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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 (19 articles)
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2017 08:09:33 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: D872C07A-2E8D-4036-971B-E5F987C7B129**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, October 20, 2017 at 8:09:22 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 (19 articles)
LAWSUITS FILED OVER YMCA CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, injury, bleach, waste
1 HURT IN CRASH WITH FARM EQUIPMENT, HAZMAT CREWS CLEAN HERBICIDE SPILL
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, response, ag_chems, pesticides
WOMAN CRITICAL AFTER MAN POURS ACETONE ON HER ON NEAR NORTH SIDE
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, acetone, toxics
WOLVERINE CHEMICAL FEARS PROMPT COMMUNITIES TO SPRING FOR WATER TESTING
Tags: us_MI, public, discovery, response, other_chemical
CHEMICAL STINK CAUSES EVACUATION OF TAPPAN ZEE HIGH SCHOOL
Tags: us_NY, education, release, response, unknown_chemical
OAKDALE CHEMICAL FIRE CAUSES $300,000 DAMAGE
Tags: Canada, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems, chlorine
A MOTHER FIGHTS TO GET HARMFUL CHEMICALS OFF STORE SHELVES AFTER SON‰??S DEATH
Tags: us_TN, public, follow-up, response, methylene_chloride
SARNIA-AREA FIRST NATION RESIDENT ASKS PROVINCE TO INVESTIGATE FLAMES AT CHEMICAL VALLEY PLANT
Tags: Canada, industrial, follow-up, environmental
CW US SUMMIT: STAKEHOLDERS SEE LONG-TERM SUCCESS FOR LCSA
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, toxics
STATE FILLS SCIENCE BOARD TO STUDY GENX, NEW COMPOUNDS :: WRAL.COM
Tags: us_NC, public, follow-up, environmental
KDEM ANNOUNCES CHEMICAL SAFETY CAMPAIGN
Tags: us_KS, public, release, environmental
AMMONIA LEAK LEADS TO LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN KOOTENAYS
Tags: Canada, public, follow-up, death, ammonia
POSSIBLE GAS LEAK PROBED AFTER 14 GET SICK AT MIAMI MIDDLE SCHOOL
Tags: us_FL, education, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
I-80 IN NORTHERN NEVADA SHUT DOWN AFTER HAZ MAT SPILL
Tags: us_NV, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
FIREFIGHTERS EXPOSED TO CARCINOGENS THROUGH THE SKIN
Tags: Canada, industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
TWO TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL ODOR RELEASED AT COCKEYSVILLE RETIREMENT HOME
Tags: us_MD, public, release, injury, bleach, cleaners
BOMB SQUAD CARRIES OUT CONTROLLED EXPLOSION AT STEPHEN'S GREEN SCHOOL
Tags: laboratory, discovery, response, nitric_acid, waste
HANFORD WORKERS REPORT CHEMICAL VAPOR-LIKE ODORS
Tags: us_WA, industrial, release, response, waste
EPA RESTRICTS DICAMBA HERBICIDE
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental, pesticides
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LAWSUITS FILED OVER YMCA CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, injury, bleach, waste
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Children and adults were rushed from an East San Diego County school to the hospital almost two years ago and now some of the former patients are suing the YMCA of San Diego County and an employee over the incident.
More than 80 adults and children were evaluated during the emergency at Rio Seco Elementary school in Santee in October 2015.
Duane McFarland told Team 10 investigator Adam Racusin his son said his skin and mouth were burning and he was having trouble breathing.
‰??He still gets dizzy every once in a while,‰?? McFarland said. ‰??He still gets short of breath.‰??
At the time, investigators said the problem was caused by a chemical spill at the YMCA near the school.
According to two lawsuits filed, the YMCA and an employee disposed of hazardous waste by pumping spilled sodium hypochlorite, into a storm drain. It says thereafter attempted to use another chemical, which was in conflict with the labeling, to try and neutralize the spill.
The lawsuit claims the move created a chemical vapor plume that floated over to the school.
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1 HURT IN CRASH WITH FARM EQUIPMENT, HAZMAT CREWS CLEAN HERBICIDE SPILL
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, response, ag_chems, pesticides
DALLAS, Ore. ‰?? A farm vehicle crashed with a car Wednesday night on N Kings Valley Highway, injuring the car‰??s driver and spilling about 400 gallons of herbicide into a ditch.
