The Problem The Risk Aerial Images The Solution What Next Home
| Summary: CPI is located in seismically active area, very close to homes, with large quantities of hazardous materials stored closed to homes, with a plating shop on the second floor, and with no emergency response plan for neighborhood. | |
| CPI's facility is in compliance with the safety code, which reduces the risk but does not eliminate it -- as was clearly demonstrated by the February 2006 accident, which took place about fifteen minutes after a City inspector left the premises. The cause of the accident: human error. | |
| The biggest threat is a major earthquake. Palo Alto is located in "earthquake country". If a major earthquake occurs, a worse-than-worst-case scenario is possible: multiple tanks of toxic chemicals could rupture. | The US Geological Survey has excellent information on earthquake issues; for example, see: Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country: Your Handbook for the San Francisco Bay Region. |
| The risk is exacerbated by several factors: | |
| • The storage area for hazardous materials is right next to CPI's property line, as close as is possible to homes in Barron Park. | A toxic gas release could reach homes within a minute or two, before any warning could be issued. |
| • CPI's plating shop is on the second floor, which is considered very unusual in the industry, and raises concerns about stability. The plating shop has about 100 uncovered tanks of toxic solutions. | The plating shop has industrial-size roll-up doors that face homes. In the February 2006 accident, the nitric acid vapor escaped via one of these open doors. |
| • In case of a major earthquake, the Fire Department might not be able to respond and it might not even be possible to communicate with them. | If a cloud of toxic gas escapes to Barron Park, CPI's plan is to call 911. The word "neighborhood" doesn't appear in their plan. |
The Problem The Risk Aerial Images The Solution What Next Home