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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, July 9, 2012 7:22:58 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 (11 articles)
AMMONIA SPILL ON TRAWLER IN DUTCH HARBOR SENDS 2 TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_AK, transportation, release, injury, ammonia
HAZMAT TEAM CALLED IN FOR CHEMICALS AT WAYLAND POOL
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
FIRMS FINED OVER INDUSTRIAL PARK FIRE
Tags: Taiwan, industrial, fire, response, ethanol, ethyl_acetate, hydrazine, nitrogen, toxics
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION CAUSES EVACUATION OF FONTANA NEIGHBORHOOD Ç CBS LOS ANGELES
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, unknown_chemical, oxidizer
WESTBOUND M-14 REOPENS AFTER ACID SPILL
Tags: us_MI, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
UPDATE: EVERGREEN REFINERY OIL LEAK SECURED, OFFICIALS SAY
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, petroleum
UPDATE: HAZMAT CLEARS THE AIR
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
TANKER TRUCK LEAKS NONHAZARDOUS CHEMICAL IN ELGIN
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, petroleum
MULTIPLE KIDS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK AT POOL
Tags: us_OR, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
BOTTLE BOMB EXPLODES IN SAN DIEGO
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, bomb
13 YEAR OLD MAY FACE CHARGES FOR CHEMICAL BOMBS AT TWIN LAKES STORE - WEST OF THE I
Tags: us_IL, public, explosion, response, bomb
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AMMONIA SPILL ON TRAWLER IN DUTCH HARBOR SENDS 2 TO HOSPITAL
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/ammonia-spill-trawler-dutch-harbor-sends-2-hospital
Tags: us_AK, transportation, release, injury, ammonia
Two workers were hospitalized and at least 120 people were evacuated from a factory fish- processing ship that leaked up to 5,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia in port at Dutch Harbor Saturday afternoon.
The two were flown to Anchorage for medical treatment. The ship, the 367-foot-long M/V Excellence, was relocated to a moorage in Wide Bay, about 7.5 miles from the Kloosterboer North Dock in Dutch Harbor, where it leaked. Workers cannot enter the engineering space where the ammonia is leaking because of the danger, said Steven Russel of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
Anhydrous ammonia is used as a coolant in the vessel's refrigeration system. When compressed, the ammonia is a liquid, but upon release it turns into a gas. The gas displaces the oxygen in the body, causing nausea, shortness of breath, irritation to the eyes and headaches.
Ammonia is leaking at a fairly low pressure of less than 4 pounds per square inch. Russell said up to 4,000 pounds of the 22,000 pounds of ammonia aboard the vessel has been released. But Russel did not anticipate much more leakage due to the leak's location in the refrigeration system.
Once the leak was detected, nearby areas were cleared and the workers were evacuated. One of the workers flown to Anchorage has been released from the hospital.
The Unalaska fire department has been combating ammonia vapors from the vessel using a high-pressure water fog. DEC plans to monitor the vessel until it's safe for Hazmat teams to board and gather air data. Select members of the crew with Hazmat training are working alongside the Unalaska Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard.
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HAZMAT TEAM CALLED IN FOR CHEMICALS AT WAYLAND POOL
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1497932376/Hazmat-team-called-in-for-chemicals-at-Wayland-pool
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
WAYLAND Ñ
The state hazardous materials team took a trip to the community swimming pool yesterday morning, but not to cool off.
The team was called to the complex when a chemical mixing process in the basement went awry.
When they finished, the sweaty workers couldn't even go for a dip, because about 25 gallons of the toxic mixture had been pumped into the pool.
Fire officials yesterday said the pool, at 258 Old Connecticut Path, will hopefully be safe for swimming today.
Fire Chief Vincent Smith said the accident happened when an employee improperly mixed muriatic acid and chorine in a 100-gallon tank in the basement. Smith wasn't sure whether the chemicals were supposed to be mixed together or whether the lifeguard simply mixed them incorrectly.
"The person who did it immediately knew he did something wrong," Smith said yesterday at the pool.
Firefighters, police and EMTs arrived at the pool around 10 a.m. and cordoned off the area. Smith said the two employees and the pool manager were already outside when he arrived.
The pool's website and phone recording say it opens at 6:30 a.m on Sunday, but officials said the pool was closed at the time and no others were in the building.
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FIRMS FINED OVER INDUSTRIAL PARK FIRE
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/07/09/2003537317
Tags: Taiwan, industrial, fire, response, ethanol, ethyl_acetate, hydrazine, nitrogen, toxics
Following a fire that broke out at Taoyuan County's Kuanying Industrial Park before dawn on Saturday, the Taoyuan County Government's Environmental Protection Bureau yesterday said that initial testing on the concentration of toxic chemical substances in the air showed levels were within the appropriate limits, but added that wastewater had polluted a nearby river.
