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From: DCHAS Secretary <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (16 articles)
Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2017 07:15:12 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: ED861D82-E9D8-4593-8D4E-577D69853D73**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, September 1, 2017 at 7:14:57 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 (16 articles)
HOSPITAL LAB WORKERS BACK ON JOB AFTER FIRE CALL
Tags: Canada, laboratory, release, response, dust
HAZMAT CLEANUP SHUTS DOWN DAN RYAN EXPRESSWAY RAMP
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, flammables
CHINA SAYS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PULLING PUNCHES IN WINTER SMOG FIGHT
Tags: China, industrial, discovery, environmental
AFTER HARVEY, TEXAS FACES MASSIVE CLEANUP
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, injury, flammables, peroxide
REACTION RAISES ALARM
Tags: us_IA, public, fire, response, cleaners
UPDATE: WORKERS KEPT FOR OBSERVATION AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AT HIXSON PLANT
Tags: us_TN, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
2 BLASTS HIT ARKEMA CHEMICAL PLANT IN CROSBY HOURS AFTER EVACUATION
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, injury, other_chemical
FIVE WORKERS SUFFER CHEMICAL BURNS AT WACKER PLANT IN BRADLEY COUNTY
Tags: us_TN, industrial, release, injury, silane
THE BOSS OF A FLOODED HOUSTON CHEMICAL PLANT SAYS IT COULD EXPLODE
Tags: us_TX, industrial, discovery, environmental
POWER PLANT DEATHS HIGHLIGHT CHEMICAL HAZARDS ACROSS INDUSTRIES
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, death, hydrogen_sulfide
US: FEED SAFETY CONCERNS CONTINUES AFTER FLOODING
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental
TREATED WASTEWATER SLUDGE STILL HARBORS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES
Tags: us_MD, public, discovery, environmental, ag_chems, pharmaceutical
EPA WORKS WITH LYNN, MASS. COMPANY TO REDUCE RISK FROM CHEMICALS BY IMPROVING SAFETY MEASURES
Tags: us_MA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonia
BREAKING: HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL FROM I-65 CRASH FLOWING INTO ESLAVA CREEK, DOG RIVER
Tags: us_AL, transportation, release, environmental, other_chemical
DANIEL CRAIG'S 'LOGAN LUCKY' BOMB IS BASIC HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY
Tags: public, explosion, environmental, bomb
CHEMICAL FACILITIES FACE DANGER DURING HARVEY SHUTDOWNS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, discovery, response, carbon_monoxide, peroxide, petroleum, toxics
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HOSPITAL LAB WORKERS BACK ON JOB AFTER FIRE CALL
Tags: Canada, laboratory, release, response, dust
A General Hospital laboratory is in the clear after firefighters rushed to a call at 10:13 a.m. Wednesday indicating the lab was filled with smoke.
Fire Dept. spokesperson Steve McArthur said firefighters found no fire or smoke at the lab, but did find a haze inside it.
The lab ‰?? the Clinical Research Laboratory and Biobank ‰?? is located underneath the hospital parking structure at the north end of the hospital site and is not attached to the General.
McArthur said the haze is believed to have come from a grinding machine involved in maintenance work in the parking structure. Dust or grinding particles are believed to have entered the lab's ventilation system.
The air exchange system was turned off and the air cleared, he said, adding the lab workers were able to return to work and firefighters have left the scene.
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HAZMAT CLEANUP SHUTS DOWN DAN RYAN EXPRESSWAY RAMP
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, flammables
CHICAGO, IL ‰?? A leaking tanker truck has led to the shut down Thursday of the 43rd Street on-ramp of the outbound Dan Ryan Expressway, according to AM560 The Answer. The ramp is closed while a hazardous materials team cleans the spill, the report added. The tanker truck also was blocking the right lane of the Dan Ryan, according to WGN-TV's traffic map.
A hazmat unit was called about the leaking truck just before 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, Bill Unger of WGN-AM News reports. At that time, witnesses at the scene described the truck's leaking contents as a "hot, molten, flammable liquid," the report added. According to the WGN traffic map, the leak was a level 1 hazmat emergency.
