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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, March 18, 2016 at 5:16:48 AM
A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__pinboard.in_u-3Adchas&d=BQIFaQ&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=meWM1Buqv4IQ27AlK1OJRjcQl09S1Zta6YXKalY_Io0&m=6jf23zriMWHeGTc7MiGUVN5wcGqPRahjjgfD8LTkq78&s=qXZ7mMVsp6Xp_1hx8-Pbui9PUK9GPx-m__5dxuEIcW8&e=
Table of Contents (18 articles)
CITIES ACROSS THE WEST COAST ARE UNITING AGAINST MONSANTO
Tags: us_OR, public, discovery, environmental, toxics
LAB CHEMICALS "KILL TEACHER"
Tags: Zimbabwe, laboratory, death, release, unknown_chemical
SOUTH TEXAS SMALL TOWNS MOVE TO PROFESSIONAL FIRE AND EMS CREWS
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental
INSIDE THE INVESTIGATION INTO US CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, ammonium_nitrate
HOW FIREFIGHTERS APPROACH BLAZES INVOLVING CHEMICALS
Tags: us_AL, industrial, follow-up, environmental, plastics
NATIONAL ZOO'S AMERICAN TRAIL TEMPORARILY CLOSED AFTER CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
Tags: us_DC, public, explosion, response, chlorine
WALMART REOPENS AFTER HAZMAT RESPONSE
Tags: us_MD, public, release, response, cleaners
FIRE BREATHER LIGHTS HIMSELF ON FIRE IN PEP RALLY STUNT GONE WRONG
Tags: us_FL, public, fire, injury, flammables
BIG RIG SLAMS INTO TRUCK STOPPED FOR A CRASH, KILLING DRIVER, SPILLING HAZMAT
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, death, other_chemical, dust
EPFD HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO AMMONIA LEAK INSIDE SOUTH-CENTRAL ICE COMPANY
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, ammonia
HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO TORRANCE EXXONMOBIL REFINERY FOR MASSIVE FLARING
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
HAZMAT RESPONDS TO GAS LEAK IN PORT RICHMOND
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, liquid_nitrogen
VIKING CABINETS, INC. FINED $107,000 FOR HAZARDS INCLUDING COMBUSTIBLE DUST
Tags: us_WA, industrial, discovery, response, dust, flammables, illegal, toxics
03/16/2016: CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION REQUIREMENTS ARE MET AND SETTLEMENT AGREED TO IN SWANTON, VT.
Tags: us_VT, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonia, hvac_chemicals, illegal
RESEARCHER INJURED AFTER AN EXPLOSION AT A UH MANOA LABORATORY
Tags: us_HI, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
ACTIVISTS DEMAND ACTION AGAINST INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL IN WATER
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO SEMI CRASH
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
2 THAI EXECS FACE CHARGES AFTER SAFETY SYSTEM MISHAP KILLS 8
Tags: Thailand, public, follow-up, death
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CITIES ACROSS THE WEST COAST ARE UNITING AGAINST MONSANTO
Tags: us_OR, public, discovery, environmental, toxics
Monsanto may have stopped developing Polychlorinated Biphenyls " typically known as PCBs " nearly four decades ago, but on the West Coast, lawsuits associated with this toxic group of chemicals keep mounting against the agrochemical giant.
On Wednesday, the Portland City Council voted to sue the Monsanto Company in federal court. Once Portland files the suit, it will become the seventh city to go after Monsanto over the toxic chemicals it produced, Portland City Attorney Tracy Reeve told ThinkProgress.
"Portland"s elected officials are committed to holding Monsanto accountable for its apparent decision to favor profits over ecological and human health," Reeve said in a statement. "Monsanto profited from selling PCBs for decades and needs to take responsibility for cleaning up after the mess it created."
In the resolution unanimously approved by the City Council, Portland claims Monsanto is liable for PCB pollution found in the Willamette River " which crosses the city " the Columbia Slough, and other waterways. PCBs have been widely studied since the class of chemical was first mass manufactured in the late 1920s. Used mainly as insulating fluids in heavy-duty electrical equipment, PCBs were eventually found toxic for humans and wildlife and banned in the United States in 1979.
