Formosa Plastics Explosion Illiopolis, Illinois

Formosa Plastics Explosion
Illiopolis, Illinois
Kevin Turner- EPA R5
Mark Johnson- ATSDR R5
1

Objectives of Case Study presentation
• Summarize the site decisions
• Identification of chemicals of concern
• Development of action levels
– Evacuation
– Relocation of residents
– Reopening of schools
2

Formosa Plastics Company
• Located in Illiopolis, IL; 20 miles east of Springfield
• Formosa Plastics Company manufacturer
polyvinylchloride (PVC) resin for plastic manufacture
• About 2 million lbs of granular PVC resin stored in
paper bags on-site
• 150,000 gallons of vinyl chloride present on site in
refrigerated storage vessels
• 4 radiation sources on-site
3

Formosa Plastics explosion
• Explosion occurred on Friday
(11-23-04) at 2200 hrs
• 50-75% of the plant was
demolished by the explosion
• impact of the explosion was
felt at least 60 miles away
from the facility
• Cause of explosion related to
mixing of vinyl chloride and
vinyl acetate
4

Impact of explosion
5
• 18 workers at plant
• 4 workers died immediately at time of
explosion; 1 worker died a month later
• PID readings in body bags were >200 ppm
• 2 other workers were severely burned; 2
firefighters sustained chemical injuries during
the response
• ½ mile initial evacuation zone; later
expanded to 1 mile

Agencies in response
• Springfield Fire Department
• IL EPA
• IL Dept. of Public Health
• USEPA/START
• ATSDR
• National Chemical Safety Board
• Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health
• Formosa Plastics contractors
• Local fire department estimated that 265 rescue
workers from 28 agencies responded to the incident.
8

EPA Emergency Response
• EPA OSCs Ken Rhames and Kevin Turner
responded
• National Response Center called Saturday
(2100 hrs)
• ATSDR-R5 (Mark Johnson) contacted
Sunday at 0200 hrs
9

U.S. EPA Actions Taken
• Verbally notified the Formosa Plastics Company under
CERCLA authority to hire fire fighting, environmental, and
demolition experts to completely extinguish the fire, contain and
treat fire fighting water, collect and analyze air and water
samples and begin clean-up and demolition.
• Requested that a Unified Command structure be established .
• Conducted perimeter and residential air monitoring
• Conducted oversight of PRP contractors, while they conducted
air monitoring and sampling activities.
10

Roles of Responders
Environmental Response
• U.S. EPA
– (Perimeter and Residential
Ambient Air Monitoring)
- ATSDR
- WESTON
• IEPA
– Sampling and Monitoring
Run-off Water, Creek and
Sangamon River
11

N
Interstate
72
Area of explosion
Vinyl chloride
tanks
12
Illiopolis

Contaminants of Concern
• Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOC)
• Carbon Monoxide
• Particulates
• Vinyl Chloride
• Hydrochloric Acid
• Phosgene
• Mercury
• Asbestos
• Radiation
• Dioxins
13

Environmental conditions
• Wind direction at the time of the explosions was out
of the north.
• As the fire burned winds shifted and came out of the
west.
• Area residents were evacuated (½ mile radius)
• 20-mile section of Interstate 72 was closed for about
6 hours
14

15
What questions should you be asking

Toxicity for Chemicals of Concern
• Hydrochloric acid
• Phosgene
• Vinyl chloride
16

Alveoli

Hydrochloric acid (HCL)
• Action level: 2 ppm; based on acute health effects
• Corrosive irritant at site of contact- eyes, skin, mucous
membranes of mouth, throat, and esophagus
• Inhalation at irritating concentrations causes coughing, pain,
inflammation, and edema of the upper respiratory tract
• To reach the lung, it must be transported either as an aerosol or
as a deposit on soot particles of less than 3 um in diameter
• Particulates in smoke from incineration of chlorinated polymers
can transport HCl gas to the lung
18

Cl
Phosgene
O
C
Cl
19
• Action level: 1 ppb; based on acute health effects
• Colorless oxidant gas; heavier than air
• Generated from oxidation of chlorinated organics
• Breaks down to HCl and carbon dioxide
• Phase 1- pain in the eyes and throat and tightness in the chest,
shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing
• Phase 2- latent phase, without symptoms; can last as long as 24 hr
• Phase 3- Pathological changes in lower respiratory tract at low
concentrations; pulmonary edema may develop at high
concentrations

Vinyl chloride
• Action level: 0.5 ppm; based on prolonged
exposure (several days)
• Critical effect: impact on fetal developmental
from acute exposure during pregnancy
• Low acute toxicity
• Known human carcinogen
• High vapor density
20

Air Monitoring Instruments
• Multi Rae and AreaRAE:
-PID, O 2 , CO, H 2 S, LEL
• Micro-R: radiation (gamma)
• Mini RAM: particulates
• Lumex: mercury
• GC spectroscopy
- Calibrated to 2 ppb VC
• Single Point Monitor
- HCl
-Phosgene
• Drager Tubes
-VC
- HCl
-Phosgene
21

Monitoring Results
• Particulates: 45 mg/m 3 (Data RAM), which is above
health standards (2.5mg/m 3 )
• Hydrochloric Acid: 4 ppm (GC); nd (Draeger)
• Phosgene: 0.1 ppm (GC;1 detect); nd (Draeger))
• Vinyl Chloride: 0.3 ppm (GC); nd (Draeger)
• VOC levels: 2.7 ppm
• Radiation levels: below background (5 uR/hr) off-site
• Springfield Haz-Mat detected radiation inside the
facility at 40 uR/hr
23

Response Worker protection
• PPE for removal of smoldering source
material inside building
24

25
What do you want to know about
residual contamination

Clearance of homes and schools
• PID walk-through of
homes to allow for
relocation
• PID walk-through of
schools to authorize reopening
26

Residential Soil Sampling
• SVOCs
– no exceedances of health-based criteria
• Dioxins: by-product of PVC combustion
– highest level in residential property: 50 ppt
– highest level on-site: 66 ppt
– Superfund evaluation criteria for residential soil:
1,000 ppt
27

Follow-up medical evaluation of
emergency responders and residents
• Urine testing for vinyl chloride exposure
provided to 311 people
– No significant exposures
• Liver function tests provided to 65 people
– No abnormal results
28