Timely action by Sanmar Speciality Chemicals Limited (SSCL) prevented what could have been a major chemical leak leading to eye irritation, respiratory problems and fatalities for a two kilometre radius in Manali, the industrial area in North Chennai known for its petrochemical complexes. SSCL’s prompt measures helped avert a toxic chemical leak from 76 drums containing ethyl chloroformate imported from PPG Industries, Inc., USA and stored in a Customs bonded warehouse at Manali. In mid-March, when the drums began to bulge, it became clear that the product was undergoing decomposition, posing a potential hazard to the whole neighbourhood. In just a few days’ time the drums could have burst and the resultant toxic leak could have caused a major disaster in Manali. An expert team which flew in from PPG, sought local help to carry out the operation necessary to render the chemical harmless, but found to its surprise that there was no active emergency response group like governmental agencies in the developed world.
The PPG team led by David Stermole, Manager, Phosgene Derivatives, met the Secretary (Public) to the Government of Tamil Nadu, M F Farooqui, IAS, and apprised him of the position in a most transparent manner. At the instance of Public Secretariat, the Collector of Tiruvallur, S K Prabhakar, IAS convened a meeting to which were invited representatives of Madras Refineries Ltd., Madras Fertilizers Ltd., ICI Ltd., and Tamil Nadu Petroproducts Ltd., all chemical majors situated at Manali. As PPG had earlier supplied chemicals to Elf Atochem Peroxides India Limited (ATOPIL), the company contacted N Subramaniam, President, ATOPIL, who in turngot in touch with C G Sethuram, President, SSCL. Sethuram and S Ramanujam, General Manager-Works, ARL Chemicals Ltd., a subsidiary of SSCL, who attended the meeting called by the Collector, responded to the challenge of assisting PPG in the onerous task of neutralising the hazardous product.
The bulged drums stored at Manali with dry ice soda ash around them.
Neutralisation operation in the second sector.
On 18th and 19th March 2000 (Friday and Saturday), by which time one of the drums had actually burst, Sethuram and Ramanujam, accompanied by two PPG representatives, succeeded in depressurising the drums working tirelessly to mitigate the danger.
It took courage on their part to approach the danger zone, open the drums few at a time, vent out the gas, sprinkle soda ash and place dry ice between the drums to cool them. The volunteers had to take a break after every few drums because the vapours irritated the eyes of people involved near the drums. They wore gloves and masks but it was still a risky operation.
After the depressurisation, 21 drums were initially loaded on to the first refrigerated container and starting Sunday, 20th March, the loaded drums were moved to Sanmar’s Alathur facility amidst police security around midnight (0030 - 0330 hours) when there was less traffic and disturbance on the route. First aid facilities were at hand to handle any emergency.
On Monday, a team arrived from Boots and Coots, USA, specialists in refinery fire mitigation, who moved all the remaining depressurised drums into two refrigerated containers to be taken to Alathur. By this time, a formal letter had been handed over by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), permitting ARL Chemicals Limited to carry out the neutralisation operation.
By Monday, March 28, the neutralisation was completed in SSCL’s reactors at Alathur in the presence of PPG team and TNPCB officials. The material was thus made safe for disposal. Other work at the Alathur factory had been stopped at the instance of TNPCB and from the safety angle. The treated effluent from the neutralised chemical was discharged as per standard norms.
The ECF getting neutralised in the reactor.
C G Sethuram explaining the neutralisation operation to M Devaraj, Chairman and G Rengaswamy, Member Secretary of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. Kannan, DEE, TNPCB and David Stermole, PPG Inc., USA are seen in the middle.
C G Sethuram showing the emptied bulged drums
kept after neutralisation to M Devaraj during his visit
to the Alathur factory. David Stermole of PPG is on
the right.
SSCL complimented
The action has been commended by the Collector, Tiruvallur, the DIG of Police and the TNPCB. SSCL had received the fullest support from all the official agencies concerned, including the police who helped in the preliminary phase of the action when they cordoned the area off. The officials of TNPCB provided constant support while monitoring the situation.
M Devaraj, IAS, Chairman, TNPCB, and G Rengaswamy, Member Secretary, TNPCB, visited the Alathur facility and complimented the factory team “for carrying out the work successfully and helping the city of Chennai and the government to manage such a crisis effectively.”
Speaking at length to Matrix, C G Sethuram said that it was a tremendous experience for SSCL, earning both the company and the Sanmar group enormous goodwill.
SSCL has succeeded in demonstrating Indian companies’ ability to take risks and manage potentially hazardous situations. It has also set an example as a good corporate citizen.
According to Sethuram, the episode was an eye-opener as to the general lack of preparedness to meet such situations. The way chemicals were stored in the godown – and there must be hundreds and thousands of such godowns in the country – was shocking, with no safety sheets maintained and no attention paid to the compatibility of chemicals stored juxtaposed with each other.
“It was a huge, huge job, and for a whole week, we came home in the early hours. At the end, we had the satisfaction that a major disaster had been averted”, Sethuram said, proud but relieved.
TNPCB officials and David Stermole of PPG with
Sanmar group officials during their visit.