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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, April 29, 2019 at 7:57:07 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 (13 articles)
ALL CLEAR GIVEN AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT PINE HILL DAIRY
Tags: Barbados, industrial, release, response, ammonia
GASOLINE SPILLS FROM TANKER AT MIRABITO, STAFF CONTAINS IT
Tags: us_NY, transportation, release, response, gasoline
CHEMICAL BURNS AND TOXIC SLUDGE: WORKERS EXPOSE SHOCKING CONDITIONS INSIDE THE MELBOURNE FACTORY THAT BLEW UP
Tags: Australia, industrial, follow-up, environmental, illegal, waste
US CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD URGES REVIEW OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID REGULATIONS
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrofluoric_acid
BLUE RIVER NEAR BRECKENRIDGE TURNS ORANGE; WATER NOT CONSIDERED DANGEROUS TO HEALTH
Tags: us_CO, public, discovery, response, runoff
ELEVATED FLARING CEASES AT MOSSMORRAN CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
CORNERSTONE CHEMICAL, COMPANY INVOLVED IN CYANIDE PLANT LAWSUIT, HAS HISTORY OF INFRACTIONS
Tags: us_LA, industrial, discovery, environmental, cyanide
FIRST RESPONDERS SAY REFINERY FIRE RESPONSE A SUCCESS, REFLECT ON LESSONS LEARNED
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, environmental
FIRST RESPONDERS: HUSKY REFINERY ONE OF TOP FIVE CALLS WE NEVER WANT TO HEAR
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, environmental
ONE MAN DEAD, ANOTHER CRITICAL AFTER INHALING TOXIC GAS
Tags: Malaysia, public, release, death, unknown_chemical
NTSB INVESTIGATING AMMONIA LEAK THAT CAUSED DOZENS TO BE HOSPITALIZED
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, injury, ammonia
RECENT CHEMICAL FIRES EXPOSED GAPS IN HARRIS COUNTY POLLUTION ENFORCEMENT
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental
INVESTIGATION FINDS WISCONSIN FARM INVOLVED IN CHEMICAL LEAK THAT SENT 37 TO HOSPITAL NEAR CHICAGO
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, ag_chems, ammonia
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ALL CLEAR GIVEN AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT PINE HILL DAIRY
http://www.loopnewsbarbados.com/content/all-clear-given-after-chemical-spill-pine-hill-dairy
Tags: Barbados, industrial, release, response, ammonia
Apart from one of two members of the Royal Barbados Police Force, who were on Traffic control duties along the Pine East-West Road yesterday, there were no reports of members of the public being affected by last evening‰??s chemical spill at the Pine Hill Dairy.
Acting Assistant Superintendent with the Royal Barbados Police Force, Trevor Blackman in a statement, said an alarm was raised about Ammonium, which is used in the food processing process, leaking at the St Michael plant and staff there, were forced to evacuate.
It also prompted the emergency services ‰?? the Barbados Fire Service, the Police and members of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) ‰?? to put residents living downwind of the plant on alert as to what was happening and prompted the closure of the road and other tributaries in front of the Dairy.
ASP Blackman said the all clear was given around 9:30 p.m., after the ‰??situation was brought under control about 8:55 p.m., where the area that would have been affected at the Pine Hill Dairy was accessed and the valves shut off‰??.
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GASOLINE SPILLS FROM TANKER AT MIRABITO, STAFF CONTAINS IT
https://www.allotsego.com/gasoline-spills-from-tanker-at-mirabito-staff-contains-it/
Tags: us_NY, transportation, release, response, gasoline
COOPERSTOWN ‰?? County Hazmat teams, the DEC and Cooperstown Fire Department were called to Cooperstown‰??s Mirabito station at Chestnut and West Broad at 11:10 a.m. yesterday after a tanker overfilled the gas well, causing a large spill.
According to Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh, employees the gas station quickly contained the spill using bumpers, and the gasoline did not get into storm or wastewater drains.
‰??There was no need for an evacuation,‰?? she said. ‰??It was handled by the business, who was responsible for calling it in.‰??
Following the call, the Cooperstown Fire Department responded, and the DEC and the county Hazmat team was called in to assist with containment and cleanup.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL BURNS AND TOXIC SLUDGE: WORKERS EXPOSE SHOCKING CONDITIONS INSIDE THE MELBOURNE FACTORY THAT BLEW UP
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-29/workers-expose-shocking-conditions-inside-melbourne-factory/11048346
Tags: Australia, industrial, follow-up, environmental, illegal, waste
Long before Melbourne's northern suburbs were choked with acrid smoke from a mammoth factory fire earlier this month, workers inside were finishing their shifts covered in toxic sludge and struggling to breathe.
