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From: DCHAS Secretary <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (12 articles)
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2017 07:42:55 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: BB0E4E5D-9499-4CFC-8B3D-66C426F625A3**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, June 23, 2017 at 7:42:43 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 (12 articles)
AUTHORITIES CALL HALT TO FIREWORKS, OPEN BURNS
Tags: us_co, public, discovery, response
HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL LEAK AT PACE PLANT CONTAINED
Tags: us_fl, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
NEARLY 4 GALLONS OF CHEMICALS SPILL AT RIVERSIDE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
Tags: us_va, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
EPA STAFFERS, TRUMP OFFICIAL CLASHED OVER NEW CHEMICAL RULES
Tags: us, discovery, public, response, environmental
KEEPING COOL IN THE SUMMER LEADS TO INCREASED AIR POLLUTION
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, carbon_dioxide
A DANGEROUS DRUG LAB WAS BUSTED IN DOUGLAS COUNTY ON WEDNESDAY
Tags: us_WA, public, discovery, response, butane, clandestine_lab
WALBRIDGE COUNCIL SLAMS PLAN TO PUT BERYLLIUM PLANT DIRT IN LANDFILL, PASSES RESOLUTION OPPOSING ARMY CORPS PLAN
Tags: us_OH, public, discovery, environmental, radiation, waste
CHEMICAL SPILL ON THE WEST SIDE, NO DANGER, THE ROAD IS OPEN
Tags: us_IN, industrial, release, response
SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES OVER SAFETY AT US NUCLEAR WEAPONS LAB
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, discovery, environmental, radiation, waste
GAS EXPLOSION SPARKS MELBOURNE PLANT BLAZE
Tags: Australia, industrial, explosion, response, natural_gas
RESEARCH FINDS COMMON HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS LEAD TO BIRTH DEFECTS IN MICE
Tags: us_VA, laboratory, discovery, environmental, cleaners
MSC UNANIMOUSLY AGREES THAT BISPHENOL A IS AN ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOR
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
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AUTHORITIES CALL HALT TO FIREWORKS, OPEN BURNS
Tags: us_co, public, discovery, response
If it strikes, flicks or sparks, don‰??t use it.
So, no matches, no lighters and especially no fireworks, not even the legal ones.
OK, you can keep matches and lighters and you can still buy fireworks, but the risk of using any of them in the Grand Valley for the foreseeable future is so great that it might be best to avoid any kind of flame that isn‰??t fueled by propane and contained in a cooker or a fire pit.
That‰??s the gist of fire restrictions that went into effect today.
Officials with the Mesa County Sheriff‰??s Office, Grand Junction Fire Department and Bureau of Land Management announced the Stage 1 restrictions on the still-charred land that burst into flame on June 12, burning five acres and destroying a home, two sheds and a recreational vehicle on 28 Road near the Colorado River.
The Grand Junction Fire Department has responded to six brush fires and eight structure fires so far in June.
‰??We did not go into these restrictions lightly,‰?? sheriff‰??s spokeswoman Megan Terlecky said. ‰??When we looked at all the conditions, it pretty much struck us right in the face. There was no choice.‰??
Among those conditions: hot, dry and windy weather with no end in sight, low moisture content in the grasses and other fuels on the ground, and other factors that suggest that the Grand Valley is on the edge of combustion.
Under Stage 1 restrictions, no open burning or fireworks are allowed. Agricultural burns are allowed only with a permit from the Sheriff‰??s Office.
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HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL LEAK AT PACE PLANT CONTAINED
Tags: us_fl, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
A hazardous leak at a Pace chemical plant has been contained, the plant's owner said Thursday.
Amanda Allman, a spokesman for Tennessee-based Eastman Chemical Co., said late Thursday afternoon that monomethylamine was no longer leaking from a storage tank at the company's Taminco plant in Pace.
"Taminco Pace Operations experienced a leak of monomethylamine from a pressurized tank in the early morning hours of June 22, 2017. The leak has been stopped and did not result in any injuries or equipment damage onsite," Allman said in an emailed statement.
