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Gas leak in Vizag: A factsheet by Centre for Science and Environment

Styrene gas leaked from a Vizag factory called LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd. 11 people have died after inhaling the gas. This factsheet is based on the assessment done till 3.30 PM on May 7 What happened? Styrene gas leaked at 2.30 AM on May 7 from a Vizag (in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India)-based factory called LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd. Eleven people are reported dead after inhaling the gas. What is styrene? How toxic is it? Styrene is an organic compound used in the manufacture of polymers/plastic/resins. It is manufactured in petrochemical refineries. It is a likely carcinogenic substance. It can react with oxygen in the air to mutate into styrene dioxide which is more lethal. According to India’s Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989, styrene is classified as a ‘hazardous and toxic chemical’. Acute (short-term) exposure to styrene in humans results in mucous membrane and eye irritation and gastrointestinal effects. Chronic (long-term) exposure results in impacts on the central nervous system (CNS), leading to headaches, fatigue, weakness, depression, CSN dysfunction, hearing loss, and peripheral neuropathy. If the amount of styrene goes beyond 800 ppm, then the person exposed to it can go into a coma. The duration of the exposure and its relative concentration will determine toxicity – we currently know that roughly 3 tonnes of the gas leaked from its storage tank and the feeding line. We now need to determine exposure. “Styrene can stay in the air for weeks. It is highly reactive, it can combine with oxygen to form styrene dioxide which is more lethal. The presence of other pollutants can also affect the reactivity. On a sudden note operating one reactor in full load can also lead to such disasters,” says Dr ThavaPalanisami, professor, Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER) and CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Australia. Styrene monomer was being used at the manufacturing plant to produce expandable plastics. The storage requirement of styrene monomer says that it should be stored strictly at a temperature below 17oC. There was a temporary partial shutdown of the plant owing to the COVID pandemic, excluding maintenance activities in the plant, which were being carried out as per a predetermined schedule. The problem began as a result of styrene gas not being stored at the appropriate temperature. This caused pressure to build up in the storage chamber and led the valve to break, resulting in the gas leakage. Also, the container that was being used to store styrene gas was old and not properly maintained. This nonmaintenance of the facility resulted in the leakage of 3 tonnes of styrene into the surrounding areas. Another issue was the defunct VOC detection system at the plant; there is no monitoring mechanism that was installed to specifically detect styrene. The facility is spread over 600 acres of land including the nearby residential areas (according to terms of reference submitted by the company in 2018, it is spread over 231 acres). The impact zone has been in the range of 2-3 km. There is a revenue village nearby and the facility is surrounded by residential areas, resulting in a higher rate of exposure. The most important immediate treatment is to give oxygen to the affected people. The people in the zone also need to be evacuated as long-term exposure can be detrimental to their health. Also, as styrene reacts to form styrene dioxide, the air could remain contaminated for some time. However, the winds blowing from the sea could also help to disperse the gas. In 2018, the factory hadsubmitted a ₹ 168 croreproposal to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to expand its production capacity by another 250 tonnes per day (tpd) from the current 415 tpd. This permission, as we understand it, has been recently granted. Post-Bhopal disaster, there are clear guidelines on storage of hazardous chemicals in plants -- what are these? After the Bhopal disaster, many legislations were enacted beginning with the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991. According to The Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989, styrene is classified as a ‘hazardous and toxic chemical’. Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: Omnibus act that gives sweeping powers to the Central government to take all measures to protect the environment. Under it are the following Rules: Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986: Set discharge and product standards – source standards for restricting pollution; product standards for manufactured goods and ambient air and water standards – for regulating quality of life and environmental protection. Hazardous Waste (management, handling and trans-boundary movement) Rules, 1989: Industry required to identify major accident hazards, take preventive measures and submit a report to the designated authorities. Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989: Importer must furnish complete product safety information to the competent authority and must transport imported chemicals in accordance with the amended rules. Chemical Accidents (Emergency, Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, 1996: Centre is required to constitute a central crisis group for management of chemical accidents; set up quick response mechanism termed as the crisis alert system. Each state is required to set up a crisis group and report on its work. Factories Amendment Act, 1987: Provision to regulate siting of hazardous units; safety of workers and nearby residents and mandates for on-site emergency plans and disaster control measures. Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991: Imposes a no-fault liability on the owner of hazardous substance and requires the owner to compensate victims of accident irrespective of any neglect or default. For this, the owner is required to take out an insurance policy covering potential liability from any accident. Did the company not follow the stipulated rules for storage and handling of hazardous chemicals? There are clear rules on hazardous chemical storage under the EPA, 1986.The unit in question is an ISO-certified facility, which means it has a protocol for everything. However, what seems to be the case is that the plant management, in its haste to re-start the plant,ignored the protocol of doing maintenance of the plant before resuming operations. This, combined with the lack of proper storage of the gas – not maintained at the temperature required – and faulty fixtures could have resulted in the accident. The lesson for COVID times -- Vizag could be just a tip of the iceberg This shows us that there are ticking bombs out there as the lockdown ends and industries start resuming activities. Therefore, an immediate directive must go to all units to ensure safety while resuming operations -- in case the lockdown continues, these safety precautions must not be negated.

