$BLGO, a play for wastewater & odor treatment, cannabis partnership, PFAS contamination remediation, and PPE disinfectant (baby's first DD, math warning)
BLGO (BioLargo) popped up on OTCMarkets for me today, so I decided to do some research today. This company also got some attention here before (short post from a couple weeks ago). Their odor remediation technologies are the most mature, but other solutions coming to market this year and last target wastewater treatment and PFAS ("forever chemical") remediation. BioLargo is an environmental engineering company that focuses on water & wastewater treatment, odor elimination, and remediation of PFAS (poly-fluoro-alkyl substances) contamination. BioLargo also holds a minority stake in Clyra Medical (which manufactures PPE disinfectant Clyraguard and wound care products). One mature & active product (CupriDyne Clean) has made strides into the market this year, and two more major products (microcontaminant & PFAS remediation technologies) are scaling up from pilots into larger-scale rollouts. What's below isn't intended to be exhaustive, just the items that popped out at me. This ended up longer than I originally intended, but I was bored and there's a lot of reading material. Some Numbers:
Market Cap: ~50.3m
Open: $.218
Average volume (300): ~955k
52wk range: $0.10-0.35
Shares Outstanding: ~231m (.06% institutional ownership, steady since late 2016)
2020 revenue: ~$2.4m (rises by ~30% relative to 2019)
Debt: Decreasing from ~$7m (late 2019) to $3m (Clyra Medical holds ~40% of this)
BioLargo has a fairly active web presence. Blog has ~3x weekly new short-form content. Not a bad sign.
Board seems like mostly old dudes, mixed between environmental engineering, biotech, and finance. Among "Key Team Members", those who caught my eye were Steve Harrison (President of Clyra Medical: managed a small telecom carrier in the early 2000s to profitability), Shawn Dougherty (probably brought on to manage Clyraguard e-commerce sales), and Tonya Chandler (veteran of water treatment sector, specializes in sales growth). People I checked (a handful, more or less at random) seem to be real and actually employed there (engaging on social media with BLGO content).
Has an active engineering segment, BLEST, giving direct access to potential IP (rather than resorting to licensing). BLEST also does environmental impact consulations (i.e., it's not just R&D). Typical duration between idea inception and mature, revenue-producing product is 3-8 years.
Recent Developments:
ONM Environmental (wholly-owned subsidiary) acquired EcoMist, a deodorizing & sanitizing spray for solid waste receptacles. Customer can self-install sprayer system on garbage truck, and driver actuates sanitizing spray (works with front-, side-, and rear-loading vehicles). Spray solution is environmentally safe and biodegradable, and costs ~$.008 for a standard municipal garbage bin. BLGO claims this is a unique product, and I have not been able to locate a competitor [Source: BioLargo Blog, EcoMist demo video]
Teamed up with Garratt-Callahan (water treatment company, >100 years old) to collaborate in producing a wastewater treatment solution aimed at commercial wastewater conversion into usable water. G-C appears to own the idea, and will manage distribution through existing network; while BioLargo will develop the product. Partnership may progress to market existing BioLargo technologies through G-C distribution channels. [Source: Blog with video]
Clyra Medical (48% owned subsidiary) has sold Clyraguard through Amazon since mid-October 2020, and generated ~$125k prior to mid-December [Source: sponsored Edison research].
Five-year deal announced in 2019 (yeah, yeah, I know, not super recent) with Cannabusters to market & distribute deodorizing CupriDyne Clean to cannabis and hemp producers. [Source: Yahoo news]
Piloting a water purifier in Montreal, which is claimed to be unparallelled in micropollutant removal from water. A predecessor technology had been tested at an Alberta poultry facility, and demonstrated compliance with EPA safe discharge standards. [Source: Smart Water Magazine]
Tests of 40 Orange County, CA water wells finds significant PFAS contamination, with estimated total lifecycle remediation costs of $1.3bn for those sites alone. AEC technology produces orders of magnitude less solid (contaminated) waste than conventional carbon solutions ("truckload size vs briefcase size") [Source: Corporate Presentation]
According to narrated corporate presentation, CupriDyne won several municipal contracts for odor control in December 2020 (blog suggests that at least some are Southern California landfills--there may be others) [Source: Corporate Presentation, Blog]
Possible Future Developments & Analysis:
Joe Biden campaigned on a pledge to designate PFAS chemicals (or a subset thereof) as "hazardous substances" under CERCLA, which lets the EPA force companies to clean up a polluted site and makes the reporting requirements for designated substances much stricter. Michael Regan (Biden's EPA nominee, whose nomination was advanced today by Environment and Public Works Committee) has pledged to prioritize regulating PFAS chemicals. This regulation is also possible through Senate action. Bottom line: PFAS regulation becomes much more likely in new administration, meaning remediation efforts will rise, potentially increasing revenue for remediation technologies like those owned by BLGO [Sources: Regan nomination, Biden admin. analysis]
Possible impact of EcoMist sales on revenue: assuming a household size of 2.53 (2020 US average), a city of 100,000 people adopting EcoMist would spend ~$4100/qtr to spray household garbage cans, which is ~.45% of BLGO 2020 Q4 revenue. Assuming sanitizing solution cost scales with container surface area, it would cost ~$.017 to sanitize a standard, 4yd commercial dumpster (capacity 800lbs). A city of 100k that has ~200 restaurants (incl. both full-service and limited-service), each emptying their dumpster 3x/wk (average restaurant produces 100k lbs of trash per yr), would pay ~$135/qtr to sanitize & deodorize. Another useful revenue data-point for a city that size (assuming trash volume of 2.89 lbs/person/day, all packed into 50%-full 4yd dumpsters), is $2241/qtr (Note: I'm unclear whether the underlying figures include non-industrial, commercial disposal as well as household waste, so it may not be valid to add this figure to the one above). Bottom line: EcoMist sales to municipal waste disposal in 10 cities of 100k population would increase revenue by ~4.5% (before 10% royalties paid) [Sources: dumpster size, restaurants/capita, yearly waste/capita]
Revenues through Clyra Medical contributed ~11% of revenue in 2020Q4, and based on the raw numbers, it seems like most of this was Clyraguard deodorizer & disinfectant product, which they marketed heavily in print media. I'm not convinced this is a viable long-term play, but it's good to see them marketing and selling the product. Bottom line: If PPE usage is long-lived, ~$100k/qtr revenue from Clyraguard sales may stick around. [Source: slide deck]
Possible cannabis legalization opens up avenues to distribute more widely through Cannabusters. Projected revenue does not appear to include this expectation, so consider this a low-percentage, moderate-reward possibility.
Clyra Medical to launch new products in 2021. Water purification solutions (AOS and AEC) set to increase revenue this year though commercial pilots and small customers. AEC has $1.6m+ order backlog [source: slide deck]
Research on PFAS contamination is slim, and though there is some evidence they cause health problems, more research is needed. The threat level from bioaccumulated PFAS hasn't been clearly characterized, which may slow adoption of remediation techniques. Bottom line: Bioaccumulated PFAS contamination may not be hazardous enough to spur regulation and remediation. [Source: FDA on PFAS]
Existing debt of ~$1.085m comes due or converts in August 2021. This has some potential to dilute shares. [Source: Corporate Presentation]
I have shallow pockets, but since I think they have potential to grow revenue during the next year, I'm in today for 500 @ .205. This is not investment advice, just my observations: this stock could progress nicely, or it could disappear entirely. I'm also happy to hear critiques of this DD from people with more experience, or counterpoints/discussion.
DD for $BLGO: wastewater treatment, PFAS remediation, PPE & cannabis deodorizing (x-post from /r/pennystocks)
BLGO (BioLargo) popped up on OTCMarkets for me today, so I decided to do some research today. This company also got some attention here before (short post from a couple weeks ago). Their odor remediation technologies are the most mature, but other solutions coming to market this year and last target wastewater treatment and PFAS ("forever chemical") remediation. I posted this DD on /pennystocks earlier today, and was asked to also put it here. I hope this is useful, and sparks some discussion. BioLargo is an environmental engineering company that focuses on water & wastewater treatment, odor elimination, and remediation of PFAS (poly-fluoro-alkyl substances) contamination. BioLargo also holds a minority stake in Clyra Medical (which manufactures PPE disinfectant Clyraguard and wound care products). One mature & active product (CupriDyne Clean) has made strides into the market this year, and two more major products (microcontaminant & PFAS remediation technologies) are scaling up from pilots into larger-scale rollouts. What's below isn't intended to be exhaustive, just the items that popped out at me. This ended up longer than I originally intended, but I was bored and there's a lot of reading material. Some Numbers:
Market Cap: ~50.3m
Open: $.218
Average volume (300): ~955k
52wk range: $0.10-0.35
Shares Outstanding: ~231m (.06% institutional ownership, steady since late 2016)
2020 revenue: ~$2.4m (rises by ~30% relative to 2019)
Debt: Decreasing from ~$7m (late 2019) to $3m (Clyra Medical holds ~40% of this)
BioLargo has a fairly active web presence. Blog has ~3x weekly new short-form content. Not a bad sign.
Board seems like mostly old dudes, mixed between environmental engineering, biotech, and finance. Among "Key Team Members", those who caught my eye were Steve Harrison (President of Clyra Medical: managed a small telecom carrier in the early 2000s to profitability), Shawn Dougherty (probably brought on to manage Clyraguard e-commerce sales), and Tonya Chandler (veteran of water treatment sector, specializes in sales growth). People I checked (a handful, more or less at random) seem to be real and actually employed there (engaging on social media with BLGO content).
Has an active engineering segment, BLEST, giving direct access to potential IP (rather than resorting to licensing). BLEST also does environmental impact consulations (i.e., it's not just R&D). Typical duration between idea inception and mature, revenue-producing product is 3-8 years.
Recent Developments:
ONM Environmental (wholly-owned subsidiary) acquired EcoMist, a deodorizing & sanitizing spray for solid waste receptacles. Customer can self-install sprayer system on garbage truck, and driver actuates sanitizing spray (works with front-, side-, and rear-loading vehicles). Spray solution is environmentally safe and biodegradable, and costs ~$.008 for a standard municipal garbage bin. BLGO claims this is a unique product, and I have not been able to locate a competitor [Source: BioLargo Blog, EcoMist demo video]
Teamed up with Garratt-Callahan (water treatment company, >100 years old) to collaborate in producing a wastewater treatment solution aimed at commercial wastewater conversion into usable water. G-C appears to own the idea, and will manage distribution through existing network; while BioLargo will develop the product. Partnership may progress to market existing BioLargo technologies through G-C distribution channels. [Source: Blog with video]
Clyra Medical (48% owned subsidiary) has sold Clyraguard through Amazon since mid-October 2020, and generated ~$125k prior to mid-December [Source: sponsored Edison research].
Five-year deal announced in 2019 (yeah, yeah, I know, not super recent) with Cannabusters to market & distribute deodorizing CupriDyne Clean to cannabis and hemp producers. [Source: Yahoo news]
Piloting a water purifier in Montreal, which is claimed to be unparallelled in micropollutant removal from water. A predecessor technology had been tested at an Alberta poultry facility, and demonstrated compliance with EPA safe discharge standards. [Source: Smart Water Magazine]
Tests of 40 Orange County, CA water wells finds significant PFAS contamination, with estimated total lifecycle remediation costs of $1.3bn for those sites alone. AEC technology produces orders of magnitude less solid (contaminated) waste than conventional carbon solutions ("truckload size vs briefcase size") [Source: Corporate Presentation]
According to narrated corporate presentation, CupriDyne won several municipal contracts for odor control in December 2020 (blog suggests that at least some are Southern California landfills--there may be others) [Source: Corporate Presentation, Blog]
Possible Future Developments & Analysis:
Joe Biden campaigned on a pledge to designate PFAS chemicals (or a subset thereof) as "hazardous substances" under CERCLA, which lets the EPA force companies to clean up a polluted site and makes the reporting requirements for designated substances much stricter. Michael Regan (Biden's EPA nominee, whose nomination was advanced today by Environment and Public Works Committee) has pledged to prioritize regulating PFAS chemicals. This regulation is also possible through Senate action. Bottom line: PFAS regulation becomes much more likely in new administration, meaning remediation efforts will rise, potentially increasing revenue for remediation technologies like those owned by BLGO [Sources: Regan nomination, Biden admin. analysis]
Possible impact of EcoMist sales on revenue: assuming a household size of 2.53 (2020 US average), a city of 100,000 people adopting EcoMist would spend ~$4100/qtr to spray household garbage cans, which is ~.45% of BLGO 2020 Q4 revenue. Assuming sanitizing solution cost scales with container surface area, it would cost ~$.017 to sanitize a standard, 4yd commercial dumpster (capacity 800lbs). A city of 100k that has ~200 restaurants (incl. both full-service and limited-service), each emptying their dumpster 3x/wk (average restaurant produces 100k lbs of trash per yr), would pay ~$135/qtr to sanitize & deodorize. Another useful revenue data-point for a city that size (assuming trash volume of 2.89 lbs/person/day, all packed into 50%-full 4yd dumpsters), is $2241/qtr (Note: I'm unclear whether the underlying figures include non-industrial, commercial disposal as well as household waste, so it may not be valid to add this figure to the one above). Bottom line: EcoMist sales to municipal waste disposal in 10 cities of 100k population would increase revenue by ~4.5% (before 10% royalties paid) [Sources: dumpster size, restaurants/capita, yearly waste/capita]
Revenues through Clyra Medical contributed ~11% of revenue in 2020Q4, and based on the raw numbers, it seems like most of this was Clyraguard deodorizer & disinfectant product, which they marketed heavily in print media. I'm not convinced this is a viable long-term play, but it's good to see them marketing and selling the product. Bottom line: If PPE usage is long-lived, ~$100k/qtr revenue from Clyraguard sales may stick around. [Source: slide deck]
Possible cannabis legalization opens up avenues to distribute more widely through Cannabusters. Projected revenue does not appear to include this expectation, so consider this a low-percentage, moderate-reward possibility.
Clyra Medical to launch new products in 2021. Water purification solutions (AOS and AEC) set to increase revenue this year though commercial pilots and small customers. AEC has $1.6m+ order backlog [source: slide deck]
Research on PFAS contamination is slim, and though there is some evidence they cause health problems, more research is needed. The threat level from bioaccumulated PFAS hasn't been clearly characterized, which may slow adoption of remediation techniques. Bottom line: Bioaccumulated PFAS contamination may not be hazardous enough to spur regulation and remediation. [Source: FDA on PFAS]
Existing debt of ~$1.085m comes due or converts in August 2021. This has some potential to dilute shares. [Source: Corporate Presentation]
I have shallow pockets, but since I think they have potential to grow revenue during the next year, I'm in today for 500 @ .205. This is not investment advice, just my observations: this stock could progress nicely, or it could disappear entirely. I'm also happy to hear critiques of this DD from people with more experience, or counterpoints/discussion.
Preface forTheeHiveBees: I promised this safety plan quite some time ago. It has turned into quite the arduous, yet rewarding and insightful, task. The following document is best suited for BabyBees, and I will post it there as soon as possible after posting here; however, I hope that it will contain valuable information for most, if not all, bees. I, myself, am by no means an expert bee (although I possess a good deal of chemical knowledge in the ordinary sense, especially in regard to safety, at this point, and have a lot of experience in professional labs, mostly quantitative). As a result, I would like this to be a working document, and as such, I will consider any and all edits that other bees recommend. Please comment or DM any input or questions you may have. I am greatly indebted to all of you who have all ready provided assistance, and apologize if I missed any of your previous recommendations. *I especially need some assistance with waste disposal (last section) information. I only know about professional waste disposal, which we obviously want to avoid when possible. Table of Contents: I. Introduction II. Basic Laboratory Safety Rules III. Dress, Preparation, and PPE for Lab Work A. Basic Considerations B. PPE C. Lab Setup D. Behavior and Technique IV. Chemical Safety A. SDS B. Chemical Labeling C. Chemical Storage D. Bonding and Grounding E. Peroxide Forming Molecules and Shelf Lives V. Labware Safety A. Glassware B. Support C. Tubing D. Heat E. Electricity VI. Reaction Safety A. Fume Hoods B. Additional Tips VII. Emergency Procedures A. Emergency Shower and Eyewash Stations B. Fire Extinguishers C. Fire Blankets D. Spills E. First Aid VIII. Post-Procedure Protocols A. Personal Hygiene B. Facility Hygiene C. Waste Disposal ____________________________________________________________________________ II. Basic Laboratory Safety Rules:
Never work alone, and alert others on the premises that you are about to conduct lab work. If you are blinded, set on fire, burnt, frightened, accidentally intoxicated, experience a health emergency, or are otherwise put in danger, you may be unable to remedy the situation alone, which could lead to death, permanent blindness, disfigurement, etc. Be sure that you and/or another has the ability to call 911.
