I'm not sure why Wednesday's digest was not distributed, but I've included all headlines since Monday, broken into two postings for increased digestability...

- Ralph

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, November 18, 2011 9:18:05 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 (50 articles)

EMPLOYEE PARTLY FALLS INTO VAT OF ACID AT TECHNICAL FINISHES & COATINGS PLATING, INC. IN MILWAUKIE
Tags: us_OR, industrial, release, injury, nitric_acid

TPS INVESTIGATING SCHOOL BUSES AFTER ILLNESS
Tags: us_OK, education, discovery, response, carbon_monoxide

CARBON MONOXIDE LEAK AT WEST PALM BEACH NURSING HOME CAUSED BY STOVE, OFFICIALS SAYS
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, carbon_monoxide

UPDATE: HAZMAT TEAM IN ELLISON
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT FORCES SCHOOL EVACUATION
Tags: us_NV, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical

CHEMICAL SMELL FORCES CAUTION IN INVESTIGATION
Tags: us_MO, public, release, death, suicide

CHLORINE LEAK AT PAPERMILL
Tags: us_MD, industrial, release, injury, chlorine_dioxide

MAN INJURED IN EXPLOSION, FIRE AT ANAHEIM SPA MANUFACTURING PLANT
Tags: us_CA, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

CHEMICAL MIX WASN'T YET EXPLOSIVE, SAYS SHERIFF
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical

SMOKE CONDITION AT JACKSON MEMORIAL FORCES STUDENTS TO EVACUATE
Tags: us_NJ, laboratory, fire, response, metals, sodium_hydroxide

MALOTT HALL EVACUATED AFTER REPORT OF POSSIBLE CHEMICAL SPILL / LJWORLD.COM
Tags: us_KS, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

TWO ARRESTED AFTER NMB ROLLING METH LAB BUST
Tags: us_SC, public, discovery, response, meth_lab

SOUTHAMPTON HOSPITAL ER CLEANED UP AFTER ATTEMPTED CHEMICAL SUICIDE
Tags: us_NY, public, release, injury, suicide

FREIGHT WORKERS CLEANSED AFTER CHRISTCHURCH CHEMICAL FIRE
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, fire, injury, boron

STUDENTS RETURN TO AURORA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOLLOWING POSSIBLE CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_CO, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical

BLASTS AT GALLATIN PLANT PREVENTABLE, SAFETY BOARD SAYS
Tags: us_TN, industrial, explosion, death, dust, follow-up

CHEMICAL SPILL INJURES 5 PEOPLE NEAR BUCKINGHAM PALACE
Tags: United_Kingdom, transportation, release, injury, sulfuric_acid

FIREFIGHTERS QUELL BRIEF BLAZE AT CHEVRON REFINERY IN RICHMOND
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, injury, petroleum

BP HAD SULFUR DIOXIDE LEAK AT TEXAS CITY REFINERY
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, methane

SEPARATE INCIDENTS AT IDAHO NUKE FACILITY WAKE-UP CALLS FOR DOWNWIND WYOMING
Tags: us_ID, laboratory, fire, response, radiation, sodium, follow-up

CHEMICAL SPILL INCIDENT AT DOWTY PROPELLERS IN STAVERTON
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical

LOVE'S TRUCK STOP AT WILLIAMSVILLE EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, flammables

QUICK RESPONSE FROM BLOOMFIELD FD AVERTS LARGE-SCALE HARTZ FIRE
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, explosion, response, acetylene

2 MEN HOSPITALIZED AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AT PAINT PLANT
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, death, paints

ARE ELECTRIC CARS AN EXPLOSION RISK?
Tags: public, fire, response, batteries, follow-up

FIRE OFFICIALS: SPARK SET OFF BLAZE AT JAMESTOWN, PA., MUNITIONS PLANT
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, tear_gas

TRUCK WITH URANIUM FUEL RODS WRECKS ON I-40
Tags: us_TN, transportation, discovery, response, radiation

