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In Wayne County, heavy
public opposition and the threat of lawsuits that would hold up the
project caused Flexible Foam to look to Archbald. Source: Scranton
Times.
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Flexible Foam Products
in 1996, ranked 13th in the top 25 worst polluters of companies
and facilities releasing the greatest amount of recognized carcinogens.
Source: Sierra Club.
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Lackawana County residents
already face a cancer risk from air pollutants up to 54 times higher
than what the federal standards consider safe according to an EPA
assessment this year. Source: Scranton Times.
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Flexible Foam Products
will be transporting into our community, using in their manufacturing
process and emitting into the air several know hazardous, toxic and
carcinogenic substances including toluene diisocyanate (TDI). According
to the EPA, repeated exposure to TDI causes cumulative decrease in
lung function. The EPA considers five of these substances to be hazardous
to human health and to the environment. Three of these five are known
carcinogens which even at acceptable emission levels are dangerous
to humans, particularly the elderly, children, pregnant women and
their fetuses, plant and water life. Source: Various including
Archbald Borough Council, EPA.
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Flexible Foam Products
emissions permit for the proposed Archbald plant will allow them to
release 39.04 ton of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into
the air on an annual basis. Source: DEP.
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Flexible Foam Products
has been put on OSHAs 2001 (Occupational Safety and Health Administrations)
watch list of companies put on notice to fix safety and health hazards.
Source: OSHA.
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In July 2002, Flexible
Foam Products in Portage, Wisconsin was cited by OSHA for wrongly
storing flammable and combustible materials a serious
violation, and for not having a written plan in place telling
employees what to do in case of an emergency. Source: Portage Daily
Register.
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Flexible Foam Products
claims that the manufacturing process to be used in its proposed Arcbald
plant is a safer process the same as used
in its facility in Portage, Wisconsin. Source: Jim Siddons
Borough Council President.
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In 2002 alone, four fires
have broken out at the Portage Wisconsin facility. These fires have
resulted in evacuations, responses by HAZMAT Teams and emergency medical
technicians, and the wash down and treatment of 12 employees
at hospitals for exposure to fumes from an improperly mixed batch
of polyurethane foam. According to a hospital spokesperson, toluene
(TDI) exposure can cause respiratory problems, affect the nervous
system and cause pulmonary edema. Source: Portage Daily Register.
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In response to the above
mentioned fire, Jim Whisman, manager of the foam line and a 29 year
veteran had this to say: If the water ratio isnt just
right during the transition of one foam to another, a chemical reaction
can produce too much heat and begin to fume. If not caught in
time, the foam can burst into flames.
Every foam plant in the USA has these hot transitions.
The misfortune of today was the wind blowing the wrong way
Source: Portage Daily Register.
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In one fire, the burning
foam produced a dense, black smoke through which the source of the
fire could only be detected with a thermal imaging camera. Source:
Portage Daily Register.
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Archbald Borough doesnt
have the capability to respond to a HAZMAT spill according to Lackawana
County Emergency Management Agency. The county would need to send
out either TEEM Environmental or Datom Products to respond. The response
time would be 20 minutes minimum. Source: LCEMA
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According to PA DEP storage
tank office in Harrisburg, Flexible Foam has submitted a construction
permit to install 4 above ground storage tanks for 6,000 gallon of
Aromatic Oil combustible; 6,000 gallon of Methyl Diisocyanate
(MDI) very flammable; two 12,000 gallons of TDI, very flammable.
Source: PADEP.
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Flexible Foam Products
is seeking a permit that would allow them to store a total of 24,000
gallons of TDI. According to the BASF Corp. TDI Handbook, A LARGE
SPILL WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AS ONLY 10 GALLONS REQUIRES
A DECLARATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
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THREE OF VALLEY VIEWS
SCHOOLS WHICH COMPRISE 2600 STUDENTS ARE LOCATED WITHIN APPROX. 1
¼ MILE PROXIMITY OF THE PROPOSED PLANT SITE. Source: VV School
Board.