CYLINDER PREP AREA OF PACKAGING AND SHIPPING AT GLCC-CENTRAL

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHILE LEARNING ABOUT THE THE CRIMES OF GLCC:

25 HUNDRED POUND ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE CYLINDERS

25 HUNDRED POUND ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE CYLINDERS

These cylinders look like they have been here a long time. GLCC doesn’t know how to get rid of them.

The blue container next to these 2500 pound Ethylene dibromide cylinders  is called a "CANNER’S LEAKERS DRUM." 

This is a Methyl Bromide label on a 15 hundred pound cylinder. It has 98-2 unloaded off of a rail car written in black Sharpie marker. It has BOG painted with red spay paint to indicate that it contains Brom-0-Gas.

1500 POUND CHLOROPICRIN CYLINDERS

The picture above is of the Steam Cabinet. It is used to steam out the inside of cylinders before sending them to be re-tested.

There are 3 buffing stations in the Buffing Area. Each buffing stations has the following:

a)  55 GALLON (UNLABELED) BLUE POLY DRUM: The employee places a piece of plywood on the plastic drum to make a table. The buffing tool is placed onto this table, while the employee removes the buffed cylinder from the buffing stand and places the cylinder on the pallet that is used for transporting the cylinders.

b)  WHITE (LABELED) GENERAL TRASH DRUM: This drum is used for disposing of toxic paint dust, discard labels and booklets from cylinders, broken pieces of wood from pallets, and any other debris.

c)  PALLETS WITH UNBUFFED CYLINDERS

d)  PALLET FOR TRANSPORTING BUFFED CYLINDERS TO OTHER AREAS

e)  BUFFING TOOL (SIDE GRINDER)

f )  PVC APRON

g)  ATTACHABLE FACE SHIELD FOR HARDHAT

h)  ANGLE IRON BUFFING STANDS

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Each cylinder is placed on a buffing stand where it is buffed with a round wire brush head mounted on an electrical side-grinding tool (buffing tool). There are 3 buffing stations, and there are usually three buffing tools running at one time. The particles of dust from this buffing process flies into the air. They land on a concrete floor. They land on a wall. They land on cylinders, which have already been buffed. They land on pallets, which are used for transporting cylinders. They land in a drainage ditch. There are few areas, if there are any, where these dust particles dust doesn’t land for an undetermined but long distance. The buffing dust contains ingredients from chemical coatings, labels, adhesives, solvents, strapping tape, steel cylinders, steel shot or steel grit abrasives, and other GLCC toxic materials. 

The buffing stands are made of angle iron. Angle iron collects dust. The top of the buffing stand has two rollers, similar to what is used to flatten dough for Pizza. These rollers are used for two purposes. The main purpose of the rollers is to provide a platform for rotating or spinning the cylinder as it is being buffed.  The secondary purpose for the rollers is to make it easier to move the buffing stand from one place to another. Buffing stands are stored upside down near a concrete drainage ditch. The first step in buffing is to roll an upside down buffing stand, from the area where it stored, to a buffing station. Then, the buffing stand is flip right side up. When the buffing process has been completed, an employee flips the buffing stand up side down onto its roller, which causes many dust particles to fall to the floor. Then, the buffing stand is rolled across floor, which is covered with paint dust particles to where it is stored near the drainage ditch. While the buffing is being rolled across the floor, the rollers pick up many dust particles. When the buffing stand arrives to its place of storage, it is left upside down until it used again.

Each cylinder is placed on a buffing stand where it is buffed with a round wire brush head that is mounted on an electrical side-grinding tool (buffing tool).  There are usually three buffing tools running at one time.  The particles of dust from this buffing process fly into the air.  They land on a concrete floor.  They land on the wall.  They land on cylinders, which have already been buffed.  They land on pallets, which are used for transporting cylinders.  They land in a drainage ditch.  There are few areas, if there are any, where these dust particles don't land for long distance.  The buffing dust contains ingredients from chemical coatings, labels, adhesives, solvents, strapping tape, steel cylinders, steel shot or steel grit abrasives, and other GLCC toxic materials. 

Approximately 15 feet high, on the western wall of Cylinder Prep Warehouse #4, are two fans that are used to vent the fumes from the coating area into the air. These fans are too far enough away from the cylinder coating area to do the employees much good in regards to ventilation, but a large amount of toxic fumes and dust does makes its way out into the air through these fans, with no filters.

Paint dries, but chemical coatings, like those used for coating the cylinders, have to cure. It takes several hours for these chemical coatings to complete the process of curing. They feel dry to touch long before they have completed the curing process. While this curing process is taking place, fumes from the chemical coatings are emitted into the air.

