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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (15 articles)
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2015 06:00:07 -0400
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: 24216059-1F3C-412D-B0F1-5A3F2B6DCA1F**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, June 12, 2015 at 5:59:47 AM
A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (15 articles)
CITY KEEPS A CLOSE WATCH ON CONEWAGO CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, environmental, ag_chems
EVACUATION AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK AT UNIVERSITY LABORATORY
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, release, response, ammonia
NO INJURIES IN FIRE THAT REQUIRED HAZMAT CREWS
Tags: us_AR, transportation, fire, response, ag_chems
UPDATE: 7 RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL AFTER UW-P CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_WI, laboratory, release, response, hydrogen, metals
POLICE: MAN KILLS SELF WITH CHEMICAL GAS, 11 HOSPITALIZED
Tags: us_MA, public, release, death, hydrogen, suicide, sulphur
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BLAZE AT CHEMICAL FACTORY NEAR DIMONA
Tags: Israel, industrial, fire, injury, ag_chems, ammonia
MEDICS ILL AFTER EXPOSURE TO UNKNOWN CHEMICAL IN AUCKLAND MALL
Tags: New_Zealand, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES MAJOR INTERSECTION IN UPTOWN BECKLEY
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
NO INJURIES IN CHEMICAL FIRE OFF INDIANA 57
Tags: us_IN, industrial, fire, response, carbon_dioxide
FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO HAZMAT INCIDENT IN EAST HAMPTON
Tags: us_NY, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid, pool_chemicals
UCF POLICE FIND SUSPICIOUS CHEMICALS AT KNIGHTS CIRCLE
Tags: us_FL, education, discovery, response, bomb
ESTONIA CHEMICAL PLANT CATCHES FIRE
Tags: Ukraine, industrial, fire, death, acids, metals, toxics
WEST-INSPIRED FERTILIZER STORAGE BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems, ammonium_nitrate, flammables, nitrogen
DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATED BY ADAMS COUNTY CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE; WATER RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE
Tags: us_PA, public, fire, environmental, ag_chems, pesticides, runoff
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE
Tags: us_PA, industrial, explosion, response, ag_chems
---------------------------------------------
CITY KEEPS A CLOSE WATCH ON CONEWAGO CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, environmental, ag_chems
Lancaster officials say they are keeping a close eye on an Adams County fertilizer plant fire that has contaminated a tributary of the Susquehanna River, a major source of drinking water to tens of thousands of resident of the city and its suburbs.
The fire at Miller Chemical and efforts to extinguish it forced contaminants into the Conewago Creek, and public-works officials here say they are concerned about the impact on Lancaster‰??s water supply.
They said they may be forced to implement water restrictions if the chemicals reach Lancaster‰??s water source.
‰??It‰??s a pretty scary situation, and we hope everyone does their job of cleaning it up so it does not affect the city,‰?? said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, Lancaster city‰??s director of public works.
She said that city employees are being vigilant and maintaining close contact with state Department of Environment Protection officials about the contamination.
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EVACUATION AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK AT UNIVERSITY LABORATORY
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, release, response, ammonia
A chemical leak broke out at the Physics‰?? Department Clarendon Laboratory last Wednesday evening, causing the building to be evacuated.
The laboratory in Parks Road was evacuated around 10pm after reports were made of a smell later identified as ammonia gas.
Two fire engines from Oxford City station, a specialist Hazardous Decontamination Unit and decontamination vehicle, and a crew of twelve firemen successfully contained the incident.
A spokesman for Oxford University stated that there were no injuries as a result of the incident, adding: ‰??Students noticed the noxious smell and called the University‰??s security services who immediately evacuated the building and notified the fire service‰??.
‰??The fire service responded rapidly and ensured that any gas was quickly dispersed and the equipment was made safe.The building reopened as normal this morning‰??.
Crew manager Ben Bishop from Rewley Road fire station commented: ‰??Accurate information was supplied to us quickly to enable us to establish a good cordon nice and early to prevent anyone from being affected.‰??
‰??We are well versed with the hazards posed by this type of incident and conduct regular visits to ensure our information and plans are kept up-to-date and practiced‰??.
On being asked about concerns about safety in the laboratory, one first year Physics student said that he is not worried about the implications of this incident: ‰??These things are very rare, and the authorities have proper procedure to take care of it. They do check equipment regularly, so I‰??m really not that worried‰??.
