December 9, 2008 by Walter Schneider.

Prince George Citizen

Monday, 08 December 2008

Penalties imposed on Marsulex for 2006 sulphur-dioxide release

By PAUL STRICKLAND, Citizen staff

Marsulex Inc. was fined a total of $2,000 plus a 15-per-cent impact surcharge Monday after pleading guilty to two environmental counts in connection with the release of a concentrated plume of sulphur dioxide from its Prince George plant on Aug. 9, 2006….

On the morning of Aug. 9, 2006, Marsulex shut down its plant for routine maintenance….

During the start-up the winds changed, and the mixing of the gas in the lower atmosphere may have become poor. Its analyzer showed sulphur-dioxide concentration levels exceeded 1,653 parts per million for seven-and-a-half minutes…the plant discharged a dense bluish-white cloud of gas, a plume, from its stack. The plume travelled across the road and descended upon the Canadian Forest Products’ Rustad sawmill, court learned.

Marsulex had notified the Rustad mill by phone 10 minutes ahead of time that it was restarting its furnace. At least 18 Rustad workers were physically affected by the plume. Some received first-aid treatment on site. Nine workers were taken to Prince George Regional Hospital for further treatment and were discharged from hospital that day, according to the agreed statement of facts.

The affected workers described the plume as bluish-white or grey cloud with a strong smell. They described the adverse physical effects they experienced as watering eyes, burning lungs, difficulty breathing, blurred vision, skin burning and a strange taste in the mouth, court heard.

The physical effects described by the workers are generally consistent with those suffered by people exposed to sulphur-dioxide, court heard….(Full Story)
______________
Comment by folc.ca: The article does mentions that four workers who allege that they experienced permanent damages to their health from the sulphur dioxide release filed a claim with WorkSafe - B.C., but nothing is mentioned whether anyone other than the “environment” received any sort of compensation.

More than three years after the fact, and no money for real people’s pains….but about $150,000 is to be paid to a bureaucracy, the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, that safeguards the environment.  Is that not just absolutely wonderful?

Posted in Fines & Penalties, Community & Industry, Emission Incidents & Issues, Sulphur-Dioxide | Print | No Comments »

December 9, 2008 by Walter Schneider.

WHNT - Huntsville, AL, USA

December 7, 2008

Chemical Fumes at Huntsville Plant Send Three Employees To Hospital

By Jamie McGriff, WHNT NewsChannel 19 Reporter
Email: jamie.mcgriff@whnt.com

Sunday afternoon around 3:30 emergency responders were alerted to something that would make anyone nervous.

“We got a call out here a medical call that a man was down,” said Jim Kay, District Chief for Huntsville Fire and Rescue.

Kay said an employee of ATI-Alldyne in Huntsville passed out.  ATI-Alldyne is a metal manufacturing plant on Highway 20 in Huntsville, just before you get to Madison.

Two other employees with the man who passed out were also taken to the hospital as a precaution….(Full Story

Posted in Emission Incidents & Issues, Hydrogen-Sulphide | Print | No Comments »

December 9, 2008 by Walter Schneider.

Sydney Morning Herald

December 9, 2008 - 8:55AM

Workers inhale sulphur dioxide at Sydney industrial site

Arjun Ramachandran

Six people have experienced breathing problems after inhaling sulphur dioxide at a work site this morning, the ambulance service says….

Three had to be taken to to Fairfield Hospital and were in a stable condition….(Full Story)

Posted in Emission Incidents & Issues, Sulphur-Dioxide | Print | No Comments »