Fort Saskatchewan Record (Canada): Shell sorry for delay: “Shell Chemicals is apologizing for the delay in warning its neighbours of a March 14 chemical leak.”: ”On the day of the leak, Shell’s incident commander, Ted Oud, told media that calls went out about 15 minutes after the incident. That was a misunderstanding, says company spokesperson Beverly Loat.” (ShellNews.net) Posted 7 April 05

by Andrew Thompson

of Fort Saskatchewan Record

Wednesday April 06, 2005

Sherwood Park News — Shell Chemicals is apologizing for the delay in warning its neighbours of a March 14 chemical leak.

The leak, from a storage tank containing styrene and ethyl-benzene, started at around 9:45 a.m. and sent out a cloud of vapour southeast of the plant on Secondary Highway 830 and Twp Rd 560.

But neighbouring residents weren’t notified until they started receiving personal calls from the company about an hour and 45 minutes after the leak began. Maureen Chichak, who lives about two kilometres east of the plant, said her family got a call at 11:30 a.m. Ruby Beaman, one of Chichak’s neighbours, said she received a call at 11:45 a.m. She said she had to call back in the afternoon to see if it was safe for her children when they returned from school.

On the day of the leak, Shell’s incident commander, Ted Oud, told media that calls went out about 15 minutes after the incident. That was a misunderstanding, says company spokesperson Beverly Loat.

Shell posted a message on the NRCAER Update Line shortly after the leak was detected, but the update line also has a automatic call out system which was not activated.

“What we should have done, but did not, is also do an automated call out, a fan out. We did not do that and we’re very sorry about that,” said Loat.

Loat stressed the leak was not considered an emergency and that the chemicals released were not present in high enough concentrations to harm human health.

The message on the update line warned residents to stay indoors as a precautionary measure.

Loat said the company will be including community notification in Shell’s command procedures so that calls will go out immediately in the event of a future incident.

The NRCAER Update line was introduced in response public criticism following the August 2001 wellhead fire at BP Canada. While the incident was not considered a risk to the public, the plant was criticized for not activating its own automated call out system until nearly 12 hours after the fire started.

An Alberta Energy and Utility Board report on the incident said notification “did not meet the public’s expectations.”

The 24 hour update line can be reached by calling toll-free 1-866-653-9959.

http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/story.php?id=153226

Click here for ShellNews.net HOME PAGE