Take a deep breath...

Governors Urged to Prepare for Possible Y2K-related Hazardous Materials Problems

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), July 22, 1999

Answers

I know we have been thinking about this industry for a long time and the fears seem to be valid. There has been a lot of bad news in the last few days and it is only July.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), July 22, 1999.

Lane,

Thanks for posting this item. I just received a notice on this from the Roleigh Martin listserv. My comment was, isn't it amazing, and dreadful, that the "authorities" have waited so long to start alerting the public and business to this critical issue? Of course, there is probably some basic error in this that one of our Polly posters will be quick to point out and defuse. :-(

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), July 22, 1999.

Lane thanks, another eye opener as if we needed one more this week. Be sure to read the linked letter and the March 15, 1999 report. Here is a snip from the report:

"The following findings were presented in the CSB report:

Large chemical companies with sufficient awareness, leadership, planning and resources to address the Y2K problem are unlikely to experience catastrophic failures - unless there are widespread power failures.

There is a lack of information about small and medium-sized chemical businesses, but readiness efforts appear to be "less than appropriate."

Current federal safety rules provide valuable guidance for risk management, but no specific Y2K guidelines for the chemical industry have been provided by the federal agencies, and there are no plans to do so. "

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), July 22, 1999.

Thanks, Lane. Early last year when I was worrying about electricity and all the government agencies, a consultant friend in London replied to me about his top concern: chemical and hazardous materials manufacturers. I'll be sending this info along to him. He won't be surprised, but he might feel a mite better that at least there's some awareness of the threat.

-- Bonnie Camp (bonniec@mail.odyssey.net), July 22, 1999.

Hmmm...I must have been taking a whiz when Dan Rather, Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw covered this tonight...wasn't it sandwiched between the shots of the Kennedys sailing and the old clips of Jon Jon?

-- a (a@a.a), July 22, 1999.

Thanks Lane.

[For the archives]

Governors Urged to Prepare for Possible Y2K-related Hazardous Materials Problems

http://www.csb.gov/ 1999/news/n9932.htm

Washington, D.C. -- July 22, 1999 - The Nation's governors have been urged to review and act on Chemical Safety Board (CSB) recommendations designed to avert or minimize the effects of Year 2000 technology problems which may affect industrial chemical safety.

This week the CSB distributed a letter urging action on Y2K chemical safety issues to all 50 state governors and chief executives of the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Accompanying the letter was a copy of the CSB's report to the U.S. Senate Year 2000 Issues: Technology Problems and Industrial Safety (CSB Y2K Report).

The letter notes that government surveillance of industry sectors that handle high hazard chemicals is insufficient to draw detailed conclusions regarding Y2K compliance. Generally, the CSB has found that larger organizations appear to be more active in preparing for Y2K problems than small- and medium-size enterprises (SME), although conclusions about SMEs are based on incomplete information.

SMEs are more likely to be at risk because many have lesser awareness of chemical safety in general and the Y2K impact in particular, and they may lack financial resources and technical know-how for fixing the problems.

Given the approach of Year 2000-related deadlines, the letter notes "addressing this situation requires a massive effort" that should focus on the following key tasks:

1.Providing easy-to-use awareness and assessment tools and training;
2.Promoting accessible resources; and
3.Providing attractive incentives for Y2K compliance efforts

The letter says that "while federal agencies are aware of and involved in Year 2000 technology and chemical safety issues, significant gaps in surveillance, independent verification, and compliance assistance exist. The largest responsibility for public health and safety will reside at the state and local level, particularly involving the emergency response community."

"State and local preventative actions are needed," writes CSB Board member Gerald V. Poje, Ph.D., who has spearheaded the Board's Y2K actions on behalf of CSB Chairman Paul L. Hill, Jr., Ph.D.

As an example of state Y2K actions which others might emulate, Poje points to the State of California, where Governor Gray Davis has issued an Executive Order on Y2K and directed state agencies to prevent accidental releases of hazardous materials. State and local agencies there are assessing the Y2K readiness of their 110,000 hazardous material handlers and assisting them in preventing accidental releases. Each year California experiences some 5,000 hazardous materials incidents but has only 62 highly specialized hazardous materials response teams.

Poje asks the governors to share the report and its recommendations with relevant state and local agencies.

