Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 09:06:49 -0400
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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety"

Subject: Chemical Safety Headlines From Google (15 articles)

Chemical Safety Headlines =46rom Google
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 8:15:00 AM

              A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
              Connecting C hemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.or g
  & nbsp;           All article summaries and tags are a rchived at http://pinboard .in/u:dchas

Table of Contents (15 articles)

CREWS OPEN I-5 NEAR KUEBLER B LVD AFTER SPILL CLEANUP
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, environmental, petroleum

GAS E XPLOSION BRINGS FIREFIGHTERS TO BRANCHBURG CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, fi re, response, pyrophoric

FIRE AT WRIGHTSVILLE COMPANY CAUSES $150,000 IN DAMAGE
Tags: us_PA, indu strial, fire, response, metals

EMERGENCY CREWS INVESTIGATE CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_CA, publ ic, release, injury, unknown_chemical

GAS LEAK SHUTS DOWN LOCAL REFINERY
Tags: us_CA, industrial, r elease, response, hydrogen_sulfide

RADIATION SCARE IN ASTORIA, QUEENS, TURNS OUT TO BE JUST ROCKS
Ta gs: us_NY, public, discovery, response, radiation

LOW-QUALITY EQUIPMENT CAUSES FI RES
Tags: follow -up

SU MMIT STUDENT SERIOUSLY BURNED IN LAB ACCIDENT
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, fire, injury, unknown_c hemical

KVSC :: NEWS :: HAZMAT CREWS CLEANING UP GASOLINE SPILL
Tags: us_MN, transportation, release , injury, gasoline

OIL SPILL ON MAIN LIBRARY PARKING LOT DEEMED 'MINOR'
Tags: us_NJ, transportation, r elease, response, diesel

WSYX ABC6 ON YOUR SIDE TOP STORY
Tags: us_OH, transportation, release, respon se, flammables

SPILLED ACID PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN MORRIS
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, re sponse, hydrochloric_acid

GROWING SUICIDE TREND MAKING ITS WAY TO WICHITA
Tags: us_KS, public, dis covery, response, suicide

EV ERTIQ.COM
Tags: China, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

TANK ACCIDENT RELEASES H AZARDOUS WASTE WATER
Tags: United, Kingdom, industrial, fire, environmental, flammables, wast e


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CREWS OPEN I-5 NEAR KUEBLER BLV D AFTER SPILL CLEANUP
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20110524/UPDATE/110524002/O il-spill-closes-2-lanes-5-just-south-Kuebler-Road-S?odyssey=nav%7Chead
Tags: us_OR , transportation, release, environmental, petroleum

Interstate 5 northbound at Kueb ler Boulevard is open after cleanup of a hydraulic fluid spill.

Oregon Dep artment of Transportation crews have been on scene just north of Kuebler Bou levard since about 6:30 a.m.

They=E2=80=99re trying to clean up 30 to 40 gallons of hydraulic fluid that spilled from a cement truck over about 100 feet of r oad, according to ODOT. Crews are using mason sand to soak up the liquid , ODOT spokesman Lou Torres said.

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GAS EXP LOSION BRINGS FIREFIGHTERS TO BRANCHBURG CHEMICAL PLANT
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110523/NJNEWS/305230035/Gas -explosion-brings-firefighters-to-Branchburg-chemical-plant
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, fire, response, pyrophoric

BRANCHBURG =E2=80=94 A small explosion and fire, cause d by a gas that burns when exposed to air, brought volunteer firefighters to a chemical plant at 197 Meister Ave. late Sunday afternoon.

Dave Hickso n, chief of the North Branch Volunteer Fire Department, said the fire was ca used by diborane, a chemical compound of boron and hydrogen. It occurred in a workspace at the Voltaix plant that was equipped with a ventilation hood, h e said.

No workers at the plant were injured.

"They were transferring the product f rom one cylinder to another, so somewhere during this process it leaked, exp loded and caught on fire,=" he said.