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CHINA SAYS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PULLING PUNCHES IN WINTER SMOG FIGHT
Tags: China, industrial, discovery, environmental
BEIJING (Reuters) - China‰??s cabinet said the government will launch nationwide safety inspections of coal mines, chemical plants, gas operators and logistics firms, starting in September.
The new round of inspections comes after an environmental crackdown in August roiled commodities markets, while safety inspections in major coal producing regions have crimped supplies, fuelling a price rally.
‰??It is a top priority for us to give coal mines thorough checks. Hazardous chemical producers, city gas operators as well as fireworks manufactures will also be our list for the inspections,‰?? cabinet said in a statement on Wednesday on the website of China‰??s work safety administration.
A fire earlier this month at a large refinery in Dalian run by oil major PetroChina fueled public concerns about safety standards in the oil industry.
China‰??s coal production in July fell to the lowest level since October, reflecting the impact of a crackdown on illegal mining and efforts to reduce pollution.
---------------------------------------------
AFTER HARVEY, TEXAS FACES MASSIVE CLEANUP
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, injury, flammables, peroxide
Five days of devastating rain from Tropical Storm Harvey left its mark on the Gulf Coast of Texas, home to more than 6 million people and a significant portion of the U.S. fuel and chemical industries.
As flood water recedes, residents, state and federal officials, and refinery and chemical plant managers are assessing the damage left in Harvey‰??s wake.
Dozens of major manufacturing facilities were taken off-line before and during the storm. Experts say it is too early to clearly assess the amount of damage sustained by industry in the region and forecast it will take several weeks to restart the plants.
‰??The combination of Harvey‰??s path, duration, and rainfall total is wreaking havoc with the supply side of the U.S. chemicals industry on an unprecedented scale,‰?? says Kevin W. McCarthy, analyst at Vertical Research Partners, an equities research firm.
One chemical plant that has sustained significant damage is Arkema‰??s polymer additives site in Crosby, Texas, 43 km northeast of Houston. On Aug. 31, storage facilities holding highly flammable organic peroxides began to explode, sending black smoke into the air. The facility and the rural neighborhood around it had been evacuated and no serious injuries were reported. However, several first responders were treated for symptoms of respiratory irritation. Two senators have asked the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to investigate the circumstances that led up to the explosions at the plant.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviewed data from aircraft shortly after the explosion at the plant. In an Aug. 31 statement, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said, ‰??This information indicates that there are no concentrations of concern for toxic materials reported at this time.‰??
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REACTION RAISES ALARM
Tags: us_IA, public, fire, response, cleaners
OSKALOOSA ‰?? A chemical reaction between cleaning supplies on an old mop Tuesday night caused the downtown Oskaloosa Pizza Ranch to fill with smoke before fire officials arrived to extinguish the chemical reaction. There were no injuries.
Oskaloosa fire Chief Mark Neff said officials from the Oskaloosa Fire Department responded to the call a Pizza Ranch, 120 High Ave. W., just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29.
Firefighters were seen removing a table with a black, smoldering mop head on it from the front door of the building.
Neff said Wednesday morning that the incident was caused by a reaction of cleaning chemicals.
‰??A cotton mop had some cleaning solution on it, and there was a chemical reaction,‰?? Neff said. ‰??It was more smoke; no flames.‰??
Neff said that the mop head had been removed from the handle, cleaned with chemicals and left on the table.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: WORKERS KEPT FOR OBSERVATION AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AT HIXSON PLANT
Tags: us_TN, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
HIXSON, Tennessee (WDEF) ‰?? Chattanooga fire officials say 24 workers were taken to the hospital this morning as a precaution from a chemical exposure.
It happened at Southern Filter Media on Kanasita Drive near Greenway Farm in Hixson.
Bruce Garner with the Fire Department says the workers were exposed to fumes from a manufacturing process at the plant.
When they began getting sick, plant officials shut down the process and called fire fighters.
Most of the employees who were transported were just being checked out by doctors.
