DuPont will pay a $3.1 million civil penalty after four worker died following the release of highly toxic 24,000 pounds of methyl mercaptan within the Lannate unit at its La Porte, Texas facility

The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice have entered into a Stipulation of Settlement with DuPont to address alleged accident prevention violations at its former La Porte, TX chemical manufacturing facility.

DuPont will pay a $3.1 million civil penalty. The company, now known as DowDuPont,shut down the plant.

“Accidental releases of methyl mercaptan can be extremely dangerous,” said EPA Region 6 Compliance Assurance and Enforcement Director Cheryl Seager. “This settlement ensures the rule of law is being followed by DuPont and emphasizes the importance of implementing risk management programs to protect our communities and our workers.”

On November 15, 2014, an incident occurred and nearly 24,000 pounds of methyl mercaptan was released within the Lannate unit at its La Porte, Texas facility. Methyl mercaptan is a highly toxic, highly flammable chemical that can cause asphyxiation. The release resulted in the deaths of four persons inside the Lannate manufacturing building. The four employees died from a combination of asphyxia and acute exposure to methyl mercaptan.

EPA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Chemical Safety Board all conducted inspections or investigations after the incident. The Lannateunit was shut down after the incident.

The Chemical Safety Board issued Interim Recommendations from its investigation on September 30, 2015. In March of 2016, DuPont announced that it was closing the facility.

The Complaint alleges 22 separate violations of the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program at DuPont’s former La Porte, Texas facility. The violations alleged in the Complaint include: 

• failure to develop and implement written operating procedures
• failure to adequately implement management of change procedures
• failure to implement safe work practices
• mechanical integrity violations

No injunctive relief was required since the facility is no longer in operation, the EPA reported.

DuPont, which has long nurtured its reputation for safe practices in a dangerous industry, was roundly criticized after the accident. A few detractors claimed the company’s cost-cutting efforts were taking precedence over safety.

Residents were evacuated after a pressurized tanker truck leaked toxic acrylamide 50 gas at the Gator Environmental Services LLC on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge, LA

Baton Fire Department working a chemical leak at the Gator Environmental Services LLC on Airline Highway

 Crews clear chemical leak off Airline Highway; evacuated residents allowed to return home

July 30, 2018 12:18 PM in News
Source: WBRZ
By: Jeremy Krail


UPDATE: Officials with the Baton Rouge Fire Department have said that the incident is under control and residents may return to their homes Monday evening.

*****

BATON ROUGE, LA - Crews are responding to reports of a tanker leaking a gaseous chemical near a trailer park Monday.

The leak was reported just after noon Monday near the intersection of Airline Highway and Evangeline Street. Authorities say residents are being evacuated from the nearby Once Around trailer park as HazMat officers work to clear the pressurized tanker truck leaking acrylamide 50, a mixed chemical.  It is used as a polymer and it can produce toxic gas upon decomposition.



Baton Rouge fire officials say the truck has an inhibitor to prevent a chemical reaction, but that device appears to be out-of-date and failing. The mixture reportedly began to heat up, but the tank is now venting the gas in order to prevent an explosion.

BRPD says Airline Highway is still open as of 12:30 p.m.

There are about 36 homes in the trailer park on Victoria Drive. A CATS bus is being directed to the Eden Park Branch Library in order to pick up residents and transport them to the shelter location at Gus Young Park. Red Cross is en route to the park to set up the shelter.

A spokesperson at the mayor's office says emergency crews are planning to accommodate between 150 and 200 evacuees in the upcoming days. "We think it could be overnight, but it could go into the next couple of days," Rachel Haney told WBRZ.

No injuries have been reported.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Four workers were injured at the American Crystal Sugar factory in Hillsboro, ND after nitric acid accidentally spilled from a tank when a fitting on a pump failed

Four injured in chemical spill at Hillsboro American Crystal plant
By April Baumgarten

July 30, 2018


HILLSBORO, N.D.—

Four people were injured this weekend at the American Crystal Sugar factory in Hillsboro after chemicals accidentally spilled from a tank.

