Chronicles of Incidents and Response (Hazmatology, the Science of Hazardous Materials) 1st Edition Burke

Preface

Acknowledgements

Author

Chronicles of Incidents and Response

Origins of Hazardous Materials Response

Beginnings of Hazardous Materials Transportation Regulations

Dust and Boiler Explosions

Petroleum Industry is Born

Nebraska Firefighters Museum Hazardous Materials Display

Hastings, Nebraska “Gasoline & Oil Clean-Up Squad”

Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Petroleum Dispersal Unit 1

Evolution of Present-Day Hazmat Teams

Jacksonville, FL’s First Emergency Services Hazmat Team in the United States

Chief Yarbrough’s Vision

The “Godfather of Hazmat”

America’s First Emergency Services Hazmat Team

My Visits to Jacksonville

Captain Ron Gore Retires

Martin County Florida: First Volunteer Hazmat Team in United States

Fire Department History

Hazmat Team History

Houston, Texas Pioneer Hazmat Team

Beginnings of Hazmat Response in Houston

Houston Distribution Warehouse Complex

Memphis, Tennessee Pioneer Hazmat Team

Hazmat Team History

Hazardous Materials Exposure

Incidents

Drexel Chemical Company Fire & Explosion

Pro-Serve Fire (Brooks Road)

Selected Historical Hazmat Incidents

The 1800s

First Incident Found During Research

Syracuse, NY August 30, 1841 the Great Gunpowder Explosion

Minneapolis, MN May 2, 1878 Washburn “A” Flour Mill Explosion

Chester, PA February 16, 1882 Jackson Fireworks Plant Explosion

Cavan Point, NJ May 11, 1883 Standard Oil Works Fire Started by Lightning

Oil City, Titusville, and Meadville, PA June 1892 Flood and Explosion

Bradford, PA, May 14, 1894 Refinery Fire

Butte, MT January 15, 1895 Warehouse District Dynamite Explosion and Fire

“The Great Disaster of 1895”

Chicago, IL August 5, 1897 Grain Elevator Fire

Firemen that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Philadelphia, PA August 5, 1897 Naphtha Explosion

The 1900s

New York, NY November 2, 1900 Tarrant & Co Drug House Explosion

(Greenwich Street Volcano FDNY)

Sheridan, PA Naphtha Car Explosions May 12, 1902

Milwaukee, WI February 4, 1903 Schwab Stamp & Seal Acid Spill

Firemen that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Injured

Avon, CT September 15, 1905 Fuse Co. Explosion

Portland, or June 27, 1911 Oil Company Fire

Fireman that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Eddystone, PA April 10, 1917 Ammunition Works Disaster

Morgan, NJ October 4, 1918 T.A. Gillespie & Company Explosions

Boston, MA January 15, 1919 ‘Molasses Flood’ Tank Explosion

Fireman that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Long Island City, NY September 14-15, 1919 Oil Tank Blaze

Firemen that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Unknown

New York, NY July 18, 1922 Chemical Explosion

Fireman Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

Pekin, IL January 3, 1924 Corn Products Refining Corn Starch Plant Explosion

Milwaukee, WI April 22, 1926 Sawdust Explosion

Firemen that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Dover, NJ July 10, 1926 Picatinny Arsenal Munitions Explosion

Chicago, IL March 11, 1927 Chemical Plant Explosion

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Seriously Injured Firefighter

San Diego, CA August 8, 1927 Acetylene Factory Explosion

Heidelberg, PA December 25, 1928 Refinery Fire and Explosions

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Lakehurst, NJ May 3, 1937 Hindenburg Disaster Hydrogen Explosion & Fire

Atlantic City, NJ July 16, 1937 Gasoline Explosion

Hastings, NE September 15, 1944 Explosion Naval Ammunition Depot

There were Occasional Explosions

Air Force Presence

Cleveland, OH October 20, 1944 LNG Leak, Explosion, Fire

Westport, CT May 3, 1946 Truck Explosion

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Atlanta, GA December 30, 1946 Drug Fire

Texas City, TX April 16, 1947 Ammonium Nitrate Ship Explosions

The Day Texas City Lost their Fire Department

Texas City Firefighters who Made the Supreme Sacrifice on April 16, 1947

Privates

Minot, ND July 22, 1947 Oil Storage Tank Explosion

Reno, NV August 16, 1948 Massive Dynamite Explosion

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Perth Amboy, NJ June 24, 1949 Asphalt Plant Explosion

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Philadelphia, PA October 10, 1954 Chemical Plant Explosion

Firefighters that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Injured

Dumas, TX Oil July 29, 1956 Shamrock Oil & Gas Corporation Tank Farm Explosion

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Brownfield , TX December 23, 1958 Butane Truck Explosion

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Schuylkill Haven, PA June 2, 1959 Propane Truck Explosion

Sgt. Clouser Gave this Official Version of the Tragedy

Fireman that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Meldrim, GA June 28, 1959 Railroad Trestle Disaster

First Train Derailment Releasing Hazardous Materials Kills 23

First Victims to be Killed by a Hazardous Materials Release from a Train Derailment (ICC)

