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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (19 articles)
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2018 05:05:36 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 6F96CBD9-06C0-4DDD-A1F6-B1A8B2D9A757**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, August 20, 2018 at 5:05:09 AM
A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (19 articles)
BOMB SQUAD, HAZMAT TEAM RESPOND TO DISCOVERY OF ACID IN TSB LAB
Tags: Canada, laboratory, discovery, response, picric_acid, time-sensitive
BACK-TO-BACK COURT LOSSES SHOW LIMITS OF TRUMP‰??S ENVIRONMENT DEREGULATION
Tags: public, follow-up, environmental
UPDATE: HOMEMADE FIRECRACKER THE CAUSE OF AN EXPLOSION IN PARKERSBURG
Tags: us_WV, public, explosion, injury, explosives, fireworks
MAN INJURED IN KAUAI INDUSTRIAL PARK EXPLOSION FLOWN TO OAHU FOR
Tags: us_HI, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical, waste
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION IN WHITMAN, HAZMAT ON SCENE
Tags: us_MA, public, explosion, response, pool_chemicals
SAUK CITY BUILDING EVACUATED AFTER EMPLOYEES FELT ILL
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, carbon_monoxide
CHEMICAL SPILL FORCES CLOSURE OF SAUK AVENUE IN BARABOO
Tags: us_WI, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED TO HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILL AT LLCC
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, flammables, oxidizer
NEIGHBORS IN FRANKFORT WANT TO SEE FIRES AT AN ABANDONED RECYCLING FACILITY STOPPED
Tags: us_IN, industrial, fire, response, waste
MACHINE OPERATOR INJURED IN EXPLOSION AT KAUAI RECYCLING YARD
Tags: us_HI, industrial, explosion, injury, waste
CSB RELEASES UPDATE OF DEADLY DRILLING RIG FIRE INVESTIGATION•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ
Tags: us_OK, industrial, follow-up, death, natural_gas
U.S. AGENCY STRUGGLING WITH ORGANOHALOGEN FLAME RETARDANTS IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
CHEMICAL ON EASTERN MI SLIDE THAT BURNED 2 KIDS IDENTIFIED
Tags: us_MI, public, release, injury, sodium_hydroxide
ACID SPILL CLEANED UP AT OXNARD GARBAGE FACILITY
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, acids, waste
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO AMMONIA LEAK AT MANHATTAN WATER TREATMENT PLANT
Tags: us_KS, industrial, release, response, ammonia, water_treatment
NEIGHBORHOODS EVACUTATED DUE TO GAS LEAK IN SKIATOOK
Tags: us_OK, public, release, response, propane
BLAST REPORTEDLY OCCURS AT RIO DE JANEIRO UNIVERSITY
Tags: Brazil, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
LETTERKENNY COMMANDER: UNSPECIFIED CHEMICAL SPARKED EXPLOSION, FIRE THAT KILLED TWO
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical
REGULATORS PROPOSE TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE LEGAL LIMIT FOR CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS IN ARTIFICIAL SPORTS PITCHES
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
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BOMB SQUAD, HAZMAT TEAM RESPOND TO DISCOVERY OF ACID IN TSB LAB
https://edmontonsun.com/news/local-news/bomb-squad-hazmat-teams-respond-to-discovery-of-potentially-explosive-picric-acid/wcm/9d96b1d8-8225-4a4d-8acc-1664fcdcd77d
Tags: Canada, laboratory, discovery, response, picric_acid, time-sensitive
A bomb squad and hazmat units were deployed to a Transportation Safety Board laboratory in the city‰??s south end Friday night after traces of potentially explosive picric acid were discovered during a routine inspection.
‰??Someone noticed traces of dry residue on a container lid,‰?? TSB spokeswoman JosÌ©e Coallier said.
‰??Our guys know better than to take any chances.‰??
Ottawa Fire Services hazmat units and the Ottawa police bomb squad were deployed to a TSB engineering laboratory on Research Private, near the Ottawa airport.
A posting on the Transport Canada website called picric acid, used in many labs as a chemical reagent, ‰??by far, one of the more dangerous chemicals being used today.‰??
