Did anyone watch the video for the Explosive Chemistry Academy? It's all the same nonsense: no safety glasses, kids too close to the demo, and a new one: dismantling packages of shock-sensitive compounds with scissors. I emailed the reporter and told her that she should have been reporting on the danger that the school was placing kids in.

Janice Umbaugh

-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of DCHAS Membership Chair
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2019 6:33 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (13 articles)

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at 6:32:40 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 (13 articles)

CHEMICAL SPILL IN ST. ALBANS SENDS 1 MAN TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_VT, industrial, release, injury, acids

EXPLOSIVE CHEMISTRY ACADEMY LETS KIDS CREATE FIREWORKS
Tags: us_KS, education, explosion, environmental, fireworks, sodium_bicarbonate

STATE OFFICIALS SEEK TO REASSURE PUBLIC ON HEALTH RISKS FROM FARMINGTON RIVER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_CT, industrial, release, response, other_chemical

CLEVELAND MAN FILES LAWSUIT AFTER VAPING DEVICE EXPLODES, CAUSES VOLLEYBALL-SIZE WOUND
Tags: us_OH, public, explosion, injury, batteries

NEW YORK CITY STUDENT AWARDED $60 MILLION AFTER FAILED CHEMICAL RAINBOW DEMONSTRATION
Tags: us_NY, education, follow-up, injury, methanol

BIOCHEMIST WINS MISS VIRGINIA BY PERFORMING SCIENCE EXPERIMENT
Tags: us_VA, public, release, environmental, hydrogen_peroxide

IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF HELIUM TANK NEAR-MISS
Tags: us_NJ, public, explosion, response, gas_cylinders, waste

CHLORINE SPILL PROMPTS EVACUATIONS IN UNIVERSITY CITY
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, chlorine

DELAWARE CHEMICAL MANUFACTURER FINED $262K FOR EXPOSING WORKERS TO TOXIC GAS
Tags: us_DE, industrial, release, injury, ethylene_oxide

OIL AND GAS: PA. REFINERY: WHO WILL CLEAN UP DECADES OF POLLUTION? -- MONDAY, JULY 1, 2019 -- WWW.EENEWS.NET
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum

CHEMICAL SPILL IN UES APARTMENT TOWER INJURES 6, FDNY SAYS
Tags: us_NY, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

$60 MILLION AWARDED TO NEW YORK STUDENT BURNED IN HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY CLASS
Tags: us_NY, education, follow-up, environmental, methanol

AT THE CHEMICAL PLANT IN CHINA, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED
Tags: China, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

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CHEMICAL SPILL IN ST. ALBANS SENDS 1 MAN TO HOSPITAL
https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Chemical-spill-in-St-Albans-sends-1-man-to-hospital-512133432.html
Tags: us_VT, industrial, release, injury, acids

ST. ALBANS, Vt. (WCAX) A chemical spill at the St. Albans Co-op sent one man to the hospital.

Fire officials say Tuesday afternoon, 150 gallons of an acid-based chemical spilled while it was being off-loaded from a truck into a bulk tank.

The co-op ventilated the area immediately.

Firefighters say the spill was contained and hazmat didn't need to respond.

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EXPLOSIVE CHEMISTRY ACADEMY LETS KIDS CREATE FIREWORKS
https://www.koamnewsnow.com/news/explosive-chemistry-academy-lets-kids-create-fireworks/1091576540
Tags: us_KS, education, explosion, environmental, fireworks, sodium_bicarbonate

GREENBUSH, Ks - Usually kids are warned not to play with fireworks but exactly the opposite is happening at the Greenbush Education Center. Middle school kids are even making their own fireworks at the Explosive Chemistry Academy.

"It‰??s four teaspoons of powdered sugar, one teaspoon of baking soda," Kenzie Heatherly goes through what sounds like a cake recipe but add a sprits of alcohol and a lighter and the faces of kids like Isabella Walsh light up with excitement. They‰??re create their own exploding snakes.

