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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (14 articles)
Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2017 07:32:57 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 5B45FC5F-271A-4F23-8A79-6DF2B4F7D9CE**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at 7:32:46 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)
FIRE AT INVERCARGILL LABORATORY STARTED BY FLUORESCENT LIGHT
Tags: New_Zealand, laboratory, fire, response
CHILD DIES, ANOTHER WOUNDED IN EXPLOSION
Tags: Philippines, public, explosion, death, bomb
PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE LEAK PROMPTS HAZMAT INVESTIGATION IN SOUTH PHILLY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
EXPLOSION REPORTED AT HEBRON AREA BUSINESS
Tags: us_OH, industrial, explosion, response, solvent
ELEVATED LEVELS OF TOXIC CHEMICAL FOUND IN BURRILLVILLE PUBLIC W
Tags: us_RI, public, discovery, response, other_chemical
RHODE ISLAND CHEMICAL BAN IMPACTS BEDDING, FURNITURE
Tags: us_RI, public, discovery, response, toxics
30 HOSPITALIZED FROM GOLD MINE CHEMICAL LEAKAGE
Tags: Liberia, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
TRUMP'S CLEAN AIR NOMINEE REPRESENTS AIR POLLUTERS IN COURT
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, dust
WHEN POLLUTING IS IN A COMPANY'S RATIONAL SELF-INTEREST
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
LAWSUIT: ARKEMA HARMED RESIDENTS BEFORE FIRES, BLASTS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, illegal, toxics
UPDATE: HAZMAT TEAM REPORTS UB BUILDING SAFE TO RE-ENTER
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
FIRE CAUSES 'TOTAL LOSS' AT DOUGLASVILLE BUSINESS
Tags: us_GA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
RESIDENTS SAY TESTS FIND TOXIC CHEMICALS AFTER PLANT'S FIRE
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, peroxide
HUDSON RIVER CHEMICAL DREDGING PROJECT MOVES FORWARD
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, response, dye, toxics
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FIRE AT INVERCARGILL LABORATORY STARTED BY FLUORESCENT LIGHT
Tags: New_Zealand, laboratory, fire, response
Firefighters were called to a small fire at an Invercargill laboratory on Tuesday night.
A fire communications spokesman said firefighters received a report of a building fire at Southern Community Laboratories on Don St after 7pm.
When firefighters arrived at the building, they found a small fire in the veranda, the spokesman said.
The fire appeared to have been started by a fluorescent light, he said.
Firefighters extinguished the fire which caused minor damage to the building, the spokesman said.
The scene was then left in the hands of an electrician who had isolated the power, he said.
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CHILD DIES, ANOTHER WOUNDED IN EXPLOSION
Tags: Philippines, public, explosion, death, bomb
ZAMBOANGA CITY ‰?? A three-year-old child was killed while another was wounded in an explosion in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, the police reported Tuesday.
The police reported the explosion happened at around 3:30 p.m. Monday at Purok 11, Barangay Poblacion, Dimataling, Zamboanga del Sur.
Identified fatality was John Javier Bonga. Wounded was Raymund Maghinay, also three years old.
PO1 Iresidel Osayan, the case investigator, said investigation showed that the two children were seen tinkering with a metallic object while playing beneath the house of their aunt, Genalyn Vallecer.
Osayan said Vallecer suddenly heard a loud explosion when one of the children hit the metallic object with a stone, killing Bonga instantly.
He said that Maghinay was rushed to the Margosatubig Regional Hospital for treatment.
Vallecer was making a bamboo stick about 10 meters away from the children at the time of the explosion.
‰??The said explosive device was allegedly discovered by the children somewhere near the house and played with it,‰?? the Dimataling police reported on Tuesday.
Osayan said they recovered at the explosion site three pieces of deformed aluminum metallic sheet.
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PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE LEAK PROMPTS HAZMAT INVESTIGATION IN SOUTH PHILLY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) ‰?? A leak of phthalic anhydride, a material used in the making of plastic that goes into fiberglass, prompted a hazmat investigation in South Philadelphia on Tuesday.