Initial reports from Dallas Fire & EMS said a farm worker was driving the agricultural sprayer along the highway when it collided with another vehicle.
Fire crews had to extricate the driver from the car, they were taken to the hospital and should survive the injuries.
The farm worker was not hurt in the crash.
Hazmat crews were called out to clean up herbicide that had spilled from the sprayer‰??s tank. Officials said about 400 gallons had leaked onto the roadway and into a ditch.
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WOMAN CRITICAL AFTER MAN POURS ACETONE ON HER ON NEAR NORTH SIDE
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, acetone, toxics
CHICAGO -- A woman was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday night after a man poured nail polish remover on her during a fight in their Near North Side home.
The pair, both 59 years old, were involved in the fight shortly after 8 p.m. at their home in the first block of West Chicago, when the man poured "a quantity of a toxic chemical" on the woman, according to Chicago Police.
A police source said the man doused her in acetone, the active ingredient in nail polish remover.
The woman "inhaled the substance, resulting in severe respiratory distress," police said. She was taken in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
The man has been located, police said. The nature of their relationship was not disclosed - police referred to him as an "acquaintance" - but the incident may have been domestic-related.
---------------------------------------------
WOLVERINE CHEMICAL FEARS PROMPT COMMUNITIES TO SPRING FOR WATER TESTING
Tags: us_MI, public, discovery, response, other_chemical
BELMONT, MI - As the number of Wolverine World Wide's dump sites continues to grow, residents in communities near Rockford and Belmont are wondering what's in their water.
The mushrooming investigation has prompted several private communities and homeowner associations outside of the state's House Street buffer zone to voluntarily pay for their own well-water testing as a precaution. Municipal water systems, based on groundwater drawing from wells, also are being tested.
Residents are worried about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances called PFAS that were used in Scotchgard by Wolverine to treat their shoe leather, and later dumped in unlined trenches and covered with dirt.
The number of dump sites has continued to climb this fall as more are discovered, and the sites encompass a larger and larger part of the area north of Grand Rapids. Concerns especially spiked Oct. 12, when East Rockford Middle School turned off its drinking fountains and switched to bottled water.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL STINK CAUSES EVACUATION OF TAPPAN ZEE HIGH SCHOOL
Tags: us_NY, education, release, response, unknown_chemical
ORANGETOWN - A Tappan Zee High School student mixed chemicals that caused a massive stink that led officials to evacuate the school on Thursday afternoon, South Orangetown School District's spokeswoman said.
Hundreds of students ended up outside the Dutch Hill Road school ‰?? which has a large playing field and open space. The school is located nearly next door to the Orangeburg Fire Department and across the road from the Orangetown Police Department, which is part of Town Hall.
"Somebody mixed the wrong things together and created a stink," district spokeswoman B.J. Greco said. 'A bad smell went through the building. We evacuated due to the spill."
The students congregated in the back parking lot near the playing field after the stink cleared the school at about 1:45 p.m. An hour later, officials let them back into the building to pick up their belongings and back packs before going home for the day.
---------------------------------------------
OAKDALE CHEMICAL FIRE CAUSES $300,000 DAMAGE
Tags: Canada, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems, chlorine
The St. Catharines fire department says Wednesday‰??s Oakdale Avenue fire was caused by chlorine and chemical fertilizers.
Acting fire Chief Jim McCormick said Thursday the fire was the result of the chemical reaction when the materials mixed.
The resulting fumes from the fire, which began at about 11 a.m. at 55 Oakdale Ave., caused firefighters to advise residents in an 800-metre radius to stay indoors and close their windows.
McCormick said the advisory was just a precaution and there were no reported injuries.
The advisory was lifted at about 1:30 p.m. once the fire was under control.
The chemicals spilled while palettes were being unloaded on the property. One palette flipped over.
McCormick said the fire caused about $300,000 in damage.
The chief said the fire is a reminder that residents should have emergency kits that contain 72 hours of water, food and necessary supplies.
---------------------------------------------
A MOTHER FIGHTS TO GET HARMFUL CHEMICALS OFF STORE SHELVES AFTER SON‰??S DEATH
Tags: us_TN, public, follow-up, response, methylene_chloride
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) ‰?? A mother‰??s fight continues, after her son was overcome by fumes from a potent paint remover.
News 2 first spoke with Wendy Hartley, after her son collapsed at work and later died due to using dangerous chemicals while stripping a bathtub.