---------------------------------------------
BACK-TO-BACK COURT LOSSES SHOW LIMITS OF TRUMP‰??S ENVIRONMENT DEREGULATION
https://pilotonline.com/news/government/nation/article_684a7fa7-ae6a-54b7-bf94-987eff4d06c2.html
Tags: public, follow-up, environmental
WASHINGTON ‰??‰??President Donald Trump has attempted to block environmental regulations by his predecessor Barack Obama in part by delaying their implementation. But the strategy is losing in court.
Two federal court rulings in the past week rejected the administration‰??s attempts to delay major Environmental Protection Agency rules, and show the legal perils of stalling unwanted regulations. The court losses could jeopardize the Trump administration‰??s plan to roll back as many regulations as it can, as quickly as possible.
‰??We have enough court losses to indicate this is a losing strategy on the Trump administration‰??s behalf,‰?? said Amit Narang, a regulatory policy advocate for watchdog group Public Citizen. ‰??The courts are saying you are repealing a rule by delaying it for this long of a period. And if you are repealing a rule, you have to go through all the procedural requirements.‰??
That includes the time- and resource-intensive process of cost-benefit analysis and public comment periods, Narang said.
In one of last week‰??s determinations, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the administration didn‰??t provide an adequate basis for its move to delay an Obama-era chemical safety rule put in place after a fertilizer-plant explosion that killed 15 people in West, Texas, in 2013. The rule, which requires broader notification about the types of chemicals stored at certain plants, had been opposed by industry. The court ruled it must be implemented immediately.
A day before, the U.S. District Court in South Carolina reinstated an Obama-era rule defining the waterways covered by Clean Water Act regulations in 26 states, invalidating the Trump administration‰??s attempt at a two-year nationwide delay. The rule, opposed by homebuilders, manufacturers and farmers, allows small waterways like wetlands and streams to be regulated under the Clean Water Act.
Those losses come on top of earlier decisions halting the EPA‰??s moves to delay Obama-era rules, such as one unilaterally suspending methane emissions regulations. A court termed the delays unauthorized and unreasonable.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: HOMEMADE FIRECRACKER THE CAUSE OF AN EXPLOSION IN PARKERSBURG
http://www.thenewscenter.tv/content/news/Authorities-respond-to-explosion-in-Parkersburg-491180441.html
Tags: us_WV, public, explosion, injury, explosives, fireworks
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) - At about 12:12 this afternoon Parkersburg Police and Fire Departments responded to a call made by a postal service worker regarding an explosion.
The worker was hit by debris from the explosion but not seriously injured.
First responders were able to respond quickly because of the close proximity of the incident to the Homecoming parade.
There was a man on the scene with injuries to his hands and face and he was transported to a hospital in southern West Virginia.
Neighbors in the area reported hearing a loud noise that seemed to shake their homes. The police department strongly feels as though this incident is in no way related to the Homecoming celebration and that the suspect‰??s intent was not to harm anyone.
‰??We did collect some evidence related to this crime. We had it analyzed at a different location close to the scene for any chemical based explosives that were not what a typical person could buy off the store shelf. We are able to confidently say that this is not a terrorist act or a nexus to terrorism. Based off of what we found at the scene and what the components were made from as far as the device, basically it was just a homemade firecracker that had a much more powerful result than what was intended,‰?? explains Joe Martin, Parkersburg Police Chief.
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MAN INJURED IN KAUAI INDUSTRIAL PARK EXPLOSION FLOWN TO OAHU FOR
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/38913022/explosion-at-a-kauai-industrial-park-sends-a-man-to-the-hospital
Tags: us_HI, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical, waste
PUHI, KAUAI (HawaiiNewsNow) -
A metal yard worker from Kauai is recovering after an explosion left him with severe burns Friday morning.
Officials with the Kauai Fire Department said the Puhi Metals Recycling Facility employee was operating an excavator shearer around 8:30 a.m. when it happened.
He was working on a metal box measuring approximately 5-feet by 3-feet long when the box ruptured and exploded. Officials said the man jumped off the excavator to safety and a fire ignited.
