Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:13:04 -0400
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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety"

Subject: Chemical Safety Google headlines

dchas
=C2=AB earlier  	=09
Freon Leak Detected At Mission Valley Supermarket - San Diego News Story 
- KGTV San Diego 
SAN DIEGO -- Hazmat crews are responding to a freon leak reported at a 
Food 4 Less in Mission Valley. 
The leak was reported about 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Food 4 Less 
supermarket in the 7700 block of Hazard Center Drive. 
The store was fully evacuated by 4:45 p.m. and so far there is no word 
on when the store will be reopened. About 20 people were in the store at 
the time of the leak. Two people were evaluated at the scene but were 
not taken to the hospital.
us_ca  releases  freon  response  retail  
4 minutes ago
  
Pickup hauling radioactive equipment crashes in Uintah County | The Salt 
Lake Tribune 
U.S. 40 in Uintah County was closed for several hours Sunday morning 
after a pickup truck carrying radioactive equipment crashed. 

The crash happened east of Roosevelt at about 4:20 a.m., said Utah 
Highway Patrol Trooper Amy Fallows. 

A HAZMAT team was called out because the truck was carrying equipment 
used to X-ray well sites, Fallows said. The equipment contained a small 
amount of iridium, a radioactive element, but none spilled, police said. 
The equipment was in "a very strong container meant to withstand 
impacts.=" 

The driver of the truck was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, 
Fallows said. 

The highway was reopened around 10:30 a.m. 

Aaron Falk
us_ut  transportation  Illegal  response  radiation  
10 minutes ago
  
Huntsville International Airport Employee Treated And Released After 
Being Burned By Foreign Substance - WHNT 
HUNTSVILLE =E2=80=94 According to a Decatur Fire and Rescue official, a 
toll booth worker for Huntsville International Airport received 
treatment for chemical burns she experienced when a patron handed her 
some money with a foriegn white substance on it. 

Huntsville HAZMAT teams took samples of the substance from the toll 
booth and believe it is a compound commonly used as a cleaning agent. 

Sign up for news & weather email alerts from WHNT NEWS 19! 

The victim went to Decatur General Hospital, where her burns were 
cleaned. She has since been released. 

WHNT NEWS 19 crews are actively investigating this story, so tune in to 
WHNT NEWS 19 after CSI: Miami and WHNT.com for the very latest on this 
story.
us_al  releases  injuries  transportation  
13 minutes ago
  
Dock workers hospitalized from chemical spill | abc7.com 
PORT OF LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Three dock workers at the Port of Los 
Angeles have been hospitalized following a chemical spill on board a 
cargo ship Saturday. 

The chemical is called xylenol and is sometimes used in pesticides. The 
leak was reported around 4 p.m. aboard the APL Sweden at Berth 303. 

A fire department spokesman said the spill was only a couple of gallons, 
but three workers did have respiratory problems and were taken to the 
hospital. 

No land-based evacuations were ordered, but the ship was evacuated while 
a hazardous materials team investigated.
us_ca  spill  response  transportation  
15 minutes ago
  
Crews extinguish hot spots at mercury-laden house fire site | NorthWest 
Cable News | Idaho News 
BOISE -- Work continued Sunday at the site of a house and shed that 
burned to the ground on Warm Springs Avenue. 
The Environmental Protection Agency called Boise Fire crews to assist in 
putting out hot spots at the site. The crews were protected by chemical 
resistant suits and respiratory protection as a precaution after very 
high levels of mercury were found at the site. 
Saturday, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of 
Environmental Quality were on the scene to deal with concerns over those 
mercury levels.
us_I'd  fire  response  mercury  
17 minutes ago
  
Calif. pipeline explosion draws attention to work conditions 
SAN JOSE, CALIF. - The explosion of a natural gas pipeline in San Bruno, 
south of San Francisco, has underscored a growing concern about the 
capabilities of utility employees who watch over the nation's pipelines 
and whose errors have been linked to a number of mishaps, some of them 
catastrophic. 

The National Transportation Safety Board has said that among the 
questions it is investigating in the Sept. 9 explosion is whether 
workers at a PG&E pipeline-monitoring terminal in Milpitas, Calif., were 
fatigued or poorly trained. Just eight days after the blast, the federal 
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration moved to speed up 
adoption of a rule to ensure that workers doing similar jobs at 
companies across the country are well-trained and rested - especially 
because many of those workers put in 12-hour shifts.
us_ca  followup  explosion  
18 minutes ago
  
BBQ used as makeshift heating raises chemical incident alarm in Tooting 
(=46rom Your Local Guardian) 
A chemical incident alarm has been raised in Tooting last night after 
the occupants of a house lit a barbecue inside to keep warm. 

According to Tooting Fire station the three occupants of the house used 
charcoal, and lighting fluid to start a fire in a property in Ashvale 
Road. 