Key points:
Workers have lifted the lid on conditions inside the Melbourne factory that was engulfed in a mammoth blaze in April
Some employees said they suffered physical and respiratory problems as a result of being exposed to chemicals
Workers say the company was advised about EPA inspections ahead of time and hid problems from the regulator
It's now known the factory was home to a vast illegal chemical waste dump ‰?? one internal EPA documents allege was linked to a criminal network responsible for more than a dozen similar illicit waste dumps around Melbourne.
But multiple employees at the Campbellfield company describe a warehouse in the lead-up to the fire where chemical drums were not correctly stored and where workers wearing inadequate safety equipment were frequently covered in chemicals that caused physical and respiratory problems.
"I had burns all over my body due to handling some chemicals. They did not tell me what chemicals they were," said one worker, Muththukirishnan Karththikeyan.
"Sometimes, it burns. If I tell them that I got burns from the chemicals, they would say 'that's how it is. It'll just be like that for a short period of time,' and then they would just apply a cream."
---------------------------------------------
US CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD URGES REVIEW OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID REGULATIONS
https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/US-Chemical-Safety-Board-urges/97/i17
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrofluoric_acid
The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has called on the US Environmental Protection Agency to review its regulation of hydrofluoric acid. One-third of the nation‰??s 150 petrochemical refineries use HF to produce high-octane gasoline. The CSB‰??s April 24 statement urges the EPA to reexamine and update a 1993 study to determine the effectiveness of existing risk management program requirements as well as the viability of using inherently safer alkylation technologies in refineries. ‰??In the last 4 years, the CSB has investigated two refinery incidents where an explosion elevated the threat of a release of HF,‰?? CSB interim executive Kristen Kulinowski says. ‰??Refinery workers and surrounding community residents are rightly concerned about the adequacy of risk management for the use of hazardous chemicals like HF.‰?? HF is a highly toxic chemical that can seriously injure or cause death at concentrations as low as 30 ppm, the CSB says. The CSB‰??s recommend!
ation follows its accident investigations at an ExxonMobil refinery in California and a Husky Energy refinery in Wisconsin. After the California accident, the South Coast Air Quality Management District began examining HF regulations and alternatives. That effort is ongoing, a South Coast AQMD spokesperson says. EPA officials say it is reviewing the CSB‰??s request.
---------------------------------------------
BLUE RIVER NEAR BRECKENRIDGE TURNS ORANGE; WATER NOT CONSIDERED DANGEROUS TO HEALTH
https://www.aspentimes.com/news/blue-river-near-breckenridge-turns-orange-officials-investigating-river-is-source-of-drinking-water-for-front-range/
Tags: us_CO, public, discovery, response, runoff
Officials are investigating Saturday after the Blue River in Breckenridge has been running orange in color through the day. The source is likely an abandoned mine upriver from the town.
The water turned from its natural blue-green hue to a bright, burnt orange in the early afternoon Saturday.
The source of the orange water appears to be an abandoned mine near the intersection of Boreas Pass Road and Bright Hope Circle.
Red, White and Blue Fire District said first responders were dispatched about discolored water at 3:15 p.m., according to a news release. Multiple fire companies and a specialty HAZMAT unit responded.
The fire district determined that the source of the orange water is a known release point on Boreas Pass Road. Initial testing done by fire district personnel found the water to not be an immediate or obvious danger to human health. The fire district also said there is no immediate corrective action possible from first responders. Typically, this kind of orange mine runoff lasts about 24 hours.
---------------------------------------------
ELEVATED FLARING CEASES AT MOSSMORRAN CHEMICAL PLANT
https://stv.tv/news/east-central/1437358-elevated-flaring-ceases-at-mossmorran-chemical-plant/
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
Elevated flaring at a chemical plant that provoked hundreds of complaints has stopped after six days, Scotland's environment watchdog has said.
Sepa said it had been advised by operators of the facility at Mossmorran in Fife that elevated flaring had ceased but ground flaring would continue for a "short period".
A formal investigation was launched on Thursday into the unplanned flaring following an unprecedented number of complaints from members of the public.
More than 750 reports have been received since Easter Sunday, with people citing a chemical smell and a loud rumbling noise.
The incident comes after ExxonMobil Chemical Ltd was served with final warning letters last year regarding flaring, which was found to be "preventable and unacceptable".