Emergency crews responded shortly after 8:30 a.m. Saturday to the sugar plant 2 miles north of Hillsboro. American Crystal workers were pumping nitric acid from a chemical container into a tank inside the plant when a fitting on the pump failed, Traill County Sheriff Steve Hunt said. Nitric acid spilled from the pump, sending four workers to the hospital, Hunt said.

The workers were taken to Sanford Hillsboro Medical Center by private vehicle but were released shortly after medical staff determined the injuries were minor, Hunt said.

"Basically, it was precautionary," he said.

The entire plant was evacuated for several hours, and workers were allowed to return after 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Hunt said. There were few workers at the plant since American Crystal is in between its busier parts of the year. Most of the workers that were on site were doing maintenance work, Hunt added.

Multiple agencies, including the Traill County Sheriff's Department, Hillsboro Fire Department and Grand Forks hazmat team, responded to the incident. Emergency crews worked quickly to clear the area, Hunt said.

This type of spill is rare for the American Crystal plant in Hillsboro, Hunt said.

"I've been here for 18½ years," he said. "This is the second incident I responded to out there of this nature."

================

How We Make Sugar

Sugar Beet Handling

Sugar beets are harvested in mid-to-late autumn when sugar content peaks.
The leafy sugar beet tops are sliced off and the roots are lifted out of the ground with special harvesting equipment.
The harvested sugar beets are trucked from the field to one of 38 receiving stations where they are weighed, sampled and tested for sugar quality, unloaded and piled.
The sugar beets are stored in long trapezoid-shaped piles. Some of the sugar beet piles have large culverts running underneath them. At end of the culverts are fans that blow cold winter air through the culverts to cool down and freeze the piles to better preserve the sugar contained in the beets. Other piles are stored in large sheds which use similar culvert technology to freeze the stored sugar beets.
The sugar beets are trucked from outside receiving stations to factories throughout the processing campaign for sugar processing.

Factory Control

The following processes are controlled through state-of-the-art computerized flow and monitoring systems. The systems are operated from a central control room to optimize operations throughout the many functional areas of the factory.

Washing

Sugar beets entering the factory must first go through a washing process. A large paddle wheel lifts the sugar beets to the washers, where they are rolled against each other in water, removing dirt and debris. This water then goes to a holding pond or wastewater facility for treatment. 

Slicing

After washing, the sugar beets enter the slicer where razor-sharp, corrugated knives cut the sugar beets into long, white, french-fry looking strings called cossettes. They are then transported to the cossette mixer where they are mixed with hot juice and pumped into the bottom of the diffuser.

Diffusion

In the diffuser, the sugar is diffused out of the sugar beet cossettes by using very hot water. The raw beet sugar juice stays in the lower part of the diffuser while the remaining sugar beet cossette pulp moves up and out of the top of the diffuser.
The pulp goes through a separate process where it is put into presses, which squeeze out most of the water. Then it is heat-dried in huge drying systems before it is pressed into beet pulp pellets as livestock feed.

Purification

The raw sugar juice leaves the bottom of the diffuser to go through several purifying and filtering steps. During this process the raw juice is clarified and filtered to remove impurities, remaining solids and fine particles.

Evaporation

Through a series of evaporators, the juice is heated with steam to evaporate the natural water and filtered once more, concentrating it into dark caramel syrup.

Crystallization

The syrup then enters the crystallization process. The sugar juice syrup is carefully boiled and seeded with microscopic sugar crystals to start the crystallization process. When the crystals reach their desired size, a rich mixture of crystals and beet molasses syrup is formed.
 The sugar crystals are separated from the beet molasses syrup in a large, high-speed spinning drum or centrifuge. These crystals are now 99.9% pure white sugar. The crystals move into the granulator where they are then dried, cooled and separated according to size.
The remaining molasses syrup still contains some sugar, which is claimed through additional processes called molasses desugarization. The remaining beet molasses ends up as liquid agri-product used as a livestock feed additive.

