 The Centralia Mine Fire.

Centralia, Pennsylvania, a small community situated in the

Appalachian mountain range, was once a prosperous coal mining town. In 1962 in
preparation for the approaching Memorial Day parade, the landfill of Centralia was set
afire in order to eliminate odors, paper buildup, and rats. Unfortunately, the fire burned
down into the passageways of the abandoned mine shafts under the town. Although
repeated efforts were made to stop the blaze, the fire could not be put out. By 1980, after
burning for 18 years, the fire had grown in size to nearly 200 acres, with no end in sight.
Mine fires are especially difficult situations because they are far below the surface of
the earth, burn very hot (between 400 °F and 1000 °F), and give off both toxic and
explosive gases, as well as large volumes of steam when the heat reaches the water table.
Anthracite coal regions have very porous rock, and consequently, a significant amount of
combustion gas can diffuse directly up through the ground and into people’s homes.
Subsidence, of shifting of the earth, is another serious condition arising from the fire.
When the coal pillars supporting the ceilings of mines’ passageways burn, large sections
of earth may suddenly drop 20 or 30 feet into the ground.
Clearly, the Centralia mine fire has very serious surface impact and must be dealt with
effectively. Several solutions to the mine fire are described below. Perform a K. T.
Decision Analysis to decide which is the most effective method to deal with the fire.
Consider such issues as cost, relocation of the town of Centralia, and potential success of
extinguishing the fire.
Solution Options
1. Completely excavate the fire site–Strip mine the entire site to a depth of 435 feet,
digging up all land in the fire’s impact zone. This would require partial dismantling of
Centralia and nearby Byrnesville for upwards of ten years, but the available reclamation
techniques could restore the countryside after this time. This method guarantees
complete extinction at a cost of $200 million. This cost includes relocation of families,
as well as the restorative process.
2. Build cut-off trenches–Dig a trench to a depth of 435 feet, then fill with a clay-based
noncombustible material. Behind the trench, the fire burns unchecked, but is contained
by the barrier. Cost of implementation would be about $15 million per 100 feet of
trench, and total containment of the fire would require approximately 7000 feet of
trench. Additionally, partial relocation of Centralia would be required for three years,
costing about $5 million.
3. Flood the mines–Pump 200 million gallons of water per year into the mine at a cost of
$2 million annually for 20 years to extinguish the fire. Relocation of the townspeople is
not necessary, but subsidence and steam output should be considered, as well as the
environmental impact and trade-offs of the large quantities of acidic water produced by
this technique.
4. Seal mine entrances to suffocate fire–Encase the entire area in concrete to seal all mine
entrances, then allow the fire to suffocate due to lack of air. This would require short-
term relocation of the towns and outlying areas, and suffocation itself would probably
take a few years owning to the large amount of air in the shafts and in the ground.
Although this method has never been attempted, the cost is estimated to be about $100
million.
 5. Use fire extinguish agents–Pump halons (gaseous fluorocarbons) into the mines to
extinguish the blaze. The cost for this method would be on the order of $100 million.
Relocation may be necessary.
6. Do nothing–Arrange a federally funded relocation of the entire area and allow the fire
to burn unchecked. Approximately $50 million would be required to relocate the town.

 Laboratory Safety. The procedure in a chemistry laboratory experiment called for the
students to prepare a 1.0 dm3 aqueous of 30 g of sodium hydroxide. By mistake, the
student used 30 g of sodium hydride dispersion which reacted violently with water,
evolving heat and hydrogen gas which caught fire. The sodium hydride, which was
available for a subsequent experiment, was a commercial product. The container bore a
warning of the hazard of contact with water, but this warning was not visible from the side
showing the name of the compound. (Adapted from ICE Prevention Bulletin, 102, p. 7,
Dec. 1991)
Carry out a Potential Problem Analysis that, if followed, would have prevented this
accident.

 Safety in the Plant. A reactor approximately 6 feet in diameter and 20 feet high in an
ammonia plant had to be shut down to repair a malfunctioning nozzle. The nozzle could be
repaired only by having a welder climb inside the reactor to carry out the repair. During
welding, the oxygen concentration was regularly monitored. Four hours after the welding
was completed, a technician entered the reactor to take pictures of the weld. The next day
he was found dead in the reactor. (Adapted from ICE Prevention Bulletin, 102, p. 27, Dec.
1991)
Prepare a Potential Problem Analysis Table that could have prevented this accident.
 Answer:
 Laboratory Safety
Potential Problems Possible Causes Preventive Actions Contingency Plan
Fire on laboratory Flammable Prepare HSE Make a training for
substance reacts equipment on the student to use the
laboratory HSE equipment
Take the wrong Unclear hazard Do audit on ensure the correct
chemical solution labelling laboratory label
There is no standard Student make a Make a standard Make sure for the
operation in the mistake because operation in the student that want to
laboratory didn’t know about laboratory for enter the laboratory
the standard student. know the standard
operation operation

 Safety in the Plant

Potential Problems Possible Causes Preventive Actions Contingency Plan
Technician got a Didn’t use APD must checked the Create a SOP to
toxic oxygen in the correctly condition of APD repair reactor and
reactor for entering reactor safety induction for
every techinician
 Objectives Option

MUST 1 2 3 4 5 6

People safety Go Go Go Go Go Go

WANT Weight Rating/score Rating/score Rating/score Rating/score Rating/score Rating/score

1 1 10 9 9 1
Cost efficient 10 8 80 1 9 9 100
0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 4
Fire extinguishing 5 4 20 2 8 40 5 9 1 5
0 5 5
3 4 2 1
Town relocation 5 8 40 6 2 10 8 4 50
0 0 0 0
1 3
Ease of operation 3 1 3 2 6 9 27 3 9 9 27
0 0
Environmental 2 3 2
4 4 16 7 1 4 8 7 4 16
damage 8 2 8
Scope range of 4 6 7
7 2 14 7 5 35 9 8 6 42
damage 9 3 2
Aftermath 2 3 5
6 3 18 4 5 30 6 9 2 12
damage 4 6 4
Total 191 157 246 295 339 252