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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (18 articles)
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2019 06:46:03 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 67806553-27E2-4285-AA34-BE3C973979E2**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, June 24, 2019 at 6:45:36 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 (18 articles)
ITHACA FIRE DEPARTMENT URGES SAFETY WITH RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES
Tags: us_NY, public, follow-up, response, batteries
CORTLAND POLICE INVESTIGATING METH LAB EXPLOSION ON MADISON AVENUE
Tags: us_NY, public, explosion, response, clandestine_lab
SECOND GAS LEAK IN A WEEK LEAVES GAINESVILLE RESIDENTS CONCERNED
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, natural_gas
APG CHEMICAL EXPOSURE SENDS 1 TO HOSPITAL: OFFICIALS
Tags: us_MD, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
LANGKAT, FIRE IN AN ILLEGAL FACTORY LEAVES 30 DEAD. TWO ARRESTS
Tags: Indonesia, industrial, release, death, unknown_chemical, illegal
'DAMN, THIS IS BAD': FIRE CONTINUES TO BURN AFTER SOUTH PHILLY REFINERY BLAST
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, injury, petroleum
AIR QUALITY COMMITTEE REJECTS BAN ON TOXIC ACID USED IN SOUTH BAY REFINERIES
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrofluoric_acid
PHILLY 'NARROWLY DODGED A CATASTROPHE‰?? AS DEADLY CHEMICAL WASN‰??T RELEASED IN REFINERY FIRE
Tags: us_PA, industrial, explosion, injury, gasoline, hydrofluoric_acid, petroleum
PHILLY HAD JUST TRAINED FOR AN INCIDENT LIKE REFINERY FIRE: ‰??IT WORKED OUT EXACTLY HOW IT SHOULD HAVE‰??
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
SPILLED NAIL PRODUCTS LEAD TO HAZMAT INCIDENT IN HENRIETTA
Tags: us_NY, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
ADVANCE DISPOSAL IN HESPERIA EVACUATED FRIDAY MORNING AFTER EXPLOSION
Tags: us_CA, industrial, explosion, response, waste
FIRE DAMAGES AMHERST COLLEGE SCIENCE LAB
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
1 TAKEN TO HOSPITAL, 7 TREATED AFTER FOAMING ACID SPILL AT FAIRFIELD BUSINESS
Tags: us_OH, industrial, release, injury, cleaners
OSHA CITES CANTON MANUFACTURER FOR RESPIRATORY, CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Tags: us_OH, industrial, discovery, environmental, flammables
CHEMICAL SPILL AT CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY SENDS MULTIPLE PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL
Tags: us_GA, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
PHILADELPHIA REFINERY BLAST PUTS NEW SPOTLIGHT ON TOXIC CHEMICAL
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, response, hydrofluoric_acid
U.S. CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD TO INVESTIGATE PHILLY REFINERY FIRE
Tags: us_PA, industrial, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
LAKE COUNTY ETHYLENE OXIDE RESULTS RELEASED AS PRITZKER SIGNS LAW CRACKING DOWN ON EMISSIONS
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ethylene_oxide
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ITHACA FIRE DEPARTMENT URGES SAFETY WITH RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES
https://www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca/ithaca-fire-department-urges-safety-with-rechargeable-batteries/article_20c0d578-95eb-11e9-b4b6-6711dfaf595c.html
Tags: us_NY, public, follow-up, response, batteries
A small blaze last week in East Hill has Ithaca Fire Department is urging residents to remember that rechargeable batteries in cell phones, laptops and toys can be dangerous. There are several precautions to keep in mind when using these devices.
Keep lithium-ion batteries dry. Any moisture can cause a malfunction.
Remove batteries from toys and electronics when they aren‰??t in use.
Batteries have an expiration date, just be sure to replace it upon expiration.
And most important of all, don't overheat the batteries or overcharge them. Pull the plug when the charge is done.
Leaving a device in the charger can overheat the battery, leading to chemical reactions that cause a fire, which could lead to a fire. Be sure to use the charges that comes specifically for that battery. Also, don‰??t place the batteries on beds, sofas, blankets, rugs or anything that could catch fire easily. Newer batteries have sensors, which will detect a problem if they turn off the battery to prevent a bigger problem. Older batteries may not, though.
