By Richard T. Cartwright, PE, CHMM, (IHMM, AHMP and APICS) Fellow
The saying, “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it” is more than a cliché. It is a reminder that we must constantly be learning from the past. Here’s a look back at major historical events that happened today in the world of hazardous materials.
April 4, 1983
The Space Shuttle Challenger made its maiden voyage. On its 10th launch (January 28, 1986), Challenger and its crew of seven died 73 seconds after launch when a booster failure caused the craft to break apart.
April 4, 1973
New York’s World Trade Center construction was completed. Its twin towers, rising 1,350 feet above Manhattan, were the world’s tallest buildings at the time. The World Trade Center was the world’s largest commercial complex before it was destroyed during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
April 4, 1972
The first electric power plant fueled by municipal solid waste (garbage) began operating in St. Louis. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided financial support for the power plant’s coal-fired boiler supplemented by shredded refuse. The project’s benefits included an environmentally acceptable way to dispose of solid waste, reduce fossil fuel consumption and provide cost savings to both the utility and the city.
April 4, 1951
The Williston Basin & Bakken shale formation, which stretches from the Dakotas into Canada, was discovered. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates there are 4.3 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil in the U.S. portion of this world-class formation. Intensive application of horizontal wells combined with hydraulic fracturing technology has dramatically increased oilfield production in the Bakken formation.
April 4, 1933
The U.S. Navy airship, Akron (filled with helium), plunged into the Atlantic Ocean during a violent thunderstorm. Due to miscommunication, dirigible crew members sent the Akron directly into the storm instead of around it. The storm’s winds caused it to plunge nearly 1,000 feet in a few seconds. Its crew made a second fatal mistake: the blimp’s water ballast was dumped to make the flying ship rise. However, the ballast dump thrust it up too far, too fast. Critical devices and cables were destroyed, and all control was lost. Only three of the Akron’s 76 crew members survived the disaster.
April 4, 1932
Glen King, American research team leader, isolated vitamin C. This medical and scientific breakthrough was achieved by extracting components from lemon juice. After consuming thousands of lemons, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh isolated a crystalline substance, identified, and later synthesized vitamin C. Their discovery led to preventing the disease scurvy, long a source of human suffering.
Historical hazardous materials management events are posted 365 days a year at this LinkedIn discussion group.
