MidStates Steel and Wire: Success and Failure

1. MidStates Steel and Wire: Success and Failure By: Chris, Mark, Alex and Brittany

2. MidStates; The Beginning • Industry has played a vital role in the growth of Montgomery County since the late 1800’s. • Organized in 1900, the Crawfordsville Wire and Nail company grew from a small beginning to one of Crawfordsville's greatest assets • The plant drew its wire from rods shipped from the Keystone plant at Peoria, Illinois.

3. History • MidStates was formed in March 1928, when the Wire and Nail Company was purchased from its owners. • By 1929,the plant had a wire drawing capacity of 175 tons every 24 hours. • It was eventually merged with the Dwiggins Wire Fence Company of Anderson to become MidStates Steel and Wire Company.

4. Progress • MidStates introduced many new technology machines and ideas. • They supplied many jobs for people in and around the Crawfordsville area. • It was one of the most successful businesses of its kind in the Midwest. • It helped business in Montgomery county boom.

5. Brand New Technology • The Hooded Automatic Pickler (HAP). • It was the first company in the nation to put this process into working condition.

6. New Technology Contd. • It cleans rods using a sulfuric acid and water solution. • There are only five of these such processes in the world, and it was started by Gus Generis.

7. Inside the HAP • Cost: $2 million • Contains its own closed circuit. • Allows the operator to select a cleaning process and transports the rods through the machine within seconds. • The wire isn’t manually handled until it is transported to the next station.

8. Acid Pollution • Nails and equipment were rusting • The sulfuric acid was used to get rid of rust • Leftover acid was dumped underground • Trees started growing over waste • People started to doubt Midstates’ procedures

9. Closing open Doors • Midstates closed in 1997 due to loss of business partners. • The owners never came back to clean up • Many chemical barrels were left • Became a huge fire threat.

10. The End of MidStates • Two tragic fires eventually engulfed the building • Arson was thought to be the cause • Homeless people and/or teenagers were blamed.

11. Explanation of The First Fire • The first fire, happened on March 31, 2003. • The fire turned out to be a three-block residential area evacuation. • A local plant had to shut down and people were to leave their homes for the rest of the day.

12. Explanation of The Second Fire • The second fire, happened on April 29, 2003. • It was said that an adolescent who started the fire. • Another possibility is that juveniles or even mid-aged people may had methamphetamine laboratories. • The second fire caused an evacuation and local companies to be shut down

13. Problems Caused By Fires.. • Breathing Problems for local residents. • Burnt down building in a residential area. • The company site still hasn’t been cleaned up and it has been well over a year. • Anyone who visits this area could become ill from these poisonous pollutants in the air.

14. Costs of Damages and Repairs • The total cost of damages needed to be repaired will be approximately $279,000.

15. MidStates Today • 2 Lafayette attorneys have bought the factory • Improvements have been made since. • Doubts still remain

24. The Pollution Conflict Effects of zinc, lead, and oil/lubricant combustion, and many other pollution-related problems

25. Oil/Lubricant Combustion • The act of burning oil, lubricants, and other fuel-related chemicals in a non-proper form • Also called PIC’s (Products of Incomplete Combustion) • Midstates claims oil/lubricants were used to help manufacture products

26. What caused the pollution • Abandoned oils/lubricants were left in the factory when Midstates shut down • Fires have reached the chemicals, polluting air with smoke and combustion pollutants

27. Combustion pollutants • Harmful chemicals caused by burning other dangerous pollutants

28. Carbon monoxide (CO) • Odorless and colorless gas • Hundreds die each year from CO in their homes • Reduces the ability of hemoglobin in blood • Causes: • Paralysis • Coma • Death

29. Nitrogen dioxide(NO2) • Damages the respiratory tract • Highly toxic • Red-brown gas • Or: • Yellow liquid

30. Sulfur dioxide(SO2) • Irritates: • Eyes • Nose • Respiratory tract

31. Particulates • Tiny particles that make up smoke • Damages: • Eyes • Throat • Nose

32. Health effects • Combustion pollutants can cause such problems as: • Headaches • Dizziness • Sleepiness • Nausea • Irritated Eyes • Breathing difficulties • Cancer

33. Lead and Zinc Poisoning

34. Lead (Pb) Poisoning • No obvious symptoms • Causes loss of auditory memory • Destroys red blood cells • Brain damage

35. Zinc (Zn) Poisoning • Causes: • Vomiting • Nausea • Liver/Kidney failure • Anemia

36. Similar Cases

37. What is the Exxon Valdez • The Exxon Valdez is an oil tanker that ran aground in Alaska on March 23 1989. • It was one of the most know oil accidents in the World. • The captain was Joe Hazelwood.

38. How Did the Accident Occur • The tanker was headed toward icebergs, but was unable to be steered away by both Gregory Cousins and Robert Kagan • Gregory Cousins was his third mate and was presumed to be fatigued during the accident.

39. How Did the Accident Occur • Exxon hit the iceberg and then curved off toward the land

40. How Does This Compare to Other Accidents • The Exxon Valdez is one of the largest oil spills in the United States. • It is considered the #1 spill in terms of damage to the environment.

41. Compared to Other Accidents • 1,300 miles were impacted by oil. • 200 miles were heavily impacted. • It cause one of the hardest clean ups in the history of spills

42. The Big Clean-Up • It took more than four summers of clean up efforts before the clean up was called off. • Not all beaches were cleaned. • The clean up effort included; 10,000 workers, 1,000 boats, and 100 airplanes.

43. Clean-Up Continued • The clean up cost about $2.1 billion • They used hot water treatment, mechanical cleanup, and chemical agents.

44. Environment Effects • It is unknown how many deaths of animals there were from the spill. • The carcasses of more than 35,000 birds and 1,000 sea otters were found after the spill. • The results of tests taken near the spill are still unknown

45. Another Case • The MidStates building also had lead and zinc poisoning. • A mine located in Marmorilik in West Greenland also had problems with lead and zinc.

46. Another Case • The mine resulted in serious lead and zinc pollution of a large nearby fjord system. • High levels of lead and zinc were found in seawater, sediments, seaweed, and fish around the area.

47. Solutions Ways to solve Midstate’s problem

48. Solution I • Haul all harmful chemicals out of Midstates • Pros- • No more pollution by Midstates to affect Crawfordsville • No more harmful fires • Cons • Chemicals would affect other areas • Disaster could occur from car crash, acid rain, etc.

49. Solution II • Demolish the Midstates building and have a massive cleanup • Pros- • The Midstates area will be clean • Make way for new economic opportunities • Cons • Chemicals could escape and cause major pollution problems • Demolishing the building could affect other buildings

50. Solution III • Pollution-eating bacteria • Pros- • Would break down all chemicals into atoms, causing no more harm • Less labor work • Cons- • Don’t know if product is 100% effective • Bacteria may eat something else after done eating chemicals