Comments on: Fire in the Sky: Emergency Response http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/10/fire-in-the-sky/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fire-in-the-sky EPA's Blog About Our World Thu, 23 May 2013 16:26:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Francesco Rizzuto http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/10/fire-in-the-sky/comment-page-1/#comment-31955 Francesco Rizzuto Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:02:43 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/blog/?p=1188#comment-31955 Yes, oil refineries and terminals are dangerous places, but only because the oil companies are unwilling to pay for adequate safety measure that would ensure against the occurrence of explosion and fire. These tanks do not have fire detection and fire suppression systems and many lack even lightning rods. Companies take a “consequence versus probability” approach to risk management which is a fancy way of saying they can afford to let it burn. Unfortunately, EPA and the CSB agencies are only empowered to make recommendations, not levy fines or force these corporations into a more protective attitude. It’s all money to them while the public ultimately pays the price both in dollars and environmental damage. Inexpensive technology is available to make these places safe but nobody in the boardroom is willing to pay for it. Their argument is that minimal fire code compliance is enough. Ask anybody in San Juan now if this is true. Thirty years as a fire protection engineer specializing in fuel tank farms tells me it isn’t.

]]> By: lseamore http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/10/fire-in-the-sky/comment-page-1/#comment-26447 lseamore Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:24:37 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/blog/?p=1188#comment-26447 More and more calamities are making it’s way to the surface. The quake that hit Haiti recently is one that is really devastating. I would really feel safe knowing that EPA have already prepared for something of this magnitude.

]]> By: Johnny R. http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/10/fire-in-the-sky/comment-page-1/#comment-23011 Johnny R. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:57:19 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/blog/?p=1188#comment-23011 The petroleum fire in San Juan was an industrial disaster with localized environmental consequences; but is the EPA prepared for a truly environmental disaster, like a Caribbean tsunami, or a water pollution emergency, or an earthquake, etc.?

]]> By: BrendaEPA http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/10/fire-in-the-sky/comment-page-1/#comment-23010 BrendaEPA Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:04:29 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/blog/?p=1188#comment-23010 Bob

Thanks for the encouraging words about this blog. However we (EPA) were not the ones who established the ICC. It was the state. We had personnel on the site within 2 hours of the explosion and one person back in the office within 45 minutes of the incident. Our teams from mainland USA arrived within 12 hours.

Our response was coordinated with the state and other federal agencies thus the need to wait for the state to establish an ICC.

]]> By: Michael E. Bailey http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/10/fire-in-the-sky/comment-page-1/#comment-22994 Michael E. Bailey Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:27:37 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/blog/?p=1188#comment-22994 Marine tanker terminals and tank farms and refinaries can be major problems. And it only takes one spark from a piece of malfunctioning equipment or a cigarette butt carelessly tossed out by a staff member to set them off. You were lucky, you were prepared. I went through a similar experience when I was living with my mother in Orange. The foreign flagged tanker San Sanena blew up at one of the tank farms in Los Angeles Harbor, sent a fireball into the sky and even though Orange is some distance from Los Angeles Harbor we did get a little bit of shaking. The explosion blew the tanker into three pieces with the stern winding up on the dock flattening a watchman’s hut. Glass windows were knocked out of homes and stores over a wide area of San Pedro. The cause was a mate on the ship tossed a cigar butt into an empty oil cargo tank and the butt set off oil fumes in the tank. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

]]> By: Lisa http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/10/fire-in-the-sky/comment-page-1/#comment-22990 Lisa Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:18:14 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/blog/?p=1188#comment-22990 We rely on oil for so many things, yet it can cause so much damage when things go wrong.

]]> By: Bob Bowen http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/10/fire-in-the-sky/comment-page-1/#comment-22986 Bob Bowen Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:42:34 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/blog/?p=1188#comment-22986 The information was interesting – but – as an emergency response specialist, a retired engineer and senior logistician I cannot understand why it took 18 hours to establish an incident command center.

I have had emergency response command centers begin to be formed within the first 1/2 hour and fully functional within 3 hours. Apparently you do not have an adequate emergency response plan and infastructure in your area. GET ONE!

]]> By: Jackenson Durand http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/10/fire-in-the-sky/comment-page-1/#comment-22981 Jackenson Durand Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:04:23 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/blog/?p=1188#comment-22981 Close to our native home appears. This image is never a green or blue color.
I know the role of the Caribbean after our wonderful Amazon for the Ozone conservancy.
In my native country, when I used to wake up early in the morning, my town altitude location allowed me to observe the greatest capital sky. In my observation, I used to see a red orange color sky. I have being understood that pollution was the master piece of this sky colored.

]]> By: Ike Myle http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/10/fire-in-the-sky/comment-page-1/#comment-22978 Ike Myle Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:46:48 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/blog/?p=1188#comment-22978 I would say it is true. The experience seeing and breathing is diffetrent. I was working in New York during Sept 2009 just across the street of WTC. It was some experience I would say…

Nature sunshine

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