Wear proper PPE at all times and avoid other hazardous dress (see the section on PPE below).
Always prepare for the worst!! Wear the PPE and take the precautions that will protect against the worst case scenario given the chemicals and processes you work with.
Never eat, drink, chew gum, or have any unnecessary items in the lab in case of contamination (of the items, self, or the experiment).
Keep the lab clean, sanitary, and organized.
Never allow walkways or exits to become obstructed.
Thoroughly study the SDS for each chemical you work with.
Have emergency procedures in place, including fire extinguishers, fire blankets, first aid, spill kits, emergency showers, and eyewash station.
Understand peroxide-forming chemicals, and evaluate shelf-lives of materials.
Bond and ground flammable and combustible fluids.
Use a fume hood.
Store and handle reagents properly.
Add acids and bases to water, never vice-versa.
Never look into the end of any glassware wherein a reaction is taking place.
III. Dress, Preparation, and PPE for Lab Work A. Basic Considerations: Before we apply PPE, there are some basic precautions that must be taken in terms of dress and personal hygiene. Do NOT:
Wear loose fitting clothing that may knock things over, catch fire, or soak up chemicals.
Wear jewelry for the above reasons. Metals in jewelry may also react with certain chemicals.
Unnecessarily expose any skin.
Wear contact lenses, unless full, non-ventilated goggles are also worn.
Do:
Maintain personal hygiene to avoid contamination.
Wear all proper PPE, especially gloves and goggles at all times.
Wash hands and change gloves as frequently as possible.
Wear closed-toe, thick, shoes.
Wear tight-fitting clothing that covers as much skin as possible- long sleeves, long pants, closed shirt, and lab coat.
B. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): The most obvious safety practice is the use of personal protective equipment. However, PPE is the last system of defense against chemical hazards. Practitioners should focus their efforts on the maintenance of a safe work environment, proper training, and the replacement of more with less dangerous chemicals where possible. We will classify PPE into three sections- eye, body, and respiratory protection. (note: larger labs and some rare reactions may also require hearing protection, light-restrictive eye protection, hard hats, and other forms of protection as necessary). Eye Protection: Chemical splash goggles Eye protection is not just to prevent impact, which is all that general safety goggles, with or without side shields, do. General safety goggles and eyeglasses offer limited protection against sprays, and do NOT prevent splash hazards, which may come from any angle or drip down one’s face into the eyes. Additionally, some chemical fumes are eye irritants. Bees should wear chemical splash goggles labeled with the code Z87.1, which denotes compliance with safety standards. The goggles must fit snugly against the face and remain on at all times. Suggestion: Chemical Splash/Impact Goggle.
Do not touch your eyes while in a lab.
Never wear contact lenses in a lab- some chemicals may react with them, and liquids may get trapped under them, exacerbating eye damage and reducing effectiveness of emergency eye washes.
Face shields that cover the entire face may be necessary for chemicals that are particularly corrosive, flammable, or explosive.
Body Protection: Long clothes that cover as much skin as possible is a must. This means closed shoes or boots, pants, long sleeves, a lab coat, and gloves. Tie back long hair. Change gloves and wash hands as often as possible, especially before leaving the lab. Recognize that touching things such as your phone with your gloves on may spread toxic chemicals.
Gloves: Keep a large amount of gloves on hand. This includes boxes of traditional nitrile/latex gloves, and at least one pair each of heat/cold resistant and thick-rubber, arm-length, corrosive-resistant gloves.
All gloves are permeable- even the proper glove will only protect for a period of time. Many chemicals will eventually work their way through them. It is imperative that gloves are changed and hands washed as often as possible.
If more than one type of hand protection is necessary, multi-hazard protective gloves are available; otherwise, gloves may be layered.
All used gloves should be considered hazardous. Throw them away in a safe place, and do not wear or carry them outside of the lab area.
2. Lab Coats: Multi-hazard protection lab coats are best, and should be both fire (FR) and chemical splash (CP) resistant. Most basic lab coats found online or in stores are not FCP. Proper coats are more expensive, but are absolutely worthwhile as they may prevent fire, chemical burns, and even death (research the UCLA tert-butyllithium incident). Here is an example of a proper lab coat: Lab Coat.
If you work with corrosive chemicals, a chemical splash apron, arm-length rubber gloves, and face shields may be necessary.
Keep lab coats in the lab area unless they are washed. They should be assumed to contain hazardous chemicals.
3. Respiratory Protection: Never smell chemicals or inhale their fumes. Use a fume hood when necessary and keep containers closed tightly. In case of a large chemical spill, evacuate immediately. Use a fume hood with any organic solvent, concentrated acids, and concentrated ammonia. Use respirators when working with fine powders or toxic fumes. C. Lab setup: Develop a thorough floor plan before equipping your lab. Priorities:
Ventilation- Air must flow from other areas of the facility or home to the lab area, and subsequently out of the building. Fume hoods must immediately direct airflow out of building.
Maximize open work space and visibility, and minimize obstruction throughout the work area.
Allow ample space between and within workstations.
Include ample lighting.
Include ample (excess) storage space that is separate from lab spaces where reactions take place.
Use OSHA approved acid, corrosive, and flammable storage cabinets.
Strategically place first aid, wash stations, spill control kits, fire extinguishers and blankets such that all are easily accessible in case of emergency, and such that an emergency itself (e.g. fire) will not obstruct access.
Doors should, preferably, hinge outward to promote prompt evacuation.
All wash stations must have a proper drain.
Large sinks are best, and there should be one per workstation.
All electrical and gas lines must be easily severable or closable.
Black epoxy resin surfaces are preferred.
Install and routinely check smoke detectors.
D. Behavior and Technique:
Keep a proper lab notebook that records all procedures.
Gather all needed glassware, labware, and chemicals before beginning an experiment.
Keep all equipment clean and dry when not in use.
Never add solvent to acids, bases, etc!! This could result in a violent reaction. All ways prepare the solvent first, and slowly add the acid or base to it.
Eliminate distractions.
Stay organized and keep the lab uncluttered.
Bond and ground when pouring flammable or combustible liquids.
Use the right tool for the job. Do not skimp or substitute glassware.
IV. Chemical Safety A. SDS: The first and most vital step to understand how to safely handle chemicals is thorough, proper, and regular review of Safety Data Sheets. It is recommended that physical copies of SDSs be kept for all chemicals in the laboratory. Safety Data Sheets can be found online as well, and should be reviewed each time a chemical is used, at least until one has extensive experience with that chemical. Safety and storage information should also be reviewed for any compounds synthesized, as well as any side products or impurities. The format of an SDS is an update to the traditional MSDS, and follows the guidelines prescribed by the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) established in March 2012. A traditional MSDS is likely to contain all or most of the necessary information; however, SDS has the benefit of a strict and easy to follow format that includes the following 16 sections: Section 1—Identification: Chemical/product name, name and contact information of producer. Section 2—Hazard(s) Identification: All known hazards of the chemical and required label elements. The GHS identifies three hazard classes: health (toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, etc.), physical (corrosive, flammable, combustible, etc.), and environmental hazards. There are 16 types of physical hazards and 10 types of health hazards. Next to each listed hazard is a rank/category from 1-4, with 1 being the most severe level of hazard. Next are hazard pictograms, a signal word, and hazard (H) statements and precautionary (P) statements. Pictograms allow chemists to quickly understand the basic hazards of a chemical, and must be on the chemical label. What pictograms a chemical requires is quantitatively determined, and users should become familiar with them. 📷 There are two signal words- Danger!, and Warning!, the former being more serious than the latter. P and H statements list specifically hazardous situations and precautions that must be taken when handling the chemical. Section 3—Composition/Information on Ingredients Section 4—First-Aid Measures Section 5—Fire-Fighting Measures Section 6—Accidental Release Measures: What to do in case of accidental spill or release of chemicals, proper containment, and cleanup. Section 7—Handling and Storage Section 8—Exposure Controls/Personal Protection: Includes exposure limits. Section 9—Physical and Chemical Properties: appearance, odor, flashpoint, solubility, pH, evaporation rates, etc. Section 10—Stability and Reactivity: Chemical stability and possible hazardous reactions. Section 11—Toxicological Information: Routes of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, or absorption contact), symptoms, acute and chronic effects, and numerical measures of toxicity. Sections 12-15 are optional, but include ecological information, disposal considerations, transportation information, and regulatory information. Section 16-- includes any additional information the producer may want to portray. B. Chemical Labeling: All chemicals should be labeled at all times to avoid hazard, confusion, and waste.
Containers that are being used in a procedure (beakers, flasks, wash bottles, etc.) may simply be labeled with a piece of scotch tape and a permanent marker.
Vessels that will be heated can be labeled with a heat-resistant paint marker.
Chemicals that will be stored (whether produced or purchased) should be labeled with at minimum the chemical name, date of production/purchase/opening, and safety concerns. Simple labels may be used for containers that are not in the manufacturer’s packaging.
C. Chemical Storage: General Reagents:
Keep storage spaces organized, clean, and uncluttered.
All chemicals should be stored properly whenever not in use.
Store bottles away from shelf edges, and/or have lipped shelves to prevent falls from, and contain spills on, shelves.
Keep seals tight.
Keep an inventory.
Always label chemicals properly, including the dates received and opened.
Bees may opt to cover glass containers in clear packing tape to reduce mess if a bottle is broken.
Store flammable and combustible liquids in a flammable cabinet. An old fridge is a good method of storage for bees. Never store food or drink in the same refrigerator.
Do not store liquids above solids.
Always store corrosive chemicals on spill trays.
Store odoriferous and toxic chemicals in ventilated cabinets.
Keep heavy containers on bottom shelves, and don’t store in high places or on the floor unless properly protected.
Acetone with- bromine, chlorine, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, or hydrogen peroxide (do not use acetone to clean receptacles that have had these chemicals in them!).
Iodine with- acetylene, ammonia, or hydrogen.
Water- keep all other chemicals away from water unless in solution. Especially avoid hydration of acetyl chloride, alkaline and alkaline earth metals, barium peroxide, carbides, chromic acid, phosphorus oxychloride, phosphorus pentachloride, phosphorous pentoxide, sulfuric acid, or sulfur trioxide.
Nitric Acid with- acetone, acetic acid, alcohol, chromic acid, aniline, hydrocyanic acid, hydrogen sulfide, or any flammable substances (keep this in mind when cleaning with nitric acid).
Hydrogen Peroxide with- copper, chromium, iron, most metals or salts of metals, alcohols, acetone, organic materials, aniline, nitromethane, flammable liquids, ammonia, or oxidizing agents.
Zinc and sulfur.
Mercury with- acetylene, fulminic acid, or ammonia.
Compressed Gasses:
Keep cylinders of compressed gasses secured
Keep appropriate breathing apparati in the vicinity, but not immediately near the compressed gases in case of emergency.
Keep the valve cap secured unless in use or connected to a line.
Do not store flammable gases near oxidizers or combustible materials.
Do not allow a cylinder to empty completely.
Dispose of cylinders after ten years, or three in the case of corrosive and toxic chemicals.
Note: avoid working with gases when possible. Gas chemistry has many complications, is often unsafe, and produces poor yields and poor quality products. Bulk Storage Containers:
Carboys: These are great for general purpose, and storage of chemicals no longer in their original container. However, they are not ideal for transport or use with acids, caustics, flammable liquids, or corrosive substances.
Safety Cans: have spring loaded lids and flame arresters. They are good for fluids in volumes less than five gallons, are safe for transporting most chemicals, and can be had for around $80. Recommended Safety Can.
Drums: for bulk chemicals. They may weigh in excess of 800 lb (364 kg), and should only be moved with a drum dolly, not rolled or dragged. Drums may be made of steel or high-strength plastics.
D. Bonding and Grounding: “Class I Liquids should not be run or dispensed into a container unless the nozzle and container are electrically interconnected.” (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.106(e)(6)(ii), ATEX directive, and NFPA UFC Div. VIII, Sec. 79.803a). An ungrounded static voltage (including from friction) may cause combustion of some fluids. Metal containers must be connected via a common grounding wire made of solid or braided wire, or welded connections, before fluid is poured between them. E. Peroxide-Forming Chemicals: A variety of common chemicals spontaneously form peroxide compounds under ordinary storage conditions due to reaction with oxygen. Peroxides are extraordinarily explosive, and can often be ignited by contact with heat, friction (incl. simply turning the cap of the container), and mechanical shock (incl. shaking, bumping, or dropping). Three classes of peroxide-forming chemicals are of particular interest, and are organized by the precautions that should be taken with unopened and opened containers. Class A Peroxide Formers: the most hazardous class. Unopened: discard or test for peroxides after 12 months or at manufacturer’s expiration date (whichever comes first). Opened: Test for peroxides quarterly. Common class A peroxide formers include: Butadiene (liquid monomer) Isopropyl ether Sodium amide (sodamide) Chloroprene (liquid monomer) Potassium amide Tetrafluoroethylene (liquid monomer) Divinyl acetylene Potassium metal Vinylidene chloride Class B Peroxide Formers: Unopened: discard or test for peroxides after 12 months or at manufacturer’s expiration date (whichever comes first). Opened: test for peroxide formation every 6 months. *Always test this class immediately before any distillation. Common Class B Peroxide Formers include: Acetal Cumene Diacetylene Methylacetylene 1-Phenylethanol Acetaldehyde Cyclohexanol Diethyl ether Methylcyclopentane 2-Phenylethanol Benzyl alcohol 2-Cychlohexen-1-ol Dioxanes MIBK 2-Propanol Benzaldehyde Cyclohexene Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (glyme) 2-Pentanol Tetrahydrofuran 2-Butanol Decahydronaphthalene Furan 4-Penten-1-ol Class C Peroxide Formers: Same precautions as Class B. Include: Acrylic acid Chloroprene Styrene Vinyl acetylene Vinyladiene chloride Acrylonitirile Chlorotrifluoroethylene Tetrafluoroethylene Vinyl chloride Butadiene Methyl methacrylate Vinyl acetate Vinyl pyridine *Without opening, immediately dispose of any peroxide-forming chemical with any crystalline formation. Be careful not to open, shake, heat, or drop. Testing Peroxide-Forming Chemicals: Peroxide test strips can be bought cheaply online, or various in-lab tests can be performed: One method is to combine the fluid with an equal volume (1-3mL) of acetic acid (AcOH). To this a few drops of a 5% KI solution are added, and a color change indicates the presence of peroxides. Another method adds a small amount of the fluid to be tested (~0.5mL) to ~1mL 10% KI solution and ~0.5mL dilute HCL. To this a few drops of starch indicator are added, and the presence of blue/blue-black color within a minute indicates the presence of peroxides. Fluids with a LOW (<30ppm) concentration of peroxides can often be deperoxidated via filtration through activated alumina, distillation (not for THF!), evaporation, or chromatography. V. Labware Safety A. Glassware:
Always inspect glassware for cracks, chips, or fractures before use. Discard any glassware that is even slightly damaged.
Use glassware for its intended purpose! Heat fluids in a round-bottom boiling flask whenever possible.
Store on a shelf away from the edge. Round-bottomed flasks should be set on cork or tin holders, or padded into a drawer.
