Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:21:33 -0400
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From: Ralph Stuart <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: Chemical Safety headlines from Google

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KEOKUK'S DAILY GATE CITY ONLINE &GT; NEWS, http://www.dailygate.com/articles/2010/08/16/news/doc4c6968 412a074140801292.txt

ARGYLE =E2=80=93=E2=80=93 An overturned dump truck early Saturday closed down Argyle Road for about seven hours.

"We got called out at 3:01 a.m., said Jackson Township Fire Association Chief Paul Henson. "A dump truck had lost control in the 3500 block of Argyle Road and flipped on its side on the Sugar Creek Bridge. It dumped 25,000 pounds of a filter substance (it was transporting) for Roquette (America, Inc.).="

The truck, driven by Dale R. Mudgett II, 26, Wyaconda, Mo., and owned by Waggoner Solutions, Donnellson, was lying on its side across the road. Mudgett received minor injuries, according to Lee County Chief Deputy Jim Sholl.

Henson called in Lee County Hazardous Materials Task Force personnel from the Keokuk Fire Department and Keokuk Fire Chief Mark Wessel.

When the hazmat team arrived shortly after 3:30 a.m., personnel assessed the spilled material, which was identified as agricultural lime. The hazmat report noted that 50 gallons of diesel fuel that had leaked from the truck was being contained by a dike built from the spilled ag lime by Jackson fire personnel.

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OFFICIALS: WATER SUPPLY NOT THREATENED BY SPILL - THE RECORD NEWS: SERVING TROY AND ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES (TROYRECORD.COM), http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/08/17/news/doc4c6a 044d09835666208881.txt

EAST GREENBUSH =E2=80=94 A small pesticide spill near Mill Creek Monday afternoon had hazmat and environmental crews working for several hours on cleanup efforts, though officials say there doesn=E2=80=99t appear to be any threat to the water supply.

The spill happened around noon when an eastbound truck from Nature=E2=80=99s Way Pest Control went off the side of Morner Road and hit a bridge abutment near the intersection of Rossi Way, crumpling the front of the truck. The bridge runs over Mill Creek.

The male driver was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. No further information about the cause of the crash or the driver=E2=80=99s identity was available at press time.

Dave Teets, assistant chief at Best-Luther Fire Company, which responded to the scene, said the truck was carrying a variety of pesticide products, and a five-gallon jug of concentrated spray burst on impact with the abutment.

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WORKERS CLEAN UP DIESEL SPILL IN DON RIVER | POSTED TORONTO | NATIONAL POST, http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/08/16/workers-clean-up-diesel-spil l/

Toronto Police, Hazmat and fire crews worked through the night to contain and clean up a diesel fuel spill in the Don River.

The fuel allegedly originated from a buried fuel tank that ruptured on Sunday at a construction site near Brentcliffe Road and Eglinton Avenue, just under the spot where Eglinton crosses the river west of Leslie Street. The smell and strange colour of the river was noticed by a Leaside resident, who notified police.

The Ministry of the Environment has been notified and will asses the damage to the river. The spill was contained to the Don River, no fuel leaked into Lake Ontario.

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6 TREATED AT MANATEE HOSPITAL FOR UNIDENTIFIED CHEMICAL EXPOSURE - BREAKING NEWS - BRADENTONHERALD.COM, http://www.bradenton.com/2010/08/17/2510013/6-treated-at-man atee-hospital.html

MANATEE =E2=80=94 Six people were hospitalized Monday after they inhaled fumes from an unidentified chemical at the Goodwill Manasota building, 7501 15th Street E. in Manatee County.
The chemical agent, possibly pepper spray, caused respiratory and eye irritation, according to a report from the Manatee County Department of Public Safety, which sent a Hazmat team.
Even though one Goodwill employee and four customers were sent to area hospitals for evaluation, 12 were evaluated by Manatee County Emergency Medical Service, the report states.
There was some speculation by employees that the chemical might have been pepper spray that was activated, but that has not been confirmed, the report says.
The incident took place in the "barn,=" located to the rear of the facility.
Surveillance cameras on site will be evaluated, according to the report.
Since people were evacuated and not permitted to get near their own vehicles, two county transit buses were brought to the scene to get people out of the heat.
Hazmat and fire personnel cleared the building and deemed it safe to re-enter about an hour later.

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UPDATE: NO INJURIES IN TRONOX FIRE - WTVA.COM, http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/UPD ATE-No-injuries-in-Tronox-fire/nnm94jrAaEqxY5GG4MM6lA.cspx

HAMILTON, Miss. (WTVA) - With numerous volunteer firefighters and fire trucks on stand by, company fire responders at Tronox reportedly acted quickly to fight a fire at the plant in Hamilton, Mississippi.

The facility is the former Kerr-McGee plant located on Highway 145.

A company spokesperson says the fire was contained to a sodium chlorate storage facility.

He tells WTVA no workers were injured, and production at the remainder of the plant continued without interruption.

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CHEMICAL EXPLOSION SENDS POOL WORKERS TO THE HOSPITAL - NEWS14.COM, http://charlotte.news 14.com/content/local_news/charlotte/629315/chemical-explosion-sends-pool-w orkers-to-the-hospital

CHARLOTTE -- A chemical reaction and explosion in east Charlotte sent two people to the hospital on Monday.

Firefighters say the victims were working on a community pool on Spring Ridge Lane when it happened. They both work for sun homes properties. When the chemicals reacted, they got into the workers' lungs.

Fire officials say chemical burns are bad enough, but breathing in the chemicals can be even more dangerous.

"It very well can cause damage to the respiratory tract, so it's not a good thing," said Fire Marshal Jeff Bostian.

