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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (16 articles)
Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2019 08:18:06 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 8D5774BD-C70E-47B5-B84E-8D15534219C4**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, August 2, 2019 at 8:17:51 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 (16 articles)
PIPELINE BLAST KILLS ONE IN LINCOLN COUNTY, KENTUCKY
Tags: us_KY, transportation, explosion, death, natural_gas
PEPPER SPRAY ATTACK AT SALVATION ARMY STORE SENDS 5 TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, pepper_spray
HAZMAT SITUATION HOSPITALIZES FIVE FIREFIGHTERS
Tags: us_RI, public, release, injury, pesticides
BORDEN & REMINGTON WORKER HOSPITALIZED AFTER AMMONIA SPILL AT FALL RIVER PLANT
Tags: us_RI, transportation, release, injury, ammonia
SECOND COMPANY COMES UNDER FIRE FOR RELEASING CANCEROUS TOXINS INTO THE AIR
Tags: us_GA, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
WORKER SUES EXXON FOR INJURIES IN BAYTOWN PLANT EXPLOSION
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
BELDING MANUFACTURER‰??S FAILURE TO SECURE VOLATILE CHEMICAL ‰??UNLAWFUL,‰?? JUDGE SAYS
Tags: us_MI, industrial, follow-up, response, chlorine
TEXAS COUNTY SUES EXXON OVER AIR POLLUTION FROM PETROCHEMICAL FIRE: OFFICIAL
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS INSTALLS TEMPORARY LABS TO REPLACE THOSE DESTROYED BY FIRE
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
CHEMICAL MIX-UP SPARKS EVACUATION OF CENTRAL LONDON SPORTS CENTRE
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
THE BAD BOYS OF SPACE EXPLORATION AND THE ORIGINS OF THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, oxygen
READING FIRE MELTS CHEMICAL CONTAINERS AT COMPANY ON FRONT AND WASHINGTON STREETS
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, flammables
EPA SETTLEMENTS RESOLVE VIOLATIONS OF LAWS TO PREVENT CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS AT FACILITIES IN NEW ENGLAND
Tags: public, follow-up, environmental, hydrofluoric_acid, illegal
CHEMICAL FUMES PROMPT HAZMAT IN NEW HAVEN
Tags: us_CT, industrial, release, response, chlorine
BAYTOWN EXXON MOBIL EXPLOSION, FIRE AT TEXAS REFINERY INJURES 37
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, injury, petroleum
GEORGIA CITY PLEDGES TO TEST AIR FOR TOXIC GAS
Tags: us_GA, public, follow-up, environmental, ethylene_oxide
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PIPELINE BLAST KILLS ONE IN LINCOLN COUNTY, KENTUCKY
https://www.wdrb.com/in-depth/pipeline-blast-kills-one-in-lincoln-county-kentucky/article_7ad8621a-b472-11e9-8aa9-17fe4bc6b82d.html
Tags: us_KY, transportation, explosion, death, natural_gas
JUNCTION CITY, Ky. (WDRB) ‰?? At least one person died and five others were injured after authorities said a natural gas pipeline ruptured early Thursday in Lincoln County, Ky., triggering an explosion and massive fire that could be seen as far away as Lexington.
Lisa Renee Derringer, 58, was killed, according to Lincoln County Coroner Farris Marcum. She was among those living closest to the blast and was found outside her home, said Kentucky State Police spokesman Tpr. Robert Purdy.
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PEPPER SPRAY ATTACK AT SALVATION ARMY STORE SENDS 5 TO HOSPITAL
https://patch.com/illinois/oaklawn/pepper-spray-attack-salvation-army-store-sends-5-hospital
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, pepper_spray
OAK LAWN, IL ‰?? A pepper spray attack inside a thrift store on Thursday afternoon sent five people to area hospitals with respiratory issues. Two other people drove themselves, Oak Lawn fire officials said.
The Oak Lawn fire crews responded to a report of a possible hazmat situation just after 2 p.m. at the Salvation Army Family Store and Donation Center on 87th Street and Cicero Avenue. When firefighters arrived, customers and employees were standing outside the store. The fire department enacted an EMS Plan 2, calling for more ambulances to transport patients.
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HAZMAT SITUATION HOSPITALIZES FIVE FIREFIGHTERS
https://turnto10.com/news/local/hazmat-situation-hospitalizes-five-firefighters
Tags: us_RI, public, release, injury, pesticides
Misuse of pesticides leads to a hazmat situation in East Providence on Thursday.
Firefighters responded to a home on Roger Williams Avenue for a woman having trouble breathing.
