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Previous by Date: Subject: [DCHAS-L] Journal of Chemical Health and Safety: Alert 15 October-22 October Date: Monday, October 23, 2017 at 7:14:41 AM Author: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG> |
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, October 23, 2017 at 7:24:24 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 (26 articles)
FIRST RESPONDERS HOSPITALIZED AFTER POSSIBLE CARFENTANIL EXPOSURE IN HILLTOWN
Tags: us_PA, public, release, injury, drugs
UPDATE: ASH FROM PARKERSBURG FIRE DECLARED NON-TOXIC
Tags: us_WV, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
SOLVANG HOTEL TO PAY $31,000 FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE DUMPING
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, corrosives, pool_chemicals, waste, illegal
ST. GABRIEL RESIDENTS KEEPING UP THEIR FIGHT AGAINST CHEMICAL PLANT, INDUSTRIAL EXPANSIONS
Tags: us_LA, industrial, discovery, environmental, petroleum
INVESTIGATORS TO PROBE SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY AT U.S. AGENCIES
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
EXPLOSIVES EXPERTS CALLED TO SELLAFIELD OVER CHEMICAL CONCERNS
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
FIRE BLAZES FOR HOURS AT OLD AMES PLANT IN PARKERSBURG; NO INJURIES REPORTED
Tags: us_WV, industrial, fire, response, resin, plastics
FIREFIGHTERS CALLED AFTER CHEMICAL REACTION CAUSES RUPTURE OF STORAGE CONTAINER IN SCUNTHORPE
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
WHY HAS THE E.P.A. SHIFTED ON TOXIC CHEMICALS? AN INDUSTRY INSIDER HELPS CALL THE SHOTS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, toxics
ELDERLY WOMAN INJURED IN WILLOWBROOK CONDO BUILDING EXPLOSION CAUSED BY GASOLINE LEAK
Tags: us_IL, public, explosion, injury, gasoline
CHEMICAL LEAK REPORTED NEAR SNYDER, NO INJURIES CONFIRMED
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, injury, carbon_dioxide
FIRE OCCURS AT ALVIN CHEMICAL, NO ONE HURT
Tags: us_TX, transportation, fire, environmental, unknown_chemical
YMCA TO PAY RESTITUTION, FINES AFTER 2015 CHEMICAL SPILL SICKENS CHILDREN AT SANTEE SCHOOL
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
NO CHEMICAL RELEASE AT PERU PLANT
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, response, styrene, various_chemicals
AIR POLLUTION: WORLD POLLUTION DEADLIER THAN WARS, DISASTERS, HUNGER
Tags: India, public, discovery, death
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
---------------------------------------------
FIRST RESPONDERS HOSPITALIZED AFTER POSSIBLE CARFENTANIL EXPOSURE IN HILLTOWN
Tags: us_PA, public, release, injury, drugs
Two members of the Silverdale Fire Co. and a Hilltown police officer were briefly hospitalized after it was feared they were exposed to carfentanil Saturday night.
Hilltown Sgt. Christian Browne said Sunday that the incident is still under investigation and pending test results it is still unclear if the dangerously potent opioid is what made the three first-responders feel ill at the scene of a suspected heroin overdose.
Browne said the call, which initially was reported as an unspecified medical emergency in the 600 block of Orangewood Court in the Orchard Hill development in Hilltown, came shortly after 9 p.m.
A woman in her 40s was found in cardiac arrest and was given a dose of Narcan, an anti-overdose medication. She was transported to Grand View Hospital in West Rockhill and her condition is unknown.
The Hilltown officer and the two firefighters, who are also trained as EMTs, reported feeling ill at the scene and also were taken to the hospital.
They were treated and released by Sunday morning.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: ASH FROM PARKERSBURG FIRE DECLARED NON-TOXIC
Tags: us_WV, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WDTV)-- Heavy smoke continues to linger in the sky after a massive fire at a warehouse in Parkersburg Saturday.
According to WTAP, Camden Clark Hospital started preparing for aftermath effects of the fire around 9 a.m. Saturday morning. The hospital gathered the necessary supplies to treat potential victims and called in extra nurses.
Initial laboratory tests of fallen ash from the Ames fire showed that ash was not toxic to residents, according to Wood County officials. Those officials also reported early air monitoring testing indicated areas around the fire scene were within acceptable quality limits.
As a precaution, the Wood County Commission was advising residents to stay inside.
More than 30 volunteer fire departments continued to work at the fire scene Sunday along with hundreds of other local, regional and state officials.
The Ohio River is being used as a water source to fight the flames to put less of a strain on the Parkersburg water system. The West Virginia National Guard was also supplying foam to firefighters and the Division of Highways is providing additional water.