The University Safety Office has published a set of safety rules for laboratories where there is a risk of chemical exposure. Rules are reviewed annually and are explained to laboratory personnel and students before they begin practical work.
---------------------------------------------
NO INJURIES IN FIRE THAT REQUIRED HAZMAT CREWS
Tags: us_AR, transportation, fire, response, ag_chems
JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) -
Several first responders were on the scene of a fire involving hazardous materials, according to Craighead County Jonesboro E911 Director Jeff Presley. No one was injured in the incident.
Presley told Region 8 News that a truck loaded with fertilizer caught fire near Highway 91 between Cash and Jonesboro, near Cole Corner.
According to Presley, several fire departments assisted in fighting the blaze. The Arkansas Office of Emergency Management was called to assist.
Presley said no evacuations took place because the fire was "in an open area."
Crews on the scene told dispatchers that the truck is loaded with 12,000 pounds of urea. The fire started in the cab of the truck and did not spread to the urea.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: 7 RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL AFTER UW-P CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_WI, laboratory, release, response, hydrogen, metals
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. ‰?? Seven people were sent to the hospital for observation and precautionary measures following a chemical spill today in a University of Wisconsin-Platteville building.
University officials said no injuries were reported.
The chemical ‰??spill‰?? occurred at about 11:45 a.m. in Ottensman Hall, causing a reaction that released a chemical cloud throughout the second floor of the building, according to a press release. The university‰??s chemistry program is housed on that floor.
According to Jesse Decker, UW-P risk management specialist, a small amount of lithium metal accidentally was dropped into a sink drain. The reaction of lithium with water in the drain trap caused hydrogen gas and lithium hydroxide to form.
Fire department crews responded to verify that the chemical reaction was complete and to ventilate the floor. One student and six staff members, whose names were not released, were exposed to the chemical cloud. They were sent to Southwest Health Center for observation and precautionary measures. They were released later Thursday.
By 2 p.m. the building was ventilated, the scene of the spill secured and the ground, first and third floors of the building reopened.
Parts of the second floor will remain closed until further notice, along with the main elevator for the building, according to university spokesman Dan Wackershauser. He did not know how many people were in the building at the time of the spill.
According to Decker, specifically for lithium metal, safety protocols are followed as directed by the university‰??s safety data sheet.
‰??The quick work of our (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) team under John Niehaus and extra ventilating fans provided by the Platteville Fire Department allowed for quick venting and minimization of the chemical,‰?? wrote Decker in an email. ‰??We will be reviewing this incident in its entirety with the principal investigator, the chemical hygiene officer and the chair of chemistry (department).‰??
---------------------------------------------
POLICE: MAN KILLS SELF WITH CHEMICAL GAS, 11 HOSPITALIZED
Tags: us_MA, public, release, death, hydrogen, suicide, sulphur
A man who was apparently distraught over a failing relationship released chemical gases in his apartment on Thursday, killing himself and sending 11 other people to the hospital, authorities said.
Police in Lowell say officers and paramedics responded in the late morning to a third-floor apartment after the 31-year-old man made postings on Facebook that concerned his friends.
23 Animals Found Dead in Home, Owners Arrested
Authorities aren't sure what chemicals were used, but early indications are a mix of hydrogen and sulfur, police Capt. Timothy Crowley said.
"We believe that the reason he had been making postings about harming himself was the dissolving of a relationship that he had," Crowley said.
RAW VIDEO: Police at Hazmat Scene in Lowell, Massachusetts
Authorities say 1 person committed chemical suicide and that at least 7 first responders have been hospitalized. (Published Thursday, Jun 11, 2015)
Four police officers and three emergency medical workers were exposed to hazardous materials and were taken to a hospital in unknown conditions, authorities said. The four officers were being treated for possible respiratory problems.
Four residents of the house also were taken to the hospital, but police say it doesn't appear they were exposed to the gases.
---------------------------------------------
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BLAZE AT CHEMICAL FACTORY NEAR DIMONA
Tags: Israel, industrial, fire, injury, ag_chems, ammonia
Firefighters were battling a blaze that broke out at one of the facilities of the Rotem Amfert chemicals factory near Dimona on Wednesday.
Factory emergency services, who were helping to fight the fire along with 17 firefighting crews, said that there was not known to be anybody trapped in the facility.
The firefighters were all evacuated from the facility, which was in danger of collapsing. Biohazard teams were also on the scene.
One firefighter fell sustaining light injuries while fighting the blaze and an employee took ill from breathing in noxious fumes. Fire crews were fighting to prevent the blaze from spreading to the factory's ammonia production facility.