Wendy has since learned much more about the chemical, Methylene Chloride, and hopes to warn consumers.
As paint removers go, it‰??s one of the strongest. Mixed among the shelves at your local home improvement store is Methylene Chloride.
The chemical has a deadly history.
‰??Why is this deadly chemical on the shelves for consumers to use?‰?? Hartley asked. ‰??It shouldn‰??t be there.‰??
Wendy is now all too familiar with Methylene Chloride, after her son collapsed at work while working on a bathtub.
‰??When I received the medical records, Kevin‰??s records, there was a reference in there to Methylene Chloride,‰?? she said. ‰??After that, I just started kind of doing my research, to figure out exactly what this chemical is.‰??
What she found was troubling, article after article of the chemical‰??s dangers.
(Courtesy: Wendy Hartley)
A report by Bloomberg, cites at least 17 workers deaths since 2000.
‰??Kevin being one of those,‰?? added Hartley. ‰??It‰??s there, its‰?? available, it‰??s on the shelf for consumers to buy. And if it‰??s on the shelf, to me I feel like it should be safe.‰??
---------------------------------------------
SARNIA-AREA FIRST NATION RESIDENT ASKS PROVINCE TO INVESTIGATE FLAMES AT CHEMICAL VALLEY PLANT
Tags: Canada, industrial, follow-up, environmental
A resident of a First Nations community in Sarnia filed an application Thursday asking the province to investigate an incident in which large flames billowed from an industrial plant for five hours.
Clouds of fire and steam towered over the Imperial Oil plant in Sarnia the night of Feb. 23, 2017. Equipment had malfunctioned, the company said at the time. The application filed to the Ontario Environmental Commissioner Thursday by Vanessa Gray of Aamjiwnaang First Nation alleges the company violated provincial emission laws.
‰??If Imperial is going to continue to put our lives, our health, at risk, then they need to be held accountable,‰?? Gray said.
‰??This is my territory and I have the right to feel safe in my own environment.‰??
A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment, Gary Wheeler, would not say Thursday if an investigation was underway, but said the ministry was aware of the incident when it happened.
‰??Ministry staff are reviewing the company‰??s actions and are considering other compliance options, including a possible investigation that could lead to charges,‰?? Wheeler said via email.
---------------------------------------------
CW US SUMMIT: STAKEHOLDERS SEE LONG-TERM SUCCESS FOR LCSA
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, toxics
Several speakers at Chemical Watch‰??s US Regulatory Summit have said they are optimistic for the success of the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act (LCSA). But they felt it would take years, if not decades to achieve its aims.
The reformed version of the Toxic Substances Control Act, which passed into law mid 2016, has managed to reach most of its key deadlines for rulemaking so far. However, concerns have been voiced regarding continued progress under the Trump administration.
Jim Jones (pictured), executive vice president of strategic alliances and industry relations for the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), who previously led the US EPA's toxics programme, said: "I have been consistently optimistic about the prospect of this law." He said time will be the true test of its success, but from his many years of experience working with environmental statutes, he is fairly confident of the Lautenberg Act because it is well written, and includes robust safety standards and deadlines.
He noted a disconnect between federal and "retailer regulation", with companies, including Walmart, Target and CVS, forging ahead with various hazard-based schemes to remove chemicals of concern from products on their store shelves. He added that it is yet unclear, what these companies would do if suppliers did not conform to their chemical safety programmes.
---------------------------------------------
STATE FILLS SCIENCE BOARD TO STUDY GENX, NEW COMPOUNDS :: WRAL.COM
Tags: us_NC, public, follow-up, environmental
RALEIGH, N.C. ‰?? State officials say they've officially appointed members to an expert science panel to advise regulators and public health officials on everything from coal ash contaminants to GenX ‰?? more than three months after they originally announced the creation of the group.
The 15 members announced Thursday include North Carolina State University professor Detlef Knappe, the lead researcher on the 2016 paper that revealed the presence of GenX in the Cape Fear River, along with other scientists in the fields of toxicology, engineering and public health. The Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health and Human Services announced the chairman of the group last week.
Timeline: Tracking the route of GenX in the Cape Fear River
"We selected top talent from a robust pool of more than 50 candidates from across North Carolina," DEQ Secretary Michael Regan said in a statement. "The panel we‰??ve assembled will provide vital long-term scientific guidance on how to best protect public health and the environment from emerging chemical compounds."
