Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:02:51 -0400
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From: Ralph Stuart <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: Chemical Safety headlines from Google

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CHEMICAL BLAST HITS BUILDING AT VILLAGE SQUARE LEISURE CENTRE, http://www.calgaryherald.co m/news/Chemical+blast+hits+building+Village+Square+Leisure+Centre/3532514/ story.html

A swimming pool chemical explosion blew the doors off a building at the Village Square Leisure Centre.

Officials say the chemical room of the pool had its doors blown open Wednesday afternoon by a chemical reaction originating in a 45 gallon barrel of sodium chloride.

Firefighters say chemicals were mixed in a barrel the night before during cleanup, resulting in the violent reaction at 2623 56th St. N.E.

There were no injuries and busy nearby Village Square was spared evacuation.

Firefighters say that is due to the chemical room being built with a separate ventilation system and away from the main pool and recreation area.

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EPA TO INVESTIGATE CHEMICAL RELEASE AT BP PLANT - WSJ.COM, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870344060457549 6391419313642.html

WASHINGTON=97The Environmental Protection Agency said it is investigating the release of certain chemicals, including benzene, a known carcinogen, at a BP PLC plant in Texas.

In a written statement Thursday, the agency said it has asked the British oil giant to disclose what steps it took in response to an April 6 incident at the facility that "resulted in the flaring of chemicals that could have reasonably resulted in a catastrophic release of a hazardous air pollutant."

A spokesman for the agency said the incident involves the release of 500,000 pounds of various chemicals, including roughly 17,000 pounds of benzene. The spokesman added that no one was injured in the incident.

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I-84 RAMP IN PUTNAM CLOSED BY CHEMICAL REACTION ON TRUCK | LOHUD.COM | THE JOURNAL NEWS, http://www.lohud .com/article/20100916/NEWS04/9160335/-1/newsfront/I-84-ramp-in-Putnam-clos ed-by-chemical-reaction-on-truck

PATTERSON =97 A chemical reaction Tuesday night in the rear of a tractor-trailer on an entrance ramp to westbound Interstate 84 forced the ramp's closure, which remained in effect through Wednesday afternoon while cleanup crews responded, emergency officials said.

The incident began around 11 p.m. Tuesday on the ramp to I-84 at Route 311 near the Kent town line. A truck driver hauling chemicals heard an explosion in the rear of his trailer, then pulled the truck to the side of the entrance ramp before calling 911.

"He stated to the dispatcher that he had chemicals and oxidizers in the truck and that he believed a reaction of the contents was occurring," said Adam Stiebeling, Putnam County's deputy commissioner of emergency services.

Firefighters from Patterson and nearby Lake Carmel responded. Patterson Assistant Chief Ed O'Connell, the incident commander, and others assessed the situation before summoning the county's hazardous materials unit, which triggered responses from state police, the state Department of Transportation and New York City environmental officials due to the city's reservoir system in Putnam.

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HARBOR GATEWAY CHEMICAL LEAK FORCES EVACUATIONS, STREET CLOSURE | 89.3 KPCC, http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/09/16/harbor-gateway- chemical-leak-forces-evacuations-st/

A chemical leak has forced the evacuation of 15 people in the Harbor Gateway area today, a Los Angeles fire official said.

Pressurized oil has been leaking from an unknown source in the 600 block of West El Segundo Boulevard, said Devin Gales of the L.A. Fire Department.

The CHP has closed the El Segundo Boulevard offramp from the southbound Harbor (110) Freeway to limit traffic from entering the area, according to the CHP.

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X-RAY FILM CHEMICAL BLAMED FOR EVACUATION | THEDAILYJOURNAL.COM | THE DAILY JOURNAL, http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20100916/NEWS01/9160323

VINELAND -- A chemical used in developing X-ray film caused the odor that led to an evacuation Sept. 8 at a medical office building, according to the city Fire Department.

The bromine-based chemical spilled in a storage closet in the building, part of the former Newcomb Hospital campus at State Street and Chestnut Avenue.

Fire Chief Robert Pagnini said the chemical is injected from canisters into a water treatment system.

A supply of the chemical was found once the building was vented enough for a thorough search, he said.

Bromine is reddish-brown liquid that emits a brownish vapor at room temperatures. It is a germicide, but also is useful in treating film.

Paul Simon, a South Jersey Healthcare spokesman, said the bromine was in use in an X-ray facility. Like chlorine, he said, it can irritate the respiratory system or skin if someone is exposed to it.

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TRAFFIC BACK TO NORMAL AFTER SPILL ON I-40 AT WESTERN AVENUE =BB KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL, http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/sep/16/spill-cl oses-eastbound-lane-i-40-western-avenue/

KNOXVILLE - Eastbound traffic on Interstate 40 at the Western Avenue and 17th Street exit was back to normal this afternoon after authorities cleaned up a chemical spill affecting the roadway.

