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Previous by Date: Subject: [DCHAS-L] ADV: Chemical Safety Workshops - Boston; August 2018 Date: Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 12:07:24 AM Author: NEAL LANGERMAN <neal**At_Symbol_Here**CHEMICAL-SAFETY.COM> |
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Table of Contents (18 articles)
LOCAL DRIVER LEAVES GAS STATION WITH PUMP STILL ATTACHED TO VEHICLE, PROMPTS HAZMAT ISSUE
Tags: us_GA, public, release, response, gasoline
SRI LANKA LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND HEADLINES
Tags: Sri_Lanka, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
TEN TREATED FOR CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN CLAREMONT
Tags: us_NH, public, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
GROUNDWATER BILL MOVES FORWARD IN NH LEGISLATURE
Tags: us_NH, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
CHEMICAL IN FAYETTEVILLE'S TAP WATER MAY CAUSE CANCER
Tags: us_NC, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
BILL WHITAKER: WEST RECOVERY FIVE YEARS AFTER DEADLY BLAST INCLUDES HEARTENING WORDS OF ADVOCACY
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
KENNEWICK ROAD BLOCKED AFTER EXPLOSIVE ACID LEFT AT COLLECTION EVENT
Tags: us_WA, public, release, response, waste
MIAMI BEACH HOTEL EVACUATED DUE TO HAZMAT SITUATION; 2 HOSPITALIZED ‰?? WSVN 7NEWS
Tags: us_FL, public, release, injury, chlorine
UCF BUILDING EVACUATED DUE TO NITROGEN LEAK
Tags: us_FL, laboratory, release, response, nitrogen
GOLD BOARD TASKED TO REVIEW LOCATION, OPERATIONS OF LABORATORY IN WAKE OF MERCURY LEVELS ‰?? DEMERARA WAVES
Tags: Guyana, laboratory, release, injury, mercury
SUGAR FACTORY SHUT AFTER TANK EXPLOSION, RE-OPENS
Tags: Nepal, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
KASGANJ: FOUR KASGANJ TEENS HURT IN EXPLOSION
Tags: India, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
MERCURY: THE SHINING HEALTH HAZARD
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, mercury
FL MAN BURNED BY 'GLOWING ROCKS' AT BEACH, PROMPTING HAZMAT RESP
Tags: us_FL, public, fire, injury, metals
SAFE, SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE EARNS ASU RESEARCHER PRAISE
Tags: us_AZ, laboratory, discovery, environmental, nanotech
1 PERSON TREATED AFTER EXPOSURE TO CHEMICAL
Tags: us_CO, public, release, injury, fireworks
CHEMICAL SPILL AT VERNON ELEMENTARY CLEARED
Tags: Canada, education, release, response, unknown_chemical
FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED DUE TO BARREL BURST
Tags: us_ID, laboratory, release, response, radiation, waste
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LOCAL DRIVER LEAVES GAS STATION WITH PUMP STILL ATTACHED TO VEHICLE, PROMPTS HAZMAT ISSUE
http://www.wrbl.com/news/local-news/local-driver-leaves-gas-station-with-pump-still-attached-to-vehicle-prompts-hazmat-issue/1123255616
Tags: us_GA, public, release, response, gasoline
HARRIS COUNTY- Crews responded to a hazmat gas spill situation.
This, after a customer pulled off from the gas station with the pump still attached to the vehicle.
Crews say it happened Sunday around 2:30 PM at the BR&R Corner Store on Georgia Highway 85.
After the incident, the pump kept running, flowing into the parking lot and then down into a tunnel connected to a roadside drainage ditch full of water from the recent rainfall.
Personnel from the store placed some materials down to slow the flow into the tunnel.
Units with Columbus Fire and EMS Department also responded to the scene.
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SRI LANKA LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND HEADLINES
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Fire-breaks-out-in-Karapitiya-Hospital-148669.html
Tags: Sri_Lanka, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
A fire broke out at the main laboratory of the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle this evening, the Police said.
They said no casualties were reported in the fire and the damage caused to the properties had not been evaluated yet.
Meanwhile, speaking to Daily Mirror, Hospital Director Dr. Jayampathy Senanayake said fire had erupted in a room attached to the hospital laboratory.
However, the fire has been doused by the firefighting units preventing further damage.
Several equipment and machines in the room had been damaged in the fire.
