In the event of a chemical emergency at a local factory or from a transportation accident on a nearby highway or railway, your home could be in the “danger zone” that would be created by a toxic cloud of chemicals. When it comes to a chemical emergency; it's a lot better to plan before the emergency occurs.
Many people may not realize it, but hazardous materials (HAZMAT's) are a vital part of our everyday life. Examples include; refrigeration facilities using ammonia, water treatment plants using chlorine, chemical-processing facilities and chemical storage warehouses with pesticides and propane dealers supplying fuel for the backyard barbecue.
In fact, just about every business in the average community has some amount of HAZMAT's being used or stored. In the event of a fire or an accidental spill, these HAZMAT's could create a "danger zone" for nearby homes including yours. While regulatory agencies have being working to prevent chemical accidents, they do occur. Here are just a few examples of HAZMAT accidents that have occurred in recent years.
Graniteville, South Carolina 2005: Nine persons died when a train wreck in the small town of Graniteville, South Carolina released deadly chlorine gas. Six textile mill workers, a train engineer; a truck driver and a person in his home, died of chlorine inhalation. More that 200 were treated at area hospitals for respiratory illness from inhaling chlorine gas. The release of the chlorine required 5,400 people living within a mile of the railroad to be evacuated from their homes.
San Antonio, Texas 2004: Two residents in San Antonio, Texas, died when a Union Pacific train wreck spilled nearly 70 tons of chlorine gas from a ruptured tank car. The cloud of chlorine gas drifted more than three miles reaching San Antonio's Sea World Amusement Park, where six people became ill from the fumes.
Carlsbad, New Mexico, 2000: A natural gas pipeline exploded killing 10 people camped at a popular fishing area along the Pecos River. The ten victims, all related, were on a family vacation outing and were engulfed in a ball of fire when the leaking gas ignited. The resulting fireball melted sand into glass and could be seen as far away as twenty miles.
Numerous other examples could be provided, but the message would be the same - "HAZMAT accidents do occur. At the same time, these materials are a part of our everyday life and can be found in every community."
Chances are that your home is located near facilities where HAZMAT's can be found. In fact, recent studies indicate that about one in every six Americans lives or works within a chemical danger zone that could be created by a chemical accident. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) refers to this danger zone as the “vulnerable zone”. Some environmental groups desiring to alarm the public, use terms such as “circle of death” to describe this zone.
The vulnerable zone is used by local emergency planning committees (LEPC) and HAZMAT response teams to identify areas that may need to be evacuated or "sheltered-in-place" in the event of a chemical accident. The vulnerable zone for a "worse-case" accidental release may extend a mile or more, depending on the type and amount of chemical, weather conditions and terrain.
Industries using HAZMAT's must provide a chemical inventory, known as a Tier II report, to local fire departments and their Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). Contact your LEPC to determine if these industries are located close to your home. A listing of LEPC's in your state can be viewed by using this link to an EPA Website .
Don't be alarmed if you find that your home is located in a danger zone. Keep in mind that HAZMAT's are also transported through your community everyday by rail cars, tanker trucks and in underground pipelines. If you find that your home is in a danger zone the best thing to do is to establish a family emergency plan before an actual emergency occurs.
