CHEMTREC— AND CHEMICAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE 



John C. Zercher 



Manager, Chemtrec 



Chemical Manufacturers Association 



Washington, D.C. 



Early one morning, three cars of phenol were among those in a derailment 

 in the hills of western Maryland. All three cars were punctured. Phenol 

 spilled out onto the ground where some of it flowed toward a creek. As the 

 phenol spread, it began to solidify. This is quite normal, in view of its 

 melting point of over 100°F. The problem was not an easy one, but it was 

 controllajle. However, with their normal philosophy of applying water to any 

 emergency, and with some poor advice from a neighborhood "expert," the fire 

 services bagan to wash the material down to get rid of it. As the watershed 

 involved ultimately led into the Potomac River, there was considerable con- 

 cern among the authorities regarding the safety of the Washington water 

 supply. Fortunately, minimal damage occurred. Most of the spilled product 

 was hauled back to the point of origin. 



This occurred in the early days of Chemtrec, the Chemical Transportation 

 Emergency Center. Then, the railroad and emergency services did not make use 

 of an available resource. However, the shipper was notified by the railroad. 

 He had experts on the scene in a relatively short time. Obviously, the rail- 

 road, as the carrier involved, was the "spiller" of the material. He was 

 responsible for getting the material cleaned up and for eliminating the 

 potential damage to people and the environment. The shipper was quite con- 

 cerned about the outcome of this situation. He put representatives on the 

 scene as rapidly as possible to offer knowledge of the product that only a 

 shipper was capable of providing. Chemtrec, as a central communication point, 

 is designed to provide immediate response information and to notify shippers, 

 enabling them to bring this expertise into use. 



Before the operation began, it was recognized that the emergency services 

 and carriers would be calling for help on hazardous and nonhazardous ma- 

 terials, whether "chemicals," petroleum, explosives, or any other category. 

 Wher carriers have trouble, they call. Thus, Chemtrec planned for, and does 

 receive calls for information and help on the entire gamut of cargoes. As 

 evidence of the ridiculous extremes to which some people go, a call was re- 

 ceived regarding a load of chickens which had escaped in a truck accident. 

 The man wanted help in rounding them up. 



In working with the emergency services, it has long been evident that 

 the police have little knowledge of hazardous materials. The fire services 

 basically are oriented to structural fires, although many have some knowledge 



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