CHINA - ALCOHOL PLANT FIRE IN HEFEI INJURES SEVEN

Firefighters race to extinguish an alcohol plant fire in Hefei, Anhui Province April 25, 2005. The fire started at about 19:00 on Monday, and several explosions occurred during the fire. At least seven people were rushed to local hospitals for injuryt reatment. Several thousands residents nearby were evacuated for safety consideration. The fire was put out about three hours later and the cause is under investigation. residents nearby evacuated for safety consideration

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CANADA - INSURERS COULD FACE $IB PAYOUT FOR DISABLED SUNCOR OIL SANDS PLANT, OSFI SAYS

An estimated $1-billion insured loss at Suncor's disabled oil sands facility in northern Alberta could put a strain on some Canadian insurance companies, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions says.

A letter to Canada's insurance industries, dated May 4 and posted Wednesday on OSFI's website, said a signifiant portion of the financial exposure from a Jan. 4 fire will be borne by Canadian federally registered re-insurers. "While the ultimate cost of this loss is yet to be finalized, the significance of requirements the loss was well known to the industry in early 2005," OSFI assistant superintendant wrote in the letter. The magnitude of the insured loss may "severely stress" individual companies' capital adequacy positions, he said. However, the OSFI assistant superintendant added that OSFI has committed to allow some flexibility with respect to target levels to allow institutions to absorb unexpected losses and to allow for other temporary declines below the supervisory target level, he writes. "Accordingly, where institutions have demonstrated good capital management, a short-termb reach of capital targets from this event will not result in an automatics taging action. We would expect however, that any resulting capital shortfalls, upon discovery, will have been corrected without delay," the OSFI assistant superintendant concludes.

Calgary-based Suncor Energy said last week that it expects its oilsands upgrading refinery in northern Alberta, which has been working at about half capacity since a January fire, will return to full operations in September. The fire was a key contributor to the 55 per cent slide in Calgary-based Suncor's first quarter profits to $98 million, down from $216 million in 2004 despite near-record global oil prices.

Suncor also said the company expects its insurance policies to cover much of the costs. Suncor chief executive told shareholders on April 28 that the cost of repairs, excluding a$ 10-million US deductible, the damage would be covered by the company's $250-million US insurance policy. In addition, Suncor has a $200-million US insurance policy to cover business interruptions that has a $50-million US deductible. And there is another $700-million US policy that can be used for damages or business interruptions.

Suncor chief executive said a final bill for the fire won't be known until more of the repair work is completed. The damaged portions of the upgrader are currently about 20 per cent re-built. The Jan. 4 fire was confined to one of Suncor's two coker fractionators - a large vessel that separates the various crude products that come out of the oily mud shipped from the oilsands. According to the Suncor chief executive, one pipe at the bottom of the tower had the wrong steel specifications, causing it to erode faster than expected. The fire burned for nine hours and water damage from extinguishing the blaze was severe, although no one was hurt.

USA - FIREFIGHTERS QUELL LONG BEACH REFINERY BLAZE

LONG BEACH
An oil refinery at 2400 E. Artesia Blvd. in North Long Beach caught fire early Sunday morning, possibly after seals in a pipeline failed, firefighters said.

Though still under investigation, the 3:32 a.m. fire at Edgington Oil Refinery appears to have originated in an 8-inch, above-ground pipe carrying heavy crude oil, said Fire Captain of the Long Beach Fire Department. Oil leaking from the pipes fueled 30-foot flames and a 200-foot smoke column. The Capt. called it "a big fireball." More than 50 firefighters from the LBFD and Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the two-alarm fire, which was under control by 5:30 a.m.

Crews from the Long Beach Health Department assisted with the cleanup. No one was injured, but the firefighters will likely have to replace their protective clothing, or "turnouts." "They were covered from head to toe with oil," the Fire Captain said.

In a separate fire at 11:19 p.m. Saturday, firefighters were dispatched to an apartment above a garage at 519 E. Hill St. No one was hurt, but one of the units in the two-unit complex was deemed uninhabitable, the Fire Captain said. The Red Cross, he said, would assist the occupants a woman in her 30s and her 4-year-old daughter with housing. The residents were not home at the time of the fire. The cause is under investigation.

