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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, 27 May 2016 07:20:22 -0400
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: B357F418-443B-4EA6-8DE0-0838F5A4C645**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, May 27, 2016 at 7:20:12 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=DQIFaQ&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=meWM1Buqv4IQ27AlK1OJRjcQl09S1Zta6YXKalY_Io0&m=RwhCr6p6iVTaM6OZVnLN_bXVc2mstXyfHZDfs6iuYrs&s=ADYrxIdLPbr725oWJ8TQ7DlL5WonPC4Vv-NMyw88m9U&e=
Table of Contents (15 articles)
NRC "CAN"T SAY" IF FIRE LAB"S FLUSHED CHEMICALS TAINTED RURAL WATER
Tags: Canada, laboratory, discovery, environmental, waste
MENLO PARK FIRE DISTRICT GETS OK TO FLY DRONES
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, discovery, environmental
CHEMICAL SAFETY IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IS "NON-NEGOTIABLE"
Tags: Belgium, industrial, discovery, environmental
3 KILLED, 50 INJURED IN CHEMICAL FACTORY EXPLOSION IN INDIA
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
WORKER BURNED IN FARM EXPLOSION
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, explosion, injury, ag_chems
TRIAL OPENS WITH TALES OF EXPLODING PRODUCTS
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
IMPROPER HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL DISPOSAL PUTS RECYCLING FACILITY AND SANITATION WORKERS AT RISK
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, environmental, waste
CRASHED PROPANE TRUCK CLEARED, NO LONGER A HAZARD
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, response, propane
U.S. HIGHWAY 80 REOPENED FOLLOWING OVERTURNED 18-WHEELER CRASH, HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILL
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
AREA HAS TURNED INTO HAZMAT ZONE, BUT GOVT DOESN"T CARE, SAY DOMBIVLI MIDC RESIDENTS
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, environmental, unknown_chemical
GAUGING THE HEALTH RISK OF LEAD IN LIPSTICK
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
CREWS RESPOND TO AMMONIA LEAK IN PORTLAND
Tags: us_ME, public, release, response, ammonia
GRAND RAPIDS FAMILY STILL NOT ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME AFTER CHEMICAL EVACUATION
Tags: us_MI, public, discovery, response, other_chemical
DOMBIVLI: THREE DEAD, SEVERAL INJURED IN BLAST AT CHEMICAL FACTORY
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, gas_cylinders, pharmaceutical
SECURITY HEIGHTENED AROUND FERTILIZER STORAGE FACILITIES
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
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NRC "CAN"T SAY" IF FIRE LAB"S FLUSHED CHEMICALS TAINTED RURAL WATER
Tags: Canada, laboratory, discovery, environmental, waste
Canada"s National Fire Lab had an unorthodox way of dealing with some waste chemicals: It flushed overflow into the sewage system, and then into the surrounding environment.
An engineering report commissioned by the National Research Council identified the problem in 2013, and it sheds light today on how the lab in Mississippi Mills contaminated its own groundwater.
The lab between Almonte and Carleton Place has a 100,000-gallon (454,000-litre) underground tank. It holds a mix of rainwater and water used in firefighting experiments, which can contain chemicals from firefighting foams.
But sometimes the tank gets too full.
"When at full capacity, (the) tank overflow transports water to a septic system located north of U-96 (the lab building), which discharges to a small creek," the report says.
Septic systems are designed for breaking down human waste, but they are generally useless for destroying industrial chemicals.
Now the chemicals are in the creek and the surrounding soil and groundwater on the fire lab property. The NRC acknowledges its laboratory is the source of this.
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MENLO PARK FIRE DISTRICT GETS OK TO FLY DRONES
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, discovery, environmental
MENLO PARK -- The Menlo Park Fire Protection District announced Wednesday it has received federal approval to fly drones, when it gets around to buying some.
District Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said Menlo Park is the first fire agency in Northern California and "only one of a handful nationally" to receive permission from the Federal Aviation Administration.
As a result, the district has the green light to fly drones up to 399 feet high wherever it operates. And since it fields a task force through FEMA's Urban Search & Rescue program, that means it potentially could fly them anywhere in the country.
Before firefighters start using them, however, the district plans to "secure a training air space" at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park and work with NASA Ames Research Center experts on a "modified ground school for operators to teach terminology and how to communicate with local airport towers," according to a news release.