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LAB CHEMICALS "KILL TEACHER"
Tags: Zimbabwe, laboratory, death, release, unknown_chemical
A TEACHER died at Mandwandwe High School in Bulawayo"s Nkulumane suburb after allegedly inhaling poisonous fumes at the science laboratory. The school has been forced to close its science laboratories following the tragedy on Monday.
The Chronicle has established that the Fire Brigade on February 22 recommended the closure of the laboratory, citing harmful gases whose source could not be established.
The school yesterday faced accusations of not following recommended procedures and standards for chemical storage.
Science teacher Trust Ncube died on Monday after complaining of chest pains and reporting breathing difficulties. The following day, the school announced that the science labs were out of bounds, said a source at the school.
Ncube, The Chronicle gathered yesterday, fell sick and asked for some days off, complaining of chest pains but the headmaster, Litmus Moyo, refused to grant him sick leave.
"All the science teachers are sick and several pupils have also shown the same symptoms," a teacher said yesterday.
Following the Fire Brigade"s recommendations in February, the science teachers were given "sub-standard" safety clothes, the teacher claimed.
The headmaster declined an interview, referring questions to the provincial education director Dan Moyo, who said an investigation has been launched.
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SOUTH TEXAS SMALL TOWNS MOVE TO PROFESSIONAL FIRE AND EMS CREWS
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental
COTULLA " It was just a few years back when the Eagle Ford oil boom was rolling like a tidal wave across unprepared, rural South Texas that LaSalle County Judge Joel Rodriguez realized local volunteer fire fighters and contract ambulance crews were being overwhelmed.
"We"d have groups of people come into commissioners court wanting better ambulance service. The volume of calls was so high that they weren"t keeping up," Rodriguez recalled.
The judge saw it with his own eyes when he caught a ride with a state trooper responding to a terrible accident on heavily traveled Interstate 35 which cuts through the county. When firemen arrived at the scene they were already worse for the wear.
"Their eyes were all puffy. They had been a couple of days without sleep, taking calls back to back. I realized we couldn"t keep going at that pace," he recalled.
The county moved swiftly to deal with the problem and now budgets about $2.5 million a year for fire and ambulance service, almost ten times what it spent before.
It hired its first paid professional firefighter in late 2013. There are now 20 full-timers, who commute from San Antonio, Austin, Laredo and elsewhere, backed by 25 on-call part-timers. All are certified in both fire-fighting and emergency medical service.
---------------------------------------------
INSIDE THE INVESTIGATION INTO US CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, ammonium_nitrate
In 2013, the West Fertilizer company in the U.S. state of Texas caught fire, then exploded.
The explosion destroyed more than 150 buildings, including homes, schools, and a nursing home. 15 people died, including 12 firefighters.
The investigation determined that the explosion was caused when 30 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded.
Ammonium nitrate is a chemical used in agricultural fertilizer. Firefighters arriving on site didn"t know how dangerous it could be.
The Chemical Safety Board is pushing for greater regulation of ammonium nitrate, better firefighter training, and a shift to safer alternatives.
Ammonium nitrate remains popular with many farmers who have never used anything else on their crops, and federal law doesn"t ban the substance or govern how it"s stored and handled.
Until laws are changed the danger to communities across the U.S. will likely remain.
Chemical safety expert Neal Langerman on the risks of ammonium nitrate
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HOW FIREFIGHTERS APPROACH BLAZES INVOLVING CHEMICALS
Tags: us_AL, industrial, follow-up, environmental, plastics
Birmingham's fire marshal determined the fire at Reliable Formed Plastics was accidental and started in an assembly area. A crucial part of the investigation was identifying chemicals in the building and knowing where they were.
Dispatchers have access to some chemical information kept on companies. Firefighters get a quick rundown, with every call, of what they might be facing.
As many as 45 fire firefighters responded. Some from engine companies, others from rescue units and even a hazardous materials team.
"We want to have all of our resources responding. It is easier to turn them back than it is to get them responding after an incident," said Birmingham Fire Marshal Tom White.
White was one of dozens of fire fighters ducking from smoke and putting out flames at Reliable Formed Plastics.
A concern for all within sight of the building was what was on the inside.
