Check out Safety Emporium for your N95, N99, and face shield needs.
From: DCHAS Secretary <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (10 articles)
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2017 07:45:32 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 524C94F6-C290-4E36-8094-71C2628F2F83**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, January 13, 2017 at 7:45:18 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 (10 articles)
GONZALES FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHES LABORATORY FIRE ' THECREOLE.COM
Tags: us_LA, laboratory, fire, injury, gas_cylinders
MOMENTIVE CHEMICAL FACES STATE ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS, SEEKS STRIKER LIMITS
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, response, adhesives, waste
POOL CHEMICAL SPILL ON 880 HIGHWAY AT MISSION BOULEVARD IN FREMONT
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, pool_chemicals
THERE'S LESS HYDROCHLORIC ACID, MERCURY AND OTHER CHEMICALS IN THE AIR, EPA SAYS
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
VIDEO: DEICING FLUID TRIGGERS HAZMAT RESPONSE AT SAN JOSE AIRPORT
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, injury, dust, ethylene_glycol
EPA BANS 72 INERT INGREDIENTS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, pesticides
TOXIC CHEMICAL SPILL IN WELSHPOOL
Tags: Australia, public, release, response, pesticides
CHEMICAL LEAK HITS SHELL'S PULAU BUKOM FACILITY
Tags: Singapore, industrial, fire, response, petroleum
'CHEMICALS UNDER PRESSURE' DIVIDE UN GHS COMMITTEE
Tags: Switzerland, public, discovery, response, other_chemical
CREWS QUICKLY CONTAIN HAZMAT FIRE IN PHOENIX
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
---------------------------------------------
GONZALES FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHES LABORATORY FIRE ' THECREOLE.COM
Tags: us_LA, laboratory, fire, injury, gas_cylinders
Gonzales, LA ' On Thursday, January 11, at 4:42am, City of Gonzales Fire Department firefighters along with the Geismar Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to a building fire at Airgas fill plant facility, 35114 Hwy 30 in Geismar, LA.
Upon arriving on scene, firefighters found flames and heavy smoke coming from a metal structure on the complex. Upon speaking with on-site employees, it was learned that the fire building was a laboratory that performed quality testing on the various gasses handled at the facility.
Initially, firefighters were unable to get close enough to the facility due to cylinders rupturing as a result of the fire. The fire contained to the small laboratory building and was extinguished at approximately 6:30 am.
Fortunately, all employees were able to escape the fire, with only one employee suffering a minor injury. He was treated and released by a local hospital.
Initial findings lead to a malfunction of equipment in the building as the cause of the fire, but the exact cause is still under investigation at this time. There was no off-site impact resulting from the fire.
---------------------------------------------
MOMENTIVE CHEMICAL FACES STATE ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS, SEEKS STRIKER LIMITS
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, response, adhesives, waste
Concerned with chemical spills and hazardous waste handling at the Momentive chemical plant in Waterford, state environmental officials expect to cite violations against the company, a day after it was stymied in a legal bid to get most striking workers away from the plant.
On Thursday, Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos warned Momentive Performance Materials CEO Jack Boss the state is "concerned with recent violations at the facility and (the company's) reluctance to address them."
Since 700 unionized workers walked out of the plant Nov. 2, company managers and newly hired replacement workers have been operating the facility where industrial adhesives and sealants are made. During that time, there have been three wastewater spills and 35 other spills, including 12 attributed to contractors, according to DEC. Seggos wrote that the company also faces violations under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Seggos said his office will pursue an unspecified "enforcement action" against the company, adding that despite the strike, Momentive must have "a sufficient amount of trained workers to ensure all of its environmental and safety obligations are met, especially if the company is planning to continue production ... A chemical plant operated without regard for safety presents an inherent danger to the public and the environment."
---------------------------------------------
POOL CHEMICAL SPILL ON 880 HIGHWAY AT MISSION BOULEVARD IN FREMONT
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, pool_chemicals
A driver was arrested early Thursday morning on suspicion of DUI after his truck crashed into pool truck carrying chemicals on northbound Interstate Highway in Fremont.
As a result of the chemicals spilling on the highway, the California Highway Patrol closed the Mission Boulevard offramp in Fremont so that Caltrans crews could clean up the hazardous materials.
The accident was reported about 1 a.m. Caltrans expected the cleanup to last until 8 a.m.
---------------------------------------------
THERE'S LESS HYDROCHLORIC ACID, MERCURY AND OTHER CHEMICALS IN THE AIR, EPA SAYS
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Industrial facilities nationwide covered by an Environmental Protection Agency program reported "a substantial decrease" in toxic chemical releases between 2005 and 2015, according to the EPA Thursday afternoon (Jan. 12).
The government agency's Toxic Release Inventory program tracks the waste management of certain toxic chemicals that pose a threat to human health and the environment. The self-reported data does not include data for every pollutant released, just the toxins required by law to be reported. Facilities also only need to report chemical release data if the facility meets the agency's criteria.
The EPA said air releases of toxic chemicals dropped 56 percent, or 851 million pounds, since 2005. That amount includes a 63 million pound decrease in chemicals released from 2014 to 2015.
Chemicals with "significant decreases in air releases" include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, toluene, and mercury. The government credits coal and oil-fired electric utilities with more than 90 percent of the reduced air releases in the last decade.
The EPA added that 87 percent of chemical waste managed was not released due to practices such as recycling, energy recovery, and treatment in 2015. A total of 27.2 billion pounds was managed overall.
---------------------------------------------
VIDEO: DEICING FLUID TRIGGERS HAZMAT RESPONSE AT SAN JOSE AIRPORT
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, injury, dust, ethylene_glycol
SAN JOSE (KRON) ' A substance on an Alaska Airlines flight triggered a hazmat response Thursday night at Mineta San Jose International Airport.