The district is partnering with DJI, a Chinese aerial drone manufacturer that donates equipment to it to practice with.
The DJI drones contain thermal-imaging tools that can gauge temperatures up to 1,000 degrees. They offer the district a 360-degree perspective during calls, which would be particularly useful over places such as the Dumbarton Bridge, which is often gridlocked during peak commute hours.
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CHEMICAL SAFETY IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IS "NON-NEGOTIABLE"
Tags: Belgium, industrial, discovery, environmental
Brussels, May 26, 2016 " Chemical safety in the circular economy is non-negotiable - this is the view expressed by Peter Smith, Executive Director of Product Stewardship at Cefic " the EU chemical industry council, during a live panel debate at the Helsinki Chemical Forum today.
The EU chemical industry recognises that embracing a circular economy will bring benefits such as greater resource and cost efficiency, and enhanced environmental management. This is already an integral part of chemical manufacturing in the EU, through the concept of industrial symbiosis. Within this model, plants are strategically located so waste substances from one plant can be turned into useful materials by the plant next door, cutting waste and maximising cost and resource efficiency.
Said Mr. Smith, "Transitioning from a linear to a circular economy represents a challenge for industry, as we minimise the need for virgin natural resources and find clever solutions for reusing and recycling waste." To this end, several critical steps are needed to ensure ideals expressed in the circular economy concept can be safely and effectively applied throughout the value chain.
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3 KILLED, 50 INJURED IN CHEMICAL FACTORY EXPLOSION IN INDIA
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
Three people were killed and dozens more were injured in an explosion at a chemical factory in India this morning, officials said.
The blast, which happened around 11:30 a.m. local time in Dombivli -- roughly 20 miles outside Mumbai -- was so loud that companies nearby felt the vibrations even as residents complained that their window panes were shattered, officials said.
Fire crews worked to put out the blaze triggered by the explosion. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.
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WORKER BURNED IN FARM EXPLOSION
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, explosion, injury, ag_chems
THATCHER " A farm worker remains hospitalized at a Phoenix-area burn unit following an explosion on the farm.
Bobby Wells, 27, was severely burned when an explosion took place in a 1,000-gallon water tank he was cleaning May 4.
He remains at the Arizona Burn Center at Maricopa Medical Center for treatment.
....
The officer noted that Wells appeared to suffer severe burns to his entire upper body and that his hair and shirt had burned off. He added that Wells" face was blackened, and burnt and charred skin was hanging from his torso, arms and face.
The Daleys reportedly said Wells was assigned to clean out a plastic 1,000-gallon water tank that had been used to hold the herbicide Roundup last year. The leftover Roundup had dried and stuck to the bottom, so Wells climbed into the tank through an access hole and was scraping the dried Roundup when suddenly the explosion occurred, according to Sam.
The Daleys extinguished the flames and transported Wells to the hospital.
Thatcher Fire Chief Mike Payne said the cause of the explosion was currently undetermined, but he believes it might have been a dust explosion ignited by static electricity.
A dust explosion is a rapid combustion of fine particles suspended in the air, often but not always in an enclosed location. Dust explosions can occur where any dispersed powdered combustible material is present in high enough concentrations or in combination with another oxidizing gaseous medium such as oxygen.
---------------------------------------------
TRIAL OPENS WITH TALES OF EXPLODING PRODUCTS
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
SAN DIEGO (CN) " At the start of a trial Tuesday on exploding gender-prediction tests, the court heard testimony from one mother who sustained chemical burns.
"That's probably going to be there for the rest of my life," said Christine Brenneis, pointing to a few dark spots on her face left by an Intelligender kit that exploded on her.
The mother of four bought her Intelligender test at a Babies R Us store in Vista.
She said she knew her fourth child would be her last baby and thought taking the gender-prediction test would "be something fun to do."
She read and followed the directions on the package, according to her testimony, peed in the cup and used the syringe in the kit to test her urine. The test fizzed and exploded, shooting urine onto the ceiling and wall and into her face and hair.
Brenneis said the test had not even changed color when it exploded, and the chemicals burned her face. She said she was also hit on the cartilage of her ear and that if she sleeps on it, it still hurts.
