Officers quarantined after exposed to unknown substance

Originally posted by ZindoDoone
reply to post by Spartak_FL

 

Those bricks could have been outgassing for hours and the concentrations could be huge in that confined space. Truck boxes aren't known for venting very well. I know this because I've hauled sea food in vacuum sealed containers and it still damn near knocked me out when I opened the doors. Have had to use pounds of coffee to neutralize the smell so I could load the box again at the next stop. I guess we'll see if they ever release the info. It's all speculation on my part i admit but it is plausible!

Zindo

im sorry but coc aine and meth dont outgas in solid form. not without a torch anyway.

[edit on 24-7-2009 by Spartak_FL]

The "brick" form makes this highly suspect! Chlorine could have this effect, but it would be in drums.

Ammonia is usually shipped in liquid.

Anything legitimate would have been properly packaged!

Cocaine shouldn't cause any symptoms just from a passing smell. You would have to ingest or inhale a fair amount to get symptoms.

Anthrax and other bio-agents would also need to be directly inhaled.

Of Course, who's to say that the bricks were not busted up and the trailer filled with a fine aerosol of the stuff!

Found another source at www.wxvt.com...

A hospital spokesman emergency room was shut down until the substance could be identified.

State police spokesman Lt. Doug Cain says not all of the officers hospitalized were exposed to the unknown substance. As a precaution the officers who drove those exposed to the hospital were also quarantined.

reply to post by getreadyalready


The article did mention that the "bricks" were disovered amid a "cargo of limes". I don't know what that signifies except maybe narrowing down the origin of the load.

reply to post by Spartak_FL


I didn't say the coc aine was outgassing. I said the chemicals that were used to extract the drug from the leaves could be because of improper drying of the bricks and them being in a hurry to ship them! In the heat and humidity the rest of the drying process could have been taking place in the truck box! They dry coc aine out doors because of the chemicals used.

Zindo

Originally posted by Hazelnut
reply to post by getreadyalready

 

The article did mention that the "bricks" were disovered amid a "cargo of limes". I don't know what that signifies except maybe narrowing down the origin of the load.

Probably Limes out of Florida or California, and shipped via I-10 through Louisiana!

I don't think limes are an effective smell cover for drug dogs or anything else, so I don't think that was their purpose. Probably just a good way to bury the secret cargo. This is a little scary. I live 5 miles from I-10 in Florida. It probably drove right through here!

There was a tread on ATS several months ago about an unknown substance in east Texas near Louisiana that was making cattle, I think, sick. Someone had witnessed a truck dumping something on the road. I will see if I can find it.

In the trucking news papers you see this from time to time that drugs are usually in fruit loads- generally you see this more in Watermellon loads. This kind of thing has been going on for a long time and maybe someone on the other end was the intended target. I have driven this route on I-10 many times and I have seen this trucking company as well. As far as Hazmat is concerned there are regs against hauling Hazmat with food products. As far as mis-labeling or running with out placards- these days you will be put in jail.

There was a Fed-Ex truck that burned up on the side of the highway a couple years ago and it was improply marked (without placards) two firefighters were hurt in that and the company was fined heavily. In order to ship hazmat today all carriers are required to send the BOL's in, 24 hours before the load ships. This was done after 9-11.

I would like to believe that the company and driver are not responsable. But, there is too many questions right now. Also, why was the truck pulled over to that location? Why not pull over at a scale? There would have to be some reason to pull over a 40 ton truck in the middle of a road? So there is prolly more to the story.

Whomever said that they ticket truck after truck with 60 tickets is mistaken. I have logged close to a Million miles and never seen nor heard of anything like that.

Originally posted by ShadowMaster
As far as Hazmat is concerned there are regs against hauling Hazmat with food products. As far as mis-labeling or running with out placards- these days you will be put in jail.

Well that just there is something to think about! - Just think how many shipments of whatever have got through undedicated Then what happens to the food products? I very much doubt these guys would dispose of it, that could draw attention! No it would find it's way to a legitimate market and no one would ever know any better.

www.pca.state.mn.us...
(It's a doc so it will install)

environmentalchemistry.com...