EXPLOSIONS AT BULGARIAâ•˙S LOVNIDOL: ROBOTS TO CHECK SITE
Tags: Bulgaria, industrial, explosion, response, wastes

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EMPLOYEE PARTLY FALLS INTO VAT OF ACID AT TECHNICAL FINISHES & COATINGS PLATING, INC. IN MILWAUKIE
http://www.oregonlive.com/milwaukie/index.ssf/2011/11/man_falls_into_a_vat_of_chemic.html
Tags: us_OR, industrial, release, injury, nitric_acid

An employee of a metal finishing solution provider company was transported to the hospital Thursday afternoon after his leg fell into a vat of chemicals at Technical Finishes & Coatings Plating Inc., near Johnson Creek Boulevard in Milwaukie.

Firefighters, including a hazmat team, were dispatched about 3 p.m. Thursday after the employee fell into a vat of nitric acid and sodium dichromate, according to Clackamas Fire District #1 spokesman Steve McAdoo.

The man was decontaminated with a rinse down before being transported to Providence Milwaukie Hospital via ambulance, McAdoo said.

The hazmat team, which was sent by the Gresham Fire Department, is still determining how the solution could potentially harm the employee, whose identity and condition are currently unknown.

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TPS INVESTIGATING SCHOOL BUSES AFTER ILLNESS
http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/TPS-investigating-school-buses-after-illness/kHnohQuHLkmTLmpS4T75Uw.cspx
Tags: us_OK, education, discovery, response, carbon_monoxide

Tulsa Public Schools is investigating its CNG school buses after two drivers complained fumes made them sick.

School officials say they have not linked the bus driversâ•˙ sickness to the buses but are taking precautionary measures. Both TPS mechanics and the Tulsa Fire Departmentâ•˙s hazmat teams are looking at the buses.

The district is also looking into placing carbon monoxide detectors in the buses. TPS converted their buses to CNG in 2009.

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CARBON MONOXIDE LEAK AT WEST PALM BEACH NURSING HOME CAUSED BY STOVE, OFFICIALS SAYS
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/carbon-monoxide-leak-at-west-palm-beach-nursing-1975424.html
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, carbon_monoxide

WEST PALM BEACH ╉ The cause of the carbon monoxide leak in a nursing home this morning was a faulty stove, said a spokesman from West Palm Beach Emergency Management.

"Not all the burners were working on the stove," said Allan Orton, emergency management coordinator for the city of West Palm Beach. "Everyone's back inside. They're having lunch."

At 8:52 a.m., West Palm Beach Fire Rescue crews were called to Rehabilitation Center of the Palm Beaches after a fire-rescue worker who was in the building detected high levels of carbon monoxide on his portable monitor.

Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Diana Matty said the rescue worker called hazmat crews to the center at 301 Northpoint Parkway.

Matty said the levels were "so high that they could cause death."

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UPDATE: HAZMAT TEAM IN ELLISON
http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/67382/Hazmat-team-in-Ellison
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

It's still not known why a family suddenly became sick while in their home.

Just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, a mother and her young child noticed a strange odour and then began coughing and had trouble breathing.

911 was called and Kelowna's Hazmat Team was put into action. Police, ambulance, and fire departments from Kelowna and Ellison blocked the streets in the small neighbourhood and told people to stay indoors.

"Something like that we take very seriously, especially when it can't be explained," says Assistant Fire Chief Jason Brolund.

"The Hazmat teams suited up in their 'Level A' suits, which is the highest level of protection we would use."

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CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT FORCES SCHOOL EVACUATION
http://summerlin.8newsnow.com/news/news/116534-chemistry-experiment-forces-school-evacuation
Tags: us_NV, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical

A chemistry experiment at Faith Lutheran High School forced the school to be evacuated and sent one person to the hospital.

The Clark County Fire Department responded to the call just before 12:30 p.m. Thursday. Fire officials say two chemicals were cooking on a hot plate which filled the classroom with smoke. The school was evacuated as a precaution. Seven adults were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and respiratory irritation. Those treated included members of the faculty and a school maintenance worker. One person was transported to Summerlin Hospital for treatment.