Only two or three were more sick, and paramedics said none were life threatening issues.
Southern Filter Media makes filter bags that are used by manufacturing companies.
---------------------------------------------
2 BLASTS HIT ARKEMA CHEMICAL PLANT IN CROSBY HOURS AFTER EVACUATION
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, injury, other_chemical
CROSBY, Tex. ‰?? The operators of a chemical plant left without power by floodwaters said Thursday that two explosions rocked the facility, and they warned that more blasts could occur as rising temperatures make the compounds inside volatile and dangerous.
‰??A threat of additional explosion remains,‰?? said a statement from Arkema, the French chemicals group that runs the plant, which was under about six feet of water from the relentless rains unleashed by Harvey.
The company urged residents to stay clear of a temporary evacuation zone set up Wednesday.
The risks also appear to extend beyond explosions, as noxious fumes left at least one sheriff‰??s deputy in need of medical treatment.
The deputy was taken to a hospital after inhaling fumes from the plant, and nine others sought medical care as a precaution, according to the Harris Country Sheriff‰??s Office. Arkema officials told the sheriff‰??s department that the smoke inhaled by the 10 deputies is believed to be ‰??a non-toxic irritant.‰??
---------------------------------------------
FIVE WORKERS SUFFER CHEMICAL BURNS AT WACKER PLANT IN BRADLEY COUNTY
Tags: us_TN, industrial, release, injury, silane
Five workers suffered chemical burns Wednesday from a release at the Wacker Polysilicon plant in northern Bradley County.
One worker was flown to Erlanger hospital in Chattanooga via Life Force, and four others were taken by ambulance to a hospital, Bradley County authorities said.
The Bradley County Sheriff's Office dispelled rumors of an explosion and said there was no danger to the community. An employee at nearby Walker Valley High School said school officials had not been warned of any danger or instructed to take protective measures.
The $2.5 billion plant manufactures hyperpure polysilicon in the manufacturing of solar panels. Work is underway now on a $150 million expansion.
William J. Toth, director of corporate communications and compliance for Wacker Chemical, said via email the accident happened around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday when "a small chemical release of silane was detected while performing routine maintenance."
Silane is a highly flammable compressed gas used in manufacturing. Federal Material Safety Data Sheets show the chemical may explode when mixed with air, or cause burns or frostbite if the rapidly expanding gas touches skin. It also is harmful if inhaled because it can displace oxygen and cause rapid suffocation.
Toth's email did not say how the release happened. It said the plant's incident response team was sent to the area and contained the release. It's not clear whether the workers doing maintenance or the response team members were the ones injured.
---------------------------------------------
THE BOSS OF A FLOODED HOUSTON CHEMICAL PLANT SAYS IT COULD EXPLODE
Tags: us_TX, industrial, discovery, environmental
There is "no way to prevent" a possible explosion of a chemical plant in Crosby, Texas that has been flooded by Hurricane Harvey, Arkema CEO Rich Rowe has warned. The facility's power and generators, which keep crucial chemicals cool, have been knocked out by heavy flooding.
"We have an unprecedented 6ft of water at the plant," Rowe said. "We have lost primary power and two sources of emergency backup power.
"As a result, we have lost critical refrigeration of the materials on site that could now explode and cause a subsequent intense fire. The high water and lack of power leave us with no way to prevent it," he added.
Rowe said that all of the facility's personnel have been evacuated and that federal, state and local authorities have been contacted. "...We are working very closely with them to manage this matter," he said. "They have ordered the surrounding community to be evacuated, too."
---------------------------------------------
POWER PLANT DEATHS HIGHLIGHT CHEMICAL HAZARDS ACROSS INDUSTRIES
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, death, hydrogen_sulfide
It was an unexpected burst of hydrogen sulfide gas from a pipe, authorities say, that claimed the lives of two workers and injured four others during routine, night shift maintenance at Bruce Mansfield coal-fired power plant.
As details emerged on Wednesday from the overnight accident in Beaver County, the deaths serve as a painful reminder of the perils of the Pittsburgh region‰??s work sites and the handling of powerful chemicals.