You are looking south at the ditch that runs along the wall between the cylinders and western the wall of Cylinder Prep Warehouse #4.  This concrete ditch eventually feeds into an unlined ditch by the railroad track on the northern edge of the Pathfinders Camp. When it rains, buffing dust and other GLCC toxic materials from all over the Cylinder Prep Area are washed into this ditch.

An interviewed witness tells me that he has seen Methyl Bromide poured into this ditch.

Another interviewed witness tells me that, in addition to the buffing dust, chemical coatings, and solvents from the Cylinder Prep Area, while he worked at GLCC for more than 25 years prior to 1995, there was a similar ditch at Fine Chemicals that converged with this one on the way to the unlined ditch by the railroad track. According to Witness 2, when they were done mixing chemicals at the Fine Chemicals Area, they dumped what was left over on the floor, and washed it into the ditch that converged with this ditch.  Witness 2 also told me that he remembers there being an average of 3 to 4 good Bromine releases per week. He went on to tell me that, whenever there was a spill at the Bromine Tower, they used hoses to run it into a ditch that also converged with the one from Fine Chemicals, and the one from the Cylinder Prep Area on their way to the Railroad Track heading southwest.

You are looking at water standing in a ditch that runs east and west on the northern wall Cylinder Prep Warehouse #4.  I believe that when something lies in one area it becomes an environmental regulatory term called Dwelling. This ditch is sloped downward to the east, and there is no drain on the eastern end. There ditch runs uphill to the western wall and turns south as it becomes the same ditch that runs north and south along the western wall that we have discussed as being the one the eventually feeds an unlined ditch along the railroad tracks. When this ditch becomes full enough, it feeds into the ditch along the western wall.

You are looking tat 1500 pound Methyl bromide cylinders (pigs).

You are looking at the same 1500 pound Methyl bromide cylinders (Pigs).

Looking at the 24 inch vent pipe coming out of the western wall of Cylinder Prep Warehouse #4, with a little more light, you may notice the this vent pipe is designed in a manner that directs the chemical coating particles to head downward. Right under this pipe is the drainage ditch. Keep in mind that this vent pipe comes directly from the booth where they spay chemical coatings on cylinders. The chemical coating particles and fumes blow out this vent pipe while the spraying is occurring, and while the freshly coated cylinders are curing.

The picture above is a close-up of one of the fans that blow chemical coating dust, buffing dust, and fumes out of the eastern wall of Cylinder Prep Warehouse #4. There are two fans like this on the western wall where the concrete ditch is.  Witness 1 tells me that these fans to blow, or emit, the chemical coating dust, buffing dust, and fumes into the outside air. He also points out that they are a long way from where the actual chemical coatings are being sprayed, so ventilation in the Paint (Chemical Coating) Area is very poor. The entire building has a high concentration of toxic dust particles and fumes that are at illegal levels.

You are looking at the southern wall of Central Warehouse. Central Warehouses #1 and #3 are connected on this end. The large pipes on this wall are used for draining the roofs of Warehouse #1 and #3. When it rains, the rainwater washes lot of toxic dust that has been lying on the roof into these drainpipes, which direct this toxic fluid onto the concrete floor. The slope of this concrete floor directs the toxic fluid into the ditch, which directs this toxic fluid to a drainpipe, which directs this toxic fluid to the unlined ditch by the railroad track.

The hoses on the far edge of this picture are used for steaming out 1500 pound cylinders (Pigs) of Chloropicrin and/or Methyl Bromide with Chloropicrin (98-2).

The Chloropicrin and/or 98-2 is forced through a hose that sends it to the Caustic Bromine Drum Recovery Tank (CBDRT). The CBDRT has a vacuum blower on top which sucks Chloropicrin and 98-2 into the CBDRT. Gas is continuously forced out the top of the CBDRT into the air. When the 1500 pound cylinder of Chloropicrin and/or 98-2 is empty, the gas flowing out the top of the CBDRT becomes toxic steam.

The Caustic Bromine Drum Recovery Tank (CBDRT) is also used for steaming out Bromine drums in the same manner described in the above paragraph. Be it with the Chlorpicrin, 98-2, or Bromine, there is a continuous flow of one or all of these toxic substances being emitted into the air out the top of the CBDRT.

The pipes coming down the side of this wall are drains coming off of Central Warehouse #3.

The picture above is of the Cylinder Prep Area west wall fans.

The picture above is the Cylinder Fill Area northwest wall. There are 4 fans on the bottom of the wall, venting to the outside. The air that comes back through the door on the right edge of this picture is potentially the same air that was has just been blown out through the fans.

The picture above is the west wall of the Drum Fill Area. Some of the products filled here include:  Ethyl bromide, Hydrogen bromide, n-Butyl, Polypropal Alcohol, Ethyl benzene, DE-60F. There is a 24 inch vacuum pipe pulling fumes from around the drum filling area and blows these fumes into the air toward the west.