USA - SMALL REFINERY FIRE QUICKLY CONTAINED

A fire at Tesoro Alaska's Nikiski oil refinery left one production unit that produces jet fuel shut down. The unit will be down for an unknown period of time, said vice president of refining for Tesoro. The fire was small and happened in an isolated area, the vice president said, adding there were no injuries and that it was not necessary to evacuate employees. There was no significant damage to the plant, he said.

The vice president of refining said the cause of the fire is unknown. The refinery has about 178 employees. The fire occurred just after 11 a.m. Tesoro's fire brigade and the Nikiski Fire Department responded to the fire. The fire department responded with five units and 17 firefighters. No flames were showing when the fire department arrived, said assistant fire chief for the department.

Tesoro's Nikiski refinery is capable of producing up to 70,000 barrels per day of crude oil. Jet fuel, diesel and gasoline are produced at the refinery. Hansen said about 65,000 barrels per day of crude oil were produced Thursday. There are 149 oil refineries in the United States, six of them in Alaska, according to the Energy Information Administration. Tesoro's refinery is the second largest in the state. The refining industry has a better safety record than other manufacturing operations, said an economist for the American Petroleum Institute.

The assistant Chief said firefighters with the department have additional training in fuel spills and hazardous fires because of the four industrial plants in the community. Responding to fires at these facilities is second nature, he said. Each of the Nikiski plants has its own fire units. The fire department acts as backup to these fire brigades, he said.

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TUNISIA - OIL ENGINEER DIES AFTER TANKER FIRE

A British oil engineer has died after a fire on board a tanker off Tunisia, the Foreign Office said tonight. The victim drowned after the crew were forced to abandon ship as the blaze took hold. He dived into the water but was unable to reach the shore or a lifeboat and his body was recovered 24 hours later. It happened last Friday 1.2 miles off the island of Kerkennah.

Tunisian authorities are investigating. The fire broke out in the engine room of the tanker. Two Tunisians also drowned in the accident. Six people were rescued. The Foreign Office said no other Britons were involved.

The victim originally thought to be from London, was married and had been living in Tunisia for some years. He was working on an oil pipeline for Mondial Contractors. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "His company are liaising with the next of kin. We have offered consular assistance. “The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident is obviously a matter for the Tunisian authorities."

UK - WORKER KILLED, EXCLUSION ZONE AT PLASTICS FACTORY

An exclusion zone has been set up around a plastics factory where an explosion killed one man and injured five others.

The blast happened last Friday at James G Carrick & Co plastics and metal plant in Glasgow's Springburn area. A 60-metre perimeter fence has been erected while the building is checked and machines similar to the one that exploded are being examined.

A police spokeswoman said the machines could still pose a safety risk. She said: "The initial investigation of the site revealed that a machine within the factory had given rise to the explosion. "Similar machines need to be examined and while remote, there is a possibility that other plant and machinery in the factory may give rise to a risk. "A precautionary exclusion zone will be set up around the factory, including an adjacent business and playing fields, to secure the site and keep the public away."

Experts from the Royal Logistics Corp EOD Bomb Disposal Unit will examine and make safe the plant and machinery by remote means. The spokeswoman said there was no danger to the public and said the measures were being taken to ensure the safety of inquiry personnel during the onsite investigation process. She added: "There is no question of any explosive material having been manufactured or stored at the premises. "This was an industrial explosion." This stage of the investigation, involving police, the Crown Office, procurator fiscal and health and safety executive, should be completed by Friday evening.

A factory worker died in hospital on Tuesday after he was seriously injured in the blast. A second man remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital. Four others received treatment for minor injuries at Stobhill Hospital. The explosion came nearly a year after Stockline Plastics in the city's Maryhill collapsed, killing nine people and injuring dozens more.

