Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2011 08:49:11 -0400
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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety"

Subject: Chemical Safety Headlines From Google (16 articles)

Chemical Safety Headlines =46rom Google
Friday, September 9, 2011 8:17:28 AM

   A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
   Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
   All article summaries and tags are archived at 
http://pinboard.in/u:dchas

Table of Contents (16 articles)

AMMONIA LEAK REPORTED IN ROSEVILLE RAILYARD
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, ammonia

CHEMICAL FOUND IN CO LIMERICK SCHOOL MADE SAFE
Tags: Ireland, laboratory, discovery, response, picric_acid, 
time-sensitive

CHEMICAL ALERT AT WASHINGTON BATTERY FACTORY (FROM THE NORTHERN ECHO)
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, batteries, waste

POOL CHEMICALS SICKEN 3 WIS. FIREFIGHTERS
Tags: us_WI, public, release, injury, chlorine

SHANGHAI FIRE EXTINGUISHED, NO CASUALTIES REPORTED
Tags: China, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

EXPLOSIVE PETN USED IN DELHI HIGH COURT BLAST
Tags: India, public, explosion, response, bomb, follow-up

BOOBY TRAP DISRUPTS CLASSES IN STELLA MARIS ACADEMY OF DAVAO
Tags: Philippines, education, explosion, response, bomb

HASHISH-OIL OPERATION MAY HAVE CAUSED BLAZE
Tags: us_WA, public, fire, response, butane, illegal

CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM & THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER NEWSPAPER
Tags: us_NC, transportation, release, response, gasoline

MAN CAUGHT STEALING 255 GALLONS OF DIESEL
Tags: us_FL, public, discovery, response, diesel, illegal

AMMONIA SPILL FORCES EVACUATION OF ATLANTA WAREHOUSE
Tags: us_GA, industrial, release, environmental, ammonia

NEAR SPILL CLOSES TEXAS 105, WALDEN ROAD FOR HOURS
Tags: us_TX, transportation, discovery, response, hydrochloric_acid

STAFF FLEE FACTORY CHEMICAL SPILLAGE
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, injury, triethylamine

FIRE MARSHAL: FLAMMABLE VAPORS CAUSED MIDDLETON PLANT EXPLOSION
Tags: us_MA, industrial, explosion, injury, adhesives, follow-up

YOUNGSTOWN NEWS, DRIVER SURVIVES CRASH, EXPLOSION ON I-80 IN HUBBARD
Tags: us_OH, transportation, explosion, response, propane

SCHOOL EVACUATED OVER HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE
Tags: Ireland, laboratory, discovery, response, dinitrophenylhydrazine, 
time-sensitive

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

AMMONIA LEAK REPORTED IN ROSEVILLE RAILYARD

http://roseville-ca.patch.com/articles/ammonia-leak-reported-in-roseville-
railyard
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, ammonia

A small anhydrous ammonia release was reported about 2 a.m. Thursday at 
the JR Davis Railyard in Roseville. The leak is not at a dangerous 
level, according to Roseville Fire, and firefighters are expected to 
have the leak stopped this morning.

The leak was reported by Union Pacific workers who smelled ammonia. 
Firefighters responded and determined that the release was caused by a 
faulty gasket and have the parts available to make the repair.

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

CHEMICAL FOUND IN CO LIMERICK SCHOOL MADE SAFE
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0908/limerick.html
Tags: Ireland, laboratory, discovery, response, picric_acid, 
time-sensitive

An army bomb disposal team has carried out a controlled explosion on a 
chemical substance found in the science lab of a Co Limerick school.
The army was called to St Enda's Community School on the Kilmallock Road 
after a quantity of picric acid was found during a routine audit of 
chemicals in the school.
Picric Acid is routinely used in laboratories but can become unstable 
and sensitive to heat and shock over time.

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

CHEMICAL ALERT AT WASHINGTON BATTERY FACTORY (FROM THE NORTHERN ECHO)

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/tyneandwear/9241254.Chemical_a
lert_at_Washington_battery_factory/
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, batteries, waste

FIREFIGHTERS were tackling a chemical alert at a North-East factory unit 
this afternoon.

Reports were received of the chemical release from Rayovac Micro Power 
Ltd, at Washington, shortly after 2pm.