Sugar Handling

The granulated sugar is then advanced to huge storage silos. Most of the sugar is shipped by train in bulk railcars to manufacturers as a primary ingredient for candy, baked goods, cereals, and other fine products.
 Sugar for grocery stores is packaged into bags that range from 2 pounds to 25 pounds. The automatic packaging lines can fill 4-pound bags at a rate of more than 2 bags per second. A portion of our sugar is finely ground to make powdered sugar while another portion of the sugar is turned into light brown and dark brown sugar.

15 people have been taken to a local hospital after they were exposed to an ammonia leak in the frozen foods Bird's Eye Food plant in Darien, Wis.

Several employees taken to hospital following reported ammonia leak at Birds Eye in Darien 

New Jersey-based Pinnacle Foods, which owns Birds Eye, said several employees were taken to the hospital but no other details were immediately available.
 
July 30, 2018
Posted By: CNN Wire


Walworth County authorities say 15 people have been taken to a local hospital after they were exposed to an ammonia leak in the Bird's Eye Food plant in Darien this morning. At this time there is no information on the type of injuries suffered or the conditions of the employees.

Walworth County Sheriff Kurt Picknell said the leak was reported around 5:15 AM Sunday. He said there were 140 employees in the plant at the time of the leak. Besides the 15 injured employees, Sheriff Picknell said 75 employees were evaluated at the scene and determined to be okay.

According to Sheriff Picknell, the ammonia leak occurred in one area of the building. The cause of the leak has not been determined, said Sheriff Picknell. Ammonia, he said, is used for refrigeration in the plant.

About 100 emergency personnel from multiple agencies responded to the early morning hazmat call. Sheriff Picknell said crews are going through the building now to determine when it will be safe to return. He said there was no fire and the leak posed no threat to the community.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified of the incident. 

Ammonia is used at the facility for the freezing and cooling of food.

====================

WALWORTH COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A statement from Bird's Eye says that most of the people taken to the hospital have been released, but three are still there for observation.
The company thanks first responders for helping their employees and "assessing conditions in the plant."

The exact cause of the leak is under investigation. 
Ammonia is used at the facility for the freezing and cooling of food.

New Jersey-based Pinnacle Foods, which owns Birds Eye, said several employees were taken to the hospital but no other details were immediately available.
------
Updated: 2:50 p.m. July 29, 2018

WALWORTH COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Racine Fire Chief Steve Hansen of the Regional HAZMAT Response Team, briefed the media this afternoon about the hazmat response to the Bird’s Eye Food plant in Darien. Hansen said that a mechanical failure is believed to have caused the leak of ammonia gas into the food plant. The exact source of the leak has not yet been found.

Hansen said the 15 people exposed to the gas were taken to five area hospitals. The patients were exposed to the gas and received inhalation related injuries.

HAZMAT crews will remain on the scene for several hours as they search for any residual ammonia gas in the plant. Hansen said the gas is concentrated in specific areas of the plant while other areas are gas free. Various methods are being used to ventilate the plant, including the use of several airboats being used to blow the gas out of the building.
Hansen said neighbors around the plant should not be concerned and all roads in the area are now open to traffic.

Besides OSHA, the EPA has also been notified of this morning’s ammonia leak.
------
Updated: 2:30 p.m. July 29, 2018

WALWORTH COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Walworth County authorities say 15 people have been taken to a local hospital after they were exposed to an ammonia leak in the Bird’s Eye Food plant in Darien this morning.   At this time there is no information on the type of injuries suffered  or  the  conditions of the employees. 
 
Walworth County Sheriff Kurt Picknell said the leak was reported around 5:15 AM Sunday.  He said there were 140 employees in the plant at the time of the leak.   Besides the 15 injured employees, Sheriff Picknell said 75 employees were  evaluated at the scene and determined to be okay.

According to Sheriff Picknell, the ammonia leak occurred in one area of the building.   The cause of the leak has not been determined, said Sheriff Picknell.   Ammonia, he said, is used for refrigeration in the plant.