They were called at 12.48am today (October 24) to the address where they 
found the barbecue in the front room and were informed by one of the 
residents it had been lit to keep them warm. 

All three people were taken to St George=E2=80=99s Hospital, two 
suffering from carbon monoxide intoxication, but have since been 
released. 

Three fire engines, other six supporting vehicles and two senior 
officers were required at the scene as the incident had been classified 
as "chemical=". 

An officer from Tooting said: "It is understandable that people 
would like to keep warm as temperatures go down, but the important thing 
to remember with things like that is if you=E2=80=99re lighting a fire 
inside the house you should do it in the appropriate way - you should 
have a fireplace.="
uk  home  carbon_monoxide  response  
21 minutes ago
  
Train car burns north of Silver Lake | CJOnline.com 
Fire and hazardous materials handling crews on Saturday responded to a 
railroad-car fire near N.W. 86th and Davis Road, north east of 
Rossville, authorities said. 

Shawnee County Emergency Dispatchers received information about 9 p.m. 
about a possible railcar was on fire. Silver Lake firefighters and 
HAZMAT crews with the Topeka Fire Department were summoned to the fire. 
Crews responding to the fire said the train was carrying various 
materials, including some chemicals. 

Authorities late Saturday didn't say what material was on board the 
burning car.
us_ks  transportation  response  fire  
yesterday
  
Georgetown students arrested for turning dorm into drug lab 
(NECN/WJLA) - A Georgetown University dorm was evacuated for hours 
Saturday after a chemical lab was discovered. Authorities say they 
arrested two students and a visitor in connection with the suspected 
drug lab. 

The three men face charges of possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Police say it all started early Saturday morning when they got a call 
about a foul odor at the Harbin Hall dorm.  

Initially they thought the lab was for making meth. Later, they said it 
was for making a hallucinogenic drug known as "DMT," an illegal 
substance. 

"Our Hazmat teams were able get in, evaluate the situation," said Pete 
Piringer of DC Fire & EMS. "It was potentially very explosive. The 
Metropolitan Police brought in their EOD or explosive experts as well. 
We stabilized it somewhat. Again, it was made safe for explosive folks 
to come in.  Again, the dangers are explosives and inhalation." 
us_dc  meth_lab  higher_ed  response  illegal  
yesterday
  
Fire razes warehouses in Kosambi | The Jakarta Post 
TANGERANG: Fire razed at least five warehouses on Friday at Block D No. 
29 of the Mutiara warehousing complex in Kosambi district, Tangerang 
regency. 

Fire engines from the Tangerang regency and Tangerang municipality fire 
departments quickly arrived to put out the fire Friday afternoon. 

The fire first began at about 3 p.m. at a warehouse storing chemical 
substances, eyewitness Agus Suprianto said. 

"The burning chemicals in the warehouse caused repeated 
explosions and spread flames to other warehouses,=" he said, 
adding that there were some 15 daily workers employed by the chemical 
warehouse. 

Casualties or fatalities have not yet been determined. =E2=80=94 JP
indonesia  fire  industrial  response  
yesterday
  
Campus Overload - Georgetown isn't first college to find drug lab 
When I worked as a reporter in the Midwest, there was routine news about 
methamphetamine lab busts -- usually in isolated rural areas lacking 
neighbors who might smell or suspect something. 

Then early Saturday morning, this news out of Georgetown University in 
the heart of Washington: Police discovered a suspected meth lab inside a 
freshman residence hall and evacuated the building. Later in the 
afternoon, officials said the drug being produced in the dorm was 
actually Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a hallucinogen. 

My colleague Dan de Vise was on campus this morning and talked with a 
few of the 400 students who were forced to leave their warm beds in 
Harbin Hall early on a chilly fall morning. You can read his reporting, 
here. 

Drug labs can be highly dangerous places, as the combination of 
chemicals used can lead to explosions -- which is why police at 
Georgetown say they immediately evacuated the dorm. And Georgetown isn't 
the first university to find a drug-making laboratory on or near campus.
us_dc  meth_lab  higher_ed  Illegal  response  
yesterday
  
Parents and Students React to Hazmat Situation at Local High Sch - 
Omaha, Nebraska
OMAHA, NE - A hazmat scare forces a high school to close early Friday 
and cancel evening activities. 

Investigators find mercury in three places at Burke High School; a 
drinking fountain and two bathrooms, and they say the dangerous metal 
came from a student. 

Paramedics rushed ten students from the school to the hospital. 

Officials tell KMTV Action 3 News that the students have since been 
treated and released but a very un-nerving end to the week. 

After paramedics rush ten students to the hospital worried parents rush 
to the school to pick up their teens. 

"I got the call and I ran," says Grandmother Kathi Zart. 