---------------------------------------------
SOLVANG HOTEL TO PAY $31,000 FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE DUMPING
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, corrosives, pool_chemicals, waste, illegal
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley has announced the resolution of an environmental-protection action against Solvang Hotel Group L.P., the entity that operates the Holiday Inn Express in Solvang.
The action was filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria. The complaint alleges the hotel illegally disposed of hazardous waste, specifically corrosive swimming pool chemicals, by placing them in an ordinary trash dumpster.
The environmental violations were discovered when fumes were emitted from the dumpster in which the chemicals were placed.
Hotel management called the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, which in turn contacted the Santa Barbara County Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA).
CUPA is a unit of Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services that regulates hazardous-waste compliance.
---------------------------------------------
ST. GABRIEL RESIDENTS KEEPING UP THEIR FIGHT AGAINST CHEMICAL PLANT, INDUSTRIAL EXPANSIONS
Tags: us_LA, industrial, discovery, environmental, petroleum
ST. GABRIEL ‰?? Over the years, this small Iberville Parish city flourished in the vast shadows of the numerous petrochemical and industrial plants dominating its rural landscape.
But many residents say enough is enough, and are making it clear they don't want to see any more chemical plants come into the community.
They've made their views known as they troop to City Hall regularly seeking to block requests to change residential zoning to classifications that would green light the construction of new industrial facilities.
"We're always vulnerable; always having to fight to keep things the way they are. It's just exhausting," says longtime resident Thomas Miller.
Instead of putting out a welcome mat for more smokestacks Miller, and some other residents argue, it's time city leaders look toward more commercial and residential development.
---------------------------------------------
INVESTIGATORS TO PROBE SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY AT U.S. AGENCIES
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
U.S. congressional investigators will examine whether the Trump Administration is respecting scientific integrity in federal agencies. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) requested the probe by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress. His move came after reports that political appointees were screening scientific grant applications at the Environmental Protection Agency and that officials across the government were removing references to climate change from agency websites. Nelson, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee, asked GAO to determine whether the Trump Administration has violated scientific integrity policies adopted under the Obama Administration. Those policies followed controversies about scientific integrity during the Administration of President George W. Bush, including a policy that GAO determined was limiting the scientific credibility of the Environmental Protection Agency‰??s health asses!
sments of pollutants. Nelson says, ‰??It is vital that science be impartial and free from interference, suppression or distortion.‰?? He adds, ‰??Scientists must be free to carry out their work without interference.‰??
---------------------------------------------
EXPLOSIVES EXPERTS CALLED TO SELLAFIELD OVER CHEMICAL CONCERNS
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
Bomb disposal experts were called to the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant after a routine audit of chemicals stored in a laboratory.
Sellafield Ltd said it was "not a radiological event" but involved a small number of canisters of solvents which had been on the site since 1992.
However, there were concerns they could become hazardous if exposed to oxygen.
An area of the site was cordoned off for most of the day, and the canisters disposed of by controlled explosion.
Sellafield said in a statement: "These chemicals are used extensively in many industries and are well understood.
"Because this is happening on the Sellafield site we exercise extreme caution and leave nothing to chance."
'Dig a trench'
It said a team from the army's Explosives Ordinance Disposal Team disposed of the chemicals by digging a trench, burying them using sandbags and detonating them in a controlled manner.
The disposal took place in two batches, with the first transferred from the laboratory to another location on the site and successfully and safely detonated at around 14:15 BST.
A second controlled explosion was then carried out at the same location shortly before 16:00 BST.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE BLAZES FOR HOURS AT OLD AMES PLANT IN PARKERSBURG; NO INJURIES REPORTED
Tags: us_WV, industrial, fire, response, resin, plastics
Firefighters could spend several days fighting a massive industrial fire that broke out early Saturday morning on the outskirts of Parkersburg, according to a news release from the Wood County Unified Command.
Firefighters worked all day to fight a blazing fire at what was formerly the Ames Tool Plant, the release said. Black smoke filled the sky, blanketing some of the surrounding areas in a layer of ash.
The Wood County Commission declared the scene a disaster area and strongly advised people to stay indoors to avoid inhaling the smoke, especially people with respiratory issues.
The fire was initially called in to local dispatchers as an arson, according to a copy of the initial spill report provided by the Department of Environmental Protection.
A later news release from the county‰??s Unified Command said officials from the DEP were testing the quality of the air and the fallout from the smoke.
‰??Initial air monitoring testing completed in the immediate and surrounding area of the fire scene shows air to be within acceptable quality limits,‰?? the release said.
The fallout particles could be harmful, the release said, and such particles were found 15 miles up the road in Williamstown.