Hazardous material experts investigated the scene to make sure the chemical compound created by the experiment was safe, and that the vapors had cleared from the schoolâ•˙s air system. Students were let back in at around 2:30 p.m.

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CHEMICAL SMELL FORCES CAUTION IN INVESTIGATION
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20111117/NEWS12/111170353/Chemical-smell-forces-caution-investigation?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CBeaches%7Cs
Tags: us_MO, public, release, death, suicide

Greene County authorities used a robot to approach a car with a strong chemical odor Wednesday morning and found a man in his mid-20s inside, deceased.

They believe he committed suicide.

He was found in a car parked at a dead end street in a subdivision near the intersection of U.S. 60 and Missouri 174 in Republic.

Republic police and fire, as well as Springfield fire units, staged an operation to investigate the scene at about 8 a.m. and stayed at the scene more than an hour, keeping their distance because of the odor.

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

CHLORINE LEAK AT PAPERMILL
http://www.abc6onyourside.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.oh/35b6b843-www.abc6onyourside.com.shtml
Tags: us_MD, industrial, release, injury, chlorine_dioxide

LUKE, Md. (AP) -- NewPage Corp. says one worker at its western Maryland paper mill remains hospitalized after a chemical leak that sent four people in for evaluation.

A plant spokeswoman in Luke said Thursday the company is investigating the chlorine dioxide leak that prompted a nearly hourlong shutdown of part of Route 135 on Wednesday. Workers and local residents were told to stay indoors during that time. Chlorine dioxide is a gas used mainly for disinfecting water.

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

MAN INJURED IN EXPLOSION, FIRE AT ANAHEIM SPA MANUFACTURING PLANT
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/11/fire-in-anaheim-spa-manufacturing-plant-injures-one.html
Tags: us_CA, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

man was hospitalized Thursday with burns to his ear when a small fire broke out at a spa manufacturing plant in Anaheim.

More than 50 firefighters responded at 7:30 a.m. to the 1300 block of North Blue Gum Street, where investigators believe a chemical reaction set off an explosion that triggered the fire at the 30,000-square-foot plant.

By the time firefighters arrived at the L.A. Spas site, the sprinkler system had extinguished the fire and all employees had self-evacuated, said Maria Sabol, a spokeswoman for the Anaheim Fire Department.

Sabol said employees were being let back into the building. No estimate of the fire damage was immediately available.

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CHEMICAL MIX WASN'T YET EXPLOSIVE, SAYS SHERIFF
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20111116/GPG1009/111160763/Chemical-mix-wasn-t-yet-explosive-says-sheriff
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical

A concoction of chemicals found at an Oconto County residence last month was "one step away from being an explosive," according to Sheriff Mike Jansen.

The chemicals were discovered Oct. 27 in the town of Lakewood, after deputies responded to a report about strange odors. Initially, the scene was thought to be a methamphetimine lab.

Wisconsin National Guard personnel determined the lab had the capacity to produce explosive materials.

The Guard has been testing substances taken from the property, and results show the man found in the driveway had not finished putting together the recipe he was using, Jansen said.

"What reports we do have indicate that we had precursors to explosive material, but that there needed to be one more step completed" to make an explosive," he said.

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

SMOKE CONDITION AT JACKSON MEMORIAL FORCES STUDENTS TO EVACUATE
http://www.jacksonnjonline.com/2011/11/16/smoke-condition-at-jackson-memorial-forces-students-to-evacuate/29703/
Tags: us_NJ, laboratory, fire, response, metals, sodium_hydroxide