Chemical fumes were said to be coming from a waste storage unit within 
the factory, which produces batteries for hearing aids, on Stephenson 
Industrial Estate.

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

POOL CHEMICALS SICKEN 3 WIS. FIREFIGHTERS

http://www.firehouse.com/topic/strategy-and-tactics/pool-chemicals-sicken-
3-wis-firefighters
Tags: us_WI, public, release, injury, chlorine

Sept. 08--Six people, including three firefighters, were taken to the 
hospital Thursday after a pool pump malfunctioned at Gold's Gym in Hales 
Corners.
The Hales Corners Fire Department received a call shortly before 9 a.m. 
Thursday about a possible chemical spill or leak at the gym, 5321 S. 
108th St. Investigation showed a pool pump had malfunctioned and stopped 
operating. Once it started to back up, it sent out more than its normal 
dose of chlorine and acid, and people who breathed the cocktail suffered 
respiratory symptoms, Fire Chief Mike Jankowski said.
"When you mix these together, you get an irritant in the air," he said. 
"They had difficulty breathing, sore throat, respiratory distress."
The gym was evacuated, and firefighters ventilated the room and 
monitored air quality.

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

SHANGHAI FIRE EXTINGUISHED, NO CASUALTIES REPORTED
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-09/09/c_131123194.htm
Tags: China, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

SHANGHAI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Fire fighters extinguished the flames at a 
Shanghai chemical plant Friday morning, about 10 hours after the fire 
broke out, local authorities said.

No casualties were reported in the accident, Shanghai's fire prevention 
bureau said in a press release.

The fire broke out at about 11 p.m. at an alkene production facility in 
Shanghai Secco Petrochemical Co., Ltd., it said.

It said fire fighters worked overnight to prevent the flames from 
spreading to other facilities.

All visible flames were extinguished by 9 a.m.

No apparent harm was done to the local environment, according to the air 
quality evaluation report released by Shanghai's environmental 
protection bureau at the factory site Friday morning.

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

EXPLOSIVE PETN USED IN DELHI HIGH COURT BLAST

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/explosive-petn-used-in-delhi-high-court-
blast/20110907.htm
Tags: India, public, explosion, response, bomb, follow-up

reliminary investigations into the Delhi high court bomb blast have 
indicated that a nitrate-based explosive was used.

"A small crater has been created where the explosive was placed. 
Examination of the blast site indicates that a nitrate based explosive 
with traces of PETN or Pentaerythritol Trinitrate was used," said U K 
Bansal, special secretary home department. Bansal also added that PETN 
is an "explosive of choice".

Apparently, PETN is used for heart ailments to smoothen the blood flow. 
The chemical which was discovered by German forces in World War-I has 
become a favourite terror toy in the hands of organisations like 
Lashker-e-Tayiba, Hizbul Mujahideen [ Images ] and Al-Qaeda [ Images ] 
which have used it globally to cause mayhem.

However, traces of PETN in the explosive used has come as a huge 
surprise to forensic experts. "There are very few cases in the country 
where the use of PETN has been detected. This explosive is not very 
easily available," said a former director of forensic laboratory in 
Maharashtra [ Images ].

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

BOOBY TRAP DISRUPTS CLASSES IN STELLA MARIS ACADEMY OF DAVAO

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2011/08/25/booby-trap-disrupts-
classes-davao-school-175381
Tags: Philippines, education, explosion, response, bomb

DAVAO CITY -- Classes for both secondary and high school levels at a 
public school here were temporarily suspended after smoke came out of a 
boys' toilet inside the campus Thursday afternoon.

Farther north, a real bomb exploded inside a public school campus, 
although no one was hurt since it was too early for classes when the 
explosion happened.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Inspector Jay Francia, of the special tactical platoon of the Davao City 
Police Office (DCPO) special anti-terrorist unit (Satu), told reporters 
at the City Council on Thursday that they were called in on suspicion 
that an improvised explosive device (IED) was found at the ground floor 
of the Stella Maris Academy of Davao high school department around 1 
p.m. Thursday.

Classes were suspended while the bomb squad scoured the school's 
vicinity.

The smoke was traced to a toilet bowl where a half-burned six-inch high 
mug was found.

Initial investigation indicated that the mug contained chemicals that 
could cause a burning of sorts when mixed with water. A meter-long yarn 
was also found in the toilet.