Joint grease reduces stuck joints, and therefore breakage.
Always carry glassware with two hands. Do not hold beakers by their sides, or flasks by the neck.
Clean glassware after any procedure, and before as necessary.
B. Support:
Use the fewest amount of clamps such that all structures are firmly held.
Support all flasks with rings.
Assemble apparati from bottom up.
Assemble such that liquid always passes through the male joint. Never allow fluid to pass into the joint. This prevents both leaks and lubricant contamination.
Do not over tighten clamps. Clamps should be tightened the minimum amount that provides a secure frame.
C. Tubing:
Cut glass tubing by placing a single slit in the desired position, then breaking by pulling the edges toward you and pushing the joint out.
Bend glass tubing by heating until red, and pulling ends toward self to form desired angle.
Use lubricant to insert tubing into stoppers, and wear hand protection during assembly.
DO NOT force glass together or into anything. Use minimal pressure, lubricant, and a gentle twisting motion if necessary.
D. Heating:
Heating mantles and hot plates are preferred over bunsen burners in almost all situations. Never unnecessarily introduce a flame to your lab environment.
Avoid rapid temperature changes whenever possible. Borosilicate glass is made for more rapid temperature changes. Heat and cool glass slowly. Do not set hot glass on a cold tabletop or under cold water.
Never look into the mouth of a receptacle that is being heated, or point it towards the self or others.
Use heat resistant gloves and/or tongs to handle hot receptacles or products.
Cover oil baths so they don’t splatter, or use a sand bath in its stead.
Always use boiling chips for reflux and distillation!
E. Electricity:
Be aware of electrical hazards. Check wires periodically, and keep the lab environment dry and clean.
Use power strips to protect equipment.
VI. Reaction Safety A. Fume Hoods: Fume hoods are absolutely essential whenever flammability, toxicity, or accidental intoxication is a concern. That includes all organic solvents, concentrated acids, and concentrated ammonia, as well as any materials that are both volatile and toxic, corrosive, reactive, or intoxicating. The face velocity of a fume hood should be around 100 ft/min or 0.5 m/s. Keep these guidelines in mind when using a fume hood:
Regularly check that air flow is not blocked.
Keep the sash open as little as possible to promote air flow.
Keep all chemicals and glassware at least 6 inches away from the edge of the workspace.
Air should flow from the fume hood directly to the outdoors.
Unfortunately, bees often find that fume hoods are the most difficult apparatus to obtain and install in a private laboratory. Nonetheless, it is imperative that each lab includes one. This is especially important for bees, who often work in confined spaces that can quickly and easily fill with toxic, flammable, or intoxicating vapors. A proper fume hood may cost several thousand dollars. Fortunately, there are many online guides and videos that teach how to construct one for as little as a few hundred dollars. The builder must meticulously ensure that air flow is adequate and constant. The outtake must be properly filtered, and there must not be any leaks through which air can flow other than the space under the sash and the outtake. B. Additional Tips:
Avoid gas chemistry whenever possible. It is often dangerous, difficult, and produces poor quality products and low yields.
Avoid pressurized systems whenever possible. They also present special risks.
After working with potentially pyrophoric agents that may not interact well with water or oxygen, flush apparati with pressurized inert gas before cleaning.
Do not clean bromine contaminated glassware with acetone, which forms bromoacetone, a tear gas.
Always use deionized water- tap water contains interruptive ions such as Mg2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and Ca2+, as well as dissolved gasses.
VII. Emergency Procedures A. Emergency Shower and Eyewash Stations: If any hazardous chemical comes in contact with the body or eyes, the emergency shower or eye-wash station should be utilized immediately, with continued application for at least 15 minutes. The eyes should be held open for this entire process. Quality eye-wash stations can be purchased online for between 50 and several hundred US dollars. Bees who don’t have one installed are advised to purchase one. Some models can be attached directly to a sink faucet. An alternative, less effective, and minimal necessary precaution is bottled, eye-safe saline solution such as EyeSaline and Physician’s Care Eyewash Station, which can be purchased online for around $10 for a single bottle, and $30+ for kits. At least two bottles should be kept on hand in case both eyes are contaminated. Application of bottled solution to both eyes may require a partner, because the eyes must be held open to maximize effectiveness. For this, and other reasons (speed, difficulty/time of opening bottles vs. pushing a button, and water pressure) an actual eyewash station is in all ways preferred. Faucet-mounted eyewash stations such as the following are very affordable (US $59.95). Recommended Eyewash Station. Bees may not, however, have the space to install a safety shower. The home shower may be used in its stead; however, precaution must be taken to ensure it is easily accessible. The chemist should alert all others in the home/facility that they are working, and require that the door to the shower, and the path to it, be open at all times in case of emergency. B. Fire extinguishers:
Avoid working with flames whenever possible, especially when working with flammable solvents. Hot plates or heating mantles are preferable in almost all situations.
There are four classes of fires:
Class A- ordinary combustibles- wood, cloth, paper- can be extinguished with water, or general fire extinguishers. Class B- organic solvents, flammable liquids- chemical foam extinguishers (also work for class A and C). Class C- electrical equipment- chemical foam extinguishers. Class D- combustible metals such as aluminum, titanium, magnesium, lithium, zirconium, sodium, and potassium.
A dry chemical ABC extinguisher is usually adequate.
If you plan to work with combustible metals (not recommended unless necessary), make sure to have a class D dry chemical fire extinguisher. Other methods or classes of extinguishers will not put out a combustible metal fire. Note that class D fire extinguishers will not work for class A, B, or C fires.
Do not use a CO2 extinguisher- if it has to be used on the person it can cause frostbite and inhibit breathing.
C. Fire blankets: Used for small fires, or to put out a person who has caught fire (laying on ground, standing may cause the fire to move up the body to the head due to a chimney effect). D. Spills: Keep some vinegar or baking soda around to neutralize bases and acids, respectively. After acids and bases are neutralized, the chemical can be mopped up and placed in waste disposal. VIII. Post-Procedure Protocols A. Personal Hygiene: Wash hands, face, and all exposed skin after PPE has been removed to avoid recontamination by touching dirty clothes. Shower and change clothes once possible. B. Facility Hygiene: Clean all surfaces, glassware, and equipment before leaving the lab. Keep laboratory items in the lab, and personal items out of it. Chemicals may be transferred into the home through those items. Additionally, foreign objects have the potential to contaminate sterile laboratory environments. C. Waste Disposal: Waste disposal is one of the most important aspects of safety, image management, public relations, avoidance of fines or criminal charges, and environmental preservation.
Create a waste disposal plan before beginning a procedure or ordering a chemical.
Consult the SDS for all chemicals, individually or in a mixture.
Clearly label all containers, including waste.
Rinse out empty containers with an inert solvent several times before disposal.
Collect aqueous waste separately from organic solvent waste, and place solid waste in a labeled container for disposal. Flammable and toxic waste should be stored in a closed waste container in the fume hood until proper disposal is possible.
Non-hazardous waste may be disposed of in a landfill.
The Article “Management of Waste” found here states, “The best strategy for managing laboratory waste aims to maximize safety and minimize environmental impact, and considers these objectives from the time of purchase.” The article describes four tiers of waste management:
Pollution prevention and source reduction (green chemistry).
Reuse and redistribution of unwanted/surplus material (purchasing only what is needed).
Treatment, reclamation, and recycling of materials within the waste.
Disposal through incineration, treatment, or land burial. Additionally, use of solvent as fuel, or a fuel blender (the least desirable tier).
I hope this safety plan can save a few bees. I know there is a lot of information, but chemical safety is extremely important and multifaceted. Best of luck with your endeavors. Stay safe out there!
Table of Contents: I. Introduction II. Basic Laboratory Safety Rules III. Dress, Preparation, and PPE for Lab Work A. Basic Considerations B. PPE C. Lab Setup D. Behavior and Technique IV. Chemical Safety A. SDS B. Chemical Labeling C. Chemical Storage D. Bonding and Grounding E. Peroxide Forming Molecules and Shelf Lives V. Labware Safety A. Glassware B. Support C. Tubing D. Heat E. Electricity VI. Reaction Safety A. Fume Hoods B. Additional Tips VII. Emergency Procedures A. Emergency Shower and Eyewash Stations B. Fire Extinguishers C. Fire Blankets D. Spills E. First Aid VIII. Post-Procedure Protocols A. Personal Hygiene B. Facility Hygiene C. Waste Disposal IX. List of Edits ____________________________________________________________________________ I. Introduction: Chemistry is an extremely exciting endeavor; however, it can also be an exceedingly dangerous one. Professional chemists are disfigured, maimed, burned, and even killed every year. Clandestine chemists face even greater harm when they have a lack of knowledge, inadequate facilities, no established safety protocol, or a capricious attitude. If you want to be a productive bee, you will face untold hours of preparation. It will prove to be a worthwhile endeavor; however, it is not something to rush, and your chances of success are slim-to-none if you damage yourself, others, or your home/facility. The following document is very long and thorough. We won't pretend that bees are going to follow all of these recommendations, but I urge all baby bees to at least browse this document to become familiarize with the attitude of safety and some of the dangers of laboratory work. I am open to any and all recommendations, questions, and edits- this will be a working document. I wish you all luck in your exploration. Remember, however, that safety in the lab rarely comes down to luck- it is all about preparation, execution, and awareness of your surroundings. Safe travels, fellow bees! II. Basic Laboratory Safety Rules:
Never work alone, and alert others on the premises that you are about to conduct lab work. If you are blinded, set on fire, burnt, frightened, accidentally intoxicated, experience a health emergency, or are otherwise put in danger, you may be unable to remedy the situation alone, which could lead to death, permanent blindness, disfigurement, etc. Be sure that you and/or another has the ability to call 911.
Wear proper PPE at all times and avoid other hazardous dress (see the section on PPE below).
Always prepare for the worst!! Wear the PPE and take the precautions that will protect against the worst case scenario given the chemicals and processes you work with.
Never eat, drink, chew gum, or have any unnecessary items in the lab in case of contamination (of the items, self, or the experiment).
Keep the lab clean, sanitary, and organized.
Never allow walkways or exits to become obstructed.
Thoroughly study the SDS for each chemical you work with.
Have emergency procedures in place, including fire extinguishers, fire blankets, first aid, spill kits, emergency showers, and eyewash station.
Understand peroxide-forming chemicals, and evaluate shelf-lives of materials.
Bond and ground flammable and combustible fluids.
Use a fume hood.
Store and handle reagents properly.
Add acids and bases to water, never vice-versa.
Never look into the end of any glassware wherein a reaction is taking place.
III. Dress, Preparation, and PPE for Lab Work A. Basic Considerations: Before we apply PPE, there are some basic precautions that must be taken in terms of dress and personal hygiene. Do NOT:
Wear loose fitting clothing that may knock things over, catch fire, or soak up chemicals.
Wear jewelry for the above reasons. Metals in jewelry may also react with certain chemicals.
Unnecessarily expose any skin.
Wear contact lenses, unless full, non-ventilated goggles are also worn.
Do:
Maintain personal hygiene to avoid contamination.
Wear all proper PPE, especially gloves and goggles at all times.
Wash hands and change gloves as frequently as possible.
Wear closed-toe, thick, shoes.
Wear tight-fitting clothing that covers as much skin as possible- long sleeves, long pants, closed shirt, and lab coat.
B. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): The most obvious safety practice is the use of personal protective equipment. However, PPE is the last system of defense against chemical hazards. Practitioners should focus their efforts on the maintenance of a safe work environment, proper training, and the replacement of more with less dangerous chemicals where possible. We will classify PPE into three sections- eye, body, and respiratory protection. (note: larger labs and some rare reactions may also require hearing protection, light-restrictive eye protection, hard hats, and other forms of protection as necessary). Eye Protection: Chemical splash goggles Eye protection is not just to prevent impact, which is all that general safety goggles, with or without side shields, do. General safety goggles and eyeglasses offer limited protection against sprays, and do NOT prevent splash hazards, which may come from any angle or drip down one’s face into the eyes. Additionally, some chemical fumes are eye irritants. Bees should wear chemical splash goggles labeled with the code Z87.1, which denotes compliance with safety standards. The goggles must fit snugly against the face and remain on at all times. Suggestion: Chemical Splash/Impact Goggle.
Do not touch your eyes while in a lab.
Never wear contact lenses in a lab- some chemicals may react with them, and liquids may get trapped under them, exacerbating eye damage and reducing effectiveness of emergency eye washes.
Face shields that cover the entire face may be necessary for chemicals that are particularly corrosive, flammable, or explosive.
Body Protection: Long clothes that cover as much skin as possible is a must. This means closed shoes or boots, pants, long sleeves, a lab coat, and gloves. Tie back long hair. Change gloves and wash hands as often as possible, especially before leaving the lab. Recognize that touching things such as your phone with your gloves on may spread toxic chemicals.
Gloves: Keep a large amount of gloves on hand. This includes boxes of traditional nitrile/latex gloves, and at least one pair each of heat/cold resistant and thick-rubber, arm-length, corrosive-resistant gloves.
All gloves are permeable- even the proper glove will only protect for a period of time. Many chemicals will eventually work their way through them. It is imperative that gloves are changed and hands washed as often as possible.
If more than one type of hand protection is necessary, multi-hazard protective gloves are available; otherwise, gloves may be layered.
All used gloves should be considered hazardous. Throw them away in a safe place, and do not wear or carry them outside of the lab area.
2. Lab Coats: Multi-hazard protection lab coats are best, and should be both fire (FR) and chemical splash (CP) resistant. Most basic lab coats found online or in stores are not FCP. Proper coats are more expensive, but are absolutely worthwhile as they may prevent fire, chemical burns, and even death (research the UCLA tert-butyllithium incident). Here is an example of a proper lab coat: Lab Coat.
If you work with corrosive chemicals, a chemical splash apron, arm-length rubber gloves, and face shields may be necessary.
Keep lab coats in the lab area unless they are washed. They should be assumed to contain hazardous chemicals.
3. Respiratory Protection: Never smell chemicals or inhale their fumes. Use a fume hood when necessary and keep containers closed tightly. In case of a large chemical spill, evacuate immediately. Use a fume hood with any organic solvent, concentrated acids, and concentrated ammonia. Use respirators when working with fine powders or toxic fumes. C. Lab setup: Develop a thorough floor plan before equipping your lab. Priorities:
Ventilation- Air must flow from other areas of the facility or home to the lab area, and subsequently out of the building. Fume hoods must immediately direct airflow out of building.
Maximize open work space and visibility, and minimize obstruction throughout the work area.
Allow ample space between and within workstations.
Include ample lighting.
Include ample (excess) storage space that is separate from lab spaces where reactions take place.
Use OSHA approved acid, corrosive, and flammable storage cabinets.
Strategically place first aid, wash stations, spill control kits, fire extinguishers and blankets such that all are easily accessible in case of emergency, and such that an emergency itself (e.g. fire) will not obstruct access.
Doors should, preferably, hinge outward to promote prompt evacuation.
All wash stations must have a proper drain.
Large sinks are best, and there should be one per workstation.
All electrical and gas lines must be easily severable or closable.
Black epoxy resin surfaces are preferred.
Install and routinely check smoke detectors.
D. Behavior and Technique:
Keep a proper lab notebook that records all procedures.
Gather all needed glassware, labware, and chemicals before beginning an experiment.
Keep all equipment clean and dry when not in use.
Never add solvent to acids, bases, etc!! This could result in a violent reaction. All ways prepare the solvent first, and slowly add the acid or base to it.
Eliminate distractions.
Stay organized and keep the lab uncluttered.
Bond and ground when pouring flammable or combustible liquids.
Use the right tool for the job. Do not skimp or substitute glassware.
