Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, June 21, 2019 at 5:58:19 AM
A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
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Table of Contents (20 articles)
AN ‰??EXTRAORDINARILY SEVERE‰?? EMERGENCY: THE RADIOACTIVE LEAK AT HARBORVIEW
Tags: us_WA, industrial, release, injury, radiation
HOW AN ACCIDENT LED TO A START-UP‰??S ‰??SIMPLE AND CLASSY‰?? CLOTHING LINE FOR WOMEN IN LABS
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, follow-up, injury, methanol
CHEMICAL SMELL SICKENS WORKERS IN MONSEY
Tags: us_NY, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR TESTIFIES NEAR-DEADLY FIREBALL AT MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL WAS RESULT OF POOR SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
3 SICKENED EMPLOYEES PROMPT EVACUATION OF MONSEY OFFICE BUILDING
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, response, oils
FIRE SHUTS DOWN PAINT RECYCLING SHOP IN EDDY
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response
HOUSTON SKIES MAY DARKEN AGAIN AS DISASTER-SITE TEARDOWN BEGINS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, xylene
TRAIN CARRYING EXPLOSIVES, MILITARY WEAPONS DERAILS NEAR NEVADA INTERSTATE
Tags: us_NV, transportation, release, response, explosives, sodium_nitrate
FORMER STUDENT BURNED IN CLASS EXPERIMENT RECOUNTS HORROR
Tags: us_NY, education, follow-up, response, methanol
HERE‰??S EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE CHEMICAL THAT HAS LEAKED INTO THE FARMINGTON RIVER AND ITS POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS
Tags: us_CT, public, release, environmental, unknown_chemical, other_chemical
56 PEOPLE TREATED AFTER RAIL CAR SPILLS SULFUR DIOXIDE IN SALT LAKE CITY
Tags: us_UT, transportation, release, injury, sulfur_dioxide
INJURED TYSON WORKERS IMPROVING AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL; OSHA INVESTIGATION OPENED
Tags: us_AR, industrial, follow-up, injury, cleaners
ONE IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER HAZMAT RELEASE AT TYSON PLANT
Tags: us_ar, industrial, release, injury, cleaners
DUBOIS FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO HAZMAT INCIDENT AT LOCAL BUSINESS
Tags: us_pa, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
GAS SPILL IN FOREST LEADS TO 25 GALLONS OF GASOLINE LEAKED INTO STREET
Tags: us_va, public, release, response, gasoline
CHEMISTRY BUILDING AT UNIVERSITY OF UTAH EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_ut, laboratory, release, response, other_chemical
MORE THAN 60 FARM WORKERS EXPOSED TO A CHEMICAL BEING SPRAYED IN TULARE COUNTY
Tags: us_ca, industrial, release, injury, ag_chems
EVEN A WATER BOTTLE CAN CAUSE A FIRE INSIDE A CAR ON A HOT TEXAS DAY
Tags: us_tx, public, discovery, environmental, plastics
PAUL TILCOCK'S FUMES DEATH 'SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED'
Tags: uk, industrial, death, followup, other_chemical
MAINE BILL ON PFASS, PHTHALATES IN FOOD PACKAGING BECOMES LAW
Tags: us_me, public, discovery, other_chemical, env
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AN ‰??EXTRAORDINARILY SEVERE‰?? EMERGENCY: THE RADIOACTIVE LEAK AT HARBORVIEW
https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2019/06/an-extraordinarily-severe-emergency-the-radioactive-leak-at-harborview/
Tags: us_WA, industrial, release, injury, radiation
A small platform crane hoists two men up near the roof gutter of a flat, one-floor building on the Harborview campus on First Hill. Slowly, one of the men moves a thick, round bar roughly six inches along the gutter with his right hand, stops, and then looks at the radiation survey meter in his left. Then he moves the bar another six inches. And another.
If there is any radiation left from the leak of radioactive material that left 13 people exposed during the decommissioning of an irradiator device in the middle of Seattle on May 2nd, these men will find it and wipe it down.
The concrete L-shaped loading dock and parking lot, wedged between the UW Medicine Harborview Medical Center Research and Training Building and a small administrative building near Terry Ave and Terrace, is already polka-dotted with white paint marks, designating areas where potential traces of Cesium-137 were found.
While being checked for radioactive residue, the R&T building is still on lockdown. State Patrol troopers guard the fenced-off entrances to make sure no one can go in and out. From behind the chain-link, there is not much to see ‰?? no Chernobyl-like scenes here ‰?? except for a sidewalk-wide stripe of white paint near the loading dock doors and a white plastic box covering the ventilation system. The parking lot exudes a ghostly calm.
