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From: DCHAS Secretary <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (14 articles)
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2016 07:44:50 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: BFB54968-4D26-4AD8-ADFE-B8152DCA559A**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at 7:44:41 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 (14 articles)
FAA PROPOSES FOURTH HAZMAT FINE AGAINST AMAZON THIS YEAR
Tags: us_FL, transportation, follow-up, response, corrosives
MILL STREET CHEMICAL COMPANY FINED BY EPA
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, environmental, phosgene
TRUCK OVERTURNS, SPILLS CHEMICAL ON U.S. 1 IN ST. AUGUSTINE
Tags: us_FL, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
HAZMAT SITUATION SENDS 3 PINOLE COPS TO THE HOSPITAL
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, injury, ammonia, bleach
11 HOSPITALIZED AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE CANCELS CLASSES AT TECH SCHOOL IN SPANISH FORK
Tags: us_UT, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL SPILL LEADS TO MAJOR FISH KILL IN COUNTY DOWN RIVER
Tags: Ireland, public, release, environmental, unknown_chemical
HESSTON PLANT SAYS COMPANY IS SAFE AND READY TO REOPEN AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_KS, industrial, follow-up, injury, plastics
UNANTICIPATED REACTION BETWEEN A <<SPILL>>ED CHEMICAL AND THE <<SPILL>> ABSORBENT
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, fire, response, epoxy, waste
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FINE LOWERED 40% FOR LAB EXPLOSION
Tags: us_HI, laboratory, follow-up, injury, biodiesel, hydrogen
1 PERSON TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER HAZMAT SITUATION
Tags: us_MA, public, release, injury, other_chemical
AJAX FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE STUBBORN BLAZE AT INDUSTRIAL BUILDING
Tags: Canada, industrial, fire, response, waste
7 SCHOOL FIRES IN 7 MONTHS ‰?? BORNEOPOST ONLINE
Tags: Indonesia, education, fire, response, unknown_chemical
ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE. ACCIDENTAL EXPLOSIONS MULTIPLY
Tags: public, discovery, injury, batteries
INDIGENOUS MOBILIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN CANADA‰??S CHEMICAL VALLEY ‰?? ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, environmental, benzene, hydrogen_sulfide, radiation, sulfur_dioxide
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FAA PROPOSES FOURTH HAZMAT FINE AGAINST AMAZON THIS YEAR
Tags: us_FL, transportation, follow-up, response, corrosives
FAA has proposed a $78,000 civil penalty against Seattle-based Amazon for allegedly violating US hazardous materials regulations, the fourth time this year FAA has alleged the online retail giant has violated hazmat rules.
Regarding the latest proposed penalty, FAA alleged that Amazon offered FedEx Express ‰??an undeclared shipment containing a flammable liquid for air transportation‰?? from Ruskin, Florida to Algonquin, Illinois on Aug. 7, 2015.
According to FAA, ‰??the package held two 14-ounce bottles of ethanol-based Clubman Jeris Hair Tonic. Workers in FedEx‰??s Cary, Illinois, sort facility discovered the box was leaking.‰??
FAA alleged ‰??the shipment was not properly packaged, marked and labeled as containing hazardous material‰?? and that ‰??Amazon did not provide shipping papers indicating the amount, type and hazardous nature of the material inside, and did not provide required emergency response information with the shipment.‰??
In June, FAA proposed three hazmat fines against Amazon, including a $350,000 fine for shipping what FAA described as ‰??a corrosive drain cleaner‰?? via United Parcel Service (UPS) that was allegedly not properly packaged and leaked.
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MILL STREET CHEMICAL COMPANY FINED BY EPA
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, environmental, phosgene
A Mill Street chemical company has been fined by the Environmental Protection Agency for violations of the Clean Air Act governing chemical safety and risk management.
Twin Lakes Chemical, Inc., agreed to pay a $40,000 fine for the violations and will spend an additional $100,000 to purchase hazardous materials equipment for the Lockport Fire Department.
At the time of the EPA's inspection of Twin Lakes Chemical, 520 Mill St., the company was using and storing 32,000 pounds of phosgene, a press release from the EPA said.
Phosgene is a toxic industrial compound used to make pesticides and plastics. At room temperature, it is a deadly gas.