IV. Chemical Safety A. SDS: The first and most vital step to understand how to safely handle chemicals is thorough, proper, and regular review of Safety Data Sheets. It is recommended that physical copies of SDSs be kept for all chemicals in the laboratory. Safety Data Sheets can be found online as well, and should be reviewed each time a chemical is used, at least until one has extensive experience with that chemical. Safety and storage information should also be reviewed for any compounds synthesized, as well as any side products or impurities. The format of an SDS is an update to the traditional MSDS, and follows the guidelines prescribed by the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) established in March 2012. A traditional MSDS is likely to contain all or most of the necessary information; however, SDS has the benefit of a strict and easy to follow format that includes the following 16 sections: Section 1—Identification: Chemical/product name, name and contact information of producer. Section 2—Hazard(s) Identification: All known hazards of the chemical and required label elements. The GHS identifies three hazard classes: health (toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, etc.), physical (corrosive, flammable, combustible, etc.), and environmental hazards. There are 16 types of physical hazards and 10 types of health hazards. Next to each listed hazard is a rank/category from 1-4, with 1 being the most severe level of hazard. Next are hazard pictograms, a signal word, and hazard (H) statements and precautionary (P) statements. Pictograms allow chemists to quickly understand the basic hazards of a chemical, and must be on the chemical label. What pictograms a chemical requires is quantitatively determined, and users should become familiar with them. 📷 There are two signal words- Danger!, and Warning!, the former being more serious than the latter. P and H statements list specifically hazardous situations and precautions that must be taken when handling the chemical. Section 3—Composition/Information on Ingredients Section 4—First-Aid Measures Section 5—Fire-Fighting Measures Section 6—Accidental Release Measures: What to do in case of accidental spill or release of chemicals, proper containment, and cleanup. Section 7—Handling and Storage Section 8—Exposure Controls/Personal Protection: Includes exposure limits. Section 9—Physical and Chemical Properties: appearance, odor, flashpoint, solubility, pH, evaporation rates, etc. Section 10—Stability and Reactivity: Chemical stability and possible hazardous reactions. Section 11—Toxicological Information: Routes of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, or absorption contact), symptoms, acute and chronic effects, and numerical measures of toxicity. Sections 12-15 are optional, but include ecological information, disposal considerations, transportation information, and regulatory information. Section 16-- includes any additional information the producer may want to portray. B. Chemical Labeling: All chemicals should be labeled at all times to avoid hazard, confusion, and waste.
Containers that are being used in a procedure (beakers, flasks, wash bottles, etc.) may simply be labeled with a piece of scotch tape and a permanent marker.
Vessels that will be heated can be labeled with a heat-resistant paint marker.
Chemicals that will be stored (whether produced or purchased) should be labeled with at minimum the chemical name, date of production/purchase/opening, and safety concerns. Simple labels may be used for containers that are not in the manufacturer’s packaging.
C. Chemical Storage: General Reagents:
Keep storage spaces organized, clean, and uncluttered.
All chemicals should be stored properly whenever not in use.
Store bottles away from shelf edges, and/or have lipped shelves to prevent falls from, and contain spills on, shelves.
Keep seals tight.
Keep an inventory.
Always label chemicals properly, including the dates received and opened.
Bees may opt to cover glass containers in clear packing tape to reduce mess if a bottle is broken.
Store flammable and combustible liquids in a flammable cabinet. An old fridge is a good method of storage for bees. Never store food or drink in the same refrigerator.
Do not store liquids above solids.
Always store corrosive chemicals on spill trays.
Store odoriferous and toxic chemicals in ventilated cabinets.
Keep heavy containers on bottom shelves, and don’t store in high places or on the floor unless properly protected.
Acetone with- bromine, chlorine, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, or hydrogen peroxide (do not use acetone to clean receptacles that have had these chemicals in them!).
Iodine with- acetylene, ammonia, or hydrogen.
Water- keep all other chemicals away from water unless in solution. Especially avoid hydration of acetyl chloride, alkaline and alkaline earth metals, barium peroxide, carbides, chromic acid, phosphorus oxychloride, phosphorus pentachloride, phosphorous pentoxide, sulfuric acid, or sulfur trioxide.
Nitric Acid with- acetone, acetic acid, alcohol, chromic acid, aniline, hydrocyanic acid, hydrogen sulfide, or any flammable substances (keep this in mind when cleaning with nitric acid).
Hydrogen Peroxide with- copper, chromium, iron, most metals or salts of metals, alcohols, acetone, organic materials, aniline, nitromethane, flammable liquids, ammonia, or oxidizing agents.
Zinc and sulfur.
Mercury with- acetylene, fulminic acid, or ammonia.
Compressed Gasses:
Keep cylinders of compressed gasses secured
Keep appropriate breathing apparati in the vicinity, but not immediately near the compressed gases in case of emergency.
Keep the valve cap secured unless in use or connected to a line.
Do not store flammable gases near oxidizers or combustible materials.
Do not allow a cylinder to empty completely.
Dispose of cylinders after ten years, or three in the case of corrosive and toxic chemicals.
Note: avoid working with gases when possible. Gas chemistry has many complications, is often unsafe, and produces poor yields and poor quality products. Bulk Storage Containers:
Carboys: These are great for general purpose, and storage of chemicals no longer in their original container. However, they are not ideal for transport or use with acids, caustics, flammable liquids, or corrosive substances.
Safety Cans: have spring loaded lids and flame arresters. They are good for fluids in volumes less than five gallons, are safe for transporting most chemicals, and can be had for around $80. Recommended Safety Can.
Drums: for bulk chemicals. They may weigh in excess of 800 lb (364 kg), and should only be moved with a drum dolly, not rolled or dragged. Drums may be made of steel or high-strength plastics.
D. Bonding and Grounding: “Class I Liquids should not be run or dispensed into a container unless the nozzle and container are electrically interconnected.” (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.106(e)(6)(ii), ATEX directive, and NFPA UFC Div. VIII, Sec. 79.803a). An ungrounded static voltage (including from friction) may cause combustion of some fluids. Metal containers must be connected via a common grounding wire made of solid or braided wire, or welded connections, before fluid is poured between them. E. Peroxide-Forming Chemicals: A variety of common chemicals spontaneously form peroxide compounds under ordinary storage conditions due to reaction with oxygen. Peroxides are extraordinarily explosive, and can often be ignited by contact with heat, friction (incl. simply turning the cap of the container), and mechanical shock (incl. shaking, bumping, or dropping). Three classes of peroxide-forming chemicals are of particular interest, and are organized by the precautions that should be taken with unopened and opened containers. Class A Peroxide Formers: the most hazardous class. Unopened: discard or test for peroxides after 12 months or at manufacturer’s expiration date (whichever comes first). Opened: Test for peroxides quarterly. Common class A peroxide formers include: Butadiene (liquid monomer) Isopropyl ether Sodium amide (sodamide) Chloroprene (liquid monomer) Potassium amide Tetrafluoroethylene (liquid monomer) Divinyl acetylene Potassium metal Vinylidene chloride Class B Peroxide Formers: Unopened: discard or test for peroxides after 12 months or at manufacturer’s expiration date (whichever comes first). Opened: test for peroxide formation every 6 months. *Always test this class immediately before any distillation. Common Class B Peroxide Formers include: Acetal Cumene Diacetylene Methylacetylene 1-Phenylethanol Acetaldehyde Cyclohexanol Diethyl ether Methylcyclopentane 2-Phenylethanol Benzyl alcohol 2-Cychlohexen-1-ol Dioxanes MIBK 2-Propanol Benzaldehyde Cyclohexene Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (glyme) 2-Pentanol Tetrahydrofuran 2-Butanol Decahydronaphthalene Furan 4-Penten-1-ol Class C Peroxide Formers: Same precautions as Class B. Include: Acrylic acid Chloroprene Styrene Vinyl acetylene Vinyladiene chloride Acrylonitirile Chlorotrifluoroethylene Tetrafluoroethylene Vinyl chloride Butadiene Methyl methacrylate Vinyl acetate Vinyl pyridine *Without opening, immediately dispose of any peroxide-forming chemical with any crystalline formation. Be careful not to open, shake, heat, or drop. Testing Peroxide-Forming Chemicals: Peroxide test strips can be bought cheaply online, or various in-lab tests can be performed: One method is to combine the fluid with an equal volume (1-3mL) of acetic acid (AcOH). To this a few drops of a 5% KI solution are added, and a color change indicates the presence of peroxides. Another method adds a small amount of the fluid to be tested (~0.5mL) to ~1mL 10% KI solution and ~0.5mL dilute HCL. To this a few drops of starch indicator are added, and the presence of blue/blue-black color within a minute indicates the presence of peroxides. Fluids with a LOW (<30ppm) concentration of peroxides can often be deperoxidated via filtration through activated alumina, distillation (not for THF!), evaporation, or chromatography. V. Labware Safety A. Glassware:
Always inspect glassware for cracks, chips, or fractures before use. Discard any glassware that is even slightly damaged.
Use glassware for its intended purpose! Heat fluids in a round-bottom boiling flask whenever possible.
Store on a shelf away from the edge. Round-bottomed flasks should be set on cork or tin holders, or padded into a drawer.
Joint grease reduces stuck joints, and therefore breakage.
Always carry glassware with two hands. Do not hold beakers by their sides, or flasks by the neck.
Clean glassware after any procedure, and before as necessary.
B. Support:
Use the fewest amount of clamps such that all structures are firmly held.
Support all flasks with rings.
Assemble apparati from bottom up.
Assemble such that liquid always passes through the male joint. Never allow fluid to pass into the joint. This prevents both leaks and lubricant contamination.
Do not over tighten clamps. Clamps should be tightened the minimum amount that provides a secure frame.
C. Tubing:
Cut glass tubing by placing a single slit in the desired position, then breaking by pulling the edges toward you and pushing the joint out.
Bend glass tubing by heating until red, and pulling ends toward self to form desired angle.
Use lubricant to insert tubing into stoppers, and wear hand protection during assembly.
DO NOT force glass together or into anything. Use minimal pressure, lubricant, and a gentle twisting motion if necessary.
D. Heating:
Heating mantles and hot plates are preferred over bunsen burners in almost all situations. Never unnecessarily introduce a flame to your lab environment.
Avoid rapid temperature changes whenever possible. Borosilicate glass is made for more rapid temperature changes. Heat and cool glass slowly. Do not set hot glass on a cold tabletop or under cold water.
Never look into the mouth of a receptacle that is being heated, or point it towards the self or others.
Use heat resistant gloves and/or tongs to handle hot receptacles or products.
Cover oil baths so they don’t splatter, or use a sand bath in its stead.
Always use boiling chips for reflux and distillation!
E. Electricity:
Be aware of electrical hazards. Check wires periodically, and keep the lab environment dry and clean.
Use power strips to protect equipment.
VI. Reaction Safety A. Fume Hoods: Fume hoods are absolutely essential whenever flammability, toxicity, or accidental intoxication is a concern. That includes all organic solvents, concentrated acids, and concentrated ammonia, as well as any materials that are both volatile and toxic, corrosive, reactive, or intoxicating. The face velocity of a fume hood should be around 100 ft/min or 0.5 m/s. Keep these guidelines in mind when using a fume hood:
Regularly check that air flow is not blocked.
Keep the sash open as little as possible to promote air flow.
Keep all chemicals and glassware at least 6 inches away from the edge of the workspace.
Air should flow from the fume hood directly to the outdoors.
Unfortunately, bees often find that fume hoods are the most difficult apparatus to obtain and install in a private laboratory. Nonetheless, it is imperative that each lab includes one. This is especially important for bees, who often work in confined spaces that can quickly and easily fill with toxic, flammable, or intoxicating vapors. A proper fume hood may cost several thousand dollars. Fortunately, there are many online guides and videos that teach how to construct one for as little as a few hundred dollars. The builder must meticulously ensure that air flow is adequate and constant. The outtake must be properly filtered, and there must not be any leaks through which air can flow other than the space under the sash and the outtake. B. Additional Tips:
Avoid gas chemistry whenever possible. It is often dangerous, difficult, and produces poor quality products and low yields.
Avoid pressurized systems whenever possible. They also present special risks.
After working with potentially pyrophoric agents that may not interact well with water or oxygen, flush apparati with pressurized inert gas before cleaning.
Do not clean bromine contaminated glassware with acetone, which forms bromoacetone, a tear gas.
Always use deionized water- tap water contains interruptive ions such as Mg2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and Ca2+, as well as dissolved gasses.
VII. Emergency Procedures A. Emergency Shower and Eyewash Stations: If any hazardous chemical comes in contact with the body or eyes, the emergency shower or eye-wash station should be utilized immediately, with continued application for at least 15 minutes. The eyes should be held open for this entire process. Quality eye-wash stations can be purchased online for between 50 and several hundred US dollars. Bees who don’t have one installed are advised to purchase one. Some models can be attached directly to a sink faucet. An alternative, less effective, and minimal necessary precaution is bottled, eye-safe saline solution such as EyeSaline and Physician’s Care Eyewash Station, which can be purchased online for around $10 for a single bottle, and $30+ for kits. At least two bottles should be kept on hand in case both eyes are contaminated. Application of bottled solution to both eyes may require a partner, because the eyes must be held open to maximize effectiveness. For this, and other reasons (speed, difficulty/time of opening bottles vs. pushing a button, and water pressure) an actual eyewash station is in all ways preferred. Faucet-mounted eyewash stations such as the following are very affordable (US $59.95). Recommended Eyewash Station. Bees may not, however, have the space to install a safety shower. The home shower may be used in its stead; however, precaution must be taken to ensure it is easily accessible. The chemist should alert all others in the home/facility that they are working, and require that the door to the shower, and the path to it, be open at all times in case of emergency. B. Fire extinguishers:
Avoid working with flames whenever possible, especially when working with flammable solvents. Hot plates or heating mantles are preferable in almost all situations.
There are four classes of fires:
Class A- ordinary combustibles- wood, cloth, paper- can be extinguished with water, or general fire extinguishers. Class B- organic solvents, flammable liquids- chemical foam extinguishers (also work for class A and C). Class C- electrical equipment- chemical foam extinguishers. Class D- combustible metals such as aluminum, titanium, magnesium, lithium, zirconium, sodium, and potassium.
A dry chemical ABC extinguisher is usually adequate.
If you plan to work with combustible metals (not recommended unless necessary), make sure to have a class D dry chemical fire extinguisher. Other methods or classes of extinguishers will not put out a combustible metal fire. Note that class D fire extinguishers will not work for class A, B, or C fires.
Do not use a CO2 extinguisher- if it has to be used on the person it can cause frostbite and inhibit breathing.
C. Fire blankets: Used for small fires, or to put out a person who has caught fire (laying on ground, standing may cause the fire to move up the body to the head due to a chimney effect). D. Spills: Keep some vinegar or baking soda around to neutralize bases and acids, respectively. After acids and bases are neutralized, the chemical can be mopped up and placed in waste disposal. VIII. Post-Procedure Protocols A. Personal Hygiene: Wash hands, face, and all exposed skin after PPE has been removed to avoid recontamination by touching dirty clothes. Shower and change clothes once possible. B. Facility Hygiene: Clean all surfaces, glassware, and equipment before leaving the lab. Keep laboratory items in the lab, and personal items out of it. Chemicals may be transferred into the home through those items. Additionally, foreign objects have the potential to contaminate sterile laboratory environments. C. Waste Disposal: Waste disposal is one of the most important aspects of safety, image management, public relations, avoidance of fines or criminal charges, and environmental preservation.
Create a waste disposal plan before beginning a procedure or ordering a chemical.
Consult the SDS for all chemicals, individually or in a mixture.
Clearly label all containers, including waste.
Rinse out empty containers with an inert solvent several times before disposal.
Collect aqueous waste separately from organic solvent waste, and place solid waste in a labeled container for disposal. Flammable and toxic waste should be stored in a closed waste container in the fume hood until proper disposal is possible.
Non-hazardous waste may be disposed of in a landfill.
The Article “Management of Waste” found here states, “The best strategy for managing laboratory waste aims to maximize safety and minimize environmental impact, and considers these objectives from the time of purchase.” The article describes four tiers of waste management:
Pollution prevention and source reduction (green chemistry).