Vizag tragedy, a wake up call for Telangana Govt

Vizag gas tragedy should be a wake up call for Telangana State Government and more so for the department of factories to focus on industrial safety issues post lockdown. Hundreds of polymer, plastic industries, especially in MSME sector are operating in GHMC limits. Several of them were set in gross violation of the norms and located close to densely populated residential areas. These factories remain shut for nearly two months due to corona lockdown and set to start operations anytime with the State Government relaxing lockdown norms since May 6. There is an urgent need for department of factories to swing into action to assess the condition of machinery and safety measures in all the factories to avert Vizag-type tragedies. The Government should allow factories to reopen only after taking up thorough inspection of factories and after certification by the department of factories that the condition of factories, machinery and safety measures are satisfactory. Since the lockdown was imposed without any prior notice from March 22 and Government went on extending the lockdown till date without giving any scope for the managements of factories to take adequate safeguards by taking up overhauling, maintenance of machinery, factories, they pose the danger of malfunctioning and leakage of gases if factories are open in haste. The Telangana High Court in March this year ordered state Government that over 200 polluting plastic units in Hyderabad’s Kattedan industrial area must be shut down, as they were set up in violation of the rules but the Government is yet to act. The court said that officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Pollution Control Board (PCB) remained ‘mute spectators’ as illegal plastic units mushroomed in the area. There are several industrial areas in GHMC limits. Though industrial areas were set up decades ago on Hyderabad city outskirts, the rapid expansion of city over the years has made them part of residential zones as several colonies come up around the industrial areas. According to Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), “This (gas leak incident) shows us that there are ticking bombs out there as the lockdown ends and industries start resuming activities. Therefore, an immediate directive must go to all units to ensure safety while resuming operations - - in case the lockdown continues, these safety precautions must not be negated,” Pioneer | Delhi | May 8, 2020

Immediately evacuate everyone from impact zone of styrene gas leak: environmentalists