Dr. Senanayake said the fire could have been erupted due to an electric short circuit in one of machines in the room.
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TEN TREATED FOR CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN CLAREMONT
http://www.newhampshire.com/public-safety/ten-treated-for-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-in-claremont--20180413
Tags: us_NH, public, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
CLAREMONT ‰?? Ten people, including police, fire and ambulance workers were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after emergency workers were called to a Belding Street home Thursday night.
When emergency workers arrived at 26 Belding St. for a medical call about 11:35 p.m., they found three residents showing signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and highly elevated levels of carbon monoxide in the home.
The three residents and two visiting friends were taken to area hospitals. A police officer, two firefighters and two EMS workers also were taken to the hospital for treatment, the state Fire Marshal‰??s Office said in a release Friday morning.
An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway, according to the release.
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GROUNDWATER BILL MOVES FORWARD IN NH LEGISLATURE
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20180412/groundwater-bill-moves-forward-in-nh-legislature
Tags: us_NH, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
CONCORD -- A bill that would require the state Department of Environmental Services to set ambient groundwater quality standards for two additional PFAS chemicals passed the House Thursday.
Senate Bill 309, if signed into law, would require DES to set ambient groundwater quality standards for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS). Both of the chemicals have impacted two local communities.
People exposed to contaminated water at the city of Portsmouth‰??s Haven well found that when their blood was tested typically PFHxS tested at the highest levels. PFNA has been found at high levels in Berry‰??s Brook in Greenland adjacent the Coakley landfill, a Superfund cleanup site.
The bill has previously passed the Senate and now heads to the House Finance Committee.
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CHEMICAL IN FAYETTEVILLE'S TAP WATER MAY CAUSE CANCER
http://www.fayobserver.com/news/20180414/chemical-in-fayettevilles-tap-water-may-cause-cancer
Tags: us_NC, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Fayetteville‰??s public drinking water does not contain GenX, but another chemical that is just as troubling ‰?? a likely carcinogen known as 1,4 dioxane ‰?? has been detected in greater concentrations in city water over the past year.
Water from the city‰??s Public Works Commission has contained 1,4 dioxane at levels exceeding a federal health advisory every year since the threshold was set in 2013. The PWC, like several other utilities in the state, gets most of its water from the Cape Fear River.
The PWC recently released its annual water quality report for 2017, which concludes that ‰??recent tests confirm GenX is not in PWC drinking water.‰??
But 1,4 dioxane in drinking water is just as concerning as GenX, said Kemp Burdette, a Cape Fear Riverkeeper from Wilmington.
‰??I hate to kind of like pick which is worse when they are both pretty bad,‰?? Burdette said. ‰??I would say I‰??m equally concerned about both of them.‰??
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BILL WHITAKER: WEST RECOVERY FIVE YEARS AFTER DEADLY BLAST INCLUDES HEARTENING WORDS OF ADVOCACY
http://www.wacotrib.com/opinion/columns/bill_whitaker/bill-whitaker-west-recovery-five-years-after-deadly-blast-includes/article_f1016b54-57f3-595b-95b5-1f9ae527c6c5.html
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
Only a few questions were leveled at West Mayor Tommy Muska and other panelists on the Waco Hippodrome stage after Tuesday‰??s big-screen showing of ‰??The Day West Shook Texas‰?? on occasion of the approaching fifth anniversary of the West Fertilizer Company explosion, but that was understandable. Many in the audience were from West. Most knew the answers.
And not everything raised was a question. Someone proposed a shout-out to the Czech Republic, which helped this Central Texas town of vibrant Czech heritage to the tune of $200,000 after the deadly 2013 ammonium nitrate blast. Another inquired if anyone was faithfully compiling ‰??the miracles that came that night,‰?? a reference to the twists of fate that saved some lives in the earth-shaking, magnitude-2.1 calamity. And a graying resident whose home was impacted graciously excused the gradual development of West neighborhoods near the old fertilizer plant as ‰??just a human error‰?? in planning and zoning that transpired over a couple of generations of city leadership.
Someone requested a moment of silence, which fit perfectly with West native Jim Gerik‰??s uplifting 2015 documentary film. Amid homespun testimonials of explosion, death and destruction, he and film editor Chuck Venable repeatedly interwove a choir singing church hymns. The themes of rebirth and transformation in an environment of Christian faith in rural America are impossible to miss, complete with celebrations of community fundraisers, small-town resurrection and heroic volunteer firefighters.