Roseburg, OR August 8, 1959 Explosives Truck Explosion

Firemen and Police Officer who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Kansas City, KS August 18, 1959 Southwest Boulevard Fire

Dedication of Memorial

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Pumper 19

Pumper 25

Auburn, NY March 31, 1960 Service Station Explosion

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Kingsport, TN October 5, 1960 Eastman Chemical Plant Explosion

Philadelphia, PA April 17, 1961 Gasoline Station Explosion

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Houston, TX February 3, 1962 Gasoline Trucks Collide

Brandtsville, PA April 29, 1963 LPG Cars Explode at Wreck Site

Cleveland, OH August 13, 1963 Avis Rent a Truck Propane Truck Explosion

Firemen that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Hammond, in December 23, 1963 Indiana Storage Company Warehouse Explosion

Fireman who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Anchorage, AK March 27, 1964 Great Alaskan Good Friday Earthquake

Marshalls Creek, PA June 26, 1964 Explosives Fire and Explosion

50th Anniversary Memorial

Firefighters that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Houston, TX August 10, 1965 Chemical Plant Explosion

Chicago, IL Feb 7, 1968 Gasoline Tanker Explosion & Fire

Firemen who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Richmond, in April 6, 1968 Natural Gas and Explosives Fire and Explosion

Richmond Indiana’s “Most Tragic Day and Finest Hour“

The Explosion

Finding Jack Bales

Davenport, NE June 10, 1968 Propane Tank Fire

Crete, NE February 19, 1969 Derailment and Anhydrous Ammonia Release

Shelter in Place Effectiveness Substantiated

Casualties

Hatchetts 725 W. 13th Street

Erdmans Between 1005 and 1045 W. 13th Street

Hoesche 1005 W. 13th Street

Safranek 905 W. 13th Street

Svarc 813 W. 13th Street

Kovar 907 W. 13th Street

Svarc 915 Redwood Street

Crete Fire Department Responds

Carpentersville, IL December 10, 1969 Chemical Plant Explosion & Fire

Crescent City, IL June 21, 1970 Derailment and LPG Rail Car BLEVE

Woodbine, GA February 3, 1971 Thiokol Factory Solid Rocket Fuel Explosion

Waco, GA June 1971 Car-Truck Collision Sparks Dynamite Explosion

Firefighter who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Houston, TX October 19, 1971 Mykawa Road Rail Car BLEVE & Fire

Firefighter who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Kingman, AZ July 5, 1973 Propane Rail Car BLEVE

Doxol Gas Distribution Plant

Kingman, Arizona Remembers 35 Years Later

Remembering those who Lost their Lives

Eleven Kingman Firefighters who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Donald G. Webb

Arthur A. Stringer

Frank (Butch) Henry

Christopher G. Sanders

Alan H. Hansen

John O. Campbell

Joseph M. Chambers

M.B. (Jimmy) Cox

William L. Casson

Roger A. Hubka

Richard Lee Williams

Houston, TX September 21, 1974 Englewood Rail Yard Collision Fire and Explosion

Philadelphia, PA August 17, 1975 Gulf Oil Refinery Fire

Firefighters who Gave the Supreme Sacrifice

Philadelphia Pays Tribute to Gulf Oil Refinery Fire Fallen

Niagara Falls, NY December 15, 1975 Hooker Chemical Chlorine Tank Explosion

Houston, TX May 11, 1976 Anhydrous Ammonia Tanker Accident

Worst Accident in Houston History

Westwego, LA December 22, 1977 Grain Elevator Explosion

Galveston, TX December 29, 1977 Grain Elevator Explosion

Waverly, TN February 24, 1978 Derailment and LPG Explosion

Those Emergency Responders who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Youngstown, FL February 27, 1978 Train Derailment with Chlorine Gas Cloud

Brownson, NE April 2, 1978 Train Derailment Phosphorus Fire & Explosion

Gettysburg, PA March 22, 1979 Phosphorous Truck Fire & Explosion

Collinsville, IL August 7, 1978 Propane Tank Car Explosion

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada November 10, 1979 Derailment Fires Explosions

The “Mother of All Hazmat Evacuation“

Saturday November 10, 1979

Sunday, November 11, 1979

Monday, November 12, 1979

Tuesday, November 13, 1979

Wednesday, November 14, 1979

Thursday, November 15, 1979

Friday, November 16, 1979

Somerville, MA April 3, 1980 Phosphorus Trichloride Release

Corpus Christi, TX April 7, 1981 Grain Elevator Blast

Meet Kevin Saunders

Bellwood, NE April 7, 1981 Grain Elevator Explosion

Thermal, CA January 7, 1982 Derailment Radiation Container

Livingston, LA September 28, 1982 Train Derailment, Fire and Vinyl Chloride Release

Denver, CO April 4, 1983 Railcar Leak Nitric Acid

Executive Summary

Probable Cause

Houston, TX December 11, 1983 Borden’s Anhydrous Ammonia Explosion

By Bob Parry

Buffalo, NY December 27, 1983 Propane Gas Explosion

Firefighters that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Firefighters Truck 5

