POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Stategic Sciences - Experimental Fuel Cylinders - Removal Polrep
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region IX
Render Safe of Cylinders from NACA Logistics Facility
Stategic Sciences - Experimental Fuel Cylinders
Sylmar, CA
Latitude: 33.8467346 Longitude: -118.2386541
Annette O"Donnelly, EPA CID
Trevor Anderson, Cal Emergency Management Agency
Tito Irizarry, EPA Office of Emergency Management
Harry Allen, EPA Region 9
Craig Benson, EPA Region 9
Ivania Brown, EPA Region 9
Peter Guria, EPA Region 9
Philip Ingram, EPA Region 9
Daniel Meer, EPA Region 9
Jason Musante, EPA Region 9
Martin Powell, EPA Region 9
Eugene Rainwater, EPA Region 9
Chris Reiner, EPA Region 9
Vicki Rosen, EPA Region 9
Celeste Temple, EPA Region 9
George Baker, DTSC
Jay Green, EPA
Steven John, EPA
Barbara Lee, EPA
Craig Whitenack, EPA
Joseph Johns, USAO
John Romero, LAPD
Kevin Miles, FBI
Dennis Waters, LAFD
Charles Combs, LAFD
Steven Strull, CHP
Calvin Aubrey, CHP
Rick Smith, LAPD
Horace Frank, LAPD
Nahal Mogharabi, EPA
Matthew Tarabour, FBI
Jane Diamond, EPA
| 1. Introduction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
1.1 Background |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.1.1 Incident Category Emergency Response 1.1.2 Site Description The site is a freight forwarding warehouse. The warehouse is located in an commercial/industrial district. The hazardous substances are three compressed gas cylinders located in a wood shipping crate. 1.1.2.1 Location The site is located at 2665 E. Del Amo, Rancho Dominguez, Los Angeles Co., CA. 1.1.2.2 Description of Threat The cylinders are suspected to contain an oxygen-hydrogen mixture. The shipping papers state that they contain both the oxygen-hydrogen mixture and pure hydrogen. The business that generated the cylinders had a on-site detonation while manufacturing the gas on or about August 8, 2011. The detonation resulted in one employee being severly injured by have his arm, leg and eye blown off in the detonation. The company had a previous detonation which resulted in the death of an employee. According to investigators from CAL-OSHA and EPA CID the material is static sensitive and highly flammable. On September 7, 2011, OSC Wise and the START had extensive conversations with Airgas about the feasibility of sampling the cylinders. Based on the information available, pictures of the cylinders and the historical detonation, the head of the Airgas Emergency Response Organization (AERO) has stated that the cylinders have a high proposensity to detonate if opened due to the high LEL range of the material and potential for static electricity to act as an ignition source. AERO recommended the explosive destruction of the cylinders. On September 14, 2011, OSC Wise was notified by the DOT PHSMA that the cylinders were considered DOT Forbidden for Transportation hazardous materials. As a result, a Special Permit for transportation would be required. 1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results On August 9, 2011, at approximately 4:20 p.m., an explosion occurred at a company called Strategic Sciences, Inc. (SSI), located at 12349 Gladstone Avenue, Sylmar, California. SSI was allegedly creating an experimental alternative fuel from water molecules. Two employees were serveraly injured in the explosion. SSI formerly conducted business in Simi Valley, California, under the name Realm Industries. In 2010, at the Simi Valley location, a similar explosion occurred which killed another employee. There are reports of an additional explosion in Simi Valley in 2008. Apparently, neither the explosion nor any injuries were reported. SSI was producing a substance called “TyLar” gas, which is made by splitting hydrogen and oxygen atoms from water molecules. The process creates a highly flammable, shock sensitive material, similar to “Brown’s gas”. Just prior to the Sylmar explosion, SSI filled three carbon cylinders with TyLar gas for shipment to South Korea. An associate picked up the material in her personal car and transported it to a shipping company near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), presumably to prepare the cylinders for air transport to Korea. When she was told that the cylinders could not be shipped by air, she transported them to a freight forwarding company near the Port of Los Angeles. The transportation by the associate occurred with no shipping documents. BNX Shipping eventually created a bill of lading and shipping documents for the cylinders, based on information obtained from the MSDS for TyLar gas. The MSDS states that the material consists of compressed hydrogen gas, while the initial invoice used by the associagte indicates that the cargo consists of “compressed water vapor”. On August 30, OSC Wise examined the cylinders at the request of EPA CID. Also present was U.S. Department of Transportation, CID and CALOSHA. CID requested EPA ERS sample the cylinders. During the September 7, 2011 meeting with AERO it was determined that it was not safe to sample the cylinders and that explosive destruction should be used to render the cylinders safe. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. Current Activities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2.1 Operations Section | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2.1.1 Narrative OSC Wise in cooperation with EPA CID, DOT and CALOSHA assessed three cylinders of TyLar gas. EPA in consultation with AERO has determined that the cylinders are not safe to open for sampling as requested originally by CID. Based on the conversations with AERO, it appears that the cylinders are not safe to open under any circumstance. AERO recommended the explosive destruction of cylinders. 2.1.2 Response Actions to Date 09/13/2011: OSC Wise contacted DOT PHMSA for information on transportation of the cylinders. The local PHMSA office referred the matter to PHMSA in Washington, DC. 09/14/2011: PHMSA notified OSC Wise that the cylinders were DOT Forbidden for transportaion and that a Special Permit would be required. OSC Wise submitted the Special Permit request and requested it be treated as an emergency. A permit was required because the cylinders were being transported by the ERRS contractor instead of in a government vehicle. In preparation for the move, the ERRS contractor picked up the three medium salvage cylinders at the Southern California EPA Equipment Warehouse. The ERRS contractor was deployed under OSC Wise's delegated procurement authority. 09/15/2011: PHSMA granted the Special Permit. At 1000 hours, OSCs Robert Wise and Maggie Walden, as well as Special Agent Annette O'Donnelly, CID and George Baker, DTSC met the ERRS contractor at warehouse where the cylinders were stored to oversee their packing. OSC Wise and the ERRS contractor packed the cylinders in the salvage cylinders. After the cylinders were placed in the salvage cylinders, vermiculite was packed inside the salvage cylinder to prevent the cylinders of experimental fuel from moving. OSCs Wise and Walden then escorted the ERRS truck under emergency lights to the San Bernardino Sheriffs Training Range in Devore, San Bernardino Co., CA. The ERRS contractor then unpacked the experimental fuel and gave them to the FBI and Sheriffs Bomb Squads for destruction. The Bomb Squads placed the cylinders in a bunker on the range and shot them with a .308 caliber rifle. The first cylinder released the gas without detonation upon being punctured by the bullet. The second and third cylinders detonated and caught fire on getting shot. The second cylinder actually shredded upon detonation and shot approximatelty 200 feet down range of the bunker in a spectacular explosion. After the destruction was complete, the experimental fuel cylinders were examined by Special Agent O'Donnelly and investigators from CALOSHA and PHMSA. Also present was Craig Whiteneck, EPA CI, OSCs Wise, Walden and Chris Riener. OSC Riener observed that the cylinder valves on the experimental fuel cylinders were not rated for flammable gases. OSC Riener will be providing assistance to CID on the cylinder construction. The left over experimental fuel cylinders were collected as evidence by CID. 2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2.2 Planning Section |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
NA |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2.3 Logistics Section |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Logistics was organized by OSC Wise and the ERRS contractor. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2.4 Finance Section |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
One START TDD and one ERRS Emergency TO have been issued.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2.5 Other Command Staff |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2.5.1 Safety Officer EPA will function as the safety officer for the transportation of the cylinders. FBI will function as the safety officer for the cylinder destruction. 2.6 Liaison Officer NA 2.7 Information Officer Francisco Arcaurte is the PIO for this site. Mr. Arcaurte was present and conducted video documentation of the detonation. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. Participating Entities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
3.1 Unified Command NA 3.2 Cooperating Agencies EPA CID, DOT PHSMA, CALOSHA, SBCoSD, FBI, LACoFD |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. Personnel On Site | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
EPA: OSCs Wise, Walden and Riener; Special Agent O'Donnelly, CI Whiteneck, PIO Arcaurte SBCoSD Bomb Squad, FBI Bomb Squad, PHSMA and CALOSHA |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5. Definition of Terms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
EPA: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency OSC: On-Scene Coordinator PHMSA: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration CALOSHA: California Occupational Safety and Health Administration DTSC: California Department of Toxic Substance Control ERRS: Emergency and Rapid Removal Services Contractor SBCoSD: San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation LACoFD: Los Angeles County Fire Department |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6. Additional sources of information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
6.1 Internet location of additional information/report The DOT Special Permit request and Special Permit will be posted on the documents section of the website. 6.2 Reporting Schedule |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7. Situational Reference Materials | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
No information available at this time. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| POLREP #2 Last Updated 10/18/2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||