Jake Glance, a DEP spokesman, said the DEP has a ‰??good idea‰?? of what materials were involved in the fire ‰?? plastic pellets and a material called acrylic resin. Parkersburg Police Supervisor Jill Murphy said the building was not an active plant, and nothing hazardous was stored there.
---------------------------------------------
FIREFIGHTERS CALLED AFTER CHEMICAL REACTION CAUSES RUPTURE OF STORAGE CONTAINER IN SCUNTHORPE
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
Firefighters were called following a chemical reaction in a storage container in Scunthorpe.
The incident happened at a site on Dawes Lane and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service firefighters were sent to the scene.
It was reported to the fire service shortly before 9.15pm last night (Friday, October 20).
The fire service said it involved a chemical reaction inside a 1,000-litre IBC storage container, which caused a rupture and a product to gas off.
---------------------------------------------
WHY HAS THE E.P.A. SHIFTED ON TOXIC CHEMICALS? AN INDUSTRY INSIDER HELPS CALL THE SHOTS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, toxics
WASHINGTON ‰?? For years, the Environmental Protection Agency has struggled to prevent an ingredient once used in stain-resistant carpets and nonstick pans from contaminating drinking water.
The chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, has been linked to kidney cancer, birth defects, immune system disorders and other serious health problems.
So scientists and administrators in the E.P.A.‰??s Office of Water were alarmed in late May when a top Trump administration appointee insisted upon the rewriting of a rule to make it harder to track the health consequences of the chemical, and therefore regulate it.
The revision was among more than a dozen demanded by the appointee, Nancy B. Beck, after she joined the E.P.A.‰??s toxic chemical unit in May as a top deputy. For the previous five years, she had been an executive at the American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry‰??s main trade association.
The changes directed by Dr. Beck may result in an ‰??underestimation of the potential risks to human health and the environment‰?? caused by PFOA and other so-called legacy chemicals no longer sold on the market, the Office of Water‰??s top official warned in a confidential internal memo obtained by The New York Times.
---------------------------------------------
ELDERLY WOMAN INJURED IN WILLOWBROOK CONDO BUILDING EXPLOSION CAUSED BY GASOLINE LEAK
Tags: us_IL, public, explosion, injury, gasoline
WILLOWBROOK, Ill. (WLS) -- Investigators said a gasoline leak into sewage pipes was the cause of a large explosion and fire at a condo building in south suburban Willowbrook.
More than 20 buildings are completely dark in the Knolls Condominium complex in the 6100-block of Knoll Wood Road Friday night.
"I didn't smell anything, to be honest, it's just dark and scary. I wouldn't spend the night there," Sanja Edrovska, resident, said.
PHOTOS: Willowbrook explosion, fire
Fire officials believe the gasoline leak originated at a Speedway gas station in neighboring Westmont. There is still gasoline running through sewers from Westmont to the water reclamation plant eight miles east, fire officials said.
"Speedway and contractors removed 60,000 gallons of water and gas," said Westmont Deputy Fire Chief James Connolly. "We believe we have the source of the problem isolated."
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL LEAK REPORTED NEAR SNYDER, NO INJURIES CONFIRMED
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, injury, carbon_dioxide
SCURRY COUNTY, TX (KCBD) -
The carbon dioxide moving company Kinder Morgan has reported a CO2 release in Scurry County.
The leak was discovered at around 1:30 p.m. Friday and workers are currently trying to isolate the impacted pipelines, according to the Snyder Daily News. There is also a command system that has been established by first responders in the area.
There has been one potential injury reported by the company.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE OCCURS AT ALVIN CHEMICAL, NO ONE HURT
Tags: us_TX, transportation, fire, environmental, unknown_chemical
An Alvin Chemical, Inc. employee is fine after he unknowingly drove a company truck (Ford F150) over ‰??unknown product‰?? that had already spilled on to a city street near the company and an adjacent railroad track at one end of Johnson Street today.
The Alvin Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the 400 block of North Johnson Street at approximately 1:56 p.m., Friday, Oct. 20, and when fire fighters arrived, the F150 truck was already engulfed in fire, as well as multiple railroad cars.
Fire officials said no one was hurt from today‰??s incident, including residents who were ordered to evacuate. They were able to return after an hour, according to the Alvin VFD.
Alvin Fire Chief Rex Klesel said it is unknown what kind of product was released that eventually landed on the ground, causing some of it to move under six railroad cars, which also ignited. The fire caused a large billow of dark smoke over the property that could be seen throughout many parts of the city.
Klesel said two fire departments from Pearland and Friendswood were dispatched to assist. Alvin EMS and police also responded to the scene. Klesel said it took two hours for firefighters to contain the blaze.
