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Toxic Barge Spill


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Toxic Barge Spill Side Effects Could Result In Personal Injury Lawsuits

Toxic Barge Spill | Lawsuits, Lawyers | Side Effects: Headaches, Dizziness, Drowsiness, Unconsciousness | Ohio River, Petroleum-Based Substance, Cumene, Oil Spill

On February 27, 2007 thousands of gallons of a toxic chemical spilled into the Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky after a barge collide with a lock wall. The spill late Tuesday was estimated to be up to 8,000 gallons of a petroleum-based substance called cumene, said Maggie Carson, a state EPA spokeswoman.

Kirby Inland Marine, the Houston-based owner, said the barge crashed into the guide wall of a lock that helps manage water flow. State officials earlier said it had run aground. The barge was en route from the Gulf of Mexico to a port somewhere in the Midwest, a company official stated.

Contact with cumene can irritate skin and eyes, cause headaches in humans if inhaled, and be damaging to animals directly exposed to it. It is used in a variety of petroleum products, manufacturing, as paint thinner and as a component of high-octane fuels, according to the EPA Web site. Cumene is used in a variety of petroleum products.  Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure to cumene may cause headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, slight incoordination, and unconsciousness in humans.

Cumene has a potent central nervous system (CNS) depressant action characterized by a slow induction period and long duration of narcotic effects in animals.  Cumene is a skin and eye irritant.  No information is available on the chronic (long-term), reproductive, developmental, or carcinogenic effects of cumene in humans.  Animal studies have reported increased liver, kidney, and adrenal weights from inhalation exposure to cumene.  EPA has classified cumene as a Group D, not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity.

The U.S. Coast Guard categorizes oil spills into three sizes: Minor; less than 1,000 gallons; Medium; 1,000 to 9,999 gallons; and Major, 10,000 gallons or more. Major spills are the largest contributor, medium spills are somewhat significant, and the minor spills (most are under 100 gallons) are insignificant.

Legal Help For Victims Affected By Toxic Barge Spill

If you or a loved one has experienced health ailments as a result of this toxic chemical barge spill, please fill out the form at the right for a response from a qualified attorney. Additionally, Call 1-800-LAW-INFO for a free evaluation.

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FEMA Gave Little Thought to Safety of Katrina Trailers

May 27, 2008 | Parker Waichman LLP
Immediately following the Hurricane Katrina devastation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ordered about $2.7 billion worth of trailers and mobile homes to house Katrina victims.  FEMA's requirements were detailed in a mere 25 lines, with minimal details regarding occupant safety.  Today, industry and government experts say this is linked to a public health catastrophe involving 300,000 people, many children, who lived in FEMA homes and were—in many...
FEMA Gave Little Thought to Safety of Katrina Trailers »

FEMA Trailer Tests Questioned by Critics, Who Argue That Toxicity of Trailers is Already Proven

Dec 18, 2007 | Parker Waichman LLP
Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it would finally begin testing toxic trailers distributed to Gulf Coast Hurricane victims for formaldehyde fumes this Friday.   But while FEMA was busy patting itself on the back, many where wondering why FEMA needs to bother testing the toxic trailers at all.   There is already plenty of evidence – including the results of tests conducted by other organizations – that the FEMA trailers are...
FEMA Trailer Tests Questioned by Critics, Who Argue That Toxicity of Trailers is Already Proven »

Barge accident leads to toxic spill in river

Mar 1, 2007 | Chicago Tribune
Thousands of gallons of a toxic chemical spilled into the Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky after a barge struck a lock wall, environmental officials said Wednesday. The spill, which occurred late Tuesday from a Kirby Inland Marine-owned barge, was as much as 8,000 gallons of a petroleum-based substance called cumene, said the state Environmental Protection Agency. The chemical spill did not appear to pose a serious threat to residents or marine life, the Coast Guard said.
Barge accident leads to toxic spill in river »

Solvent spills in Ohio River

Mar 1, 2007 | UPI
A barge ruptured after hitting a dam, spilling up to 8,000 gallons of a toxic solvent into the Ohio River near Brookport, Ill. U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Wayne Chapman told CNN that the spill of cumene did not pose an immediate threat to drinking water systems. The solvent, which is used to make other chemicals, floats on the water and evaporates, he said, and had not been detected at water intake systems along the river. The Kirby Marine barge hit an underwater, moveable dam called a wicket dam,...
Solvent spills in Ohio River »

Barge accident causes 8,000 gallon chemical spill into the Ohio River

Mar 1, 2007 | www.kfvs12.com
A barge accident on the Ohio River causes quite a scare in Illinois and Kentucky. The coast guard tells us 8,000 gallons of a hazardous chemical, called cumene leaked into the water. Not enough to be a danger, but a mess that had to be cleaned up none-the-less. You could call it pure luck; a barge carrying cumene got stuck on a lock near Brookport Illinois and spilled some chemicals into the Ohio River. Ironically, hundreds of local, state and federal leaders were less than 20 minutes away...
Barge accident causes 8,000 gallon chemical spill into the Ohio River »

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