Re: [CPEO-MEF] MUNITIONS: Phosphorous on rocks may have caused woman's shorts to catch fire, San Onofre, CA

[Lenny Siegel <LSiegel@cpeo.org>]

From James Barton: James Barton@uwuxo.com

This is a fairly common occurrence in the Baltic Sea where amber  
hunters encounter pyrophoric substances (burns on contact with air)  
on the beach like phosphorous. Comes from abandoned munitions;  
nothing else. It will be more common here on the East Coast once  
seismic testing destroys shell fragile casings and more chunks of  
filler begin to wash ashore. But as with the Baltic, East coast beach  
users may also experience chemical weapons burns for the same reason.  
This stuff crusts over and can still bite you after 60 years.

I presented a paper on it at a recent BOEMRS listening event in  
Norfolk, VA and was not surprised to learn they have no threat  
mitigation protocols in place for seismic testing in munitions  
contaminated waters. Offered to help write one but have not heard  
back. This is the beginning, not the end. It doesn't have to get  
worse than it is; there are things we can do. In the Baltic Sea they  
are not coated rocks; they are solid chunks of crusted over white  
phosphorous and chemical weapons blister agent. The phosphorous burns  
until gone; all that is left are innocent rocks beside the burn. At a  
college campus in VA, yellow rocks a kid burned on a grill to amaze  
friends turned out to be chunks of TNT. The campus was covered with  
it, and later moved entirely. In the arctic it is all of that plus  
Soviet nuclear materials, which I suspect are linked to radiological  
exposure like symptoms found recently in Polar Bears and other  
mammals; all since seismic testing took off. Toxic Dumps there are  
frightening, but not enough to scare off those searching for oil.  
None of this is a laughing matter. Neither is the beaches closed on  
the shores of Lake Michigan or Lake Erie for explosive filled  
munitions. The stuff is everywhere. I'm writing a book about what we  
can do about it. It's long overdue...


On May 21, 2012, at 9:51 AM, Lenny Siegel wrote:

> Beach Rocks Cause Woman's Shorts to Catch Fire
>
> Authorities say the fire may have been started by rocks collected  
> at beach
>
> By Nicole Gonzales and R. Stickney
> NBC San Diego (CA)
> May 18, 2012
>
> Southern California authorities say phosphorous may have coated  
> beach rocks that caused a woman's shorts to catch fire, leaving her  
> with severe burns.
>
> A mother and her children visited San Onofre State Beach Saturday,  
> and spent the time enjoying the surf and collecting rocks. Seven of  
> them.
>
> The children played all afternoon with their beach souvenirs, but  
> around 3:30 pm, the rocks caught on fire at their San Clemente home.
>
> Authorities say the rocks burned through the mother's cargo shorts  
> and damaged the family's wood flooring.
>
> There was apparently enough smoke to set off the household detectors.
>
>
> ...
>
> For the entire article, see
> http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Womans-Pants-Catch-Fire-After- 
> Beach-Trip-151923075.html
>
> --
>
> Lenny Siegel
> Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
> a project of the Pacific Studies Center
> 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
> Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
> Fax: 650/961-8918
> <lsiegel@cpeo.org>
> http://www.cpeo.org
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Military@lists.cpeo.org
> http://lists.cpeo.org/listinfo.cgi/military-cpeo.org

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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