She had sprayed a large number of pesticides inside the house officials say.
Five firefighters were taken to the hospital with trouble breathing, the Battalion Chief told NBC 10.
Everyone is expected to be okay.
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BORDEN & REMINGTON WORKER HOSPITALIZED AFTER AMMONIA SPILL AT FALL RIVER PLANT
https://www.southcoasttoday.com/news/20190801/borden-amp-remington-worker-hospitalized-after-ammonia-spill-at-fall-river-plant
Tags: us_RI, transportation, release, injury, ammonia
FALL RIVER ‰?? A Borden & Remington Corporation employee was transported to Rhode Island Hospital for observation after liquid ammonia spilled on him Thursday afternoon while he unloaded a shipment of the corrosive chemical, according to fire officials.
Fall River police, EMS and fire officials trained in hazmat situations responded to the 63 Water St. chemical distribution company about 1 p.m.
According to Fall River Fire Department District Chief Kevin Blythe, the employee forgot to close a stoppage valve before he disconnected a hose used to transfer the liquid ammonia from a tractor trailer.
‰??He forgot to close the valve when he was unhooking the hose and a blast (of aqueous ammonia) came out,‰?? said Blythe.
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SECOND COMPANY COMES UNDER FIRE FOR RELEASING CANCEROUS TOXINS INTO THE AIR
https://www.cbs46.com/news/second-company-comes-under-fire-for-releasing-cancerous-toxins-into/article_2a5358f0-b4cb-11e9-8669-43060fd3d351.html
Tags: us_GA, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
COVINGTON, Ga. (CBS46) -- A community is terrified with concerns of a cancer-causing chemical being leaked into the air by a local plant.
Residnets of a Covington community are looking for answers after a recent WebMD article linked a Covington business to cancer-causing chemicals.
Nearly 200 citizens packed Calvary Baptist Church on Mills Street Thursday night -- many fearful of exposure and possible health issues.
‰??If it‰??s being omitted all the time then it‰??s really a 24-hour exposure to this chemical,‰?? said one citizen.
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WORKER SUES EXXON FOR INJURIES IN BAYTOWN PLANT EXPLOSION
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Worker-sues-Exxon-for-injuries-in-Baytown-plant-14274888.php
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
A worker who was injured in the Exxon Mobil plant explosion sued the chemical company on Thursday, asking for 1$ million in damages, according to the petition.
The worker, Daniel Serrano, is being treated for injuries to his neck, back, head and other parts of his body, the lawsuit said. In total, 37 people were injured Wednesday morning in the blast, which sent a plume of smoke around the Baytown facility and forced a brief shelter-in-place order.
"Filing this lawsuit will allow Daniel and his family to use the civil courts to discover what happened to cause this catastrophic explosion and to hold Exxon accountable," Serrano's attorney, Kyle Findley, said in a prepared statement. "All refinery accidents are preventable, and it's important for the workers and the community to find out what could have prevented this disaster."
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BELDING MANUFACTURER‰??S FAILURE TO SECURE VOLATILE CHEMICAL ‰??UNLAWFUL,‰?? JUDGE SAYS
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2019/08/belding-manufacturers-failure-to-secure-volatile-chemical-unlawful-judge-says.html
Tags: us_MI, industrial, follow-up, response, chlorine
BELDING, MI -- After ‰??continued failure‰?? to secure a volatile chemical, a Belding manufacturing plant now risks contempt of court.
Ionia County Circuit Judge Ronald Schafer recently ordered Kassouni Manufacturing Inc. to stop all production using the chemical, trichloroisocyanuric acid, and secure all remaining stocks.
Trichloroisocyanuric acid is a volatile chemical that catches fire and releases toxic chlorine gas when subjected to small amounts of water. KMI uses it in the production of tablets for chlorinating pools.
KMI‰??s ‰??continued failure to secure all trichloroisocyanuric acid at its manufacturing plant is unlawful, and poses an immediate and irreparable risk to the public health, safety and welfare,‰?? Schafer wrote in the July 26 order.
If KMI violates the order, they risk contempt of court, which could carry monetary fines.
In the 12 years or so that KMI has operated in a residential area of Belding, the company has had at least seven trichloroisocyanuric acid fires that resulted in toxic chlorine gas releases, according to the Ionia County Health Department.
---------------------------------------------
TEXAS COUNTY SUES EXXON OVER AIR POLLUTION FROM PETROCHEMICAL FIRE: OFFICIAL
https://kdal610.com/news/articles/2019/aug/01/exxon-faces-lawsuit-over-air-pollution-from-petrochemical-fire-official/923802/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Harris County, Texas sued Exxon Mobil Corp on Thursday over pollution from a fire a day earlier at the company's Baytown Olefins Plant, according to an attorney for the county.