Allman said the leak did not result in the release of any vapors, and it did not affect neighbors, she said.
According to a report from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, an undetermined number of gallons leaked from a tank, which contained 27,475 gallons of the hazardous chemical.
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NEARLY 4 GALLONS OF CHEMICALS SPILL AT RIVERSIDE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
Tags: us_va, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WVEC) -- Emergency crews were called to Riverside Regional Medical Center following a small chemical spill Thursday.
According to Assistant Fire Chief Robert E. Lee, about 4 gallons of chemicals spilled on the loading deck just before 4:30 p.m.
The fumes from the chemicals were getting into the building, prompting help from the fire department and the Hazardous Materials Team.
The chemicals did not spread past the loading dock.
There is no word on what kind of chemicals were spilled.
At this time no injuries have been reported.
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EPA STAFFERS, TRUMP OFFICIAL CLASHED OVER NEW CHEMICAL RULES
Tags: us, discovery, public, response, environmental
The Trump administration released the nation‰??s most important chemical-safety rules in decades Thursday ‰?? but only after making a series of business-friendly changes overseen by a former industry advocate who holds a top post at the EPA.
Career agency employees had raised objections to the changes steered by EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator Nancy Beck, who until April was the senior director of regulatory science policy at the American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry‰??s leading lobbying group. Those include limits on how broadly the agency would review thousands of potentially hazardous substances, EPA staffers wrote in an internal memo reviewed by POLITICO.
Such limits could cause the agency to fail to act on potential chemical uses "that present an unreasonable risk to health or the environment,‰?? EPA's top chemicals enforcement official argued in the May 23 memo.
The rules are meant to implement last year‰??s landmark rewrite of the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, a major bipartisan achievement in a deeply divided Congress. Both parties agreed that the law needed an update ‰?? the original version didn't even allow EPA to ban asbestos, a known carcinogen, and some states had begun to step in and create their own patchwork of regulations for chemicals.
But the Trump administration‰??s steps to implement the law, and Beck‰??s role in particular, are drawing alarm from environmental groups and congressional Democrats.
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KEEPING COOL IN THE SUMMER LEADS TO INCREASED AIR POLLUTION
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, carbon_dioxide
As the weather warms, so does the use of air conditioners. But running these devices requires power plants to ratchet up electricity production, causing air polluting emissions to rise. An analysis of 27 states found that, on average, summer emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) go up by hundreds to thousands of metric tons per degree Celsius increase. The report appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
A large body of research has investigated the influence of weather and climate on atmospheric chemistry. But few studies have examined the specific effects of climate on electricity emissions and air quality. Although overall emissions have dropped due to pollution control devices and a drop in coal use, regional and seasonal increases in power plant pollution could affect people‰??s health and the environment. SO2 and NOx ‰?? both of which are regulated in the U.S. ‰?? can cause respiratory problems, particularly in children, people with asthma and the elderly. CO2 is a primary greenhouse gas targeted by power plant regulations. Tracey Holloway, David Abel and colleagues wanted to quantify the historical relationship between summertime air temperature and the power plant emissions of these three gases.
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A DANGEROUS DRUG LAB WAS BUSTED IN DOUGLAS COUNTY ON WEDNESDAY
Tags: us_WA, public, discovery, response, butane, clandestine_lab
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wash --- A dangerous drug lab was found in Douglas County by law enforcement officials from several different jurisdictions.
Law enforcement busted, what on-scene officials called, ‰??a sophisticated text book example of a commercial DMT (dimethyltryptamine) and butane honey oil (BHO) lab.‰??
The lab produced hallucinogens and cannabinoid oils to sell illegally on the internet, according to the Grant County Sheriff‰??s Office‰??s press release. There were also thousands of bottles, containers, labels, commercial sealers and packaging and shipping supplies. The residence contained many pounds of finished product, said the GCSO‰??s press release.