The fire broke out at 1:29am on Saturday near Datong 1st Rd in the industrial park and the flames spread across seven plants, including the Gearex Corp, the bureau said.
The bureau said that because the toxic chemical substances stored at Taiwan K.K. Corp and Lysurf Chemical Co were affected by the fire, it immediately initiated the emergency response mechanism and the Environmental Protection Administration also sent its toxic substance emergency response team.
Along with the response team, the bureau said it applied the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique to obtain pollution data in the surrounding at-risk areas.
The probe found that the concentration of methyl alcohol was 68.5 parts per million (ppm), below the standard of 200ppm; while the concentration of ethyl acetate was 56ppm, below the standard of 400ppm, collected at 4:30am.
The concentration levels of methyl alcohol and ethyl acetate had dropped to 5.4ppm and 2.8ppm respectively when tested at 6:30am, the bureau said, adding that the toxic substance stored at Taiwan K.K. Corp Ñ hydrazine Ñ had become nitrogen oxides when burning, so hydrazine had not been detected.
The bureau said it will impose a fine between NT$100,000 (US$3,336) and NT$1 million on the Gearex Corp for air pollution caused by its fire accident, based on the Air Pollution Control Act (???????).
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CHEMICAL EXPLOSION CAUSES EVACUATION OF FONTANA NEIGHBORHOOD Ç CBS LOS ANGELES
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/07/08/chemical-explosion-causes-evacuation-of-fontana-neighborhood/
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, unknown_chemical, oxidizer
FONTANA (CBS) Ñ A Fontana neighborhood was evacuated Sunday as a precaution against an exploded chemical that caused several people to become overcome and sick.
The explosion happened on the 1700 block of Vine Street, according to San Bernardino authorities.
According to officials, a half-dozen homes were evacuated as a precaution.
After an unknown chemical exploded, one resident called about a foul odor. Others complained about feeling "sick."
Rachel Kim, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, said that a "dangerous combination of high heat and chemicals" caused the explosion.
A HazMat squad determined the chemical, being stored in a five-gallon container, was filled with an oxidizer.
Several other containers with the oxidizer were also removed from the area and will be disposed of.
Kim was told that a resident was painting his car and the chemical used hardens the paint.
According to Chris Prater of the San Bernardino County Fire, the chemical became "unstable" due to the high heat.
He also said no injuries were reported.
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WESTBOUND M-14 REOPENS AFTER ACID SPILL
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120706/METRO05/207060407/1361/Truck-leaking-acid-closes-M-14-in-Glen-Arbor-Twp.
Tags: us_MI, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
Glen Arbor Township Ñ Westbound M-14 has reopened after a flatbed truck hauling a train car filled with acid overturned near U.S. 23 Friday morning, officials with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office said.
No one was injured in the incident, which occurred at about 7:30 a.m. However, the crash closed M-14 between Barton Shore Drive and Maple Road for nearly 14 hours.
The Ann Arbor Township Fire Department and the Washtenaw County hazmat team used sand to clean up the fluid, described as benzene dicarboxylic acid. The acid is used in the manufacture of food and beverage plastics, dyes, perfumes and medicines.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: EVERGREEN REFINERY OIL LEAK SECURED, OFFICIALS SAY
http://newark.patch.com/articles/hazmat-team-investigates-oil-leak-at-evergreen-oil-refinery
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, petroleum
Evergreen Oil Refinery was evacuated Friday morning after a report of a "superheated oil leaking," according Alameda County Fire officials.
About 70 people were evacuated from a building as a safety precaution while a HazMat team investigated the leak, which was a potential fire hazard, at the oil refinery plant located at 6880 Smith Street, according to tweets made from the Alameda County Fire Department.
Alameda County Fire Spokesperson Aisha Knowles said a pipe containing a superheated oil had leaked.
Evergreen Oil handles hazardous waste materials, including used
motor oil, antifreeze and other toxic waste, according to the company's
website.
A county hazardous materials team responded and determined there was no health hazard posed by the leak, according to Knowles.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: HAZMAT CLEARS THE AIR
http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/77223/Update-Hazmat-clears-the-air
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
"In back of one of the factories there was a possible chemical spill, or chemical interaction at one of the plants," says RCMP Sgt. Swecera.
It is reported that 36 people have been affected by the spill.
A Kelowna Transit bus was brought in to transport those affected, but so far, emergency officials were treating them at the scene.
Workers at Sun Valley Processed Foods say they began to feel faint after the incident began.
"Some of those fumes are causing some people some irritation," says Swercera.
As a safety precaution, the evacuation was extended to a number of other businesses between Leckie and Dilworth.
The fire department had to first ventilate the building before they could enter and deal with the spill, and there was concern raised for those who were downwind of the incident.