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CORTLAND POLICE INVESTIGATING METH LAB EXPLOSION ON MADISON AVENUE
https://cortlandvoice.com/2019/06/23/cortland-police-investigating-meth-lab-explosion-on-madison-avenue/
Tags: us_NY, public, explosion, response, clandestine_lab
CORTLAND ‰?? A small, one-pot meth lab exploded Saturday afternoon, blowing an apartment‰??s bathroom door off its hinges at 143 Madison Avenue, according to city officials.
None of the residents in the apartments of the multi-family home were injured, although some of the residences were occupied at the time, said city police Lt. Michael Strangeway. City firefighters were called to the apartment at 12:25 p.m. for the explosion, said fire department Capt. Lee Price, but the explosion did not result in a fire.
The one-pot meth lab ‰?? a drug production process that frequently uses a plastic soda bottle to create methamphetamine ‰?? was in the bathroom of the apartment, Strangeway said.
‰??The vessel failed and the result was a small explosion,‰?? Strangeway said. ‰??It blew the bathroom door off its hinges.‰??
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SECOND GAS LEAK IN A WEEK LEAVES GAINESVILLE RESIDENTS CONCERNED
https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/Second-gas-leak-in-a-week-leaves-Gainesville-residents-concerned-511676011.html
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, natural_gas
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - A gas leak in Gainesville Friday afternoon has left some residents concerned and worrying if it will happen again.
According to Gainesville Fire Rescue, this is the second time a gas line was cut on Northwest 4th Avenue in less than a week.
Both leaks were due to construction in the area.
"They said 'Its no big deal', that everything is completely alright," said Joey Parker, a resident affected by the gas leak. "But they're trying to get the gas back on right now. [In our house] right now, we can't cook any dinner or anything like that. But that's okay."
Friday's incident happened around 2:30pm when equipment came into contact with the pipes.
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APG CHEMICAL EXPOSURE SENDS 1 TO HOSPITAL: OFFICIALS
https://patch.com/maryland/belair/apg-chemical-exposure-sends-1-hospital-officials
Tags: us_MD, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
HARFORD COUNTY, MD ‰?? Someone exposed to a chemical at Aberdeen Proving Ground was taken to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air Saturday for evaluation, officials said. The hazmat team and Bel Air firefighters were at the hospital for about an hour and a half.
The Harford County Hazardous Team and Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company were at Upper Chesapeake before 1:40 p.m. Saturday, June 22, according to Jenn Chenworth, spokeswoman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.
There was no threat to the community or those at the hospital, Chenworth said.
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LANGKAT, FIRE IN AN ILLEGAL FACTORY LEAVES 30 DEAD. TWO ARRESTS
http://asianews.it/news-en/Langkat,-fire-in-an-illegal-factory-leaves-30-dead.-Two-arrests-47353.html
Tags: Indonesia, industrial, release, death, unknown_chemical, illegal
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Two people are under investigation by the authorities for a deadly fire in an illegal lighter factory in the province of North Sumatera (east of Jakarta), which killed 30 people including 24 women and 6 children. The tragedy took place yesterday in Sambirejo, a village in the regency of Langkat, about 70km west of the provincial capital Medan.
Gen. Agus Andrianto, head of the provincial police, reported today that a man and a woman - identified as the owner and director of the illegal laboratory - are currently in a state of detention.
The flames broke out when a worker was checking the operation of a product. This exploded and the worker, in a panic, threw it on thousands of ready-to-pack lighters, triggering a massive explosion. The fire spread quickly, because most of the building structure was made of wood.
The victims trapped inside could not escape because the main door was locked. Binsar Naibaho, head of the local police, says: "Windows and entrances were walled up. We couldn't even see what had happened inside the factory. " Four people were saved because they were on their lunch break and they witnessed the drama from outside.
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'DAMN, THIS IS BAD': FIRE CONTINUES TO BURN AFTER SOUTH PHILLY REFINERY BLAST
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/South-Philly-Refinery-Fire-Explosion-Response-511674901.html
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, injury, petroleum
A small fire continued to burn Saturday at the East Coast's largest oil refinery a day after explosions and a predawn blaze that shook homes, sent a fireball aloft and caused some minor injuries.
