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From: DCHAS Secretary <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (13 articles)
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2017 08:19:09 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 100B764F-C35D-42C0-B93A-AC98FDD85E7F**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, April 28, 2017 at 8:18:56 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 (13 articles)
SOUTHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_CT, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
WV METRONEWS ‰?? WVSU FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST DOW CHEMICAL FOR WATER POLLUTION
Tags: us_WV, public, follow-up, environmental, hvac_chemicals
MYKENOSHACOUNTY.COM ‰?? HIGHWAY 45 REOPENED AFTER AMMONIA LEAK
Tags: us_WI, transportation, release, response, ammonia
MISDECLARING OF HAZARDOUS CARGO MIGHT BE ROOT CAUSE OF FIRE ON MSC DANIELA
Tags: Sri_Lanka, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical
WATCH: LAFAYETTE COLLEGE LAB FIRE INVESTIGATED
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, fire, response, metals, resin
CLEANUP EFFORT ALONG I-10 CONTINUES AFTER 2014 HAZARDOUS MATERIA
Tags: us_LA, transportation, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
WASH HANDS FREQUENTLY, OPEN WINDOWS, DUST OFTEN TO REDUCE HOME EXPOSURE TO FLAME RETARDANTS
Tags: us_WA, public, discovery, environmental, toxics
BIG LOSS: FIRE EAST OF TOWN TORCHES CONTAINMENT BUSINESS
Tags: us_WY, industrial, fire, response, adhesives, flammables
ATTEMPT TO DRILL INTO SUV GAS TANK IGNITES FUEL, MFD SAYS
Tags: us_WI, industrial, fire, response, gasoline
FIRE BURNS CHEMICAL STORAGE FACILITY IN LAUREL
Tags: us_MT, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems
COST FALLS TO RENEW PEAR SCALD CHEMICAL
Tags: us_OR, industrial, discovery, environmental, ag_chems
EUROPEAN CHEMICAL AGENCY EVALUATES RECYCLED RUBBER RISKS
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental
U.S. SANCTIONS CHEMISTS FOR GAS ATTACK ON CIVILIANS IN SYRIA
Tags: Syria, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
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SOUTHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_CT, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
SOUTHINGTON ‰?? A Southington High School classroom has been evacuated after a chemical began leaking from a tank.
About 2 p.m., fire crews were dispatched to the high school after the school resource officer reported the incident. A chemical was reportedly leaking from tanks in a science classroom, according to dispatch reports. The classroom was evacuated.
Police Sgt. Jeffrey Dobratz said the spill was small and that there was no emergency situation.
The health department was requested to respond to the school.
It wasn‰??t immediately clear what kind of chemical was leaking.
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WV METRONEWS ‰?? WVSU FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST DOW CHEMICAL FOR WATER POLLUTION
Tags: us_WV, public, follow-up, environmental, hvac_chemicals
INSTITUTE, W.Va. ‰?? West Virginia State University announced Thursday it has filed a lawsuit against Dow Chemical Company and other former owners of Dow‰??s Institute plant for underground water contamination on the university‰??s campus.
The suit demands that Dow clean up the water pollution that was discovered. WVSU President Anthony Jenkins said the contamination does not pose a human health risk to anyone on campus.
‰??While there is no threat to the health, wellness or safety to the students, faculty and staff, Dow contamination of our campus has potentially adversely impacted the brand, reputation, use of future property, the cost of future construction and potential enrollment growth here at the institution,‰?? Jenkins said during a Thursday press conference at the university.
Three contaminants were found in groundwater about 15-50 feet beneath the former Rehabilitation Center property located on the southwest side of the campus.
The discovery was made about four years ago. In the time since then, the university and Dow have conducted tests on the WVSU property including both outdoor and indoor facilities.
Roderic Moore, vice president of Enviroprobe Integrated Solutions, revealed the testing results Thursday. He said Enviroprobe and Dow collected about 150 samples of groundwater, soil gas, surface soil and air on campus.