Rotem Amfert is a subsidiary of Israel Chemicals which produces complex fertilizers and phosphate fertilizers.
---------------------------------------------
MEDICS ILL AFTER EXPOSURE TO UNKNOWN CHEMICAL IN AUCKLAND MALL
Tags: New_Zealand, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
Three St John paramedics have been hospitalised after coming into contact with an unknown chemical while treating a man in an Auckland shopping mall bathroom.
A large emergency service presence descended on Westfield Manukau about 1.20pm.
St John spokesman Robbie Walker said three paramedics and the male patient were being transported to Middlemore Hospital.
Fire Service spokesman Jaron Phillips said they had come into contact with a jar of an unknown chemical while treating the patient who had also come into contact with the chemical.
Mr Walker said the original patient was in a serious condition while one paramedic was in a serious condition, one in a moderate condition and one in a minor condition.
Mr Phillips said the man had the "jar of chemicals", understood to be a liquid, in a bathroom at the mall.
Numerous police, firefighters and St John vehicles were seen at the shopping centre on the corner of Great South Rd and Manukau Station Rd.
Fire Service hazardous material crews decontaminated personnel and controlled the chemical, said Mr Phillips.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES MAJOR INTERSECTION IN UPTOWN BECKLEY
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
Emergency responders were on the scene of a chemical spill in Beckley on Wednesday, June 10, 2015. According to a Captain with the Beckley Fire Department, five 5-gallon buckets fell off of a truck at around 3 p.m. Right now, there is no word on what the chemical was.
Crews have closed down one lane on Harper Road and one lane on Robert C. Byrd Drive at the intersection where the two roads meet. That is near the Beckley Intermodal Gateway. Officials said the lanes will be closed for several hours. Drivers should avoid the area
---------------------------------------------
NO INJURIES IN CHEMICAL FIRE OFF INDIANA 57
Tags: us_IN, industrial, fire, response, carbon_dioxide
Firefighters put out a chemical fire at a Vanderburgh County business on Indiana 57 at about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday.
The fire at American Custom Extrusion was reported at 1:45 p.m., about four miles northeast of Evansville Regional Airport. The fire occurred inside the exhaust ducts of American Custom, where it was contained, firefighters said. It did not spread to the interior of the building. Arriving crews found the building full of smoke. The fire took about an hour to put out.
All employees were evacuated and no one was injured. Tim Robards, owner of American Custom Extrusion, said there was minimal damage to the building and that the facility would be operational again late Tuesday afternoon. The business is located at 14020 Indiana 57.
Firefighters were unable to use water to extinguish the fire because of compounds used and present in the ducts, officials said. Instead, chemical extinguishers and carbon dioxide were used to put out the fire.
"This is a relatively rare incident," Captain Nathan Stoermer said. "The exterior heat with how hot and humid it is compounded the issue."
Indiana 57 was shut down for about an hour due to the incident.
---------------------------------------------
FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO HAZMAT INCIDENT IN EAST HAMPTON
Tags: us_NY, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid, pool_chemicals
Update, 3:30 p.m.: A case of pool chemicals fell off the back of a truck, calling out the East Hampton Fire Department's hazmat team on Tuesday afternoon.
Ken Wessberg, the first assistant fire chief, said about half a gallon of muriatic acid, used to clean the lining of pools, spilled onto the road at the intersection of Cedar Street and Stephen Hand's Path. He and Gerry Turza, the second assistant chief, responded to the call.
"The road started smoking," Chief Wessberg said, adding that he called the fire marshal, who said the hazmat team could use water on the chemicals. Firefighters hosed down the road.
The case likely fell off a pool company's truck, but no one claimed the chemicals, Chief Wessberg said. The situation took about 20 minutes to remedy. "Everything is fine," he said.
---------------------------------------------
UCF POLICE FIND SUSPICIOUS CHEMICALS AT KNIGHTS CIRCLE
Tags: us_FL, education, discovery, response, bomb
Reports of a suspicious package sent area police officers to Knights Circle apartments, where they found bottles filled with foil and acid ‰?? a chemical mixture that causes containers to pressurize and explode.
Around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, UCF Police officers received a call from a Knights Circle maintenance worker who was doing a routine clean-up in the parking lot, according to a UCF PD news release.
The worker found a Powerade bottle filled with pressurized liquid at the parking lot between buildings 12 and 13.