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HOW AN ACCIDENT LED TO A START-UP‰??S ‰??SIMPLE AND CLASSY‰?? CLOTHING LINE FOR WOMEN IN LABS
http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/associated_press/business/how-an-accident-led-to-a-start-up-s-simple/article_5c00e94d-2760-5df2-9b9d-9635a6cf24d8.html
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, follow-up, injury, methanol
PHILADELPHIA ‰?? Beau Wangtrakuldee‰??s physical scarring from the chemical burn is long gone. But her memories of the terrifying and painful accident 11 years ago in a laboratory at Northern Illinois University in Chicago remain vivid.
She was in the fourth year of a doctoral program in chemistry. It was around 8 on a Friday night and Wangtrakuldee was alone, conducting an organic synthesis ‰?? combining chemicals such as ketones, aldehydes, and isocyanide with a carboxylic acid ‰?? for an anticancer drug. As she poured the mixture into another container, Wangtrakuldee spilled a large amount onto her lab coat, which soaked through to her jeans and onto her legs, the methanol in the concoction causing it to absorb into her skin quickly.
With no one else around, she quickly stripped off her clothing, but not before she sustained what felt like a bad sunburn for a week.
‰??I was really lucky because it could have been so much worse,‰?? Wangtrakuldee said in a recent interview.
That realization is why the now resident of Philadelphia and consultant to biotech companies is pivoting from chemist to clothing entrepreneur to do two primary things for women working in STEM: Protect them from injury and enable them to wear something more fashionable than a lab coat.
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CHEMICAL SMELL SICKENS WORKERS IN MONSEY
https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/ramapo/police-fire/chemical-smell-sickens-workers-in-monsey/770541/
Tags: us_NY, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
Workers at a Monsey business were treated for dizziness and other ailments after being exposed to a chemical smell that turned out not to be a hazardous material.
Spring Valley police responded to the area of 6 Melnick Drive, in Monsey, around 12:40 p.m., on Wednesday, June 19, for a possible hazardous materials situation, said Spring Valley Officer Matthew Galli.
A preliminary investigation found that workers in the building were experiencing itchy throats, and dizziness from an unknown liquid coming from the suite above theirs, Galli said.
The building was evacuated and the Spring Hill EMS responded to treat the parties feeling ill, as did the Spring Valley Fire Department, and the Rockland County Hazmat Team.
Due to the Hazmat team‰??s investigation, the liquid ultimately was found not to be a hazardous material.
The building as well as the roadway re-opened a short time after.
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CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR TESTIFIES NEAR-DEADLY FIREBALL AT MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL WAS RESULT OF POOR SAFETY PROTOCOLS
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-chemistry-fireball-trial-20190621-nxjaqlzsurfphfwlpqu7ogmcei-story.html
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
A chemistry professor testified that a near-deadly classroom fireball at a prestigious Manhattan high school was the result of shoddy safety measures and egregious violations of best practices.
‰??It should not have been done,‰?? said expert witness Samuella Sigmann during a civil trial in Manhattan Supreme Court over the botched ‰??rainbow experiment‰?? demonstration that permanently disfigured student Alonzo Yanes.
The Beacon High teacher conducting the demonstration, Anna Poole, failed to brief students on what was about to happen and what to do if there was an accident, said Sigmann, a chemistry professor at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.
Poole also did not know where the fire extinguisher was located or how to use it, according to testimony. The classroom only had one exit and lacked a ‰??fume hood‰?? to help with ventilation.
‰??They did not have the proper equipment to do it,‰?? Sigmann said of the demonstration that creates multi-colored flames.
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3 SICKENED EMPLOYEES PROMPT EVACUATION OF MONSEY OFFICE BUILDING
http://westchester.news12.com/story/40681511/3-sickened-employees-prompt-evacuation-of-monsey-office-building
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, response, oils
NSEY -
A large office building in Rockland County was temporarily evacuated Wednesday after employees complained they felt sick.
Dozens of people who work inside the building at 6 Melnick Drive in Monsey were forced to leave after three employees said they felt lightheaded and had itchy throats after being exposed to a chemical spill.
The owner of the store where the spill originated - an essential oils shop called Aroma King - told News 12 the chemical was a food-based alcohol. A hazmat team investigated, and determined the liquid not to be a hazardous material. The building and the roadway reopened a short time after the investigation.
All three employees were treated by paramedics on scene and released.