The results showed that Dow‰??s plant, located next to the campus, released the following chemicals on to the WVSU property:
1,4-dioxane: A synthetic industrial chemical that is used in products such as paint strippers, dyes, greases varnishes and waxes.
1,1-dichloroethane: A colorless, oil liquid that is used mainly as an intermediate constituent in the manufacture of other chemicals.
Chloroform: A chemical that is used in refrigerants and that can form as a byproduct of water chlorination.
Moore said the chemicals have moved beyond the rehab center property.
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MYKENOSHACOUNTY.COM ‰?? HIGHWAY 45 REOPENED AFTER AMMONIA LEAK
Tags: us_WI, transportation, release, response, ammonia
For about two hours on Wednesday, a leak involving anhydrous ammonia shut down Highway 45 near the Kenosha County line, but authorities report no injuries resulted from the leak.
The accident happened at around 10:30 a.m. when the driver carrying dual anhydrous ammonia tanks discovered a partial leak, citing a mechanical malfunction of a valve, which reportedly caused 400 gallons of anhydrous ammonia to release into the air.
‰??There was a mechanical malfunction on one of the valves of the tank and while the vehicle was moving, ammonia began to leak,‰?? said Sgt. Erik Klinkhammer of the Kenosha County Sheriff‰??s Department. ‰??The leak consisted of about 400 gallons.‰??
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MISDECLARING OF HAZARDOUS CARGO MIGHT BE ROOT CAUSE OF FIRE ON MSC DANIELA
Tags: Sri_Lanka, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical
The container operator MSC suspected misdeclaring of hazardous cargo to be the root cause for the fire, which erupted on board of the large boxship MSC Daniela off Colombo in Sri Lanka. The information was revealed by the spokesman of Swiss-headquartered line to online journal Splash247, but company continue investigation over the accident. The operations for unloading the containers are ongoing and the inspectors will estimate the source of the fire and the cargo in the burned units. The last containers were already unloaded at the terminal of Colombo and now the representatives of the shipping operator will assess the damages caused to the cargo ship during the accident.
‰??Operations to unload the containers are ongoing as is the inspection to ascertain the full extent of the damage‰??, told the spokesperson of MSC to online edition Splash247. ‰??At the present moment, it is not clear exactly what caused the fire. We believe it could be due to a misdeclaration of hazardous cargo‰??, added the MSC representative.
The local authorities are also side in the investigation, due to worry about air pollution and possible danger for the local population.
The very large container ship MSC Daniela caught fire in Indian ocean on 120 nautical miles off Colombo port in Sri Lanka in beginning of April. The vessel altered course to Sri Lanka and requested assistance from the local authorities. The fire was extinguished within one day, but some containers were bleeding for more than 2 weeks, causing concerns to local authorities and hazmat teams for existence of dangerous goods.
---------------------------------------------
WATCH: LAFAYETTE COLLEGE LAB FIRE INVESTIGATED
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, fire, response, metals, resin
A fire in a basement laboratory Tuesday night at Lafayette College spread black smoke but was quickly extinguished by campus police.
A few students were in Van Wickle Hall, the geology building on the Easton campus, and fled as the alarm sounded about 7 p.m.
It appeared a hot plate was left on and a resin caught fire, city fire Deputy Chief Kevin Arnold said.
No one was reported injured, campus police Sgt. Tony Gallagher said.
Fire damage was contained by a metal cabinet on which the hot plate was found, Arnold said.
---------------------------------------------
CLEANUP EFFORT ALONG I-10 CONTINUES AFTER 2014 HAZARDOUS MATERIA
Tags: us_LA, transportation, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
WELSH, LA (KPLC) -
Nearly two-and-a-half years after a truck spilled hazardous materials along Interstate 10, cleanup is still underway.