Yet Gerik on stage Tuesday night alluded to something only hinted at in the film he shot a few years ago: the need for his hometown brethren to make the deaths of 15 people ‰?? 12 of them first responders ‰?? and the destruction of a quarter of the town count for more than a compelling tale of Americana. He meant taking steps to ensure a similar catastrophe doesn‰??t claim yet other lives, devastate yet other families, leave yet other neighborhoods in ruins: ‰??People need to talk about this because this can happen again.‰??
Indeed. One questioner asked if the Texas Legislature had fully considered the mayhem and death in West ‰?? struck by a force five times that of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing ‰?? in forging laws to prevent this catastrophe from happening to residents in another town with similar agricultural priorities. John Crowder, pastor of First Baptist Church of West, noted the state‰??s strengthening of site inspections: ‰??The inspections were probably not as frequent and accurate as they needed to be, so there was some progress made in inspections. But many of us feel like the important issues have not yet been addressed.‰??
---------------------------------------------
KENNEWICK ROAD BLOCKED AFTER EXPLOSIVE ACID LEFT AT COLLECTION EVENT
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article208909249.html
Tags: us_WA, public, release, response, waste
KENNEWICK, WA
A woman left about 50 grams of a potentially explosive acid at a hazardous waste collection, triggering road closures and concerns.
Shortly before 10 a.m., an unknown person dropped off a box of laboratory-grade chemicals at the Benton County event at the road department shop on Wiser Parkway, near Cottonwood Elementary school, said Shyanne Faulconer, a Benton County spokeswoman.
Employees from the contractor handling the event asked the woman to stick around as they checked the contents of the box.
"There is a list of materials that we can accept and a list of materials that we can't," Faulconer said. "Any chemicals that are brought in have to be reviewed by a chemist to make sure they're acceptable to take."
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MIAMI BEACH HOTEL EVACUATED DUE TO HAZMAT SITUATION; 2 HOSPITALIZED ‰?? WSVN 7NEWS
https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-beach-hotel-evacuated-due-to-hazmat-situation-2-hospitalized/
Tags: us_FL, public, release, injury, chlorine
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - More than 100 guests were evacuated from a hotel in Miami Beach after a hazmat situation sent two people to the hospital on Saturday.
Miami Beach Fire Rescue responded to the scene at the Lexington Hotel at 42nd Street and Collins Avenue, Saturday, at around 11 a.m.
Officials said employees reported a strong odor and began having difficulty breathing.
The hazmat team was called in shortly after fire rescue crews arrived.
‰??Once they did, they determined that it was some sort of acid in the chlorine room,‰?? said Miami Beach Fire Rescue Capt. Dwight Nicholas. ‰??They contained it and removed it.‰??
Officials said some gas mixed with chlorine caused the evacuation.
---------------------------------------------
UCF BUILDING EVACUATED DUE TO NITROGEN LEAK
http://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2018/04/15/ucf-building-evacuated-due-to-nitrogen-leak
Tags: us_FL, laboratory, release, response, nitrogen
A building at the University of Central Florida was evacuated Saturday afternoon due to a nitrogen leak.
Nitrogen leak cause evacuation at UCF
Crews secured leak, didn't determine cause
No injuries were reported
Orange County Fire Rescue responded to the CREOL building, which houses UCF‰??s College of Optics and Photonics.
Crews were able to secure the leak but were unable to determine a cause.
No injuries were reported, according to authorities.
A hazmat crew cleared the building and turned it over to the university‰??s building management.
---------------------------------------------
GOLD BOARD TASKED TO REVIEW LOCATION, OPERATIONS OF LABORATORY IN WAKE OF MERCURY LEVELS ‰?? DEMERARA WAVES
http://demerarawaves.com/2018/04/13/gold-board-tasked-to-review-location-operations-of-laboratory-in-wake-of-mercury-levels/
Tags: Guyana, laboratory, release, injury, mercury
The Guyana Gold Board (GGB) will have to mull whether to remove its laboratory in the wake of above normal mercury levels in 60 of the more than 130 workers of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) that have been tested so far, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman said.
Trotman announced in the presence of the Board of Directors of the Gold Board that he would like an ‰??experts review‰?? of the laboratory to determine how it could better function, where it should be situated, and needed scientific and other methodologies to ensure ‰??safety comes first‰??.