Workers tried to isolate the remaining line feeding the fire at the 150-year-old Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in South Philly, but access is limited "due to the damage and instability of the remaining structure," a PES spokeswoman said.
Officials haven't decided whether to let fire burn itself out, "but that may occur before we can safely isolate it," the spokeswoman said.
"Managing the small existing fire in this manner is safest for the environment, (company) employees, and the surrounding community to bring the incident to a safe conclusion," the company said in a statement.
---------------------------------------------
AIR QUALITY COMMITTEE REJECTS BAN ON TOXIC ACID USED IN SOUTH BAY REFINERIES
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-refinery-acid-20190622-story.html
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrofluoric_acid
Air quality officials on Saturday moved to close the door on a ban of a dangerous acid used at two South Bay oil refineries that community groups have sought since a 2015 explosion raised concerns about the potential for a catastrophic release.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District‰??s Republican-controlled refinery committee voted 3-2 to support an industry-backed alternative. The plan directs agency staff to develop agreements with refineries in Torrance and Wilmington that would allow them to keep using modified hydrofluoric acid, with enhanced safety measures.
The highly toxic chemical, used to make high-octane gasoline, can form a deadly, ground-hugging cloud that could drift into surrounding communities and cause mass casualties in the event of a major leak.
The decision followed hours of testimony at a packed public hearing in Diamond Bar that pitted South Bay residents and environmentalists urging a ban on the chemical against business groups, building trades representatives and refinery workers who said it would be too costly.
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PHILLY 'NARROWLY DODGED A CATASTROPHE‰?? AS DEADLY CHEMICAL WASN‰??T RELEASED IN REFINERY FIRE
https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-refinery-fire-pes-triggers-fears-calls-for-closure-20190621.html
Tags: us_PA, industrial, explosion, injury, gasoline, hydrofluoric_acid, petroleum
A series of explosions and a spectacular fire ripped through a South Philadelphia oil refinery early Friday, rattling windows, injuring workers, unnerving the city, and causing gasoline markets to spike on speculation of fuel shortages.
The incident at Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES), the East Coast‰??s largest refinery, injured five workers, who were treated at the scene. The fire was still burning Friday night.
Safety advocates said the danger could have been far worse had the blast released a cloud of hydrogen fluoride, a deadly chemical used in the refining process.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), an independent federal agency, announced Friday that it was dispatching a four-person team to Philadelphia to investigate the incident, which was similar to refinery accidents in Torrance, Calif., in 2015 and Superior, Wis., last year that came perilously close to releasing hydrogen fluoride. The Wisconsin accident prompted a temporary evacuation of residents.
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PHILLY HAD JUST TRAINED FOR AN INCIDENT LIKE REFINERY FIRE: ‰??IT WORKED OUT EXACTLY HOW IT SHOULD HAVE‰??
https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-refinery-fire-emergency-response-preparation-city-20190621.html
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
There is never a good time for an oil refinery explosion, but Friday morning‰??s Philadelphia Energy Solutions fire came about as close as you can get.
The city‰??s Office of Emergency Management and Fire Department were fresh off a discussion at the Navy Yard, where various agencies met Thursday to plan an inter-agency response to a specific hazardous emergency. The officials discussed each agency‰??s planned response and protocol to make sure everyone was on the same page, said NoÌÇlle Foizen, deputy director for public engagement for the Office of Emergency Management.
While the training wasn‰??t specifically about responding to a refinery emergency, it‰??s reflective of the type of training city officials are constantly undertaking to better work with one another in emergency situations.
Less than 24 hours later, Foizen‰??s office, along with the Fire Department and several other agencies, leaped into action in response to the fire that closed streets and the George C. Platt Memorial Bridge, and had residents sheltering in place for several hours.
---------------------------------------------
SPILLED NAIL PRODUCTS LEAD TO HAZMAT INCIDENT IN HENRIETTA
https://13wham.com/news/local/firefighters-spilled-nail-products-lead-to-hazmat-incident-in-henrietta
Tags: us_NY, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
Henrietta, N.Y. ‰?? Firefighters responded to a hazardous materials incident at the UPS Store on Hylan Drive in Henrietta Friday.