It happened around 3 p.m. at Ashland‰??s manufacturing located in the 2800 block of Columbus Boulevard.
---------------------------------------------
EXPLOSION REPORTED AT HEBRON AREA BUSINESS
Tags: us_OH, industrial, explosion, response, solvent
HEBRON, Ohio (WCMH)‰?? Multiple fire crews and a hazmat crew are responding to a large structure fire in Hebron, Ohio.
The two-alarm fire was reported at 581 Milliken Drive just before 12:30 am.
The Hebron Solvent Recycling Services, part of the Clean Harbors Environmental waste management service, is housed in the building.
According to their website, the plant works with recycling ‰??spent industrial solvents.‰??
They also provide fuel blending and wastewater treatment.
According to Hebron Fire Captain Ryan Wyse, there was an explosion and fire at the plant. He said the fire took about 15 minutes to contain, and crews did find a little remaining fire after sweeping the building.
The building reportedly has adequate fire suppression systems, including foam.
Fire crews have been backed out and the hazmat team has been sent in to investigate. Officials believe there is no danger to the public at this time, but say firefighters are taking all precautions necessary to avoid dangers from chemicals and structural damage caused by the fire and explosion.
---------------------------------------------
ELEVATED LEVELS OF TOXIC CHEMICAL FOUND IN BURRILLVILLE PUBLIC W
Tags: us_RI, public, discovery, response, other_chemical
BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (WLNE) -- Concerned residents packed a meeting at the Burrillville Police Department Tuesday night, after water tests at the Oakland Association public well on Victory Highway came back with elevated levels of a chemical called PFAS.
One sample taken last month showed more than one and a half times the EPA's health advisory level.
Making matters worse, residents were not notified until three days after the results came back.
The chemical has been linked to cancer and autoimmune issues.
"It's a chemical that we don't want anyone to be exposed to, but the health effects are most significant for pregnant women and for their fetuses," said Joseph Wendelken of the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Oakland Association customers, as well as private well owners within a quarter-mile radius of that public well, are being told not to drink or cook with the water. Boiling it will actually concentrate the chemical, making the problem worse.
---------------------------------------------
RHODE ISLAND CHEMICAL BAN IMPACTS BEDDING, FURNITURE
Tags: us_RI, public, discovery, response, toxics
PROVIDENCE, R.I. ‰?? Legislation that bans the sale of certain types of bedding and furniture treated with a controversial flame retardant chemical became law in Rhode Island at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, making its way into the General Laws without the signature of Gov. Gina Raimondo.
Despite strong opposition from the chemical industry‰??s chief trade group, the American Chemistry Council, Raimondo opted against vetoing the proposed law.
The law basically bans the sale of any bedding or furniture containing more than the tiniest amount of a fire retardant chemical known as organohalogen. It carries a fine of $5,000 for the first violation and $10,000 for each subsequent violation, but does not take effect until July 1, 2019.
Supporters of the ban say that organohalogens do little to reduce fire risk but when they flake off they are easily inhaled and harmful. Meanwhile, when the chemical burns, they say, the resulting toxins pose potentially severe breathing hazards, especially to firefighters.
---------------------------------------------
30 HOSPITALIZED FROM GOLD MINE CHEMICAL LEAKAGE
Tags: Liberia, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
Thirty persons were admitted at the Phebe Hospital for exposure to a chemical spill-over from MNG-Gold reservoir in Bong County over the weekend. The incident took place on Friday, September 29, at one of the mining sites of MNG-Gold in Sayeweta Kokoyah Statutory District after a heavy downpour of rain.
Hospital sources told this newspaper that twenty of those affected were discharged based on the gravity of their conditions. However, the other ten persons are expected to remain in the hospital for further medical examinations for few days.
Some of the chemical victims who spoke to this newspaper complained of stomach ache, skin rash, multiple body pain and constant vomiting and other strange symptoms.
MNG‰??Gold Public Relations Officer, Lloyd Nwegyah told journalists that the accident occurred after a reservoir facility containing a diluted chemical overflowed with rainwater and later spilled over into a nearby creek in Sayeweta.
