Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:30:47 -0400
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Subject: Chemical Safety headlines from Google

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LEAK CLOSED, LACONA RESIDENTS TO RETURN | DESMOINESREGISTER.COM | THE DES MOINES REGISTER, http://www.desmo inesregister.com/article/20100819/INDIANOLA01/100819009/-1/watchdog/Leak-c losed-Lacona-residents-to-return

A leaking pipe from a 33,000-gallon anhydrous ammonia tank at the South Central Co-Op in Lacona, in southern Warren County, has been closed and residents who evacuated may return home after 1 today.

The Indianola, Lacona and Milo fire departments were called to the scene to pour water on the tank to dampen fumes from the leak.

Officials worried that winds could blow the fumes toward the bulk of the town's population.

The Des Moines Fire Department's Hazmat team helped shut down the leak.

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RECORDPUB.COM - ACID SPILLS OUT ON OHIO TURNPIKE, http://www.recordpu b.com/news/article/4880168

Residents of 20 homes on Stewart Avenue in Streetsboro returned to their houses Wednesday morning following an evacuation because a tanker truck spilled hydrochloric acid solution on the turnpike the night before.
The truck overturned on the Ohio Turnpike shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday, closing a portion of the toll road and prompting the evacuation, according to the Streetsboro Fire Department.
The department=92s public information officer, Kevin Grimm, said residents returned to their homes Wednesday morning after sleeping at the homes of friends and relatives.
=93The Red Cross was contacted, but their assistance (in providing lodging) wasn=92t needed,=94 Grimm said.
Jon Barber, director of Portage County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said the area was deemed safe at about 3 a.m. Wednesday.
The driver, a 46-year-old man from Ohio City, was able to get out of the wreckage and was found outside of the truck. He was quickly assessed by paramedics and moved a safe distance from the scene in an ambulance.

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HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO ROCKFORD BUSINESS - WREX.COM - ROCKFORD=92S NEWS LEADER, http://www.wrex .com/Global/story.asp?S=13016065

ROCKFORD (WREX) - Hazmat crews get called out to a Rockford Business.  About 30 to 50 gallons of muriatic acid spilled inside Rockford Products.  A supervisor noticed the spill and called Hazmat.  Crews don't think any of the acid made its way into the drainage system. Muriatic acid is usually used as a cleaning product.

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HAZMAT SCARE SNARLS MORNING TRAFFIC, http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/h azmat-scare-snarls-morning-traffic

NDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - There were tense moments Thursday morning along Interstate 65 as HAZMAT crews worked to identify two different liquids as they spilled out of a Fed Ex truck.

Fire and HAZMAT crews were called to I-65 and Market Street just before 5 a.m. with word that Hydrochloric acid might be leaking from the truck.

HAZMAT experts identified the first liquid as brake fluid leaking out of the truck=92s air lines.

The second liquid was identified as ink; some of the southbound lanes were blocked while crews mopped up the spill.

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STUDENTS, TEACHERS HOSPITALISED AFTER SCIENCE EXPERIMENT MISHAP, http://www.theage.com. au/victoria/students-teachers-hospitalised-after-science-experiment-mishap -20100820-137gj.html

Four students and two teachers have been taken to hospital after a science experiment went wrong at a school in Melbourne=92s north-east this afternoon.

The primary school class in Preston was conducting an experiment with a magnesium when the metal-based powder ignited and sent a fumes throughout the classroom about 1pm, paramedic team manager Stephen Moody said.

Advanced life support paramedics were called to the school and assessed 20 students who were in the classroom at the time.

Four boys, aged 12 and 13, and two teachers required hospital treatment for sore throats, coughing and chest tightness after inhaling fumes.

=91=91We were told a container of magnesium somehow ignited causing a large flash and a plume of magnesium smoke,=92=92 Mr Moody said.

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CHEMICAL SPILL PREEMPTED FIRE THAT KILLED EMPLOYEE | TENNESSEAN.COM | THE TENNESSEAN, http://www.tennessea n.com/article/20100819/DICKSON01/100819028/2141/Chemical+spill+preempted+f ire+that+killed+employee

The man who was killed in a fire at Quad/Graphics averted a massive chemical spill at the plant, but could not save his own life.

After days of investigation, fire officials now have more information on the sequence of events that ended with the death of James Bruce Mitchell, 60, a 20-year employee at Quad/Graphics, a printing plant on Old Columbia Road.

While working with a forklift inside the factory Friday, Mitchell had punctured a line containing toluene, a flammable chemical used in the printing process, said Dickson Fire Chief Richard Greer. The chemical had spilled onto his body, but he was able to climb a flight of stairs and shut off a secondary valve, preventing a potentially huge chemical leak at the factory, the chief said.

