavier than air.

61 posted on 01/06/2005 1:05:08 PM PST by Chemist_Geek ("Drill, R&D, and conserve" should be our watchwords! Energy independence for America!)
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To: Chemist_Geek

Thanks; we're just staying indoors and watching the news which in our area is 24/7 on this story.


62 posted on 01/06/2005 1:07:07 PM PST by Peach
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To: Peach

Are you sure the governor's plane actually flew within the no-fly zone? One doesn't have to get very far up to see a long way, and it was only a 5-mile radius, correct?


63 posted on 01/06/2005 1:08:32 PM PST by Diddle E. Squat
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To: Diddle E. Squat

That's a good point. Maybe he didn't fly within the five mile radius. Do you think he could see a dead body and animals from five miles away though? I don't know.


64 posted on 01/06/2005 1:24:20 PM PST by Peach
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To: Peach

They are saying the air quality tests show it is safe in the crash site area to leave the house, get in a car and drive away. Mandatory evacuation.

I haven't heard about our specific area; we're five miles away, but assuming it's not bad or we'd have heard.


65 posted on 01/06/2005 1:26:40 PM PST by Peach
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To: Fierce Allegiance

I understood your ping to mean the AP reporter had done a lousy job writing up this story...which he has. The lead is buried, the narrative is muddy, and the essential information is sprinkled throughout, rather than being at the top.

An ongoing chemical spill crisis should not be written up as a feature, it should be in the inverted pyramid style of a hard news story.

In short, the story as written is crap. The events which the story covers are gravely serious and deserve better handling.


66 posted on 01/06/2005 1:32:06 PM PST by Petronski (I'm not *always* cranky.)
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To: Fierce Allegiance

Oh. I see. So dhuff’s comment that “[a]ll chemicals are hazardous to the crAP,” and your “crAP” graphic, were just comments on the lousiness of the AP as a news source. Except, of course, in this instance, where they were a reliable news source. And the link by Petronski to a spoof web site about the alleged dangers of H2O was, um, well, also a comment on the lousiness of the AP as a news source. Except, of course, in this instance, where they were a reliable news source.

All clear.


67 posted on 01/06/2005 1:48:14 PM PST by atlaw
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To: Peach
Chlorine gas is stored in bottles of heavy steel such as those for acetylene, oxygen, etc. and are used to disinfect pools and water supplies.

It can also be stored in much larger containers for bulk transport; without knowing the exact nature of the container leaking, it is difficult to determine the potential for spillage and contamination.

Sunlight breaks it down rapidly, but a spill at night could spread low along the ground for a great distance depending on wind conditions and topography.

68 posted on 01/06/2005 1:49:51 PM PST by Old Professer (When the fear of dying no longer obtains no act is unimaginable.)
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To: atlaw

The story was reliable. It was also poorly written.


The lead in this story is NOT the deaths and injuries. The lead, as you can well appreciate, is the ongoing crisis and lockdown and potential for further injury.


69 posted on 01/06/2005 1:52:43 PM PST by Petronski (I'm not *always* cranky.)
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To: Peach
Just found this picture. What a mess!

Also saw info that the flight restriction is only to a height of 3,000 feet so commercial avaition is not affected.

Sadly, the story also says they expect the death toll to rise.

Info is from a story on the nbc6 news site in Charlotte. I'll include a link but registration is required to read the full story.

Two dead, 180 treated after chemical spill that followed train crash

70 posted on 01/06/2005 1:53:01 PM PST by kayak (Have you prayed for your President today?)
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To: Old Professer

They were hoping it would get sunny today to burn it off but it didn't happen...just a few glimpses of the sun.

The NTSB person who is hear said she'd never seen such a bad wreck. The air is much heavier here at night and by 6:00 there is a curfew.


71 posted on 01/06/2005 1:53:29 PM PST by Peach
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To: Petronski

I'm not always cranky either. Long day.


72 posted on 01/06/2005 1:55:14 PM PST by atlaw
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To: atlaw

;O)


73 posted on 01/06/2005 1:56:02 PM PST by Petronski (I'm not *always* cranky.)
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To: Peach

Be very careful to stay safe, dear heart. Keep posting so that we'll know how you are. If you do need to evacuate, please let us know ASAP.


74 posted on 01/06/2005 1:56:42 PM PST by Carolinamom
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To: atlaw

Well I see that you've resolved your question without assistance from me.

D'ja see my dot.sig, a. k. a. 'tag line'?


75 posted on 01/06/2005 1:58:47 PM PST by dhuffman@awod.com (The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.)
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To: Carolinamom

Thanks, Carolinamom. IF we need to leave, I'll post something here before we go or from wherever we land.

No one is talking evacuation for our specific area and I think we'll be fine. Nearly all of downtown was closed and so many roads are blocked; we're just glad we can stay here.

(((Carolinamom)))


76 posted on 01/06/2005 1:58:49 PM PST by Peach
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To: atlaw

Once again, you get it wrong. It was ME who posted the lonk to the DHMO.org website.

You may well think the AP has great writers, but that is more a statement on YOU than anything. They know little about chemicals, Not to lessen the severity of this event. Yes, Cl2 isn't so nice. I get that, but their writers are typycally ignorant and hysterical.

Disagree? Prove me wrong, and this article is certainly not a good starting point.

Just as a little background, While running a 130 million railroad construction project, one of my duties was to reports all spillages, including water if in excess of 1 gallon. I facetiously reported when a guy dumped out the rainwater from his 5-gallon tool pail he had inadvertantly left out over a weekend. The newspapers found out and went nuts, and TV cameras showed up to interview the police chief. He laughed his arse off when he realized why they were there.


77 posted on 01/06/2005 2:01:14 PM PST by Fierce Allegiance (Stay safe in the "sandbox" Greg!)
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To: Fierce Allegiance

A fierce thank you. I directed a mixed hazard (chemical and radiological) process and was even considered quite expert in it.


78 posted on 01/06/2005 2:03:49 PM PST by dhuffman@awod.com (The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.)
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To: dhuffman@awod.com

I have the osha-40 and all the other crap but all I ever intend to do given a situation is evacuate. My 1-word synopsis for the painfully boring annual refresher is "Run!"


79 posted on 01/06/2005 2:09:24 PM PST by Fierce Allegiance (Stay safe in the "sandbox" Greg!)
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To: Peach

The hospital just got another large group of people from Graniteville.


80 posted on 01/06/2005 2:15:03 PM PST by Peach
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