The building also houses a medical clinic, commercial restaurant equipment store and other businesses.
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FIRE SHUTS DOWN PAINT RECYCLING SHOP IN EDDY
https://www.centexproud.com/news/local/fire-shuts-down-paint-recycling-shop-in-eddy/2086889644
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response
Hazmat crews are cleaning up after a fire ignited at a paint recycling shop in Eddy Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters were called out to Southern Enterprises of Envirocare around 4:30pm. After arriving, they evacuated the area and shut down roads leading to the shop.
After putting the fire out and the smoke cleared, firefighters allowed people to return home.
So far there is no word of injuries.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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HOUSTON SKIES MAY DARKEN AGAIN AS DISASTER-SITE TEARDOWN BEGINS
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-19/houston-skies-may-darken-again-as-disaster-site-teardown-begins
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, xylene
The company behind the four-day chemical blaze that cast a black plume over Houston earlier this year is preparing to destroy one of the tanks at the facility, raising the risk that the site could see ‰??flash‰?? fires.
Intercontinental Terminals Co. will deconstruct a xylene tank on Wednesday, according to an alert from a community hotline. That could result in ‰??small, short duration flash fires and increased emissions‰?? at the terminal, the alert said. The company said it has a firefighting team on site and has deployed air monitors.
ITC said in March tanks that escaped the flames might have to be demolished anyway because they were compromised by searing temperatures.‰??With the amount of heat that was exposed to those tanks, we‰??ll have to take all of those most likely out of service, might have to inspect them, potentially have to demolish them and probably start over,‰?? David Wascome, ITC‰??s senior vice president of operations, told reporters at the time.
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TRAIN CARRYING EXPLOSIVES, MILITARY WEAPONS DERAILS NEAR NEVADA INTERSTATE
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/train-carrying-explosives-detrails_n_5d0a8429e4b06ad4d25a6cab
Tags: us_NV, transportation, release, response, explosives, sodium_nitrate
A cargo train carrying military weapons and hazardous material derailed in northeast Nevada on Wednesday morning, prompting a highway closure as emergency workers rushed to contain the site, authorities said.
The 22-car train flew off the rails around 11:20 a.m. Pacific Time, leaving several cars in a crumpled heap along the tracks near the city of Wells. Nearby Interstate 80 shut down in both directions for nearly an hour.
‰??There were some small arms munitions and explosives on the train,‰?? Lt. Kevin McKinney with the Elko County Sheriff‰??s Office told HuffPost.
An earlier broadcast by Elko County Public Safety specified some of the cargo as sodium nitrate, hand grenades, bombs and fuel.
All of the potentially lethal cargo was stored in the back of the train and not impacted by the derailment, ‰??so we‰??re fortunate there,‰?? McKinney said.
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FORMER STUDENT BURNED IN CLASS EXPERIMENT RECOUNTS HORROR
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/former-student-burned-in-class-experiment-recounts-horror/2019/06/19/fc6b6230-92b4-11e9-956a-88c291ab5c38_story.html
Tags: us_NY, education, follow-up, response, methanol
NEW YORK ‰?? A former high school student severely burned when a chemistry class experiment went horrifically wrong testified at a civil trial that he remembered feeling the fire eat away at his skin.
Alonzo Yanes, now 21, took the stand Tuesday in his family‰??s civil case against New York City and his former teacher regarding the January 2014 experiment at Beacon High School, the New York Post reports .
The lawsuit says the experiment, which involved mineral salts being set on fire and used methanol, was performed despite warnings sent to the city‰??s education department from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board that it was dangerous. The suit says the students were not adequately protected.
A lawyer for the defense told jurors in opening statements that the fire was an accident.
Yanes testified that when a giant fireball flared, he put his arms out in an instinctive attempt to protect himself from the flames coming in his direction.
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HERE‰??S EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE CHEMICAL THAT HAS LEAKED INTO THE FARMINGTON RIVER AND ITS POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS
https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-clb-what-are-pfas-20190619-yzyolb4rsfcwfo43dttcegnk3i-story.html
Tags: us_CT, public, release, environmental, unknown_chemical, other_chemical
This month‰??s spill of potentially hazardous firefighting foam into the Farmington River has left Connecticut residents wondering about a hazardous chemical contained in the substance.
Firefighting foam spill in Farmington River has Connecticut residents concerned, worried about future contamination åÈ
But what exactly are PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances? What potential risks do they pose? Here‰??s everything you need to know.
What are PFAS?