The EPA charged Twin Lakes Chemical with several violations, including failing to adequately support, secure and label the phosgene equipment and pipes, as well as failing to comply with hazard identification and equipment safety requirements.
All of the violations were addressed by the company prior to their settlement, the press release added.
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TRUCK OVERTURNS, SPILLS CHEMICAL ON U.S. 1 IN ST. AUGUSTINE
Tags: us_FL, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
Lanes have also been cleared after a wreck on U.S. 1, where a truck overturned, said Mark Samson, St. Augustine Police Department spokesman.
In that wreck, 80 gallons of sodium hydrochlorite spilled near U.S. 1 and Matanzas Avenue, according to St. Johns County Fire Rescue.
No injuries were reported, and the ‰??spill was mitigated‰?? in about 2 1/2 hours, according to fire rescue.
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HAZMAT SITUATION SENDS 3 PINOLE COPS TO THE HOSPITAL
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, injury, ammonia, bleach
PINOLE, Calif. (KGO) -- Three Pinole police officers are recovering morning from a hazmat incident that began Monday night near a Big 5 Sporting Goods store.
The store is located on Fitzgerald Drive.
Firefighters say five gallons of ammonia and seven pints of bleach spilled in a car.
Officers were checking out the car when they started having trouble breathing. They went to the hospital but have since been released.
It's not clear why the car was transporting the products.
Hazmat teams did safely dispose of them.
---------------------------------------------
11 HOSPITALIZED AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE CANCELS CLASSES AT TECH SCHOOL IN SPANISH FORK
Tags: us_UT, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
(KUTV) Eleven students were transported to the hospital after possible chemical exposure at Mountainland Applied Technology College Monday morning, police say.
Students in the cosmetology and dental portion of the school began to complain of nausea and lightheadedness. One student passed out, according to the Director of Public Relations, Mark Middlebrook.
Spanish Fork Fire Department and the local gas company cleared the school with no indication of carbon monoxide.
School officials canceled afternoon classes, but classes will resume this evening.
Spanish Fork Police said the cause of the incident may have been cleaning supplies mixing with other chemicals.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL LEADS TO MAJOR FISH KILL IN COUNTY DOWN RIVER
Tags: Ireland, public, release, environmental, unknown_chemical
Accidental discharge from a treatment works caused the deaths of more than 1,600 fish in a river near Newcastle, County Down, NI Water has said.
It said the "pollution incident" affected the Annsborough River on Saturday afternoon and the cause was identified and rectified shortly after.
The chemical spillage has been cleaned up and there is no further risk to the river, the company said.
NI Water said it would continue to work with the Environment Agency.
The Annsborough River is a tributary of the Carrigs River. which runs from Castlewellan through the village of Maghera and into Dundrum Bay.
The incident was reported to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) pollution hotline on Saturday.
---------------------------------------------
HESSTON PLANT SAYS COMPANY IS SAFE AND READY TO REOPEN AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_KS, industrial, follow-up, injury, plastics
HESSTON, Kan. (KWCH) The plastics plant GVL Poly in Hesston wants employees to know, it is safe to go back to work. A chemical spill at the plant on Thursday sent six employees to the hospital, and an incident Friday forced the plant to shut down again.
The company held a meeting for all employees Monday morning, explaining how it knows the environment is safe.
One employee who got sick Thursday is already back at work. He says he‰??s doing well, and that hearing from the Hesston Fire Chief and GVL CEO made him feel good about coming back to work.
GVL says a seal on a piece of equipment failed Thursday, spilling about five gallons of a chemical called ‰??isocynate.‰?? Employee Trent Catilla works next to the container. He says he started getting dizzy, then threw up.
‰??I got real weak couldn't feel my legs and I about passed out. My co- workers caught me, brought me outside, and sat me outside in a chair. From that point I stopped breathing. I couldn't breathe, couldn't catch my breath. It was the scariest thing I've ever felt in my life,‰?? Catilla said.
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UNANTICIPATED REACTION BETWEEN A <<SPILL>>ED CHEMICAL AND THE <<SPILL>> ABSORBENT
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, fire, response, epoxy, waste
Statement: While the Laboratory promotes the use of environmentally friendly products, such as the <<spill>> absorbent GREEN STUFF these products may not always be compatible for a particular application. It is essential that absorbents are only used to clean-up <<spill>>s of chemicals with which they are compatible in accordance with the manufacturer‰??s specifications.