NORWAY - GAS ALARM HALTS PRODUCITON AT OSEBERG C

A gas alarm halted production for a few hours Monday aboard the 70,000 barrel-per-day Oseberg C offshore platform, sending crew members into lifeboats as they prepared to evacuate, Norsk Hydro ASA said.

The leak aboard the North Sea platform was quickly repaired, and production resumed later with no damage or injuries, the company said. As a precaution, most of the platform crew of 68 people entered lifeboats and were ready to evacuate the platform, some 130 kilometers (80 miles) northwest of Bergen, Norway's second-largest city, the company said.

If ignited, a gas leak can cause an explosive fire and endanger a platform and crew. Inger Anda, spokeswoman for the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority, said the state agency was following developments on Oseberg C closely. "We still have very little information about it. That could take a few days," she said by telephone. She said the authority was in regular contact with Hydro about the leak, and expected a full report when the company completes its own investigation.

Norsk Hydro said the leak was detected at 00:35 local time (2235 GMT Sunday). Repairs were completed and the all-clear sounded 40 minutes later, with production returning to normal levels during the morning. The leak was traced to a valve gasket in the platform's drilling systems. Norway is the world's third-largest oil exporter, after Saudi Arabia and Russia, with a production capacity of about 3.2 million barrels per day of oil plus vast flows of natural gas.

USA - MASSIVE EXPLOSION ROCKS A BOLIVAR PROPANE BUSINESS

The public was kept at bay, nearly two miles away, while emergency crews kept watch Friday afternoon. But the flames were clearly visible from Chopper 5's vantage point.

"This gentleman has lost his entire business," said Hardeman Co. EMA Director. The business was called Dixie Gas, located off highway 125 just south of Bolivar.

Officials say Friday's emergency began as a gas leak. "As soon as we showed up, it was an explosion," said Bolivar Fire Chief. Hundreds of small propane tanks, like those used to fuel bar-be-que grills, blew up. After that, all eyes were on a series of much larger containers. "Got seven six thousand gallon propane tanks all piped together which caught fire," said the Fire Chief.

It was quickly determined that even with seven departments on the scene, fighting this fire was futile. "And we're kind of letting nature take its course right now, we want it to burn itself out," said the Fire Chief. So they sat all afternoon and into the night.

Meanwhile, nearby residents were moved out. They were ordered to leave their homes until the threat was over. "Say a mile to a mile and a half in every direction," said the Fire Chief. Most people should be back at home by Saturday afternoon. That's when the extent of the damage will be assessed. But for now, people in this small town are glad this big news didn't do more damage.

There is an environmental component to this emergency as well. A creek runs alongside what's left of that propane business. State officials are on the scene to help determine if any contamination has occurred.

INDIA - WORKDRE SUSTAINS 80% BURNS AS SOLVENT CATCHES FIRE

A 54 year old worker of the Alembic Pharmaceuticals was severely injured while working at the factory on Sunday afternoon.

He was later admitted to the SSG hospital with 80 per cent burns. The victim, had reported for duty in the first shift at Alembic’s ATI-14 production plant. ‘‘The victim along with another person were handling some solvent required for making a product Cepa 5. He was injured while the solvent caught fire owing to a static charge. The fire was not major and our in-house fire fighting team controlled it in no time,’’ said Alembic spokesperson. The victim was admitted to to SSG hospital owing to seriousness of his injuries, said the second victim. Though no police complaint have been registered yet, Gorwa police officials say they are looking into the matter.

UK - RADIOACTIVE LEAK SHUTS DOWN UK NUCLEAR REPROCESSING PLANT

Members of the European Parliament are demanding that the United Kingdom government launch an immediate independent inquiry into the situation at the UK's Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) facility at Sellafield in Cumbria.

The nuclear fuel reprocessing facility was closed down April 20 following a leak of radioactive fuel. About 20 metric tons of plutonium and uranium fuel dissolved in nitric acid leaked from a cracked pipe into an enormous secondary container that is too radioactive for workers to enter. Officials say specialized robots may have to be built to clean up the spill. Plant managers maintain that no radioactive material has escaped into the environment, although the exact details of the incident remain closely guarded.