Nwegyah said after the incident, MNG-Gold took the affected residents to a nearby clinic in the district and later forwarded them to the Phebe Hospital for further examination.
---------------------------------------------
TRUMP'S CLEAN AIR NOMINEE REPRESENTS AIR POLLUTERS IN COURT
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, dust
Last week, attorney William Wehrum appeared before a federal court to argue against new standards meant to protect workers from airborne silica dust, which is so fine that particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause health problems, such as fatal lung disease and cancer.
This week, Wehrum will appear before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee because President Trump has nominated him to head the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) clean air program, where he worked under the Bush administration a decade ago.
The new silica rules cut the amount of cancerous dust allowed in the air at industrial facilities in half. Trade unions say standards should be even lower, and labor leaders lashed out at the Trump administration for putting workers' lives on the line when officials delayed implementation of the rules earlier this year.
The unions say hundreds of workers die each year from silica exposure, but Wehrum argued on behalf of industry groups that the new standard goes too far.
"People are designed to deal with dust," Wehrum reportedly told the court. "People are in dusty apartments all the time and it doesn't kill them."
As the Trump administration works to roll back environmental rules adopted by its predecessor, the nation's most pressing questions over pollution are increasingly being decided in courtrooms rather than agency offices or legislative chambers. These legal battles pit federal regulatory agencies against the competing interests of polluters' industries and environmentalists. Trump has been clear about which side he wants to work with.
---------------------------------------------
WHEN POLLUTING IS IN A COMPANY'S RATIONAL SELF-INTEREST
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
Harris County recently announced its intention to sue the French multinational chemical producer Arkema after volatile organic compounds exploded at its flooded plant in Crosby following Hurricane Harvey. The explosion sickened first responders with toxic fumes and exposed the surrounding area to untold amounts of contamination.
Public officials allege that, having had ample warning about the approaching storm, the company could have taken measures to neutralize the dangers before everything went so terribly wrong. Arkema strongly disagrees, saying it took every possible precaution. But if Harris County is right, it wouldn't be the first time a company may have weighed the benefits of doing the right thing and decided they didn't outweigh the potential costs.
That's the conclusion of a case study released by researchers at the University of Chicago on litigation faced by another chemical giant familiar to Houstonians: DuPont.
At this point, the long-running fight over DuPont's liability for diseases caused by releases of the compound known as C8, which is used in the production of Teflon for products such as nonstick pans, have received significant attention. Back in the 1980s, when the company was just starting to learn about the risks of C8 - which it only stopped using in 2013 - DuPont's scientists and executives were the only ones who knew.
Reams of internal documents were revealed in the course of a 3,550-person class action lawsuit, which settled for $671 million earlier this year. Memos and meeting minutes showed DuPont was repeatedly warned about the potential effects of C8 on human health, particularly on pregnant women. The documents also showed that ceasing the use of C8 would be costly, while the likelihood of being found out was low.
The University of Chicago researchers used DuPont's own financial estimates to calculate that expected profits from continuing to use C8 vastly outweighed the potential cost from any damages paid as a result of litigation, given the slim chances of a lawsuit succeeding.
"Currently, none of the options developed are ... economically attractive and would essentially put the long-term viability of this business segment on the line," a 1984 internal memo read. "From a broader corporate viewpoint, the costs are small."
DuPont maintains it did nothing wrong. Spokesman Daniel Turner said the C8 trials and settlement were not decided on the basis of "actual scientific evidence" about the effects of exposure to the chemical, which is still not regulated by the EPA.
---------------------------------------------
LAWSUIT: ARKEMA HARMED RESIDENTS BEFORE FIRES, BLASTS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, illegal, toxics
Even before explosions at the Arkema chemical plant shook the Crosby area, the battering from Hurricane Harvey had led to the release of more than 20,000 pounds of toxic chemicals into floodwaters, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The complaint, filed in federal court on behalf of 14 residents, seeks compensation from Arkema for health care expenses and damage to homes during the period when residents were evacuated, as well as punitive damages.