I couldn't find a lot on solid forms of pesticides except that they exist.

That's my guess.

[edit on 7/24/2009 by ravenshadow13]

It is most probably not drugs, if the hospital staff and drivers were also quarantined I would suggest biological/viral contaminants with the ability to spread rapidly by human to human contact and airborn via their clothes.

This is not good, not good at all. What was the destination target?

Best wishes for the Officers and first responders who came in contact.

reply to post by ravenshadow13


In this interview with a Louisiana State DEA Agent said that initial tests show a combination of pesticides, a combination of coc aine, and a combination of corn starch.

www.wwltv.com...

Update: State police conforming that the officers were affected by the pesticides in the cargo and that all the officers are recovering quickly.



[edit on 24-7-2009 by hippy2012]

reply to post by hippy2012


Maybe they're trying to feed a really strung out plant.

I don't get it

Just doesn't make sense at all, White blocks that are presumed to be coc aine but only actually contain traces of coc aine along with pesticides ?

It's not a chemical block that can keep limes "fresh" or kills off any bacteria/bugs on the limes is it ?

Originally posted by hippy2012

In this interview with a Louisiana State DEA Agent said that initial tests show a combination of pesticides, a combination of coc aine, and a combination of corn starch. Update: State police conforming that the officers were affected by the pesticides in the cargo and that all the officers are recovering quickly.

Pesticides would make sense as the accidental exposure to pesticides can create serious health problems. While most pesticides pose minimal risks, others can be extremely toxic and require special precautions. In general the vast majority of pesticide exposure injuries result in only eye/skin irritations.

Pesticide exposures can lead to symptoms of great concern including:

* nausea/vomiting
* headaches
* dizziness
* shortness of breath

Pesticide exposures, even acute (short) exposures can even result in long-term health risks.

By comparison, the pesticide DDT (also known as Agent Orange) which is outlawed in all countries, is only considered a "moderately toxic" according to the United States National Toxicology Program (NTP). There are many pesticides still approved for use in the US that are considerably more toxic than DDT. (All thanks to Monsanto!)

reply to post by AshleyD


They use ether to process heroin, they could have just over soaked it in order to get a bigger cut and didn't ventilate it properly

It's that or coc aine. That stuff stinks of something like gasoline (strong gasoline type smell) if it isn't properly dried out and i think thats' what happened. Trucks don't vent properly so the fumes built up. Because the DEA was there lends me to speculate that it was a drug bust. Looks like a supplier needs to re-tweak his basement chemistry lab.

You should smell some cargo bins after they been at sea for months at a time, whew it smells like decaying cardboard..

[edit on 24-7-2009 by cenpuppie]

reply to post by cenpuppie


Ether would evaporate too quickly to cause any problems. Even if a drum spilled in the truck box, it would run out and evaporate within minutes (assuming it didn't ignite!).

Pesticides could last quite awhile, and they could cause the symptoms, but I don't see why more than one officer would have been affected.

Maybe they all climbed inside to assist the search and the smell wasn't overwhelming? That wouldn't fit any good protocol for a "white powder" incident though! As soon as the officers saw anything suspicious, they should secure it and wait for a hazmat team.

Lots of questions, but not too many answers.

reply to post by Finalized


How can they say these two things at the same time?

“The truck has been secured and the substance in not a threat to the public, he said.

By midday members of the state police hazardous materials team and fire departments were making plans to inspect the contents of the truck to try to determine what caused the officers’ symptoms.

Originally posted by HunkaHunka
reply to post by Finalized

 

How can they say these two things at the same time?

“The truck has been secured and the substance in not a threat to the public, he said.

By midday members of the state police hazardous materials team and fire departments were making plans to inspect the contents of the truck to try to determine what caused the officers’ symptoms.

Does not make sense except to open the door for even more questions to which they either have no answers or are not authorized to give such answers. Which brings up even more questions.

received in my email account

After police from several department were overcome by fumes while searching an 18-wheeler for drugs this morning investigators pesticides in the truck's trailer were responsible for making them sick.

For more on this story, please click the following link:

www.wwl.com...