The fire was being investigated by federal and state agencies. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) were at the scene to determine the cause of a blaze that raged for hours and raised a column of black smoke over the area.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which is authorized to probe industrial chemical accidents, will not investigate the Baytown Olefins Plant fire, said spokeswoman Hillary Cohen in a statement.
The suit by Harris County, which includes Baytown, is the second lawsuit this year against the company involving fires at the plant.
---------------------------------------------
UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS INSTALLS TEMPORARY LABS TO REPLACE THOSE DESTROYED BY FIRE
https://cen.acs.org/safety/lab-safety/University-St-Andrews-installs-temporary/97/i31
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
The University of St. Andrews is setting up temporary facilities for staff affected by a fire that destroyed the university‰??s biomedical sciences building earlier this year.
The fire, which broke out on Feb. 10, started when ‰??a routine post-experiment wash-up went wrong,‰?? the university previously said.
‰??Although the building‰??s compartment design restricted the spread of the blaze, the operation to douse the flames caused extensive water-damage to all areas‰?? of the facility, the university says. No students or staff were injured during the incident.
For researchers dislocated from their labs, the university is adding new chemistry research labs within the Purdie Building, home to the School of Chemistry. That work will cost å£3 million ($3.6 million).
In addition, the university in July began installing a temporary two-story building composed of 40 modular units. This building will include space for biology teaching and research labs, as well as offices. The project will cost the university å£9 million ($11 million) and should be completed by mid-October, the school says.
A university spokesperson tells C&EN it‰??s not yet clear how long the temporary building will be needed. More work must be done to determine when the permanent facilities will be restored, the spokesperson says.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL MIX-UP SPARKS EVACUATION OF CENTRAL LONDON SPORTS CENTRE
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/chemical-mixup-sparks-evacuation-of-central-london-sports-centre-a4203086.html
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
A mix-up with swimming pool cleaning chemicals sparked an emergency response at a Covent Garden sports centre with hundreds of people evacuated as acrid fumes filled the air.
Firefighters in yellow haz-mat sealed off the Oasis Sports Centre in Endell Street fearing a release of toxic gases in a scene likened by one witness to Ghostbusters.
Drinkers in the nearby Craft Beer Co pub were told to ditch their drinks and leave due to the alert at just before 6pm last night.
London Fire Brigade said 50 people were cleared from the sports centre and hundreds more were forced to flee nearby offices during the incident at about 4.30pm yesterday.
---------------------------------------------
THE BAD BOYS OF SPACE EXPLORATION AND THE ORIGINS OF THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
https://www.kcet.org/blue-sky-metropolis/the-bad-boys-of-space-exploration-and-the-origins-of-the-jet-propulsion
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, oxygen
It was Halloween 1936 in the wilds of the Arroyo Seco, beneath the towering San Gabriel Mountains. Seven young men ‰?? Jack Parsons, Ed Forman, Frank Malina, A.O. Smith, William Bollay, Carlos Woods and William Rockefeller ‰?? were up to no good, testing a homemade rocket motor of their own design.
‰??On the last attempt,‰?? a JPL history attests, ‰??they accidentally set fire to their oxygen line, which whipped around shooting fire!‰??Although the tests failed, the day would be remembered in history. A photographer was there, capturing the ‰??rocket boys‰??‰?? every experimental move, cementing their image as the bad boys of space exploration.
---------------------------------------------
READING FIRE MELTS CHEMICAL CONTAINERS AT COMPANY ON FRONT AND WASHINGTON STREETS
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/front-and-washington-streets-closed-as-fire-cleanup-continues
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, flammables
READING, PA ‰??
Reading fire officials, the Berks County Hazmat Team and the Reading police bomb squad responded Wednesday to a fire at a business that develops and packages cosmetic products at Front and Washington streets.
City Fire Marshal Jeremy L. Searfoss was still on the scene at 9 p.m., when employees of a hazardous waste cleanup company wearing special suits with self-contained breathing equipment continued removing chemicals from the basement of the building.
A fire was discovered about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the basement of Cospro Development Corp., 101 N. Front St., across Washington Street from the R/C Reading Movies 11 & Imax cineplex.
Crews had most of the flames out within 20 minutes, but needed about 90 minutes before they could declare the fire under control, Chief William I. Stoudt Sr. said Tuesday.