The home contained four commercial-grade extraction vessels that are an explosive hazard and a DMT processing vessel, said the GCSO. There were many gallons of laboratory liquid reagents that present explosive and poison danger from vapors or leakage, and many pressurized gas cylinders that were not safely stored, according to the GCSO‰??s press release.
Officials were monitoring the atmosphere for hazardous conditions, identifying all hazardous substances associated with the drug manufacturing process. Officials are also determining the scope of the clean-up, and overseeing the removal of all hazardous materials outside.
"This investigation started in Grant County and eventually led us to the Hurst Landing home," said Grant County Sheriff, Tom Jones. "On the outside, it looks like any other home in a nice neighborhood, but hidden inside was a drug lab capable of injuring people in a variety of different ways. I'm grateful for the teamwork between all of the different agencies which helped make this neighborhood safer again."
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WALBRIDGE COUNCIL SLAMS PLAN TO PUT BERYLLIUM PLANT DIRT IN LANDFILL, PASSES RESOLUTION OPPOSING ARMY CORPS PLAN
Tags: us_OH, public, discovery, environmental, radiation, waste
WALBRIDGE ‰?? Village officials and residents trashed a proposal to bring some of the dirt from a former nuclear production site in Luckey to a landfill located partially in Walbridge.
After hearing a detailed explanation by Steve Nonneman, district manager for Evergreen Landfill, about how up to 7,200 loads of dirt will be hauled and stored, council decided to pass an emergency resolution opposing the Army Corps of Engineers' methods of disposing of the materials.
"I think he didn't answer questions as well, and was nonchalant. This is our backyard," said Councilwoman Tamra Williams after the meeting.
Council President Sue Hart-Douglas said after hearing Nonneman's remarks, she felt it was necessary to pass the resolution as an emergency, even though it was only up for a second reading at Wednesday's meeting.
"When you talk about the cranes lifting the bags and the testing, I'm very concerned," she said. "I'm even concerned for their employees."
Nonneman said Waste Management has been asked to take in the "dirty dirt" from the Luckey site. This is on the outskirts of the "bad stuff" that the Army Corps of Engineers feels strongly about moving, even though it may not be necessary. As an example, he said if a contaminated area was 30-feet wide, the Corps is electing to remove 300 feet.
"Our reality is we're not going to take anything but solid waste from anybody," Nonneman said, adding that Waste Management would not accept hazardous or radioactive materials.
He said the customer sends Evergreen data that is analyzed to determine what type of waste is coming into the landfill.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL ON THE WEST SIDE, NO DANGER, THE ROAD IS OPEN
Tags: us_IN, industrial, release, response
SPEEDWAY, Ind.--There was a chemical spill at the Heritage Crystal Clean plant at 10th St. and Holt Rd. in Speedway this morning. The plant handled the spill, with support from the Indianapolis Fired Dept. and the Speedway Fire Dept.
The chemical spill was described as "small" by Thad Ferguson, the public information officer with Speedway Fire.
"We did have some runoff of so me water and some foam. It was tested. It's ph7, nothing to worry about for the nearby residents," he said.
Ph7 means it is not acidic or basic, and not dangerous.
He said that the investigation into the spill and a small chemical fire is still going on and they hope to find out why the spill happened.
---------------------------------------------
SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES OVER SAFETY AT US NUCLEAR WEAPONS LAB
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, discovery, environmental, radiation, waste
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ‰?? The safety record at the U.S. laboratory that created the atomic bomb is facing intensifying criticism as work ramps up to produce a key component for the nation's nuclear weapons cache.
A series published this week by the Center for Public Integrity cites numerous internal reports and other documents outlining federal regulators' concerns about safety lapses at Los Alamos National Laboratory over the years, including spilled plutonium and workers positioning plutonium rods in a way that could have been disastrous.
In an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press, Los Alamos officials took aim at critics and reassured employees of the safety of the lab's facility for making plutonium cores used to trigger the explosions in nuclear bombs.
