Air Products produces many fluorinated chemicals for many industries and is the leading producer of such chemicals for the electronics industry.
Air Products has a “Fluorine Technology Center” in Allentown and a “World-Class Fluorination Facility” at its Hometown, PA plant. They have also described their Hometown facility as “the largest, global electronics specialty gas manufacturing center and the only domestic producer of fluorine.” To serve the needs of the semi-conductor electronics industry, Air Products has expanded their production of fluoridated chemicals at two plants in Pennsylvania and one in Oklahoma.
- Hometown (Schuylkill County): The company’s existing tungsten hexafluoride plant was expanded in the third quarter of 1999 to produce 300,000 pounds per year. In April 2001, Air Products began building a second tungsten hexafluoride production plant. The new plant will duplicate the original.
- Morrisville (Bucks County): In March 2001, Air Products’ subsidiary, Solkatronic, doubled production capacity of silicon tetrafluoride, increasing the allowable amounts of silicon tetrafluoride, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride that they are allowed to release into the air.
With their history of accidents, is this a company you trust to be playing with fluoridated chemicals?
| Air Products’ Fluoridated Chemical Production Facilities | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hometown, PA (Schuylkill County) | Easton, PA (Northampton County) | Morrisville, PA (Bucks County) Solkatronic Plant | Catoosa, OK Solkatronic Plant | |
| Specialty Gas Expansions | Tungsten hexafluoride production expanded; second plant to be built. Source: Allentown Morning Call (4/24/2001) | Silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4) production doubled in Morrisville; new SiF4 plant built in Catoosa. Ammonia capacity doubled in Morrisville. Arsine capacity doubled in Catoosa.Sources: Chemical Online (12/11/2000); Air Products News Release (March 27, 2000) | ||
| Major Accidents | Hydrogen Selenide Cloud Released Over Morrisville: At least 13 injured in chemical mishap (Bucks County Courier Times 1/17/2001)Overfilled tank caused explosion (Bucks County Courier Times 1/30/2001) | Arsine Gas accident sends nearly 140 people to hospital (July 11th, 2001)Note: Arsine is also used at the Morrisville plant. | ||
| Worst Case Scenario <!– –>Risk Management Plans | 1999 Plan; 2004 Plan | 2004 Plan | 1999 Plan; 2004 Plan | 2004 Plan |
| Toxic Releases (click on company name for details on emissions for each year) | Summary Data | Summary Data | Summary Data (2001-present) / Summary Data (1989-2000) | Summary Data (2002-present) / Summary Data (1998-2001) |
Air Products’ Chemical Accidents in Pennsylvania:
(National Listing of Air Products’ Accidents)
[List goes through 2001; newer data can be found in the raw ERNS and ARIP files that go through 2003.]
| Date | Chemical | Amount | Cause | Medium | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Products – Allentown Plant (Lehigh County) | |||||
| 3/9/1993 | Halon 1301 | 1,820 lbs | Air | halon fire fighting system accidental release while testing the system; fewer than 20 facility personnel were evacuated from the building | |
| Air Products – Creighton Plant (Allegheny County) | |||||
| 4/26/1992 | Compressor Oil | 200 gal (100 in water) | Operator Error | Land / Water | oil demister routine maintenance, over-pressurized; spilled into Allegheny River |
| Morrisville Plant (Bucks County) – This plant is managed by Solkatronic, which was bought by Air Products from Solvay in May 1998. | |||||
| 10/1987 | Silicon Tetrachloride | “severe leak” | Air | 1 injury; a toxic cloud of silicon tetrachloride leaked from two 50 gal containers, forcing the evacuation of 300 Falls & Morrisville residents | |
| 10/1988 | Diborane | “severe leak” | Air | 5 injuries; noxious gas emitted from a cracked drum of diborane sent five people to a hospital for observation | |
| 7/19/1991 | Silicon Tetrachloride | 5 gal or 62 lbs | Equipment Failure | On-Site | container valve container valve broke during transfer operation. |