PFAS are several man-made chemicals. They don‰??t break down in the human body and can accumulate over time, leading to health issues. PFAS have been nicknamed ‰??forever chemicals‰?? because they persist in the environment and are very difficult to remove.
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56 PEOPLE TREATED AFTER RAIL CAR SPILLS SULFUR DIOXIDE IN SALT LAKE CITY
https://www.ksl.com/article/46577276/56-people-treated-after-rail-car-spills-sulfur-dioxide-in-salt-lake-city
Tags: us_UT, transportation, release, injury, sulfur_dioxide
SALT LAKE CITY ‰?? Two people were transported to a hospital, and more than 50 others were treated for symptoms after a rail car spilled at least 300 gallons of sulfur dioxide in Salt Lake City Wednesday morning, authorities report.
Fire officials responded to Thatcher Chemicals at 1905 Fortune Road around 8:40 a.m. after receiving calls from "multiple people" in the area who were complaining of an odd smell and beginning to feel "symptoms," Salt Lake City Fire Division Chief Ryan Mellor said.
Emergency responders eventually traced the smell to a rail car with a hose that had collided with another rail car, knocking the hose off and spilling 300 to 400 pounds of the chemical. Officials first believed it to be about 1,000 gallons.
A total of 56 people were treated for symptoms caused by the spill, but officials did not know their condition. Two people were transported to a hospital "due to exposure."
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INJURED TYSON WORKERS IMPROVING AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL; OSHA INVESTIGATION OPENED
https://5newsonline.com/2019/06/19/hospital-workers-injured-in-tyson-chemical-spill-showing-improvements/
Tags: us_AR, industrial, follow-up, injury, cleaners
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KFSM) -- Tyson officials still haven't said what chemical injured five employees Tuesday (June 19) at its Berry Street plant, but a hospital spokeswoman said the workers' conditions have improved.
Springdale firefighters were called about 8:30 a.m. to the plant at 600 Berry St., where employees were complaining of breathing problems and skin burns after a cleaning agent spilled.
One person has been discharged Wednesday (June 19) and three others were listed in good condition, according to Beth Wright, spokeswoman for Northwest Medical Center-Springdale.
Another worker was listed in serious condition, but due to privacy laws, Wright couldn't confirm if this was the same person listed Tuesday in critical condition.
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ONE IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER HAZMAT RELEASE AT TYSON PLANT
https://www.4029tv.com/article/multiple-people-sent-to-hospital-after-hazmat-release-at-tyson-plant/28083184
Tags: us_ar, industrial, release, injury, cleaners
SPRINGDALE, Ark. ‰??
Five people were sent to the hospital after a chemical release at the Tyson Plant on Berry Street in Springdale, according to Matt Bagley with the Springdale Fire Department and Derek Burleson with Tyson Foods.
As of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, one patient was in critical condition, another in serious condition and three in fair condition, according to a statement from Northwest Medical Center in Springdale.
The fire department wasn't yet sure what the chemical was as of 9 a.m., Bagley said. It was some type of cleaning agent. The chemical was not ammonia.
The runoff had been contained by 9 a.m.
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DUBOIS FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO HAZMAT INCIDENT AT LOCAL BUSINESS
http://www.thecourierexpress.com/news/dubois-firefighters-respond-to-hazmat-incident-at-local-business/article_7eddaaff-daa6-5afc-b68c-8dab2f12548d.html
Tags: us_pa, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
All five fire companies of the DuBois Volunteer Fire Department responded to a hazmat incident at 11:51 a.m. Monday at Gasbarre Products Inc., at 590 Division St., DuBois, according to fire Chief Joe Mitchell.
A byproduct of Gasbarre‰??s manufacturing process was discharging gas, said Mitchell.
‰??We just evacuated and ventilated the immediate area until it was deemed best,‰?? said Mitchell.
Traffic on surrounding streets was detoured for a short time. DuSAN Ambulance also responded to the scene.
No injuries were reported. Firefighters were at the scene for approximately an hour.
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GAS SPILL IN FOREST LEADS TO 25 GALLONS OF GASOLINE LEAKED INTO STREET
https://wset.com/news/local/gas-spill-in-forest
Tags: us_va, public, release, response, gasoline
FOREST, Va. (WSET) -- A gas delivery truck's valve became compromised and pumped 25 gallons of gasoline into the street at the Kroger gas station in Forest today around 7:20 PM.
105945710_v_608840545881297_100_hq (1)
A gas delivery truck was delivering gas to a gas station when the valve became compromised leading gasoline into the street.
During the offloading process, the gas became pressurized pumping out 25 gallons of gasoline.