The European Commission has not received any information about the circumstances of the leak. A Green MEP said the accident highlights the daily health, security and environmental risks of the nuclear power industry. “The reprocessing of spent fuel is just one aspect of an industry that is dangerous, dirty and expensive,” said the Green MP, who represents South-East England and is a member of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee. The Chairman of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority which took over ownership of the plant from British Nuclear Fuels on April 1, said, “Our first priority is always safety, and we have been reassured that there is no immediate concern on that front."

The THORP facility was transferred to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority as part of a reorganization of the UK’s £40 billion nuclear waste liabilities. But the European Commission is investigating the transfer under rules governing illegal state aid, and THORP’s future is uncertain. The facility is designed to separate plutonium from spent nuclear fuel for customers from various countries, though it has been beset by problems and has never functioned at full capacity. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is tasked with cleaning up the UK's nuclear legacy, but the THORP accident has slowed that process because its contribution to the cleanup budget will not be available as long as it is shut down. “This year’s budget of £2.2 billion is likely to take a hit but it is too early to be absolutely clear by how much and consequently how we will manage the impact and the consequences for the future of the plant," chairman of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority said. About £560m of the budget total was to come from the THORP plant.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s director of nuclear safety and security, is an observer on the Board of Inquiry set up by British Nuclear Group to carry out a detailed investigation into the incident. But that investigation does not satisfy Members of the European Green Party. They want an independent examination of the spill. German Green MEP said, “The European Commission and the UK government must immediately launch an independent inquiry into both the causes and the consequences of the accident. Considering the inherent risks and the absence of any economic future of the plutonium industry, these plants in both the UK and in France should be abandoned.”

The spill casts a shadow of doubt on the current labour government's renewed interest in building nuclear power plants. The government has always said it is right to “keep the nuclear option open” along with the drive to boost renewable energy sources, the government's chief scientist said Tuesday. He was speaking before a two day G8 Energy Research and Innovation Workshop at Oxford University that opens today. On the other hand, some have warned that the UK faces electricity and gas shortages, leading to steep price increases, unless action is taken to replace the UK's aging nuclear plants. The Green MEP said, “The current Prime Minister has raised the spectre of building new nuclear power stations as a way of meeting the UK’s international legal obligations to reduce CO2 emissions. Not only is this misguided - as this accident has amply demonstrated - it is based on a fallacious assumption that nuclear energy is carbon free." “The reality is that over its full life cycle a nuclear power plant is responsible for significant CO2 emissions," the Green MEP said. "If he is serious about safely reducing greenhouse gas emissions, The British Prime Minister must abandon the dirty and dangerous nuclear power industry in favor of renewable sources such as wind, wave and solar power - and invest heavily in energy conservation measures,” she said. “This incident has served to close the plant for the foreseeable future - the government must take the next step and keep it closed for good," said the Green MEP. "The government shouldn’t even be talking about commissioning new nuclear plants while we remain stuck with the mess of the last 50 years,” she said. "The deadly by-products of the nuclear energy industry must in no way be used as a raw material for new industrial processes," said the Green MEP.

A decision on whether or not to build a new generation of nuclear power plants is among the most controversial which the British Prime Minister faces at the start of his third term.

UK - WORKERS TREATED IN HOSPITAL AFTER ACID GAS LEAK AT FACTORY

Five workers had to be treated in hospital after an acid gas leak at a pharmaceutical factory in the Capital. They suffered breathing problems and irritated eyes after hydrochloric acid escaped from containers at MacFarlan Smith’s in Wheatfield Road, Gorgie. Seven more workers were treated with oxygen by paramedics at the scene.

A health and safety investigation was today launched to find out what caused the leak. Seven fire appliances were called to the scene and 27 firefighters wearing protective clothing and breathing apparatus spent almost two hours making sure the site was safe.

Staff were evacuated by the factory’s own fire team after a cloud of the gas was spotted in a building on the factory’s east side at 11pm last night. The leak was traced to three kilograms of hydrochloric acid in gas form, which is used as part of the drug-making process. A site engineer managed to isolate the leak by shutting down the surrounding area and getting staff out of the building.

