Found Object - Toxic Scenarios

The Right-to-Know Network provides services as “Search for toxic pollution in your area!” and “Worst-Case Toxic Release Scenarios.” In the latter category, we tracked down two of the scariest local scenarios.

Name: Midtown Bakery Company Inc.

Location: 165 Bailey St. (Downtown)

Scenario: “Our worst case scenario is failure of the 30,000 gallon propane storage tank ... resulting in a vapor cloud explosion.”

Health impact: In high concentrations, propane inhalation causes death by suffocation. A cloud also could ignite a large fire damaging everything in its path.

Name: Country Home Bakers

Location: 720 Stewart Ave. (West End)

Scenario: “The worst case scenario ... is the release of 23,990 pounds of ammonia ... in a 10 minute period. ... [W]ithin a radius of 2.0 miles ... are schools, residents, hospitals, public parks and downtown office buildings with a population of 55,569.”

Health impact: In large amounts, ammonia can cause lung damage and blindness.

Sources: www.rtknet.org and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (www.atsdr.cdc.gov).