The picture above is where we place the used Binks Air Filters out the coating booths. It has a motor on it. It sucks air up and blows it out of the pipe going out into the air on the other side of this wall.

There are about 50 cylinders sitting here. They have just been sprayed with F77A3. They have been dragged across the concrete floor, and are sitting there to cure dry. It is my understanding that it takes as long as 8 hours or longer hours for them to complete the curing process.  This entire time, they are emitting fumes that travel several yards in all directions.  This is in Cylinder Prep Area Warehouse #4.  According to one source, you can smell these fumes for 50 yards outside the warehouse in all directions.   The larger cylinders are called 1500 Pound Pigs. They are also used for Methyl bromide and Chloropicrin.

Picture 3

The fluid from the pipe in Picture 2 comes to this point shown in Picture 3 on its way to the railroad track. The rainwater also washes surfaces all the way from the top of the hill into this drainage point.

Picture 4

Picture 4 shows the receiving dock of the Cylinder Prep Area. The concrete slab here is slanted so that it that all fluid drains to the drainage point shown in Picture 3.

The picture above shows the buffing dust next to the ditch along the Western Wall of Cylinder Prep Warehouse 4 before it is blown into the ditch.

The picture above shows the buffing dust next to the ditch along the Western Wall of Cylinder Prep Warehouse 4 before it is blown into the ditch.

The picture above shows the buffing dust next to the ditch along the Western Wall of Cylinder Prep Warehouse 4 before it is blown into the ditch.

The picture above shows the buffing dust next to the ditch along the Western Wall of Cylinder Prep Warehouse 4 before it is blown into the ditch.

The picture above shows the same area next to the ditch along the Western Wall of Cylinder Prep Warehouse 4 after it has been blown into the ditch.

On a day when approximately 60 cylinders were buffed, a friend of mine swept buffing dust from half of the Cylinder Prep Area Warehouse floor into a pile.  The three pictures below show this 5 pound pile of buffing dust as it is being weighed and measured.    

The buffing dust contains ingredients from chemical coatings, labels, adhesives, solvents, strapping tape, steel cylinders, steel shot or steel grit abrasives, and other GLCC toxic materials. 

THE DITCH

Leaking Cylinders

Cylinders have bonnets like those in the picture above.  The bonnets  are sandblasted with a product called Wheelabrator Abrasive.  According to a credible source, it is disposed of in the ditch that drains to the railroad track.  

Source:  http://www.wheelabr.com/MSDS_WBR_1_04.pdf

You are walking south. If you turn left you will see out of test cylinders, cylinders that need to be scrapped, and cylinders that can’t be off loaded (emptied). The black dust on the left of this path is from buffing cylinders. The grayish coating on the right of this path is chemical coating from coating cylinders.

You are standing near the ditch that goes to the railroad track. You are looking up at the backside of the Cylinder Prep Area. These cylinders are sitting there, because GLCC doesn’t have a way to empty them, or because they don’t have dip tubes in them, or because GLCC doesn’t have a system for recovering the kind of chemical in them, or because GLCC is unable to identify exactly what is in them.  Many of these cylinders have more than one label on them. Many of these cylinders have no label at all. Many of these cylinders do have toxic chemicals in them, like Ethylene dibromide, Chloropicrin, Brom-o-Gas, and so on. It is my understanding that GLCC doesn’t have a system for properly disposing of Ethylene dibromide, Chloropicrin, Brom-o-Gas, and so on.  Many of the cylinders up on the top of this hill are leaking. That is why they have yellow tape around them. They are sitting on a concrete slab with no retaining wall. When it rains, the toxic chemicals on this concrete slab combine with the rainwater to make a toxic fluid. Much of this toxic fluid flows down this hill into the ditch that flows to the railroad tracks.  According to Witness 1, at a Safety meeting, at 12:00 p.m., May 27, 2004, Nicky Thomas told several employees that GLCC doesn’t know what is in any of these cylinders.

When it rains, buffing dust migrates off-site through this hole and flows southwest along the railroad tracks.  The buffing dust contains ingredients from chemical coatings, labels, adhesives, solvents, strapping tape, steel cylinders, and steel shot or steel grit abrasives.   It rains a lot.  I'll have to check to be completely accurate, but I think it rains between 50 and 70 inches per year.