While the manufacturer‰??s labeling on the GREEN STUFF states that it is tested to be compatible with over 300 chemicals, this should not lead to the assumption that it is compatible with all chemicals. The manufacturers web page states: ‰??GREEN STUFF Absorbent may be used to clean up <<spill>>s involving the chemicals listed on our compatibility guide. If you do not find all of the specific chemicals involved in the <<spill>> on the chemical compatibility guide, DO NOT use GREEN STUFF Absorbent to clean up the <<spill>>.‰??
It is beneficial to have more than one type of <<spill>> absorbent material available for use in a <<spill>>.
Discussion: On Friday, April 8, 2016, LINAC personnel were in the process of disposing of legacy chemicals that were owned by an employee who retired late last year. During the disposal process, a Collider-Accelerator Department (C-AD) technician accidentally dropped a 1 quart glass bottle of Epi-Cure 3223 Epoxy Curing Agent (CMS 56250). Epi-Cure 3223 Epoxy Curing Agent is 70% to 100% Diethylenetriamine. The technician immediately notified their supervisor and cleaned up the <<spill>> using GREEN STUFF Absorbent, which was available in a nearby <<spill>> kit. The technician placed the waste into a metal garbage can that was lined with a plastic bag. The absorbed <<spill>> material was considered to be benign and was not taken out of the area as waste immediately.
On Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 03:45 am, BNL Fire-Rescue responded to an activation of the Highly Sensitive Smoke Detection alarm system for the area where the garbage can was stored. The garbage can was found smoldering with no signs of flames. The can was moved outside and water was applied to extinguish the contents.
The BNL Fire Marshal analyzed the material in the can and found that the GREEN STUFF and the <<spill>>ed chemicals had formed a semi-rigid mass that was charred in the middle, and there were small charred scraps of paper and wood. Additionally, the plastic bag used to collect the cleanup debris was partially melted.
---------------------------------------------
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FINE LOWERED 40% FOR LAB EXPLOSION
Tags: us_HI, laboratory, follow-up, injury, biodiesel, hydrogen
The University of Hawaii last week settled its case with the Hawaii Occupational Safety & Health Division (HIOSH) regarding a laboratory explosion in March. The settlement reduces the number of violations from 15 to nine and the fine from $115,500 to $69,300.
Postdoctoral researcher Thea Ekins-Coward, who worked on the university‰??s Manoa campus for the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, lost one of her arms in the explosion. When the blast occurred, she was preparing a gas mixture of 55% hydrogen, 38% oxygen, and 7% carbon dioxide to feed to bacteria to produce biofuels and bioplastics. An electrostatic discharge likely ignited the mixture, according to an investigation report issued in July by the University of California Center for Laboratory Safety.
The settlement agreement combines similar violations, including two regarding laboratory exits and, separately, four centering on an inadequate chemical hygiene plan. The reduction in overall number of violations, which were assessed the maximum state penalty of $7,700 each, resulted in the reduced fine. The agreement also revised some wording in the violation descriptions.
‰??The penalty reduction is in consideration of the employer‰??s prompt abatement of the cited hazards and efforts to prevent their recurrence,‰?? the settlement agreement says.
‰??The university is working diligently to address the remaining violations, further strengthen the culture of safety, and foster an environment where hazard recognition and risk assessment are the standard of care for all activities,‰?? the university says in a statement.
---------------------------------------------
1 PERSON TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER HAZMAT SITUATION
Tags: us_MA, public, release, injury, other_chemical
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) ‰?? Massachusetts‰?? hazmat team was called to Chicopee, Monday night, to deal with a situation on Fuller Road.
Chicopee Fire Captain Patrick Halpin told 22News two employees at the United Tractor Trailer Training School, Inc. mixed two chemicals in the toilet. Those chemicals created an odor in the building on Fuller Road.
Captain Halpin called in 5 members of the state‰??s hazmat team around 4:30 p.m. They ventilated the building and gave the all clear around 7:00 p.m.
One employee was taken to the hospital just as a precaution, but is expected to be okay.