Many parents and family members shocked to hear several students were 
exposed to mercury.
us_ne  mercury  school  response  releases  
2 days ago
  
3 Sickened in West Side Carbon Monoxide Leak 
Chicago - Three people were taken to area hospitals in serious condition 
after a carbon monoxide leak in a West Side apartment building Thursday 
night. 

A Level 1 HazMat was called to the building about 8:40 p.m. at 3345 W. 
Fulton Blvd. after residents of the three-story apartment building 
complained of feeling sick, Fire Media Affairs Chief Joe Roccasalva 
said. 

Firefighters found a CO leak and high levels of carbon monoxide, 
Roccasalva said.
us_il  co  response  injuries  home  
2 days ago
  
25-Year-Old Man Suffers Minor Injuries In Small Chemical Explosion In 
Oakland - kdka.com 
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) =E2=80=95 

A 25-year-old man was treated for minor injuries after a small chemical 
explosion inside of a building in Oakland. 

According to emergency officials, it happened around 12:30 p.m. on the 
fourth floor of the Mellon Institute at the corner of Fifth and 
Bellefield Avenues. 

There is no word yet on what caused the small amount of chemical to 
explode. 

The man was treated at the scene for some minor injuries.
us_pa  explosion  injuries  higher_ed  response  
2 days ago
  
Chemical device closes Teewah Beach to traffic | Courier Mail 
ACCESS to Teewah Beach is currently closed following the discovery of a 
chemical device which may be dangerous to the public. 

The phosphorus position device appears to have washed up onshore. 

Queensland Fire and Rescue Service Chemical Unit is on route to 
decontaminate the device at the scene. 

4WD motorists and members of the public have been advised that Teewah 
Beach, north of Noosa, is closed pending the unit's findings.
australia  explosives  response  
2 days ago
  
17 Possibly Exposed To Mercury at Burke High School - Action 3 News - 
Omaha, Nebraska News, Weather, and Sports | 
Omaha, NE - A chemical scare ended class early Friday at Burke High 
School. Omaha Public Schools spokesperson Luanne Nelson says a student 
brought Mercury to school in a fast food cup and poured it down the 
drain of a water fountain near the cafeteria. 

10 students and seven teachers were possibly exposed to the chemical. 
The teachers refused medical treatment. The students were taken to the 
hospital for precautionary measures, but weren't exhibiting symptoms of 
Mercury in their system. 

Those symptoms are similar to the flu: fever, nausea, and vomiting, 
according to the Poison Control Center. 

The school was on a partial lock down, as Haz-Mat crews cleaned up the 
chemical in the building. Burke High School closed just after noon 
Friday.
us_ne  mercury  response  school  spill  
2 days ago
  
2 injured in chemical reaction at Kennecott | Deseret News 
MAGNA =E2=80=94 Two men suffered non life-threatening injuries Friday 
following a chemical reaction at Kennecott. 

The incident occurred about 10 a.m. at the power plant at 9150 W. 2600 
South, said Unified Fire Capt. Clint Smith. 

A delivery truck driver was unloading sodium hypochlorite or bleach. The 
driver thought he was unloading the chemical into an empty tank. 
Instead, he put it into a tank that already contained hydrochloric acid, 
creating chlorine gas, said Kennecott spokeswoman Jana Kettering. 

=46rom the archive 
Kennecott worker burned in workplace accident =E2=80=93 July 27, 2010 
Tractor-trailer crashes into Bear River =E2=80=93 July 16, 2010 
The driver and a Kennecott employee breathed in the gas fumes, causing 
chest pains, burning lungs and coughing, she said. 

Both people affected by the spill were flown to area hospitals as per 
Kennecott protocol for any hazardous materials incident =E2=80=94 one 
was taken to University Hospital and the other to Intermountain Medical 
Center in Murray.
us_ut  reaction  response  injuries  industrial  
2 days ago
  
Chemical Spill Bogged Down Traffic On I-595 - cbs4.com 
DAVIE (CBS4) =E2=80=95 All lanes were closed at Pine Island Road around 
8 a.m. after a pool cleaning truck was involved in an accident with two 
other vehicles. As a result of the crash 30 gallons of chlorine and acid 
that were in the pool cleaner's truck spilled onto the highway. The 
accident happened between South Pine Island Road and Nob Hill Road. 

Moments later, other vehicles were involved in a crash trying to avoid 
the first crash. 

No serious injuries were reported.
us_fl  transportation  pool_chemicals  releases  response  
2 days ago
  
Hazmat crews respond to Milwaukee fire - chicagotribune.com 
MILWAUKEE =E2=80=94 Firefighters and hazardous materials handlers have 
responded to a fire at a metal plating factory in Milwaukee. 

Artistic Plating uses a lot of chemicals at its electroplating and metal 
finishing plant. Firefighters are concerned about what they're 
breathing. 