The substance, on board Flight 322 inbound from Seattle to San Jose, triggered a hazmat response Thursday night, according to airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes.
The incident happened at around 6:30 p.m.
Upon descent, a flight attendant seated in the front galley noticed a light powdery substance coming out of the galley ceiling vent intermittently, an Alaska Airlines spokeswoman said. En-route to SJC, three flight attendants stated they did not feel well.
The crew requested medical attention when they landed. One flight attendant was sent to a local hospital for further treatment.
The plane landed safely about 15 minutes later and is currently at Gate 26.
San Jose police and firefighters responded to the scene.
The substance ended up being residue left over from deicing the plane, the airline spokeswoman said. The deicing fluid the plane uses is non-toxic and it is called glycol.
Out of an abundance of caution, passengers were being held on board as the situation was being accessed.
---------------------------------------------
EPA BANS 72 INERT INGREDIENTS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, pesticides
EPA has removed 72 chemicals from the list of inert ingredients that can be added to pesticides. Such chemicals perform functions other than controlling pests. They include emulsifiers, solvents, aerosols, fragrances, dyes, and other substances that are not necessarily benign. The agency's action comes in response to petitions dating back to 2006 from environmental groups that claim many inert ingredients in pesticides are hazardous. The groups urged EPA to require disclosure of 371 inert ingredients. But pesticide makers pushed back, claiming such information is proprietary. After floating the idea of requiring public disclosure of all pesticide ingredients, EPA reversed course and decided not to require disclosure of inert substances. Instead, the agency says that it will 'evaluate potential risks of inert ingredients and reduce risks, as appropriate.' Some of the 72 chemicals subject to EPA's rule are among the 371 substances mentioned in the petitions. None of th!
em, however, are currently used in pesticides in the U.S. Environmental activists are urging EPA to quickly assess the other hundreds of inert ingredients that are added to pesticide formulations.
---------------------------------------------
TOXIC CHEMICAL SPILL IN WELSHPOOL
Tags: Australia, public, release, response, pesticides
Fire and emergency services have responded to a toxic chemical spill in Welshpool.
It's understood the chemical spill, which is believed to be a pesticide known as mono isopropylamine, occurred around Sheffield Road near the intersection of Dampier Road just after 5pm.
Fire and Emergency Service crews are heading to a chemical spill in Welshpool.
The Department of Fire and Emergency has warned people bounded by Sheffield Road, McDowell Street and Kurnall Road could be impacted by smoke and fumes.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL LEAK HITS SHELL'S PULAU BUKOM FACILITY
Tags: Singapore, industrial, fire, response, petroleum
SINGAPORE ' A chemical leak occurred at Shell's Pulau Bukom oil and petrochemical facility on Monday (Jan 9), prompting the oil giant to undertake "mitigating measures' and repair work to stop the leak.
In a separate incident early on Sunday, ExxonMobil said that a fire broke out at its Singapore chemical plant. No one was hurt in both incidents.
Responding to TODAY's queries, a Shell spokesperson said that Monday's chemical leak occurred at a unit already closed for maintenance at its Pulau Bukom manufacturing site. It was unclear what chemical was involved in the incident.
'For reasons of commercial confidentiality, we do not provide details about the operational status of individual units or information on supply,' the Shell spokesperson added.
The firm completed repairs on the unit on Tuesday to stop the leak, and is working closely with the relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the incident, the spokesperson said.
---------------------------------------------
'CHEMICALS UNDER PRESSURE' DIVIDE UN GHS COMMITTEE
Tags: Switzerland, public, discovery, response, other_chemical
The UN sub-committee of experts for GHS has recognised the need to address the issue of 'chemicals under pressure' within the Globally Harmonised System, but has deferred the final decision on how to do this until a later date.
The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) and the European Industrial Gases Association (Eiga) proposed creating a new chapter to address these substances at a previous meeting. A counter proposal ' to change chapter 2.3 (flammable aerosols) to cover chemicals under pressure ' was put forward by others.
Chemicals under pressure already have UN numbers (UN3500-UN3505) in the document 'Recommendations on the transport of dangerous goods', also known as the Orange Book. But, according to Cefic and Eiga, the current version of GHS does not properly cover these substances' hazards, raising the risks of confusion and incorrect classification.
At its December meeting in Geneva, the sub-committee reviewed mock-ups of the new chapter and of a revised version of chapter 2.3.
Cefic and Eiga said that this looked 'lengthy and complicated'. Furthermore, aerosols and chemicals under pressure were addressed separately in the transport of dangerous goods document. For consistency, and because of 'different test procedures' for aerosols, 'a complete merge of the requirements is not possible', they said.
The European Aerosol Federation (FEA) agreed that a new chapter was necessary. 'Aerosols are by definition non-refillable, have limited capacity and have a relatively low permitted maximum internal pressure,' it said.
---------------------------------------------
CREWS QUICKLY CONTAIN HAZMAT FIRE IN PHOENIX
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK) -
Crews from the Phoenix Fire Department quickly contained a hazardous materials fire near Cave Creek Road and Deer Valley Drive on Wednesday.
Firefighters responded to the first-alarm fire at Global Electronic Recycling at around 12:15 p.m.
The first firefighters on the scene found black smoke coming from multiple vents of a large warehouse.
With the help of the activated sprinklers, crews were able to confine the fire to the section of the warehouse where it started.
No one was injured.
---------------------------------------------
---
This e-mail is from DCHAS-L, the e-mail list of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety.
For more information about the list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Previous post | Top of Page | Next post