Residents reported hearing the blast and seeing smoke from the Puhi facility, and firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
KFD used dry chemical extinguishers to put out the flames.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION IN WHITMAN, HAZMAT ON SCENE
https://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Possible-Chemical-Explosion-in-Whitman-Hazmat-on-Scene-491196991.html
Tags: us_MA, public, explosion, response, pool_chemicals
Officials are responding to a scene of a possible explosion due to chemicals.
According to Whitman Fire Department, it is responding to a home on Glen Street, just off of Route 18, in Whitman, Massachusetts.
The people inside of the home had been mixing pool chemicals, and that led to a small explosion, officials said. It isn't clear what kind of chemicals they were exactly.
Hazmat teams were called to the scene and have been there for several hours.
---------------------------------------------
SAUK CITY BUILDING EVACUATED AFTER EMPLOYEES FELT ILL
https://www.channel3000.com/news/sauk-city-building-evacuated-after-employees-felt-ill/782876725
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, carbon_monoxide
SAUK CITY, Wis. - Sauk City officials were called to the 700 block on Carolina Street Friday after receiving a report that multiple employees in a building there felt ill, according to a news release from the Volunteer Fire Department.
When firefighters arrived around 11 a.m., employees were already evacuating the building. Firefighters and fire personnel evaluated the air quality and did not find any level of carbon monoxide or other hazardous gases in the building.
Sauk Prairie EMS examined 11 employees who were complaining of headaches. All of the employees were treated at the scene.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL FORCES CLOSURE OF SAUK AVENUE IN BARABOO
https://www.wiscnews.com/baraboonewsrepublic/news/local/chemical-spill-forces-closure-of-sauk-avenue-in-baraboo/article_fa601e75-2a2d-5748-b2fb-42cb70800c3c.html
Tags: us_WI, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
Baraboo firefighters and an ambulance crew responded at 1:46 p.m. Friday to a chemical spill in the 1200 block of Sauk Avenue.
Fire Chief Kevin Stieve said a 5-gallon drum of hydrochloric acid spilled but was contained in the semi trailer that was hauling it. Portage Fire Department‰??s hazardous materials team was called to mitigate and investigate.
The road was closed to traffic for more than two hours during the response and was reopened at 4:20 p.m. The area of Sauk Avenue affected includes several manufacturing companies.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED TO HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILL AT LLCC
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180817/fire-department-called-to-hazardous-material-spill-at-llcc
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, flammables, oxidizer
The Springfield Fire Department was called to Lincoln Land Community College Friday for a hazardous material spill.
Fire Chief Allen Reyne said the spill occurred inside a box truck that was delivering an oxidizer that is highly flammable in the open air.
‰??Ten Springfield Fire Department members are on scene. They donned hazmat suits and entered the truck where a chemical had spilled inside. ... Once the spill is mitigated, an environmental cleanup company will handle cleanup of the box truck,‰?? Reyne said in an e-mail to media outlets.
Initial reports indicated that there was one injury associated with the incident. However, no one was transported from the scene after being evaluated by the ambulance crew, the fire chief said.
---------------------------------------------
NEIGHBORS IN FRANKFORT WANT TO SEE FIRES AT AN ABANDONED RECYCLING FACILITY STOPPED
http://www.wlfi.com/content/news/Neighbors-in-Frankfort-want-to-see-fires-at-an-abandoned-recycling-facility-stopped-491141261.html
Tags: us_IN, industrial, fire, response, waste
Frankfort, IND. (WLFI) - A fire at an abandoned recycling plant in Frankfort is the second fire to happen in the past four years.
People of the town are ready to see these fires put to an end.
Frankfort Fire Department Chief John Kirby gave praise to his team of firefighters and the collaboration with police and the street department.
Even when they were alerted by a passerby that fire had reignited around 7:00 AM on Friday, they were able to contain it in under an hour.
While it is still unknown how the fire started, officials are very aware of the environmental impacts these fires have on health and the environment.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management was on the scene today, and the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to get involved as well.
---------------------------------------------
MACHINE OPERATOR INJURED IN EXPLOSION AT KAUAI RECYCLING YARD
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/38910601/machine-operator-injured-in-explosion-at-kauai-recycling-yard
Tags: us_HI, industrial, explosion, injury, waste
A heavy machine operator was seriously injured on Friday after an explosion at a recycling yard in Puhi, according to the Kauai Fire Department.