Officials say both men were licensed and trained to work with the pool chemicals. They are both expected to be released from the hospital on Monday.

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TIMES SQUARE HAZMAT RESPONSE AFTER VIACOM CHEMICAL SPILL - GOTHAMIST, http://gothamist.com/2010/08/16/times_square_hazmat_response_after.p hp

Last night, Seventh Avenue between 42nd and 48th Streets was closed so the Fire Department could attend to a hazmat situation at 1515 Broadway, better known as the Viacom building where MTV, VH1 and other subsidiaries are housed. Why? Because building workers spilled 10 gallons of hydrogen peroxide on the top floor.
The spill was accidental=E2=80=94i t seems that a machine the workers were using malfunctioned. The workers refused medical attention after being decontaminated. WCBS 2 reports that dozens of emergency vehicles were at the scene, but just as a precaution. Which brought up the typical mixed reactions from tourists: "I figured if there was something really wrong, obviously they would make sure we weren=E2=80=99t around. [We=E2=80=99re] just watching them do their job and do it well," said one woman from Idaho, while a Connecticut resident said, "Of course I=E2=80=99m concerned. What=E2=80=99s going on here? Because we know something happened here a few months back."

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LAB SAFETY MATTERS : NATURE METHODS : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/v7/n8/full/nmeth0810-589.html

Overall safety is increasing, but new safety hazards, such as repetitive stress injuries and potential toxicities from nanoparticles, are coming under closer scrutiny.

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HAZMAT TEAM CALLED TO CHEMICAL SPILL - CBS2.COM, http ://cbs2.com/local/chemical.spill.Terminal.2.1861678.html

LOS ANGELES (CBS) =E2=80=95 A hazardous materials team responded to a reported chemical spill Sunday on Terminal Island, a city fire official said. 

There were no reported injuries.

The spill, possibly hydrochloric acid, was reported at 7:15 p.m. at 389 E. Terminal Way, Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

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SEMI TRUCK LEAVES MILE-LONG TRAIL OF FERTILIZER ON I-15, http://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/a rticle_3db8f286-a8de-11df-9d33-001cc4c03286.html

A mile-long trail of green powder accidentally dumped along Interstate 15 just north of Pocatello Sunday turned out to be a non-regulated fertilizer.
    According to Idaho State Police, the fertilizer came from a semi truck with a belly dump that was transporting the substance to Montana. The driver of the truck hit his brakes at about 4 p.m. because a small fire in the median of the interstate had reduced traffic to one lane. When he braked, it shifted his load and opened the belly dump a little.
    After about a mile, the driver realized what was happening, pulled over and corrected the problem. ISP officials held a conference call with Hazmat, Department of Environmental Quality and Idaho Transportation Department officials and determined the material was non-hazardous.
    Arrangements were made to clean it up. 

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ABERNATHY HAZMAT FOLLOW UP LUBBOCK, TEXAS, http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/new s/local/story/Abernathy-suicide-chemicals-hazmat/kraK1UZOxUmgFK8s5h8P_g.cs px

We have an update for you. Sergeant Marc Owen of Abernathy Police says a preliminary investigation of the incident appears it was a suicide.

APD initially received a phone call from a family member around noon Friday, saying 48 year old Elizabeth Griffin was supposed to be in Austin and didn't show up. That's when police went to check on her.

The fire department was called in because of a chemical odor. They discovered Griffins body and a bathtub with chemicals in it, prompting the evacuation of nearby homes.

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MAN FOUND INSIDE CAR FILLED WITH HAZARDOUS GAS, http://www.7 60kfmb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12981036

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CBS 8) - A park was evacuated in Rancho Penasquitos, after a man put a sign on his car warning that it was filled with poisonous gas.

It happened just before 1 p.m. this afternoon at Black Mountain Ranch Community Park.

The sign on the car said "Don't open. Call hazmat or 911". When San Diego Firefighters opened the car, they found the man's body inside.

The victim of an apparent suicide and no one else was hurt.

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GULF FREEWAY SOUTHBOUND LANES SHUT DOWN FOR HOURS FOLLOWING MAJOR ACCIDENT | ABC13.COM, http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=resources/tr affic&amp;id=7610243

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The southbound lanes of the Gulf Freeway were shut down for hours following an accident involving two 18-wheelers.

The accident happened around 6am near Scott. Authorities say two big rigs on the outbound lanes of I-45 got too close to each other and hit. When they struck, they caught fire.

One rig was carrying food service trays and the other had two Fed Ex trailers, carrying Trimethyl ammonium and Dimethylamine. Fire officials let the chemicals burn off and HazMat crews had to form a dike to contain the runoff.

There was a remediation crew on scene, collecting the water. EPA was also on scene monitoring the situation.

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GULF FREEWAY STRETCH STILL CLOSED | HOUSTON &AMP; TEXAS NEWS | CHRON.COM - HOUSTON CHRONICLE, htt p://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7153482.html

A chemical fire on the Gulf Freeway has shut down all lanes of the interstate in both directions near Scott.
Houston Fire Department hazmat crews have been fighting the blaze near downtown since early Saturday morning, Houston Police Department spokeswoman Jodi Silva said.
"They can't get the fire out because it's reigniting itself," she said. "The firefighters are having trouble keeping the fire extinguished."
No injuries were reported.
The chemical incident happened at 6 a.m. after two 18-wheelers headed southbound side-by-side collided. Both trucks caught fire.
One of the vehicles, a FedEx truck, was hauling two trailers and carrying both a powdery marine pollutant and a liquid pesticide, HFD Assistant Chief Karen DuPont said. The other vehicle had plastic food service trays inside.

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