Several hours later a second fire broke out in the ceiling tiles of the basement, prompting a second fire fight. Between the two fires, Searfoss said, containers of chemicals used to make cosmetics, shampoos and other beauty products melted and their contents leaked and comingled on the floor of the basement.
"The bomb squad came and removed a material called nitrocellulose, which is known to be extremely flammable," Searfoss said.
---------------------------------------------
EPA SETTLEMENTS RESOLVE VIOLATIONS OF LAWS TO PREVENT CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS AT FACILITIES IN NEW ENGLAND
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-settlements-resolve-violations-laws-prevent-chemical-accidents-facilities-new
Tags: public, follow-up, environmental, hydrofluoric_acid, illegal
BOSTON ‰?? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced settlements with three companies that resolve alleged violations of Clean Air Act requirements for the safe handling of certain chemicals and substances at facilities in New England. The three companies‰??Elliott Auto Supply Company, which does business as Splash Products; SUEZ Water Environmental Services; and City Line Distributors‰??all agreed to pay penalties to resolve the alleged violations and have come into compliance with the Clean Air Act's General Duty Clause after EPA inspections and consultations with the agency. A fourth company‰??Photofabrication Engineering, Inc.‰??settled with EPA for failure to inform local and state responders about the presence of hydrofluoric acid at its facility, in alleged violation of the Emergency Planning and Community-Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
"Companies that use and store extremely hazardous substances must have the required safeguards in place to ensure New England communities are protected," said EPA New England Acting Regional Administrator Deb Szaro. "EPA is committed to holding accountable those entities that fail to reduce the risk of accidental releases by managing their chemicals safely, and the companies in these cases have made significant safety improvements as a result of EPA enforcement efforts."
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL FUMES PROMPT HAZMAT IN NEW HAVEN
https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Chemical-Fumes-Prompt-Hazmat-in-New-Haven-513452681.html
Tags: us_CT, industrial, release, response, chlorine
A release of chemical vapors led to a hazmat situation at a plant that makes chlorine in New Haven Wednesday.
It happened at the Kuehne Company, which makes chlorine used for pool sanitation.
Fire officials said they were first called out to the business on Welton Street around 11:30 a.m.
‰??Our members entered with meters to make detections,‰?? explained New Haven Fire Chief John Alston. "Once they started to dump it out it started to give off fumes."
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BAYTOWN EXXON MOBIL EXPLOSION, FIRE AT TEXAS REFINERY INJURES 37
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/07/31/exxon-mobil-explosion-fire-texas-refinery-injures-37/1883778001/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, injury, petroleum
HOUSTON ‰?? An explosion and fire at an Exxon Mobil oil refinery in Texas on Wednesday left 37 people with minor injuries, in the latest of a series of petrochemical industry blazes this year in the Houston area.
The fire began after an explosion at approximately 11:07 a.m. at an Exxon Mobil plant in Baytown, about 25 miles east of Houston. The facility processes light hydrocarbons including propane and propylene, materials used to make plastic and industrial products.
Jason Duncan, the plant manager, said many of those hurt suffered minor burns and all were being treated at a local clinic. Earlier, Exxon Mobil had said in a statement that six people were injured. All employees at the plant had been accounted for, officials said.
Right after the explosion, the fire sent large plumes of black smoke into the sky. By Wednesday afternoon, the smoke had lessened. Duncan said the fire had been isolated and contained but had not yet been extinguished.
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GEORGIA CITY PLEDGES TO TEST AIR FOR TOXIC GAS
https://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20190731/georgia-city-pledges-to-test-air-for-toxic-gas
Tags: us_GA, public, follow-up, environmental, ethylene_oxide
July 31, 2019 -- The city of Smyrna, GA, has pledged to do independent air testing for a cancer-causing chemical released by a medical sterilizing plant there, which would make it one of just a handful of communities nationwide to have its air tested for ethylene oxide.
‰??We want to be as proactive as we can,‰?? Tim Gould of the Smyrna City Council said to hundreds of residents. They filled the auditorium at a local middle school on Tuesday night to voice concerns about a Sterigenics plant‰??s longtime releases of the toxic gas ethylene oxide in the area.
Just 5 minutes after the meeting started, police officers were turning people away who wanted to get in, citing fire codes. Many remained outside, watching the meeting through live video streamed to social media sites.
If Smyrna carries through on its plans, it will become one of just five communities to get its air tested for ethylene oxide, used to sterilize medical equipment as well as make other products like antifreeze. The EPA in 2018 flagged 109 census tracts in 26 communities nationally as having higher cancer risks because of exposure to airborne toxins, mainly ethylene oxide. That prediction was based on modeling, not measurement of chemicals in the air.
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