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CHEMICAL LEAKAGE AT RAILWAY STATION SPARKS PANIC - PUNE - CITY - THE TIMES OF INDIA, http://timesofindia.i ndiatimes.com/city/pune/Chemical-leakage-at-railway-station-sparks-panic/a rticleshow/6344910.cms

PUNE: Leakage of a chemical kept in a box in the parcel office at Pune railway station, created panic among the workers. The incident happened on Thursday around 10.30 am. Few workers complained of minor irritation in the eyes following the leakage. 

The Pune fire brigade officials rushed to the spot and removed the box to a safe place. The firemen also cleaned-up the parcel office. 

Vijay Bhilare, station duty officer of Pune fire brigade, said that the box contained 6 kgs of the chemical, Formaldehyde. It had come from New Delhi for the Military hospital in Khadki. 

Bhilare said, "We received a call around 10.30 am on Thursday regarding the leakage. When we went to the spot, the workers had already brought the box out of the parcel office."

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BBC NEWS - TWO PEOPLE TREATED AFTER DORSET FARM CHEMICAL SPILL, http://www.b bc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-11024936

Two people have been treated by paramedics after inhaling fumes from a chemical leak at a farm in Dorset.

The fire service was called by South Western Ambulance Service to Pentridge, near Cranborn, at about 1035 BST.

It is believed a container of formaldehyde was kicked over by an animal, a spokeswoman said.

Three fire crews have been dealing with the clean-up operation. It involved the chemical being absorbed into sand or soil.

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CHEMICAL LEAKS IN TUNNELS BENEATH CALTECH LIBRARY | 89.3 KPCC, http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/08/19/chemical-leaks-tunn els-beneath-caltech-library/

A chemical leaked today in the tunnels beneath the Millikan Library on the campus of Caltech, and two workers were treated for possible eye irritation, authorities said.

The problem was reported about 5:30 a.m. at the college in the 1200 block of East California Boulevard, said Lisa Derderian of the Pasadena Fire Department.

About 20 construction workers and cleaning personnel were evacuated from the tunnels, which link various campus buildings, and firefighters were sent to handle the problem, Derderian said.

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CHEMICAL LEAK CAUSES EVACUATION, http://www.wo i-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13015122

LACONA - People living in Lacona returned home Thursday afternoon, after emergency crews stopped a leaking pipe that was spewing plumes of anhydrous ammonia into the air.

"I just heard a bunch of sirens going off and next thing I know I am being told that I can't come back into town," Pete Carico of Lacona said.

Emergency crews asked the 360 people living in the small town to leave until the leak was under control.

The chemical used as a fertilizer in farming can cause rapid dehydration if inhaled, permanent lung damage and severe chemical burns if touched.

"There is a lot of it in Iowa and the fire departments are pretty used to working with it, because there is so much in Iowa," Warren County Emergency Management Director Mahala Cox said. "It is an extremely hazardous material."

The Des Moines Hazmat Team stopped the leak at around 1 PM.

Two people were taken to the hospital after they complained of breathing problems, however no one was seriously injured.

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POLICE, HAZMAT CALLED TO DECATUR HOME - NEWS STORY - WSB ATLANTA, http://www.wsbtv.c om/news/24683704/detail.html

DECATUR, Ga. -- Police in DeKalb County blocked off a street and called in a hazmat team to a Decatur home early Thursday morning.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Rebecca Lindstrom was at the scene on Ridgeland Avenue in Decatur and said officers were originally called out to a home that had a possible meth lab inside.
Officials said they received a call from a neighbor who said the homeowner was acting strangely.
DeKalb County Fire Department officials sent its hazmat unit to the home just before 3 a.m. after police reported something suspicious on the porch. Hazmat team members left at about 5 a.m., but the DEA=92s Clandestine Lab unit arrived at the scene to take its place.
Just after 6 a.m., Decatur police said they did not find a meth lab in the home, but they did find some unidentified liquids and materials. Officials said the liquids and materials do not appear to be explosive.
The homeowner was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation.

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UPDATE: HAZMAT SITUATION AT POOL, http://w ww.nbc15.com/sunprairie/headlines/100983334.html

22 people are rushed to the hospital due to a chlorine leak during a swim class.

The HazMat situation had Sun Prairie first responders asking for help from anywhere they could get it.

The ambulances came rushing in from all around. 8 different services from area cities sending help to a Sun Prairie pool.

Police say a chlorine leak is responsible for sickening 22 people this morning including 14 kids who were rushed to the hospital during swim class.

Kittelson Swim School Owner Dan Kittelson says, "I was terrified of what could be when you talk about pools and chemicals and kids. I've been doing this 20 years and this is the first time I've seen it."

While cleaning up what's left of the problem Kittelson says his instructors quick actions likely prevented serious injuries.