The Brenneis testimony was one of several videotaped depositions played Tuesday for Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil.
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IMPROPER HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL DISPOSAL PUTS RECYCLING FACILITY AND SANITATION WORKERS AT RISK
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, environmental, waste
With a recent incident involving a garbage truck on the City of Milwaukee"s west side and a separate incident of a small fire at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) reminds residents to not dispose of hazardous waste in your garbage or recyclable carts.
Chemicals, gasoline, and propane cylinders pose a very serious health risk to collection crews and MRF staff members. In an incident earlier in May, muriatic acid placed in a resident"s garbage cart created a gas, and two DPW Sanitation drivers were taken to the hospital for inhaling the fumes and were later cleared to return home. The Milwaukee Fire Department"s Hazmat team responded and cleaned up the remaining chemicals and disposed of them safely. Chemicals such as muriatic acid, often used as a concrete cleaner or drain cleaner, are considered hazardous waste and must be taken to one of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District"s permanent or mobile collection sites. One of MMSD"s three permanent sites is at the City of Milwaukee"s Self Help Center at 3879 W Lincoln Ave. and is open Thursday " Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Flammable liquids and propane cylinders pose an additional threat to workers" safety if they are placed in recycling carts and delivered to the MRF. They are an explosion and fire hazard because recyclables are compressed under hundreds of pounds of pressure to form large bales for shipment. Flammable liquids, like gasoline, must be taken to a Hazardous Waste site. Propane cylinders are not accepted at Hazardous Waste sites. Instead, check the tag on the cylinder to identify the manufacturer and contact them for disposal options. Alternatively, some local scrap metal collectors or home improvement stores will accept empty propane cylinders for recycling.
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CRASHED PROPANE TRUCK CLEARED, NO LONGER A HAZARD
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, response, propane
PENN TOWNSHIP, Pa. "A crashed tanker truck that was carrying propane has been removed from a Lancaster County road near Manheim and officials say there is no longer a hazard in the area. Roads are reopening and residents are being allowed to return to their homes.
The truck overturned at White Oak Road and Newport Road in Penn Township, near Manheim, around 8:45 a.m.
Leaking propane, which has since been contained, forced the closure of area roads and the evacuation of about two dozen people.
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U.S. HIGHWAY 80 REOPENED FOLLOWING OVERTURNED 18-WHEELER CRASH, HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILL
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
FORNEY, Texas " U.S. Highway 80 has been reopened after an 18-wheeler overturned and spilled hazardous material on the north service road " forcing its closure on Thursday night.
The crash was reported at approximately 4:45 p.m. on the north service road of U.S. Highway 80 just east of the County Road 212/217 overpass. The highway was closed at approximately 7:30 p.m. and later reopened at approximately 10:15 p.m.
The truck was hauling 2,200 gallons of ADOX 3125, a chloric solution, in eight separate containers, according to the truck"s manifest. Four of those containers are leaking fluid, according Kaufman County Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Howie.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's Emergency Response Team and a hazmat mitigation team were dispatched to the scene along with the Emergency Management Office.
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AREA HAS TURNED INTO HAZMAT ZONE, BUT GOVT DOESN"T CARE, SAY DOMBIVLI MIDC RESIDENTS
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, environmental, unknown_chemical
It was a routine morning for Madhukar Bele when he set out from home to buy vegetables, till the blast at the chemical factory in the Dombivli MIDC around 11.30 am shook his neighbourhood on Thursday. Bele, 67, remembers the instant panic as people ran helter-skelter in fear and confusion.
"We hear stories of bomb blasts and terrorism these days, so everyone thought a bomb had exploded nearby. People ran for their life in the opposite direction. We felt the vibration, and some window panes shattered. When I reached home, I saw people standing outside the building, fearing the blast shock would bring it down," he said. "The first hour was the worst, as the rumour of a bomb blast spread. The panic and the people running only added to the chaos. As windows were shattered all over the area, not many of us knew exactly where the explosion had occurred for half an hour," said local resident Mugdha Desai.
As it became clear that the blast had occurred in a chemical factory thanks to the police vans which started making rounds with announcements on speakers, panic gave way to anger against industries in the area.