---------------------------------------------
TANKER TRUCK LEAKS NONHAZARDOUS CHEMICAL IN ELGIN
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120706/news/707069638/
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, petroleum
The high temperatures Friday may have contributed to a nonhazardous chemical leak from a semitrailer truck in Elgin Friday morning, fire officials said.
The truck, which was carrying several 500 gallon containers of a petroleum-based product, was crossing the train tracks at McLean Boulevard near Big Timber Road about 8:30 a.m. when the driver heard a noise and stopped, then saw the leak coming out of the trailer, Battalion Chief Bryan McMahan of the Elgin Fire Department said.
The tanks inside the trailer were filled to capacity, and it's likely the heat caused the containers to pop their tops, McMahan said.
Much of what was in the tanks spilled onto the roadways, which were shut down for four hours while crews worked to clean up the spill. The chemical, a water-soluble product used for industrial lubricants and cleaning agents, was deemed to be not hazardous, McMahan said.
---------------------------------------------
MULTIPLE KIDS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK AT POOL
http://www.kptv.com/story/18972812/multiple-people-taken-to-hospital-after-chemical-leak-at-pool
Tags: us_OR, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
TUALATIN, OR (KPTV) -
A day at the pool turned toxic Saturday sending 10 children to area hospitals after a gas leak caused the young swimmers to become ill.
The problem was caused by a chemical leak from a pipe located near a children's pool at Club Sport in Tualatin, according to Brian Barker, communications officer for Tualatin Fire & Rescue.
Barker said several children who breathed in the fumes had trouble breathing and were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Witnesses told KPTV the children were coughing and throwing up when managers evacuated the pool and called paramedics around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
All 10 of the children taken by paramedics were between the ages of 4 and 8 and were struggling to breathe when ambulances arrived, according to Barker.
A preliminary investigation indicates a chemical was released from a pipe in the children's play area. Club Sport employees told firefighters on the scene it is normal for that pipe to release gas but this is the first time it had sickened people.
---------------------------------------------
BOTTLE BOMB EXPLODES IN SAN DIEGO
http://scoopsandiego.com/la_mesa_courier/local_news/suspect-arrested-for-throwing-explosive-device-at-mts-trolley-in/article_3b686722-c859-11e1-940c-0019bb30f31a.html
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, bomb
On 07-03-12 at approximately 7:59 P.M., La Mesa Police Officers responded to a report of a bottle bomb that exploded at the Spring Street Trolley Station, located at 4250 Spring Street in the City of La Mesa.
Responding officers located a deformed 16 ounce plastic bottle on the trolley platform. Investigators later determined the bottle had been filled with magnesium and water, causing an explosive chemical reaction. After reviewing the surveillance video provided by the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), it appeared someone had thrown the bottle from a westbound trolley near the Spring Street Trolley Station. The bottle fell to the ground. A few minutes later the bottle exploded. There were no injuries from the explosion and the trolley was not damaged.
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13 YEAR OLD MAY FACE CHARGES FOR CHEMICAL BOMBS AT TWIN LAKES STORE - WEST OF THE I
http://www.westofthei.com/2012/07/07/13-year-old-may-face-charges-for-chemical-bombs-at-twin-lakes-store/32312
Tags: us_IL, public, explosion, response, bomb
On Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 6:38PM, Twin Lakes Police Officers were dispatched to a grocery store in the 600 block of North Lake Avenue for a vandalism complaint. Upon arrival, the officers discovered that a 13 year old from McHenry, Illinois had detonated a homemade chemical device while inside of the store, causing an undetermined amount of damage. A mother and her small child were in the aisle when the device exploded. Fortunately, there was no personal injury to any employee or customers. Officers immediately requested the store to be evacuated and the Twin Lakes Fire Department and EMS were summoned. Officers checked the interior of the store in an attempt to locate other devices with negative results. A customer in the store who observed the act had followed the 13 year old out of the store and called the police to advise them that he was following the subject, who was on foot, at which time the 13 year old was subsequently detained by responding officers. Upon detain!
ing the 13 year old, it was discovered that he had placed two similar homemade chemical devices next to the large propane tanks outside of the Sentry Food Store. The devices were located and the Kenosha County Sheriff's Bomb Squad responded to the scene to render the devices safe and did so without incident. This matter has been turned over to the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office for five Felony charges, to include 2- counts Reckless Endangering Safety and 3- counts Possession of Explosive Devices. A homemade chemical "bomb" is an explosive device that can be made easily from volatile household chemicals (e.g., toilet bowl, drain, and driveway cleaners) purchased at a local hardware or grocery store. When these and other ingredients are combined and shaken in a capped container, the internal gas pressure generated from the chemical reaction causes the container to expand and explode. The subsequent explosion can cause injuries or death to persons in the imm!
ediate vicinity of the detonation.
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Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society
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