COURSE TEXTBOOK: Meyer, E. (2010). Chemistry of Hazardous Materials (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

You are a member of a spill response crew on the scene of a domestic transportation accident involving an overturned tanker truck. The tanker truck is leaking a known corrosive material and the contents are fuming. Using Figure 8.14 on p. 339 of the textbook, describe how you would use a decision tree analysis to determine if foam may be effective for vapor control? What other procedures might you use to save lives and property, and what other procedures might you use to protect the environment in this incident?

The DOT regulation at 49 CFR 174.450 previously stipulated that when fire occurs in a domestic rail shipment of charcoal in transit, water should not be used if it is practicable to locate and remove the burning charcoal. Any charcoal that becomes wet while a fire is being extinguished must be removed from the car and not reshipped, and the remaining charcoal must be held under observation in a dry place for at least 5 days before forwarding. What is the most likely reason DOT regulates the domestic transportation of charcoal in this fashion? What chemical reaction is involved here?