VC comparison to propane and butane.

[Ralph Ryder <ralph@tcpub.demon.co.uk>]

Viv Mountford wrote:
        In article <01BD3414.BF142280@greener.u-net.com>, "Ms. Viv
Mountford" <vivmount@greener.u-net.com> writes
>
>Chemical transport bid puts community at risk
>
>I MUST reply to Roger Mot-tram's reassurances about the safety of EVC's proposal 
>to transport vinyl chloride (VC) by rail from the ICI/EVC Runcorn site to Barry, 
>instead of from its plant at Fleetwood.
>  EVC says there was no danger from the recent derailment at Barry and there 
>will be no danger to us from EVC loading the trains at Runcorn.
>  When discussing health hazards, Mr Mottram conveniently focuses only on 
>cancer. Of course no-one could ever prove that a resident's cancer was caused by 
>one particular  chemical.
>  He avoids mentioning the proven short-term effects of VC exposure. These 
>include dizziness, headaches, nausea, weakness, skin/eye irritation or, at very 
>high levels, death.
>  VC can cause damage to the developing foetus as well, according to its safety 
>datasheet. What about the possible risks to pregnant women?
>  Mr Mottram says the hazards of transporting VC are no worse than for propane, 
>butane, or They are no better either, as it is highly explosive and flammable!

Whoever this Mr Mottram is he has obviously never seen a fire caused by
propane or butane gas, let alone been involved in one. To speak about
such an event so lightly shows a disturbing attitude towards the very
real dangers communities are put in by these applications. It is also
unforgiving to give such false information to the planners who will make
decisions based on such misleading information.

But then, as is the case with most chemical companies trying to get
their way. Their PR spokesperson very seldom, if ever, knows what the
hell they are talking about. As a person who worked for 23 years at a
gas bottling plant it was my misfortune to witness on a number of
occassions just what a propane fire can do. Part of our training as
operatives was to fight staged fires and believe me, Mr Mottram would be
wise to avoid comparing VC to either propane or butane. If the general
public, and the planners were aware of the damage these gases can do he
most certainly would not be shouting the comparison from the rooftops. 

As part of our training there was a film used to inform firefighters
about propane fires and part of it contained footage of a train in the
U.S that had crashed with a load of propane. The whole thing was
horrific. One of my friends had his garage blown apart by one bottle of
this gas. So for Mr Mottram to use propane or butane as a comparision to
VC should actually scare the living daylights out of anyboby living near
the site. Has anybody got a copy of this film (or similar) to loan to Ms
Mountford? 

Regards

Ralph Ryder

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