Environmentalists have advised that there must be immediate evacuation of everyone from areas in proximity to the factory in Vishakhapatnam where a styrene gas leak took place as the chemical is highly toxic and causes severe health impact both in the short and long terms. Sunita Narain, director general at the Centre for Science, said styrene can be more dangerous if it reacts with oxygen in the air and converts into Styrene di-oxide. She said evacuation of people is needed and advised them to wear wet masks to protect themselves. According to India''s Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989, styrene is classified as a ''hazardous and toxic chemical''. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, transport, at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said air is the medium and the styrene gas is toxic and it is this kind of exposure that has caused the huge harm. CSE researcher Soundaram Ramanathan said the gas is still in the air and even its mild form can have health effects on people so the general practice is to wear wet masks and stay careful till the local environmental authorities say that the effect has gone and things are back to normal. "The effect can last for a few days. People should be very careful at least for the next three days. If possible nearby areas should be evacuated but it would be difficult in the present situation," she said. Due to fear of coronavirus infection, ideally people are staying indoors and it can help if they have filters or are disinfecting their houses, Ramanathan said. She said short term exposure to the gas can result in eye irritation, gastrointestinal effects while chronic long term exposure can affect the nervous system. "If it goes beyond 800 ppm then the person can go into coma," she told PTI. Sunil Dahiya, analyst with Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said one of the reasons such things happen in India is due to negligence to environmental regulations. "In terms of protecting themselves, people experiencing symptoms should immediately reach out and wear wet masks. In the long term these kind of gases will impact you for years and there must be immediate evacuation of people from exposure areas," he said. "Styrene can stay in the air for weeks. It is highly reactive, it can combine with oxygen to form styrene dioxide which is more lethal. The presence of other pollutants can also affect the reactivity. On a sudden note operating one reactor in full load can also lead to such disasters," said Thava Palanisami, Senior Scientist, Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER) & CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Australia. The CSE, in a statement, said styrene is an organic compound used in the manufacture of polymers or plastic or resins and it is a likely carcinogenic substance. "It can react with oxygen in the air to mutate into styrene dioxide which is more lethal," the CSE said. It further said the duration of the exposure and its relative concentration will determine toxicity. "We currently know that roughly 3 tonnes of the gas leaked from its storage tank and the feeding line. We now need to determine exposure," the CSE said. The environmentalists said it seems that the gas leak occurred as the plant management, in its haste to re-start the plant, ignored the protocol of doing maintenance of the plant before resuming operations. "This, combined with the lack of proper storage of the gas – not maintained at the temperature required – and faulty fixtures could have resulted in the accident. The lesson for COVID times -- Vizag could be just a tip of the iceberg," the CSE said. They advised that an immediate directive must go to all units to ensure safety while resuming operations, and these safety precautions must not be negated in case the lockdown continues. A specialised CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and medical specialists are being rushed to Vishakhapatnam where 11 people have been killed and about 1,000 affected due to the gas leak at a chemical factory, the Centre said on Thursday. Till now, 500 people belonging to 200-250 families living within a 3 km radius of the factory have been evacuated to safer places.

Immediately Evacuate Everyone Within Impact Zone Of Styrene Gas Leak: Experts

New Delhi: Environmentalists have advised everyone living in close proximity to the LG Polymers factory in Vishakhapatnam, where a styrene gas leak killed 11 people, must be immediately evacuated as the chemical is highly toxic and may have severe health impact - in the long and short run. Sunita Narain, director general at the Centre for Science, said styrene can be more dangerous if it reacts with oxygen in the air and converts into styrene dioxide. She said evacuation of people is needed and advised they should wear wet masks to protect themselves from the toxic gas. According to India's Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989, styrene is classified as a "hazardous and toxic chemical". Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Transport, at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said air is the medium and the styrene gas is toxic and it is this kind of exposure that has caused huge harm. CSE researcher Soundaram Ramanathan said the gas is still in the air and even in its mild form can have health effects on people so the general practice is to wear wet masks and stay careful till the local environmental authorities say that the effect has gone and things are back to normal. "The effect can last for a few days. People should be very careful at least for the next three days. If possible nearby areas should be evacuated but it will be difficult in the present situation," she said. Due to the fear of coronavirus, people are mostly staying indoors and it can help if they have filters or are disinfecting their houses, Ms Ramanathan said. She said short term exposure to the gas can result in eye irritation, gastrointestinal effects while chronic long term exposure can affect the nervous system. "If it goes beyond 800 ppm then the person can go into coma," she told PTI. Sunil Dahiya, analyst with Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said one of the reasons such things happen in India is due to negligence to environmental regulations. "In terms of protecting themselves, people experiencing symptoms should immediately reach out and wear wet masks. In the long term these kind of gases will impact you for years and there must be immediate evacuation of people from exposure areas," he said. "Styrene can stay in the air for weeks. It is highly reactive, it can combine with oxygen to form styrene dioxide which is more lethal. The presence of other pollutants can also affect the reactivity. On a sudden note operating one reactor in full load can also lead to such disasters," said Thava Palanisami, Senior Scientist, Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER) & CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Australia. The CSE, in a statement, said the duration of the exposure and its relative concentration will determine toxicity. "We currently know that roughly 3 tonnes of the gas leaked from its storage tank and the feeding line. We now need to determine the exposure," the CSE said. Environmentalists said it seems that the gas leak occurred as the plant management, in its haste to re-start the plant, ignored the protocol of conducting maintenance of the plant before resuming operations. "This, combined with the lack of proper storage of the gas - not maintained at the temperature required - and faulty fixtures could have resulted in the accident. The lesson for COVID times -- Vizag could be just a tip of the iceberg," the CSE said. They advised that an immediate directive must go to all units to ensure safety while resuming operations, and these safety precautions must not be negated in case the lockdown continues.

