Georgia http://www.macon.com/197/story/995959.html Tanker truck fire forces closure of part of Ga. 96 By Becky Purser - bpurser**At_Symbol_Here**macon.com The brakes caught fire on a tanker truck carrying liquid methanol fuel early Friday, forcing the closure of a section of Ga. 96 for several hours. Houston County=92s Fire Chief and Emergency Management Agency Director Jimmy Williams said the vehicle fire was quickly extinguished without any type of explosion or chemical leak. The back of the trailer did suffer some fire damage, he said. But because the integrity of the tanker was compromised, the 5:10 a.m. vehicle fire resulted in the closure of Ga. 96 from Ammons Road to Ga. 247 until 1:30 p.m., Williams said. Traffic was detoured away from the area. It took time for another tanker to arrive, the methanol to be transferred and for the damaged vehicle to be removed, he said. === http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_481275.h tml Singapore Jan 23, 2010 2 died from chemical explosion By Irene Tham TWO men died after an industrial accident in Jurong Island on Saturday. It took place at Chemical Specialties, a Singapore-based chemical processing contractor. The two workers, believed to be Malaysians, arein their 30s. They suffered cuts and bruises and were bleeding in the ears when the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived at the scene at 11.14am. They were pronounced dead at 11.40am. The Sunday Times understands that the workers were on top of a cylindrical tank - six-storey high and measuring 6m in diameter - when the accident happened. When the SCDF arrived, one of the men was found lying about 5m to 10m from the tank. The other was about 30m away. === Arizona http://www.kswt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11868702 Famous Yuma Hotel Evacuated After Chemical Scare Posted: Jan 23, 2010 12:35 AM Updated: Jan 23, 2010 12:35 AM Reported By: Rob Hughes (rhughes**At_Symbol_Here**kswt.com) Yuma, AZ January 22- Dozens of people are evacuated from a local hotel Friday afternoon, while emergency crews prepare for the worst. A potentially dangerous situation as maintenance personnel at the Hotel San Carlos in downtown Yuma reported a strong chemical smell around two Friday afternoon. Hazmat crews brought out samples that are being tested. Meanwhile, around 60 residents have been evacuated. The historical landmark where Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, and John Wayne have stayed was under the microscope Friday. "1st responders did confirm that there was a heavy fuel type smell in the basement," said Mike Erfert, public information officer with the Yuma Fire Department. The Hotel San Carlos was closed for business after investigators believed something wasn't right. Erfert says firefighters were forced to take all necessary precautions. "At that point, as a precaution, not knowing the makeup of the materials or the concentration, the residents were evacuated from the hotel. Erfert says investigators are determining if the recent severe weather or age of the building contributed to the situation. "At this point our hazardous materials team is working at determining what it is, what chemicals are involved, and what the concentrations are; what potential dangers that could involve," said Erfert. Investigators continue to err on the side of caution, and aren't sure when the San Carlos will be reopened. "Not knowing the exact materials involved, it's hard to determine what the threats are, whether it's something that could just be hazardous to someone breathing, or whether it would be a fire hazard," said Erfert. Hotel residents have been moved to nearly hotels for the time being. As of Friday evening, 1st street is closed, but downtown businesses remain open. The incident is under investigation. === West Virginia http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=73932 DuPont Plant Leaked Chemical for up to Five days Posted Friday, January 22, 2010 ; 09:35 PM | View Comments | Post Comment Updated Friday, January 22, 2010; 10:07 PM 1,900 pounds of Methyl Chloride was found to be leaking from the DuPont Plant. Story by Matthew Earle Email | Other Stories by Matthew Earle BELLE -- Operators at the DuPont Plant in Belle discovered a rupture disc had vented 1900 pounds of Methyl Chloride into the atmosphere over a five day span. The ruptured disk is apart of a ventilation process to keep piping and other equipment from over pressurizing. The portion of the plant was immediately shut down and an investigation into what caused the rupture began soon afterward. Plant personnel said no effects will be felt by the community or the atmosphere. =93We don't see where there was any harmful effect to impact the community," said Human Resources Manager Roger Hess.
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