For several decades, the GGB has been located in the same compound as the GGMC on Upper Brickdam, but Trotman said authorities would have to consider the logistics, cost and adequate safety and security. ‰??The longer term decisions have impacts and repercussions on the State‰??s revenues and so decisions can‰??t be made in a day, they can‰??t be made in a second; they have to be made over time,‰?? he said.
The Minister of Natural Resources said a South African team would be in Guyana for several days to explore the possibility of establishing a refinery. He noted that Guyana has been learning from other countries such as Suriname about the establishment of a refinery.
---------------------------------------------
SUGAR FACTORY SHUT AFTER TANK EXPLOSION, RE-OPENS
https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/sugar-factory-shut-after-tank-explosion-reopens/
Tags: Nepal, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
BARA: Reliance Sugar and Chemical Industries Ltd, which witnessed a molasses tank blast forcing it to close down operations, has reopened on Friday.
The sugarcane farmers in the district sighed with relief after the tank was reinstated following repairs, according to Area In-charge Upendra Yadav.
An explosion which occurred on Monday had taken life of an Indian national while critically injuring eight others. The injured are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Birgunj and Kathmandu.
The factory with a tank capacity of 1 million litres has been crushing sugarcane since December 18, 2017.
---------------------------------------------
KASGANJ: FOUR KASGANJ TEENS HURT IN EXPLOSION
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/four-kasganj-teens-hurt-in-explosion/articleshow/63753264.cms
Tags: India, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
AGRA: Mystery surrounds a sudden explosion which injured four teenaged boys on Friday afternoon in Kasganj district. The explosion occurred when the victims were throwing stones in a dry well in the playground of a private inter-college, about 150 metres from Patiyali police station.
The victims were identified as Ankush, Karan, Gagan and Ashish, all below 15 years old. They suffered grievous second degree burns on the face, limbs and other parts of the body due to the explosion.
After the incident, the victims were taken to the district hospital by police. Both superintendent of police, Piyush Srivastava and district magistrate R P Singh reached the hospital to meet the victims.
---------------------------------------------
MERCURY: THE SHINING HEALTH HAZARD
http://nstacommunities.org/blog/2018/04/13/mercury-the-shining-health-hazard/
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, mercury
At room temperature, elemental (metallic) mercury can evaporate to become an invisible, odorless toxic vapor. The warmer the air, the more quickly mercury vaporizes. Exposure to even a small amount can affect your health. Symptoms can surface within hours of exposure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposure to mercury can result in short-term symptoms (e.g., coughing, vomiting) and long-term symptoms (e.g., loss of appetite, memory loss).
The problem with mercury is that it keeps on recycling itself. It vaporizes, is absorbed by materials in the environment (e.g., carpet, cloth, wood, window fixings), and again vaporizes into the air. This means that mercury drops can continue to turn into vapors that are breathed in by students and teachers years after a spill. It keeps recycling unless there is an intervention.
To determine if there is mercury in the lab, either secure a mercury detection kit or have a commercial lab test the science lab for mercury. If the results come back positive, the school district will need to hire a mercury spill clean-up contractor. If there is a small spill from, say, a broken mercury thermometer, see ‰??How to handle a mercury spill‰?? below.
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FL MAN BURNED BY 'GLOWING ROCKS' AT BEACH, PROMPTING HAZMAT RESP
http://www.wtol.com/story/37946759/fl-man-burned-by-glowing-rocks-at-beach-prompting-hazmat-response
Tags: us_FL, public, fire, injury, metals
ANNA MARIA, FL (WWSB) - A man is recovering after a walk on the beach turned into a trip to the hospital.
Manatee County Sheriff's deputies responded Wednesday to a suspicious fire at a beach near Willow Avenue and Gulf Drive on Anna Maria. When they arrived they found a unknown metal object up in flames. The West Manatee Fire Department also responded and the fire was put out.
Deputies and public works employees then combed the area for any additional debris and removed some material with a rake and shovel. The item that was on fire was taken by public works.
Then, last night after dark, a 28 year old male was walking on that same stretch of beach when he observed what he said appeared to be glowing rocks. He collected some of the pieces and placed them in his pants pocket. The objects later burning through his pocket, burning both his leg and hand. He was transported to the hospital where he is now in stable condition.
The object put out by the fire department has since been identified as a military training flare. The area where the flare was located is secure and a hazmat is set to search that location for any other debris.