The Cassville Volunteer Fire Company and Jackson Mills Volunteer Fire Company were dispatched to Jackson Memorial High School for a fire alarm activation at 12:49 PM.
According to Cassvilleâ•˙s Assistant Chief Adam Poppe, who was the incident commander, when the first apparatus arrived on location it was reported to them that there was a heavy smoke condition in the ╲C╡ Wing of the Reider Building of the high school complex. Crews entered the building to investigate and confirmed a smoke condition in the building but no fire.
According to Allison Erwin, Coordinator of Communications for the Jackson Board of Education, the smoke condition was caused from a science experiment gone awry.  Chief Poppe stated that a teacher was demonstrating the reaction of  sodium metals to water and when a sodium metal was placed in water to create sodium hydroxide  it created more smoke than the ventilation fans in the lab could handle and created a smoke condition in the building.
All of the students of the high school were evacuated out of the building when the fire alarm sounded.  After the the fire companies were on-scene and able to deem the areas safe, students from the Clayton Building were allowed to return to their classrooms and students from the Reider Building were moved into the Fine Arts building to await the all clear from the fire department to return to to their classrooms.
As firefighters tried to determine how hazardous the smoke may be from the chemical reaction, they sought out the science teacher and looked to locate the Material Safety Data Sheets (also called MSDS sheets) from the teacher on the chemicals used in the experiments but according to Chief Poppe, the teacher informed them that the MSDS Sheets were removed from the classroom earlier in the year to be updated and had not yet been returned.
Without information as to the toxicity of the chemical reaction Chief Poppe notified the Berkeley Haz-Mat Team, that Department handles Hazardous Materials incidents for Ocean County, and requested a response from them.  He also had the Jackson OEM Coordinator, Barry Olejarz, and the Fire Official for Fire Districts #1, 2 and 3, Frank McDonald, respond to the scene.  Additionally, Poppe had one engine from Whitesville Fire Company respond to assist with fans and manpower to assist in ventilation the fire.

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

MALOTT HALL EVACUATED AFTER REPORT OF POSSIBLE CHEMICAL SPILL / LJWORLD.COM
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/nov/16/malott-hall-evacuated-after-report-possible-chemic/
Tags: us_KS, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

Photo by Richard Gwin
Kansas University students wait outside Malott Hall around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011, after the building was evacuated following reports of a chemical spill. No spill was found, and students were readmitted shortly after 11 a.m.

Malott Hall, which houses Kansas Universityâ•˙s chemistry department, was evacuated Wednesday morning after reports of a possible chemical spill.

University spokeswoman Jill Jess said someone reported the possible spill about 10 a.m. Emergency crews from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical and KUâ•˙s Environmental Health and Safety were on the scene. The building was evacuated because of an ╲abundance of caution,╡ Jess said.

Students and faculty were readmitted shortly after 11. Jess said the likely source of the smell was sealant applied to the floors earlier this week.

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

TWO ARRESTED AFTER NMB ROLLING METH LAB BUST
http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/16058209/hazmat-units-on-scene-of-rolling-meth-lab-in-nmb
Tags: us_SC, public, discovery, response, meth_lab

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) All lanes have reopened along Highway 17 South after units in North Myrtle Beach discovered a rolling meth lab Wednesday afternoon.

Pat Dowling, spokesman for the City of North Myrtle Beach, said hazmat units were on scene at 2101 Highway 17 South after a traffic stop conducted on a vehicle led investigators to a Gatorade bottle full of chemicals used in the manufacture of crystal meth.

Dowling said the chemicals hadn't been cooked, but had been shaken. Units stabilized the chemicals by adding sand and other ingredients to the bottle. The contents were then disposed of in accordance with EPA and DHEC regulations.

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

SOUTHAMPTON HOSPITAL ER CLEANED UP AFTER ATTEMPTED CHEMICAL SUICIDE
http://www.27east.com/news/article.cfm/Southampton-Village-Surrounding-Areas/405927/Southampton-Hospital-ER-Cleaned-Up-After-Attempted-Chemical-Suicide
Tags: us_NY, public, release, injury, suicide

The Southampton Hospital Emergency Department entrance was shut down for several hours early Wednesday morning as hazardous materials crews responded when a man attempted to commit suicide by mixing dangerous chemicals in his car, parked at the ER entrance, to create deadly fumes, authorities said.