Dombivli has been listed since 2009 as a critically polluted city by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, mainly because of the pollution by chemical factories. A case against polluting industries for causing damage to the Ulhas river is being fought in the Supreme Court NGO Vanashakti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruled in Vanashakti"s favour and imposed hefty fines on polluting units, civic bodies and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). "We inhale that smell of chemicals all the while. Many a time, chemicals are released in the open drain and it becomes worse. There were incidents of fire in the past, but Today's blast was an eye-opener," Sagar Koshti, a resident of Milap Nagar, MIDC, said.
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GAUGING THE HEALTH RISK OF LEAD IN LIPSTICK
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Mouse study suggests that average use of lip products may not pose major health risks from lead exposure, but heavy users could exceed limits
A new study in mice predicts that average use of lipsticks with relatively high lead content would not cause lead intake exceeding recommended health limits.
Lead lurks in some lipsticks and lip glosses, but little is known about whether these products pose a health threat when wearers inadvertently swallow some of the product. A new study in mice by Hong-Bo Li and Lena Q. Ma of Nanjing University and their colleagues suggests that for the average lipstick user, even lip products with relatively high levels of lead may pose low risk (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2016, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01425).
---------------------------------------------
CREWS RESPOND TO AMMONIA LEAK IN PORTLAND
Tags: us_ME, public, release, response, ammonia
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Portland Hazmat crews spent the morning cleaning up an ammonia leak on Milliken Street.The leak occurred at Advance Pierre Foods inside a cold storage area.
Officials say an employee of the neighboring building called 9-1-1 around 5 a.m. when they smelled ammonia from the parking lot.
The Portland fire chief says no one was in the building at the time of the leak and no sickness was reported.
Hazmat crews worked Tuesday morning to clean the leak.
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GRAND RAPIDS FAMILY STILL NOT ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME AFTER CHEMICAL EVACUATION
Tags: us_MI, public, discovery, response, other_chemical
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (WZZM) - The discovery of a dangerous chemical last week led to the evacuation of a Grand Rapids building. On Wednesday, people who live there said they still couldn't return home.
"My family was confused because there were a lot of people at the house doing some testing of a chemical that we had no clue about," says Robert Gill.
On Friday, Robert Gill's family of five, which includes two small children, were forced to leave their apartment at the corner of Madison and Hall. Gill learned that his family may have been breathing in trichloroethylene, a toxic vapor that could cause cancer. "We didn't know anything about a health hazard at that point; it was very sudden and we had to leave our home," he says.
At a meeting on Wednesday, officials say they believe the chemicals originated from a cleaning business that existed in the building between the 1950s and 1990s. They discovered the danger during a construction project in the building.
"We all got blood drawn to see if we were affected by the chemicals," says Gill.
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DOMBIVLI: THREE DEAD, SEVERAL INJURED IN BLAST AT CHEMICAL FACTORY
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, gas_cylinders, pharmaceutical
least three workers have been killed and several have been reported to be injured after a blast at an industrial unit in Dombivili township of Thane district on Thursday.
The mishap reportedly occurred when cylinders exploded leading to a fire in the chemical manufacturing unit of Herbert Brown Pharmaceutical & Research Laboratories at Shivaji Udyog Nagar of MIDC phase-II area in Dombivili (East), District Disaster Control Officer Dinesh Kurhade said. More than a dozen fire tenders were at the site to douse the flames, Kurhade said.
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SECURITY HEIGHTENED AROUND FERTILIZER STORAGE FACILITIES
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
AUSTIN " An arsonist ignited the fire at a McLennan County fertilizer plant that killed 15 people and wounded 300 others, officials said this month.
While sharpening the focus of an investigation into the April 2013 fire and ensuing blast, the announcement heightened interest in the security of similar plants throughout Texas.
Three years after the West Fertilizer Co. explosion, which issued a column of chemical and smoke that could be seen for miles, emergency officials say plants that store fertilizer and its ingredients face tighter security requirements.
Emergency responders are also more aware of what"s stockpiled in their backyards.
"Are they safer in regard to their security? I don"t know," said Jamie Moore, emergency management director of Johnson County, north of West.
Moore added, however, that he is "absolutely" sure that state officials are more aware of the facilities and the materials they keep and in turn provide "very detailed information" to local authorities.
Johnson County has historically had two such facilities that report stores of ammonium nitrate, both of which Moore described as "relatively remote" with few nearby houses.
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