---------------------------------------------
CORNERSTONE CHEMICAL, COMPANY INVOLVED IN CYANIDE PLANT LAWSUIT, HAS HISTORY OF INFRACTIONS
https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/environment/article_95506e8c-608d-11e9-905b-53b1347e81b9.html
Tags: us_LA, industrial, discovery, environmental, cyanide
The Cornerstone Chemical Co. plant on River Road in Waggaman has produced cyanide on the site for more than half a century.
But until the plant‰??s owners quietly received approval for a $100 million expansion from the Jefferson Parish Council last year ‰?? an approval that was recently rescinded, sparking a legal battle ‰?? few residents knew the toxic chemical was being produced there.
Fewer still are likely aware that in the past several years, the plant, known as the Fortier Manufacturing Complex, has been found responsible for two accidents involving the chemical, and has also been found on multiple occasions to have violated federal laws aimed at protecting communities from pollution.
An examination of reports from state and federal agencies, as well as other documents, shows a history of fines and regulatory actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality against the plant stretching back decades, with several actions occurring since Cornerstone Chemical took ownership in 2011.
---------------------------------------------
FIRST RESPONDERS SAY REFINERY FIRE RESPONSE A SUCCESS, REFLECT ON LESSONS LEARNED
https://www.superiortelegram.com/business/energy-and-mining/4605159-first-responders-say-refinery-fire-response-success-reflect
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, environmental
As black smoke billowed for miles from the asphalt fire at the Husky Energy refinery in Superior last year, forcing thousands to evacuate, Scott Gordon, a battalion chief for the Superior Fire Department, offered a firm warning during an afternoon news conference: the fire could burn for days.
Hours later at the 7 p.m. news conference, only light smoke rose from the refinery. Gordon declared the fire out.
Extinguishing the April 26, 2018 refinery fire within hours of ignition wouldn't have been possible without prior training and cooperation between the Superior Fire Department, Husky Emergency Response Team and all other responding agencies, Superior Fire Chief Steven Panger said.
"They really need to train together to be able to do that. That's not just something you kind of throw people together for," Panger said. "That fire could have been burning for a couple of days, and to go in there and find an opening to make an offensive attack on that fire and be able to put that out ‰?? that was pretty amazing."
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, the federal agency investigating the refinery explosion and fire, highlighted the firefighting response in an October emergency response safety message and held it up as an example of a proper response to an industrial blaze.
---------------------------------------------
FIRST RESPONDERS: HUSKY REFINERY ONE OF TOP FIVE CALLS WE NEVER WANT TO HEAR
https://cbs3duluth.com/news/twin-ports/2019/04/26/first-responders-husky-refinery-one-of-top-five-calls-we-never-want-to-hear/
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, environmental
SUPERIOR, WI ‰?? Those on the front lines of the Husky Energy refinery fire and explosion say it‰??s an experience they‰??ll never forget.
Superior Fire and Police, along with Husky‰??s Emergency response team, were on the front lines, and say preparing, planning and practicing played key roles in the quick response from hundreds of emergency personnel.
For Superior first responders, it was a call like no other.
‰??I think everyone remembers where they were that day,‰?? said Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger.
‰??The initial report we got was that there had been an explosion,‰?? said Superior Police Assistant Chief Matt Markon.
Fire and police crews in Superior didn‰??t hesitate to jump into action after hearing the Husky refinery was up in flames.
‰??Certainly in our top five calls we never want to hear, just because of the magnitude of it,‰?? said Fire Batallion Chief Scott Gordon.
‰??Maybe it‰??s just a first responder mentality that the explosion happens and we go ‰??Oh, we‰??re going to have to deal with that somehow,‰?? said Markon.
---------------------------------------------
ONE MAN DEAD, ANOTHER CRITICAL AFTER INHALING TOXIC GAS
https://www.thesundaily.my/local/one-man-dead-another-critical-after-inhaling-toxic-gas-YL827504
Tags: Malaysia, public, release, death, unknown_chemical
KOTA KINABALU: A man died while another is in critical condition after inhaling toxic gas from a barrel used to store fish in Jalan Lubuk Poring, Sepanggar near her today.
In the incident, which occurred at about 12pm, Hasril La Ridi, 42, was confirmed dead by medical officers while Eni, 31, was in critical condition after the two Indonesians were reported to have inhaled the toxic fumes when they opened the lid on the barrel.
According to the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department Operation Centre, Hasril‰??s body was handed over to the police for further action while Eni was sent to hospital for treatment.
