City studies reaction to chemical spill
Wednesday, April 8, 1998BY LISA DONOVAN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
While a chemical spill at Hilton Davis Co. last fall wasn't as bad as it looked, Cincinnati officials Tuesday discussed questions about the response to the emergency at the Bond Hill plant.
Angela Cook trims the hedges in front of her residence, just a few blocks away from the Hiton Davis plant.
(Glenn Hartong photo)
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Even though the spill of the toxic oleum wasn't enough, by federal regulations, to require plant workers to dial 911, the cloud of smoke that formed over the plant on Langdon Farm Road was frightening, according to one fire official.
"I saw the plume . . . and thought, "We're all going to die,' " Assistant Fire Chief David P. Hill told a city council committee on neighborhoods Tuesday.
Firefighters responded to the chemical release early Oct. 7 after an anonymous 911 call was placed.
Federal regulations require a call to police and fire as well as other agencies, such as the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, when at least 1,000 pounds of sulfuric acid has been released into the environment. Oleum is a liquid sulfuric acid, said Dennis Murphy, director of the city's office of environmental management.
In this case, about 180 pounds, or 11 gallons, was released into the air, escaping through two pinhole leaks in a pipe, which connected a storage tank and a production vessel, Mr. Murphy said.
Oleum is used to make food coloring. When exposed to air, it forms noxious white mist, which is an eye and respiratory irritant.
Authorities weren't taking any chances and evacuated about 75 employees. Firefighters went door-to-door warning residents to close windows and doors, shut off air conditioners and stay inside until the cloud dissipated.
Questions were raised by residents about why civil defense sirens sounded in areas far beyond the area at risk of the slowly moving cloud.
Assistant Chief Hill told committee members Tuesday that a system is being devised whereby the sirens will sound only in concentrated areas, instead of across the city. He could not say when the system would be in operation.
In addition, officials at Hilton Davis, now owned by B.F. Goodrich Co., agreed to notify 911 immediately in the event of any chemical spill. Goodrich officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
Council members on the committee have asked Mr. Murphy and Assistant Chief Hill to examine the feasibility of a "reverse 911 system" to notify those living near the plant. The system would dial residents and play a recorded message about such an emergency.
They will report back to the neighborhood committee in three weeks.
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