When firefighters arrived about  5:30 p.m. there were flames and thick black smoke, but the hood and ven tilation system =E2=80=94 similar to a hood on a kitchen stove =E2=80=94 fun ctioned properly and helped funnel smoke from the area, he said.

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FIRE AT WRIGHTSVILLE COMPANY CAUSES $150,000 IN DAMAGE
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, r esponse, metals

A fire at Donsco Inc. in Wrightsville Monday night cause d an estimated $150,000 in damages, a fire official said.
Wrightsville Fire Chief Fred Smelt zer Sr. said molten iron burned out the bottom of a smelting furnace, causin g 10 tons of iron to leak onto the foundry floor.
The iron then burned through hydraulic line s, setting leaking oil alight, Smeltzer said.
Flames reached the ceiling at one point, he said .
Firefighters ha d to use a chemical fire suppressant on the blaze because of the reaction wa ter has with molten metal, Smeltzer said.
When water comes into contact with super-heated met als, it causes an explosion from the water turning to steam at a fast rate. T he explosion sprays steam, boiling water and metals.
No one was injured in the blaze, which was r eported about 10:50 p.m.

---------------------------------------------

EMERGENCY C REWS INVESTIGATE CHEMICAL SPILL
http://www.thecalifornia n.com/article/20110524/NEWS01/110524037/12-complain-chemical-smell-sickened- them?odyssey=nav%7Chead
Tags: us_CA, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

Paramedics ar e caring for 12 people who complained that a chemical smell at a W. Market S t. business made them ill, officials said.

At least five ambulances and three fir e trucks are at the scene around Mission Uniform &amp; Linen Services,  435 W. Market St in Salinas. Police have closed Market Street to westbou nd traffic between Clark and Capitol streets.

Approximately 24 workers from the uni form company evacuated the building and are standing outside on the sidewalk .

----- ----------------------------------------

GAS LEAK SHUTS DOWN LOCAL REFINERY
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, hydr ogen_sulfide

A hydrogen sulfide leak shut down the Alon Refinery on Rosedale Highway Tuesday and may have sickened a handful of people around the plant.< /div>

Hydrogen sulf ide is a flammable, noxious gas produced during oil refinement. Its characte ristic 'rotten egg' smell sent the refinery into alert mode as firefighters, air quality experts and environmental health workers descended to help snif f out the leak.

Firefighters drove in as workers, clad in navy jumpsuits, sca mpered out of the Alon Refinery.

"Where this was, was not a hazard to anywhere outsi de the facility. Now inside the facility if you were going in there without b reathing apparatus, which our crew was, it can be quite a hazard," said Capt ain Brandon Smith, Kern County Fire Department.

Alarm bells sounded after chemical monitors at the plant detected a hydrogen sulfide leak around eight in the m orning. Ambulances were on standby as crews posted at the plant's driveway, t urned away deliveries and trucks.

"They have their own team, so when we came into t he situation today, they had already started the process of evacuating their employees," added Smith.

When it comes to hydrogen sulfide, the human nose is far more sensitive than some of the best detectors.

"The machines calculate at parts per million whereas the smell is parts per billion. So that's why you are g oing to get a smell without even having a reading," said Kim Rodriguez, Coun ty Spokesperson.

This isn't the first hydrogen sulfide leak at the refinery.

Under the o wnership of Flying J, the refinery released 3,500 pounds of the flammable ga s in October 2006.

Since Alon took over in June of last year, the Air Quality Board says the facility has seen a few minor infractions, one as recent as Februa ry when a flame went out on a stack, allowing combustible gas to be released .

The p lant is also monitored by Environmental Health.

---------------------------------- -----------

RADIATION SCARE IN ASTORIA, QUEENS, TURNS OUT TO BE JUST ROCKS
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, re sponse, radiation

ASTORIA, Queens (WABC) -- A hazardous material teams investigate d a possible radiation scare at a house in Queens.

A box with a radiation symbol w as found inside an apartment on 45th Street in Astoria Tuesday.