The Bridgehampton man, whom police did not identify, created a chemical fog in his closed Volkswagen convertible sometime before 3 a.m., according to Southampton Village Police Chief Thomas Cummings.

╲His goal was to commit suicide, but I guess at a certain point he changed his mind and pulled up to the ER and walked in,╡ the chief said, noting that both the emergency entrance on Lewis Street and the manâ•˙s car were contaminated.

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

FREIGHT WORKERS CLEANSED AFTER CHRISTCHURCH CHEMICAL FIRE
http://www.safetowork.com.au/news/freight-workers-cleansed-after-christchurch-chemic
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, fire, injury, boron

Two workers at a Christchurch freight company were decontaminated after a chemical fire broke out at a warehouse in Wigram on Monday night.

The blaze initially broke out on a truck parked inside the Daily Freight depot on McAlpine St, Wigram, at about 8.20pm, a fire department spokesman told the Press newspaper, New Zealand.

The fire spread from the truck to the depot and both fires were brought under control quickly, the spokesperson said.

...

The fire had punctured plastic containers storing about 2,000 litres of boron, a chemical used to treat timber, Burford told the Press.

"It's dangerous in bulk like that. People should stand about 20 metres away ... when it's in concentrated forms," he explained.

Good ventilation inside the depot had helped clear fumes quickly, and firefighters had blocked drains to ensure the chemical did not spill into the waterway.

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STUDENTS RETURN TO AURORA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOLLOWING POSSIBLE CHEMICAL LEAK
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/e507bc0106bf4dbead7c1af1cca8bb34/CO--School-Evacuated/
Tags: us_CO, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical

AURORA, Colo. ╉ Students evacuated from an elementary school in Aurora on Wednesday returned to the building to finish classes.

Aurora firefighters say three people including two students were taken to the hospital after a possible chemical leak in the kitchen at Paris Elementary School.

Aurora Fire Department spokesman Allen Robnett said the children are being loaded onto school buses with blankets to keep them warm until investigators can determine what happened.

Parents pickup their children at North Middle School in Aurora, Colo., on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. The students were evacuated from nearby Paris Elementary School because of a gas leak. Aurora firefighters say three people including two students have been taken to the hospital after a possible chemical leak in the kitchen at Paris Elementary School. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
Fire department spokesman Allen Robnett said one adult was hospitalized because of gas fumes and two children were treated for asthma attacks because of the cold weather.

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BLASTS AT GALLATIN PLANT PREVENTABLE, SAFETY BOARD SAYS
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111117/NEWS01/311120088/Blasts-at-Gallatin-plant-preventable-safety-board-says
Tags: us_TN, industrial, explosion, death, dust, follow-up

Hoeganaes Corp. officials knew of serious safety hazards in their Gallatin metal-powders plant at least as early as 2008 after an insurance audit raised questions about combustible dust but did nothing to eliminate the problems before a series of flash fires this year killed five workers and injured at least four others.

That was the conclusion of the U.S. Chemical Safety Boardâ•˙s probe into the three accidents, presented Wednesday night during a public meeting in Gallatin.

The latest accident, on May 27, which fatally burned three workers, was started by a hydrogen explosion inside the plant that occurred because of a corroded pipe, and the safety board investigators found that the company had no inspection or maintenance program in place to keep pipes carrying the extremely flammable gas from leaking.

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CHEMICAL SPILL INJURES 5 PEOPLE NEAR BUCKINGHAM PALACE
http://newstonight.net/content/chemical-spill-injures-5-people-near-buckingham-palace
Tags: United_Kingdom, transportation, release, injury, sulfuric_acid

Five people, four men and one women walking on the road side, outside the Grosvenor Hotel, near to Buckingham Palace were sprayed with sulphuric acid. The acid was being into a lorry when it started leaking from lorryâ•˙s back side.

These passersby were so close that they inhaled the acid and soon started to exhibit the reaction. They complaint of headache and sore throat on which three ambulance crews, response team, police and the fire brigade were called on the scene.

