Hazardous Spill Cleanup

The accidental spillage of acid and alkalis in manufacturing plants and laboratories occur on a daily basis. An amphoteric buffer composed of magnesium oxide or hydroxide and magnesium sulfate can be used to not only absorb the liquid spill and suppress the emission of vapors but also neutralize it (McGillivray et al., 2004). This product is sold under the trade name 

The magnesium sulfate portion of the buffer is capable of reacting with alkaline solutions, which have a pH above the precipitation point of that of the magnesium ion, for example, sodium hydroxide, lime slurry, and ammonia solution  

This buffering effect produces a neutralized spill with a resultant pH from about 9 to 10, which is significantly less hazardous than the unneutralized spill. The incorporation of pH indicator dyes into the product produces a visual key as to whether the spill is neutralized or requires the addition of 

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This chapter addresses the potential for hazardous air emissions from environmental remediation sites. These emissions can occur at hazardous spill locations, at undisturbed remediation sites, and during cleanup of remediation sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). Air emissions may pose a potential health risk at these sites. 

WASTE DISPOSAL METHOD Disposal methods for waste DS2 and accumulated spill cleanup residues must comply with RCRA, state, and local hazardous waste regulations and procedures. If the wastes are corrosive, they have the EPA Hazardous Waste Number... 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) reproduces the EPA s list in 49CFR172.101. The list includes reportable quantities (RQs) which indicate the amount of a hazardous substance which if released to the environment triggers the reporting, spill cleanup, and financial responsibility elements of CERCLA. 

Some common types of personal protection equipment are eye and face protection for hazardous liquids and respiratory protection for airborne contaminants. Protection for some hazardous materials may involve other clothing, protective creams and lotions for skin. Infrequent activities, such as maintenance or spill cleanup tasks, may require full suits and air supply equipment. 

New Pig manufactures hazardous material spill cleanup equipment. 

Safety First Hazardous Spill Containment and Cleanup (order 64350)... 

Robinson, J. S., Hazardous Chemical Spill Cleanup, Noyes Data Corp., Park Ridge, NJ. 

One of the most important requirements in handling small-scale spills is speed of reaction. The site of the spill should be isolated and workers not directly involved in the spill cleanup kept at a safe distance. For identifiable spills, the hazards are considered and appropriate personal protection worn with breathing apparatus if necessary. For spills of unknown substances it is best to wear full personal protection, including breathing apparatus. Solids that... 

Reach someone who is either knowledgeable of the hazardous waste being shipped and has comprehensive emergency response and spill cleanup/incident mitigation information for the material being shipped or has immediate access to a person who has that knowledge and information about the shipment. 

All laboratories that handle hazardous chemicals shall have an appropriate supply of spill cleanup kits. The supply must be capable of containing or cleaning up small, known chemical releases. Laboratory personnel should not attempt to clean up a spill of hazardous chemicals if appropriate spill cleanup supplies and protective equipment are not available or if the chemical or level of exposure hazard is unknown. In these cases, contact ESD for assistance. Laboratory sinks should be periodically inspected for leaks, and traps should be kept full of water to prevent drain vapors from entering the laboratory. 

A Hazardous materials cleanup kits and equipment A Decontamination equipment A Chemical protective suits for cleanup and recovery A Facility warning systems, alarms, signs A Spill absorbents... 

The best use of doUar resources will determine the best approach to the effective use of the money available. Programs that may require sampling are hazardous chemicals, radiation, and noise. If new chemicals are to be put to use, this may require more sampling than previously. If OSHA citations have been issued then more sampling may be necessary to maintain compliance. The presence of hazardous waste may require training in spill containment and remediation as well as contracts for disposal and spill cleanup or remediation. The health issues involved in the company s operation may result in special types of personal protective equipment being needed and purchases. Training will be needed on the use of the equipment, which is a cost factor in loss of production and time and must be accounted for. 

Deactivation may include removal of hazardous materials, chemical contamination, spill cleanup. 

Hand protection for particular hazards must be properly selected. For chemical exposures from handling hazardous chemicals or spill cleanup situations, knowing more about a glove s resistance factor can provide greater protection. 

The technical differences between site problems at RCRA facilities and CERCLA sites sometimes may be difficult to distinguish, owing to similarities in present or past uses of the site, in hydrogeologic setting, and/or in the types of substances disposed, spilled, or otherwise managed at the site. Consequently, many technical aspects of the study and remediation of releases of hazardous wastes and constituents from RCRA facilities often will closely parallel those at Superfund sites, and cleanups under both statutes must achieve similar goals for protection of public health and the environment. Additionally, activities which would be termed removal actions or expedited response actions under CERCLA may be undertaken by owners and operators under RCRA. In the RCRA context, such actions are termed interim measures, as will be discussed in subsequent chapters. 

OSHA s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) legislation protects workers who respond to emergencies, such as serious spills, involving hazardous materials. It also covers those employed in cleanup operations at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and at EPA-licensed waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. 

Removal actions are short-term cleanup actions that usually address problems only at the surface of a site. They are conducted in response to an emergency situation (e.g., to avert an explosion, to clean up a hazardous waste spill, or to stabilize a site until a permanent remedy can be found). Removal actions are limited to 12 months duration or 2 million in expenditures, although in certain cases these limits may be extended. Removals may occur at any point in time after the PA has been conducted. 

Both removal and remedial actions may be carried out at the same site. To accomplish these tasks, CERCLA has given cleanup authority to U.S. EPA, has established the Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund (Superfund) to finance the remedial actions at CERCLA sites, has initiated a procedure for the emergency response to accidental spills, and has imposed cleanup liability on those responsible. The National Contingency Plan (NCP) was developed in 1982 and in 1985 as the regulatory framework to guide these responses. 

The central purpose of CERCLA is to provide a response mechanism for cleanup of any hazardous substance released, such as an accidental spill, or of a threatened release of a hazardous substance (Nordin et al., 1995). Section 102 of CERCLA is a catchall provision because it requires regulations to establish that quantity of any hazardous substance the release of which shall be reported pursuant to Section 103 of CERCLA. Thus, under CERCLA, the list of potentially responsible parties (PRPs) can include all direct and indirect culpable parties who have either released a hazardous substance or violated any statutory provision. In addition, responsible private parties are liable for cleanup actions and/or costs as... 

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