Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Today’s Best of the Worst

Tiwest for the yellow plume spewing from one of it’s stacks for at least an hour. Suspected (as yet unconfirmed) Chlorine Gas release to join it’s white plumes.

Update: Also this morning at around 06:30 Tiwest apparently had a gas release that crossed Patterson Road. Workers etc where not notified. Passing motorists where affected and 000 was called.

So much for Kwinana Industries emergency notification.

As this story from 2007 shows:

We have always wondered why there was a significant increase in cancer in the local community in 1995/1996, before this Kwinana cancer rates were lower than the state average. According to health department data; In 1995/96 cancer rates in the local community jumped around 20%

I have said many times that I suspected something changed in Kwinana industry in the early 90’s that triggered the jump in cancer rates.

Today (01-08-07) we have received news that Titanium Dioxide (Ti02) has been listed as an IARC-2B carcinogen. They have proven that ultra fine particles (dust) of Titanium Dioxide causes cancer in animals. Insufficient research has been done on the effects of Ti02 on humans.

Tiwest Kwinana Titanium Dioxide Pigment Plant was commissioned full time in 1991.

Could there be a link?

Tiwest denied a link by claiming they “do not produce ultra fine titanium dioxide”… Yet Tiwest do have ultra fine particles of titanium dioxide… the Tiwest web site states “The pigment goes through a finishing process which involves milling, classification, surface treatment, filtering, drying and micronising prior to packaging for distribution to domestic and international markets”… The definition of micronising in dictionary means mi·cron·ize (mkr-nz)
tr.v. mi·cron·ized, mi·cron·iz·ing, mi·cron·iz·es
To reduce to particles that are only a few microns in diameter

And this classification from an engineer with many years experience in heavy industry “Microniser is somewhat like an ordinary centrifical pump casing ,..(somewhat snail shell-like in appearance) laid flat on it's side..where the inlet is used to admit the pre-ground pigment, along with very high pressure ( 1200 psi ) steam ( at about 700 + degrees F ).........this results in the pigment being forced at high speed around the inside of the casing , where it is belted against the sides of the casing , ........and where the particles collide with each other ,...breaking them further down in size...to extremely fine..because that is what the customer wants to make paints or,.. act as a filler in the paper industry etc ............... and don't forget, I am talking about the technology of over 40 years ago !! ...... any changes to the above will have been to obtain an even finer product...because as I have already said ...that is what their customers want..and ...the finer the better.”

For Tiwest to claim it is free of fine particles of Ti02 seems questionable.

Also the only reason Tio2 is not yet classified as a human carcinogen is because there has been insufficient testing/studies… It has been confirmed as a positive animal carcinogen and is likely that it will also one day be proven a human carcinogen (like most other chemicals that have been classified animal carcinogens) that’s good enough for me to be concerned.

Tiwest is about to expand - God help us!

Sowwy I forgot there is no pollution, Kwinana industry is 'Clean and Green'.

BTW ever seen the movie Silkwood?.. Ever heard the name Kerr McGee? Feel free to check it out yourselves.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

So why have the media not published these incidents?

Steve said...

I would suggest that our media like many others in our community are somehow indimidated by big industry.

Anonymous said...

You are ignorant (The definition of ignorant 1. Lacking knowledge 2.Uneducated 3. unaware)

You need to stop scare mongering get the correct facts and stop spreading inaccurate information in the community. Your intentions maybe good, but your information thus far, from what I have seen in this blog,is mainly half truths and twisted truths to get you more support.

Anonymous said...

4got to add, yes, silkwod Steve, maybe you should rewatch it.

Wasn't she a whistle blower??

Steve said...

Anonymous - So brave of you to identify yourself and your conflict of interest - NOT... interesting to see you search Tiwest!

Re: Silkwood, yes she was a whistleblower are you trying to suggest something or are you just trying the usual indimidation trick?