Reuse and redistribution of unwanted/surplus material (purchasing only what is needed).
Treatment, reclamation, and recycling of materials within the waste.
Disposal through incineration, treatment, or land burial. Additionally, use of solvent as fuel, or a fuel blender (the least desirable tier).
I hope this safety plan can save a few bees. I know there is a lot of information, but chemical safety is extremely important and multifaceted. Best of luck with your endeavors. Stay safe out there!
[EVENT] 91st Congress passes major environmental legislation
No witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new life in this stricken world. The people had done it themselves. Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals; or collectively: the land. This sounds simple: do we not already sing our love for and obligation to the land of the free and the home of the brave? Yes, but just what and whom do we love? Certainly not the soil, which we are sending helter-skelter downriver. Certainly not the waters, which we assume have no function except to turn turbines, float barges, and carry off sewage. Certainly not the plants, of which we exterminate whole communities without batting an eye. Certainly not the animals, of which we have already extirpated many of the largest and most beautiful species. A land ethic of course cannot prevent the alteration, management, and use of these 'resources,' but it does affirm their right to continued existence, and, at least in spots, their continued existence in a natural state. In short, a land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow-members, and also respect for the community as such. Aldo Leopold, The Land Ethic
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
Purpose
The purposes of this Act are: To declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment; to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man; to enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important to the Nation; and to establish a Council on Environmental Quality.
Title I: Declaration of National Environmental Policy
The Congress, recognizing the profound impact of man's activity on the interrelations of all components of the natural environment and recognizing further the critical importance of restoring and maintaining environmental quality to the overall welfare and development of man, declares that it is the continuing policy of the Federal Government, in cooperation with State and local governments, and other concerned public and private organizations, to use all practicable means and measures, including financial and technical assistance, in a manner calculated to foster and promote the general welfare, to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans. Furthermore, The Congress recognizes that each person should enjoy a healthful environment and that each person has a responsibility to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the environment. In order to carry out the policy set forth in this Act, it is the continuing responsibility of the Federal Government to use all practicable means, consistent with other essential considerations of national policy, to improve and coordinate Federal plans, functions, programs, and resources to the end that the Nation may:
fulfill the responsibilities of each generation as trustee of the environment for succeeding generations;
assure for all Americans safe, healthful, productive, and esthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings;
attain the widest range of beneficial uses of the environment without degradation, risk to health or safety, or other undesirable and unintended consequences;
preserve impprtant historic, cultural, and natural aspects of our national heritage, and maintain, wherever possible, an environment which supports diversity and variety of individual choice;
achieve a balance between population and resource use which will permit high standards of living and a wide sharing of life's amenities;
enhance the quality of renewable resources and approach the maximum attainable recycling of depletable resources.
The Congress authorizes and directs that, to the fullest Administration extent possible, all agencies of the Federal Government shall:
utilize a systematic, interdisciplinary approach which will insure the integrated use of the natural and social sciences and the environmental design arts in planning and in decisionmaking which may have an impact on man's environment;
identify and develop methods and procedures, in consultation with the Council on Environmental Quality established by title II of this Act, which will insure that presently unquantified environmental amenities and values may be given appropriate consideration in decisionmaking along with economic and technical considerations;
include in every recommendation or report on proposals for legislation and other major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, a detailed statement by the responsible official on the short-term and long-term environmental impact of the proposed action.
Title II: Council on Environmental Quality
The President shall transmit to the Congress annually beginning July 1, 1970, an Environmental Quality Report (hereinafter referred to as the "report") which shall set forth
the status and condition of the major natural, manmade, or altered environments of the Nation;
current and foreseeable trends in the quality, management and utilization of such environments and the effects of those trends on the Nation;
the adequacy of available natural resources for fulfilling human and economic requirements of the Nation;
a review of the programs and activities (including regulatory activities) of the Federal Government, the State and local governments, and nongovernmental entities or individuals, with particular reference to their effect on the environment;
a program for remedying the deficiencies of existing programs and activities, together with recommendations for legislation.
There is created in the Executive Office of the President a Council on Environmental Quality (hereinafter referred to as the "Council"). The Council shall be composed of three members who shall be appointed by the President to serve at his pleasure, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. It shall be the duty and function of the Council to:
assist and advise the President in the preparation of the Environmental Quality Report;
to gather timely and authoritative information concerning the conditions and trends in the quality of the environment both current and prospective, to analyze and interpret such information for the purpose of determining whether such conditions and trends are interfering, or are likely to interfere, with the achievement of the policy set forth in title I of this Act, and to compile and submit to the President studies relating to such conditions and trends;
to review and appraise the various programs and activities of the Federal Government in the light of the policy set forth in title I of this Act for the purpose of determining the extent to which such programs and activities are contributing to the achievement of such policy, and to make recommendations to the President with respect thereto;
to develop and recommend to the President national policies to foster and promote the improvement of environmental quality to meet the conservation, social, economic, health, and other requirements and goals of the Nation;
to make and furnish studies, reports thereon, and recommendations with respect to matters of policy and legislation as the President may request.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this Act not to exceed $300,000 for fiscal year 1970, $700,000 for fiscal year 1971, and $1,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter.
Let's put our heads together and start a new country up / Our father's father's father tried, erased the parts he didn't like / Let's try to fill it in, bank the quarry river, swim / We knee-skinned it you and me, we knee-skinned that river red ... Cuyahoga / Cuyahoga, gone
The Clean Water Act of 1970
Title I: Research and Related Programs
The objective of this Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physicalj and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. In order to achieve this objective it is hereby declared that, consistent with the provisions of this Act:
it is the national goal that the discharge of pollutants into the navigable waters be eliminated by 1985;
it is the national policy that the discharge of toxic pollutants in toxic amounts be prohibited;
it is the national policy that Federal financial assistance be provided to construct publicly owned waste treatment works;
it is the national policy that waste treatment management planning processes be developed and implemented to assure adequate control of sources of pollutants;
it is the national policy that a major research and demonstration effort be made to develop technology necessary to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into waters.
The Administrator shall establish national programs for the prevention, reduction, and elimination of pollution and as part of such programs shall:
in cooperation with other Federal, State, and local agencies, conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of, research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of pollution;
initiate and promote the coordination and acceleration of Report to conresearch designed to develop the most effective practicable tools and techniques for measuring the social and economic costs and benefits of activities which are subject to regulation under this Act; and shall transmit a report on the results of such research to the Congress not later than January 1, 1974.
In carrying out the provisions this section the Administrator is authorized to:
collect and make available information pertaining to research and other activities;
cooperate with other Federal departments and agencies, State water pollution control agencies, interstate agencies, other public and private agencies, institutions, organizations, industries involved, and individuals, in the preparation and conduct of such research and other activities.
make grants to State water pollution control agencies, interstate agencies, other public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, organizations, and individuals, for purposes stated in this section;
contract with public or private agencies, institutions, organizations, and individuals;
establish and maintain research fellowships at public or nonprofit private educational institutions or research organizations;
develop effective and practical processes, methods, and prototype devices for the prevention, reduction, and elimination of pollution.
The Administrator shall, after consultation with appropriate local, State, and Federal agencies, public and private organizations, and interested individuals, develop and issue to the States for the purpose of carrying out this Act the latest scientific knowledge available in indicating the kind and extent of effects on health and welfare which may be expected from the presence of pesticides in the water in varying quantities. He shall revise and add to such information whenever necessary to reflect developing scientific knowledge.
The Administrator shall, in an effort to prevent degradation of the environment from the disposal of waste oil, conduct a study of the generation of used engine, machine, cooling, and similar waste oil, the long-term, chronic biological effects of the disposal of such waste oil, and the potential market for such oils, including the economic and legal factors relating to the sale of products made from such oils, the level of subsidy, if any, needed to encourage the purchase by public and private nonprofit agencies of products from such oil, and the practicability of Federal procurement, on a priority basis, of products made from such oil. In conducting such study, the Administrator shall consult with affected industries and other persons.
The Administrator shall conduct research and investigations on devices, systems, incentives, pricing policy, and other methods of reducing the total flow of sewage, including, but not limited to, unnecessary water consumption in order to reduce the requirements for, and the costs of, sewage and waste treatment services. Such research and investigations shall be directed to develop devices, systems, policies, and methods capable of achieving the maximum reduction of unnecessary water consumption.
The Administrator shall report the preliminary results of such studies and investigations to the Congress as soon as practicable but not later than January 1, 1973.
Title II: Standards and Enforcement
The discharge of any pollutant by any person shall be unlawful.
In order to carry out the objective of this Act there shall be achieved:
not later than July 1, 1977, effluent limitations for point sources which shall require the application of the best practicable control technology currently available as defined by the Administrator;
not later than July 1,1977, any more stringent limitation, including those necessary to meet water quality standards, treatment standards, or schedules of compliance;
The Administrator shall promulgate any revised or new standard under this paragraph not later than ninety days after he publishes such proposed standards, unless prior to such promulgation, such State has adopted a revised or new water quality standard which the Administrator determines to be in accordance with this Act.
Each State shall establish for the waters, and in accordance with the priority ranking, the total maximum daily load, for those pollutants defined by the Administrator as suitable for such calculation.
Each State shall estimate for the waters the total maximum daily thermal load required to assure protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous population of shellfish, fish and wildlife.
Whenever required to carry out the objective of this Act:
the Administrator shall require the owner or operator of any point source to establish and maintain records, make reports, install, use, and maintain monitoring equipment or methods, sample effluents, and provide such other information as he may reasonably require.
the Administrator or his authorized representative, upon presentation of his credentials shall have a right of entry to, upon, or through any premises in which an effluent source is located or in which any records are located, and may at reasonable times have access to and copy any records, inspect any monitoring equipment or method, and sample any effluents which the owner or operator of such source is required to sample under such clause.
Title III: General Provisions
The Administrator is authorized to prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out his functions under this Act.
The Administrator, with the consent of the head of any other agency of the United States, may utilize such officers and employees of such agency as may be found necessary to assist in carrying out the purposes of this Act.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Administrator upon receipt of evidence that a pollution source or combination of sources is presenting an imminent and substantial endangerment to the health or welfare of persons may bring suit on behalf of the United States to immediately restrain any person causing or contributing to the alleged pollution to stop the discharge of pollutants causing or contributing to such pollution or to take such other action as may be necessary.
Any citizen may commence a civil action on his own behalf against any person, including the United States and any other governmental instrumentality or agency to the extent permitted by the eleventh amendment to the Constitution, who is alleged to be in violation of an effluent standard or limitation under this Act or an order issued by the Administrator or a State with respect to such a standard or limitation, or against the Administrator where there is alleged a failure of the Administrator to perform any act or duty under this Act which is not discretionary with the Administrator.
No Federal agency may enter into any contract with any person, who has been convicted of any offense under this Act.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this Act not to exceed $650,000,000 for fiscal year 1970, $800,000,000 for fiscal year 1971, and $1,000,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter.
There's the progress we have found (when the rain) / A way to talk around the problem (when the children reign) / Building towered foresight (keep your conscience in the dark) / Isn't anything at all (melt the statues in the park) / Buy the sky and sell the sky and bleed the sky and tell the sky Don't fall on me (what is it up in the air for?) (it's gonna fall) / Fall on me (if it's there for long) (it's gonna fall) / Fall on me (it's over, it's over me) (it's gonna fall)
The Clean Air Amendments of 1970
Title I: Ambient Air Quality and Emissions Standards
For the purpose of establishing national primary and secondary ambient air quality standards, the Administrator shall within 30 days after the date of enactment of the Clean Air Amendments of 1970 publish, and shall from time to time thereafter revise, a list which includes each air pollutant:
which in his judgment has an adverse effect on public health or welfare;
the presence of which in the ambient air results from numerous or diverse mobile or stationary sources;
for which air quality criteria had not been issued before the date of enactment of the Clean Air Amendments of 1970, but for which he plans to issue air quality criteria under this section.
The Administrator shall issue air quality criteria for an air pollutant within 12 months after he has included such pollutant in said list. The criteria for an air pollutant, to the extent practicable, shall include information on:
those variable factors (including atmospheric conditions) which of themselves or in combination with other factors may alter the effects on public health or welfare of such air pollutant;
the types of air pollutants which, when present in the atmosphere, may interact with such pollutant to produce an adverse effect on public health or welfare;
any known or anticipated adverse effects on welfare.
The Administrator within 30 days after the date of enactment of the Clean Air Amendments of 1970, shall publish proposed regulations prescribing a national primary ambient air quality standard and a national secondary ambient air quality standard for each air pollutant for which air quality criteria have been issued prior to such date of enactment.
Title II: Hazardous Air Pollutant Standards
The Administrator shall, within 90 days after the date of enactment of the Clean Air Amendments of 1970, publish (and shall from time to time thereafter revise) a list which includes each hazardous air pollutant for which he intends to establish an emission standard under this section. After the effective date of any emission standard under this section, no person may construct any new source or modify any existing source which, in the Administrator's judgment, will emit an air pollutant to which such standard applies unless the Administrator finds that such source if properly operated will not cause emissions in violation of such standard.
Title III: Enforcement
For the purpose of developing or assisting in the development of any implementation plan, any standard of performance, or any emission standard, or of determining whether any person is in violation of any such standard or any requirement of such a plan:
the Administrator may require the owner or operator of any emission source to establish and maintain records, make reports, install, use, and maintain monitoring equipment or methods, sample emissions, and provide such other information as he may reasonably require;
the Administrator or his authorized representative, upon presentation of his credentials shall have a right of entry to, upon, or through any premises in which an emission source is located or in which any records required to be maintained under this section are located, and may at reasonable times have access to and copy, any records, inspect any monitoring equipment or method, and sample any emissions which the owner or operator of such source is required to sample.
Title IV: Motor Vehicle Emission Standards
The Administrator shall by regulation prescribe (and from time to time revise) in accordance with the provisions of this section, standards applicable to the emission of any air pollutant from any class or classes of new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines, which in his judgment causes or contributes to, or is likely to cause or to contribute to, air pollution which endangers the public health or welfare. Such standards shall be applicable to such vehicles and engines for their useful life.
The regulations applicable to emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from light duty vehicles and engines manufactured during or after model year 1975 shall contain standards which require a reduction of at least 90 per centum from emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons allowable under the standards under this section applicable to light duty vehicles and engines manufactured in model year 1970.
The regulations applicable to emissions of oxides of nitrogen from light duty vehicles and engines manufactured during or after model year 1976 shall contain standards which require a reduction of at least 90 per centum from the average of emissions of oxides of nitrogen actually measured from light duty vehicles manufactured during model year 1971.
It is unlawful for a manufacturer of new motor vehicles or new motor engines to engage in the distribution in commerce, the sale, or the offering for sale, or the introduction, or delivery for introduction, into commerce, or (in the case of any person, except as provided by regulation of the Administrator), the importation into the United States, of any new motor vehicle or new motor vehicle engine, manufactured after the effective date of regulations, which does not comply with the standards set out by the Administrator.
It is unlawful for any manufacturer or dealer knowingly to remove or render inoperative any pollution control device or similar element of design before or after such sale and delivery to the ultimate purchaser.
Title V: Emission Standards for Aircraft
Within 90 days after the date of enactment of the Clean Air Amendments of 1970, the Administrator shall commence a study and investigation of emissions of air pollutants from aircraft in order to determine the extent to which such emissions affect air quality in air quality control regions throughout the United States, and the technological feasibility of controlling such emissions. Within 180 days after commencing such study and investigation, the Administrator shall publish a report of such study and investigation and shall issue proposed emission standards applicable to emissions of any air pollutant from any class or classes of aircraft or aircraft engines which in his judgment cause or contribute to or are likely to cause or contribute to air pollution which endangers the public health or welfare.
