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12 | 24 | 2015 VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 52
KINGS WIN FINAL GAME GOING INTO CHRISTMAS BREAK SPORTS PAGE 9
COMMENT PAGE 6
WHATEVER YOUR TAKE, HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS
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Santa’s little helpers break into song Chemtura quickly contains small chemical spill Release of BLE 25 was on a much different scale than 2010 incident that saw product spray out over Elmira STEVE KANNON
Students at St. Boniface Catholic School in Maryhill got into the holiday spirit on Dec. 16 with their annual Christmas concert, which included plenty of Christmas carols, plays, and groovy dancing requiring some serious shades. [WHITNEY NEILSON / THE OBSERVER]
E V I S S MA F OF .. L L E S INUES. CONT
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MONDAY’S SPILL AT THE Chemtura plant was much smaller in scope and scale than the 2010 release of the same chemical. In that incident, some 4,200 kilograms of BLE 25, a mixture of diphenylamine and acetone used as an antioxidant in the making of some rubber products, was sprayed over a swath of Elmira. This time, less than 50 kg escaped, most of it caught up in a containment tank. A small amount made its way into the Canagagigue, but it was collected before leaving the site. Dwight Este, the plant’s environment, health and safety manager, said Tuesday the cause was still under investigation, but the circumstances were different from the incident on Sept. 27, 2010. Production on BLE 25 has been halted pending discovery of what happened and the implementation of processes to
avoid a repeat, he added. The containment system was largely effective – “the designs were successful” – and none of the material made it off the property, said Este. “Anything that we saw, we were able to catch and vacuum up.” Booms were placed in the Canagagigue Creek, containing the material that had formed a sheen on the surface of the water. Vacuum trucks collected the material, as was the case on the roadway leading to the creek, he explained. Unlike the 2010 incident, the company immediately notified Woolwich officials. Given the size of the release, there was nothing for firefighters to deal with, however, said township deputy fire chief Dale Martin. “Nobody was in any danger at any point,” said Martin, who is the community SPILL | 4
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