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From: Secretary ACS DCHAS <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] CHAS Tweets and Chemical Safety headlines (13 articles)
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2014 07:37:15 -0400
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: 1E2FF8F9-387A-494C-A203-A2697D51230E**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
**At_Symbol_Here**ACSDCHAS and **At_Symbol_Here**LabSustain tweets and Chemical Safety Headlines
Links to the headlines below can be found at the http://www.dchas.org/newsflash
Table of Contents (13 articles)
CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD: FLAWS IN THE BLOWOUT PREVENTER BLAMED FOR DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL
Tags: us_AL, industrial, follow-up, response, oils, petroleum
MICRON CHEMICAL CAUSES A BIG STINK IN MANASSAS
Tags: us_VA, industrial, release, response, hydrogen_sulfide, runoff, waste
EASTHAMPTON, MASS.: EATERY MISTAKES CLEANER FOR CHEESE, SICKENING TEEN
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, cleaners
CHEMICAL REACTION INCIDENT AT STRONGWELL SENDS 1 WORKER TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_VA, industrial, release, injury, resin
UPDATE: DOVER YMCA CLOSED DUE TO CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_DE, public, release, response, chlorine, pool_chemicals
HAZMAT SHIPPING FINES PROPOSED
Tags: us_IA, transportation, discovery, environmental, illegal
KINGS HAZMAT TEAM CALLED TO POOL CHEMICAL SPILL IN ANNAPOLIS COUNTY
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
BLUE RHINO BLAST HUMAN ERROR
Tags: us_FL, industrial, follow-up, response, metals, propane
UPDATED: TWO INJURED IN EXPLOSION NEAR RICHMOND
Tags: us_MI, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
UPDATE: PAINT EXPLOSION CAUSES FIRE IN HEYBURN BUSINESS
Tags: us_ID, industrial, explosion, response, paints
OFFICIALS TO BURN AREA OF DELTA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CONTAMINATED BY OIL LEAK
Tags: us_LA, public, release, environmental, petroleum
LAB WORKER DIES IN INCIDENT AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AT QATAR
Tags: Qatar, laboratory, explosion, death
FIRE DAMAGES STORAGE FACILITY AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN ASCENSION PARISH
Tags: us_LA, industrial, fire, response, plastics
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CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD: FLAWS IN THE BLOWOUT PREVENTER BLAMED FOR DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL
Tags: us_AL, industrial, follow-up, response, oils, petroleum
MOBILE, Alabama -- Deficiencies in the blowout preventer, the safety measure of last resort on oil rigs, may have caused the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The technology, which is designed to cut off the flow of oil from the subsea oil well, failed because the drill pipe buckled, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said Thursday.
"The component of the Deepwater Horizon blowout preventer meant to shear and seal the well was not suitable for the Macondo drilling operation, as it could not reliably shear the drill pipe used during the majority of the DWH drilling operations leading up to (but excluding) April 20," their report said.
The safety board released the first two volumes of findings for its investigation into the blowout of the Macondo well, one of many moving parts involving BP and Transocean who operated the rig.
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MICRON CHEMICAL CAUSES A BIG STINK IN MANASSAS
Tags: us_VA, industrial, release, response, hydrogen_sulfide, runoff, waste
Something stinks in Manassas.
City water and sewer officials say they?re working hard to deal with a foul odor resulting from wet weather and a chemical found in waste water generated from the nearby Micron microprocessor plant.
Residents of Sandy Court, who live in a subdivision near Godwin and Battlefield drives, have complained to the city about a bad smell described as a combination of sewage and spoiled eggs.
Tony Dawood, deputy director of the city?s water and sewer department, said the smell is coming from a nearby side storage pond that fills with stormwater during significant rainfall. The pond also serves as a temporary holding point for runoff from the nearby Micron plant.
That effluent contains the chemical hydrogen sulfide, created in the Micron manufacturing process, that discharges the odor when the chemical transforms from a liquid to a gas.
Dawood said the odor is not harmful because gas levels in the area are well below limits that would cause concern. Still, he said the city understands the smell is a nuisance and is working to make it better.
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EASTHAMPTON, MASS.: EATERY MISTAKES CLEANER FOR CHEESE, SICKENING TEEN
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, cleaners
EASTHAMPTON, MASS. ? Authorities say a customer at a Massachusetts restaurant became sick when an employee mistakenly sprinkled a chemical cleaner on food instead of grated cheese.
Easthampton health agent Jackie Duda says the teenager fell ill immediately after eating the food Sunday at Riff's Joint and was driven to an emergency room. She says the teen is recovering and no one else is believed to have eaten the cleaner.