They attended them and gave first aid and took them to St Thomasâ•˙ Hospital, where they are being treated. It is said that vehicles which crossed the road at that moment elevated the level of acid.

Fire Brigade spokesperson present on the scene also affirmed the same thing that they received complaint about the lorry acid spill and when they reached at the spot, vehicles has made the scene even more awful.

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FIREFIGHTERS QUELL BRIEF BLAZE AT CHEVRON REFINERY IN RICHMOND
http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_19340894
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, injury, petroleum

RICHMOND -- Fire crews from Richmond and in-house staff teamed to quench an equipment flare-up at the Chevron oil refinery Monday night.
The fire started about 6 p.m. on a piece of equipment being restarted after a shutdown for maintenance and repairs, Richmond Battalion Chief Merlin Turner said.
The blaze did not trigger a regional alert from Contra Costa County, nor result in any measurable emissions beyond the refinery gates, Turner said.
Firefighters treated one Chevron worker at the scene for a minor injury, he added.

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BP HAD SULFUR DIOXIDE LEAK AT TEXAS CITY REFINERY
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/11/15/bp-had-sulfur-dioxide-leak-at-texas-city-refinery/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, methane

BP Plc has halted a sulfur dioxide leak at its Texas City refinery in Texas, according to a city official.

There is an ongoing leak of mercaptans at the refinery, Bruce Clawson, the local emergency management coordinator, said in a telephone interview today. Mercaptans are an odor added to natural gas.

Sulfur dioxide leaked from a unit inside the refinery yesterday, according to a filing with the National Response Center.

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SEPARATE INCIDENTS AT IDAHO NUKE FACILITY WAKE-UP CALLS FOR DOWNWIND WYOMING
http://www.planetjh.com/news/A_107874.aspx
Tags: us_ID, laboratory, fire, response, radiation, sodium, follow-up

Separate incidents at Idaho nuke facility wake-up calls for downwind Wyoming

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-It was a rough week at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) last week. The 890-square-mile nuclear energy facility located between Arco, and Idaho Falls, Idaho, experienced two unrelated emergencies three days apart.

On November 8, 16 employees at the Zero Power Physics Reactor (ZPPR), a fast reactor core decommissioned in 1992, were exposed to radioactive material when a shipping container of nuclear fuel accidentally opened. Seven of those employees showed external skin contamination and were immediately decontaminated; six of them had positive nasal swipes. A lung scan performed on at least two employees showed traces of Americium-241, an isotope that indicates the employees may have inhaled plutonium.

Four of the 16 workers received treatment for internal radiation exposure. INL officials said ongoing tests and monitoring of exposed workers will likely continue for several weeks. Officials at the lab also said all radioactive material was contained within the facility and there was never any threat to the public.

On November 11, emergency personnel were again scrambled at the lab when a fire was reported some time before 10 a.m. on Friday. INL spokesman Erik Simpson reported that 11 Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) employees were evacuated for medical attention. One worker was transported to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for burns.

Crews were able to reenter the building at 2 p.m. that day and confirmed the fire was caused by a sodium reaction. Sodium was used as a coolant for the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II until the early 1990s. When the reactor was shut down, the sodium coolant was drained; however, ICP employees are currently tasked with removing residual sodium from the Sodium Boiler Building before demolishing the facility.

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CHEMICAL SPILL INCIDENT AT DOWTY PROPELLERS IN STAVERTON
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Chemical-spill-incident-Dowty-Propellers/story-13853545-detail/story.html
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical

WORKERS at Dowty Propellers factory in Staverton were evacuated after a chemical drum became unstable.

More than 35 firefighters were called to the scene at 3.30pm yesterday after a chemical reaction in the drum threatened to cause it to burt spilling hazardous liquid and creating a volatile vapour cloud.

â•—
Chemical incident at Dowty Propellers 1
â•¢ â•¢ â•¢ â•¢ â•¢ â•¢ â•¢
Firefighters from Gloucester and Cheltenham Fire Stations rushed to the scene. They were supported by crews from Cirencester and Stroud, who are specialists in decontaminating firefighters and protecting the environment.

