We are learning of many refinery problems but very few chemical plant problems. If the refinery problems are Y2K related shouldn't there also be problems at chemical plants? Anyone?

-- Mr. Pinochle (pinochledd@aol.com), January 26, 2000

Answers

Are you tracking http://www.chemsafety.gov/circ

There have been problems reported there. Problems have been reported here on TB 2000 and at Grassroots Information Coordination Center among the many other places on the web that report problems.

-- abc (abc@cba.cum), January 26, 2000.

I tend to agree that intuitively one would expect similar types of embedded systems in both types of plants. But I have no experience in either type of plant. Does anyone know about this?

My brother was a programmer at a steel plant until last Spring. He had worked on automating the plant over several years, and more recently he was doing Y2K remediation work. He's spoken to a friend who's still working there who reported that everything is working fine (they had a few minor problems that were quickly fixed).

-- slza (slzattas@erols.com), January 26, 2000.

Mr. Pinochle,

The total absence of problems in facilities where little or no remediation was done is still one of the great unanswered questions. Here is a post I made on another thread a few days ago regarding a situation where my brother-in-law was in charge of the remediation---

The Central Mystery Continues

----------------------------------SNIP----------------------------------------------

'Tis Mystery, indeed...

* Local manufacturing plant that processes hazardous chemicals does not complete remediation...including not remediating the global values on their PC's, and putting orange "non-compliant" stickers on better than 50% of their automated process controls that were not assessed.

* They shut the plant down on Dec. 31st, and bring it on-line one piece at a time on Jan. 3rd, ready to fix on failure

* There are no failures whatsoever to date and they are running at 100% capacity

* Those responsible for what remediation was done do not know why there were no failures.

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), January 23, 2000.

-----------------------------SNIP----------------------------------------------

Someday I'd like to see a statistical analysis comparing the number of glitches caused by remediation efforts VS the number of glitches that occurred because systems were not remediated.

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), January 26, 2000.

i thought the govt made it a crime to reveal details regardign chemical spills and the likes? because they were concerned it would make "us vulnerable"?

-- tt (cuddluppy@aol.com), January 27, 2000.