Hazardous chemical plants should be away from human habitation: Experts

The leak of styrene gas at a polymer plant in Visakhapatnam killed 11 people and led to evacuation of thousands of people in a 3- kilometre radius. Experts reckon gas leaks usually occur due to poor maintenance, and human habitation in the close vicinity of industries handling hazardous chemicals doubles the adverse impact. The leakage of styrene gas, which causes nausea and dizziness, occurred from LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd when the plant was preparing to resume production after easing of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Speaking to IANS, Nivit Kumar Yadav, senior programme manager in the industrial pollution unit at Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said "There was a temporary partial shutdown of the plant owing to the COVID pandemic, excluding maintenance activities in the plant, which were being carried out as per a pre-determined schedule. The problem began as a result of styrene gas not being stored at the appropriate temperature. This caused pressure to build up in the storage chamber and led the valve to break, resulting in the gas leakage." After the Bhopal disaster, much legislation was enacted beginning with the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991. According to the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989, styrene is classified as a hazardous and toxic chemical. He added that the container which stored styrene gas was old and not properly maintained. "However, what seems to be the case is that the plant management, in its haste to restart the plant, ignored the protocol of doing maintenance of the plant before resuming operations. This combined with the lack of proper storage of the gas - not maintained at the temperature required - and faulty fixtures could have resulted in the accident", said Yadav. Ravi Agarwal, Director at Toxics Link, said this plant was built in either 1969 or 1970 and it was storing hazardous chemicals. "Since it is an old plant, back then not many people were living in close vicinity of the plant, but gradually human habitation grew and eventually many people were living close to this plant. I term it illegal habitation. We need to create a buffer zone or shift the plant to another location, away from the human population", said Agarwal. He added after this gas leak incident, it is essential to identify plants storing hazardous chemicals that are located in close vicinity of human habitation. "Need to do re-evaluation", he added. A statement from CSE said "This (gas leak incident) shows us that there are ticking bombs out there as the lockdown ends and industries start resuming activities. Therefore, an immediate directive must go to all units to ensure safety while resuming operations -- in case the lockdown continues, these safety precautions must not be negated."

Vizag gas leak: Police book company management for causing death by negligence

The Andhra Pradesh police denied reports of a second leak from the LG Polymers plant in Visakhapatnam on Thursday night, even as several people were evacuated in a 5 km radius of the plant. The rumours were triggered after locals saw some vapours coming out of the factory. However, authorities said that this was not a cause for concern and that the gas was being neutralised. "The police are working on evacuating people up to a 5km radius from the plant. Several people have started moving out on their own as well. Residents living up to 1 km radius were already evacuated in the morning. Ambulances are also ready in case of any emergency,” District Fire Officer Sandeep Anand told TNM. He added that fire officers were also positioned at a distance for safety reasons and 10 fire tenders were also present in the area. Featured Videos from TNM 00:02 02:59 While District Fire officials initially claimed that there was a second leak from the factory in Gopalapatnam, the police denied the claim. Evacuation of people up to 5 km was taken as a precautionary measure, the authorities said. Andhra’s Director General of Police Gautam Sawang told TNM that there were discussions regarding the boiler’s stability, and scientists from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) were present. “They have also brought in coolants to neutralise temperatures in the boiler particularly effective against this chemical. The process is going on now. The leak’s smell is still hanging in the air. So, as a measure of abundant precaution, we have extended the perimeter of the evacuation because there was some discussion in the evening that the boiler’s temperature seems to be rising again, but that seems to be before this coolant material and the scientists who were flown in,” he said. The gas leak that first started at around 2.30 am on Thursday claimed at least 11 lives, including two children, and around 350 people are in hospitals across the city. Among the dead were two children, aged six and nine, a first-year medical student and two people who died while fleeing the vapours from the plant. At least 20 people on ventilator support. Besides, 246 people with health complications are undergoing treatment at Visakhapatnam's King George Hospital, police said. Thousands of residents from Gopalapatnam have been evacuated to the nearby villages. About 800 people in ground zero, R R Venkatapuram village in Gopalapatnam, were evacuated and most needed only first aid. About 22 domestic animals, including cows and buffaloes and their calves, were also killed in the incident, while some other animals are under treatment. On Thursday evening, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan reached Visakhapatnam and held a review meeting on the gas leak with the district officials. He announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of those who lost their lives. He said that those who are on ventilator support will receive a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each, and people who are hospitalised for a couple of days will receive Rs 25,000. People who received primary care and were sent back will receive a compensation of Rs 10,000, Jagan said. The licence of the Visakhapatnam chemical plant may get revoked if it is found flouting environmental norms, an environment ministry official told PTI on Thursday. An official said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is investigating the matter and a report will be submitted soon. “If the plant is found flouting environment safety norms, we will cancel its licence. It is premature to say anything else right now," the official told PTI. A preliminary report by the Factories Department indicated the leak was caused by a technical glitch in the refrigeration unit attached to the two styrene tanks, district officials said. As much as 1,800 tonnes of styrene is said to have been in the storage tank when the leakage happened. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), what seems to be the case is that the plant management, in its haste to re-start the plant, ignored the protocol of doing maintenance of the plant before resuming operations. This, combined with the lack of proper storage of the gas – not maintained at the temperature required – and faulty fixtures could have resulted in the accident. Styrene gas, used to make polystyrene plastics, fibreglass, rubber and latex, affects the central nervous system, throat, skin, eyes and some other parts of the body.