Fire crews were supported by Great Western Ambulance Service, in case of injury, and Gloucestershire Police, who closed-off the scene.

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LOVE'S TRUCK STOP AT WILLIAMSVILLE EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x745433803/Loves-Truck-Stop-at-Williamsville-evacuated
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, flammables

WILLIAMSVILLE -- Williamsville residents who live within one-quarter mile of Loveâ•˙s Truck Stop off Interstate 55 were advised to stay inside Monday night because of a hazardous material leak.

Tom Nases, a lieutenant with the Williamsville Fire Department, said a tractor-trailer truck parked at Loveâ•˙s leaked a hazardous liquid called ethyl acrylate stabilized.

Loveâ•˙s, along with the attached McDonalds and the Huddle House, all near the Interstate 55 exit ramp at Williamsville, were evacuated. People were at first advised not to use their furnaces and other heating devices, but that warning was dropped later in the evening.

The chemical, which is flammable, can cause dizziness and nausea to some people if inhaled, Nases said. Authorities first arrived at the site about 5:30 p.m.

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QUICK RESPONSE FROM BLOOMFIELD FD AVERTS LARGE-SCALE HARTZ FIRE
http://bloomfield.patch.com/articles/hartz-fire-ignites-quick-response-from-bloomfield-fd
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, explosion, response, acetylene

Fire broke out this morning at the Hartz Mountain processing plant when a highly flammable oxy-acetylene torch exploded near eight gas-filled cylinders and live gas line, said Deputy Chief John Gehringer of the Bloomfield Fire Department.

Though the torch and hose ignited instantly, Bloomfield firefighters, arriving within two minutes to the scene at Bloomfield and Watsessing Avenues, were able to contain the fire and extinguish it.  The county Hazmat team from Nutley also arrived quickly, said Gehringer.  No injuries were reported.

"One of the oxy-acetylene torches [workers] were using ignited," he said.  "One of the hoses had a rupture in it.  It caused gas to escape."

Used at the processing plant to cut through metal, the oxy-acetylene cylinders are filled with a combination of oxygen and a hydrocarbon fuel called acetylene.  There were eight of them in the room at the time of the explosion.

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2 MEN HOSPITALIZED AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AT PAINT PLANT
http://www.ocregister.com/news/kunze-327149-paint-fire.html
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, death, paints

FULLERTON â•„ One man has died and another is in critical condition after being exposed to chemicals at a paint-manufacturing plant Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
Fire crews responding to a request for a medical aid at Vista Paints in the 2000 block of Orangethorpe Avenue just before 2:30 p.m. found two men suffering from chemical exposure, said Julie Kunze, a division chief with the Fullerton Fire Department.ADVERTISEMENT
The men were overcome by fumes, Kunze said, and were taken to a hospital.
One man was pronounced dead at a hospital, Supervising Deputy Coroner Dan Aikin said. Coroner's office officials late Tuesday identified the man as Roberto Magdariaga, 62, of Los Angeles.
The second man, who police say is 45, is in critical condition.
Authorities believe that the chemical that caused the fumes is a paint stripper. The fumes were confined to the area where the men were working, Kunze said.
No other workers reported symptoms, Kunze said, and hazardous-materials teams were not required.
Cal/OSHA spokeswoman Erika Monterroza said the men are believed to have been working inside a tank when they were overcome by the fumes.
"It's a real tragedy when there are situations like this where it is a confined space," Monterroza said.

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ARE ELECTRIC CARS AN EXPLOSION RISK?
http://news.investors.com/Article/591800/201111151910/Volt-Catches-Fire-Sort-Of.htm
Tags: public, fire, response, batteries, follow-up

Environmental Impacts: An investigation is launched into the possibility of battery fires occurring in crashes involving Government Motors' touted electric car. Industrial policy meets the law of unintended consequences.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced an investigation into the safety of electric cars using lithium batteries, particularly the Chevy Volt, after a battery fire occurred after a side-impact crash test.

