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HURRICANES AND CHEMICAL HAZARDS INTERNET CONFERENCE |
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of Hurricane Danny |
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Petrochemical facilities located on the Gulf coast are subject to hurricanes and their many associated hazards. At risk facilities include offshore and near shore oil and gas platforms, onshore chemical handling, processing, and storage facilities, and hazardous waste sites. A strong storm can have sustained winds in excess of 150 miles per hour, along with extreme storm surge, waves, rainfall, lightning, and tornadoes. The occurrence on one or more of these hazards at a chemical facility can significantly increase the chances for an accidental release of hazardous substances. Just what risks do extreme winds, storm surge, and flooding associated with the storm have on chemical and petroleum processing operations in Louisiana and other coastal states? |
| An Internet Conference "Hurricanes and Chemical Hazards" was opened on June 1, 1999 from this site. The conference presents a series of papers by LSU faculty and graduate students, investigating the risks, impacts and implications of combined natural and technological hazards (i.e., chemical release resulting from hurricane winds, storm surge, and flooding). Conference papers address the following topics: |
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*What information and technology is currently available to help us
understand the risks associated with hurricanes? What resources may be available in the future to the research and emergency management community? |
| *· How can we examine the impact of hurricanes on the natural environment and on chemical process operations in Louisiana an other areas of the Gulf coast |
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If an accidental release would occur from a chemical process operation,
what is the potential source and impact of the failure? |
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If an accidental release occurs as a result of a hurricane, what are the
implications for s emergency management agencies? |
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The full papers may be viewed and downloaded from this site, along with
submitted comments and authors responses to comments. You are invited to
participate in this ongoing forum, by submitting your own comments and
observations, or posing questions to the authors. |