DOTD is coordinating the cleanup effort with the company responsible for the spill, Liquid Transport Corporation, near Welsh.
This comes after a tanker spilled 1,200 gallons of a chemical the EPA said can be hazardous to health and the environment.
The chemical they're cleaning up is called trichloroethane, or TCE.
TCE is found in building materials, cleaning products, paints, and metal degreasing agents. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry said inhaling high levels of trichloroethane can cause you to become dizzy and lightheaded. Exposure to much higher levels can cause damage to breathing passages and causes mild effects in the liver, in addition to affecting the nervous system.
---------------------------------------------
WASH HANDS FREQUENTLY, OPEN WINDOWS, DUST OFTEN TO REDUCE HOME EXPOSURE TO FLAME RETARDANTS
Tags: us_WA, public, discovery, environmental, toxics
Last night, I happened on a legislative hearing on TVW on flame retardants. It was surprising to learn that 20 percent of materials in television sets is flame retardant chemicals. The standard was set years ago when cathode ray TV sets got hot and caught fire or people put candles on top of TV sets causing a fires.
These TV sets emit flame retardants. Tests show as you move away from TVs, the amount of flame retardants is reduced.
One researcher said the flame retardant industry fights any attempts to reduce the standard for putting the chemicals in consumer products.
Flame retardants also are found in electronics, clothing, furniture, baby and children‰??s products, futons, carpet padding, car seats, mattresses, curtains, appliances, building materials, and medical devices.
These toxic chemicals have been linked to cancer, adverse effects on the developing brain, and immune and reproductive problems. They‰??re also persistent and bioaccumulative, meaning they build up in the environment and people‰??s bodies and in the bodies of animals including polar bears and whales.
---------------------------------------------
BIG LOSS: FIRE EAST OF TOWN TORCHES CONTAINMENT BUSINESS
Tags: us_WY, industrial, fire, response, adhesives, flammables
A shop fire several miles from Cody on Monday resulted in a $400,000-$500,000 loss to the building and expensive equipment inside.
Custom Chemical Solutions owner Ryan Roemmich reported the fire on McNeil Lane off the Greybull Highway about 5:15 p.m. As of Wednesday morning he was not yet sure what set off the blaze. An investigation is underway; however, Cody Fire Department personnel were unavailable at press time to provide further details.
Chemical Solutions customizes portable secondary containment berms for oil fields throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. Roemmich and four employees were outside when the fire started. He said they had been putting traction (an adhesive with ground-up rubber) on containments inside the shop and it‰??s possible either a lit cigarette outside the building or a spark released by the radiant heater inside ignited the flammable adhesive.
No one was hurt, and the fire did not spread to Ryan and Katie Roemmich‰??s nearby house. While damage was contained to the shop, the loss is significant.
---------------------------------------------
ATTEMPT TO DRILL INTO SUV GAS TANK IGNITES FUEL, MFD SAYS
Tags: us_WI, industrial, fire, response, gasoline
An attempt to drain an old SUV's gas tank Tuesday afternoon caused a fire on Madison's east side, fire officials said.
The Madison Fire Department said it received multiple reports at about 12:30 p.m. of thick black smoke coming from a property in the 2300 block of South Stoughton Road.
According to the report, when crews arrived, several people were gathered at the rear of an auto repair business. A gas tank from an SUV was lying on the cement.
The shop's employees told firefighters they removed the gas tank from an older-model Chevy Blazer and were attempting to drain approximately 4 gallons of gasoline from it. To empty the tank, one employee attempted to drill a hole in it and ignited the fuel in the process.
Employees put out the fire using a dry chemical extinguisher before the fire department arrived, the report said. Firefighters cooled the tank with a garden hose supplied by employees and placed a product around the tank to absorb the excess fuel that had spilled.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE BURNS CHEMICAL STORAGE FACILITY IN LAUREL
Tags: us_MT, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems
Firefighters battled a fire at Helena Chemical on South Fifth Avenue in Laurel Wednesday morning.