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FIREFIGHTERS AND HAZMAT CREWS DEAL WITH DEADLY CHEMICALS - KSFY ACTION NEWS: BREAKING NEWS, WEATHER AND COMMUNITY |, http://www.ksfy .com/Global/story.asp?S=13009020

While the investigation is ongoing, we wanted to find out exactly what this toxic gas is. KSFY Action News Reporter Jake Iversen gives you a closer look at how firefighters and hazmat crews deal with this deadly chemical.

Emergency crews in Sioux Falls say that cases dealing with the chemical hydrogen sulfide are very rare and almost non existent.

Jim Sideras says, "=46rom what we've seen and heard from other departments it's very unusual and in some cases it's almost isolated.

But that doesn't mean they haven't seen the chemical before.

Jim Sideras says, "Normally it's found in nature when things start to decompose however you can mix chemicals to get hydrogen sulfide and when you do that it can be extremely fatal to breathe in those fumes.

Firefighters and hazmat-mat crews are trained to deal with dangerous chemicals but if they do not know what they're dealing with, it can cause problems.

Jim Sideras says, "Any exposure can be deadly for firefighters just because we have gear on doesn't protect us from certain chemicals.

"Chemicals tend to show some physical reaction and when people have been exposed to hydrogen sulfide it can turn pennies in their pocket different colors. This is just one thing firefighters look for when dealing with chemical emergencies."

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FIRE UNITS RESPOND TO MONTGOMERY TRAIN FIRE - WSFA 12 NEWS MONTGOMERY, AL |, http://www.wsfa .com/Global/story.asp?S=13004147

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - A train fire Wednesday afternoon prompted the need for firefighters and HazMat units in Montgomery. Authorities aren't sure what sparked the blaze, but CSX Transportation officials say an investigation is underway.

The accident happened in the area of Wares Ferry Road and McClemore Road.

The train was carrying unidentified hazardous materials, so a HazMat team was brought in to secure the area. CSX spokesman Gary Cease said the contents are known by the company's Operations Center, but the exact contents have not been released to the public.

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BBC NEWS - CHILDREN TREATED AFTER TWICKENHAM SCHOOL CHEMICAL LEAK, http://www.b bc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11013684

Several children have been treated by paramedics at a school in Twickenham after 100 litres of chemicals were poured down a drain.

The youngsters had been attending a summer camp at St Catherine's School, Cross Deep, when the incident happened at about 1030 BST.

London Ambulance Service (LAS) said it had treated 26 children and adults showing "minor symptoms" from fumes.

All of the children who were treated were then taken to hospital.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said it believed about 100 litres of sodium hypochlorite and sodium bisulphate were poured down a nearby drain.

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JEFFERSON METH LAB EXPLOSION SENDS MAN TO HOSPITAL, JAIL =BB KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL, http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/aug/18/jeffe rson-meth-lab-explosion-sends-man-hospital-ja/

DANDRIDGE =97 A man went from the emergency room to a jail cell after his methamphetamine lab blew up in his mother=92s garage, authorities said.

Brian Keith Koester, 24, remains in jail today on a charge of initiating meth manufacturing. He suffered minor bruises and chemical burns Tuesday around 6:45 p.m. when his meth lab exploded at 705 Ross Drive just outside town, said Chief Detective Ronny Coleman of the Jefferson County Sheriff=92s Department.

=93It blew the door completely off its hinges,=94 Coleman said. =93He=92d just been out of prison three weeks for stealing.=94

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=93SMALL=94 CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES PEARSON HALL, TALBOT AVENUE, http://blogs.tuftsda ily.com/thehill/?p=259

Police, fire and rescue vehicles closed a portion of the downhill campus late Tuesday afternoon in response to a chemical spill in Pearson Hall.

Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) Sergeant Darren Weisse told the Daily Tuesday night that =93a small amount of a chemical=94 had been spilled in a Pearson Hall lab at approximately 5:00 p.m. Weisse characterized the incident as =93minor,=94 There were no injuries, he said.

Director of Public Relations Kim Thurler told the Daily that a lab employee accidentally dropped =93a tube containing a very small amount=94 of a chemical onto the lab floor. Thurler identified the chemical as =93about 20cc=92s=94 of methacryloyl chloride.

Exposure to methacryloyl chloride may result in =93headache, dizziness, weakness, and nausea=85respiratory tract irritation, esophageal or gastrointestinal tract irritation or burns, and allergic dermatitis,=94 according to CAMEO, an online chemical database for emergency responders.

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GAS LEAK RELATED TO STORM? - LEBANON DAILY NEWS, http://www.ldnews.com/news /ci_15806881

The summer storm that struck northern Lebanon County late Monday afternoon may have contributed to a propane gas leak at a Swatara Township business, the Lebanon County HazMat unit chief said Tuesday.
Emergency crews were sent to Camp Central at 47 Mountain Drive shortly after 6 p.m. after receiving a report of a leaking propane tank.

