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Appendix A - Chemical Threat Information
Pages 67-82

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From page 67...
... Toxic chemicals can be categorized as shown below based upon Cordesman, 1996. NERVE AGENTS: Agents that quickly disrupt the nervous system by binding to enzymes critical to nerve functions, causing convulsions and/or paralysis.
From page 68...
... Short of preventing exposure, the only treatment is to wash the eyes, decontaminate the skin, and treat the resulting damage like burns. Examples of blister agents are: • Sulfur Mustard (H or HD)
From page 69...
... The most effective way in which percutaneous absorption might occur is Chemical 1-hr AEGL-2/ERPG-2/ TEEL-2 (mg/m3) Ammonia 105.0 Hydrogen chloride 30.0 Hydrogen Fluoride 16.4 Vinyl Chloride 12.5 Hydrogen Cyanide 11.1 Sodium Cyanide 5.0 Nicotine Sulfate 9.0 Chlorine 7.5 Benzidene 3.5 Chloropicrin 2.0 Parathion 1.0 TEPP 1.0 Phosgene 0.8 Phosphine 0.7 Sulfur Mustard 0.02 Sarin 0.006 VX 0.00027 TABLE A-1 Relative Measures of Acute Toxicity of Chemical Agents
From page 70...
... . A.3 ATMOSPHERIC DISPERSION OF CHEMICAL AGENTS There is a huge variety of ways in which toxic chemicals can be released and subsequently dispersed in the atmosphere.
From page 71...
... Therefore, if spilled, it will initially form a slowly evaporating pool on the ground. For such pools, the subsequent rate of evaporation is limited by mass transfer from the pool to the atmosphere and is dependent on vapor pressure (1.4 mm/Hg at 68 oF ~ 1,800 3 For the 3" hole described in footnote 2, Appendix A predicts that the chlorine vapor cloud will be 3.4 km wide at a distance downwind of 1 km in atmospheric stability category F with a windspeed of 2 m/s.
From page 72...
... A.4 METHODS FOR INTRODUCING AND DISPERSING CHEMICALS The means of maliciously introducing and dispersing chemical agents discussed above can be summarized as follows: • Hijack a railcar or road tanker of chlorine or ammonia, move it to an optimum location and rupture the containment with an explosion. Within a short time, an area potentially encompassing many square miles could be covered by a vapor cloud that is potentially dangerous or fatal to those exposed.
From page 73...
... An Aborted Attack on the Tokyo Subway -- Hydrogen Cyanide On Friday May 5, 1995, Tokyo subway guards responded to a fire in a public restroom, and averted a potential masscasualty incident (Purver 1995)
From page 74...
... . To exemplify the variety of hazardous bulk chemicals shipped in the US, Table A-2 shows the volumes of hazardous materials shipped by rail from 1998–2001.
From page 75...
... This would empty a 17 ton road tanker in about 6 minutes7. Appendix A predicts that the chlorine vapor cloud will be 3.4 km wide at a distance downwind of 1 km in atmospheric stability category F with a windspeed of 2 m/s8.
From page 76...
... Howard Street Tunnel Fire -- Baltimore, MD At 3:04 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2001, the 60-car CSX freight train L412-16 entered the Howard Street Tunnel in downtown Baltimore, MD (Carter et al.
From page 77...
... Longer-term transportation impacts of the July 18, 2001 Howard Street Tunnel fire included only the 55 days it took to repair the damage to the Central Light Rail Line caused by the bursting water main. Relatively speaking, there were no long-term impacts as might have been the case in the event of a radiological incident.
From page 78...
... Hydrogen Fluoride Release -- Texas City At 5.20 pm on October 30, 1987, a crane was moving a 50-foot, multi-ton convection section from a vertical heating Jurisdiction Modal Administration or Agency Role in Incident Response Area of Concern Fire Department Incident Command Fire Suppression. Police Department Traffic Enforcement Closing of streets crossing over the Howard Street Tunnel.
From page 79...
... Therefore, chemical detection paper should always be used with another modality for accuracy of detection. M8/M9 chemical detection paper M8 and M9 CA detection papers, commonly used by the military, are available commercially to HAZMAT response teams.
From page 80...
... , and Fourier transform spectroscopy. These include photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy, filter-based infrared spectroscopy, differential absorption light detection and ranging, and passive infrared detection The military uses the M21 Remote Sensing Chemical Agent Alarm (RSCAAL)
From page 81...
... . Effects of Catastrophic Events on Transportation System Management and Operations, Howard Street Tunnel Fire, Baltimore City, Maryland, July 18, 2001 Final Report: Findings, prepared for U.S.
From page 82...
... , 1978. Railroad Accident Report: Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company Freight Train Derailment and Puncture of Anhydrous Ammonia Tank Cars at Pensacola, Florida, November 9, 1977.


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