Hydrogen sulfide ‰?? a potent gas that lingers around sewers, wastewater treatment plants, oil and gas water tanks and wells ‰?? is found where organic material decomposes, said Wayne Vanderhoof, a workplace safety expert and president of RJR Safety Inc., based in Claysville, Washington County.
The colorless gas, which has a sulfurous ‰??rotten egg‰?? smell at low concentrations, can be lethal when inhaled in confined, underground spaces where workers could encounter stagnant pools of water or waste material, he said.
---------------------------------------------
US: FEED SAFETY CONCERNS CONTINUES AFTER FLOODING
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental
Floodwaters may mean stored feed and feed crops in Texas and surrounding areas need to be destroyed to maintain feed safety, says FDA.
The FDA‰??s Center of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) warned producers Tuesday about risk to feed use and feed crop growth as flooding continues in parts of Texas and neighboring areas.
‰??The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises that certain foods exposed to flood waters, and perishable foods that are not adequately refrigerated, are adulterated and should not enter the human food supply,‰?? they agency said. ‰??In addition, crops and other food commodities exposed to flood waters would not be acceptable for use in animal feed.‰??
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, now Tropical Storm Harvey, there have been reports of flooding in several parts of Texas, according to information from the National Weather Service with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Preliminary storm total rainfall in locations like Houston is being reported at 49.32 inches and rain continues to fall in parts of the state.
---------------------------------------------
TREATED WASTEWATER SLUDGE STILL HARBORS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES
Tags: us_MD, public, discovery, environmental, ag_chems, pharmaceutical
To kill microorganisms that can potentially cause disease, the world‰??s most advanced sewage treatment plants essentially pressure cook wastewater. But new research indicates that this process may not get rid of genes that impart antibiotic resistance to microbes.
Because treated sludge is regularly spread on lands used to grow crops for human consumption, this finding could have public health implications, said Sarah Fischer, an environmental chemist at the University of Maryland, College Park, during a talk at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 7 million metric tons of biosolids ‰?? the residue from wastewater treatment, also called sludge ‰?? is applied to U.S. lands each year as fertilizer. Increasingly, organic farmers are debating the possible use of biosolids, pointed out Mustafa Selim of East Carolina University‰??s Brody School of Medicine, who co-organized the symposium. The U.S. Department of Agriculture now bans the use of biosolids on crops certified as organic.
---------------------------------------------
EPA WORKS WITH LYNN, MASS. COMPANY TO REDUCE RISK FROM CHEMICALS BY IMPROVING SAFETY MEASURES
Tags: us_MA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonia
Boston - A Lynn, Mass. company that uses ammonia in its refrigeration system has come into compliance with federal environmental laws after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found the company was operating in violation of clean air and federal right-to-know laws and putting employees and the public in danger.
Demakes Enterprises of 37 Waterhill St. owns and operates a meat processing, cooking, packaging, and storage facility and sells products, in part, under the "Thin 'n Trim" and "Old Neighborhood" labels. As part of resolving the violations identified by EPA, the company spent about $300,000 on safety upgrades and other measures to come into compliance with the Clean Air Act, as well as the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. In an agreement signed with EPA's New England office, the company also said it would pay a penalty of $132,183 to resolve the violations.
The company violated a part of the Clean Air Act known as the General Duty Clause in its widespread mishandling of anhydrous ammonia. The company violated the right to know law by failing to accurately report the amount of ammonia used in the facility, as well as failing to report sulfuric acid present in the facility.
The General Duty Clause, or Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act, aims to reduce the risk of chemical accidents. Ammonia presents a significant health hazard because it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Ammonia is also flammable at high concentrations. It can explode if released in an enclosed space with a source of ignition, or if a vessel with anhydrous ammonia is exposed to fire. As a result of these dangers, the ammonia refrigeration industry has developed standards and guidelines for the design and operation of ammonia refrigeration systems.