The Chemical Safety Board is an independent federal agency with the mission of ensuring the safety of workers and the public by preventing or minimizing the effects of industrial and commercial chemical incidents. Congress modeled it after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigates aircraft and other transportation accidents for the purpose of improving safety.

Like the NTSB, the CSB is a scientific investigatory organization. The CSB is responsible for finding ways to prevent or minimize the effects of chemical accidents at industrial facilities and in transport. The CSB is not an enforcement or regulatory body, but can make recommendations, aimed at preventing future accidents, to the Congress, industry, federal, state or local agencies, trade associations or others.

Updated: July 22, 1999

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 23, 1999.

The letter...

http:// www.csb.gov/y2k/y2k_letter_poje.htm

Dear Governor,

On behalf of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board I urge you to review and act upon the enclosed report and recommendations on The Year 2000 Issues: Technology Problems and Industrial Chemical Safety.

The Year 2000 (Y2K) Problem is an unprecedented problem having the potential for causing disruption of normal operations and maintenance at the nation's chemical and petroleum handling facilities. The potential for Y2K-related catastrophic events can be divided into three categories: failures in software or embedded microchips within the process plants, external Y2K-related problems (e.g., power outages and other utility failures), and multiple Y2K-related incidents that may strain emergency response organizations.

Government surveillance of the sectors that handle high hazard chemicals is insufficient to draw detailed conclusions regarding Y2K compliance. Large enterprises with sufficient awareness, leadership, planning, and financial and human resources are unlikely to fail unless their current progress is interrupted or there are failures of utilities and other sectors. Yet even at larger facilities, outcomes from multiple concurrent, sequential or cascading failures, e.g., multiple control system failures, multiple utility failures, or a combination of multiple utility and control system failures are uncertain. Small and mid-sized enterprises are more likely to be at risk because many have lesser awareness of chemical safety in general and the Y2K impact in particular, and they may lack financial resources and technical know-how for fixing the problems.

Given the deadlines, addressing this situation requires a massive effort that should focus on the following key tasks:

1.Providing easy-to-use awareness and assessment tools and training,
2.Promoting accessible resources, and
3.Providing attractive incentives for Y2K compliance efforts.

While Federal agencies are aware of and involved in Year 2000 technology and chemical safety issues, significant gaps in surveillance, independent verification and compliance assistance exist. The largest responsibility for public health and safety will reside at the state and local level, particularly involving the emergency response community.

State and local preventative actions are needed. For example, the State of California which annually experiences 5000 hazardous material incidents has only 62 highly specialized hazmat teams to respond. Additional hazmat incidents because of Y2K failures would threaten the capacity to respond and thereby endanger public health and the environment. Consequently, California's Governor has issued an Executive Order on Y2K and directed state agencies to prevent accidental releases of hazardous material. State and local agencies are assessing the Y2K readiness of their 110,000 hazardous material handlers and assisting them in preventing accidental releases.

Please share the report and recommendations with relevant state and local agencies. The report and additional information, including a Y2K safety guidance document addressed to small and medium-sized enterprises, are available at the Chemical Safety Board's website: http://www.csb.gov/y2k/. If I can be of further assistance in preventing accidents from Year 2000 technology problems, please contact me at 202-261-7600.

Sincerely,

Gerald V. Poje, Ph.D.
Board Member

Updated: July 22, 1999

Chemical Safety Board Presents Y2K Report to Senate Special Committee

http://www.csb.gov/ 1999/news/n9919.htm

PDF File...

http://www.csb.gov/y2k/ y2k01.pdf

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 23, 1999.

This list on this page is still growing, as more research is done and more events are found.

Pipeline, generating plant, and factory fires and explosions

Robert Waldrop >a href="http://www.justpeace.org/printflyers.htm">Printable flyers for distribution during y2k disruptions

-- robert waldrop (rmwj@soonernet.com), July 23, 1999.

Lane

Thanks for the heads up. Seven months later and we have a local "alert". This should be posted in every newspaper.

And this is a family thing for me so it is personal.

Robert, that is an interesting site. You should post it on the forum.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), July 23, 1999.

Hmmm...I must have been taking a whiz when Dan Rather, Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw covered this tonight...wasn't it sandwiched between the shots of the Kennedys sailing and the old clips of Jon Jon?

Point well taken.

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), July 24, 1999.