"As employees, you should be proud of your laboratory's accomplishments over the past decade to strengthen our ability to operate safely and securely," according to the memo, dated Monday. "While there will often be external organizations and individuals which advance a misleading narrative, it is not an accurate reflection of our work."
It said the plutonium facility's operations and safety programs have successfully undergone more than a dozen independent external reviews and that it's close to being fully operational after safety problems forced work to be suspended in 2013.
Safety at the nation's aging nuclear research labs is under scrutiny as federal officials grapple with issues that have been decades in the making. Aside from Los Alamos, U.S. Energy Department officials recently said inadequate funding and the inability to clean up millions of gallons of toxic waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state will likely lead to future accidental radiation releases.
---------------------------------------------
GAS EXPLOSION SPARKS MELBOURNE PLANT BLAZE
Tags: Australia, industrial, explosion, response, natural_gas
A Melbourne chemical factory has burst into flames after a gas explosion, with firefighters still at the scene to contain toxic leaks.
Up to 28 firefighters are at the scene of the explosion at the DS Chemport factory in Campbellfield, with staff from the plant and surrounding factories forced to evacuate earlier on Wednesday.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokeswoman Heather Stockton said the cause of the explosion was believed to be an unknown gas from a "mixing pot" of chemicals that overheated.
"Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus are using hose lines to keep the product cool so that overheating does not occur," she said in a statement.
She said gas levels were also being monitored.
Victoria Police closed the road and paramedics were at the scene, but no injuries have been reported.
In total 25 people were safely evacuated and a community warning was issued for the surrounding area.
---------------------------------------------
RESEARCH FINDS COMMON HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS LEAD TO BIRTH DEFECTS IN MICE
Tags: us_VA, laboratory, discovery, environmental, cleaners
A new study at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) and the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech has found a connection between common household chemicals and birth defects.
Known as quaternary ammonium compounds or "quats," the chemicals are often used as disinfectants and preservatives in household and personal products such as cleaners, laundry detergent, fabric softener, shampoo and conditioner, and eye drops. The research demonstrated a link between quats and neural tube birth defects in both mice and rats.
"These chemicals are regularly used in the home, hospital, public spaces, and swimming pools," said Terry Hrubec, associate professor of anatomy at the VCOM-Virginia campus and research assistant professor in the veterinary college's Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology. "Most people are exposed on a regular basis."
Hrubec investigated the effect of two commonly used quats: alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride and didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. These are often listed on ingredient lists as ADBAC and DDAC, respectively, and are valued for their antimicrobial and antistatic properties, as well as their ability to lower surface tension. Hrubec found that exposure to these chemicals resulted in neural tube birth defects -- the same birth defect as spina bifida and anencephaly in humans.
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MSC UNANIMOUSLY AGREES THAT BISPHENOL A IS AN ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOR
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
The Member State Committee (MSC) supported the French proposal to additionally identify Bisphenol A as a substance of very high concern because of its endocrine disrupting properties which cause probable serious effects to human health. The committee also agreed to identify the substance PFHxS as an SVHC.
Helsinki, 16 June 2017 - The Member State Committee unanimously agreed on the identification as substances of very high concern (SVHCs) of:
4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol (bisphenol A, BPA) (EC 201-245-8, CAS 80-05-7), proposed by France, due to its endocrine disrupting properties for human health;
Perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid and its salts (PFHxS), proposed by Sweden, due to their very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) properties.
Bisphenol A is already listed in the Candidate List due to its toxic for reproduction properties. At the MSC meeting earlier this week, MSC unanimously agreed on its additional identification as an SVHC because of its endocrine disrupting properties which cause probable serious effects to human health which give rise to an equivalent level of concern to carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction (CMRs category 1A or 1B) substances.
ECHA will include PFHxS in the Candidate List and will update the current entry for BPA accordingly by the end of June 2017. Companies may have legal obligations with respect to these substances upon publication of the updated Candidate List.
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