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GBlist: Chlorpyrifos fire



The following message was posted on another list but I thought it might
be of interest of some on this list. The author of it is asking for
asking for feedback. Perhaps you can help.



>>From: Albert Donnay <adonnay@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us>
>>Subject: Chlorpyrifos Fire: Update
>>Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 00:49:38 -0400
>>MIME-Version: 1.0
>>Content-Type: text/plain
>>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>>
>>The chlorpyrifos fire that burned for 30 hours in Birmingham last 
Thursday 
>>(October 2, I had the date wrong in my first post) is now estimated to 
>>have burned 4,000 gallons of chlorpyrifos in a 40% concentrate (that's 
>>VERY concentrated; many applications use just 0.5%).  It was actually 
the 
>>second fire there in the last few years.  The earlier fire burned only 
>>paper, however, and did not reach the pesticide stores.
>>
>>There was some press coverage in the Birmingham News on Monday quoting 
me 
>>and EPA's Dr. Blondell recommending medical monitoring and followup of 
the 
>>firefighters.  This led the fire chief to call both of us to defend his 
>>department's conduct during the fire and since, including the decision 
not 
>>to test anyone, which he said was supported by both his health 
department 
>>and Univ. of AL experts.  He also said some firefighters were provided 
>>with self contained breathing appartus after the fire spread to the 
>>chlorpyrifos area, but these went only to the minority who were in the 
"A 
>>Zone" closest to the chlorpyrifos (the entire warehouse covered several 
>>blocks) and they are no longer being worn by those involved in the 
>>cleanup.  
>>
>>Fortunately, Birmingham officials soon changed their minds about the 
value 
>>of medical followup, and they now offer both cholinesterase testing and 
a 
>>basic symptom questionnaire, but only to those who come forward with 
>>symptoms and request medical attention.  (So far, this has  been 
requested 
>>by just 2 firefighters and about 15 others.)  No data from these tests 
>>have been released.
>>
>>Dow officials arrived on the scene for the first time on Oct 9--seven 
days 
>>after the fire started--to assist local authorities.  The city is now 
>>deciding what to do about the warehouse's flooded basement.  It is 
filled 
>>to the brim with an estimated 1/2 million gallons of water and 
>>chlorpyrifos at an incredible 150,000 ug/L.  The city talks of throwing 
>>activated charcoal into this pool to capture some of the chlorpyrifos 
and 
>>then releasing the water to the sanitary sewer...  
>>
>>Anybody have any better ideas? 
>>
>>How many gallons drained into local waterways is not known, but 
>>chlorpyrifos levels along the 10 mile fish kill range from 
>>8,500 to 3,500 ug/L.  
>>
>>This is all flowing into a lake that now also shows signs of a massive 
>>kill.  Just for comparison, note the max. allowable limits for 
>>chlorpyrifos in open waters (adopted by the states of AR, HI, CO, VT and 
>>OK to protect aquatic life):
>>
>>0.041 ug/L for chronic exposures (4 day average) and 
>>0.083 ug/L for acute exposures (1 hour average).  
>>
>>VT is the only state that also has a standard for chlorpyrifos in 
drinking 
>>water which, ironically, is much higher -- 21 ug/L. 
>>
>>Meterologists say the fallout from the smoke plume probably concentrated 
>>about 17 miles to the west of the city, but no soil contamination data 
>>have been released.
>>
>>
>>-- Albert Donnay, MHS
>>Exec. Director, MCS Referral & Resources, Inc.
>>508 Westgate Road, Baltimore MD 21229-2343
>>410-362-6400, fax 362-6401, donnaya@rtk.net

james3@niehs.nih.gov
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