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Previous by Date: Subject: [DCHAS-L] C&EN Podcast: Building a culture of safety Date: Monday, August 12, 2019 at 7:17:49 AM Author: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG> |
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, August 12, 2019 at 7:31:04 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 (20 articles)
COMMUNITY OUTREACH 35 YEARS AFTER BHOPAL
Tags: us_PA, industrial, discovery, environmental
ASPHALT SPILL PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE TO GREKA PLANT WEST OF SANTA MARIA
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, asphalt
DOZENS KILLED IN TANZANIA FUEL TANKER EXPLOSION
Tags: Tanzania, transportation, explosion, death, batteries
EXPLOSION HAZARDS OF SODIUM HYDRIDE IN DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE, N,N-DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE, AND N,N-DIMETHYLACETAMIDE
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, sodium_hydride, solvent
4 EMPLOYEES INJURED AFTER FIRE AT HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL COMPANY IN MILLINGTON
Tags: us_TN, public, fire, injury, waste
TWO INJURED, WORKERS DECONTAMINATED AMID HAZMAT INCIDENT AT MILLINGTON BUSINESS
Tags: us_TN, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
AMMONIA LEAK FROM ICE RINK THE CAUSE OF WATERFRONT EVACUATION: HAMILTON FIRE
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, ammonia
IT'S BEEN A YEAR. SO, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED WHEN MERCURY SPILLED IN THE COPPELL MAIL CENTER?
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, response, mercury
EPA WON'T APPROVE WARNING LABELS FOR ROUNDUP CHEMICAL
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, pesticides
RESIDENTS STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND CAMP FIRE CONTAMINATION AT STANDING HOMES ‰?? CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, environmental, dust
RUSSIA EXPLOSION: FIVE CONFIRMED DEAD IN ROCKET BLAST
Tags: Russia, industrial, explosion, death, other_chemical
TEACHERS' STRIKE TO GO AHEAD AT SCOTS 'BLUE WATER' SCHOOLS AFTER REVIEW FINDS BANNED CHEMICAL
Tags: United_Kingdom, education, discovery, environmental, toxics
WAUKEGAN SILICONE PLANT EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION INCONCLUSIVE, CAUSE MAY NEVER BE KNOWN
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical
COMMUNITY ASKED TO AVOID AREA FOLLOWING CHEMICAL EXPLOSION IN CWRU LAB
Tags: us_OH, laboratory, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD WITHDRAWS APPEAL OVER ACCIDENT REPORTING
Tags: us_DC, public, follow-up, environmental
HAMILTON WATERFRONT ATTRACTIONS EVACUATED FOR AMMONIA LEAK
Tags: Canada, public, fire, response, ammonia
ELLIS LIBRARY EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK IN BASEMENT
Tags: us_MO, education, release, response, hvac_chemical
KIETZKE NEAR MILL BACK OPEN AFTER HAZMAT INVESTIGATION
Tags: us_NV, public, release, injury, ethylene_oxide
SIX STATES SEEK REVERSAL OF EPA CHLORPYRIFOS DECISION
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, ag_chems, pesticides
WORKERS BEGIN DISPOSING DANGEROUS CHEMICAL AT SHUTDOWN PHILADELPHIA REFINERY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, response, hydrofluoric_acid, waste
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH 35 YEARS AFTER BHOPAL
https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/Community-outreach-35-years-Bhopal/97/i32
Tags: us_PA, industrial, discovery, environmental
Shell Chemical is 7 years into a community liaison program for an ethylene cracker it began building a year and a half ago on the Ohio River near Pittsburgh. New to the region, with the first petrochemical plant accessing ethane from the Marcellus Shale natural gas reserve, Shell will be relying on community outreach know-how that the industry has garnered over decades. Some 200 mi (322 km) south, companies in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia, host to scores of chemical operations since World War I, have confronted the challenge of opening up to communities and organizing outreach since the 1980s. Shocked into taking action by the deadly 1984 accident at a chemical plant in Bhopal, India‰??a sister facility to one in West Virginia‰??companies in the region became pioneers in a global industry-improvement program called Responsible Care. In the 35th anniversary year of the Bhopal explosion, C&EN traveled to Pennsylvania and West Virginia to assess the current state of !
community relations in the chemical industry.