The Fire and Rescue Department received an emergency call from the Likas Hospital at 12.03pm and a Hazardous Materials Unit (Hazmat) from the Kota Kinabalu Fire and Rescue Station was dispatched to the scene in three vehicles.
‰??The Hazmat team carried out an operation to identify the toxic gas. Although the team concluded that there was no sign of ammonia gas, it could not identify the gas that was emitted from the fish barrel,‰?? the statement said, adding that it called off the operation at 2.30pm.
---------------------------------------------
NTSB INVESTIGATING AMMONIA LEAK THAT CAUSED DOZENS TO BE HOSPITALIZED
https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/ntsb-investigating-ammonia-leak-that-caused-dozens-to-be-hospitalized/article_d2007403-7c95-5e90-a7f0-fd49dac787a0.html
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, injury, ammonia
An anhydrous ammonia leak in Beach Park, Ill., that sent dozens to the hospital and left seven people in critical condition is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board
‰??The NTSB is going to be taking a very close look at the equipment used to transport the anhydrous ammonia,‰?? said Sgt. Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff‰??s Department, which is also investigating the incident.
At a press conference Friday a spokesman for the NTSB said the agency was taking possession of the twin 1,000-gallon tanks containing the chemical and the tractor used the haul them.
NTSB lead investigator Timothy DePaepe said the tanks and tractor would be sent to the manufacturer's facility in Illinois where parts would be taken as evidence and for further examination.
"We will also be interviewing all of the injured individuals and as many of the fire and police responders as we can," DePaepe said. "The EPA is out on site. They're testing to make sure the area is safe."
Covelli said that equipment was owned by a Pleasant Prairie-based farmer, the tractor being operated by a 59-year-old farm employee from Sturtevant. The tanks were being hauled from a field in Pleasant Prairie to a field in Beach Park when the leak occurred.
He said the identity of the equipment owner and the employee are not being released at this time because they have not been criminally charged.
As the investigation continued, seven people remained hospitalized after exposure.
---------------------------------------------
RECENT CHEMICAL FIRES EXPOSED GAPS IN HARRIS COUNTY POLLUTION ENFORCEMENT
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Recent-chemical-fires-exposed-gaps-in-Harris-13799329.php
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental
Almost two months before a massive chemical fire erupted in Deer Park, sending a dark plume of smoke over much of Harris County, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia asked the head of the county‰??s Pollution Control Services Department what additional resources he needed.
County officials were nearing the end of a third day of annual budget hearings and Garcia was concerned the department lacked the manpower and equipment to properly monitor air quality in his eastern precinct, let alone the entire county.
So, he asked Director Bob Allen for a wish list.
‰??Nobody‰??s ever asked me that before,‰?? Allen replied at the Jan. 11 hearing in the Commissioners Court chambers. He said the department could use additional air monitors ‰?? especially mobile ones ‰?? and noted Pollution Control had fewer employees than in the 1990s.
---------------------------------------------
INVESTIGATION FINDS WISCONSIN FARM INVOLVED IN CHEMICAL LEAK THAT SENT 37 TO HOSPITAL NEAR CHICAGO
https://www.cbs58.com/news/investigation-finds-wisconsin-farm-involved-in-chemical-leak-that-sent-37-to-hospital-near-chicago
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, ag_chems, ammonia
Beach Park Illinois residents like Lyle Caldara are contacting lawyers Friday, after a chemical leak surrounded the area Thursday
‰??To look out my windows it was nothing but pure fog," Caldara said of the leak. "The fog was so thick. Even in your own mind you would never even walked out in it.‰??
Caldara‰??s life is in limbo. His trees are black, his plants are dead and white, and he‰??s worried mowing his grass will spew chemicals in the air.
But he says. he‰??s lucky he wasn‰??t one of the 37 hospitalized.
‰??As of this afternoon there are seven people who remain in intensive care at vista east hospital," Lake County Sheriff spokesperson Sgt. Chris Covelli said. "We‰??re hoping that they do have a full and complete recovery.‰??
Federal officials confirmed the Thursday leak came from John Kevek farms in Pleasant Prarie.
The chemical was anhydrous ammonia, which is used as a fertilizer, but is also toxic and corrosive. The owner of the farm said he would not comment.
Neighbors say someone needs to pay for the damage.
‰??Consider road salt on your car." Caldara said. "It eats your car eventually. What is it going to do in the long run on my gutters or my steel building.‰??
While the EPA monitors the air, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what went wrong in the truck.
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