What caused the disaster in Visakhapatnam

Poor maintenance of the storage facility during the lockdown may have led to the gas leakage at the Visakhapatnam chemical factory, said the CSE in its analysis of the gas tragedy Poor maintenance of the storage facility during the lockdown may have led to the gas leakage at the Visakhapatnam chemical factory, said the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its analysis of the gas tragedy, here on Thursday. The New Delhi-based think tank looked into the details of the incident and published an independent assessment of the accident that has killed at least 11 people and left hundreds of people hospitalized. While there has been no official statement from the National Disaster Response Force on the cause of the leakage, experts said, there is a high probability that optimum temperature was not maintained in the storage facility during the lockdown. “Our investigation reveals that it is not the lockdown but restart of the plant without taking precautions to ensure safety that may have led to gas leak," environmentalist Sunita Narain, director general of CSE, New Delhi, tweeted. “Industries should have secured their premises and ensured that chemicals were safely stored. We cannot blame lockdown for their lack of action." Styrene is a common chemical compound, but classified as a ‘hazardous and toxic chemical’ under Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989. It is stable, if it is strictly stored in cold conditions, at a temperature below 17 degrees C. “But, it looks like, that the temperature was not properly maintained at the unit. This caused pressure to build up in the storage chamber and led the valve to break, resulting in the gas leakage," said Soundaram Ramanathan, deputy programme manager, industrial pollution, CSE. The plant was temporarily shut due to Covid-19, except for maintenance activities, which were being carried out as per a pre-determined schedule. According to the CSE team, roughly three tonnes of the gas was stored in the silos and the feeding line. “Styrene can stay in the air for weeks. It’s highly reactive; it can combine with oxygen to form styrene dioxide, which is more lethal. Operating one reactor in full load can also lead to such disasters," said professor Thava Palanisami, Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, University of Newcastle, Australia. Another issue was the defunct volatile organic compound detector at the plant, spread over 600 acres, which could have enabled early detection of any leakage. Over 36 years after the deadly gas leak in Bhopal, strict guidelines on storage of hazardous chemicals are still being flouted, experts said. “This shows us that there are ticking bombs out there as the lockdown ends and industries start resuming activities. Therefore, an immediate directive must go to all units to ensure safety while resuming operations," stated the assessment. Mint | Delhi | May 8, 2020

