Briefing on toxicity of smoke for 4 yr ago Canadian sub fire

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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Canada/ ... 1-sun.html

Briefing for fire sub survivors
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
Wed, June 18, 2008

OTTAWA -- Sailors who survived a devastating submarine fire almost four years ago are to get a briefing today from senior Canadian navy and military health officers on the toxins they faced and its potential long-term impact on their health.

"The navy wishes to use this opportunity to inform all concerned on the just- completed analysis of the toxicity of smoke test," Cmdr. Jeff Agnew said last night.

"The crew and their families will also be updated on issues related to the medical process, while Veterans Affairs Canada, with whom DND has worked hand in hand on this issue, will brief on the services they provide." Agnew said the meeting, in Halifax, will be closed to the public, to allow for a "free-flowing" discussion.

Crew members and former sailors who served on HMCS Chicoutimi -- as well as their wives -- were invited to attend.

Some of the 55-member crew have begun falling ill with a variety of debilitating illnesses, including breathing troubles.

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http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1062983.html
Chemicals in sub fire raise

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1062983.html

Chemicals in sub fire raise new concerns

By CHRIS LAMBIE Staff Reporter
Thu. Jun 19 - 4:58 AM


A potentially cancer-causing substance called Peridite was among the materials that burned during the deadly electrical fire aboard HMCS Chicoutimi.

In the past, the navy has said Peridite, a primer found on the inner steel hull of submarines, did not appear to have burned in the October 2004 fire.

"It’s a very small amount of it that burned," Cmdr. Jeff Agnew of navy public affairs said Wednesday, describing it as an area covering about one square foot.

The navy also found that a minimal amount of Pitkote had burned. The adhesive, used to stick insulation to the hull, is toxic when burned.

But it doesn’t "make any significant change or effect" to the toxic soup of smoke that filled the submarine, Cmdr. Agnew said.

"The soup was deadly," he said. "If something is lethal, it’s lethal."

The sub left Faslane, Scotland, bound for Halifax, on Oct. 4, 2004.

One day later, two technicians were repairing a faulty valve in the conning tower when a wave sloshed about 2,000 litres of salt water into Chicoutimi.

Two hours later, the water caused an arc in the main power cables and started a fire in the commanding officer’s cabin. Within seconds, the blaze spread to the electrical space below.

After the crew put out the fire, nine people were treated for smoke inhalation.

Three were later airlifted to a hospital in Ireland. Lt. Chris Saunders of Halifax did not survive.

Chicoutimi and its remaining submariners were towed back to Faslane five days after the fire.

The crew is well aware that the smoke from the fire was dangerous, Cmdr. Agnew said.

"The issue is how much were people exposed to," he said. "It’s all about dose, dose over time."

Some of the 55-member crew have begun falling ill with a variety of debilitating illnesses, including breathing troubles and a variety of neurological disorders.

Chicoutimi’s crew members and their wives were invited to a closed-door meeting in Halifax on Wednesday night to explain the health effects of the fire.

The "minimal amount" of Peridite that burned didn’t make the fire any more dangerous than other substances that were burning in larger quantities, Cmdr. Agnew said.

"That’s one of the things that we’ll demystify," Cmdr. Agnew said of the Wednesday night briefing.

The navy intends to release the results today of extensive toxicological testing in the years following the fire.

"We’ve done a lot of legwork," Cmdr. Agnew said.

The navy became aware of potential problems with Peridite in 2001 during a refit of Chicoutimi’s sister sub, HMCS Victoria.

A safety officer warned workers to take precautions when working with Peridite and told them not to heat the substance above 200 C.

Besides getting an analysis of the toxic smoke that filled Chicoutimi, people who were to attend Wednesday night’s session were to hear from health experts about "what avenues are available to them," Cmdr. Agnew said.

Since about a quarter of the crew have left the navy, representatives from Veterans Affairs were also slated to speak to the Chicoutimi survivors.

"This is an information session for them and it’s also an opportunity for us to listen to their concerns, if there are any," Cmdr. Agnew said.

The navy says it has no plans to strip Peridite from its four Victoria-class submarines as it would be too expensive and poses what the military terms "a negligible risk in submarine operations."