Isabella said, ‰??It‰??skind of cool. We use it for baking and you can think of it, you're eating something that could explode. It‰??s kind of cool.‰??

Joey Flessner exclaimed, ‰??I love this camp! It‰??s really fun.‰??

They dissect snappers or poppers by unwrapping or cutting them open.
And they disassembled cracklers to find "pieces of silver fulmates," explained Heatherly.

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STATE OFFICIALS SEEK TO REASSURE PUBLIC ON HEALTH RISKS FROM FARMINGTON RIVER CHEMICAL SPILL
https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-windsor-pfas-community-20190703-vowmcgwmo5emnb252nhiddoq7q-story.html
Tags: us_CT, industrial, release, response, other_chemical

WINDSOR ‰?? State health officials sought to reassure area residents and environmental activists Tuesday that there is ‰??not a likely significant health risk‰?? from the June 8 spill into the Farmington River of potentially hazardous chemical fire fighting foam.

More than 150 people turned out for the meeting at Windsor Town Hall Tuesday evening to hear about current and future state testing of the Farmington River‰??s waters, fish and sediments and what state experts are doing to clean up the spill of PFAS foam and prevent future contamination from these chemicals.

Shannon Pociu, a state environmental analyst, said the most recent testing of river waters showed that levels of the firefighting chemical compounds are rapidly dropping in the river. Brian Toal, supervisor of environmental and occupational health with the state Department of Health, said swimming or boating in the river poses little risk because PFAS isn‰??t easily absorbed through the skin.

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CLEVELAND MAN FILES LAWSUIT AFTER VAPING DEVICE EXPLODES, CAUSES VOLLEYBALL-SIZE WOUND
https://fox8.com/2019/07/02/cleveland-man-files-lawsuit-after-vaping-device-explodes-causes-volleyball-size-wound/
Tags: us_OH, public, explosion, injury, batteries

CLEVELAND-- A Cleveland man suffered severe second and third-degree burns after a battery for his vaping device exploded.

Nader Harb had the extra battery in his pants pocket at the time, according to a lawsuit filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court recently.

He was just starting his day at work as a butcher and setting up his equipment when the LGHG2 model battery suddenly exploded.

‰??There was a flash and he was on fire,‰?? said attorney Tom Merriman, who is representing Harb, ‰??He literally drops to the ground, rolls, puts out the fire and realizes this vape battery has exploded.‰??

The gruesome injury was about the size of a volleyball and required extensive treatment by burn specialists at MetroHealth Medical Center.

‰??This particular battery was produced by LG Chemical, which is a subsidiary of LG the appliance company, the South Korean company so this is a major company,‰?? Merriman said. ‰??And this is not the first time LG Chem has faced issues with their vape battery.‰??

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NEW YORK CITY STUDENT AWARDED $60 MILLION AFTER FAILED CHEMICAL RAINBOW DEMONSTRATION
https://cen.acs.org/safety/New-York-City-student-awarded/97/i27
Tags: us_NY, education, follow-up, injury, methanol

A New York City jury has awarded almost $60 million to the family of a student who was severely injured in a failed rainbow flame demonstration in 2014.

‰??The message this [verdict] should send is safety first,‰?? says lawyer Ben Rubinowitz, who represented student Alonzo Yanes and his family. ‰??I hope that no child is ever injured again‰?? by this experiment.

Yanes was a 16-year-old sophomore at Beacon High School, a public school in New York City, when his chemistry teacher, Anna Poole, successfully performed the procedure. Then she attempted to restart it by adding more methanol from a 1 gal container, which ignited. Yanes was standing 75 cm away and sustained burns to 30% of his body, including disfiguring scars to his face, ears, neck, arms, and hands, Rubinowitz says. Another student was also injured in the fire and settled with the city.

Just a month before the incident, the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board warned about the hazards of the rainbow experiment, which has caused dozens of accidents and injuries through the years. Poole ‰??took a shortcut, and you can‰??t take shortcuts when it comes to safety,‰?? Rubinowitz says. Poole, who had taught chemistry for several years, now works for the city‰??s department of education advising other teachers.