The 1,000-pound tank rolled over after the ground underneath it became soft, said county HazMat director Ben Herskowitz. The valve became dislodged when it rolled over, causing the leak.

The storm might have been a factor in the tank's rollover, he added.

Air monitoring around the tank showed explosive conditions, Herskowitz said. The tank was about 20 feet from the Camp Central building.

"We could actually see a cloud of propane," he said.

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GASOLINE TANKER HITS OHIO FIRE TRUCK | FIREHOUSE.COM, http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/gasoline-tanker -hits-oho-fire-truck

A gasoline tanker careened into an Oakwood fire truck parked at the scene of a crash yesterday afternoon (Aug. 16), triggering a Hazmat response, according to WJW-TV.
Two firefighters -- one who was behind the apparatus and another who was in front of it -- escaped injury, Chief Jim Schade told the news station.
"They heard the (sound) and jumped over the concrete wall over there to get behind it," he said.
The firefighters were on the scene of an earlier collision on I-275 shortly after noon when the driver of the tanker wasn't able to stop in time.
Hazmat crews responded after less than 200 gallons of fuel leaked from the tanker, and the Ohio EPA said the spill was cleaned up. Luckily, emergency valves on the tanker prevented the majority of the 8,000 gallons of gasoline it was transporting from leaking out.

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KFD: PERSON INJURED IN CHEMICAL REACTION, http://www.volunteertv.com/news/headlines/100892554.html?ref=554

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- One person was injured when he mixed two pool chemicals, causing a "violent reaction" at a North Knoxville apartment complex on East Inskip Rd. Tuesday, Knoxville Fire Capt. D.J. Corcoran confirms. It happened just a few minutes before noon.

Corcoran says the incident is isolated to the pool area of Williamsburg Village, 5005 E. Inskip Rd., and does not pose any danger to nearby residents.

A maintenance worker was mixing two pool-related chemicals in a 5-gallon bucket when the reaction occurred. .

Corcoran says the chemicals, calcium hydrochloride and trichloro-s-trazainetrione, were in solid form.

The man was decontaminated at the scene, Corcoran says, and then taken to a nearby hospital. The extent of the man's injuries is not known.

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CHLORINE EXPLOSIONS PROMPT SAFETY CONCERNS - NEWS STORY - WSOC CHARLOTTE, http://www.wsoctv .com/news/24663453/detail.html

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Firefighters said chlorine, while common, is a dangerous chemical, made evident by two chlorine explosions in the Charlotte area in just one week.
=93If you put the wrong chemical in the wrong environment in the wrong place, a lot of things can happen and an explosion is entirely possible,=94 said Battalion Chief Phil Bosche, with the Charlotte Fire Department.
On Monday, two employees at an east Charlotte pool were injured when chlorine exploded onto them. On Tuesday of last week, the 12-year-old daughter of a Channel 9 producer had to be airlifted to a hospital after being burned by a chlorine explosion.

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6-HOUR JAM ON HIGHWAY AFTER TANKER TURNS TURTLE - HINDUSTAN TIMES, http://www.hindustantimes.com/6-hour-jam -on-highway-after-tanker-turns-turtle/Article1-588329.aspx

Commuters travelling along the Eastern Express Highway had to suffer a nightmarish six-hour traffic jam on a rainy Tuesday morning when a tanker carrying an inflammable chemical turned turtle near Pant Nagar, Ghatkopar. Traffic police said the accident, which occurred at 5 am, brought peak-hour 
traffic to a halt until 11 am. "Traffic had to be diverted to other ancillary routes," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Vivek Phansalkar.
The tanker, carrying the highly inflammable xylene hydrochloride, had come from Gujarat and was on its way to Chembur.

Police said at around 5 am, the driver of the tanker, Aidaram Chaudhary (34), lost control of the vehicle and hit the road divider. The impact made the tanker turn turtle.

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CHEMICAL SPILL: FACTORY WORKERS EVACUATED, http://www.theage.com.au/victo ria/chemical-spill-factory-workers-evacuated-20100817-127s6.html?autostart =1

A chemical spill that has forced the evacuation of 200 workers from a factory strip in Melbourne=92s outer north is not expected to be cleared until late this afternoon, firefighters say.

Emergency services were called to PJ Meats in Thomastown after workers noticed a strong smell of ammonia on the factory floor about 11.20am.

Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesman Jennifer Roberts said 60 workers from the High Street factory were immediately evacuated, along with 120 workers from two adjoining factories.

She said 25 litres of ammonia had spilled from the factory=92s refrigeration system, sending fumes throughout the workplace.

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