APEX, N.C. – As many as 17,000 residents were asked to evacuate early Friday as firefighters waited for daylight to battle a hazardous materials fire that shot flames some 150 feet into the sky.
Hospital officials said 18 people were sent to emergency rooms after the blaze that began late Thursday in this suburban Raleigh town.
Town manager Bruce Radford said he did not know what ignited the flames. “This is truly awful,” he said. “It is the worst potential hazardous materials fire that you can expect.”
Am I the only one whose first thoughts return to the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, India?
In the early hours of December 3, 1984, a holding tank with stored MIC overheated and released toxic heavier-than-air MIC gas, which rolled along the ground through the surrounding streets killing thousands outright. The transportation system in the city collapsed and many people were trampled trying to escape. The gases also injured anywhere from 150,000 to 600,000 people, at least 15,000 of whom later died.
The situation in Bhopal was much more deadly, and much more serious. The type of chemicals that were released there were much more toxic, and the quantity was much greater.
With that difference aside however, how could we not learn?
Bhopal:
Reports issued months before the incident by scientists within the Union Carbide corporation warned of the possibility of an accident almost identical to that which occurred in Bhopal . The reports were ignored outright and never made it to senior staff .
In March, the state Department of Natural Resources had fined EQ $32,000 for six violations at the plant, including failing to “maintain and operate the facility to minimize the possibility of a sudden or non-sudden release of hazardous waste … which could threaten human health or the environment.”
They go on to qualify that saying that they don’t know what caused the fire and the spill, and they might be unrelated. Fair enough. Let’s see what plays out after we get some facts (if we ever do).
But $32,000 for six violations? Think back to earlier this year, when there was another industrial disaster. Is this another case of the fines being of less expense than actually solving the problem? A case of a corporation choosing dollars over worker safety?
I don’t know. But it sure sounds like it. Can we afford to continue to allow our corporations to choose the almighty dollar over both our morals, and our lives?
Diane Wilson of CodePink was arrested for holding up a sign about Bhopal in front of Dick Cheney at a fundraiser. She got 6 months in a texas prison for that. (now she advocates for better care for the women at that prison)
Point is… they won’t learn. Ever. Because a few people are making a “killing” off of these disasters.
Cheney sure is.
Great diary, agian.
She went to jail for holding up a sign?!? What on earth were the charges?
I guess it’s a good thing it happened before the gutting of habeas…
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/032806R.shtml
Very detailed article about Diane, her arrests… did you all know she was also a Vet… she went AWOL.
Ann Wright told me that Wilson’s son is also autistic.
Wow. Thanks for that link. What an amazing woman.
The part about the Shandra Williams is enough to make me want to punch someone, despite my abhorrence of violence.
Sorry it was THREE months.
“Can we afford to…..”? No we can’t, but we will!
To do otherwise would be viewed as pulling the reins in on an economy that needs to grow “for the good of the country”. Now if that isn’t ironic, I don’t know what would be.
WE..(authentic Americans who still believe in democracy and concern for the common good) have learned, but we have also ceded all control to non- human corporate entities who have purchased control of the entire government.
They do not care because they have no human capacity for caring. They can only count profits: that is IT.
And as long as greed driven unprincipled human beings are allowed to create, sustain and protect these non human entities, who serve them so well personally, I cannot see anything changing any time soon.
This is a beast that can only be killed by withdrawal of its food sources: the very Americans who are now dependent on it for their own comfort levels, and even survival. There are far too few of us willing to give up enough comfort to make a difference. Yet.