Shreveport LA September 17, 1984 Anhydrous Ammonia Fire Incident

Firefighter that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Norfolk, VA September 4, 1984 Gas Tank Truck Fire

Bhopal, India December 2-3, 1984 Release of Methyl Isocyanate

Background

The Incident

Lessons Learned

Since 1984

Miamisburg, OH July 8, 1986 Derailment Phosphorus Fire

Ord, NE July 15, 1987 Anhydrous Ammonia Leak

Henderson, NV May 4, 1988 PEPCON Explosions

Kansas City, MO November 29, 1988 Ammonium Nitrate Explosion

Chronology of The Explosion

Firefighters that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Lessons Learned

Houston, TX October 23, 1989 Phillips 66 Houston Chemical Complex Explosion & Fire

Initial Response

Firefighting

Search and Rescue

Philadelphia, PA February 23, 1991 One Meridian Plaza High-Rise Fire

Firefighters who Made the Ultimate Supreme Sacrifice

New York City, NY February 26, 1993 World Trade Center Bombing

Orrtanna, PA December 6, 1993 Ammonia Leak Knouse Foods

Plant Workers/Firefighters who Lost their Lives in the Incident

Port Neal, IA December 13, 1994 Ammonium Nitrate Explosion

Oklahoma City, OK April 19, 1995 Terrorist Bombing

Response to the Bombing

Oklahoma City Bombing National Memorial

Investigation

Oklahoma City Bombing

Delaware County, PA August 6, 1995 Ammonia Leak

Weyauwega, Wisconsin March 4, 1996 Train Derailment and Fire

Burnside, Illinois October 2, 1997 LPG Tank Explosion

Firefighters that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Albert City, Iowa April 9, 1998 Propane Explosion

Key Findings

Firefighters that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Springer, OK September 1998 Liquid Nitrogen Asphyxiation

2000s

Baltimore, MD July 18, 2001 Howard Street Tunnel Fire

Minot, ND January 18, 2002 Train Derailment & Anhydrous Ammonia Release

Macdona, TX June 28, 2004 Train Derailment Chlorine Leak

Graniteville, SC March 24, 2005 Chlorine Disaster

A Tale of Two Hurricanes

New Orleans, LA August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina

Houston, TX August 24, 2017 Hurricane Harvey

Crosby, TX August 29, 2017 Chemical Plant Explosion & Fire During Hurricane Harvey

St. Louis, MO June 24, 2005 Flammable Gas Cylinder Fire & Explosion

Shepherdsville, KY January 16, 2007 Crude Oil Train Derailment & Fire

Executive Summary

Probable Cause

Ghent, WV January 30, 2007 Propane Explosion and Fire

Emergency Responders who Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Oneida, NY Monday, March 12, 2007 Tank Car Explodes

Dallas, TX July 25, 2007 Bottled Gas Plant Fire and Explosions

Jacksonville, FL December 19, 2007 Chemical Plant Explosion

Cherry Hill, IL June 19, 2009 Ethanol Train Derailment and Fire

Probable Cause

Norfolk, NE December 10, 2009 Propane Storage Tank Fire Protient Propane Fire

Tiskilwa, IL October 7, 2011 Train Derailment Ethanol Fire

West, Texas April 17, 2013 Ammonium Nitrate Explosion

Journal of Hazardous Materials

Explosions of Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer in Storage or Transportation

West Memorial

Emergency Responders that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Citizen Fatalities not Firefighters

Chemical Safety Board (CSB) Investigation

West Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD)

Abbott, Bruceville-Eddy, Mertens, and Navarro Mills Volunteer Fire Departments

Ammonium Nitrate Hazards

Key Contributing Factors to Emergency Responders’ Fatality

Lack of Incident Command System

Lack of Established Incident Management System

Firefighter Training

Lessons Learned

Key Findings

Lac-Megantic, Quebec, CA July 6, 2013 Train Derailment Crude Oil Fire

Casselton, ND December 30, 2013 Crude Oil Train Derailment & Fire

Lynchburg, VA April 30, 2014 Crude Oil Train Derailment & Fire

Heimdal, ND May 6, 2015 Crude Oil Train Derailment & Fire

Houston, TX July 16, 2017 Propane Tanker Crash

RIMS Incident

Cambria, WI May 31, 2017 Didion Mill Explosion

Hyndman, PA August 2, 2017 Train Derailment & Fire

Oklahoma City, OK August 16, 2018 Oil Well Blow Out

Tilford, SD September 8, 2018 Propane Tank Explosion

Deer Park, TX March 17, 2019 Petrochemical Storage Tank Fires

September 16, 2019 Farmington, ME Propane Explosion

Firefighter that Made the Supreme Sacrifice

Firefighters Injured

CSB Releases Call to Action on Combustible Dust Hazards

To Date, the CSB has Issued Four Recommendations

Perceptions About Dust Vary

Factors Inufluencing Dust Hazard Perceptions

Dust Incidents 2006–2017

U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB)