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.
January 10, 1997
Dow Corning, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Baxter Healthcare agreed to a $3 billion settlement for a breast implant class action lawsuits. According to the manufacturers, there was no scientific evidence that the implants were harmful. They agreed to settle to put the expensive litigation behind them. Up to 2 million women had silicone breast implants. Some women and doctors said the devices caused autoimmune disorders, lupus, connective tissue disorders, and scleroderma, which is a progressive hardening and thickening of the skin and internal organs.
January 10, 1984
Rita Lavelle, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deputy director, was sentenced to six months in jail for perjury involving irregularities with Superfund toxic waste cleanup money, especially around the Stringfellow acid pits in southern California. The Lavelle incident was labeled “Sewergate” by the news media. She was also convicted in a separate case involving toxic waste fraud in 2004.
January 10, 1962
An avalanche in Ranrahirca, Peru destroyed nine towns and seven villages, where 4,000 people died. The edge of a giant glacier suddenly broke apart and thundered down the mountain. The block of ice was the size of two skyscrapers and weighed 6 million tons. The avalanche traveled 9.5 miles in only 7 minutes.
January 10, 1901
After nine years of exploratory drilling, oil was discovered near Beaumont, Texas. The Lucas Gusher blew oil more than 150 feet skyward and produced 100,000 barrels per day. It took nine days to cap the oil well. The Spindletop oil field discovery marked what many consider the birth of the modern petroleum industry. Petroleum had been used in the U.S. primarily as a lubricant and in kerosene for lamps. It soon became a main fuel source for new inventions such as cars and airplanes. Crude oil is a natural mix of hundreds of different hydrocarbon compounds trapped in underground rock. These hydrocarbons were formed millions of years ago when tiny aquatic plants and animals died and settled on the bottom of ancient waterways, creating a thick layer of organic material. Sediment later covered this material, putting heat and pressure on it and transforming it into the petroleum that comes out of the ground today.
January 10, 1877
Frederick Cottrell, American educator and scientist, was born. He invented the industrial electrostatic precipitator, which eliminates suspended particles from streams of gases. Electrostatic precipitators are widely used to reduce air pollution by smoke from power plants and dust from cement kilns and other industrial sources. Cottrell contributed to the development of a process for separating helium from natural gas. He was instrumental in establishing the American synthetic ammonia industry.
January 10, 1860
A large cotton mill in Lawrence, Mass. collapsed without warning, where more than 120 people died. The cause of the disaster was faulty iron pillars which supported the floors, and under-strength mortar which bonded the brick walls together.
Historical hazardous materials management events are posted 365 days a year at this LinkedIn discussion group.