Duda says the powdered chemical had been removed from its original container and placed in another that was not properly labeled. She tells The Daily Hampshire Gazette (http://bit.ly/1kxCB5y">http://bit.ly/1kxCB5y ) the restaurant has rectified the issues that led to the poisoning.
Co-owner Jeffrey Cahill called it an isolated incident caused by "gross human error" that won't happen again.
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CHEMICAL REACTION INCIDENT AT STRONGWELL SENDS 1 WORKER TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_VA, industrial, release, injury, resin
BRISTOL, Va. ? An early morning reaction inside a chemical processing room at Strongwell Corp. on Commonwealth Avenue resulted in one worker being hospitalized, a company spokesman said Thursday.
Strongwell Marketing Manager Barry Myers said the company is still investigating to determine if a freezer malfunctioned or if a catalyst that cause a prescribed chemical reaction began its process too early, but 14 gallons of resin vaporized into the air.
Three workers in that area were exposed and immediately put through a decontamination process and other accident protocols, Myers said.
"There was no explosion or anything like that, just a chemical reaction that emitted a vapor that some workers got into close contact with," he said.
A male worker was taken to Bristol Regional Medical Center for further treatment and was being held for observation for 24 hours, the company official said.
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UPDATE: DOVER YMCA CLOSED DUE TO CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_DE, public, release, response, chlorine, pool_chemicals
DOVER, Del.- The Dover YMCA was evacuated Thursday due to a chemical leak inside the basement of the building, according to police.
The Dover Police Department, Dover Fire Department, and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control responded to the scene.
Officials determined a company delivering pool chemicals accidentally mixed meuriatic acid and chlorine. That caused a reaction inside the storage area.
Everyone in the building was quickly evacuated. There were no injuries.
DNREC officials removed the materials safely. The YMCA closed for the day but should reopen Friday.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT SHIPPING FINES PROPOSED
Tags: us_IA, transportation, discovery, environmental, illegal
FAA is proposing to fine Atlantic Technical Systems Inc. $76,000 for allegedly violating federal hazardous materials regulations (hazmat).
FAA said that, on Nov. 11, 2013, Atlantic Technical Systems offered three, four-liter containers of isopropyl alcohol to FedEx for shipment by air to Woodstock, Ill. FAA alleged that Atlantic Technical Systems did not declare the hazardous materials and did not properly package and label the contents.
Separately, FAA proposes to fine Hixwood Metal Inc. $63,000 for allegedly violating hazmat rules. The agency said that on Aug. 28, 2013, Hixwood Metal offered a five-gallon container of industrial lubricant to UPS for shipment by air to West Union, Iowa. FAA alleged that the company did not properly declare or package the shipment.
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KINGS HAZMAT TEAM CALLED TO POOL CHEMICAL SPILL IN ANNAPOLIS COUNTY
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
Kingston firefighters and the Kings County Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Emergency Response team dealt with a chemical spill June 5 in Wilmot, Annapolis County.
Kingston firefighters responded around 10:30 a.m. to a report of a chemical spill at a residence in Wilmot, which is part of the Kingston department?s coverage area.
On their arrival, according to Kingston fire chief Watson Armstrong, they found ?someone had been mixing pool chemicals in the kitchen,? and a quantity of chemical had spilled accidentally.
The Kings County HazMat teams from Wolfville, New Minas and Kentville were called in to deal with the spill.
Armstrong confirmed one individual was transported from the scene by ambulance to Soldiers Memorial Hospital in Middleton. A total of three people - two females and one male - were taken to hospital for assessment.
The spill was cleaned up without further incident and firefighters were clear of the scene by approximately 1:30 p.m.
---------------------------------------------
BLUE RHINO BLAST HUMAN ERROR
Tags: us_FL, industrial, follow-up, response, metals, propane
Human error caused last summer's blast and fire at the Blue Rhino depot in Tavares that injured seven workers, state investigators concluded in a report released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The accident investigation, conducted by inspectors with the department's Bureau of Liquefied Gas Inspections, does not say who is to blame, however, as it cites conflicting statements from the depot managers and hourly workers.
A spark from a forklift ignited a cloud of gas on the site about 10:30 p.m. on July 29, triggering a spectacular fire that propelled hundreds of 20-pound metal tanks into the air and injured seven workers, according to the state report.
Brandon Stewart, the depot's acting plant manager at the time of the blast, told investigators he was not aware that plant employees were venting propane containers into the air behind the facility ? a violation of the company's operating procedures.
But the practice of "bleeding" propane from tanks in the storage yard was not unusual, the report noted, citing statements of workers who were severely burned in the fire. Other workers, who were not injured, said they were not surprised to learn that tank valves were opened in the yard to drain the gas as that method would "make the work go quicker."