Deputy Fire Chief Randall Zingler says the fire is in an area where 
there are large vats of acid and the ventilation system is affected.
us_wi  fire  industrial  unknown_source  
3 days ago
  
6 sick in Hazmat incident - CharlotteObserver.com 
Six people, including three firefighters, got sick today after being 
exposed to a fumigating agent in the Hampshire Hills neighborhood in 
Charlotte. 

Emergency crews and more than 20 firefighters responded to an incident 
involving hazardous materials just before 3 p.m. on Cove Creek Drive, 
off The Plaza near Eastway Drive. 

The ill firefighters were taken to Presbyterian Hospital for evaluation. 
Two paramedics and another person also became ill and went to a hospital 
with non-life threatening injuries. 

Charlotte Fire Department spokesman Capt. Mark Basnight could not be 
reached for more details or explanation about what chemicals appear to 
have been involved.
us_nc  exposures  response  injuries  pesticides  
3 days ago
  
Lehigh County HazMat helps clean up 39,000 pounds of apple juice from 
overturned tractor-trailer - UPDATE | lehighvalleylive.com 
The Lehigh County HazMat team along with other state environmental 
agencies mopped up 39,000 pounds of concentrated apple juice in Lower 
Saucon Township after a tractor-trailer carrying the sweet beverage 
overturned on Route 33 Wednesday evening, police say. 

No one was injured in the crash that prompted a more than three-hour 
cleanup, according to a Pennsylvania State Police report. 

Driver Emir Causevic, 43, of Fort Wayne, Ind., failed to slow down as he 
tried to take the Route 33 exit from Interstate 78 about 6:13 p.m., 
police say. The fruity cargo in the truck shifted during the sharp turn 
and flipped the trailer, according to police.
us_pa  transportation  releases  apple_juice  
3 days ago
  
Southbound K-96 to eastbound Kellogg back open - kwch.com 
The ramp from southbound K-96 to eastbound Kellogg is back open after 
being closed most of the day. 

A semi rolled over this morning, closing the ramp. Investigators say the 
truck was carrying florescent lightbulbs. While the bulbs stayed inside 
the cargo area, they broke and spilled a potentially hazardous chemical 
inside. 
us_ks  transportation  response  spill  cfl  
3 days ago
  
Gas Main Leak Causes Traffic Headache On Route 355 In Gaithersburg | 
WUSA9.com | Washington, DC | 
GAITHERSBURG, Md. (WUSA) -- Hazmat crews responded to the scene of a gas 
leak that shut down a portion of Route 355 in Gaithersburg early 
Thursday morning. 

A spokesperson for Washington Gas says a paver ran over a valve in a gas 
main causing a leak in the area of Route 355 and Professional Drive. It 
happened around 2:20 a.m. Fire officials say the damage occurred in a 
six-inch main. 

A Washington Gas repair crew is still on the scene addressing the 
problem. 

According to Montgomery County Police officials, all lanes of Route 355 
were closed for a time, however, the southbound lanes were reopened 
fairly quickly, and one lane of northbound traffic began to move around 
6:30 a.m.
us_md  transportation  leak  natural_gas  response  
3 days ago
 
Explosion Causes Evacuations In Vancouver - Portland News Story - KPTV 
Portland 
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A chemical explosion forced more than 100 people out 
of their homes as authorities evacuated a Vancouver apartment complex 
Wednesday evening. 
The explosion happened around 7:30 p.m. at a building located on 
Southeast Evergreen Boulevard 
According to investigators, a maintenance man mixed several chemicals 
together, which caused the explosion. 
He was treated at a nearby hospital for minor injuries. 
FOX 12 has also learned that explosion may have something to do with a 
piece of equipment that introduces chlorine into a pool.
canada  explosion  pool_chemicals  
3 days ago
  
Koyali fire an eye-opener: Indian Oil to step up security at refineries 

Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) will enhance security at all its 
refineries following the fire at the borough pit in Koyali refinery this 
June. 

Sources said though the damage was negligible, the fire near Vadodara 
drew attention as it was the second in a row after the fire at IOCL=E2=80=99
s Jaipur installation.
India  industrial  response  fire  followup  
3 days ago
  
Haryana Live - Panipat Refinery Chemical Storage Vessels Catches Fire 
Panipat(Haryana Live):A major tragedy averted when the chemical storage 
vessels in Panipat refinery caught fire on Saturday. 

According to information a junior engineers, Kuteshwar, and employee 
Chander Bhan sustained burn injuries in the incident. 

The incident occurred in the afternoon when leakage in the vessel 
containing triethylaluminum catches fire after coming in contact with 
atmospheric air. 

The disaster management cell (DMC) of the refinery swung into action and 
bring the fire under control.
India  fire  industrial  response  injuries  
3 days ago
 

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