---------------------------------------------
BREAKING: HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL FROM I-65 CRASH FLOWING INTO ESLAVA CREEK, DOG RIVER
Tags: us_AL, transportation, release, environmental, other_chemical
MOBILE, AL (WKRG) ‰?? Health experts say the chemical that leaked from Interstate 65 into Eslava Creek after a fatal tanker crash in Mobile is hazardous to human life.
Hazmat workers at the scene confirmed to Mobile Baykeeper officials that the chemical is alkenyl succinic anhydride, an alkaline compound commonly used for paper and packaging products. This is contrary to preliminary reports at the scene suggesting the chemical was non-hazardous.
Experts from Mobile Baykeeper did research and found that the chemical is dangerous to anyone who comes in contact with it. It is hazardous through skin contact, eye contact, ingestion or inhalation.
The chemical can cause side effects such as coughing, runny nose, sore throat, skin irritation, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
An hour after the tanker crash that claimed the life of a truck driver and caused a traffic nightmare in Mobile, News 5 crews smelled an odor coming from nearby Eslava Creek. A closer look showed the chemical from the crash flowing directly into Eslava Creek.
Eslava Creek doesn‰??t impact our local water supply, but as a tributary to Dog River, it feeds one of the most vital waterways in Mobile County.
---------------------------------------------
DANIEL CRAIG'S 'LOGAN LUCKY' BOMB IS BASIC HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY
Tags: public, explosion, environmental, bomb
In ‰??Logan Lucky,‰?? an unlikely team of downtrodden protagonists devises a seemingly impossible plan to get rich by robbing an unlikely target: the Charlotte Motor Speedway. In Steven Soderbergh‰??s blue-collar reply to Ocean‰??s Eleven, a team of resourceful West Virginians pools its physical and intellectual resources to attempt this high-stakes heist.
One member of the team is Joe Bang, a bleached-blonde safe-cracker played by Daniel Craig. Soderbergh hilariously stops the action in the middle of the film for Bang to provide an amateur chemistry lesson on the art of bomb-making, which proves to be noticeably less smart than the rest of the film.
Spoilers below for Logan Lucky. Also, this article contains explanations of the chemistry behind a homemade explosive device. Please do not attempt to copy the dangerous stuff you see in a heist movie about country dudes robbing a race track.
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CHEMICAL FACILITIES FACE DANGER DURING HARVEY SHUTDOWNS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, discovery, response, carbon_monoxide, peroxide, petroleum, toxics
Hurricane Harvey's winds and floodwaters have created emergencies at chemical facilities across the Houston area, from an Exxon Mobil roof collapse at its massive Baytown complex to the risk of an explosion at a chemical plant northeast of Houston.
The incidents, which also included a shelter-in-place Monday evening in La Porte from a pipeline leak, reveal how dangerous it can be when a storm of Harvey's magnitude collides with the nation's petrochemical capital. Even the controlled, Harvey-related shutdowns of refineries and plants are resulting in the release of millions of pounds of carbon monoxide and other chemicals into the region's atmosphere - primarily through a process called flaring.
"This is an unprecedented storm, and we have taken every effort to minimize emissions and safely shut down equipment," said Exxon spokeswoman Charlotte Huffaker. "Flaring is an environmentally approved measure to safely burn hydrocarbons that cannot be processed during a unit shutdown. This is necessary so personnel can safely work on the equipment."
Several companies, including Exxon, have reported problems with storage tanks in recent days. In Exxon's case, a roof collapse triggered the release of more than 12,000 pounds of potentially toxic chemical compounds, according to a filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
However, Exxon Mobil emphasized the collapse was partial and quickly brought under control. "The tank is now stable, and there are no containment issues," Huffaker added.
Northeast of Houston in Crosby, officials at an Arkema chemical plant are bracing themselves after multiple systems failed due to flooding.
Late Monday night, the facility lost power from both its primary supply and its backup generators. Employees moved highly volatile organic peroxides into back-up containers to keep them cool. If that class of chemical gets too hot, it can cause fires or explosions.
"At this time, while we do not believe there is any imminent danger, the potential for a chemical reaction leading to a fire and/or explosion within the site confines is real," Arkema spokeswoman Janet Smith said on Tuesday.
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