The victim, a 38-year-old man, sustained severe burns to his arms and torso and was transported to the Wilcox Memorial Hospital.
A fire department spokesperson says the blast was first reported at around 8:30 a.m. The victim, an employee at Puhi Metals, was operating an excavator when a metal box ruptured and exploded.
Authorities say the man jumped off the excavator to say and remained conscious during the ordeal. Other employees at the facility used dry chemical extinguishers to bring the fire under control.
---------------------------------------------
CSB RELEASES UPDATE OF DEADLY DRILLING RIG FIRE INVESTIGATION•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ
https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/CSB-releases-update-deadly-drilling/96/web/2018/08
Tags: us_OK, industrial, follow-up, death, natural_gas
natural gas well blowout and fire on Jan. 22 killed five workers at a Pryor Trust gas well located in Pittsburg County, Okla. The incident occurred while workers were attempting to remove a drilling pipe and replace a worn drill bit.
Pressure from adding drilling mud and weighted liquids were insufficient to offset and block explosive natural gas from exiting the 4,000 m well, the U.S. Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) said on Aug. 16 in a factual update of its ongoing investigation.
CSB notes that workers were unable to fully activate a blowout preventer and block the gas, oil, and mud as it exited the well. The accident occurred one week after drilling began and the fire burned for eight hours until crews were able to activate the preventer. The well was operated by Red Mountain Operating and the drilling was done by Patterson-UTI Drilling Company.
CSB released a video animation of the accident, but a report is likely to be a year away. CSB is increasing factual updates it releases, notes board spokesperson Hillary Cohen. ‰??We want to update stakeholders, the public, and industry, throughout the course of the investigation,‰?? she says.
---------------------------------------------
U.S. AGENCY STRUGGLING WITH ORGANOHALOGEN FLAME RETARDANTS IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ•ÈÀ
https://cen.acs.org/safety/consumer-safety/US-agency-struggling-organohalogen-flame/96/web/2018/08
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
From laptop computers to babies‰?? high chairs, hundreds of everyday household goods contain chemicals intentionally added to prevent or slow the items from igniting. These compounds can end up in a home‰??s dust and ingested by children and adults. Federal biomonitoring data show that most U.S. residents have measurable quantities of flame retardant metabolites in their blood. This finding raises red flags because many commonly used flame retardants are linked to health concerns including endocrine disruption, reproductive problems, cancer, and harmful developmental effects.
Flame retardant manufacturers phased down use of decabromodiphenyl ether because of health concerns and substituted decabromodiphenyl ethane, which has similar physical and chemical traits and potentially similar toxicity.
To protect consumers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is struggling with potentially banning an entire class of these substances: organohalogen flame retardants. CPSC, a federal agency with less than 600 employees, has never before considered regulating an entire category of chemicals. Meanwhile, flame retardant manufacturers and electronics makers are dead set against a ban affecting the dozens of organohalogens used in consumer products.
Now, CPSC is turning to the National Academies of Science (NAS). The agency wants help determining whether and how to implement a scientifically sound ban on products containing organohalogen flame retardants, a group of chemicals that includes brominated or chlorinated phosphate esters.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL ON EASTERN MI SLIDE THAT BURNED 2 KIDS IDENTIFIED
https://www.heraldcourier.com/news/chemical-on-eastern-mi-slide-that-burned-kids-identified/article_9187a39b-2e88-5ccc-946d-764276af5dab.html
Tags: us_MI, public, release, injury, sodium_hydroxide
LAPEER, Mich. (AP) ‰?? Police say a laboratory has identified the substance left on a slide at a municipal park in eastern Michigan that burned two children.
The Lapeer Police Department says the chemical was identified as sodium hydroxide, which is used in a variety of household cleaning products.
Police say a 1å1Ú2-year-old boy got the substance on his legs while going down the slide at Cramton Park in downtown Lapeer on Aug. 2, and a 14-year-old girl who went to help him also got some on her legs.
Police say both went to a local hospital, and the toddler was transferred to the burn unit at Hurley Medical Center in Flint.
