Refinery Explosion

Without skirting around the loss of life and the bravery of the emergency services who have been battling for days to extinguish the blaze I really want to address some of the long term implications of this disaster.

I'm very concerned about the sheer quantities of fumes, smoke and soot that has been released into the atmosphere, people are being told to 'stay indoors' and 'keep doors and windows closed'. I see this much like the American 'duck and cover' advice that was given to the American public during the Bay of Pigs escalation. What you were meant to do in the event of an 'atomic attack' - "When you see the flash, duck and cover." The informational film of the time showed a stereotypical 50's American family observe the flash and then jump underneath thier picnic cloth. I really didn't have any idea that picnic cloths could be so useful, flame and heat resistant to temperatures of several thousand degrees!

In the same grain the environment will suffer badly due to the disaster near Hemel Hempstead. As the tower of ash and soot falls it will spread itself over farms, businesses, residential areas and finally that huge quantity of toxins will find it's way into the water. The cost will be easy to observe as the toll on local wildlife will be immense, it is fortunate that most wildlife is either in hibernation or migrated due to the time of year but we must remember that toxins such as petro-carbons and benzine have long lives and high levels of contamination.

A quick search on the Internet or a public library will turn up many buildings in your local area that have been used for the storage of oil and oil products. These buildings are too expensive to demolish safely due to contamination and they are equally expensive to clean up. Essentially this disaster has cut a seventy mile swathe of poison across the UK and the effects in years to come may well be fatal.

Benzine is a particularly nasty substance here is it's chemical profile with regard to proven hazards to human health:
Exposure to chemical substances can cause adverse effects on the nervous system (Neurotoxicity). Chemicals toxic to the central nervous system can induce confusion, fatigue, irritability, and other behavioral changes. Exposure to methyl mercury and lead cause central nervous system toxicity, and can also cause degenerative diseases of the brain (encephalopathy). Chemicals toxic to the peripheral nervous sytem affect how nerves carry sensory information and motor impulses from the brain to the rest of the body. The organic solvents carbon disulfide, n-hexane,and trichloroethylene can harm the peripheral nervous system, resulting in weakness in the lower limbs, tingling in the limbs (paresthesia), and loss of coordination.

Then of course there is good old oil based petro-chemicals:
Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicants
Exposure to chemical substances can cause adverse effects on the the gastrointestinal tract, liver, or gall bladder (gastrointestinal and liver toxicity). The gastrointestinal tract is the site of entry for chemicals that are ingested. Exposure to halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, including chlorobenzene and hexachlorobenzene, and metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium can cause anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. The liver is frequently subject to injury induced by chemicals because of its role as the body's principal site of metabolism. Necrosis, or liver cell death, is a common effect of acute exposure to chemicals. Carbon tetrachloride and related chemicals, such as chloroform, are linked to cirrhosis of the liver. Cancer of the liver has been associated with occupational exposures to arsenic, copper, and vinyl chloride.

Nice eh!

The question that is really on my mind is who gets to pay for the clean up operation? Who will foot the bill for all the health related problems that we will be seeing in the future? I'm guessing there is billions of pounds worth there... but I'm also guessing that it will be the British Tax Payer that foots this bill. It seems somewhat unfair considering that the these petro-chemical companies are some of the most cash rich organisations on the face of the planet.