About 100 emergency personnel from multiple agencies responded to the early morning hazmat call.   Sheriff Picknell said crews are going through the building now to determine when it will be safe to return.   He said there was no fire and the leak posed no threat to the community.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified of the incident.
------
Updated: 9:45 a.m. July 29, 2018

WALWORTH COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Authorities responded to a hazmat situation at the Bird’s Eye Food plant in Darien early this morning.  The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office confirmed there was a report of an ammonia leak at the plant along Walworth County Road X in Darien. The leak was reported around 6 a.m. The road in front of the plant was closed to traffic as hazmat crews from a number of fire departments responded to the situation. The road was reopened to traffic around 9:30 AM.

In a statement just released, Pinnacle Foods, which owns the Bird’s Eye brand, said that several  employees were exposed to hazardous materials in the Darien plant and have been taken to a local hospital for treatment.  The number of employees injured has not been released.   In the statement, the company said, “The safety of our employees is our top priority and focus right now.” 

The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office and officials from the Bird’s Eye plant are expected to address the media Sunday morning.
-----
Posted: 7 a.m. July 29, 2018

WALWORTH COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Walworth County Dispatch Center confirms that multiple agencies are responding to a reported ammonia leak.

It reportedly happened early Sunday morning at the plant located on Hwy X in the Village of Darien.

Pinnacle Foods, the owner of Birds Eye, released the following statement:
"There is a situation involving hazardous materials in our plant in Darien, WI. The safety of our employees is our top priority and focus right now. Several employees have been taken to the hospital for medical attention. No further details are available at this time."
 CBS 58 News currently has a crew headed to the scene and will bring updates as they become available.
Stay with CBS 58 News for more information on this developing story.
 

Rumpke employee, David J. Evans, 52, of Cincinnati, was killed by reckless driver Brian A. Jankovich, age 41, of Middletown, who struck Evans and the rear of the stopped Rumpke truck in Middletown, Ohio

David J. Evans

• Rear Load driver at Rumpke
• Former Driver at Rumpke
• Went to La Salle High School
• Lives in Cincinnati
• From Cincinnati
• Married

Middletown, Ohio
 
The Rumpke employee who was pinned between the back of a trash truck and a pickup truck has died, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol.

A preliminary investigation shows that David J. Evans, 52, of Cincinnati, had stopped the Rumpke truck on Central Avenue. While he was at the rear of the truck collecting trash, a tan 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, operated by Brian A. Jankovich, age 41, of Middletown, struck Evans and the rear of the Rumpke truck, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Evans was transported via Air Care to Miami Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Jankovich was transported to Atrium Medical Center with serious non-life threatening injuries.

The crash remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol - Hamilton Post.

The Rumpke company was “devastated” to learn that one of its employees has died, said Molly Yeager, manager of corporate communications.

She said Rumpke is a “family” business and losing an employee is “a hard loss.”

“Like a family member,” she said.

Evans had worked for Rumpke for 15 years, she said.

UPDATE @ 8:56 a.m.:

A Rumpke employee was pinned between the back of the trash truck and a pickup truck in a crash Monday morning.

The employee, who was only identified as a male, was airlifted to Miami Valley Hospital and is in critical condition, according to Lt. Clint Arnold of the Hamilton Highway Patrol Post.

The driver of the pickup truck, also a male, was transported to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown and is in serious condition, Arnold said.

According to Arnold, the driver of the pickup truck struck the back of the garbage truck while the Rumpke employee was working outside. The employee was stuck between the two vehicles.

“It’s very important to pay attention to what’s ahead of you,” Arnold said.

It was apparent the pickup truck did not see the garbage truck that was in front of him, Arnold said.

Officials do not believe speed was a factor. The speed limit in the area is 35 miles per hour. Arnold said the driver was most likely driving at that speed.

The Rumpke truck was properly lit, and the employee was wearing his florescent vest, Arnold said.

Police are not releasing the names of the individuals involved at this time.

No other individuals were involved in the crash.

Police said they are still investigating.

FIRST REPORT:

CareFlight was requested to a possible pedestrian strike involving a Rumpke trash truck in Middletown.

Emergency crews responded to the accident with possible entrapment at Marshall Road and Central Avenue around 6:30 a.m., according to initial reports.

It’s unknown how many vehicles were involved at this time.

We are working to learn more and will update this page as information becomes available.