Govt asks factories to exercise caution after gas leak at Visakhapatnam plant

The announcements from the government came on a day when three separate accidents killed 11 and left several injured in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh. Union chemicals and fertilisers minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday urged all public and private chemical makers to exercise caution and care while reopening their plants that suspended operations due to the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19. Union environment ministry and state pollution control boards issued separate directives to all companies to take precautions while restarting. The announcements came on a day when three separate accidents killed 11 and left several injured in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh. All the fatalities were in Visakhapatnam, where a styrene gas leak at a polymer plant forced the evacuation of thousands of people in the 3-kilometre radius. In Tamil Nadu, a boiler at an NLC India thermal power plant in Cuddalore exploded, causing brief blaze. The incident left two workers injured, an NLC official said. “Due to pressure, there was an explosion in the boiler and it led to a flash fire injuring six workers and two technicians.” In the third incident, seven workers fell ill — three of them seriously — after inhaling poisonous gas at Shakti Paper Mill in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh, police said. The incident occurred when the victims were cleaning a recycling chamber late on Wednesday, said SP Santosh Singh. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) recommended better operational guidelines be given to the plants. “The (Visakhapatnam) leakage has happened due to irregular maintenance of storage tanks during the lockdown.Styrene must be kept at a temperature below 17C however since the plant was under partial shutdown the maintenance activities were irregular. Another industry disaster was reported at a Paper mill in Chhattisgarh -- when gas leaks affected the workers who were housekeeping at the units. The third incident was at Neyveli thermal power station. Two boilers of 210 MW capacity blasted... While these boiler units were in running condition, poor maintenance practices due to less manpower in the plant is suspected a reason for the blast. It is clear industries are in haste to restart operation post lockdown...” said Nivit K Yadav, industries researcher, CSE.

Immediately evacuate everyone from impact zone of styrene gas leak: environmentalists

Vizag gas leak: More than 1,000 people in five surrounding villages in a three-km radius have been reported sick. Catch LIVE updates BS Web Team | New Delhi May 07, 2020 Last Updated at 12:03 IST Vizag gas leakAndhra Pradesh CM meets Vizag gas leak injured. (Source: CMO AP) Vizag Gas Leak update: At least 11 people, including a minor, are reported to have died following a leakage of styrene gas at LG Polymers' Vizag plant in the early hours of Thursday. According to reports another 1,000 people reported sick after the gas spread in five villages within a three-km radius of the plant. Close to 200 people were rushed to hospitals for treatment after complaining of breathing difficulties and burning sensation in their eyes, according to early reports . Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "closely monitoring"

LG Polymers violated green norms: Centre

New Delhi: The LG Polymers’ plant in Visakhapatnam violated green rules as far as its functioning under expanded capacity is concerned, the environment ministry said on Friday after preliminary investigation. “The company applied for post-facto approval of its operation under expanded capacity to the ministry on March 17 (days before beginning of the lockdown). Since the clearance is pending, the operation of the plant is certainly a violation,” said a senior ministry official. The application details, submitted to the ministry, show that LG Polymers India Pvt. Ltd. had applied for permission to expand its capacity from 415 tonnes per day (TPD) to 655 TPD on its existing site of 213 acres. “Extent of violation on the ground will be investigated. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has already constituted a committee to probe the gas leak incident as well as sequence of events,” said the official, adding that the ministry would share all details through membersecretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The district magistrate, Vishakhapatnam, and regional office of Andhra Pradesh State Pollution Control Board were directed by the NGT on Friday to provide logistic support to the Committee in its fact-finding mission. In the meanwhile, the ministry is finalising guidelines for all industrial units in the country to ensure safety while resuming operations during and after lockdown. Since many companies resumed their operations after May 3, such guidelines would help them in smooth transition. New Delhi-based think-tank and advocacy group, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), had on Thursday pitched for such guidelines, saying the Vizag incident “could be just tip of the iceberg”. Referring to the gas leak, it said, “This shows that there are ticking bombs out there as the lockdown ends and industries start resuming activities. Therefore, an immediate directive must go to all units to ensure safety while resuming operations.” Times of India | Visakhapatnam | May 10, 2020