Newscopter 7 flew o ver the building while Hazmat and the bomb squad sorted through 
The owner died, and dona ted everything to charity.
While his belongings were being packed up, a suspicious box was d iscovered.

It tested positive for trace amounts of radiation.

It turns out the box was f ull of rocks that emit low levels of radiation.

---------------------------------- -----------

LOW-QUALITY EQUIPMENT CAUSES FIRES
Tags: follow-up

MOHALI: Over the last two wee ks, there have been three fire incidents in Mohali district wherein factorie s were gutted and losses worth lakhs were incurred by the owners, all due to the fact that the fire equipment in all the three factories were found to b e deficient in quality. 

The latest incident, which occurred on Sunday, has o nce again squarely pointed fingers at the inefficient fire safety equipment b eing used. It also shows that most of the time, the fire brigade officials d o not bother to check up on the equipment and they award certificates to fac tories using deficient equipment. 

Additional district fire safety officer Sha m Lal Kambhoj said, ''It is only after factories suffering a major fire inci dent that they wake up and start using genuine and efficient fire safety equ ipment. We survey a number of factories in a month to inform the owners of t he condition of their equipment. Unfortunately, they do not take us seriousl y and neglect such an important part of work and personnel safety requiremen ts.'' He said that most factory owners were not inclined to go in for new fi re safety equipment as they would be required to invest a significant amount of money to buy them. Therefore, they found it comparatively cheaper to jus t refurbish the equipment already with them to meet any eventualities. 

Recen t Blazes 

On May 14, a major fire in a privately-owned rubber factory in Pha se I was avoided and put out in less than 15 minutes, thanks to the location of the accident site as the factory fell directly behind the Phase-I police station and Mohali fire brigade station. Exact damage caused by the fire co uld not be ascertained but factory officials put the damage incurred to be c lose to Rs 10 lakh. 

On May 19, a fire broke out at a packaging unit of a pri vate factory in Phase-VIII Industrial Area and machines worth lakhs were gut ted and about 100 employees escaped the tragedy. Fire raged uncontrollably f or close to an hour before fire brigade officials reached the spot and helpe d douse the flames. 

On May 22, machinery worth lakhs was gutted in a fire th at began in a chemical factory near Derabassi. Fire tenders were called from Derabassi, Dappar in Ambala, Mohali and Chandigarh to control the blaze tha t raged on for more than two hours

---------------------------------------------

SUMMIT S TUDENT SERIOUSLY BURNED IN LAB ACCIDENT
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, fire, injury, unknown_chem ical

A S ummit High School sophomore was seriously burned Monday in a science experim ent accident at the school, according to the school=E2=80=99s website.

The student who was not identified was in a chemistry lab when the accident occurred ab out 1:40 p.m. Monday.

The boy suffered first and second degree chemical burns o n his face and arms, the website stated.

Arlington Fire Department and emergency med ical services responded to the school after school officials alerted authori ties.

Th e student was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and was discharg ed Monday afternoon.

---------------------------------------------

KVSC :: NEWS :: HAZMAT CREWS CLEANING UP GASOLINE SPILL
Tags: us_MN, transportation, release, injury, gasoline

Hazardous Material s crews are on the scene off an accident Monday cleaning up spilled gasoline from a semi-truck. The accident happened at the intersection of Highway 23 , also known as Division Street in St. Cloud, and Wilson Avenue just bef ore 9 p.m. Sunday night.

When St. Cloud police arrived they found a commerci al truck had drifted off the road and hit a bridge pier, causing the truck t o leak gasoline onto the roadway. At the time of the accident Highway 23 was shut down from Lincoln Avenue to Wilson Avenue. The clean up is expected th roughout Monday causing detours in the area.

The driver, who was not identified in the police report, apparently fell asleep while driving and received minor i njuries in the crash.