---------------------------------------------
ASPHALT SPILL PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE TO GREKA PLANT WEST OF SANTA MARIA
https://www.noozhawk.com/article/asphalt_spill_spurs_hazmat_response_greka_plant_west_santa_maria_20190810
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, asphalt
A spill of liquid asphalt at a Greka refinery west of Santa Maria prompted a hazmat response Saturday afternoon.
At 4:15 p.m., crews from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department were dispatched to 1660 Sinton Road, according to Capt. Daniel Bertucelli.
Forty to 50 barrels of liquid asphalt were released from a large tank at the site, Bertucelli said.
The leak stopped, and the asphalt was contained to the site, he added.
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DOZENS KILLED IN TANZANIA FUEL TANKER EXPLOSION
http://en.rfi.fr/africa/20190810-dozens-killed-tanzania-fuel-tanker-explosion
Tags: Tanzania, transportation, explosion, death, batteries
More than 60 people have been killed in Tanzania after a fuel tanker overturned and exploded on a highway 200 kilometres west of the biggest city, Dar es Salaam, authorities said Saturday.
Police reports said a vehicle was travelling on a highway in the Morogoro coastal region, when it overturned about 7am local time.
Witnesses said that hundreds of people on motorcycles rushed over to fetch fuel from the stricken tanker. When one of them attempted to remove its battery, a huge explosion was triggered, burning everything in the vicinity.
---------------------------------------------
EXPLOSION HAZARDS OF SODIUM HYDRIDE IN DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE, N,N-DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE, AND N,N-DIMETHYLACETAMIDE
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.oprd.9b00276
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, sodium_hydride, solvent
The hazards associated with the thermal decomposition of chemically incompatible sodium hydride solvent matrices are known, with reports from the 1960s detailing the inherent instability of NaH/dimethyl sulfoxide, NaH/N,N-dimethylformamide, and NaH/N,N-dimethylacetamide mixtures. However, these hazards remain underappreciated and undercommunicated, likely as a consequence of the widespread use of these NaH/solvent matrices in synthetic chemistry. We report herein detailed investigations into the thermal stability of these mixtures and studies of the formation of gaseous products from their thermal decomposition. We expect this contribution to promote awareness of these hazards within the wider scientific community, encourage scientists to identify and pursue safer alternatives, and most importantly, help to prevent incidents associated with these reactive mixtures.
---------------------------------------------
4 EMPLOYEES INJURED AFTER FIRE AT HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL COMPANY IN MILLINGTON
https://www.fox13memphis.com/top-stories/4-employees-injured-after-fire-at-hazardous-waste-disposal-company-in-millington/974495222
Tags: us_TN, public, fire, injury, waste
SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. - Four people were injured after a hazardous waste disposal company caught fire in Millington.
Crews were called to Tradebe Environmental Services in the 5400 block of Victory Lane.
Officials with the Shelby County Fire Department told FOX13 multiple employees were been injured. Four people were injured, two were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
One victim received burns, the others suffered from heat exposure-related injuries.
A spokesperson explained the fire started where the barrels are shredded. An unidentified organic compound in the barrel reacted with the shredder.
---------------------------------------------
TWO INJURED, WORKERS DECONTAMINATED AMID HAZMAT INCIDENT AT MILLINGTON BUSINESS
https://www.localmemphis.com/news/two-injured-workers-decontaminated-amid-hazmat-incident-at-millington-business/
Tags: us_TN, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
MILLINGTON, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) ‰?? Two workers have been injured in a hazmat incident at a Millington facility.
Shelby County fire officials tell us it happened just after 8:00 a.m. at Tradebe Millington in the 5400 block of Victory Lane. They say there was some sort of fire, and two workers were minorly burned and taken to the hospital.
Fire officials say the chemical the workers were dealing with spread, and now all 36 employees are being decontaminated.
We are told there is not a danger to anyone nearby, and it‰??s contained to the business.