Comparison of GLCC's Buffing Dust and Other GLCC Toxic Materials from the Cylinder Prep Area and Analysis of Samples from Camp Pond and Camp Water Well 

PACKAGING AND SHIPPING MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS (MSDS) INDEX

Air Dry Enamel Mobil Red
Alfol 6 Alcohol
Amonium Bromide Liquid
Brom-O-Gas-1%, Brom-O-Gas 2%, Brom-O-Gas 0.25%
Brom-O-Gas, Brom-O-Gas 2%, Terr-O-Gas 2%, Terr-O-Gas 98,98.2
Brom-O-Sol
Brom-O-Sol 90
Bromine
Bromine Chloride
Bromopentane; (2-)
Butyl Bromide Liquid 14.2
Cetyl Bromide
Cetyl Bromide Prufied
Chlor-O-Pic and Chloropicrin (Trichloroitromethane)
CN-2425
CN-2426
DE-60F with hand written note that says "Switch to DE60FS
Ethyl Bromide
Ethylene Dibromide
Firemaster BZ-54
Ford Blue
Galva-Kote Gray
Hexyl Bromide; (n-)
Hydrobromic Acid 48%
Hydrobromic Acid 62%
Hypersolve NPB
Isopropyl Bromide
Meth-O-Gas 100, Meth-O-Gas Q, Methyl Bromide (MUP)
Methy Bromide (Indurstrial)
Methylal Pure Grade
Methyal Technical Grade
Naphtha VM&P
Propyl Bromide Formulation; (n-)
Propyl Bromide; (n-)
Refos 50
Rustlick 631
Sodium Hydroxide Solution
Sodium Thiosulfate
SW Acrilic Clear Metal Lacquer
SW Acrylic Enamel Primer
SW Acrylic Enamel Reducer, Standard
SW Catalyst Reducer
SW Catalyzed Epoxy Primer / Catalyst
SW Catalyzed Epoxy Primer / Catalyst Part B
SW Dimenso One Coat Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Fast Production Enamel, Lead Color
SW Fast Production Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW H.S. Baking Gloss Enamel Non-Lead Color
SW High Solids Low Gloss Baking Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW High Solids Shockcoat Primer
SW KEM AQUA W/R Gloss Enamel, Flatting Agent
SW KEM AQUA Water Reducible Enamel
SW KEM AQUA Water Reducible Primer
SW KEM LUSTRAL Baking Catalyst
SW KEM LUSTRAL Enamel, Chromium Color
SW KEM LUSTRAL Enamel, Lead Color
SW KEM LUSTRAL Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW KEM Paint Reducer
SW KEM Prime
SW KEM-FLASH Prime
SW KEM-FLASH Prime HS
SW KEMACRYL Enamel, Lead Color
SW KEMACRYL Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Methyl Amyl Ketone
SW Methyl Ethyl Ketone
SW Multi-Purpose Flatting Agent
SW OPEX Aluminum Lacquer
SW OPEX Black Lacquer
SW OPEX Bronzing Lacquer
SW OPEX Lacquer Etching Thinner
SW OPEX Lacquer Primer-Surfacer
SW OPEX Lacquer Retarder Thinner
SW OPEX Lacquer Thinner
SW OPEX Lacquer, Flamboyant Aluminum
SW OPEX Production Lacquer, Lead Color
SW OPEX Production Lacquer, Non-Lead Color
SW Paint Reducer Exempt X
SW Paint Reducer Mineral Spririts
SW Paint Reducer Toluol
SW Paint Reducer VM&P
SW Paint Reducer Xylol
SW Paint Reducer Butyl Cellosolve
SW Primer Paint
SW Prod, Textured Low Gloss Baking Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Quick Dry Enamel, Lead Color
SW Quick Dry Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Quick Dry High Solids Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Quick Dry Water Reducible Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Quick Dry Water Reducible Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Strippable Coating Reducer, Acetone
SW Strippable Coating/Reducer
SW Structural High Baked Texture Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Super Fast-Dri Synthetic Enamel, Lead Color
SW Super Fast-Dri Synthetic Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Wash Primer/Catalyst
SW Water Reducible High Baked Texture Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Water Reducible Low Baked Texture Enamel, Non-Lead Color
SW Water Reducible Shock Coat Primer
Tebol 99 Alcohol
Terr-O-Gas 33
Terr-O-Gas 45
Terr-O-Gas 50
Terr-O-Gas 57
Terr-O-Gas 67;67-33
Terr-O-Gas 70
Terr-O-Gas 75
Terr-O-Gas 80
Urethane EN Lht Buff
Wood Dust
Zap Peach Conquer
Zinc Bromide Solution
Zinc Bromide/Calcium Bromide Solution
Zinc Chrom Ep Primer
Xylene
Kem Red 400 Lead Free F75 RP2
Quick Dry F77B1 Gloss Black
Quick Dry Machine Tool Gray F77A3
Agribrom
Hypersolve-ASC
Hypersolve-STP
CN-2483
Hypersolve-ASC(+)
Hypersolve-AZI
Geobrom 099
Geobrom 5500

This concrete slab is northeast of the spray dryer pond. It looks like it was once used as a place to off load (empty) something.

To be continued