in the news recently new radioactive water leak at japan's fukushima daiichi plant 100 metric...
TRANSCRIPT
IN THE NEWS RECENTLY• NEW RADIOACTIVE WATER LEAK AT JAPAN'S FUKUSHIMA
DAIICHI PLANT
• 100 METRIC TONS OF WATER
• LEAKED FROM HOLDING TANK
• SHUT OFF FLOW OF WATER INTO THIS TANK
• SCHOOL LUNCH SUPPLIER CLOSED BY USDA REOPENS; SOME HOT POCKETS RECALLED
• CENTRAL VALLEY MEAT CO SUSPENDED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BECAUSE OF "INSANITARY CONDITIONS“
• NESTLE ISSUED A RECALL OF HOT-POCKETS
WEST VIRGINIA COAL AND CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES
United States Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics (December 2013)
THE FACTS ABOUT THE SPILL
• FACILITY OWNED BY FREEDOM INDUSTRIES
• “FULL SERVICE PRODUCER OF SPECIALTY CHEMICALS FOR THE MINING, STEEL, AND CEMENT INDUSTRIES”
• STORING 4-METHYLCYCLOHEXANE METHANOL
• CHEMICAL SPILL IN ELK RIVER, WEST VIRGINIA
• LEAKED FROM THE STORAGE TANK AND PAST THEIR SECONDARY CONTAINMENT INTO THE SOIL AND WATER
• EPA INSPECTOR DISCOVERED LEAK AT 11:00AM ON JANUARY 9TH
• DO-NOT-USE BAN PUT IN PLACE JANUARY 10TH
• POLYGLYCOL ETHERS REPORTED TO ALSO HAVE SPILLED
4-METHYLCYCLOHEXANE METHANOL (MCHM)
• USED FOR COAL WASHING
• LICORICE SMELL
• LITTLE INFORMATION AVAILABLE
• LOW WATER SOLUBILITY
• CIS/TRANS ISOMERS
COAL WASHING
• PROCESS TO REMOVE IMPURITIES FROM COAL BEFORE IT IS BURNED
• WATER IS NOT ENOUGH
• CHEMICAL, SUCH AS 4-METHYLCYCLOHEXANE METHANOL, IS NECESSARY FOR BETTER SEPARATION
HOW MUCH WATER DOES ONE PERSON NEED?
• 1 GALLON PER PERSON PER DAY
• VARIES DEPENDING ON AGE, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, HEALTH CONDITION ETC.
THE CLEAN-UP
• DO NOT USE BAN
• FLUSH SYSTEM AND ADDING CARBON
• CDC PUTS OUT 1 PPM THRESHOLD
• ALICYCLIC PRIMARY ALCOHOLS AND ALICYCLIC CARBOHYDRATES : LD-50 VALUES RANGED FROM 890 TO 5700 MG/KG FOR RATS
• CYCLOHEXANEDIMETHANOL: LD50 3,200 MG/KG FOR RATS
• CURRENTLY: LEVELS OF 0.5-1.6 PPB
INSPECTIONS AT THE FACILITY
• INSPECTED IN 2012 TO DETERMINE IF PROCESSES HAD CHANGED AND IF NEW AIR QUALITY PERMITS WE NEEDED
• INSPECTED IN 2010 AFTER AN ODOR COMPLAINT
• PRIOR TO THESE SITE HAD NOT BEEN SUBJECT TO STATE OR FEDERAL INSPECTION SINCE 1991
• EPA REPORT ON THE FACILITY SHOWED NO VIOLATIONS IN THE LAST 3 YEARS
REGULATIONS IN WEST VIRGINIA
• WEST VIRGINIA LAW DOES NOT REQUIRE INSPECTIONS FOR CHEMICAL STORAGE FACILITIES
• ONLY FOR PRODUCTION FACILITIES
• FACILITY REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN TANKS
• FACILITY HAD THE ONLY PERMIT IT WAS REQUIRED TO HAVE
• INDUSTRIAL STORM WATER PERMIT
REFERENCES
• HTTP://WWW.CNN.COM/2014/01/10/HEALTH/WEST-VIRGINIA-CHEMICAL/INDEX.HTML
• HTTP://WWW.INCHEM.ORG/DOCUMENTS/JECFA/JECMONO/V50JE10.HTM
• HTTP://WWW.CNN.COM/2014/01/13/US/WEST-VIRIGINA-CHEMICAL-CONTAMINATION/INDEX.HTML
• HTTP://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2014/01/11/US/WEST-VIRGINIA-CHEMICAL-SPILL.HTML?_R=0
• HTTP://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2014/01/13/US/CRITICS-SAY-CHEMICAL-SPILL-HIGHLIGHTS-LAX-WEST-VIRGINIA-REGULATIONS.HTML
• HTTP://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2009/04/22/US/22CHEMICAL.HTML?_R=1&
• HTTP://WWW.WVMINESAFETY.ORG/WVCOALFACTS.HTM
• HTTP://WWW.BLS.GOV/EAG/EAG.WV.HTM
• HTTP://NEWS.NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/NEWS/2014/01/140110-4-METHYLCYCLOHEXANE-METHANOL-CHEMICAL-SPILL-WEST-VIRGINIA-SCIENCE/
• HTTP://WWW.WVCOMMERCE.ORG/BUSINESS/INDUSTRIES/ADVANCEDENERGY/DEFAULT.ASPX
• HTTP://WWW.WVCOMMERCE.ORG/BUSINESS/INDUSTRIES/CHEMPOLY/DEFAULT.ASPX
• HTTP://WWW.FREEDOM-INDUSTRIES.COM/ABOUT.HTML
• HTTP://THINKPROGRESS.ORG/CLIMATE/2014/02/09/3196981/CHEMICAL-SPILL-TIMELINE/
• HTTP://WWW.CNN.COM/2014/02/19/HEALTH/WEST-VIRGINIA-WATER/INDEX.HTML
• HTTP://WWW.CNN.COM/2014/02/19/WORLD/ASIA/JAPAN-FUKUSHIMA-DAIICHI-WATER-LEAK/INDEX.HTML
• HTTP://WWW.CNN.COM/2014/02/19/HEALTH/HOT-POCKETS-RECALL/INDEX.HTML?SR=TW021914HOTPOCKETS1030A