Industrial risk / Accident in Toulouse : And now, what consequences ? Certu Kick-Off Conference, 24 th & 25 th February 2005, Certu, Bernard Guézo

Accident in TOULOUSE September, the 21 st, 2001 Presentation with the help of Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development, BARPI (Governmental office) and INERIS. SETRIC Kick-Off Conference, 24 th & 25 th February 2005, Certu, Bernard Guézo

1/ THE ACCIDENT The plant, its surrounding, …the accident.

AZF, Toulouse September 21th after the explosion

THE PLANT Operator : Grande Paroisse Geographic data : - Located North part of the town of Toulouse - Covering a 70 ha-area - 3 km from the centre of the town, - On the left bank of Garonne river. Classified Seveso site for : - Chlorine storage (56 t x2), - Ammonia storages ( t), - Ammonium nitrate storages General data : employees ; created in 1924 (ONIA) Production :  Fertilizers section : - ammonia, nitric acid, urea, Ammonium nitrates (industrial : 400t/j ; granulated fertilizers : 850 t/j)...  Chemical products : - melamine (70 t/j), chloroderivatives, glue,… Raw materials : - Natural gas, - chlorine

Closest houses and stores THE PLANT and its surrounding By-pass way and railway S.N.P.E. Garonne River Workshop where the explosion occurred Town’s bus warehouse

THE PLANT inside the built-up area

The area near the plant The surroundings of the site :  Other industrial plants : chemical industries or specialized chemistry  Public buildings : - Schools, stores and department stores, hospitals  Main roads : motorway junction, bypass,  High density of population in the neighbourhood Controlled perimeters :  Adopted in 1989  Land use planning concerning people

Warehouse involved  Located : North part of the plant  Dedicated to storage of “out of standard materials”  Licensed for 500 t AN : 21 th September, about 300 to 400 t of AN were stored.  Workshop operated by shipping department using sub-contractors.

The accident itself…  Very violent detonation  Equivalent to 3.4 on Richter scale  Equivalent to 20 to 40 t TNT (estimation INERIS) and 60 to 126 tons (estimation judicial experts)  Elliptic crater 60x50m 10 m-depth

Which causes ? 3 kind of hypotheses :  Terrorist attack or Arson : hypothesis not adopted.  External accidents (meteorite, part of plane ; electric arc ; electric defect inside the site… Theory not adopted.  Chemical cause : AN not pure ; soil covered by polluted crust ; if particular chemical product, violent reaction possible with AN (confirmed by laboratory tests). Probable cause. Judicial experts’ hypothesis (report dated the 5th of June, 2002 – First conclusions)

2/ CONSEQUENCES AND MEASURES TAKEN Human, material, economical.

Human consequences…  Human losses - 30 fatalities  8 people out of the site including 1 sec.school pupil  22 employees (including 1 employee of a neighbour industrial site) - A lot of irreversible injuries

Human consequences… People injured :  About 2500 people officially registered and 5000 who declare somatic or psychological effects  780 people sent to hospital amongst whom 30 in critical conditions  Estimated 3500 people affected (according to emergency services) Main effects :  Somatic effects due to the blast : traumas, fractures, injuries, pulmonary affections or ear, nose and throat, eye affections, …)  Psychological effects : Numerous post-trauma syndromes, States of depression, due to deterioration of living/working conditions

Material consequences… Outside the site :  About houses or flats destroyed or seriously damaged  1800 families re-housed  Most of the windows broken in a 7 km radius  Several educational establishments were closed temporarily (11 colleges and 2 schools, 79 primary schools / 185 in Toulouse, universities, …)

Economical consequences On the site :  North part of the plant destroyed  Significant damage on chemical plants in the neighbourhood Other economic impacts :  6 factories of the chemical platform shutdown ( including La Grande Paroisse, definitively stopped)  companies affected in various ways ( jobs, m² damaged area …)

Main measures taken for population  Emergency fund (>18 M€) raised from regions, Government, departments, cities, public companies population files registered  People follow-up committee for : Compensations, rights of victims, psychological support  Epidemiological follow-up : Sanitary Vigilance was instituted through scientific and institutional committees

Epidemiological and environmental follow-up Two directions for investigations :  A particular medical survey was made on : - Employees (chemical platform and other sectors of the town) and safety people) Pupils and teachers of the different schools about Other population (general survey).  An environmental survey was made on : - air, water, soil.

Epidemiological follow-up Main first results  Psychological troubles were major impact : - Estimation : 5000 people consulted a doctor for stress symptoms).  hearing symptoms : - Detection of hearing problems was necessary amongst people in a radius of 1,7 km-area at the moment of the explosion

1/ THE EFFECTS FOR THE FUTURE New laws in France, a greater governance, a greater implication for local authorities in risk management.

2 laws in a short time : First new law : 30th July 2003  To reduce risk, by 1/Solving most difficult situations both in terms of hazard and urban neighbourhood, 2/Controling future To develop public information and participation. To increase participation of employers and subcontractors To improve the financial compensation for the victims. Second new law : 13 August 2004  Public safety Government requires local authorities with major risk (natural or industrial) to prepared an emergency plan

To reduce the risk : On the Seveso sites : Reduction of hazard : Ex : to decrease the volume of dangerous substances storages Reduction of probability of a potential accident by physical or non-physical protective barriers : ex : to improve the maintenance of equipments, to confine ammonia tanks… On the territory :  Restriction of urban development  Improving the situation for existing residents or activities  Public Information and consultation : Creation of local Committees, public meeting organised during processes of authorizations, more detailed information by the sellers of a property.

Multi-layer risk prevention and mitigation EXTERNAL EMERGENCY PLAN INTERNAL EMERGENCY PLAN DESIGN BUILDING TRAINING OF WORKEERS MAINTENANCE INSPECTION ULTIMATE SAFETY SYSTEMS EMERGENCY STOP AUTOMATISMS REGULATION AND CONTROL SYSTEMS WORKERS SAFETY ALARMS INTERVENTION OF OPERATORS

TRPP (Technological Risk Prevention Plan) To decrease the risk Expropriation Renunciation Pre-emption Measures are correlated to the intensity of the risk Constructive Measures

Try to find a better governance (Industrials, Government, Local Authorities)  By a financial share consequences of the risk reduction  By the analysis of the best balance between hazard reduction and land planning possibilities  By increasing discussion between whole partners during the administrative process

And for Local Authorities ?  How to be prepared to face an accident with its consequences for : population, activities, city management ?

BIBLIOGRAPHY Environment general inspection report : Available on the web-site of MEDD www. environnement. gouv.fr /publications Commission of the French parliament Report : Available on the web-site of the “assemblée nationale” www. assemblee-nationale.fr/rapport d’enquête Intermediate report of the Sanitary Vigilance Institute : Available at the following address www. invs. sante.fr List of significant accidents which involved AN Available on the BARPI web-site : www. aria. environnement. gouv. fr Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable development www. prim.net

THE END Thank you for your attention SETRIC Kick-Off Conference, 24 th & 25 th February 2005, Certu, Bernard Guézo