Other students have won lawsuits after being injured in rainbow experiment accidents, though award amounts have been much lower. The jury awarded Yanes almost $60 million to address pain and suffering both since the accident and into the future. Rubinowitz says Yanes, now 21, is in college.

Nick Paolucci, press secretary for the New York City Law Department, says that the safety of students is the department of education‰??s top priority, and that the experiment has been banned as a result of the accident. ‰??While we respect the jury‰??s verdict, we are exploring our legal options to reduce the award to an amount that is consistent with awards that have been upheld by the courts in similar cases.‰??

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BIOCHEMIST WINS MISS VIRGINIA BY PERFORMING SCIENCE EXPERIMENT
https://www.insider.com/miss-virginia-science-experiment-talent-winner-2019-7
Tags: us_VA, public, release, environmental, hydrogen_peroxide

Camille Schrier won the Miss Virginia pageant on June 22 with an explosive display of talent.

The 24-year-old biochemist demonstrated the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, known as the "elephant toothpaste" reaction because of the streams of foam that shoot out of the graduated cylinders as a result of the catalyzed reaction. She replaced her pageant dress with a lab coat and safety goggles, though she still kept her high heels.

---------------------------------------------

IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF HELIUM TANK NEAR-MISS
https://ehs.princeton.edu/news/improper-disposal-of-helium-tank-near
Tags: us_NJ, public, explosion, response, gas_cylinders, waste

On a Monday morning, a University sanitation worker was operating a trash compactor on campus. Unbeknownst to the operator, someone had disposed of a closed helium balloon tank such as the one pictured below. Upon compaction, the cylinder over-pressurized and burst, spraying sharp metal pieces across the area. Luckily, the worker was not injured.

Helium balloon kits like these are available from many retailers and can be an attractive option when hosting an event or summer cookout. However, they are compressed gas cylinders under significant pressure and users are responsible for understanding the hazards they present, and for following manufacturer‰??s instructions for safe handling and disposal.

Besides the environmental impact (link is external) of the accidental or intentional release of helium balloons, disposal of these tanks can be problematic. THEY SHOULD NEVER BE DISPOSED OF IN THE TRASH.

If helium balloons are a necessity for your event, consider ordering them pre-inflated rather than purchasing a tank. If a tank must be purchased, try to find a retailer that will allow you to return the tank.

If neither of those options are feasible, follow the manufacturers‰?? instructions on proper disposal. This will most likely involve emptying the tank, removing the stem or rupturing a disk on the tank to show that it is no longer pressurized and then recycling with a scrap steel recycler. Not all recyclers will take the empty cylinders, however, even if they‰??ve been relieved of pressure through a rupture disc or removal of the stem, and disposal may then incur a fee.

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CHLORINE SPILL PROMPTS EVACUATIONS IN UNIVERSITY CITY
https://fox5sandiego.com/2019/07/01/chlorine-spill-prompts-evacuations-in-la-jolla/
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, chlorine

SAN DIEGO -- An estimated 30 gallons of chlorine spilled Monday afternoon near the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla, prompting the evacuations of about 400 children.

A San Diego Fire and Rescue Department hazardous materials crew is at the scene in the 4100 block of Executive Drive.

Forty children remained sheltered in place while the hazmat team "develops plan and mitigates situation," according to a tweet by SDFD. The other children were picked up by their parents.

---------------------------------------------

DELAWARE CHEMICAL MANUFACTURER FINED $262K FOR EXPOSING WORKERS TO TOXIC GAS
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2019/07/01/531030.htm
Tags: us_DE, industrial, release, injury, ethylene_oxide

The U.S. Department of Labor‰??s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Croda Inc. after a chemical release at the New Castle, Del., manufacturing plant exposed workers to ethylene oxide. The company faces $262,548 in penalties.

OSHA initiated an inspection after the exposure hospitalized one employee and left five others suffering symptoms of ethylene oxide (EtO) exposure. The agency cited Croda Inc. for 25 serious violations, including deficient emergency action and response plans; failure to train employees on how to manage EtO leaks; and the use of fire protection, water deluge systems and emergency shutdown procedures.