---------------------------------------------
AJAX FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE STUBBORN BLAZE AT INDUSTRIAL BUILDING
Tags: Canada, industrial, fire, response, waste
AJAX -- Ajax Fire Services personnel battled a stubborn blaze in the industrial area of Clements and Westney roads Monday morning.
The fire was at Progressive Waste Solutions Ajax at 375 Clements Rd. near Westney Road. The fire was reported to have started at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday night. Durham Regional Police closed Clements Road last night, and it currently remains closed well into Monday.
Five Ajax Fire Services trucks as well as the aerial truck were at the scene overnight and into the morning.
Smoke and odour were noticeable in the area throughout Monday.
A crew from the Accuworx company was also at the fire scene Monday morning. According to that company's website, it deals in the realm of hazardous materials with 'innovative methods to tackle the most challenging situations and emerging environmental concerns'.
---------------------------------------------
7 SCHOOL FIRES IN 7 MONTHS ‰?? BORNEOPOST ONLINE
Tags: Indonesia, education, fire, response, unknown_chemical
KUCHING: Fire destroyed SK Sungai Sugai in Pakan yesterday afternoon, making it the seventh school in the state to be partially turned into ashes since March this year.
The fire razed two wooden blocks of this 50-year-old boarding school, about 7km from Pakan town, and there was nothing the few teachers who were around to look after the 174 pupils staying in the dormitory could do.
Headmaster Rambli Jidi said the teachers could only watch helplessly as they did not have any fire-fighting equipment, not even fire extinguishers. All they could do was to call the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) in Sarikei and Bintangor for help. One of the affected blocks housed two classrooms ‰?? Primary 2 and Primary 3 ‰?? and they were completely ruined.
The other housed a remedial classroom, a Primary 1 classroom, a resource room, Islamic religious room, a library, staff room, general office, and headmaster‰??s office. It was 90 per cent wiped out. Up in smoke were library books, office documents, textbooks, computers, printers and other equipment.
Rambli said the fire was believed to have started from the Primary 3 classroom, and strong winds fanned the fire to spread rapidly in both blocks.
The incident could have been sparked by a short circuit as the school still depended on generators for electricity. No one was hurt as classroom ended about an hour earlier, the pupils were in their dormitory, and most of the teachers had gone home.
---------------------------------------------
ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE. ACCIDENTAL EXPLOSIONS MULTIPLY
Tags: public, discovery, injury, batteries
The number of cases of explosion or combustion of electronic cigarettes is increasing. Conclusion: the ‰??wounds Vapoteuse‰?? are also increasingly numerous. And when cigarette ignites 2.0, some injuries are particularly serious, says a study by doctors at a hospital in Seattle (USA) and published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine.
E-cigarettes caught fire are also the most frequently listed incidents. These have often caused burns caused by chemical substances contained in the batteries. As for the ‰??explosive vapoteuses‰?? they mostly caused dental and skin damage.
‰??The democratization of the electronic cigarette could pose new challenges in hospitals‰?? and noted Dr. Elisha Brownson, who led the study. Not false. Since the emergency department of the Seattle hospital has treated 15 patients with injuries from an electronic cigarette between October 2015 and June 2016. In comparison, only 25 people were supported following similar accidents from 2009 and 2014, the study said. Of the 15 newly reported cases, 12 resulted from an ‰??e-cigarette burning‰?? and 4 explosion.
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INDIGENOUS MOBILIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN CANADA‰??S CHEMICAL VALLEY ‰?? ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, environmental, benzene, hydrogen_sulfide, radiation, sulfur_dioxide
Home is both refuge and prison for citizens of Canada‰??s Chemical Valley.
There, human and more-than-human residents dwell on a threshold between a state of normalcy and emergency. Chemical Valley is a heavy industrial zone, located in southwestern Ontario and responsible for approximately 40 percent of Canada‰??s chemical manufacturing, with sixty-two plants on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. It is Ontario‰??s worst air pollution hotspot.
Chemicals from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation‰??s industrial neighbours include benzene, hydrogen sulfide, and sulphur dioxide. In Chemical Valley, individuals must be prepared for hazardous incidents at any given time. In general, alerts occur in the case of a chemical spill, fire, explosion, nuclear emergency, extreme weather event, or transportation accident. In Aamjiwnaang, such occurrences have become the norm.
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