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UPDATED: TWO INJURED IN EXPLOSION NEAR RICHMOND
Tags: us_MI, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
RICHMOND TWP. Two people were transported to area hospitals following an explosion in the 29000 block of 33 Mile Road.
Macomb County Sheriff Lt. John Michalke said contractors were installing drainage tiles in a field when a piece of equipment hit the Blue Water Gas Storage gas line, causing an explosion shortly after 1 p.m.
The injured men were taken to McLaren Macomb with injuries that did not appear life threatening, according to officials.
Richmond Fire Chief Steve Cooke said the explosion was brief. He said emergency safety valves shut off gas to the 20-inch pipeline when the explosion occurred.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: PAINT EXPLOSION CAUSES FIRE IN HEYBURN BUSINESS
Tags: us_ID, industrial, explosion, response, paints
HEYBURN ? Firefighters responded to a structure fire in Heyburn Monday afternoon after paint caused a flareup in a painting booth at Legend Seating Co. near the Ponderosa Golf Course.
A small explosion in the building started the fire, and crews from Heyburn and Burley spent 15 minutes getting the flames under control, said Burley Fire Chief Shannon Tolman.
?We?ve got a lot of smoke we?re trying to clear out now, so it?s hard to determine how much damage was caused,? Tolman said. ?This is a pretty big building and the damage will be pretty substantial.?
Fire crews received the call at about 2:30 p.m. Nobody was injured in the fire, Tolman said.
Mike Brown, fire chief at Minidoka County Fire Protection District, said the fire was caused by a short in a lighting ballast in the building. A spark ignited paint fumes in the building, causing extensive damage to the paint booth. Brown said about $250,000 of damage was caused by the fire.
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OFFICIALS TO BURN AREA OF DELTA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CONTAMINATED BY OIL LEAK
Tags: us_LA, public, release, environmental, petroleum
VENICE, Louisiana ? Federal and state officials will burn an area of the Delta National Wildlife Refuge that was contaminated by a 2,100 gallon crude oil leak discovered last week.
The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1klMkvu">http://bit.ly/1klMkvu ) the source of the spill was a breach in a bulk oil line buried underneath the marsh.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says Texas Petroleum Investment Co. was identified as the responsible party.
The breach has been repaired, and the line will not be used for future production.
About 10 acres of freshwater marsh in the Delta National Wildlife Refuge, located southeast of Venice in Plaquemines Parish, was impacted by the oil.
During the burn, Octave Pass will be closed to mariners on Tuesday and will be reopened when the burn is complete.
---------------------------------------------
LAB WORKER DIES IN INCIDENT AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AT QATAR
Tags: Qatar, laboratory, explosion, death
A lab worker at Texas A&M University at Qatar died last week after an incident in the engineering building, according to a statement by Mark Weichold, dean and CEO of the school.
Some sort of explosion in the lab killed petroleum engineering lab technician Hassan Kamal Hussein, who is survived by his wife and four daughters, reported the Daily Q, a student publication at Northwestern University in Qatar. Also from the Daily Q:
Haitham Al-Haidari, a senior at TAMU-Q, went with his friend to the research lab on the third floor to investigate, after hearing the sound of an explosion. They were then joined by a professor from the electrical engineering department.
?They went inside and I was going after them but then they came out looking really shocked so I didn?t go inside,? said Al-Haidari. ?They said there was a guy on the ground and there was a lot of blood.?
Al-Haidari also added that it took some time for the fire alarms to set off and then everyone was evacuated from the building. Later, the medics and firefighters came inside the building.
After a team of medics and firefighters entered the building, they informed Al-Haidari and the professor that a teaching assistant had suffered fatal injuries. ?The doctor who came to the building first told me and the professor that the medics and firefighters have announced that the guy has passed away.? This account matches several others, although no official confirmation has been released.
And from Doha News:
Speaking to Doha News, a student said he was next to TAMUQ?s laboratory when he heard a popping sound. He went to investigate and observed a lab coordinator unconscious on the floor, with blood in the area.
The student, who asked to remain anonymous, said it was several minutes before police were called and medical care arrived.
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FIRE DAMAGES STORAGE FACILITY AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN ASCENSION PARISH
Tags: us_LA, industrial, fire, response, plastics
GEISMAR, Louisiana ? A late morning fire at a storage unit sent thick smoke billowing from the Westlake Chemical plant in Ascension Parish.
The Advocate reports that the fire was out by 12:20 p.m. (http://bit.ly/UbZII7">http://bit.ly/UbZII7 ).
Rick Webre, director of the Ascension Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said the fire did not involve the plastics facility's production units but the blaze did produce a lot of smoke. State police spokesman Lt. J.B. Slaton told The Associated Press that the storage unit held a chemical used in the manufacturing of polyvinyl chloride.
Slaton said no injuries were reported and all plant workers were accounted for.
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