---------------------------------------------
NATIONAL ZOO'S AMERICAN TRAIL TEMPORARILY CLOSED AFTER CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
Tags: us_DC, public, explosion, response, chlorine
An exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Zoo remains temporarily closed after a chemical explosion in a mechanical building Thursday.
The American Trail will reopen Friday morning, the zoo said.
No people or animals were injured in the chlorine explosion, which happened shortly before 11 a.m. at the American Trail, one of the zoo's newer areas.
A contract worker was performing routine maintenance on the life support system located between the otter and beaver habitats on the trail when he smelled chlorine, the zoo said. The worker left the area, and then heard a boom.
---------------------------------------------
WALMART REOPENS AFTER HAZMAT RESPONSE
Tags: us_MD, public, release, response, cleaners
The Walmart on York Commons Boulevard has reopened. The fire department narrowed the source of the odor to two potential sources, either a room with cleaning chemicals or a heating unit.
The fire department spent six hours at the store today.
UPDATE **At_Symbol_Here** 10:12 a.m.
Walmart on York Commons Boulevard will remain closed while the hazmat team remains on scene.
Some store employees will continue their shift at the Walmart in Huber Heights.
Fire officials estimate the store will be shut down for at least another two hours.
FIRST REPORT
A Dayton hazmat team has responded to the Butler Twp. Walmart on York Commons Blvd.
Our crews on the scene reported the store was being evacuated around 9:20 a.m.
Firefighters were initially sent to the location,. 3465 York Commons Blvd., around 8:10 a.m. on a report of an odor investigation, according to dispatch records.
Crews on the scene requested a hazmat response around 9 a.m., but it"s unclear exactly what firefighters are investigating, according to dispatch records.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE BREATHER LIGHTS HIMSELF ON FIRE IN PEP RALLY STUNT GONE WRONG
Tags: us_FL, public, fire, injury, flammables
The performer, reportedly a fire breather, was part of a troupe at Atlantic High's gym Thursday morning, Delray Beach Fire Rescue Capt. Ed Beardsley said. He added that the man was rushed to the hospital with burns. Beardsley did not know their severity.
He said seven other people were hospitalized after breathing fire extinguisher dust. Their injuries were not serious. He did not know how many were students.
Video posted online shows the man suddenly being engulfed in flames. He appeared to be holding a can of flammable liquid which added to the fire, the Palm Beach Post reported.
He scrambles to the floor and others come to his aid as the video ends.
---------------------------------------------
BIG RIG SLAMS INTO TRUCK STOPPED FOR A CRASH, KILLING DRIVER, SPILLING HAZMAT
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, death, other_chemical, dust
HUNTINGTON, Ore. - A semi driver hauling hazardous materials crashed into another big rig stopped on the interstate due to another crash a mile down the road Tuesday.
The impact fatally injured the driver, Milton Vaughn, 62, of Altoona, Kan.; and breached the containment of the load of aluminum oxide powder in his semi trailer, Oregon State Police said.
The fatal crash happened around 11:55 a.m. on Interstate 84, about a half hour after troopers responded to a report of an overturned truck.
The first crash involved a a 2006 Freightliner pulling a trailer. For unknown reasons, driver Ivan Berezin, 34, of Gresham left the eastbound lanes into the median. The truck returned to the road and overturned, blocking both eastbound lanes.
---------------------------------------------
EPFD HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO AMMONIA LEAK INSIDE SOUTH-CENTRAL ICE COMPANY
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, ammonia
EL PASO, Texas -
The El Paso Fire Department confirmed an ammonia leak at Reddy Ice Company evacuated dozens of employees of a nearby baking company late Tuesday night.
There were no employees inside Reddy Ice, located at 1621 Texas Avenue.
Employees of Flowers Baking Company of El Paso, located at 301 S. Dallas Street, were in the middle of their shift when they smelled a strong odor of ammonia.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO TORRANCE EXXONMOBIL REFINERY FOR MASSIVE FLARING
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
TORRANCE, Calif. (KABC) -- Hazmat crews investigated a massive flaring at a refinery in Torrance that was caused by an electrical disturbance on Wednesday, according to officials.
Torrance firefighters responded to the ExxonMobil refinery just before 6 p.m. after the flaring began.