Title VI: Regulation of Fuels
The Administrator may by regulation designate any fuel or fuel additive and, after such date or dates as may be prescribed by him, no manufacturer or processor of any such fuel or additive may sell, offer for sale, or introduce into commerce such fuel or additive unless the Administrator has registered such fuel or additive. For the purpose of registration of fuels and fuel additives, the Administrator shall require:
the manufacturer of any fuel to notify him as to the commercial identifying name and manufacturer of any additive contained in such fuel; the range of concentration of any additive in the fuel; and the purpose-in-use of any such additive;
the manufacturer of any additive to notify him as to the chemical composition of such additive;
the manufacturer of any fuel or fuel additive to conduct tests to determine potential public health effects of such fuel or additive (including, but not limited to, carcinogenic, teratogenic, or mutagenic effects), and to furnish the description of any analytical technique that can be used to detect and measure any additive in such fuel, the recommended range of concentration of such additive, and the recommended purpose-in-use of such additive.
The Administrator may, from time to time on the basis of information obtained under this section or other nformation available to him, by regulation, control or prohibit the manufacture, introduction into commerce, offering for sale, or sale of any fuel or fuel additive for use in a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine if any emission products of such fuel or fuel additive will endanger the public health or welfare, or if emission products of such fuel or fuel additive will impair to a significant degree the performance of any emission control device or system which is in general use.
The regulations applicable to emissions of lead from motor fuels shall contain standards which require a complete elimination of lead from motor fuels, applicable not later than January 1st, 1971.
Title VII: Noise Pollution
The Administrator shall establish within the Environmental Protection Agency an Office of Noise Abatement and Control, and shall carry out through such Office a full and complete investigation and study of noise and its effect on the public health and welfare in order to identify and classify causes and sources of noise, and determine:
effects at various levels;
projected growth of noise levels in urban areas through the year 2000;
the psychological and physiological effect on humans;
effects of sporadic extreme noise (such as jet noise near airports) as compared with constant noise;
effect on wildlife and property (including values);
effect of sonic booms on property (including values);
such other matters as may be of interest in the public welfare.
In conducting such investigation, the Administrator shall hold public hearings, conduct research, experiments, demonstrations, and studies. The Administrator shall report the results of such investigation and study, together with his recommendations for legislation or other action, to the President and the Congress not later than one year after the date of enactment of this title.
Title VIII: General Provisions
The Administrator is authorized to prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out his functions under this Act.
The Administrator, with the consent of the head of any other agency of the United States, may utilize such officers and employees of such agency as may be found necessary to assist in carrying out the purposes of this Act.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Administrator upon receipt of evidence that a pollution source or combination of sources is presenting an imminent and substantial endangerment to the health or welfare of persons may bring suit on behalf of the United States to immediately restrain any person causing or contributing to the alleged pollution to stop the discharge of pollutants causing or contributing to such pollution or to take such other action as may be necessary.
Any citizen may commence a civil action on his own behalf against any person, including the United States and any other governmental instrumentality or agency to the extent permitted by the eleventh amendment to the Constitution, who is alleged to be in violation of an effluent standard or limitation under this Act or an order issued by the Administrator or a State with respect to such a standard or limitation, or against the Administrator where there is alleged a failure of the Administrator to perform any act or duty under this Act which is not discretionary with the Administrator.
No Federal agency may enter into any contract with any person, who has been convicted of any offense under this Act.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this Act not to exceed $450,000,000 for fiscal year 1970, $550,000,000 for fiscal year 1971, and $700,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter. [M] Like the previous policy megapost in this format, the text is almost entirely lifted from the text of various real-life bills passed around this time. In this case, I've made even fewer changes, and so the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, and Clean Air Amendment of 1970 are basically unchanged from real life, obviously excluding the massive omissions of various overly specific provisions, implementation procedures, and legal liability clauses which have to occur in order for about 140 pages of legislation to fit within a single Reddit post. Nevertheless, I'm reasonably confident that the key provisions of each bill and their overall purpose have been communicated relatively well by my adaptation. Certain minor additions have been made; for instance, I've officially banned leaded fuel, and of course the Clean Water Act has been passed two years early. Additionally, a lot of environmental legislation from this era I'd like to do someday is missing, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Lead Paint Ban, the Federal Pesticide Act, and the Endangered Species Act, and will probably be addressed in the form of short paragraphs in yearly news updates.
Complete Information about Green Ship Recycling Process
There are many ship demolition cash buyers who encourage and support the demand is the vessel owner for the sale of the ships to the yard which compiles green ship recycling. https://preview.redd.it/dieufyjo9ag61.jpg?width=843&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e48d2adfae7f49dd50d37295172983c1b8e12e7c Green recycling is- · Disposal of hazardous materials namely- TBT, asbestos, PCB’s in an appropriate manner and by the skilled team. Always reliable and skilled cash buyers of the ship would found maintaining the site of several hectares for collecting, transporting, receiving, storing, disposing off by landfill or other necessitated treatments. · Maintenance of inventor of hazardous materials where all the harmful materials and their location of board is listed · Detailed documentation of the vessel dismantling process followed by the ship breaker to be accounted for each vessel There are many good reasons which have resulted in making the concept of green ship recycling widely popular and meaningful. The most relevant ones are here- · Isolate all the parts of the vessel that are dangerous and harmful to human as well as marine lives. · Conserve marine ecosystem by discarding the vessel breaking waste · Reusing the parts of the vessel that are crucial and can be re-used successfully while making new ones thus ensuring resource-saving · Helps the owner of the ship to be benefitted from the process of optimum use of the ship part. All the valuable parts of the vessels are reused inclusive of steel, aluminum, brass, silver, etc. Since the primary part of a vessel’s weight is in steel, the steel morsel from the ship is converted into rods and bars for various other uses. In addition to the metal which can be recycled, there are many toxic components in the vessel. All these dangerous substances include asbestos, mercury, lead and oil sludge, and so on. The inefficient ship breaking technique particularly those carried out on beaches than the dry-dock ship recycles facilities, allowing those toxic and dangerous waste to be disposed of precariously. Green ship recycling carries huge responsibility of saving our surroundings. The chief harmful material safely disposed off with the help of the vessel recycling process is asbestos. Any informational source about it will tell you that it’s been banned from use in the vessel for a long time. A ship in which it is used is to be recycled. Continuous asbestos exposure causes problems to marine life but also the people overseas on the ships. The green recycling centers with dry rock facilities capture harmful waste and dispose of it without letting flow in any other direction. Many labs are outfitted that the success rate has become 99% for harmful materials. In addition to surrounding safeguarding recycling center offers more jobs.
The opening of the biggest most advanced technological port in the Arabian Sea and Indian ocean, said to compete with the likes of Dubai and Mumbai.
Our Values
The spirit of The Port of Duqm is reflected through our core values F.I.R.S.T. Our values serve as guiding principles for the organization, driving policy and growth, provide direction to our people and is the cornerstone of the way we do business. Flexible Innovative Relationship & Client focused Sustainable Trusted
Port Authority
Situated on the southeastern seaboard of the Sultanate of Oman, overlooking the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean beyond, Port of Duqm is fast becoming an important reality of the Middle East region’s rapidly transforming maritime landscape. With its deep draft, lengthy quay walls, and expansive basin, Port of Duqm has the trappings of a world-class, multipurpose commercial gateway. And as the principal anchor of a huge Special Economic Zone envisioned at Duqm, it also has the potential to develop into one of the Middle East’s largest ports over the long term. At the heart of Port of Duqm’s appeal is its strategic geopolitical location, far removed from Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf. It is this advantageous location that the Omani government seeks to leverage as it sets out to position Duqm as a safe, stable and business-friendly destination for industrial and economic investment. Indeed, the Sultanate of Oman – and the Port of Duqm in particular – stand to reap the benefits of the country’s international reputation as an oasis of tranquility and standard-bearer of regional peace and reconciliation. Underscoring Port of Duqm’s strategic importance is its planned development into an integrated, multimodal logistics hub, encompassing the maritime, road, air and rail modes of transportation. An airport is under construction at Duqm, while a proposed rail-based freight and passenger transportation network, will eventually link this industrial port city with the national rail system. Utilities and services are also modern, effectively providing investors with an unrivaled setting to do business. Free-trade agreements (FTAs) with the United States and Singapore, as well as its hospitality and trade minded culture, add to Oman’s investment appeal.
Port Terminals
The Port of Duqm, as a multipurpose Port, accommodates a wide range of commercial cargo handling, including • Dry bulk cargo • Liquid bulk cargo • General cargo • Project cargo • Bagged cargo • Containerized cargo • Automotive cargo (RORO) The Port of Duqm, as a Terminal Operator, manages the Multipurpose, Dry Bulk and Navy Terminal by offering a diverse range of services including • Stevedoring • Shore handling • Storage and stock keeping • Stockpiling • Stuffing and destuffing of containers • Management of reefer containers Phase 1: The Port of Duqm currently operates from a 2.2-kilometer-long commercial quay, enjoying a guaranteed 18 meters deep draft alongside and 19 meters along the approach channel. At present, the commercial quay is operating in a pre-development stage and has the following terminals: 1) Dry Bulk Terminal 2) Navy Terminal 3) Multipurpose Terminal, which includes container operations Once the phase 1 construction works are finished, expected before end of 2020, a RORO terminal and a fully-fledged container terminal are expected to start soon after. 1)Dry Bulk Terminal: The Port of Duqm has dedicated an area of approximately 10 hectares, over 300 meters of length at its commercial quay, for the Dry Bulk Terminal operations, which primarily focuses on the exports of industrial minerals such as limestone and dolomite and import of industrial salt and oil and gas related dry bulk cargoes. The Sultanate of Oman has vast deposits of metallic and non-metallic minerals. Previous surface exploration work and geological mapping have confirmed huge quantities of mineral deposits located in the wider vicinity of the port. Minerals such as limestone, dolomite, silica sand, shale, kaolin, laterite, basalt, solar salt and ornamental stone deposits have been discovered. In the immediate vicinity of the port, mines of high-quality limestone and dolomite have started their operations, which are targeting both local industries and export markets. Current Capacity: The Port of Duqm started the dry bulk terminal operations in February 2016 and gradually has built up volumes ever since. Currently several parcels of dolomite and limestone are being shipped on a monthly basis to overseas markets like India and Qatar. In terms of equipment at the Port of Duqm, ships are loaded using Ship’s Gear, however, the Terminal can also assist with on shore crane capacity as following: Terminal Shore Cranes2 x 125 MT (SWL)Terminal Grabs2 x 12 CBM The current terminal capacity is about 5 Million tonnes per year and the port is equipped with Terminal wheel loaders to facilitate cargo receiving, stockpiling and loading operations. Future Plans: • Depending on the future market developments, the Dry Bulk Terminal has plans to acquire additional loading equipment to add flexibility, increase loading capacity and efficiency of the dry bulk operations • Expansion of yard and berth capacity in the ‘phase 2’ development area of the Port. • Accommodation of new dry bulk cargo flows responding to import, export and transshipment opportunities. 2)Navy Terminal: The Port of Duqm has dedicated an area of approximately 10 hectares, over 300 meters for the Navy Terminal, which offers a wide range of services. The Port of Duqm acting as a single focal point for all Navy shipboard support services while offering innovative, flexible logistical services to all ships that docks in port. The services offered include • 24/7, 365 days of operational attendance • Berthing and anchorage arrangements • Pilotage towage • Line handling arrangements • Fresh and potable water supply • Gangways supply • Internet (Wi-Fi Zone) • Garbage removal/disposal • Special refuses removal/disposal • Hazardous and medical waste disposal • Sewage removal/disposal • Oily waste removal/disposal • Repairs and inspection • Diving and underwater survey • Crew medical assistance • Bunkering arrangements • Material handling equipment • Liberty services • Camp setup and management infrastructural construction • Containerized units refrigerated conex boxes • Shelters • Office and other furniture • Washdown services • Rental of generator units 3)Container Terminal: The Port of Duqm has the clear ambition to become a major hub for handling containers, making full utilization of its major assets, such as its prime location towards inland and overseas markets, the 18 meters guaranteed draft, the expansive land and quay length availability and its current and future intermodal capabilities to reach local, regional and international markets in the most cost-efficient way. Currently the container operations are carried out at the multipurpose terminal area. The loading and unloading operations are carried out by the two mobile harbor cranes which have a joint capacity of CA 30 moves per hour. Apart from the cranes, the port is equipped with the following, • Manual container spreader • Automatic container spreader • Spreader bridge • Reach stackers The Port of Duqm is already linked to other major seaports in the region, including Salalah and Sohar in Oman and Jebel Ali in UAE, via a multipurpose feeder service (Oman Express Service) which is operated by the Oman Shipping Company. This service currently operates on a weekly basis. This weekly feeder service allows industries in the wider Duqm area to import/export containers on a regular basis. Major shipping lines, such as Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag Llyod and HMM have already registered Duqm as the end destination and can move all containerized cargo to and from Duqm, utilizing Oman Shipping’s Express service regionally and globally. As soon as the commercial quay is fully commissioned, expected before end of 2020, fully fledged container operations are expected to start from a dedicated 34ha yard and 1130m quay , increasing the capacity of the terminal from the current 200,000 TEU towards 1.7 Million TEU. Further expansions will be planned for afterwards in the ‘phase 2’ port area if and when the market requires it. The procurement of the required terminal equipment, such as Quay Gantry Cranes, Terminal Tractors and Rubber Tired Gantry cranes are currently at a tendering stage, details will be updated in due course. 4)Multipurpose Terminal: The Port of Duqm has built up a vast experience in the handling of project and breakbulk cargo at its multipurpose terminal ever since the start of its operations in 2020, and has built up a strong brand as a reliable partner accordingly. Backed up by the Port of Antwerp expertise, the Port of Duqm Handling Services are based on the core principles of material handling techniques and equipment. The port's excellent accessibility, its state-of-the-art infrastructure, value-added activities and highly skilled workforce ensures all types of project and breakbulk cargo at the Port of Duqm is handled reliably and carefully. The port ensures tailor-made handling solutions depending on customer’s requirements and a quick turnaround time. Following type of cargoes are being handled at the multipurpose terminal: •Steel Plates: •OCTG (Oil Country Tubular Goods) and Line Pipes: OCTG pipes and line pipes are handled with great care using innovative technologies and equipment. Regular training courses are conducted to the entire operational team in the handling of pipes resulting in continuous safe handling, no damage and no accidents, lower costs and no downtime. •Over dimensional & Heavy Lift Project Cargo: The Port of Duqm has built up a very strong expertise in the handling of over dimensional cargo & heavy lifts. Due to the fact that the Port nor its hinterland is imposing any restriction in the handling and transporting of such demanding cargo, the Port of Duqm has become the center of excellence for heavy lift operations in the Sultanate. •Containers: The Port of Duqm started container operations in 2016, and utilizes its multipurpose terminal yard and equipment (2 mobile harbor cranes and reach stackers) for all container handling in this early stage of operations. This will be the situation till fully fledged terminal operations start when the entire commercial quay will be commissioned, expected before end of 2030. Our terminal quay is capable of handling 45 tonnes/sqm as ground bearing pressure, which is sufficient to handle heavy cargoes. Terminal OperatorThe Port of Duqm Company SAOGStevedore Working HoursFirst Shift – From 0600 hours to 1800 hours Second Shift – From 1800 hours to 0600 hoursStevedore Overtime HoursFriday - From 0001 hours to 2359 hours Public holidays - from 0001 hours to 2359 hoursPort working Hours24 hours / 7 days a weekType and number of cranes (Gantries + Shore cranes)2 Gottwald 125 tonne mobile harbor cranes (capable of lifting 250 tonne in dual hoist)Forklift1 X 3 MT | 1 X 5 MT | 1 X 11 MT | 2 X 15 MT | 1 X 25 MTLink belt Cranes1 X 30 MTReach Stackers3 X 45 MTWheel Loader5 NumbersOpen yard area for general cargo / project cargo20 hectaresLogistics Land (outside port area)Available for lease – long terms / short term 5)Liquid Bulk Terminal The first phase of the liquid bulk terminal was handed over to the Port of Duqm by the end of 2019. Immediately adding 70ha of reclaimed land and 7 new berths for the handling of liquid bulk products, the Port of Duqm is planning to become the new liquid bulk hub in the Middle East region. One of the first important tenants will be the Duqm Refinery, which is expected to greatly contribute to Duqm’s attraction for petroleum and petrochemical production and trade flows. The Port of Duqm has ample land available for meeting any inquiry from investors for the production or storage of liquid bulk products. An expansion phase, adding about 40ha more land, will be commissioned by the end of 2030. Additional berths will be added when needed.