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SAFE, SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE EARNS ASU RESEARCHER PRAISE
https://asunow.asu.edu/20180412-safe-sustainable-science-earns-asu-researcher-praise
Tags: us_AZ, laboratory, discovery, environmental, nanotech
For Gary Moore, the safety of the world outside his lab matters just as much as the people inside. An assistant professor in Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences, Moore develops chemicals and nanoscale materials using solar energy and other novel, green methods. For these artificial processes, he draws inspiration from the biological mechanisms that convert and store energy in nature.
But why research sustainable production if the research itself will damage the environment? By installing water-efficient equipment in his laboratory, Moore aims to make his research practices as green as the materials he makes. Assistant Professor Gary Moore (right) accepts the Laboratory Safety Innovation Award from Professor Jingyue Liu, chair of the safety and outreach subcommittee of the University Laboratory Safety Committee. Moore‰??s work to both conserve water and increase safety earned him the inaugural award. Photo by Darren Bowens Download Full Image
On April 10, Moore was awarded the 2018 Laboratory Safety Innovation Award to honor his innovations in safe science at the Tempe campus‰?? University Club. This was the inaugural year for the award, sponsored by ASU‰??s Laboratory Safety Committee in partnership with the office of Knowledge Enterprise Development and Environmental Health and Safety. The award was designed to highlight ASU‰??s dedication to safe science, recognizing a principal investigator for implementing an innovative safety program in an ASU research lab.
Moore‰??s lab was chosen for rising above and beyond green certification standards, incorporating technologies that both conserve resources and reduce flood and fire hazards.
‰??The consequences of destructive environmental practices reach beyond the local community, threatening the health and well-being of all those outside ASU,‰?? Moore said.
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1 PERSON TREATED AFTER EXPOSURE TO CHEMICAL
http://www.9news.com/article/news/local/1-person-treated-after-exposure-to-chemical/73-537756735
Tags: us_CO, public, release, injury, fireworks
GREENWOOD VILLAGE - Several people complained about burning in their throats and eyes after exposure to a chemical Thursday afternoon.
South Metro Fire Rescue responded to 5340 South Quebec Street for around 3 p.m. They determined the irritant was likely a small amount of Potassium Perchlorate. It's commonly used as an oxidizer in fireworks and other types of pyrotechnics.
One person was taken to the hospital as a precaution due to the exposure.
South Metro Fire Rescue says they're cleaning up and disposing of the substance. There's no threat to the surrounding area and they do not believe the incident is suspicious.
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CHEMICAL SPILL AT VERNON ELEMENTARY CLEARED
https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/chemical-spill-at-vernon-elementary-cleared/
Tags: Canada, education, release, response, unknown_chemical
School District officials are thankful for a quick response from emergency personnel.
Vernon Fire Rescue services responded to the scene of a chemical spill at Okanagan Landing Elementary just before 2 p.m. Thursday.
‰??A parent had a chemical in the trunk of their car. When the trunk was opened the liquid spill on the ground. While our staff are trained to handle small chemical spills ‰?? approximately 250ml and less, dependent on the chemical ‰?? they felt the amount spilled was more than they felt comfortable handling,‰?? said Maritza Reilly, district communications coordinator.
The school proceeded to call the fire department and the area was cordoned off from foot traffic.
We are thankful for the quick action from the fire department, who have cleaned up the area, as well as the care and attention from our staff at Okanagan Landing Elementary for keeping our students‰?? safety a top priority.
It was the second time Vernon Fire Rescue was called to the school, following a fire sparked by a kiln Tuesday morning. In that incident, students were evacuated after the gym filled with smoke.
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FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED DUE TO BARREL BURST
https://www.kpvi.com/news/local_news/fire-department-called-due-to-barrel-burst/article_aafe6cc6-3e9b-11e8-8ddf-0be2832d1e9f.html
Tags: us_ID, laboratory, release, response, radiation, waste
Idaho National Laboratory Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the site out near Arco late Wednesday night.
It's now been confirmed that the fire department was called due to the release of a chemical in one of the drums stored on site.
And that it was located in the Idaho Cleanup Project‰??s Radioactive Waste Management Complex.
The INL fire department responded last night to the Accelerated Retrieval Project, or ARP5 which is run by the contractor Fluor Idaho.
Shelly Norman, from the Joint Information Center, said "A barrel there and it was elevated temperatures and it was breached and it released some materials..."
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