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COLUMBIA LOST
As NASA tries to piece together the cause of the Columbia disaster, the space agency and other government agencies are warning the public about potential chemical hazards and other risks associated with space shuttle debris. Pieces of the spacecraft have been collected across Texas and Louisiana, and government crews are investigating reports of debris sightings in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Debris "may be dangerously contaminated with toxic substances," a NASA statement warns. The notice cautions people who have come in contact with the fallout to seek medical attention. In Nacogdoches, Texas, at least 70 people showed up at hospital emergency rooms within one day of the accident, concerned that they may have been exposed to harmful materials. A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) fact sheet lists several materials as potential sources of hazard. Included are methylhydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, poisonous materials that are stored in tanks on the space shuttles and used as fuel and oxidizer for propulsion. Also listed is ammonia, which is used as an electrical equipment coolant. Other sources note that hydrazine may be present because it is used to drive hydraulic systems. In addition to publicizing toxicity concerns, FEMA and NASA have warned of dangers associated with high-pressure landing gear and tires and so-called pyrotechnic devices--equipment that makes use of controlled explosions to operate hardware. EPA has dispatched environmental monitoring teams and has mobilized special aircraft that use infrared sensors to help locate hazardous materials. The agency has also deployed a mobile trace gas analysis unit. |
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