According to the Henrietta Fire Department, a package at the location was found to be leaking and emanating fumes which gave an employee a headache.
The package was later determined to be carrying acrylic nail products that leaked.
The employee was evaluated at the scene but declined further treatment.
---------------------------------------------
ADVANCE DISPOSAL IN HESPERIA EVACUATED FRIDAY MORNING AFTER EXPLOSION
https://www.vvng.com/advanced-disposal-in-hesperia-evacuated-friday-morning-after-explosion/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, explosion, response, waste
HESPERIA, Calif. (VVNG.com) ‰?? Employees at Advance Disposal in Hesperia were evacuated following a small explosion within their facility Friday morning.
It happened just after 8:30 am, on June 21, 2019, in the 17100 block of Mesa Street in Hesperia.
San Bernardino County Firefighters arrived on scene and located the employees who had already evacuated the facility prior to their arrival.
County Fire spokesperson Eric Sherwin said the explosion took place in some kind of sorting machinery and it was possibly a compressed vessel or container like a fire extinguisher that went through the machine and failed and exploded.
‰??Out of an abundance of caution, they sealed it off. We do have hazmat personnel onsite. They made entry into the facility to test the air and check for any hazardous conditions,‰?? stated Sherwin.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE DAMAGES AMHERST COLLEGE SCIENCE LAB
https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/06/fire-damages-amherst-college-science-lab.html
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
Amherst firefighters knocked down a stove fire in an Amherst College science lab Friday night, aided by a sprinkler system that contained the fire to one room.
WGGB-TV reported the 7:20 p.m. alarm indicated fire in a third-floor laboratory. Amherst Fire Chief Tim Nelson reported the fire apparently started in a newly installed stove in the lab area.
The lab area sustained extensive smoke and water damage, and areas in the floors below also suffered water damage from the sprinkler system.
---------------------------------------------
1 TAKEN TO HOSPITAL, 7 TREATED AFTER FOAMING ACID SPILL AT FAIRFIELD BUSINESS
https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/fairfield/1-taken-to-hospital-7-treated-after-foaming-acid-spill-at-fairfield-business
Tags: us_OH, industrial, release, injury, cleaners
FAIRFIELD, Ohio ‰?? One person was transported to an area hospital, according to Fairfield Fire Chief Don Bennett, following a reported chemical spill. Seven others showing signs of respiratory distress were treated at the scene.
Part of the Koch Foods building on Port Union Road in Fairfield was evacuated at about 8 a.m. Friday.
A chemical company employee was filling a tank with a foaming acid when there was a spill, creating a fume or respiratory irritant, the Journal-News reports.
‰??There is one dock area that contains all their cleaning solutions and so forth and he was filling off the dock,‰?? Bennett said.
He added the company was very responsible.
‰??Simply a human error, it happens all the time,‰?? he said.
The situation has been neutralized and production was not interrupted, Bennett said.
---------------------------------------------
OSHA CITES CANTON MANUFACTURER FOR RESPIRATORY, CHEMICAL HAZARDS
https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/osha-cites-canton-manufacturer-respiratory-chemical-hazards
Tags: us_OH, industrial, discovery, environmental, flammables
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a Canton company for respiratory and chemical hazards.
Ohio Gratings Inc. faces penalties of $183,748 and has been cited for 17 serious and five other-than-serious safety and health violations, a news release stated.
Ohio Gratings, which makes aluminum, stainless steel and carbon products, has contested the citations and penalties, the release stated. The case will now go before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
The release said the inspection began in December 2018 after a complaint "alleging poor ventilation and lack of training on chemicals used at the facility." The citations ranged from inadequate machine guarding to struck-by hazards. The release also stated that OSHA found the company was using a "dip tank containing flammable liquid without using proper drainage, overflow piping, adequate ventilation and fire protection," which led to a number of citations.
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CHEMICAL SPILL AT CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY SENDS MULTIPLE PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL
https://www.cbs46.com/news/chemical-spill-at-clark-atlanta-university-sends-multiple-people-to/article_e441e456-9465-11e9-9921-b79a8cef64ba.html
Tags: us_GA, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) -- At least ten people have been injured in a chemical spill at a science building on the Clark Atlanta University campus.