---------------------------------------------
ACID SPILL CLEANED UP AT OXNARD GARBAGE FACILITY
https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2018/08/16/acid-spill-oxnard-recycling-center-hazmat-crews-respond/1010480002/
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, acids, waste
OXNARD - Fire crews contained an acid spill at an Oxnard garbage and recycling site Thursday morning that forced about 250 people from the facility, officials said.
The incident was reported just before 11 a.m. at the Del Norte Regional Recycling & Transfer Station at 111 South Del Norte Blvd., authorities said.
Oxnard and Ventura County fire crews responded to the incident. City officials who handle hazardous-material incidents also were called to investigate.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO AMMONIA LEAK AT MANHATTAN WATER TREATMENT PLANT
http://www.wibw.com/content/news/Hazmat-team-responds-to-ammonia-leak-at-Manhattan-water-treatment-plant-491057641.html
Tags: us_KS, industrial, release, response, ammonia, water_treatment
MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) ‰?? An ammonia leak sparked a hazmat response to Manhattan's water treatment plant Thursday morning.
City officials say workers doing a routine check of the facility just after 11 a.m. noticed a smell. They discovered a small leak in a 12-foot-deep pit where ammonia is injected with the water treatment process.
The Manhattan Fire Dept. was called to vent the area and dilute the ammonia.
City officials say they will complete repairs Friday. For now, they are using a backup line, so there is no disruption in service or effect on the water quality.
---------------------------------------------
NEIGHBORHOODS EVACUTATED DUE TO GAS LEAK IN SKIATOOK
https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/neighborhoods-evacutated-due-to-gas-leak-in-skiatook
Tags: us_OK, public, release, response, propane
SKIATOOK - Tulsa fire and Hazmat have been requested to assist Skiatook Fire Dept. on propane gas leak.
Officials said they are heading to 4793 West Rogers Boulevard to assist on a propane gas leak.
Skiatook Fire says possibly two neighborhoods have been evacuated.
---------------------------------------------
BLAST REPORTEDLY OCCURS AT RIO DE JANEIRO UNIVERSITY
https://sputniknews.com/latam/201808151067217239-blast-brazil-university/
Tags: Brazil, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
An explosion has hit a laboratory at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) around 10:30 local time, globo.com website reported Wednesday.
According to the officials, three people ‰?? two students and one teacher have been injured in the incident. The blast occurred on the second floor of the Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering (Coppe), which is the largest engineering research and learning center in Latin America.
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LETTERKENNY COMMANDER: UNSPECIFIED CHEMICAL SPARKED EXPLOSION, FIRE THAT KILLED TWO
https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/instant/letterkenny-commander-unspecified-chemical-sparked-explosion-fire-that-killed-two/article_ab2e737c-a1a5-11e8-8193-3b3ef944efa0.html
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. ‰?? An explosion and fire at Letterkenny Army Depot on July 19 came from an accident with a chemical in the paint shop of Building 350, depot Commander Col. Stephen Ledbetter said Thursday.
The chemical was being used in normal processes, Ledbetter said, declining to name the chemical.
Two employees died from their injuries from the 7:20 a.m. industrial accident. Another man continues to be treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
"We're certainly prayerful for his full recovery," Ledbetter said.
The depot has taken initial corrective action, including additional training and signs, he said. More steps are in the works to minimize the risks associated with chemical use.
Building 350 is an industrial-style, 320,000-square-foot building used for maintenance and upgrades on military vehicles.
The building itself did not sustain structural damage in the accident, Ledbetter said.
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REGULATORS PROPOSE TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE LEGAL LIMIT FOR CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS IN ARTIFICIAL SPORTS PITCHES
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/08/16/regulators-propose-drastically-reduce-legal-limit-cancer-causing/
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
ancer-causing chemicals in artificial grass pitches could be slashed to almost than one sixtieth of current levels under plans drawn up by regulators.
Europe‰??s leading authority on chemical safety, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), announced on Thursday that it had prepared a proposal in co-operation with the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) that would drastically reduce the legal limit for carcinogenic substances in the infill used in so-called ‰??third generation‰?? (3G) surfaces.
The announcement was made just over two months after a Daily Telegraph investigation revealed the UK Government and country‰??s sports authorities had failed to properly warn millions of footballers and rugby players - including children - to limit their exposure to 3G pitches coated in granules made from used car tyres.
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