Arkema lost control of its Crosby facility after floodwaters cut power and wiped out its back up generators. With the power out and cooling systems failing, volatile organic peroxides exploded multiple times over the course of a week, producing towering pillars of fire and thick plumes of black smoke.
A 1.5-mile evacuation zone was established after government officials got access to the company's chemical inventories. About 300 households were evacuated during the crisis.
The lawsuit is the first to accuse Arkema of causing environmental damage separate from the fires and explosions.
The suit cites a report the company filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, disclosing details of the chemical spill, which occurred Aug. 28. Released into flood waters were potential carcinogens such as volatile organic compounds and ethylbenzene, and toxins such as tert butyl alcohol, which irritates skin and can cause vomiting and dizziness. The company report wasn't released to the public for more than a week because Gov. Greg Abbott had suspended TCEQ reporting rules before Harvey's arrival.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: HAZMAT TEAM REPORTS UB BUILDING SAFE TO RE-ENTER
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
UPDATE: After going through the building twice, hazardous materials crews report that it is safe to re-enter the Biomedical Research Building on UB‰??s South Campus.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) ‰?? Emergency crews are responding to a potential hazardous materials incident in the basement of the Biomedical Research Building on UB‰??s South Campus Monday afternoon.
The incident is contained to the basement, according to the UB website.
Police have evacuated the building.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE CAUSES 'TOTAL LOSS' AT DOUGLASVILLE BUSINESS
Tags: us_GA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
DOUGLASVILLE, GA ‰?? A Douglasville business appears to have been destroyed Monday in what officials are calling a chemical fire that shut down Bankhead Highway for part of the afternoon.
The fire, at manufacturing facility Custom Bath Products, happened some time around 1 p.m., according to Douglas County spokesman Wes Tallon. The business is located at 6552 W. Bankhead Hwy., near Ga. 5.
"It is a chemical fire and we believe it was an accidental fire caused in the manufacturing process," Tallon said.
He said employees initially tried to put the fire out but were unsuccessful. Douglas County fire and EMS personnel responded and were able to bring the blaze under control.
Employees were safely evacuated from the building and no one was injured in the fire, Tallon said. He said the building "appears to be a total loss."
---------------------------------------------
RESIDENTS SAY TESTS FIND TOXIC CHEMICALS AFTER PLANT'S FIRE
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, peroxide
DALLAS (AP) ‰?? Tests detected toxic substances in soil, water and ash samples taken miles from a chemical plant that flooded during Hurricane Harvey, caught fire and partially exploded, nearly 20 Houston-area residents said.
The findings were disclosed Monday afternoon in a letter the residents' lawyers mailed to the chief executive of the plant's owner, France-based Arkema Inc., and several regulatory agencies, giving notice that they planned to sue.
The letter accused Arkema of violating multiple environmental protection laws because of unauthorized chemical spills and releases that happened when the company failed to properly store and contain its organic peroxides before and after six feet of water overwhelmed the facility.
Arkema representatives could not immediately be reached Monday evening. The company has refused to say which chemicals were released during the fire and has repeatedly declined to discuss how large its inventory quantities were prior to the incident. It provided only the names of its chemicals on its website last month after days of public pressure.
---------------------------------------------
HUDSON RIVER CHEMICAL DREDGING PROJECT MOVES FORWARD
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, response, dye, toxics
The first step toward a $41 million project to dredge PCBs and other toxins from the Hudson River near a former Rensselaer dye factory is expected to start this fall.
BASF Corp. will begin by installing more than 500 feet of new steel bulkhead to toughen a seawall along the Hudson on Riverside Avenue, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The seawall must be stabilized before the company can begin the river dredging, which is scheduled to start next year, according to DEC. BASF will be performing and paying for the cleanup under the state Superfund program.
PCBs found in that part of the river did not come from BASF, which did not use the chemical during its production, but the other hazardous compounds did. "PCBs were also found in upstream sediment samples at comparable levels" to the area that BASF studied, according to DEC.
DEC wants dredging in the river to remove PCBs, volatile organics, and toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, copper, mercury, zinc and arsenic, that got into the river from several production sewer and storm water discharge pipes. The former factory was knocked down in 2010.
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