The board's first meeting, which is open to the public, will take place Oct. 23 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building, at 512 N. Salisbury St. in Raleigh.
The advisory panel's recommendations may upend the state's requirements for the water filters Duke Energy must supply to homeowners living near its coal ash pits. They could also impact how DEQ will regulate largely unstudied compounds, such as GenX, found in the Cape Fear River.
"We share a goal to protect the safety and health of all North Carolinians," DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement. "We look forward to working closely with the panel and our partners at the Department of Environmental Quality."
---------------------------------------------
KDEM ANNOUNCES CHEMICAL SAFETY CAMPAIGN
Tags: us_KS, public, release, environmental
Most people are probably familiar with the classic movie ‰??mad scientist‰?? scenario, where the crazed scientist mixes up a bubbling brew in his laboratory, usually with tragic consequences.
Unfortunately, mixing some common household chemicals can lead to tragic consequences in real life.
To remind Kansans to observe safety precautions when using household products, the Technological Hazards Section of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management will launch its annual chemical safety outreach campaign for November.
Governor Sam Brownback signed a proclamation recently in the ceremonial office of the Kansas Statehouse marking November as ‰??Read the Label First, Don‰??t Mix Chemicals‰?? Month in Kansas. During the month, KDEM will partner with a number of other state and local health agencies to provide information and educate the public on safety measures when using common household chemicals.
‰??Basic chemistry can‰??t be ignored, so always read the label before you use a product,‰?? said L‰??Tanya Christenberry, program consultant, Kansas Division of Emergency Management. ‰??If used the wrong way or mixed with another chemical, you may create a reaction that could be harmful, even fatal. However, when you follow the directions, these chemical products are safe.‰??
---------------------------------------------
AMMONIA LEAK LEADS TO LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN KOOTENAYS
Tags: Canada, public, follow-up, death, ammonia
A BC community in the Kootenay region has declared a local state of emergency, and an evacuation order, for the next seven days.
Three people have died in the City of Fernie as a result of an ammonia leak in the local hockey arena.
As a result, all residents in homes and businesses between 9th and 13th streets, as well as Highway 3 to 6th Avenue, have been evacuated until Tuesday.
In a statement, Labour Minister Harry Bains about the fatalities within the community.
‰??The circumstances surrounding the accident at the Fernie Memorial Arena (FMA) are still under investigation, while HAZMAT teams [and WorkSafeBC] address a suspected ammonia leak.‰??
---------------------------------------------
POSSIBLE GAS LEAK PROBED AFTER 14 GET SICK AT MIAMI MIDDLE SCHOOL
Tags: us_FL, education, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
Authorities are investigating a suspected carbon-monoxide leak at a school in Miami, Florida, that sent 14 people to area hospitals today.
Around 11:42 a.m., Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said its emergency personnel were called to Miami Springs Middle School after several workers reported feeling sick in and around the cafeteria. Authorities said the victims were all adults.
"The school cafeteria and adjacent areas were temporarily evacuated. A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Hazmat team was on site trying to locate the source of concern," Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said in a news release. "At this time, crews are continuing to work on investigating this incident."
32 treated after carbon monoxide forces evacuation of NYC building
Authorities said the adults had been in the school cafeteria when they started experiencing dizziness, nausea and the feeling of being light-headed. They all needed to be wheeled out on stretchers and transported to area hospitals but none were critical, authorities said.
---------------------------------------------
I-80 IN NORTHERN NEVADA SHUT DOWN AFTER HAZ MAT SPILL
Tags: us_NV, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
WELLS, NV (KLIX) At this time, Interstate 80 in northern Nevada is closed and traffic is being diverted onto area highways after a hazmat spill earlier today. According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, the interstate is closed in both directions between Elko and Wells. About 51,000 gallons of ammonium bisulfite spilled from a semi truck that overturned. A team is on scene trying to clear the spill, but NHP says the roadway will be closed until Thursday morning. Meanwhile, traffic is being rerouted onto Highway 93 to Ely, west on Highway 50 to Eureka and north on State Highway 278 to Carlin. For Nevada road conditions on updates, you can call 877-687-6237. NHP provided a map of the detours on their Facebook page:
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FIREFIGHTERS EXPOSED TO CARCINOGENS THROUGH THE SKIN
Tags: Canada, industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Firefighters face many known hazards on the job, but one area that hasn't been well researched is how their skin's exposure to hazardous chemicals might increase their risk of cancer.