The Southern California Gas Company said a Mylar balloon hit a power line in the Torrance area, causing a "system disturbance" which resulted in a voltage dip.
"Operations were interrupted, so they can't just hit a button and shut the flow off of everything. So they divert the hydrocarbon to the flares," Battalion Chief Bob Millea with the Torrance Fire Department explained.
Fire crews monitored air quality levels in the area as the flame continued to burn. Some residents are calling for the plants closure after an explosion occurred in February 2015.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT RESPONDS TO GAS LEAK IN PORT RICHMOND
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, liquid_nitrogen
PORT RICHMOND (WPVI) -- Hazmat crews rushed to a Philadelphia business in the Port Richmond section after the report of a gas leak.
The incident happened around 1 a.m. Wednesday at East Tioga and Tulip streets.
Crews arrived to find white smoke pouring from the Active Radiator Company.
Officials say the leak was coming from a 6,000 gallon tank of liquid nitrogen.
The gas leak was placed under control within an hour. No one was injured.
So far, no word on what caused the leak.
---------------------------------------------
VIKING CABINETS, INC. FINED $107,000 FOR HAZARDS INCLUDING COMBUSTIBLE DUST
Tags: us_WA, industrial, discovery, response, dust, flammables, illegal, toxics
SPANAWAY, Wash. " Viking Cabinets Inc. was fined $107,000 for exposing workers to fire hazards from flammable liquids, chemical exposure and other workplace health risks at its cabinet manufacturing shop in Spanaway, Washington, says the Washington State Department of Labor. Since the inspection, Viking has taken steps to remedy many of the workplace health violations that were cited.
Viking Cabinets was cited for 29 serious health violations, with penalties ranging from $4,200 to $1,600 each. Eight of the serious violations were related to unsafe use and storage of flammable liquids, vapors and spray, following an inspection by the state labor department, which found combustible fine wood dust had accumulated on the electrical system and other surfaces in the shop, creating an additional fire hazard.
The inspection also found workers were required to enter a large dust-collection silo referred to a as a "bag house," to perform routine maintenance without the required confined space safety precautions being in place. Thirteen of the serious violations were for confined space hazards. The citations for combustible dust as contributing to unsafe conditions adds to its growing resume as a bad actor in wood manufacturing settings.
The inspection found that large quantities of flammable liquids were kept in the work area where they could contribute to a fire, instead of being safely stored away. Ventilation wasn't adequate for removing flammable vapors and mists from the air to prevent fire.
Other violations cited were related to exposure to corrosive or toxic chemicals, such as not ensuring that all emergency eye-washing stations were functional and accessible in the event of a chemical splash to the eyes and failure to address chemical hazards and train employees who work with toxic or corrosive chemicals.
---------------------------------------------
03/16/2016: CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION REQUIREMENTS ARE MET AND SETTLEMENT AGREED TO IN SWANTON, VT.
Tags: us_VT, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonia, hvac_chemicals, illegal
Yesterday, a Swanton, Vt. cheese manufacturer and the owner of the property agreed to pay $100,000 to settle penalty claims by the US Environmental Protection Agency that it violated clean air, Superfund and right-to-know laws between 2011 and 2015.
After two EPA inspections and an August 2015 EPA Order, the company is now protecting worker and community safety by complying with chemical accident prevention measures outlined in the Clean Air Act. Swan Valley Cheese of Vermont cooperated with EPA, and removed the anhydrous ammonia from its aged refrigeration system and purchased a new refrigeration system that does not use ammonia. Although anhydrous ammonia is an efficient refrigerant with many benefits, it is also an extremely hazardous substance that is corrosive to skin, eyes, and lungs.
Swan Valley Cheese has operated the cheese-making facility in Swanton since 2011. The property, which is near the Canadian border, sits 1,000 feet from the Missisquoi River and near residences. Before 2011, another cheese-maker operated there, and some of the facility"s refrigeration equipment dated back to the 1950s.
The case stems from a February 2015 release of about 1,650 pounds of ammonia during maintenance operations when three of the plant"s 14 employees were sprayed with an oil/ammonia mixture. The Vermont Hazardous Materials Response Team responded to the release after being called by the local fire department. EPA learned of the release and conducted two inspections in March and April of 2015.