Hazmat crews have been on campus all Friday afternoon. The Clark Atlanta Science Building was evacuated and remains empty as crews are cleaning up.
‰??I left everything, I only took my bag and my belongings and ran toward the stairs,‰?? Abdu Dwead, a Biology PhD Student, told CBS46 reporter Melissa Stern.
Students from a summer program were working in the lab at the Clark Atlanta Science Building.
‰??Earlier this morning, we had a 911 call for a possible chemical spill here it was unidentified what the chemical was upon arrival on the scene, and the person who possibly spilled the chemical didn‰??t know what it was either,‰?? said Sgt. Cortez Stafford, with the Atlanta Fire Department. ‰??When the individual spilled the chemical and it happened to fall off the cart, he immediately evacuated the building and told everyone to get out of the building as well, so he made a good call with that.‰??
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PHILADELPHIA REFINERY BLAST PUTS NEW SPOTLIGHT ON TOXIC CHEMICAL
https://in.reuters.com/article/usa-refinery-blast-acid/philadelphia-refinery-blast-puts-new-spotlight-on-toxic-chemical-idINKCN1TM2N8
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, response, hydrofluoric_acid
(Reuters) - Massive explosions that engulfed a Philadelphia refinery in flames on Friday have renewed concerns about the oil industry‰??s use of a highly toxic chemical to make high-octane gasoline at plants in densely populated areas.
Aerial video of the scene at Philadelphia Energy Solutions Inc‰??s refinery, the largest in the northeast, on local television showed significant damage and the massive complex nearly engulfed in flames.
One of the explosions took place in a hydrofluoric acid alkylation unit - a chemical processing unit that has been involved in three near-misses of releases into cities in California, Texas and Wisconsin, according to safety officials.
Hydrofluoric acid (HF) can form a toxic cloud at room temperature while exposure can lead to severe health problems and even death.
Around the Philadelphia refinery, air quality had not yet been cited as a problem. There are about 300,000 people who live within three miles (5 km) of the facility.
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U.S. CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD TO INVESTIGATE PHILLY REFINERY FIRE
https://whyy.org/articles/city-will-convene-refinery-safety-working-group-after-massive-south-philly-refinery-fire/
Tags: us_PA, industrial, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
Mayor Jim Kenney has convened a working group to examine safety and air quality protocols at the South Philadelphia refinery rocked by a massive explosion on Friday. It was the second refinery fire in two weeks.
Kenney said in a release sent Friday that the working group would explore longtime concerns from people who live near the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery at 3100 W. Passyunk Ave.
‰??I believe that there is room for improvement, both in the operation of the refinery in light of two fires in as many weeks, and in the communication to residents,‰?? Kenney said.
He said that the working group will involve Managing Director Brian Abernathy, Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel, the leadership of PES, and unnamed members of the company‰??s Community Advisory Panel.
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LAKE COUNTY ETHYLENE OXIDE RESULTS RELEASED AS PRITZKER SIGNS LAW CRACKING DOWN ON EMISSIONS
https://abc7chicago.com/health/lake-co-ethylene-oxide-results-released-as-pritzker-signs-law-cracking-down-on-emissions/5357826/
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ethylene_oxide
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- Lake County officials have received preliminary results from tests measuring the levels of cancer-causing chemical ethylene oxide present in the air near medical sterilization plants in Waukegan and Gurnee. The results come on the same day that Governor JB Pritzker signed a law imposing the country's strictest limits on the chemical's emissions, which was spurred by community uproar in south suburban Willowbrook about the amount of the chemical detected in the air there.
Willowbrook residents began raising concerns about the chemical almost a year ago after a federal report found that Sterigenics, a medical sterilization company based in the community, was releasing a level of the gas that could be harmful to the public.
The plant shut down in February after several rounds of environmental testing. A study from the Illinois Department of Public Health the following month confirmed that there were higher rates of cancer near the plant.
The situation in Willowbrook raised concerns among residents in Lake County, where Medline and Vantage Specialty Chemicals use ethylene oxide. Environmental testing began earlier this month. The Lake County Health Department announced Friday that preliminary results indicated elevated levels of ethylene oxide at one location in Waukegan and at varying lower levels at all other sites where measurements were taken. Test results were sent to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, according to Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham, and are available to the public online.
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