Officers responded on scene and found three more bottles nearby.
Police knocked on the apartment doors and asked students to evacuate buildings 12 and 13. About a half hour later, a UCF Alert was sent out the community, warning students to stay clear of the area. Officers from the UCF Police Department and Orange County Sheriff's Office roped off the area surrounding buildings 12 and 13. The local fire department and bomb techs were also on the scene.
---------------------------------------------
ESTONIA CHEMICAL PLANT CATCHES FIRE
Tags: Ukraine, industrial, fire, death, acids, metals, toxics
A fire broke out at an Estonian plant producing rare metals on June 9, sending potentially toxic chemicals into the air.
That's according to the national Rescue Service Department.
Local residents were urged to stay indoors and keep all windows closed after the Silmet complex caught ablaze near the town of SillamÌ?e.
"There are chemicals in there. It is unclear yet whether an explosion can occur due to high temperature combustion. Rescuers suggest there may be some acids in the building but this information is unconfirmed," - said a spokesperson of Rescue Service Department, Helen Tammets.
The fire has destroyed the roof of one of the plant facilities, preventing firefighters from tackling the flames from inside the building. Chemical contamination and the spread of toxic smoke remains a threat.
Rescuers arrived with special equipment and doctors at the scene, but so far it is unknown whether people were trapped in the burning building.
Earlier today a similar tragedy hit Ukraine's capital - a powerful explosion killed a number of firemen as they fought to control a blazing fuel depot which had burned through the night outside of Kyiv.
---------------------------------------------
WEST-INSPIRED FERTILIZER STORAGE BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems, ammonium_nitrate, flammables, nitrogen
A fertilizer safety bill inspired by the 2013 West explosion that killed 15 people is now law and should ensure that no more ammonium nitrate facilities explode, said its author, state Rep. Kyle Kacal, R-College Station.
Kacal, whose district includes West, stood with West Mayor Tommy Muska on Monday as Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 942.
‰??We‰??re going to make this state safer,‰?? he said. ‰??I hope there‰??s not another fire at one of these facilities ‰?? we cannot prevent those ‰?? but a fire should not be catastrophic.‰??
The bill requires ammonium nitrate dealers to allow state fire marshal inspections, to maintain a 30-foot distance between the fertilizer and flammable materials and to report their storage quantities to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rather than the Department of State Health Services.
A fire at the West Fertilizer Co. dealership on April 17, 2013, detonated 30 tons of the granulated nitrogen fertilizer, leading to an explosion that wrecked whole neighborhoods and killed 15 people, mostly firefighters.
---------------------------------------------
DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATED BY ADAMS COUNTY CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE; WATER RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE
Tags: us_PA, public, fire, environmental, ag_chems, pesticides, runoff
Thousands of Adams County residents on Tuesday remained under mandatory water restrictions one day after a fire destroyed a fertilizer plant and led to the contamination of one of the main water sources in the region.
Approximately 4,500 New Oxford residents continued to get their water from York County after public safety officials detected contaminants in the south branch of the Conewago Creek in the aftermath of the Monday fire that destroyed the Miller Chemical and Fertilizer Corp., in Conewago Township just outside Hanover.
Officials are closely monitoring another tributary after they found traces of herbicides, pesticides and other substances consistent with possible contamination.
Officials shut down the main intake for water for New Oxford early on Monday in advance of a possible contamination from the runoff of the water used to battle the blaze.
John Repetz, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, explained that as a result, water samples showed no negative impact to the water supply for the borough.
The contamination continued to work its way through the creek on Tuesday, however, but the intake remained shut down. Residents do not have access to that water.
---------------------------------------------
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE
Tags: us_PA, industrial, explosion, response, ag_chems
HANOVER ‰?? Firefighters attacked a blaze later Monday at a central Pennsylvania chemical plant after letting it burn for hours.
Officials said crews were knocking down remaining exterior walls and pouring water on the flames at Miller Chemical and Fertilizer plant in Conewago, Adams County.
They constructed a retention pool to recycle hose water and minimize environmental impact.
The blaze broke out at about 3:30 a.m. Monday and burned into the afternoon. No injuries were reported. The cause is under investigation.
Officials said the smoke is not considered toxic. Nearby residents were asked to shelter in place as a precaution. Officials were monitoring air quality.
People at the scene reported a nasty smell and burning eyes. Several containers were heard exploding.
Miller Chemical said it manufactures nonhazardous crop protection and nutritional agrochemicals.
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