A spokeswoman for the firm said today around 20 members of staff were evacuated. "Workers were carrying out a routine process on the east side of the plant. "The process required a small amount of hydrogen chloride gas to be used to form a salt. "During this process, a small quantity of gas was vented which was released into the atmosphere. At that point, the site was evacuated and the gas cloud dissipated after eight to ten minutes." The injured workers had initially been walking around normally after breathing in the gas, but quickly developed side effects. The five taken to hospital were later released.

The leak was reported to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Health and Safety Executive. A spokeswoman said: "Sepa will be inspecting the site as a result of this minor incident to confirm the cause and agree any improvement to prevent such an incident occurring in the future." Staff arrived as normal for the day shift this morning. The company spokeswoman said the Sepa investigators were "satisfied" that the gas had safely dissipated into the atmosphere and posed no threat to the public. Edinburgh-based MacFarlan Smith is a Johnson Mathie business and is one of the country's largest manufacturers of diamorphine. The company is Britain’s only licensed opium processor, and supplies both Chiron and Wockhardt UK with an unrefined version of the drug.

Sighthill fire station officer was one of the first on the scene last night. He said that while fire crews ended up being there as a precautionary measure, the incident could have been much more serious. "It is a very dangerous acid, and we had to treat it in that respect when we were at the scene," he added. "We had to look at weather conditions and the time lapse since the leak to determine the situation, which potentially could have been a big problem." Four of the fire appliances were ordinary tenders, while three carried specialist equipment worn by fire crews dealing with dangerous chemical leaks.

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USA - RESIDENTS FUMING OVER HUNTSMAN LEAK

A recent pipeline rupture near Port Arthur's El Vista area has neighborhood residents fuming mad over how the potentially dangerous situation was handled. When a Huntsman Refinery pipeline began leaking propylene and propane into Alligator Bayou early Friday morning, El Vista residents said they were provided with little to no information regarding the leak.

While Port Arthur fire marshals blocked traffic from Savannah Street to Texas 73 Friday, the officers did not alert anyone as to what exactly was going on near their neighborhood, an eye witness El Vista resident of almost 30 years, said. "When trying to go toward Savannah, people were just told to go back, but no one would tell people what was going on," the eyewitness resident said.

Port Arthur emergency officials and hazardous materials authorities issued an "In Shelter" emergency message to notify area residents of the incident, and to ask them to remain inside their homes with air conditioners and window fans turned off. But many El Vista residents said they never received the message and had no clue what an "In Shelter" emergency was. Another eyewitness El Vista resident of more than 47 years, said she learned of the warning from a neighbor, but that she did stay in the house for the rest of the day. "A little boy down the street came and told me about the warning," she said. "So, I went ahead and turned off the air conditioner and stayed indoors." The first resident said a neighbor told him about the warning as well. "A neighbor had to tell me about the warning and I didn't know what it meant," he said. Instead of staying indoors, the resident said he got in his car and drove to Beaumont to stay with a relative for a few hours. "The only way I knew about the all-clear was because I called a neighbor," he said. "There just wasn't enough information given to residents. There wasn't enough communication."

With almost all on-duty fire officials handling traffic and monitoring air quality near the El Vista area during the pipeline leak, PAFD Deputy Fire Chief said there was hardly any personnel left to knock on neighborhood doors to alert El Vista residents of the "In Shelter" message. "Its just not physically possible for us to have people knocking on every door to tell residents to stay in the house," the Fire Chief said. "We just attempt to use what method we can to alert them." The Fire Chief said emergency officials use the Southeast Texas Alerting System, (STAN), to alert the community of environmental emergencies. Police dispatchers notify the local media and then, televised and radio broadcast warnings are issued. "The problem was that very few people were watching their televisions," the Fire Chief said.

Huntsman officials met with El Vista residents recently to discuss the concerns of neighborhood citizens, the Fire Chief noted. During the meeting with Huntsman authorities, The first eyewitness resident said El Vista residents talked with the refinery officials regarding new and innovative ways to alert residents of potential environmental emergencies.