The fire was reported at about 7 a.m. When firefighters arrived there were flames and heavy smoke inside the business's cinder block building, said Chief Brent Peters, of Laurel Volunteer Fire Department.
It took fire crews some time to gain access to the building, but they were able to extinguish the flames in about 30 minutes.
Peters said the building was a storage facility for herbicides and pesticides. The chemicals presented concerns due to their acidic and alkaline nature.
---------------------------------------------
COST FALLS TO RENEW PEAR SCALD CHEMICAL
Tags: us_OR, industrial, discovery, environmental, ag_chems
The Northwest pear industry agreed to contribute about $240,000 of research funds toward reregistering ethoxyquin, a chemical used to control postharvest scald.
And that‰??s a bargain compared to the last time.
About 10 years ago, when ethoxyquin previously came up for reregistration with the Environmental Protection Agency, the industry spent more than $2 million.
‰??The landscape has changed quite a bit,‰?? said Mike Willett, manager of the Washington State Tree Fruit Research Commission in February at the annual Pear Research Review in Hood River, Oregon.
Ethoxyquin, a quinolone-based antioxidant, has historically had few uses in the United States aside from preventing pear scald, a serious postharvest disorder.
In pears, the disorder causes an external brown discoloration that occurs mostly on d‰??Anjous, and there are no alternative treatments, Willett said.
Pet food manufacturers also use it as a preservative and it sometimes shows up as a color preservative in chili powder, paprika and ground chili.
So, 10 years ago, only one company ‰?? Deco ‰?? was trying to sell ethoxyquin and didn‰??t consider the financial burden of reregistration worth it. That fell to the pear industry.
This time around, pear growers have help. A few paper companies interested in making an ethoxyquin-infused paper for packaging pears and PACE, a Wapato, Washington, chemical company, also are interested in reregistering the chemical.
The EPA requires crop chemicals to reregister roughly every 15 years or so, Willett said, but may ask for it sooner or later depending on new questions.
To reregister a chemical, the companies or agencies wishing to use it form a task force to hire research firms to answer the EPA‰??s questions.
The previous time ethoxyquin had to re-up, the EPA was interested in the substance‰??s effect on the people who ate pears, which involved expensive dietary tests.
---------------------------------------------
EUROPEAN CHEMICAL AGENCY EVALUATES RECYCLED RUBBER RISKS
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental
HELSINKI‰??The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has recently concluded that there is "at most, a very low level of concern" from exposure to recycled rubber granules.
The agency was asked by the European Commission (EC) in June 2016 to evaluate the risk posed by recycled rubber to the general population, including children, professional players and workers who install or maintain synthetic rubber fields.
In a Feb. 28 report, the ECHA said its study considered a number of 'hazardous substances' in recycled rubber granules, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, phthalates, volatile organic hydrocarbons and semi-volatile organic hydrocarbons.
The Helsinki-based agency said researchers looked into exposure to these substances through skin contact, ingestion and inhalation.
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U.S. SANCTIONS CHEMISTS FOR GAS ATTACK ON CIVILIANS IN SYRIA
Tags: Syria, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
The Trump Administration imposed economic sanctions against Syrian government chemists and other scientists on April 24 for their role in the alleged sarin gas attack in early April that killed dozens of people.
The sanctions were leveled against 271 employees of the Scientific Studies & Research Center, the Syrian government body the U.S. believes is responsible for developing and producing chemical and biological weapons. The action directs U.S. banks to freeze any assets the individuals may have and bans American companies from conducting business with them.
Those targeted all have expertise in chemistry and related disciplines. They have supported the regime‰??s chemical weapons program since at least 2012, according to the U.S. Treasury Department‰??s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which released a list of their names.
These government employees are ‰??highly educated‰?? chemical specialists who are likely to be able to travel outside of Syria and use the international financial system, Trump Administration officials said.
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