Location	Date	Description	Number of people affected			Incident Type
			Evacuated	Injured	Killed
Kennedy Siding, B.C., Canada	1995 12 08	...application for a permit filed by BC Rail on January 5, 1997, was to dispose of 2,070 tonnes of sulphur that was the result of a freight train derailment on December 8, 1995, 5 miles north of Kennedy Siding and 113 miles north of Prince George where twenty-three cars of sulphur derailed....the sulphur in question was removed and taken to a landfill in Alberta.	unknown	unknown	unknown	Derailment
Western Cape Province, South Africa	1995 12 16	A massive fire at a sulfur stockpile in the Western Cape Province of South Africa in December 1995 is estimated to have released over 14,000 t of sulfur dioxide [it requires 5,000 t of sulphur to burn to produce 14,000 t of SO2 gas] over a 20-h period. High and persistent winds [from 28 to 43 kmh] greatly reduced the effectiveness of fire-fighting activities and increased the severity of impacts. Nearby urban and agricultural areas were seriously affected. Thousands of people were evacuated from the nearby town of Macassar located 2.5–4 km downwind, and at least several deaths occurred. Update 2003 06 17: Macassar residents compensated after evacuation from toxic cloud — Four hundred and eighty residents of Macassar have received a total of more than R1.3 million in compensation. This comes more than seven years after thousands of Macassar residents were evacuated to escape a toxic cloud after AECI’s sulphur dump in Somerset West, had caught fire. Further claims are reportedly in the pipeline from residents who claim to have suffered medical ailments as a result of the fire. At the weekend, 44 people received compensation from AECI. Each claimant was paid between R2,700 and R3,150. Two men died from asthma attacks on the day the dump caught fire in December 1995. (More on the causes and consequences of the Macassar sulphur fire)	3,000 -5,000	15,000	9	Sulphur storage fire
Conrad, British Columbia, Canada	1997 03 26	At 0606 Pacific standard time on 26 March 1997, Canadian National train No. Q-102-51-26 (train 102), travelling from Boston Bar, British Columbia, to Kamloops, British Columbia, on the Ashcroft Subdivision encountered a large roadbed depression and derailed at Mile 106.15, near Conrad, British Columbia. Both crew members were fatally injured. The Board determined that an extraordinary volume of surface water run-off from melting heavy snow cover and high seasonal precipitation was not captured and carried away as intended by the drainage system above the adjacent Trans-Canada Highway. The water soaked into the ground, migrated through the highway fills, and infiltrated and destabilized the railway subgrade. The railway subgrade could not sustain the resultant high pore pressure and collapsed. Contributing factors included the presence of moisture-sensitive alluvial deposits in the bottom area of the railway subgrade and the overlapping nature of the highway fills which created a contiguous groundwater flow path into the railway fills. ...At approximately 0645, a maintenance-of-way employee discovered the two locomotives and numerous double-stacked container cars from train 102 at the bottom of a large depression in the railway subgrade at Mile 106.15. Loaded, open hopper sulphur cars from westward unit sulphur train R-711-51-22 (train 711), stored on the adjacent siding, were also observed derailed, in and around the depression. Some of the derailed sulphur cars had overturned and spilled their contents. Fuel had leaked from the derailed locomotives and ignited. The resulting fire had engulfed the derailed equipment and scattered container contents, but the spilt sulphur was unaffected....	—	—	2	Derailment and fire
Nikiski, Alaska	1997 09 16	...a Lynden Transport truck traveling on the Sterling Highway transporting two containers of sulfur from the Tesoro Chemical Plant in Nikiski to Homer spilled one of the containers along the bank and into the Ninilchik River at the Ninilchik River Bridge.    The sulfur spilled down the bank and across the width of the river.    The sulfur also settled a short distance downstream covering small portions of the river bed.    Two small areas of sulfur ignited and burned. Because burning sulfur may produce irritating or toxic sulfur dioxide gases, area residents were evacuated to nearby fair grounds as a safety precaution. The fires have been extinguished, and the residents have returned to their homes.    The product spilled is dried sulfur, a by-product of desulfurization of crude oil at the Tesoro Chemical Plant in Nikiski.	?	—	—	Transport spill and fire
Interstate 26, Polk County, USA	1998 12 07-09	At the crash site, moisture in the air had reacted with the spilled sodium hydrosulphite creating a fire and causing the emission of sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere. An eight-mile stretch of the highway was closed and approximately 100 residents evacuated from the area due to the spill and subsequent fire.	~100	—	—	Sodium hydrosulphite spill and fire
Contra Costa County, CA, USA	2002 01 31	Contra Costa County Refinery Release Hospitalizes 20     A sulfur dioxide, sulfur trioxide, and hydrogen sulfide release from Chevron's Richmond, CA Refinery led to a community shelter in place command throughout the area near the refinery. Around 20 people were treated at area hospitals for complaints attributed to the release, including dizziness and burning eyes and throat. The malfunction of a sulfur removal unit prompted Chevron to report the release at 1:06 p.m., according to a time line released by Chevron. At 1:26 p.m., refinery employees determined the cloud could drift off-site and instructed county officials to activate all of the city's 22 warning sirens, including those in San Pablo.	unknown	~20	—	Venting
Jervis Bay, Australia	2002 02 03	Seven sailors were hospitalized after being affected by a hydrogen sulphide leak on board the HMAS Melbourne.	7	7	—	Hydrogen Sulphide Leak
Delaware, Louisiana, USA	2002 02 10	More than 1,000 tons of molten sulfur spilled from a storage tank at the General Chemical plant in Delaware, injuring one worker, officials said. General Chemical officials estimated that 1,000 to 2,000 tons of sulfur spilled from the tank, and that 100 to 200 pounds flowed into a cooling water trench leading to the Delaware River. No environmental damage was reported. The spill led to a fire at the tank site the following day morning. Source: CSB CIRC	unknown	1	—	Spill & Fire
Chembur, India	2002 02 11	A major fire broke out in the high chimney of a sulphur removal plant at an electric company.	unknown	unknown	unknown	Fire
Claymont, DE	2002 02 11	A leak in a 30-year-old tank spilled up to 2,000 tons of molten sulphur, starting a four hour fire. One worker was hurt when he fell and some of the molten sulphur entered his glove.	—	1	—	Fire
Kalgoorlie, Australia	2002 02 18	A fire broke out in a sulphuric acid plant. No injuries were reported and the nickel smelter was not affected.	—	—	—	Fire
Paradip, India	2002 03 18	A fire at a chemical plant warehouse storing about 15,000 tons of sulfur caused extensive damage.	unknown	unnown	unknown	Fire
Richmond, CA, USA	2002 05 03	On May 3, 2002, it was reported that five lawsuits have been filed on behalf of some 2,000 Richmond, California residents alleging injuries and lost wages as the result of a chemical release from a General Chemical sulfuric acid recycling facility last year. The residents are also seeking medical expenses and damages for emotional distress. When the release occurred last May, involving 420 pounds of sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide, over 150 people went to local hospitals for treatment for eye and throat irritations and headaches. Associated Press 5/3/02	unknown	>150	unknown	Venting
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada	2002 12 04	At 0055 mountain standard time on 04 December 2002, eastward Canadian Pacific Railway freight train 614-046, proceeding toward Dunmore, Alberta, from Lethbridge, Alberta, derailed 42 loaded non-pressure tank cars of molten sulphur at Mile 11.8 of the Taber Subdivision, near Bullshead, [and about 8 miles west of Medicine Hat,] Alberta. Ten tank cars were breached, spilling molten sulphur, which caught fire. Approximately 20 people were evacuated from farms near the accident site as a precaution due to the toxic nature of the smoke. There were no injuries. [Note: As of today, some of the owners of the farms that were evacuated are still trying to receive compensation for their losses.  Except for a case in which a private settlement took place, not a dime has been received by them so far, and the site restoration - contracted to HAZCO - is said to be far from satisfactory.  One of the land owners affected stated that HAZCO abandoned the reclamation effort.]	~20	1 (Source)	none	Derailment and fire
Near Louviers, Douglas Counties, CO, USA	2002 12 18	A derelict tanker car that was being cut up for scrap metal still contained a large amount of sulfur [still about one-quarter full with an estimated 30 tons of sulphur] and the cutting torches ignited the material, according to Andy Lyon, public information officer with South Metro. Whenever fire was put out, it reignited.	Unknown number of people	Unknown number of people	none	Fire
New Orleans, USA	2003 10 24	Officials of the Chevron Oronite Oak Point plant acknowledged a leak of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide Wednesday at 5:10 p.m. after a sulfur recovery unit went down, causing a vent system to overpressurize.	78	78	—	Venting
Mosul, Iraq	2003 06 25	Firefighters and U.S. Army engineers were close to declaring victory July 8 over a stubborn fire at a sulfur plant near Mosul, Iraq, that has burned since June 25, spewing toxic fumes that killed two residents of nearby villages and forced the evacuation of the surrounding area.	unknown	unknown	2	Sulphur storage fire (suspected arson)
			About 25 villages and the cities of Qayyarah, Al Shurah and Makhmur have been affected by the fumes.
Khoransan Province, Iran	2004 02 18	Forty-eight of the cars (17 loaded with sulfur, 6 with gasoline, 7 with fertilizer, and 10 with cotton) derailed, burned and exploded See also Train explosion in Iran	unknown	460	328	Derailment, fire and explosion
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada (The link to that article no longer functions.  Try another link.)	2005 02 07	A new air quality report says Irving Oil exceeded the province's air pollution limits 47 times in 2003, but the company only paid a single fine of $C3,000 for allowing excessive discharges of sulphur dioxide.	unknown	unknown	unknown	Venting
Handan, China	2005 05 19	Five persons were killed by hydrogen sulphide at a brewery. Two employees were overwhelmed as they checked equipment at the sewage pool. Four other brewery employees and five fire-fighters went into the facility to rescue the workers, and a total of seven had to be rushed to a hospital. Five of those died.	7	7	5	Venting
Paramount, CA, USA	2005 05 23	A sulphur dioxide release at a refinery sent 19 schoolchildren to hospitals with complaints of respiratory problems and nausea.	19	19	—	Venting
Hornby, Christchurch, NZ	2005 05 26	Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-op. A fire broke out in sulphur at a fertiliser plant.	unknown	unknown	unknown	Fire
Fraser Valley B.C., Canada	2005 08 31	A Canadian National freight train left the tracks in B.C.’s Fraser Valley Aug. 31. The westbound train consisting of two locomotives and 97 cars derailed near Cheam View. The train was loaded with dry sulphur.	unknown	unknown	unknown	Derailment
Oklahoma County, US	2005 11 15	Up to eight cars of Burlington Northern train derailed in rural part of Oklahoma County, spilling molten sulphur from one or more cars; area evacuated until nature of spill was determined.	Unknown	unknown	unknown	Derailment
Guizhou province's Xifeng county, China	2007 04 19	300 Chinese villagers still hospitalized after sulfur dioxide gas cloud from fertilizer plant ASSOCIATED PRESS BEIJING – About 300 villagers remained in the hospital after a huge discharge of sulfur dioxide gas from a chemical plant in southwestern China, state media said Thursday. Fourteen were seriously ill from the leak, which was caused Monday by an equipment malfunction at the fertilizer plant in Guizhou province's Xifeng county, the official Xinhua News Agency said....(Full Story — off-site, related story)	>300	>300 (14 seriously)	unknown	Venting
Zama City, Alberta, Canada	2008 08 15	A sulphur-block fire at the Apache gas plant 15 km south-west of Zama City was started by a front-end loader used to break up the sulphur block. An evacuation order for the more than 250 residents of Zama City was issued. The fire was started at 1 p.m., had been "contained around 5:45 p.m. and the evacuation order was rescinded." (Full Story, detailed comments)	>250	3	—	Sulphur-storage fire
Dunkirk, France	2009 03 21	Fire at French sulphur-processing facility LILLE, France -- Authorities warned some 80,000 people in northern France to stay home and close their windows and doors for nearly five hours Saturday after a large cloud of sulphur leaked from a chemicals factory.... ...Dozens of rescuers and chemicals teams fanned out near the chemicals factory in an industrial suburb of Dunkirk where a fire broke out around 5 am. The alert was called off nearly six hours later. The site converts liquid sulphur into a solid....(Full Story) _____________ Note by folc.ca: The emission incident happened in Dunkirk and was caused by a fire at a sulphur processing facility. The fire produced a large volume of sulphur-dioxide gas. There was no evacuation of people in the vicinity, but 80,000 people were ordered to stay indoors. Eight people breathed in the sulphur dioxide and required treatment. Two people remained in hospital for observation.	80,000 No evacuation, but people were warned to stay indoors	8	—	Fire at sulphur-processing facility

Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) Toxicity Table
Concentration (ppm)	Effects
2	8-hour occupational exposure limit
3 - 5	begin to smell gas
6 - 50	15-minute occupational exposure limit
>100	immediate danger to life, immediate feeling of suffocation
From Canadian Safety Council, Data Sheet, Occupational Safety and Health and Province of Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, Chemical Hazards Regulations Source: Kick's Emergency Response Plan (a document worth reading to understand what we may and most likely will have to deal with in responding to disasters in relation to the proposed Hazco sulphur storage site in Lamont County)

Keep in mind that all that Hazco has produced along those lines during its ostensibly project-long public information process is the following statement in its public relation brochure that was made available for the little-advertised open house they held for County of Lamont Residents earlier in 2005:

"...a facility emergency response plan will be developed in cooperation with local emergency response officials."  (* Integrated Industrial Railway Park & Alberta Sulphur Terminals Ltd.; Lamont County 35-055-20 W4M); by Hazco, April 2005)

It is very doubtful that our fire teams will measure up to the task of dealing with such fires.  For one thing, it appears that they never yet had to put out a sulphur fire.  Aside from that, what will the fire teams do first in the event of such a fire, attempt to put out the fire or attempt to put the residents in the vicinity of the storage site out of harm's way?  Where will the evacuated residents spend their days until the fire is out and until it is safe to move back home to repair the damages?
   In the case of the sulphur storage fire in Western Cape Province, South Africa, thousands of people several kilometers away from the fire had to be evacuated.  Hundreds of those people required medical treatment.
   What is the design for environmental monitoring and early warning facilities and procedures in connection with the Hazco sulphur storage site?  Is that finished or is it, too, considered to be a small detail that will be dealt with after the fact?

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