Francia said that apparently, the mug was set up to fall into the bowl 
when the door is opened.

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

HASHISH-OIL OPERATION MAY HAVE CAUSED BLAZE

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/09/08/1814074/hashish-oil-operation-may
-have.html
Tags: us_WA, public, fire, response, butane, illegal

A hashish oil-making operation - not a methamphetamine lab - likely 
sparked a fire inside a Lakewood home that left one man burned Friday.

After the blaze was doused, police found bags containing several pounds 
of marijuana and the makings of a hashish oil operation, including 
tubing and butane, inside the home.

Hashish oil is a potent form of THC, the main active chemical in 
marijuana. A drop or two of the liquid on a cigarette gives the same 
effect as a single marijuana joint, the U.S. Drug Enforcement 
Administration reported.

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

CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM & THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER NEWSPAPER

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/09/07/2585782/gas-spill-forces-evacu
ation.html
Tags: us_NC, transportation, release, response, gasoline

No injuries were reported Wednesday morning after a gasoline spill at a 
convenience store in northern Gaston County.

Residents were evacuated from three houses near the store, on East Trade 
Street in Dallas. Gaston County authorities say a gasoline tanker was 
pumping fuel into the tanks at the Mini Mart, when the gas started 
leaking.

The driver discovered the leak a short time later, but about 100 gallons 
had spilled. The county's Hazmat team responded, but some nearby 
residents were forced from their homes for safety reasons.

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

MAN CAUGHT STEALING 255 GALLONS OF DIESEL

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Man-Caught-Stealing-255-Gallons-of-Dies
elTags: us_FL, public, discovery, response, diesel, illegal

Broward Sheriff's Office deputies have arrested a man who rigged his 
minivan to steal 255 gallons of diesel gas from a local gas station.

Xoenis Cristo Banos, 28, is charged with grand theft after he allegedly 
stole the gas through a trap door he installed underneath his minivan.

When BSO Fire Rescue and an Oakland Park HAZMAT crew responded to the 
scene and inspected the vehicle, they found the false floorboard and 
several hoses powered by two car batteries that fed a huge tank inside 
the minivan, BSO spokeswoman Dani Moschella said.

The incident happened at about 1 p.m. at the CITGO located at 999 E. 
Commercial Blvd. in Oakland Park.

The station's owner said he was going over computer records and noticed 
diesel fuel was missing.

"It's like a bomb," the owner said, noting how dangerous Banos' minivan 
was with that much diesel inside.

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

AMMONIA SPILL FORCES EVACUATION OF ATLANTA WAREHOUSE

http://www.11alive.com/news/article/204645/3/Ammonia-spill-forces-evacuati
on-of-Atlanta-warehouse
Tags: us_GA, industrial, release, environmental, ammonia

ATLANTA -- An ammonia spill at an Atlanta warehouse shortly after 
midnight Thursday forced 40 employees to evacuate.

Fulton County fire crews and a hazmat team from Atlanta worked to 
contain the spill at the Americold Logistics warehouse at 1740 Westgate 
Parkway SW.

The location is listed as a training center for Americold, a cold 
storage company.

There were no injuries reported.

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

NEAR SPILL CLOSES TEXAS 105, WALDEN ROAD FOR HOURS

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/near-spill-closes-texas-walden
-road-for-hours/article_9140cb75-a3e8-55d3-9256-6521a4591bd4.html
Tags: us_TX, transportation, discovery, response, hydrochloric_acid

MONTGOMERY - A potential chemical spill shut down Texas 105 West and 
Walden Road for several hours Wednesday before it was deemed safe to be 
reopened.
About 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, a truck hauling hydrochloric acid nearly 
spilled its load onto Texas 105, causing emergency crews to shut down 
the highway and Walden Road, Montgomery Fire Department Chief Brian 
Edwards said.
=93His load shifted and went through the trailer,=94 Edwards said. =93... 
There was no spill. We thought there was a spill.=94
The truck was carrying 11 containers, roughly 150 gallons each, of 
hydrochloric acid, Edwards said.