A Huntsman Corporation Spokesman said the meeting with El Vista residents was very positive and the corporation is looking into better ways to alert the community when emergencies take place. "When you do have an "In Shelter" warning, you want to make sure everyone knows about it," the Huntsman Corportation Spokesman said. "We are definitely looking into finding out how to do a better job to make sure everyone gets the message."

AUSTRALIA - PLASTICS FACTORY FIRE PROMPTS HEALTH CONCERNS

Residents in the western Adelaide suburb of Findon are being urged to stay indoors and to lock windows as acrid smoke from a fire in a plastics factory could cause health problems. Police are investigating the cause of a $4 million fire. Fourteen fire appliances and 50 firefighters were called to the Exacto plastics factory in Alfred Street, Beverley, after a blaze broke out about 2:30am ACST.

Police say workers were inside the factory, however it is not known how the fire started. At the height of the fire, black acrid smoke filled the air and people nearby were advised to stay indoors. Buildings and stores of plastics used for car parts were destroyed. It took firefighters an hour to bring the blaze under control. Crews remain on the scene as the melted plastic and the building are still smouldering.

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USA - 50 SICK AFTER CHEMICAL TRUCK CRASH

A truck carrying barrels of a chemical crashed and burst into flames, killing the driver and sickening nearly 50 emergency workers who were exposed to the fumes. The tractor-trailer crashed at about 11:50 p.m. Thursday on a four-lane highway. The highway remained closed in both directions Friday morning."It appears the truck's brakes caught on fire and caused the trucker to lose his brakes as the truck was coming off the grade," said Deputy of the Mingo County Sheriff's Department said Friday.

The truck was carrying barrels of a polyurethane-based liquid called RePneu II, which is used to fill the tires of off-road coal mining and construction equipment to prevent flats, Mingo County Emergency Services said.

Firefighters responding to the accident initially thought the leaking liquid was oil, but they began complaining of breathing problems and other ailments. They were taken to Williamson Memorial Hospital for decontamination and treatment for eye and skin irritation. "It was hard to breathe," said Deputy of the Mingo County Sheriff's Department, who was among those seeking treatment. "When I first arrived on scene it was just a fireball, pretty much, a smoky big mess."

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RUSSIA - SHIPYARD BLAZE KILLS FIREMAN, DAMAGES CHINESE DESTROYER

One firefighter has been killed in a blaze that struck a missile destroyer under construction at a shipyard in St. Petersburg. Another fireman has been injured, the Interfax news agency reported citing St. Petersburg emergency officials.

Preliminary reports said the blaze had triggered an explosion on board killing one person. Another fireman was hospitalized with injuries, the regional directorate for the Emergencies Ministry told Interfax. The fire broke out around 09-00 on Wednesday. By 12-00 it had been contained, a spokesperson for the ministry told Interfax. Four people were rescued from the burning vessel.

According to unofficial reports, the fire broke out on board a missile destroyer under construction at the Severnaya Verf shipyard ordered by the Chinese navy, a source in defense industry told Interfax in Moscow. “The fire at the shipyard took place on board one of the two destroyers under construction for China,” the agency’s source said. However, no official information either confirming or refuting his statement was available, the agency said. The ministry spokesman told Interfax that the ship affected has a displacement of 8,000 tons.

The Emergencies Ministry said the ship had been nearing completion. Russia’s arms trading concern Rosoboronexport signed a $1.4 billion deal to deliver new-generation 956EM missile destroyers to China in 2005-2006. The 956EM destroyers will boast cutting-edge armament assets. This vessel has been designed to counter hostile surface ships and landing craft, countering anti-aircraft and anti-missile defenses of combat and transportation ships, providing fire support to landing units, and patrolling and carrying out various missions as part of a formation or separately. The 956EM destroyer is fitted with advanced missile and artillery assets and torpedo, radar and anti-submarine systems, as well as the Moskit supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles. The destroyer is 150 meters long, and is capable of traveling at a speed of 34 knots (60 km per hour).