Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 1993)
Chemical spill drill tests local emergency workers By Jake Barg Otagon OtWv f mxaki It could have ixien worse. Besides the two Firefighters who ran out of oxygen while in Klamath Hall res* uing victims, there were no imme diate ( asualties as the result ol a chemical spill outside of Onyx Bridge Sept *). After all, the chlorine that leaked into the wind or liq uid waste that s»<ep«*d into the Eugene Millrnce could have brought us many as 10 to 1 r» (.asualties. said Chin k Crimp hell, a Eugene deputy fire marshal It could have I won real. hut. as the police radio kept i.rac kling all morning. "This is a drill This is a drill." VVliat the Eugene fire department — along with many other puhlir agencies participating in a drill condor ted by the Associated lane Emergency Response Team — w as doing was testing itself on how prepared it was for such .in emergency All agencies involved treated the s< enu as if it were a real situation. “This could happen any time." Camplioll said After a forklift operator dropped barrels of a flamma ble liquid outside of Onyx Bridge, leakage began. When the forklift driver started his engine, a spark ignited the material, causing an explosion The explosion knocked over a tank of chlorine gas that sat on the Onyx loading d<x.k The tank began to leak gas into the air, creating a large hazard to the area, particu larly Klamath Hall, which had the gas creep into the build ing's air intake s\ stem Iniured in the im ident were the forklift operator, anoth er University worker, and two University Office of Pub Ik Safety offn ers who were kntx ked down after running into the chlorine gas OPS Asstx iote Dinx tor Tom Hit ks. who helped orga nize the drill, ployed the role well "We had a < onple of unantii ipated i asualties." Hit ks said. Campbell was a bit more serious "These two people came in. and they made the wrong decision." Campbell said of the OPS officers "Bingo down for the count." But that is w hat the drill was all about — to learn what needed to he done (and what needed to Ixi done Ix-tter) in a situation like this Campbell said that overall, the THOMAS BtROSTROMTcw TNi f A rescue worker tends to the Injured forklift driver who dumped flammable liquid during a drill at Onyx Bridge. agencies performed the drill well "This isn't n hunch of kids playing with their big red toys." he said. "They were very methodical. They weren't racing around." Kmergoncy workers took the victims of the explosion and the leakage through a decontamination process, and even showered themselves to avoid the spread of any thing. Campbell said the drill takes place annually, and that the University volunteered to offer Onyx Bridge as the drill site He said letting the agencies test a site, as the University did. is taking a risk. "I'm impressed," Campbell said, “because you’re kind of opening up your guts.” Traffic on Franklin Boulevard was narrowed to two lanes during the drill, and drivers passing by looked on in wonder at the drill. So did pedestrians and bike rid ers. who often blindly went through the drill site with out much regard to the situation. "We had a few stragglers come through,” he said. "We discussed it — we weren't going to take them down for a drill.” zxz SIIVIRSIAB VH Q /y^\ ~ 1888 Franklin Bivd. DPCN Worn to 11pm Doty trwrtto7-nonVferdS 344-2691 But we do hove MALS: 20 movies for 30 bucks ft SI Top 25 ft $1 Slwr Star of the Month ft 99c Mon. & Tues. ft SI FomJy Movies ft Pre-viewed mowes $7.95 & up ft Free Movie Memorobio ft Lots of Greet Flcks ft Coupons like the one over there** ft WoH! System Tanning S2/ses»on with package ft kit it kit it it kirk it it * 1888 Franklin Wvd. \ (mart to 7 on VKar 4 i * Opart 10am to Upm i * * 344-2691 * i 6 <«»•«* I»<tm i ★★★★★★★★★★★A "What A Great Experience!" ■] Learning the Language. | Meeting people. Coming face to face with history, art and architecture, culture, food and fun. UNIVERSITY STUDIES ABROAD CONSORTIUM... Small classes. Personal attention Fully accredited - receive university credit. We provide great classes in intensive language, history, anthropology, art, business, 1 economics, political science... 1 Organized field trips and more. You provide the enthusiasm. University Studies Abroad Consortium University of Nevada Library - 322 Reno, Nevada 89557-0093 J (702)784-6569 CHILE • FRANCE • ITALY • SPAIN • AUSTRALIA • ENGLAND &tt Jo... Monday Night Vnnthflll Acoustic Wednesday SIIADAY OPCn AlIKi