During the inspections, EPA found numerous dangerous conditions associated with the ammonia refrigeration system. EPA issued a notice of the potential violations in May and followed up the letter with a Clean Air Act compliance order. Swan Valley Cheese removed the ammonia from the system in September, shutting down the facility until the new system was up and running.
---------------------------------------------
RESEARCHER INJURED AFTER AN EXPLOSION AT A UH MANOA LABORATORY
Tags: us_HI, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
ANOA, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) -
Honolulu police confirmed a researcher was injured after an explosion at the Pacific Ocean Sciences and Technology Building on the UH Manoa campus.
The first call came just before 6 p.m. for an injured person. It was reported someone was in the basement of the building when an explosion was heard.
Bystanders in the area came to the victim's aid and removed her from the basement and the building and brought her to fire and EMS personnel.
The building was evacuated and the victim was treated at the scene and taken to the hospital. EMS officials say the 29-year-old female victim has been transported to a nearby hospital in serious condition after suffering serious injuries to an arm and possible facial burns
The building has been evacuated and personnel have secured the area. Officials tested the air in the building and confirmed no gas or other chemicals in the air.
Earlier, Ka Leo reported that HPD confirmed a possible gas leak and sources at the scene said there may have been an explosion. Onlookers were warned by HPD to stand 25 feet away from the building.
The Honolulu Fire Department and ambulances are with HPD on the scene, keeping the building clear. HFD was the first responder to the incident.
---------------------------------------------
ACTIVISTS DEMAND ACTION AGAINST INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL IN WATER
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Prized for its ability to make things super-slick, it was used for decades in the manufacture of Teflon pans, Gore-Tex jackets, ski wax, carpets and the linings of pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags.
Now, with the suspected cancer-causing chemical PFOA being phased out in the U.S., it is still very much around, turning up in the water in factory towns across the country - most recently in upstate New York and Vermont - where it is blamed by residents for cancers and other maladies.
The latest cases have brought renewed demands that the Environmental Protection Agency regulate PFOA the way it does arsenic, lead and dozens of other contaminants, and set stringent, enforceable limits on how much of the substance can be in drinking water.
"Where is the government that is supposed to protect people and the environment? It's an outrage," said Tracy Carluccio of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, which uncovered PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, in tap water in New Jersey a decade ago.
In their defense, EPA officials said that the agency has been considering for years whether regulations are needed for PFOA and related perfluorinated chemicals, but that it is a drawn-out testing and evaluation process dictated by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. In the meantime, the EPA has taken action around the country to fine companies and force them to clean up such chemicals.
For now, there are no mandatory limits on how much PFOA, also called C8, can be in drinking water. The same goes for its cousin perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, which is used in firefighting foam. The Pentagon is checking for traces of PFOS in the water at 664 U.S. military sites where fire or crash training has been conducted.
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HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO SEMI CRASH
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
ONTARIO " Interstate 84 will be closed for several hours due to a multiple vehicle crash involving a semi truck carrying hazardous materials.
According to Bill Fugate, public information officer with Oregon State Police, police initially responded to a call at 11:25 a.m. about a semi truck rollover at milepost 348 near Huntington. As officers responded to the call, traffic backed up behind the accident.
Thirty minutes later, a second semi carrying hazardous materials ran into the traffic from the first wreck.
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2 THAI EXECS FACE CHARGES AFTER SAFETY SYSTEM MISHAP KILLS 8
Tags: Thailand, public, follow-up, death
BANGKOK
Thai police filed negligence charges Tuesday against two executives of a fire safety company after a system being installed at the headquarters of one of Thailand's largest banks malfunctioned, killing eight people.
The accident, which also left seven people injured, occurred Sunday evening in the basement of Siam Commercial Bank's headquarters in Bangkok, where a fire safety system was being upgraded.
The bank said that contractors mistakenly activated the system and released a chemical known as Pyrogen, which deprives fire of oxygen.
Bangkok's acting police chief, Lt. Gen. Sanit Mahatavorn, said two executives from Megaplanet, the company contracted by the bank to install the system, faced charges of negligence resulting in deaths.
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