The company also failed to develop procedures for emergency responders to manage firewater amid an EtO release, activate the emergency alarm system and provide employees with respiratory protection.

---------------------------------------------

OIL AND GAS: PA. REFINERY: WHO WILL CLEAN UP DECADES OF POLLUTION? -- MONDAY, JULY 1, 2019 -- WWW.EENEWS.NET
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060679209
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum

The explosions that destroyed part of the historic oil refinery on Philadelphia's south side have thrown a wrench into the ongoing effort to clean up decades' worth of soil and water pollution at the site.

Sunoco Inc., the plant's former owner, agreed to clean up the contamination in the early 2000s, and it agreed to continue that effort after it sold the operation to a partnership known as Philadelphia Energy Solutions in 2012.

The blasts on June 21 did so much damage that the new owners announced they'll likely close the refinery, the biggest on the East Coast (Greenwire, June 26).

That leaves city, state and federal officials to oversee what will likely become a two-track cleanup involving two different companies. For now, Sunoco's effort to clean up the historical pollution is on hold because of the fire and explosions.

Officials at EPA and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) were scrambling last week to figure out what responsibility Philadelphia Energy Solutions and other parties bear for environmental problems caused by the fire. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said the site is so unstable that its investigators haven't been able to inspect the damage (Greenwire, June 28).

---------------------------------------------

CHEMICAL SPILL IN UES APARTMENT TOWER INJURES 6, FDNY SAYS
https://patch.com/new-york/upper-east-side-nyc/chemicals-spill-basement-ues-apartment-tower-fdny-says
Tags: us_NY, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY ‰?? Six people were hurt during a chemical spill Monday morning at an Upper East side high-rise apartment building, an FDNY spokesman said.

Pool-cleaning chemicals were spilled in the basement of 305 E. 86th St., a 21-story apartment building called Yorkshire Towers located between First and Second avenues, shortly before 9:30, an FDNY spokesman said. The Yorkshire Towers website advertises a heated indoor pool under its amenities page.

Five of the people hurt suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene, an FDNY spokesman said. One person suffered serious injuries and was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the spokesman said.

Firefighters continued to operate at the scene hours after the spill to mitigate the spill and clean up the area, the spokesman said.

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$60 MILLION AWARDED TO NEW YORK STUDENT BURNED IN HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY CLASS
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/60-million-awarded-to-new-york-student-burned-in-high-school-chemistry-class
Tags: us_NY, education, follow-up, environmental, methanol

A man has been awarded nearly $60 million in damages Monday, five years after a fire broke out in his high school chemistry class that left him deeply scarred.

Student Alonzo Yanes attended Beacon High School, a college-preparatory public school in Manhattan.

During a chemistry experiment led by teacher Anna Poole, the teen found himself in the middle of one of the worst classroom accidents in recent memory, the New York Times reported.

But instead of the intended chemical reaction, the class was suddenly engulfed in flames.

A federal agency warned against the dangers of the experiment just weeks before the accident occurred. The same experiment, which attempts to exemplify the color change that takes place when salt is exposed to methanol, has caused two other notable accidents over the last 15 years.

---------------------------------------------

AT THE CHEMICAL PLANT IN CHINA, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED
https://galpost.com/at-the-chemical-plant-in-china-an-explosion-occurred/23530/
Tags: China, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

n China, an explosion occurred at a chemical plant Anhui Maiqi Chemical Co. As a result of incident two persons were lost, nine more were injured, reports RIA ‰??Novosti‰?? with reference to local media.

The explosion occurred during cleaning in one of the reservoirs for storage of substances. The deceased worker was cleaning the tank and couldn‰??t get out. Also killed one firefighter.

A similar case occurred in China on March 21. Then the Chinese factory ‰??Jiangsu Tarczay‰?? also blew up a storage tank for chemicals. Killed at least 64 people, injured about 600. Three thousand homes that were nearby, were damaged.

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