It has long been known that firefighters have higher rates of several types of cancer than people in the general population.
In a new study, researchers at the University of Ottawa examined firefighters' exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoke from fires. PAHs can cause genetic mutations and are known carcinogens. They are one of the hazardous substances released into the air when wood, plastics, furniture, electronics or building materials burn.
The researchers collected urine samples from -- and also wiped the skin and clothing of -- more than two dozen Canadian firefighters before and after they responded to fires in 2015 and 2016.
On average, the levels of PAH metabolites in urine were about three to five times higher after a fire than before a fire, the findings showed. That increase was associated with an average 4.3 times higher risk of DNA mutations.
"There's a relationship between firefighters' urinary PAH metabolite levels and the levels of PAHs on their skin, which leads us to suspect that [skin] contact may be an important route of exposure," Jennifer Keir, an author on the study, said in a news release from the American Chemical Society.
---------------------------------------------
TWO TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL ODOR RELEASED AT COCKEYSVILLE RETIREMENT HOME
Tags: us_MD, public, release, injury, bleach, cleaners
Two people were hospitalized Wednesday morning after a chemical odor was reported at a Cockeysville retirement home, county fire officials said.
The Baltimore County fire department‰??s hazmat unit was called around 8 a.m. to the Maryland Masonic Homes at 300 International Circle in Cockeysville where bleach was mixed with a second chemical inside a laundry room, releasing an odor, officials said.
Two people were transported to an area hospital with minor injuries, said Capt. Tim Rostkowski. He did not have additional information Wednesday morning.
---------------------------------------------
BOMB SQUAD CARRIES OUT CONTROLLED EXPLOSION AT STEPHEN'S GREEN SCHOOL
Tags: laboratory, discovery, response, nitric_acid, waste
Members of the army's bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion at a Stephen's Green school this morning after stores of nitric acid became unsafe.
Gardai and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team were called to the school's lab just after 5am.
A spokesman for the Defence Forces told Dublin Live that the operation was routine and that no-one was injured.
Nitric acid is a common lab chemical and only becomes dangerous if it deteriorates over time.
---------------------------------------------
HANFORD WORKERS REPORT CHEMICAL VAPOR-LIKE ODORS
Tags: us_WA, industrial, release, response, waste
Six workers at the Hanford nuclear reservation reported an onion-like smell Wednesday afternoon that may have been chemical vapors.
None of the workers reported symptoms and all declined precautionary medical evaluations, according to tank farm contractor Washington River Protection Solutions.
The workers were near a changing trailer outside the TX Tank Farm preparing for routine electrical maintenance when the smelled the suspicious odor. They were not wearing supplied air respirators because they were outside of the fence line of the tank farm.
Workers left the area after the odor was reported shortly after 2 p.m. and access was restricted. No work that would disturb waste, which can increase the chance of chemical vapors being emitted, was being done.
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EPA RESTRICTS DICAMBA HERBICIDE
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental, pesticides
In the wake of thousands of complaints of damage to crops in the U.S. from the herbicide dicamba drifting off of neighboring fields, the Environmental Protection Agency and pesticide makers have reached an agreement to impose restrictions on the herbicide‰??s use.
Dicamba products sold for the 2018 growing season will be classified as restricted use, meaning they can only be applied by a certified applicator with special training. Other changes include limiting dicamba spraying to when winds are less than 16 km/hour, restricting spraying to certain times of the day, and requiring farmers to keep records of dicamba use.
Farmers are increasingly spraying dicamba on soybeans and cotton that have been genetically engineered to tolerate it, as weeds are becoming resistant to other herbicides such as glyphosate. But soybeans that have not been genetically engineered to tolerate dicamba are particularly susceptible to its damage.
State agencies in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee worked with EPA and pesticide manufacturers to investigate complaints of dicamba damage to nontolerant crops since 2015. Dicamba manufacturer Monsanto is confident that increased training and record keeping will ‰??address the main causes of off-target movement,‰?? says Ty Vaughn, Monsanto‰??s global regulatory lead. EPA says that it will monitor whether the changes reduce dicamba damage to nontarget crops as the agency decides whether to allow use of the herbicide beyond 2018.
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