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

STAFF FLEE FACTORY CHEMICAL SPILLAGE

http://www.hazardexonthenet.net/article/44767/Staff-flee-factory-chemical-
spillage.aspx?AreaID=2
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, injury, triethylamine

Staff at a factory in Cambridgeshire were recently forced to evacuate 
when a potentially lethal chemical spill injured two workers; triggering 
a massive response from emergency services.

Omega Foundry Machinery=92s employees fled their building when a 
chemical, originally thought to be ammonia, oozed out of a broken pipe.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue mobilised its specialist hazardous 
materials (hazmat) crews from St. Neots as well as two other engines and 
a rescue vehicle, with about 20 firefighters on the scene.

Two workers were treated at the scene by paramedics for minor inhalation 
of fumes. The hazmat team initially believed that they were dealing with 
50 litres of ammonia, but it was later confirmed to be about 10 litres 
and thought to be triethylamine.

Triethylamine is extremely flammable and readily forms explosive 
mixtures with air.

The hazmat team set up a decontamination area outside the factory which 
could be used to clean off anyone who went inside.

Firefighters in full protective clothing entered the building and used 
sand to soak-up the liquid to make the scene safe.

The Health and Safety Executive has said that it had not yet been 
informed of the incident.

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

FIRE MARSHAL: FLAMMABLE VAPORS CAUSED MIDDLETON PLANT EXPLOSION

http://www.boston.com/Boston/metrodesk/2011/09/fire-marshal-flammable-vapo
rs-caused-middleton-plant-explosion/5OGVBKxoxaLGmPTWJaPXzI/index.html
Tags: us_MA, industrial, explosion, injury, adhesives, follow-up

An explosion in March at the Bostik Inc. adhesive company in Middleton 
was caused when flammable vapors were ignited by an undetermined source, 
the state Department of Fire Services said today.

The March 13 explosion, which injured four workers, happened when a 
flammable liquid solvent was being added to a 4,000-gallon reaction 
vessel containing polyester resin solution, the office, which is headed 
by State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan, said in a statement.

The office said it had also issued three non-criminal notices of 
violation to the company and was recommending changes in laws and 
regulations to improve chemical process safety in the state.

The violations were for storing more flammable liquids than the company 
was licensed to store; failing to obtain a permit for a dust-producing 
grinding operation; and failing to obtain a permit for the storage of 
flammable liquids, the office said.

The company said in May that the explosion was caused by open valves 
that let flammable gas flood the building.

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

YOUNGSTOWN NEWS, DRIVER SURVIVES CRASH, EXPLOSION ON I-80 IN HUBBARD

http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/sep/07/driver-survives-crash-explosion-i-80
-hubbard/?nw
Tags: us_OH, transportation, explosion, response, propane

HUBBARD =97 Robert E. Weirick of Academy Drive in Liberty Township was 
only about a mile from home when his semi pulling two trailers of 
freight smashed into a part of the Interstate 80 bridge over Mount 
Everett Road and produced a spectacular fireball this morning.

One of the trailers flipped over the bridge railing and landed in a 
fiery pile on the ground next to railroad tracks and Mount Everett Road.

The other trailer and the semi tractor remained part way on the bridge, 
with part of the trailer hanging over the edge in another fireball.

Weirick managed to escape the semi tractor and was found lying on the 
road at the western edge of the bridge, said John Clemente, Hubbard 
Township fire chief.

Firefighters from Hubbard Township and a half-dozen other departments 
put out the two fires after about 30 minutes, Clemente said.

Trumbull County HazMat Chief Don Waldron said the trailers were hauling 
a hazardous chemical called ethanolamine, petroleum oils and greases and 
containers of propane.

The propane tanks were exploding as Clemente arrived first on the scene, 
he said.

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

SCHOOL EVACUATED OVER HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0907/kilmallock.html
Tags: Ireland, laboratory, discovery, response, dinitrophenylhydrazine, 
time-sensitive

An Army Bomb Disposal Team has made safe an unstable chemical found at a 
secondary school in Co Limerick.
Col=E1iste Iosaef in Kilmallock was evacuated at around 11.30am 
following the discovery of a hazardous substance in the science 
laboratory during a routine audit of chemicals.
The bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion on the 
unstable chemical, Dinitrophenylhydrazine.
Dinitrophenylhydrazine is a chemical re-agent and is routinely used in 
laboratories but can crystallise and become unstable over time.

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

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