Nearly six hours later, fire officials were still assessing the damage at night, and it was still unknown what kind of product ended up on the ground. Klesel said Alvin Chemical, Inc. had six different products at the premises but were still unsure where the leak came from.
He said Alvin residents living in the area were told to evacuate immediately. Klesel estimates about 15-20 homes were evacuated.
The fire also caused the railway to be closed for several hours.
---------------------------------------------
YMCA TO PAY RESTITUTION, FINES AFTER 2015 CHEMICAL SPILL SICKENS CHILDREN AT SANTEE SCHOOL
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
Two years ago, a cloud of chemical fumes formed over a pool at a Santee YMCA and wafted toward a nearby school, where it sickened at least 77 children and some of the staff.
The toxic gas plume was the result of an attempt by workers at the Cameron Family YMCA to clean up a chlorine spill in the pool by mixing it with other ‰??highly incompatible chemicals,‰?? according to prosecutors.
The workers also pumped spilled chlorine directly into a storm drain.
Later, the YMCA of San Diego County and Lee Joseph Ladley, facilities director at the Santee location, were charged with felony and misdemeanor crimes, including unlawful disposal of hazardous waste and unlawful handling of pesticides.
The defendants pleaded guilty to all charges in July.
On Friday, San Diego Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon reduced the felony charges to misdemeanors before placing the defendants on probation and ordering them to pay fines and restitution to the victims.
The YMCA was ordered to improve its program for handling hazardous materials in compliance with state law.
The incident happened on Oct. 20, 2015, when the chlorine spill at the Cameron Family YMCA on Riverwalk Drive sent children and adults from nearby Rio Seco Elementary School to hospitals for treatment.
Sheriff‰??s deputies, medics and a hazardous materials team were sent to the K-8 school on Cuyamaca Street near Riverwalk after students complained about a chemical smell and feeling a burning sensation in their eyes, authorities said.
At least 77 students and four staff members were affected, complaining of eye irritation, nausea and shortness of breath. Their symptoms were described as mild, officials said at the time.
Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth McClutchey contended that the YMCA had been ‰??plagued with a long history of repeated environmental violations,‰?? at locations around San Diego County including the Cameron Family YMCA.
She said in a phone interview that Ladley, who told workers not to report the spill to authorities, was a ‰??good guy‰?? overall, but he made a series of poor decisions after the spill that had serious consequences.
The plume of gas created by the chemical reaction was so large that a firefighter initially thought it was smoke from a fire, according to court documents. A school bus driver who was driving by the YMCA described it as a haze that was ‰??larger than a football field.‰??
At sentencing, the judge ordered the YMCA to pay restitution to the victims ‰?? $57,000 of which has already been paid ‰?? and more than $40,000 in investigation costs. The YMCA was also ordered to pay about $17,000 in penalties.
---------------------------------------------
NO CHEMICAL RELEASE AT PERU PLANT
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, response, styrene, various_chemicals
Despite a vapor cloud appearing above Flint Hills Resources and a detected odor on Peru's southern side, no chemicals were detected in the surrounding atmosphere.
Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei said the police department received reports of an odor over the southern section of Peru and was contacted by Flint Hills Resources of an incident at the plant at 501 Brunner St. near the Illinois River.
The police department works closely with Flint Hills to prepare emergency response plans which various departments employed today.
"What happens is they have various chemicals they work with and they have a safety plan in place, an excellent safety plan, which worked today," Bernabei said. "As chemicals are mixed there's potential for some type of adverse reaction and potentially a release of styrene or other things into the atmosphere."
The emergency plan consists of forcing the chemicals into a containment tank where an automatic foam system covers the chemicals in the tank to prevent them from going into the atmosphere.
---------------------------------------------
AIR POLLUTION: WORLD POLLUTION DEADLIER THAN WARS, DISASTERS, HUNGER
Tags: India, public, discovery, death
NEW DELHI: Environmental pollution ‰?? from filthy air to contaminated water ‰?? is killing more people every year than all war and violence in the world. More than smoking, hunger or natural disasters. More than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.
One out of every six premature deaths in the world in 2015 ‰?? about 9 million ‰?? could be attributed to disease from toxic exposure, according to a major study released on Thursday in The Lancet medical journal. The financial cost from pollution-related death, sickness and welfare is equally massive, the report says, costing some $4.6 trillion in annual losses ‰?? or about 6.2 percent of the global economy.
"There's been a lot of study of pollution, but it's never received the resources or level of attention as, say, AIDS or climate change," said epidemiologist Philip Landrigan, dean of global health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, and the lead author on the report.
The report marks the first attempt to pull together data on disease and death caused by all forms of pollution combined.
---------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
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.
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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."
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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.‰??
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