Vizag is a wake-up call to ensure industrial safety

The gas leak from a chemical factory in Vizag, which killed 12 people, is the most serious of three industrial accidents that have taken place since the national lockdown was eased on May 3. The other two were in Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh. That the Vizag leak happened within a kilometre from a coronavirus disease (Covid-19) red zone means that people have breached restrictions to escape the effects of the gas that has spread over a five km area. Though the numbers are far smaller, the tragedy brings back memories of the Bhopal gas leak, the worst industrial disaster in the world, which killed at least 3,800 people. The Vizag plant leak was styrene, a benzene derivative used to manufacture plastics and resin. Exposure to it causes headache, loss of hearing and irritation to the mucous membrane, among other things. It can stay in the air for weeks and combine with oxygen to form the lethal styrene dioxide. The Centre for Science and Environment said that the leak seems to have happened because of the haste to restart the plant without carrying out proper maintenance work. While the government must focus on rescue and relief for now, what is also required is a time-bound investigation to ascertain how safety was compromised and fix accountability. Reports suggest the plant has functioned without proper environmental clearances for a substantial period since it was set up. It must also be asked how the South Korean petrochemical giant, which owns LG polymers, the site of the accident, did not ensure that qualified people were in place to check systems and open the plant. What happened in Vizag should be considered a warning for other industries which are resuming operations after a lengthy lockdown. India’s industrial safety record has been patchy at the best of times. Now in the aftermath of the lockdown, it is likely to get further eroded. While it is necessary to kick-start the economic engine, it cannot be at the risk of compromising the safety of workers and those who live in the vicinity of industrial plants. If anything, with serious labour shortages and monetary challenges brought on by Covid-19, it becomes even more necessary to strengthen both public and occupational safety systems. Industries must comply with regulations, and the government must ensure that they are strictly enforced. Lives are at stake.

Ensure safety audits and prevent chemical leakages before resuming ops: CPCB advisory to states

The Central Pollution Control Board CPCB issued an advisory to all state pollution control boards by saying that states must direct all units that manufacture, store or import of hazardous chemicals to resume their operations after Covid-19-induced lockdown restrictions are lifted. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has directed all the state pollution control boards (SPCBs) to ensure all their units undertake safety and hazard audits before resuming operations after lockdown restrictions, which have been imposed to contain the spread of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, are lifted across the country. In an advisory issued to all SPCBs and committees on Friday, a day after three industrial disasters occurred, the CPCB said they must direct all the units that manufacture, store or import of hazardous chemicals to resume their operations after Covid-19-induced lockdown restrictions are lifted and take adequate steps to prevent chemical leakage or accidents. “Some serious cases of chemical leakages and industrial mishaps have been reported recently. In view of this all, the SPCBs should ensure immediate compliance of the advisory,” the note said. The SPCBs will have to ensure that pollution control equipment, connectivity of online emissions monitoring systems with the CPCB and state board servers, effluent treatment plants, including safety equipment, are kept in operational conditions before resuming operations after the lockdown restrictions are lifted. “The boards shall ensure that all units take utmost care in handling hazardous chemicals by using trained manpower,” the advisory said. “The SPCBs will closely monitor any violation of environmental norms, ensure the safety of workers and residents in the vicinity and that units comply with all conditions stipulated in the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical (Amendment) Rules, 1989, and the Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Response) Rules, 1996 without fail,” it added. “Three industrial accidents occurred on Thursday, coincidentally, when factories are reopening after relaxations from Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. One commonality among these incidents has been poor operational and maintenance practices during the lockdown and the other is a shortage of skilled staff for maintenance work. Maintaining power stations or any industries with less staff is always a risk. Such incidents in this scenario are not surprising,” industry experts said. “The toll of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions has not only pulled the economy down, but has also put lives at risk for industrial workers and townships,” said Nivit Kumar Yadav of Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) industrial pollution unit. “Styrene gas must be kept at a temperature below 17 degrees Celsius. However, since the Vishakhapatnam plant was under a partial shutdown mode, its maintenance activities were irregular. Another industrial disaster was reported at a paper mill in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, when gas leaks affected the unit’s housekeeping staff. The third incident occurred at Neyveli thermal power station, when two boilers of a 210-megawatt (MW) capacity plant blasted, and 10 people sustained injuries. While these boiler units were in a running condition, poor maintenance practices due to less manpower in the plant are being suspected as the reason for the blast. Industries are in haste to restart their operations after the lockdown restrictions are lifted, which could be detrimental to workers’ safety and that of the neighbourhood. We recommend better operational guidelines for industrial plants as they get set to resume their operations,” he added.