Industrial Land
Duqm Industrial Land Company (DILC), a subsidiary of Port of Duqm Company SAOC (PODC), has been mandated with the development of industrial land in Duqm. Duqm Industrial Land Company (DILC) has been granted various usufruct areas covering 2000 hectares (ha) in total, comprising of 500ha of land suitable for heavy industries, 500ha for medium-to-heavy industries and 1000ha land for petrochemicals. At present, DILC is developing its first land parcel of 250ha area, leasing plots of land to medium-heavy industry. The area is situated 15kms from the Port of Duqm, in the direct vicinity of the Duqm Refinery project, currently under construction.
Logistics Lands
The total Logistics land spans over 1,500 hectares and is situated at close proximity to the port, ideally suited for export and import activities of logistics and light industrial businesses. This includes the following:
Laydown areas
Transport activities
General warehousing
Stock keeping activities
Container Freight Stations
Repacking units
Parking areas
Container yards
Assembling facilities
In the first phase, 65 hectares of land was levelled which is nearly fully leased out, with only few plots remaining. Port of Duqm is in the process of levelling a further 100 hectares of land, which will be available for rent in the near future. This port will propel Oman into the 2040 vision
As this is a language of tastes and strands of DNA analog names cannot be written phonetically and are instead replaced with a human name or Earth analog in [brackets]. Span: The diameter of an average [Gaian] = 0.94mm, Kilospan = 0.94m. Beat: The amount of time takes an average [Gaian] to move their cilia = 0.064s, kilobeat = 1min 4s Work Cycle: 10 kilobeats. Equivalent to around 15 hours on their time scale Day: Day length on [Gaia] = 28h 16min. Equivalent to around 3 months on their time scale. Year: Year length on [Gaia] = 224.4 days = 264.3 Earth days. [First] [Previous] —————————————————————— [Faythe] was positively sick with excitement. She had hit a wall on the rescue mission front, [Alice] had been adamant about not revealing themselves further by sending a rescue team, and launching a mission in secret would have required sabotaging half of the station. Even if she thought she could get all the comms and scanners down she wasn’t crazy enough to actually try it. Widespread sabotage or ship hijacking was a dangerous proposition, and she doubted [Walter] and the others would want her to put the station in jeopardy for them. After 3 solid tenth days of appeals, requests, and contemplating sneaking off while scouting, she had to admit a rescue mission wasn’t going to happen. But that doesn’t matter now! She thought giddily as she rushed to the docks. They are still alive, and making contact!. Her hope was warring with caution and hope was currently winning. Like most of the station she had followed the messages from the Humans with rapt attention. She recognized [Eve]’s signaling right away and found it a bit funny she had been the main speaker, [Faythe] had always pegged her as the [quiet] sort. [Faythe] had attempted to remain cautiously optimistic as she read the debate, wary of the creatures playing some terrible trick, but frankly she was past caring. Her hope that her friend was still alive had been fading by the cycle, and now they were supposedly about to be picked up. There was no way in hell she was going to miss that. Thank the depths [Grace] let us be the ones to go get them. I would be gnawing on the walls if I had to wait around and let some other team be the first to greet them again. She thought amusedly, wondering how the reunion was going to go. The “painful testing” [Eve] had briefly mentioned was concerning. She began wondering what kinds of terrible things someone might do while experimenting on supposedly subsentient drones and winced. Sometimes an active imagination is a bit of a curse. She thought as her mind was filled with scenes of detached and methodical disembowelment. She was so caught up in her thoughts in fact that she didn’t notice the harpoon that flashed out behind her. —————————————————————— [Sybil] [grinned] as she boarded the hastily readying recovery ship. She always like being a [Hephaestus]., being able to effortlessly push through crowds never got old, though annoyingly enough it seemed she would have to keep that to a minimum if she wanted to avoid notice, apparently it was out of character for her to be that rude. How boring. She managed to get abord the ship with no questions raised and made some small talk with a few of the ship crew she knew while she waited impatiently for that blasted representative to arrive. I hope she doesn’t pull the translators off into to a private meeting the moment we pick them up. She thought worriedly. She hoped to get at least one of them alone first, and had a somewhat believable reason to do so. She had been openly expressing concerned for her dear missing friend for tenthdays after all. A few beats later and representative [Grace] finally arrived. The ship silently slipped free from its birth and flicked up and out of hanger into the lunar surface above. It hung there for a moment before the lunar dust below the ship briefly rippled as the stations great grav units bent the space around it, and in an instant they were elsewhere. Flicking back into existence 28 thousand kilometers above Earth, the ship did not bother making orbit, it simply fell towards the night shrouded continent below, heading towards the outskirts of a vibrant patch of light. As the ship sped downwards [Sybil] settled in for a few cycles of waiting, running over her plans. The basics of [Mallory]’s plan is somewhat sound, but there are some holes that need patching She grumbled. They were tortured and the humans attempted to mindhack them into being saboteurs and they pretend it worked on them so they can escape. Simple enough. People might ask why they didn’t try and say any of this in their message though. This could be explained by the Humans having a better grasp of Standard Gaian then they let on. I could say they learned enough Gaian and Solarian that they planned out most of the things in those messages, including the supposedly stealthily side comments that [Eve] had added in Solarian, all to make it seem like the crew were being genuine and not just reading off a script, but really the Humans were following every word they said and would quickly notice if they went off script or tried to slip something behind their backs by sending in an language they didn’t know. The crew didn’t bother risking that since they were trying to play along and pretend they had been fully brainwashed, since they knew the humans were planning on letting them go back to the fleet if they thought their program was working. Thus, they played along, following their script, not letting anything slip until they get safely back onto this ship and out of the humans clutches. Only then do they tell everyone what really happened. If I don’t manage to edit the memories on all of them, that could be explained as the brainwashing being successful on some of them. A suboptimal result, as it would place significant scrutiny on the psyche of the supposedly mindhacked crew, and I would have to justify the humans having somewhat effective mindhacking techniques. However it might still sow enough confusion and outrage to be effective, and by the time they are studied close enough that the story might unravel we will hopefully be long gone…. Yes, that could work. —————————————————————— [Walter] strained his eyes peering skyward as the beats crawled by. He had asked the humans when the ship was arriving but they had said he would know more about that then they would. He grumbled at that and spent some time calculating the fastest time he expected a ship could be scrambled to collect them. If they jumped in right overhead and had a powered decent downwards it would probably take around 80 kilobeats for them to get here. The trip out to this field took around a quarter of that so they should be arriving in another 60 kilobeats or so. He thought tiredly. He sighed and settled in for 6 cycles of waiting. The break did give him time to finish up some more of his signal pathway repairs and other projects but that was a minor consolation. The comms were mostly silent, as eventually the mix of tension and boredom sapped most of the energy of the group. The lull was broken near the end of the sixth cycle when [Eve] spotted a faint point of light in the sky that was rapidly growing brighter. “Look! That’s them!” The group staggered to their feet and twisted their heads to point their eyes skyward. [Frank] [laughed] when he spotted it “Yeah that seems to be them all right, they must be coming in hot. I guess they aren’t bothering with stealth for this.” The point of light grew to become a bright red star in the sky above them, before suddenly not being in the sky at all. With a thunderous crack a 300 span tall ship appeared before them, going from hypersonic flight to a dead stop in moments. Its hull still glowed a dull cherry red from the heat of its reentry. “Going with shock and awe I guess.” [Walter] sent wryly. Normally seeing a skyscraper sized structure floating in midair was awe inspiring enough, however he imagined it’s scale was less effective on their current audience. The ship was barely larger than one of the creatures’ heads. Speed on the other hand…well, to the humans it must have looked like the ship appeared from nowhere. “Ha yeah, that must have looked even more crazy to them…not that they saw it though, they are still looking at the sky. Oh! They are beginning to flinch now. Geez. That pilot is wasted on this crowd.” [Frank] sent mirthfully as the giants around them reacted with comical slowness. “Oh wow, look at that one, it launched itself into the air! It’s going higher than the ship!” [Eve] [laughed] as one of the white robed figures belatedly hurled itself away from the loud noise. The human guards appeared significantly less amused, as several of them trained weapons on the ship. “Hmm, maybe that was a bit to provocative.” [Walter] said the humor draining from his signal. The team watched anxiously as the giants continued to stare daggers at the slowly cooling ship hovering above the grass a few kilospan in front of them. “Sorry that surprised you, that was just a sonic boom from a rapid decent.” [Walter] slowly spoke, trying to calm the situation. “That was a standard landing for this type of mission.” He added, lying through his gills. One of the guards glanced at the radio his voice came from, and then over at him. “Well you should have warned us then.” It slowly groaned out. “Sorry, didn’t think to mention it. Could you stop pointing your weapons at the ship though? I don’t think anyone is going to come out while you’re doing that.” The guard made a wordless grunt which [Walter] figured wasn’t a happy sound. “If it can move that fast then our guns are useless if we aren’t already pointing at it.” “Their useless even if they are pointed at it. You can’t even see it move, much less activate your weapon in time.” [Eve] interjected. “Then there is no harm in us continuing to point our guns at it then.” The guard ground out even slower and louder than normal, before pausing as it listened to something over its comm. “…yes sir.” It said at last before lowering its weapon slightly. “I guess that’s as much as we can hope for.” [Walter] muttered to the rest of the team as they watched the rest of the guards begrudgingly point their weapons just far enough downwards as to not technically be pointing at the ship. [Walter] was going to continue but paused as signal came from the ship. “Team 9, this is representative [Grace] sending. Good job on diffusing the situation. I had figured a small demonstration of our capabilities was in order, but I did not expect it to startle them so thoroughly. With that in mind please inform the humans that this ship is unarmed and we will be opening a hanger door soon.” [Walter] glanced up with relief. “Yes ser, we’ll begin translating immediately.” —————————————————————— Director Townsend was not having a great day. Well, that was too harsh. So far it had been a truly remarkable day, he just wished he wasn’t the one in charge of organizing it. This morning the main thing on his mind had been tightening the budget in preparation for next month’s funding review, now he was standing in the middle of a field while a tiny alien spaceship flaunted gravity and the sound barrier a few meters from his head. It was an interesting change of pace to say the least. He glanced around at the several technicians and researchers from the physics department that he had hastily assembled. “Please tell me one of our cameras caught that.” He half whispered to one of the technicians. “Umm, yes, I think camera 4 and 5 got good shots of the deceleration event.” the man said as he began pulling up clips on a nearby laptop. The field behind the lab was currently filled with a rough semicircle of high-speed cameras, range finders, microwave scanners and whatever other equipment the physicists had been able to carry outside, all pointing at the landing site. Townsend was currently standing a few meters back, next to a pair of folding tables where the snarl of cables from all the equipment was being fed to several laptops and a small server bank. He glanced over the mess and was glad there was no chance of rain tonight. The aid confirmed they had several clear shots of the deceleration and Townsend turned his attention back to the ship now silently floating in the field before them. It was hovering in midair a few centimeters above the ground with no sign of effort, no sound or flames or gusts of wind. The grass below it was completely untouched. “The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.” He thought wryly, as the pain of having to give up the grav drive they were studying was freshly renewed. Aside from the hovering the ship itself wasn’t that interesting to look at, though he did admit there was a certain elegant simplicity to it. It was a perfect ovoid, 30 or so centimeters tall and 15 wide. Its outer hull was smooth and unadorned. On the high-speed camera shot he had seen it arrive shinning like a mirror, but after coming to a halt its color had shifted, rapidly darkening into a pitch-black shade to better radiated heat. Some sort of color shifting meta material perhaps? I wonder how they managed to make something that complex reentry proof. He tore his eyes away from the strange sight as he heard an argument breaking out by the wasp enclosure. He suddenly noticed how on edge the guard detail was. “Oh for…” He leaned over to one of the NSA agents that were hovering around him like buzzards and hissed “Tell your goons to stop pointing their guns at the ship! Do you want to start a diplomatic incident?” The man opened his mouth to reply but appeared to think better of it. He sighed and spoke a few words into his earpiece. Townsend relaxed slightly as the guards lowered their weapons again. Stupid. Why did the NSA insist on bringing armed security for this? If shit hits the fan we’re screwed regardless of how many guns we have… One of the crackling voices from the wasp cage briefly rose in volume, calling out “Attention, the ship is unarmed. A hatch will open on its side in 87 seconds. It is a door to a hangar. Don’t shoot it.” before falling back into inaudibility as it started talking to a technician next to its cage. “I guess that’s my cue.” Townsend muttered as he began walking apprehensively over to the front of the crowd where the ship and captives were. He hoped the creatures were just going to leave quickly and not bother with ceremony, he really wasn’t looking forward to giving the apology speech he had hastily written on behalf of the lab. Waving off the two guards that started shadowing him he made his way over to wasp tank and watched a touch nervously as a technician opened it. The creatures paused for a bit, eying the door like they were worried of some trick, before suddenly flinging themselves out and beginning to buzz around the grass and the tray of returned equipment. “Uh, I hope everything is in order?” Townsend asked cautiously. “No, quite disordered.” The radio hissed. That’s not what I mea- His thought was cut off as the ship a couple of meters in front of them moved. A seam appeared on its smooth surface and pair of doors appeared, quickly sliding apart to reveal an opening around the size of a post-it note. He crouched down slightly to get a better look inside and saw the ‘hangar’ went back a handful of centimeters, with platforms and wasp sized indentations set into the floor and walls at regular intervals. The off-white material of the floor and walls was dotted with faintly glowing lights, seemly marking out paths or landing spots. He couldn’t make out much detail about them from where he was standing though. I doubt pressing my face up against their hull to get a closer look would go over well. His eye was eventually drawn to faint bit of movement near the front of the opening, if he hadn’t already been peering closely at the spot he doubted he would have noticed. A speck around the size of a mite was on the floor by the entrance and was shifting slightly. The radio behind him spoke up “That is the council representative.” Townsend started slightly and saw that one of the wasps was hovering near his head, keeping an eye on him while the others were gathering their equipment. The radio continued “They wish to convey gratitude/relief that you are upholding your end of the agreement. They hope this interaction will improve trust and improve future interaction.” Townsend relaxed slightly. “That is good to hear. We hope that this is the beginning of more open communication with your people. I and the rest of the facility apologize for the…trying nature of your capture. We hope we can put that period of secrecy and misunderstanding behind us.” “The representative expresses agreement.” Townsend nodded stiffly, noting that the creature didn’t mention if itself agreed. He wondered how much resentment they might be holding. He was painfully aware of the many cameras were trained on him right now and figured this might not be the best time for such delicate questions. Instead he stepped back a pace and spent a few awkward moments watching the wasps shuttling the grav drive and the dissected ‘drones’ into the ship. Thankfully they were quick and it seemed the politician was satisfied with his short exchange as it remained silent. Townsend noticed with interest that the wasps were having to tie down the equipment in the hanger as it was apparently in zero g. After a few seconds of fiddling the creatures seemed to be satisfied that all was in order and one of them turned to look out the door at Townsend and the rest of the lab crew behind him. “The ship will leave now. Thank you for releasing us.” He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Of course. Safe travels.” He replied, stepping back a few paces in case their departure was going to be as dramatic as their arrival. The doors of the ship snapped shut and hull rippled to a mirror shine once again. For a moment Townsend saw a distorted reflection of himself in the shimmering ovoid, but then with a flick of motion and hiss of wind it was gone. He whipped his head skyward and for an instant saw a faint glint of silver against the darkening sky, and a breath later everyone in the field heard the crack of a distant sonic boom. He paused like that for a few moments, just looking upwards, before turning his gaze back to Earth and walking back to the lab, sagging with relief. —————————————————————— When the door closed and the captain informed them that the ship was underway and that it seemed like nothing was