Capt. D.J. Corcoran, spokesman for the Knoxville Fire Department, said the department's hazardous materials team was called to the scene about 1:45 p.m. after a trailer being pulled by a vehicle came loose from the bumper. Corcoran said the trailer was carrying a drain opener.

Authorities at first thought the substance was cleaning supplies.

"But then it began eating the pavement," Corcoran said.

The trailer did not include any chemical placards identifying its contents and firefighters had to rely on the van=92s driver to tell them what the product was, Corcoran said.

The uninjured driver, from Denver, told authorities he was transporting the liquid to sell it at a flea market in North Carolina.

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PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY CHEMICAL PLANT EVACUATED AFTER REACTOR INCIDENT | GODANRIVER.COM, http://www2.godanriver.com/news/2010/sep/1 6/chemical-plant-evacuated-after-reactor-in-ar-508847/

An incident involving a pilot reactor at DanChem Technologies, Inc. forced the evacuation of 93 people there Thursday morning.

No one was injured in the incident and there were no chemicals released outside the facility on Old Richmond Road, said Jim Davis, Pittsylvania County director of emergency services.

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THE AUBURN PLAINSMAN - CORRODED CANISTER CAUSES BUILDING EVACUATION, http://www.theplainsman.com/view/full_story/9543259/article-Corroded-caniste r-causes-building-evacuation-?instance=home_news_1st_right

The Harrison Pharmacy School building was evacuated at about 8:45 a.m. because of a corroded canister of hydrogen chloride gas, according to the Auburn Fire Department. 

A canister of hydrogen chloride, a potentially deadly gas, was found to be leaking. 

=93The regulator [on the canister] is stuck,=94 said Lee Evans, dean of the School of Pharmacy. =93They had planned to remove this canister this evening. When the University was notified that we had a canister that could potentially leak, they pulled in the militia.=94

All access points to the building were blocked off with yellow caution tape. An AU alert went out at 9:29 a.m. via a phone call and 9:40 a.m. via text message, warning students of a reported hazardous material release and cautioning them to avoid the area.

=93This is really being extremely safe,=94 Evans said. =93Essentially, from a safety perspective, [the University] said we need to get it out of here now.=94

Safety precautions included members of the Auburn and Opelika HazMat team and Auburn Fire Department. 

=93They=92r e in level-A suits in there,=94 said an Auburn firefighter. 

When sealed in one of these suits, the wearer is completely isolated from the outside atmosphere. The suits are composed of up to a dozen protective layers, as well as a sealed hood and respirator mask.

On a scale of one to 10, however, Evans said the event was only about a 0.5.

Lee Lamar, Auburn fire chief, said as far as they know, the canister was found to be leaking this morning. He didn=92t know if they were planning to move it or not. 

=93This wouldn=92t be standard protocol for moving it as long as it was in a good state,=94 Lamar said. He said at 10 a.m. they were looking at one to two more hours of cleanup.

William Ravis, professor in the pharmacy school, said the canister had been =93sitting up there for years.=94 Arrangements were apparently made last night to remove the canister. 

Officials are currently setting up a decontamination team. 

The fire department will make a formal statement on the situation later in the day.

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TWO SEMI-TRUCKS CRASH ON TURNPIKE, HAZMAT CALLED TO CLEAN UP MESS, http://www.newsnet5.com/d pp/traffic/traffic_news/two-semi-trucks-crash-on-turnpike-hazmat-called-to -clean-up-mess

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio - Crews had to a clean up an overnight accident on the Ohio Turnpike involving two semi-truck drivers.

The accident happened on the Turnpike in North Ridgeville, near mile-marker 147

Police said a trucker traveling west bound slammed into the back of another 18-wheeler, causing the first truck to tip and spill steel pipes over the road.

The second truck=97carrying diesel fuel--also crashed and gouged three deep holes in the road and spilled part of his 240-gallon tank of fuel. The fuel leaked off the right lanes of the Turnpike.

Hazmat crews were called to the scene to clean the roads, and they were also using oil absorbing booms, similar to the one used in the gulf spill, to soak the oil out of a nearby ditch.

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MIDDLETOWN MAN CHARGED WITH MAKING BOMB | APP.COM | ASBURY PARK PRESS, http://www.app.com/article/20100915/NEWS/9150352/M iddletown-man-charged-with-making-bomb

MIDDLETOWN =97 When Frank Szmaja called police Tuesday, he said something had exploded in his hand. When authorities arrived, they found Szmaja bleeding and a large number of containers holding various chemical compounds in plain view.

In the process of securing and examining the scene, one of the compounds exploded and injured two State Police officers, authorities said.

Szmaja, 64, of 56 Twin Brooks Ave., was charged with possessing improvised explosive devices, causing one of them to explode, failing to notify police of the devices and storing the devices in a shed on his property, police said.