| 4/6/1995 | Chlorine | 1 lb | Human Error | Air | 1 injury; No residential notification or evacuation |
| 3/21/1996 | Arsine | 1 lb | Human Error | Air | 1 injury; No residential notification or evacuation |
| 3/31/1997 | Hydrogen Selenide | 1 lb | Human Error | Air | 1 injury; No residential notification or evacuation |
| 1997 | Hydrogen Chloride | spill | |||
| 1/16/2001 | Hydrogen Selenide | 160 lbs | Human Error / Cylinder Burst | Air | 13-14 workers injured and were taken to area hospitals, several were in critical condition. Flammable Poison Gas Cloud released over Morrisville. Neighbors report difficulty breathing and eye irritation. Made people want to vomit. |
| 7/10/2001 | Chlorine | 50 lbs | safety valve malfunction | No residential notification | |
| Air Products – Hometown Plant, Tamaqua (Schuylkill County) | |||||
| 2/10/1989 | Hydrogen Chloride | 65 lbs | Equipment Failure (valve) | Air | |
| 7/25/1989 | Hydrogen Chloride | 36 lbs | Equipment Failure (pipe) | Air | |
| 11/2/1990 | Waste Material D002, D004 | 150 gal or 1,250 lbs | Unknown | Land | transfer system on scrubber/ cause is under investigation |
| 12/2/1991 | Aqueus Hydrogen Chloride Waste Water (Concentration: 0.015%) | 150 gal or 1,250 lbs | Operator Error | Land | waste storage tank/overflow due to operator error |
| 3/18/1992 | Fluorine | 20 lbs | Compressor Failure – Unknown Cause | Air | no action taken by company to address the accident |
| 4/3/1992 | Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride | 210 lbs | Equipment Failure | Air | HF supply system/valve failure |
| 9/19/1992 | Fluorine | 116 lbs | Operator Error | Air | tube trailer valve was opened. |
| 5/17/1993 | Potassium Hydroxide | 45 gal or 765 lbs | Operator Error | Land | above ground storage tank – special fill area tank farm valve to the sight glass was closed |
| 4/5/1999 | Fluorine | 18 lbs | Equipment Failure | Air | fluorine production plant / tube failure |
| Air Products – Manchester Plant (York County) | |||||
| 12/15/1988 | Fluorine | Unknown | Equipment Failure – Faulty Valve | Air | reporter claims bad health effects due to exposure to chemicals, also company failed to report release. release alleged to exceed RQ during the time peroid.; no action taken by company to address the accident |
| 6/9/1993 | Potassium Hydroxide Solution – 8% | 5 gal or 85 lbs | Unknown | Land | not specified chemical spill – unknown cause |
| Air Products’ Transportation Accidents in Pennsylvania | |||||
| 2/9/1993 | Hydrogen Chloride | Unknown | Unknown | Air | Middlesex Twp., PA (either in Butler, Cumberland or Mercer Counties): chemical release on dock |
| 8/31/1993 | Lube Oil | 2 gal or 15 lbs | Transportation Accident | Land | Reading (Berks County): highway related – truck leak unknown cause |
| 1/3/1995 | Diesel Fuel | Unknown | Unknown | ? | Straban Twp (Adams County): unknown diesel fuel spill on Rt. 30 |
| 11/19/1996 | Liquified Oxygen | 1,800 gal or 17,118 lbs | Transportation Accident | Air | Centerville (Bedford County): liquified oxygen tank truck/single vehicle highway accident; driver was injured in the accident and was taken to hospital Rt 220 was closed in both directions for approx. 10 hours |
| 4/7/1997 | Hydraulic Fluid | 10 gal or 65 lbs | Unknown | Columbia Boro (Lancaster County): oil spill onto macadam | |
| 9/12/2000 | Unknown Material | Unknown | Unknown | Land | Lancaster (Lancaster County): On-ramp 30 West off of Centerville Road headed towards York County. The material was leaking from a tanker truck due to unknown causes. |
Sources: This list was compiled from the ERNS and ARIP databases, news clippings and personal knowledge. The databases cannot be relied on for complete information. ERNS is merely a phone log of incidents called into the National Response Center and ARIP is a similar list for the worst accidents with a few more details. If you can supplement or add to this list, please contact us.
Last modified: 27 April 2006
http://www.actionpa.org/fluoride/chemicals/airproducts.html