It has asked other manufacturers who make electric cars or that plan to do so for information on how they handle lithium-ion batteries. The request also includes recommendations for minimizing fire risk. The feds say this is only precautionary and there is no indication of widespread risk. GM insists the Volt is safe.

The fire didn't break out in the test vehicle until three weeks after the crash. GM says there have been no reports from consumers of battery problems, and the feds say they've been unable to duplicate the fire problem.

But the cumulative road experience of the brand-new and poorly selling vehicle has been limited.

The Volt fire was severe enough to burn vehicles parked nearby. In the crash test, metal punctured the battery.

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FIRE OFFICIALS: SPARK SET OFF BLAZE AT JAMESTOWN, PA., MUNITIONS PLANT
http://www.goerie.com/article/20111116/NEWS02/311169945/Fire-officials:-Spark-set-off-blaze-at-Jamestown-Pa-munitions-plant
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, tear_gas

JAMESTOWN, Pa. -- A spark from a machine in a building where tear gas and grenades are produced set off a fire at a munitions plant Tuesday morning, Jamestown fire officials said.

The building, known as a "gas house," has a sprinkler system in place, but the system did not put out the fire at Combined Systems Inc., 388 Kinsman Road, officials said.

Firefighters from seven departments in Mercer County, as well as departments from Crawford County and Trumbull County, Ohio, were sent to the facility shortly before 7:30 a.m.

Seven employees in the building and about 163 others working elsewhere in the complex were evacuated without injury.

"Our emergency procedures worked flawlessly, and everyone was accounted for quickly," said Don Smith, chief executive of Combine Systems Inc. "I'm very grateful to emergency services for responding quickly."

The fire was fully involved when firefighters arrived on the scene. It took them about an hour to put the fire out.

"We couldn't get the fire out quickly because we couldn't get to it," said Tom Luckock, the deputy fire chief for the Jamestown Fire Department.

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TRUCK WITH URANIUM FUEL RODS WRECKS ON I-40
http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-truck-with-uranium-fuel-rods-wrecks-on-i40-20111115,0,1277260.story
Tags: us_TN, transportation, discovery, response, radiation

No injuries and no spill was reported.

(Memphis, TN 11/15/11) A truck carrying uranium fuel rods was rear-ended on I-40 westbound near U.S. Highway 64 Tuesday night.

Hazmat crews, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Memphis police and Memphis fire personnel responded quickly.

At one point, crews blocked a 500 sq. ft. distance around the vehicle, and two right lanes were blocked.

No fuel rods fell off the truck. The Emergency Management Agency said that their staff also used small devices to monitor the level of radiation in the area. An alarm would sound at the detection of radiation, and the device provides a read on the level of radiation present.

The EMA was not able to say what type of fuel rods were being transported on the truck. Often time, uranium rods are used for nuclear power plants or for hospital radiation therapy.

The EMA also said that vehicles carrying such rods is not unusual in the area. Since Memphis is a distribution hub, many hazardous materials may be transported by rail or by interstate every day.

Emergency crews were relieved no one was hurt and that no spill occurred, but they took every safety precaution necessary, as they would in a more serious spill.

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EXPLOSIONS AT BULGARIAâ•˙S LOVNIDOL: ROBOTS TO CHECK SITE
http://www.sofiaecho.com/2011/11/14/1203958_explosions-at-bulgarias-lovnidol-robots-to-check-site
Tags: Bulgaria, industrial, explosion, response, wastes

Robots would be used to check the site of repeated explosions at a former military ammunition warehouse at Lovnidol near Sevlievo in northern Bulgaria, where the latest in a series of blasts was reported on the morning of November 14 2011.

Explosions at the ammo dump site began on November 12, and for some time there were reports of explosions every 15 minutes. The site was cordoned off but authorities said that there was no danger to the public of chemical or radioactive contamination.

The company that has owned the premises since 2008, Emco, was expected to deploy a robot to inspect the site, Bulgarian National Television said.

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