Szmaja was in stable condition at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he is in custody of the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office in lieu of $220,000 bail. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday, according to court documents.

The two State Police officers, who have not been identified, were treated and released at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank for numerous lacerations to their arms, faces, hands and necks.

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CARY NEWS | EXPLOSION LEADS TO EVACUATION, http://www.carynews.com/2010/09/15/20451/explosion-leads-to-eva cuation.html

CARY - An explosion at a chemical company on Thursday forced the evacuation of a building but did not cause any injuries, according to town officials.
The explosion occurred in a lab at Natland International, whose offices are at 2700 Gateway Centre Blvd., which is off Aviation Parkway, just south of Interstate 40. About 50 people were evacuated from the building, according to the Cary Fire Department.

The explosion occurred while an employee was mixing chemical compounds including trimethyl fluoro sulfuric anhydride, sodium nitride and water.

Damage appeared to be limited to ceiling tiles and lab cabinets, fire officials said.

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EXPLOSION IN FINLAND'S CHEMICAL FACTORY KILLS ONE, INJURING ANOTHER - PEOPLE'S DAILY ONLINE, http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/7141393.html

An explosion happened in Arizona Chemical Factory in Oulu, in northern Finland, early Wednesday. It has claimed the life of one person, another person was seriously injured.

According to Finnish media report, the explosion occurred around 8:30 in the Wednesday morning when welding work was being carried out on the 150 water-filled cubic meter turpentine container in the chemical Factory. The explosion killed one, injuring a few, one seriously.

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CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES DODDRIDGE COUNTY ROAD - STATE JOURNAL - STATEJOURNAL.COM, http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&a mp;storyid=86127

The driver of a tanker truck carrying a chemical wrecked in a Doddridge County creek Wednesday, emergency officials said.
It happened on state Route 23 about a mile south of Center Point.

The driver hit a turn too fast, lost control, went through a guardrail, over an embankment and landed in a creek, spilling its chemical into the water, authorities said.

There is an ignition and respiratory concern, so crews are keeping residents out of the area, but they're not evacuating.

Route 23 will be closed for several hours while crews clean up the area.

They have to extract the chemical from one of the tanks to the other before removing the truck from the creek.

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HAMPSTEAD AND HIGHGATE EXPRESS - BUSINESS BACK TO NORMAL AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK EFFECTS ROYAL FREE, http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/content/camden/hamhigh/n ews/story.aspx?brand=NorthLondon24&amp;category=Newshamhigh&am p;tBrand=northlondon24&amp;tCategory=newshamhigh&amp;itemid= WeED15%20Sep%202010%2018%3A48%3A17%3A457

COMMOTION and chaos ensued on Pond Street today as patients and staff from the Royal Free Hospital were evacuated, following a chemical incident in the MRI unit. 

A spokesman from the London Fire Brigade said at the scene that it was a "confirmed chemical incident". The emergency services had been called as the hospital had been unable to identify a smell which had been present throughout the day. 

Mitchell Daniels, 32, said "I was in the hospital and I could smell something horrible as soon as we walked in the main entrance. The smell was dirty, unclean and unhygienic-like a gone off dustbin. When we came out of the hospital and tried to get back to the car everything had escalated. There was commotion everywhere."

Alarms were sounded twice at the Pond Street hospital over the incident at the MRI unit.

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BLAST AT 'TOP SECRET' FLA. PLANT INJURES WOMAN | FIREHOUSE.COM, http://www.firehouse.com/topic/rescue-and-sp ecial-ops/blast-top-secret-fla-plant-injures-woman

A mystery explosion rocked an Orange County business and injured a worker Wednesday, but the factory on Colonial Drive hasn't said anything about what happened, because the work it does is so top-secret.
DSE Inc. is a government contractor on East Colonial Drive
that makes parts for military explosives. Wednesday morning, hazmat crews responded to the company when a female employee was injured by some sort of explosive device while working on an assembly line.
"They are a government subcontractor. You'd probably be better talking with them about specifics and about what they actually make," said Mark Smothers, Orange County Fire Rescue.
But company officials refused to give details.

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RALEIGH HAZMAT CREWS CLEAN-UP SPILL - WAKE COUNTY - MYNC.COM, http://wake.mync.com/site/wake/news/story/55284/raleigh -hazmat-crews-clean-up-spill

Employees of a building owned by BellSouth in Raleigh were evacuated for a short time Wednesday due to a hazmat situation.
Crews were dispatched to 5010 Second Street around 12:31 p.m. According to officials on scene, about 10 gallons of some sort of substance spilled out of commercial batteries.
Firefighters neutralized the spill before cleanup crews worked to clear the spill.
There was no immediate danger to the public and no injuries were reported in the incident.

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