Chemical spill sickens 20 people; 3,000 flee homes

[omad]

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Chemical spill sickens 20 people; 3,000 flee homes

MANILA -- At least 20 people were sent to a hospital and 3,000 others fled their homes Tuesday following a spill of a noxious, unknown chemical near a river, officials said.

Residents of Marilao, an agricultural and industrial town 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Manila, complained of dizziness and vomiting due to the odor coming from the chemical-laced river, the Office of Civil Defense said in a report.

Villagers, their noses covered with handkerchiefs and some carrying infants bundled in blankets, left their homes before dawn.

The Office of Civil Defense said 3,000 people sought shelter in village and municipal halls to escape the foul odor, and at least 20 were hospitalized due to vomiting and dizziness.

Several infants and toddlers were rushed to a nearby hospital, where their mothers told doctors the children had difficulty breathing, while some vomited.

One resident, Carlos Clemente, told ABS-CBN television he saw a truck dumping a liquid into a creek near the river, then rushing away.

The oily substance contaminated a farm and the nearby river, the report said.

full story
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I hope these people (dumping toxic waste on rivers, creeks and oceans) would be punished severely.. wishful thinking, I know, but I do hope this act stops before something turns "mutant" on all of us...

[godCode]

mura na dakpan na ang ga yabo sa chemicals didto sa dagat. lami kaayo bitayon kay ang usa sigi ngisi ngisi...

[grabehbebe]

"Ban toxic materials from school labs"
-http://www.tribune.net.ph/metro/20061130met1.html

The team tasked to handle the investigation of the chemical disaster at the San Isidro National High School (SINHS) has called for a nationwide banning of mercury compound and other toxic materials from school laboratories to prevent similar disasters in the future.

Nine persons were treated for chemical poisoning last Sunday afternoon but eight of them were already released from the hospital as a result of a chemical spill at the school’s Science Laboratory on the fourth floor.

The proposal was made by the inter-agency committee on environmental health which took note of the possibility of other schools committing the same mistake by stocking large amounts of chemicals in their laboratories.

“The schools should not be housing so many chemicals in their laboratories for science experiments,” Dr. Irma Macalinao, UP professor of pharmacology and toxicology, said at a press conference at the Makati city hall.

Macalinao suggested that schools be guided on proper stewardship of chemicals and at the same time promote the danger of stockpiling toxic chemicals in schools.

“The other schools should now check on their laboratories if they contain chemicals that are potential cause of accidents. It’s easier to prevent than to treat or respond to an accident,” she said.

The inter-agency committee is composed of the Department of Health (DoH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Occupational Safety and Hazards Center and National Poison Center.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay said the clean-up operation may still take five more days, adding he will continue to call the suspension of classes on a day-to-day basis.

The mayor said the city government is in a hurry looking for private company that will handle the transport and disposal of collected chemicals, bottles and other debris inside the laboratory rooms.

The debris, such as dust and sand that have been used as absorbent, are now being kept in sealed containers and are still inside the school premises waiting for transporters.

Dr. Elena Ruiz of the Makati Department of Education already issued a memorandum tasking all school principals, supervisors and school building coordinators on the proper storage and safekeeping of laboratory chemicals and other equipment.

Ruiz said the disaster at the SINHS serves as a wake-up call to all school heads to look into the manner by which laboratory chemicals and other instructional equipment are stored or kept.

School officials were already directed to inspect their storage cabinets and ensure that they are not overloaded, chemical containers are sealed, acids and other combustible chemicals are kept in cool places.

Authorities said there are certain steps still to be taken once the clean-up is completed before clearance to occupy the building will be issued by DoH.

The Occupational Safety and Hazards Standards will have to conduct mercury level analysis in the building while the DENR will do the external environmental analysis. The whole process might take five days at least.