Due to the rain, the gasoline washed into a storm drain that then collected in a retention pond behind the shopping center.
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CHEMISTRY BUILDING AT UNIVERSITY OF UTAH EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
https://www.abc4.com/news/top-stories/possible-hazmat-spill-near-chemistry-building-at-university-of-utah/
Tags: us_ut, laboratory, release, response, other_chemical
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News)- The Henry Eyring Building on the University of Utah campus was evacuated Tuesday night after reports of a chemical spill.
The building is home to the school‰??s chemistry department.
Captain Tony Allred of the Salt Lake City Fire Department said a technician dropped a glass container filled with Boron trifluoride diethyl etherate.
Exposures of the chemical can lead to burns, severe irritation of the eyes and eyelids and inflammation and congestion of the lungs, according to the Toxicology Data Network.
Capt. Allred said the building was evacuated as a precaution. He said the tech was sent to the University medical center for evaluation.
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MORE THAN 60 FARM WORKERS EXPOSED TO A CHEMICAL BEING SPRAYED IN TULARE COUNTY
https://abc30.com/farm-workers-exposed-to-a-chemical-in-tulare-co/5351964/
Tags: us_ca, industrial, release, injury, ag_chems
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Several Hazmat vehicles and first responders lined a tiny Tulare County road in rural Dinuba Tuesday after getting the call of some sort of chemical exposure just before 11 a.m.
"They arrived on scene and realized they had been exposed to an unknown pesticide at that point," said Tulare County fire chief Charlie Norman.
According to witnesses a farmer was spraying the pesticide Hexythiazox at a nearby field when the chemicals drifted into the vineyard where 63 people were working.
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EVEN A WATER BOTTLE CAN CAUSE A FIRE INSIDE A CAR ON A HOT TEXAS DAY
https://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Even-a-water-bottle-can-cause-a-fire-inside-a-car-on-a-hot-Texas-day-511487701.html
Tags: us_tx, public, discovery, environmental, plastics
(KWTX) You can find all kinds of items stored in the backseats, on dashboards, or on top of consoles in vehicles, but experts say some of those items could pose a fire hazard when the sun blazes and the temperature soars, including those ubiquitous bottles of water.
"If everything comes together right, if you have water inside a clear water bottle and you have dark fabric inside your vehicle, it can actually penetrate through the clear water bottle onto that fabric or any dark combustibles that are around and actually start a fire,‰?? Waco Fire Department Lt. Keith Guillory said.
The Midwest City Fire Department in Oklahoma posted a video on its Facebook page not only to warn about, but also to show what can happen if a bottle of water is left in direct sunlight.
The sun magnified through the full 8-ounce bottle of water burns a hole in a sheet of black paper in less than 20 seconds.
David Richardson, the firefighter who appears in the video, says it took 450 degrees to burn the hole in the paper.
"A mirror can also be used as of magnifier-like object or a can reflect the sun onto a combustible inside your vehicle. That can also cause a fire,‰?? Guillory said.
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PAUL TILCOCK'S FUMES DEATH 'SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED'
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/17714059.we-are-without-a-dad-and-a-husband/
Tags: uk, industrial, death, followup, other_chemical
A WOMAN whose husband died from breathing in a lethal chemical at work said employers must take more care with health and safety to prevent future deaths.
Stacey Tilcock‰??s husband, Paul, was found dead in a house where he was laying the floor for work.
At the time of his death, the 30-year-old appeared to be wearing a mask that was completely ineffective at protecting him against the chemicals he was working with.
His employer and the supplier have been fined å£750,000 between them for the careless management and the supply of dangerous chemicals.
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MAINE BILL ON PFASS, PHTHALATES IN FOOD PACKAGING BECOMES LAW
https://chemicalwatch.com/78871/maine-bill-on-pfass-phthalates-in-food-packaging-becomes-law
Tags: us_me, public, discovery, other_chemical, env
Maine Governor Janet Mills has signed into law a bill to prohibit the use of phthalates and PFASs in food packaging materials.
Approved by the state legislature earlier this month, the measure (LD 1433) addresses food and beverage packaging and their components, as well as disposable plastic food service gloves.
The law imposes a ban from 2020 on the sale of any such products to which a phthalate has been intentionally added above trace amounts. And with respect to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), it directs the state to develop a rule to prohibit the sale of packaging containing them, provided a safer alternative is identified.
The measure also authorises Maine‰??s environment department to put in place a scheme for designating chemicals of concern and priority chemicals, for which disclosure requirements or restrictions could apply.
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