What would we do in chemical release?
On April 26 in Superior, Wis. there was an explosion at the Husky oil refinery. According to the Chicago Tribune, a tank of crude oil or asphalt exploded prompting authorities to order the evacuation of a 3-mile (5-kilometer) radius around the refinery, as well as a 10-mile (16-kilometer) corridor south of it where the smoke was heading. Eleven people were injured. A huge cloud of black smoke was released from burning asphalt that was too hot to put out. Residents were not told what was in the smoke or why it was so black.
This made me wonder about our Industrial Park. If there was a major chemical release, would people know what to do? Would we know what was being released? How many people in Benicia know what shelter in place really means? Would we rush to school to pick up our kids and expose them and us to potential harmful chemicals on the way to the car or would we and the school shelter in place? If we had to evacuate what would be the best route to take? How would we find out any of this? * We know that Benicia has an emergency response system. But what do we do when we hear the sirens? We also know that people living next to the refinery when Valero shut down last year and others who had to evacuate the Industrial Park were told nothing.
Our emergency response system is inadequate. We don’t know what is in the air during an accident or on a daily basis. As Ralph Dennis pointed out last week in a letter to the Herald- we don’t have monitors to track what is in the air. A community Industrial Safety Ordinance could help make sure that we would have a good emergency response system and air monitors. The ordinance would require Valero to pay. I would want to know what to do in an accident and I don’t know now. Please support an Industrial Safety Ordinance. We are the only refinery town in the Bay Area without one.
Kathy Kerridge,
Benicia
Sharing is caring!
Pure scare tactics. Now you tell us exactly what a local ISO would do. Does it monitor air? Give us a full explanation not scare tactics.
Leave her alone, Bob. She’s just putting her name in the ring to belong to the whiners ISO that they want to set up.
But I gotta say something about, “Residents were not told what was in the smoke or why it was so black.” C’mon Lady! it is smoke….if there is one thing we know about smoke it is toxic gas of some sort–even the stuff that comes from cigarettes or burning grass fires, etc. I suppose some nitwits can be confused by white plumes that are water vapor that can appear to act like smoke for a while.
Maybe
I would leave her alone but I do believe she lost a wheel off her carriage as in Kerridge..
By the way Kathie I did see those derailed cars in Martinez at Shell Oil. Very simple it was like a flat tire. No harm, no foul. Just the Benicia Independent with another scare tactic. Stop it.
One issue we have as an affluent democracy is that there are so many folks who don’t have any idea what makes the lights go on or their cars drive down the freeway. Despite basic education opportunities, they are ignorant but since it is democratic to get what they want, they’ll scream and shout until they get other ignorants to side with them. They want all dirty technology hidden from view so they can pretend it is possible for 7 billion people in the world to live without science. Sad…but then how could I feel superior if everyone could think as clearly as I do?
Whether some people want to admit or not, there is a fossil fuel component to all we consume. Food, energy, consumables … all costs are affected by fossil fuels.
When we attack fossil fuels, we encourage higher costs. And poor people, and the elderly, are most affected by these rising costs.
So … when we argue, as in the case of this letter, to attack oil producers, we stand with hurting and attacking poor people and people on fixed incomes, including the elderly.
What is the choice? Shut down companies that allegedly pollute, or, help the poor.
Make your choice.
Excellent reply.