DIG-L: Fw: methane

["Tom Miles" <tmiles@trmiles.com>]

FWD to Digestion

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan Bentler" <dbentler@qwest.net>
To: <tmiles@teleport.com>
Sent: Friday, April 05, 2002 9:58 AM
Subject: methane

> Tanya,
> 
> City of Seattle rented a gravel pit and filled it with garbage.
> Eventually this created the great Midway Landfill fiasco.  What happened
> 
> is methane (and other gases) migrated under throught the gravel I 5 and
> came up on the other side of the freeway.  This created potentialy
> combustible atmospheres in the crawl spaces under homes.  Families were
> moved out while the city dealt with this.  Just about any state agency
> you care to pick got involved in this.  University of Washington did a
> lot of sampling of the gas.  This started in the early 80's.  I was
> involved providing in field industrial hygiene support to the drill rig
> crews drilling the gas extraction wells.  As an industrial hygienist
> trained to evaluate exposures to workers and having hands on (feet in
> mud may be more appropriate) experience I think I am qualified to say a
> few things.
> 
> !.  This is not a situation to be dealt with lightly.
> 2  There are many health hazards associated (mostly from other gases
> etc) with methane generated from underground sources.
> 3.  IF the methane is from a coal layer that is one thing and may not be
> 
> the source of your problem (course you still have the problem of a
> methane fire)
> 4.  IF the methane is from an old gargabe dump or industrial waste site
> you have a real problem.
> 5.  IF you and the previous occupant have experiended problems IT IS NOT
> 
> IN YOUR HEAD - what about you neighbors?  Are they having problems
> 6.  MOVE OUT OF THERE ??
> 7.  The problem may not be in the gas emitted so don't get locked into
> that.
> 8.  You are not an MD, toxicologist, soil scientist, hydrologist,
> geological engineer, analytical chemist (to mention a few people needed
> to deal with this) all in one
> YOU CANNOT DEAL WITH THIS BY YOURSELF
> - YOU NEED HELP
> 
> Methane is not a hazard until it starts to displace oxygen, therefore
> the problem is not methane but lack of oxygen.  If you are starting to
> displace oxygen you are surely in a combustible atmosphere.  This is
> your biggest worry with the methane in your house.  Have the fire
> department come out and check for combustible levels.  Buy a GOOD
> (Bacarach etc) combustible gas detector - do not spend less than 2 or
> 300 to ensure a good meter you can trust.  You CANNOT get a good meter
> at the hardware store.
> 
> You need to be able to describe what has happened on this land clear
> back to when it was just native Americans (indians) walking on it.
> Emphasize on industrial operations or major farming activities.
> 
> If you can seal the crack do so but this is only the start and is the
> equivalent of a band aid on gangrene.
> I hope you do not have a basement and have only a crawlspace.
> IF you are slab on grade move out or spend bunches of money to drill
> extractions wells to keep gas away from the house.
> IF crawlspace you can ventilate the crawlspace to keep gas levels low
> BUT this takes a large explosion proof  fan and a bunch of power and
> MONEY.
> 
> As mentioned in 4 above if the methane is coming from an old garbage
> dump or industial waste site other gases can be generated.. It is not an
> 
> easy situation to measure and quantify what is in the gas from JUST ONE
> sample.  MANY samples have to be taken over a long term time frame to
> determine what is being generated who knows how many feet down.
> You do not have the money to do this sampling unless you are extremely
> rich.
> Analyzing just one sample starts at around 250 or 300. YOU NEED HELP
> 
> Where are you getting your drinking water?  IF it is not on a municipal
> system and on a nearby well have the water tested.  Do this testing for
> metals and for organics.  Your local health department or state water
> quality (or health dept) should be able to do this for you.
> Both analyses cost around 500 here in Seattle at the State health water
> quality lab.
> Not cheap I know.  YOU NEED HELP
> 
> Are you growing vegetables, fruit trees or grazing animals (include
> chickens) in this soil.  Again you may have to have them tested.  I
> would stop eating anything that has anything to do with this soil.
> 
> I remember Love Canal Bunker Hill and a couple other areas that were
> contaminated and left by industry.
> Residents had to raise hell to get help.
> YOU NEED HELP
> 
> Possible sources
> Local health department
> State health department
> EPA
> Seattle Engineering Dept re Midway landfill
> University of Washington re Midway landfill
> 
> Best of luck
> Dan
> 



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