being fired at them [Walter] finally let his last doubts melt away. “They did it. They actually let us go. We really are heading back.” He sent with his signal choked with relief. “You’re just now accepting that?” [Eve] asked bemusedly as the rest of the team let out a ragged cheer and began disembarking from their crafts. [Walter] [shrugged] “I didn’t want to get my hopes up to high.” He replied as he parked his craft in its familiar perch and disconnected. After scurrying down one of his crafts legs he felt his way blindly along the rungs of one of the paths set in the floor, the familiar routine of disembarking and the feeling of the solid pseudopodholds under his limbs provided a surprising amount of comfort. After [Walter] and the rest of the team cycled through the hanger’s waterlock and took off their environmental suits they could finally smell again and were immediately hit with the jubilant greeting signals of a dozen or so of their old crewmates gathered in the tunnel outside. A very familiar signal reached him, followed swiftly after by a rush of water and a thud of impact. “[Walter]!” [Faythe] sent jubilantly as she gripped him in a membrane stretching hug. “I’ve been worried sick about you guys! I tried to get [Alice] or a captain to rescue you sooner but nobody listened. I came really close to doing something stupid a few times. But you’re back now!” [Walter] [laughed] and hugged her back. “I missed you too. Can you let up a bit though? You’re crushing my gills.” The pressure dropped immediately and [Walter] stopped resembling a squeezed water balloon. “Sorry. It’s just…how have you been?” She asked, her signal fading into a much more worried tone. “…it was terrifying, painful, fascinating and boring. Often multiple at the same time. Being studied and experimented on by something that it can kill you with a twitch of its smallest limbs is…uniquely horrifying. Things got a bit better later, and I got kind of numb to the scale eventually, but let’s just say I’m glad to be back.” “Experimented on? [Eve] mentioned they did some painful things to you guys at first, what happened?” [Faythe] asked worriedly. [Walter] [shrugged] “I’d rather not relive it, at least not right now. I’m still in a wonderful mood at finally being back, I’ll process the trauma later, right now I just want to bask in the sense of normalcy of being on a familiar ship again.” [Faythe] [smiled] “Want to go to the break room and play some [Fleets] to keep your mind off things then?” “Yeah, that sounds nice.” The rest of the group was similarly breaking up, most heading to the cafeteria to get the first bit of flavorful food they had in half a day. [Walter] and [Faythe] meanwhile headed over to one of the ship’s small lounge rooms. The ship was operating with minimal crew, [Faythe] bashfully admitted [Alice] probably only let her go on this trip to prevent anymore nagging, so the room was pleasantly empty. “Nice, I think the game set is in the [scent designation] cabinet.” [Faythe] said as she entered. [Walter] drifted over to the compartment in question and fished around inside. “Hmm, I’m not feeling it, are you sure it’s…AGH!” —————————————————————— [Sybil] relaxed slightly as the little [Gaian] stopped twitching as the dart did its work. She would have to work fast, the lack of private quarters made time consuming modifications like this quite a risk. Keeping half her focus on checking the currents and scents coming through the doorway she deployed a few silencer filters to mop up the alarm scent her target had briefly given off. Clumsy she snarled to herself. She had hoped he would be more distractible. She swam over to the body now drifting limply against the far wall and began the delicate task of deploying her editing equipment. Parting the tough but annoyingly stiff cell wall that covered her current body [Sybil] formed a tube of cell membrane and stabbed it into her target. Keeping a watch on the door she split off part of her attention to focus on the data stream from the equipment she began tunneling inside. Feeling around the entrance site with a few sensor arrays she felt and tasted nothing alarming, there wasn’t any stray glue strands or chunks of mangled thought center drifting about, so the dart hadn’t failed catastrophically. She began quickly widening the hole and sending in the rest of her equipment; snipping proteins, grasping limbs and memory reading equipment were carried along a rapidly unfolding scaffolding network. The tips of this network forked and twisted deeper inside like thirsting roots, touching and tasting every structure they bumped into, following the scent left behind by the dart. After a few moments she found the signal line which the dart had first latched onto, and she sent her editing equipment along the line after it, following the trail of sent markers the little machine had laid down as it rushed along the cable. Following the pathways that walker proteins use to carry sensory data back to a target’s main thought center was a trivially simple task, after all it had to be straight forward enough for a mindless molecule to follow. The pathway grew steadily as she made her way further inwards, different lines merging together to form a major signaling trunk. Just as the diameter of the cable started to indicate she was nearly upon her target however, several of the motor proteins dragging her editing equipment along suddenly reported that they had lost grip. She felt around wildly and realized the pathway in front of her was gone. The sensory cable was sheared through, most likely via a hasty misuse of the pilot’s drone linking equipment. The fool had begun ripping his own mind apart, he would be a near vegetable at this point, assuming he hadn’t killed himself entirely in his thrashing. Damn it all. I don’t have time for this. It was at this moment the data cables near her tunnel into the target reported a strong current heading towards them. She had brief moment of shock before her mind was suddenly jerked back outwards as her connection to her hacking equipment was severed. Reeling from the violent sensory shift and the realization she had be tricked, she hastily tried to regain control. Turning her focus to the ragged remains of the data cables that had connected her to her equipment she felt through a few remaining sensing hairs that something large was rushing towards her. Something that smelled rather familiar. Her dart. Fuck —————————————————————— [Walter] was mad. No. That [word] was inadequate. He was absolutely furious. When he had felt something rushing towards him he had been confused. When he had felt it stab him he had been shocked. When he had felt it begin moving inside him, heading towards his mind, he had the icy realization that his friend was gone. That a nightmare from the brightest corners of the overworld was aboard this ship, a mind hacker. He was suddenly deeply deeply glad for the redundances he had been adding to his sensory network. Most would consider what he had been doing to himself in his limited rest time over the last 3 tenthdays highly paranoid, but after his cycles long purgatory trapped in self-inflicted sensory deprivation he had decided that he wanted a few more sensory lines and better control of his mind weaving equipment. He didn’t want a repeat of that hell to be possible. So when he felt the vile machine begin clawing its way deeper inside him he hastily powered on his weaving equipment and went to work. He rushed his nearest array towards where he felt the thing racing along, the dumb machine rapidly working its way along a major sensory pathway, its rapidly spinning corkscrew motor burrowing through the water briefly leaving a noticeable wake. A spindly limb protruded from the main body of the missile, loosely gripping the signal pathway it was swimming besides, feeling its way along as its swift passage tore walker proteins from their mountings. The moment it felt the currents from the mass of scaffolding, sensors and snipping proteins [Walter] was hurling at it the machine reacted. It released its grip on [Walter]’s signal pathway and he lost touch of it, though a few sensor hairs felt its wake. It narrowly dodged a slice from a diamoniod cutting blade which tore the cable it was just swimming along in two. [Walter] winced but he had a spare. He reached out toward the wake he could feel as it hurled itself farther away. He tried to grab the craft, splaying his mind weaving array outwards, scaffolding and motor rods cast wide like a net, but the dart was far too quick and rapidly outpaced the now drag choked limb. Fortunately, he had more than one weaving array, and by now 2 others had closed in, one of them dragging a food vacuole. He did not want to feel what kind of self-destruct poisons this thing might spit out. He forced himself to bring those limbs in slightly slower, giving time for their wakes to rapidly still in the viscous water. The dart was quiet now, but he had a vague idea of where it was lurking. If it was moving at all it must be moving slowly as he felt no hint of movement from where he had last felt it. He carefully unfurled all three arrays, feeding them more scaffolding by cannibalizing nearby sections of his cytoskeleton, englobing the region where he was sure it could have gone. At last he felt a twitch of movement. It seemed the next phase of the dart’s programming was to stealthily continue in the direction it had been heading before it was caught, as it had bumped into a section of net while slowly swimming in roughly the direction of the severed signal line. The moment it contacted the net it tried to swim way again, but [Walter] cut that section of netting free and whipped it forwards using a branch of scaffolding, and the flexible strands of motor protein in the net grabbed at the dart greedily. More lines and scaffolding piled on as he brought more sections of the net to bare, and he began hastily shuttling over the vacuole to contain it in case it might release poison in its death throws. It did, sort of. As soon as its motor and cilia were completely jammed the missile ceased struggling. [Walter] was almost hoping it was over just before the nest of cables and struts enclosing the thing was wracked by an explosion. The missile had violently split itself apart to release its payload, a cloud of particles and tangling cables tailor made to jam mental machinery. [Walter] was exceeding glad that none of his thought centers had been breached, but the cloud would still be a problem out in his main body. They jammed signaling and motor proteins just as well, and he could feel the shredded remains of the net covering the dart go numb as messages from them ground to a halt. He hastily ripping open the vacuole he had brought over and tried to englobe as much of the mess as possible. It cost him half of the remaining arrays in the area, but he managed to get most of it inside. There was still a few wisps of jamming particles floating about but he would just have to avoid them for now. With the immediate threat taken care of he turned his focus outwards to what was wearing his friend. It was still by the door, waiting for him to succumb to the glue he supposed. Shit. [Faythe] is 3 times my mass and covered in armor, she could crush me like a [bug]. I’m faster than her but she is 4 span closer to the door then me. The only thing I can hope for is surprise. With that in mind he gradually stilled the violent twitching his internal battle had caused and went limp. He felt currents close in as the thing swam over to him, and had to fight off the urge to move as it cornered him. Well. This is the exact opposite place you want to be in when fighting a mind hacker. He thought nervously as he prepared to run or wage an internal battle. He had no illusions of his repurposed civilian equipment being any match for black-market gear in a fair fight. Though, he did have some black market equipment at his disposal now. He carefully began prepping the glue and debris filled vacuole for offense, hastily gathering vacuoles of a few volatile chemicals, digestive acids and respiration byproducts and merging them with the glue one or lashing them together so they wouldn’t mix just yet. He felt some ripples as the thing fiddled next to him and he knew he didn’t have much time, he hoped this would be enough of a distraction to dart away. He began moving the whole mess with a remaining weaving array, trying to move just fast enough that he wasn’t noticeably twitching his outer membrane as the complex swam/crawled its was through his cytoskeleton, spiderlike limbs extending to grab at the web of struts and signal lines darting out like tentacles, disconnecting and reconnecting it to his signaling network as it moved. He wasn’t fast enough however, as he felt himself get stabbed a second time, and this time the hole was held open. A nest of filaments and wires squirmed their way inside him. At first it was only faint movements that nearby sensors could barely feel, and then larger motions as other things were forced through the wound. [Walter] slowed the weaving array’s movements to a crawl. It is sending stuff over, so it opened up a chink in her cell wall, that’s the only place I can get a good hit in. he thought nervously, as he cautiously dragged his bulky payload closer. Soon he felt the bulk of the machinery crawl deeper in and begin moving along where he knew the severed signal line was still drifting. He [smiled] Good, follow that dead end, nothing out of the ordinary happening over here. He continued along a fast as he dared, aware he had a time limit until the thing found the cut and realized something was up. That time limit ran out when he felt the hacker’s train of equipment stop with a lurch. With the game up he abandoned stealth and closed the last few millispan to the wound site with several cutting tools thrust out on a pillar scaffolding, aiming for the data cables he knew must be trailing there. The cables were thick, it seemed they were actually tubes with the protein walkways and vibration transmission rods within their armored walls. They were still no match for the four diamoniod cutting clamps that slammed into them though. After a quarter beat of twisting and hacking the bundle of lines came apart entirely and he yanked that strut back with the data cables still caught in its grasp to delay any reconnection. He then shoved the mess of vacuoles into the breach. The hacker for its part recovered quickly, lurching [Faythe]’s body backwards and severing the tunnel of membrane in an instant. But cell wall was not as malleable. [Walter] abandoned his finer scale controls and moved his body normally, pushing out a pseudopod with the mind weaving gear and vacuole bundle inside it and stabbed the limb into the slowly closing hole in [Faythe]’s cell wall. The last signal he sent the equipment before severing the pseudopod was to merge the little two explosive vacuoles he had stuck on the main one’s surface. He didn’t pause to admire his handywork though as he had to immediately squirm out of the way of 5 armored limbs rushing at him. He got the impression that this second hug wouldn’t end if he asked politely. He managed to weave between three of them but the last two partly encircled him and began to squeeze. He stretched his body out 3 times its normal length, trying to narrow himself down fast enough that he could slip out of its grip but it was fruitless. Another limb smacked him down and the three arms pinned him against the wall. He shoved off the wall and the thing had to dart a few limbs out to grip the ‘floor’ as it drifted backwards a touch. That was enough for him to flatten his body and slide under one of the limbs pinning him. A current warned him of another incoming blow and he narrowly dodged a serrated limb, lightly scraping his membrane. The thing had gotten enough time to fashion something more than crude clubs, and now it no longer needed to play a futile game of punching an amorphous blob. Popping one was much easier. Fortunately, it seemed the glue was beginning to have an effect, as its movements were becoming decidedly more erratic. He made a mad dash to the exit, and sprayed a series of data packets out in front of him towards the comm unit by the door. “Mind Hacker!“ He managed to [scream] before he was cut off by the thing launching itself off the back wall and barreling into him. They collided in midwater and [Walter] felt a massive gash in his side appear as its claw tore him open. He crumpled inwards around the wound, doing his best to stanch the flood of cytoplasm and internal organs. His mind began to go hazy as the amount of [ATP analog] with in him dropped precipitously. He noticed the thing wasn’t doing much better though, it was struggling to use nearly half of its body, flailing awkwardly as it tried to keep him from drifting away. Guess that glue trick wasn’t for nothing. He thought sleepily, as he felt a few weak blows and slashes rain down on him, doing little more than pushing him away from it. I hope they got the warning… was his last thought before his mind faded to scentlessness. —————————————————————— He awoke again in a medical ward with a nurse and several guards in armored environmental suits. “What happened?” He sent, feeling around wildly. A guard caught his signal packet and fed it into a large comm unit floating beside them. They paused for a moment while the machine gargled softly, and when they finally replied it was a through the same isolated comm. In the dry and formal tone of someone reciting a recording the guard responded “The crew of the [Stalking Sea Predator] received a signal from the body of [Walter] about a mind hacker attack taking place in the ship’s third lounge room. When they arrived they found the body of [Walter] unconscious from a grievous rupture and the body of [Faythe] in the process of attacking it. Initially the body of [Faythe] claimed to be run by the mind of [Faythe] and that the body of [Walter] contained the attacker, but upon requests that it submit to a medical exam it became hostile. It presently revealed that the mind of [Faythe] was not in control, but the attacker did claim it still had her in storage and could irreparably damage her at anytime. As we cannot currently rule out this claim, we are treating it as a hostage situation.” “The attacker eventually submitted to being moved to the ship’s brig to begin negotiations for a reduced sentence and the body of [Walter] was stabilized for the remainder of the 8-cycle trip back to [Luna Station]. Upon arrival a medical team and a mental hazard team were dispatched to the ship to assess the situation and to awaken the mind inside the body of [Walter]. It is currently unknown how thoroughly the mind of [Walter] was modified while in the presence of the attacker. Does this entity claim to still be the mind of [Walter]?” Oh light. Here we go. [Walter] thought worriedly as he prepared for several kilobeats of interrogation and medical scans. He didn’t feel any different and didn’t remember being modified, but the truly horrifying thing about mind hackers is that meant nothing. Eventually the interrogators were reasonably satisfied that he had the same memories as the original [Walter], and that if his personality had been replaced or significantly altered he was doing a decent job of hiding it. Like always they couldn’t rule out subtle changes or hidden triggers though, so he would be under close watch and placed on a tenthdaily schedule of mandatory psych evaluations for the foreseeable future. They removed every mind weaving tool from his body, including the gear from the hacker (boy had that raised some concerns) before finally deeming him safe enough to leave the room while under armed supervision. (Continues in comments)
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