---------------------------------------------

OIL SPILL ON MAIN LIBRAR Y PARKING LOT DEEMED 'MINOR'
Tags: us_NJ, transportation, release, response, diesel

Two fire comp anies and a hazardous materials truck were called in after reports of an oil spill on the parking lot of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Library's main branch  Monday afternoon. Workers on the scene quickly assessed that the incid ent was nothing serious.

"This was minor. It appeared to be diesel [fuel]," said Jay G eiger, an Office of Emergency Management Hazmat deputy coordinator. "The oil didn't come from the cars in the area, so we don't know where it came from. "

Geige r said the amount of oil spilled could be as much as 50 gallons, but he esti mated that the actual amount was closer to between 5 and 10 gallons. 

------- --------------------------------------

WSYX ABC6 ON YOUR SIDE TOP STORY
Tags: us_OH, transportation, relea se, response, flammables

HILLIARD -- The leak of five gallons of a highly flammable ch emical from a crashed 6,000-gal. tanker is stalling one final lane of Inters tate-270 reopening on Columbus west side, ABC6/FOX28 News' A.J. Ross reports .

Colum bus Division of Fire chief Mike Fowler says crews are digging along the edge of the road where the crash and spill happened to gauge any threat posed by alpha-methylstyrene -- a fast-burning, highly flammable chemical.

--------------- ------------------------------

SPILLED ACID PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN MORRIS
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

Spilled hydrochloric acid at a chemical manufacturing plant in far west Morris spur red a hazardous materials response this morning, officials said.

The incident happe ned at about 9 a.m. at Thornton Industries Inc., 2000 Ashley Road , according to a Morris police and fire department dispatcher.

The emergency r esponse team had cleared the spill by 11:30 a.m., said Cassie Buchanan, a spokeswoman for the company.

Topics
Emergency Planning
Emergency Incidents
The spill was confined to the facility where only one per son was working, Buchanan said. No injuries were reported.

She said 50 gallons of t he substance had spilled, Buchanan said.

------------------------------------------- --

GRO WING SUICIDE TREND MAKING ITS WAY TO WICHITA
Tags: us_KS, public, discovery, response, suicide

WICHITA, Kansas -- Wichita police say the body of a man found Sunday afternoon is the result of a chemical suici de.  It=E2=80=99s a growing trend across the country that=E2=80=99s mad e its way to Wichita.

A lawn care worker found the 32-year-old Wichita man=E2=80=99 s body in car that had been parked in the parking lot of The Alley, an enter tainment and bowling venue, in east Wichita for nearly two weeks.

Police say the m an used a series of chemicals to create a poisonous gas in order to take his own life.

---------------------------------------------

EVERTIQ.COM
Tags: China, industrial, explosion, death, unkno wn_chemical

Explosion and fire at Foxconn Chengdu facility
On Friday, production was suspended at a Fo xconn factory in Chengdu City (China) following an explosion and a subsequen t fire. 3 workers were killed and 15 sustained injuries, media reports state .

  

The manufacturing facili ty recently started iPad2 production. Events now raised concerns about possi ble disruptions of supply chain and delivery schedules. (Foxconn manufacture s around 30% of iPad2 in Chengdu; main production is still located in Shenzh en.) The explosion is said to have occurred in a building that house coating lines and is used to store some chemical materials.

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TANK ACCIDENT RELEASES HAZARDOUS WASTE WATER
Tags: United, Kingdom, industrial, fire, environmental, flammables, waste< /div>

Solvent Resou rce Management Ltd has been fined =C2=A3150,000 after a spill released waste solvents and water at its chemical plant in Rye, East Sussex. < /div>

A steel tank h olding solvent and contaminated water collapsed onto a retaining wall, relea sing the fluids into the surrounding land. 

The 340 tonnes of solvent and wa ter was potentially hazardous and highly flammable, according to the Health a nd Safety Executive (HSE). 

The tank was found to have been damaged by internal corrosion. 

A second tank was damaged during the accident, knocking off a va lve which also released contaminated waste water on to the site and neighbou ring property. 

The area was cordoned off by East Sussex Fire for two days du e to the potentially hazardous nature of the incident.

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