---------------------------------------------
AMMONIA LEAK FROM ICE RINK THE CAUSE OF WATERFRONT EVACUATION: HAMILTON FIRE
https://globalnews.ca/news/5746652/ammonia-leak-ice-rink-waterfront-evacuation/
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, ammonia
Hamilton fire says a compressor inside the refrigeration room used for the outdoor ice rink at Pier 8 caused an ammonia leak precipitating an evacuation on Thursday afternoon.
Deputy fire Chief John Verbeek told Global News that hazmat teams arrived at a location near the Waterfront Grill building on Discovery Drive around 5:00 p.m. to fix a ‰??minor leak.‰??
‰??As a precaution, firefighters evacuated the nearby area, including Williams CafÌ©, and ventilated the room,‰?? said Verbeek. ‰??Hazmat crews then entered the room and were able to shut off the supply of ammonia to the compressor.‰??
Verbeek said the building was turned back over to the owners around 9:00 p.m. on Thursday night after crews ventilated the refrigeration room.
---------------------------------------------
IT'S BEEN A YEAR. SO, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED WHEN MERCURY SPILLED IN THE COPPELL MAIL CENTER?
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/watchdog/2019/08/09/year-actually-happened-mercury-spilled-coppell-mail-center
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, response, mercury
Exactly a year ago, one of the largest mail processing plants in the region suddenly shut down.
Some people didn't get mail for days.
The reason? A shipment cracked open, and one of the most dangerous substances known to humanity spilled.
ADVERTISING
Mercury.
The Watchdog was fascinated by this mishap at the large facility in the 900 block of West Bethel Road in Coppell.
---------------------------------------------
EPA WON'T APPROVE WARNING LABELS FOR ROUNDUP CHEMICAL
https://cnycentral.com/news/nation-world/epa-wont-approve-warning-labels-for-roundup-chemical
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, pesticides
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ‰?? The Trump administration has instructed companies not to warn customers about products that contain glyphosate, a move aimed at California as it fights one of the world's largest agriculture companies about the potentially cancer-causing chemical.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it will no longer approve labels warning glyphosate is known to cause cancer. The chemical is marketed as a weed killer by Monsanto under the brand Roundup.
---------------------------------------------
RESIDENTS STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND CAMP FIRE CONTAMINATION AT STANDING HOMES ‰?? CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD
https://www.chicoer.com/2019/08/09/residents-still-trying-to-understand-camp-fire-contamination-at-standing-homes/
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, environmental, dust
PARADISE ‰?? A stale chemical smell hangs in Lisa Kasza‰??s garage in lower Paradise. Piles of toys, books and other possessions covered in a thin layer of dust wait to be thrown out.
Nine months ago, the Camp Fire burned all the trees, bushes and grasses right up to her home, melted her sprinklers and outdoor water pipes, shattered a couple windows and sent char onto the carpet and wood floors and inside the walls.
Though her home survived, Kasza is far from feeling like she has recovered, she said. She is one of the many owners of standing homes in the Camp Fire areas who are still working out the details of their partial loss claims with their insurance companies.
One hurdle has been getting a good understanding of the extent of possible health risks from the smoke and ash that soaked into the homes that day and the following months. There are no industry-wide recognized standards specifically regarding contamination from urban wildfire smoke and ash in homes. So in the Camp Fire areas, insurance companies and environmental health professionals have taken a sometimes uneven approach, leaving homeowners to compare notes and request the clean-up they want.
---------------------------------------------
RUSSIA EXPLOSION: FIVE CONFIRMED DEAD IN ROCKET BLAST
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49301438
Tags: Russia, industrial, explosion, death, other_chemical
Five people were killed and three injured following a rocket explosion on an Arctic naval test range in Russia on Thursday, state nuclear company Rosatom confirmed.
Rosatom said the accident occurred during tests on a liquid propellant rocket engine.
The three injured staff members suffered serious burns in the accident.
Authorities had previously said that two people died and six were injured in the blast at the site in Nyonoksa.
The company told Russian media that its engineering and technical team had been working on the "isotope power source" for the propulsion system.
---------------------------------------------
TEACHERS' STRIKE TO GO AHEAD AT SCOTS 'BLUE WATER' SCHOOLS AFTER REVIEW FINDS BANNED CHEMICAL
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/teachers-strike-go-ahead-scots-18876341
Tags: United_Kingdom, education, discovery, environmental, toxics
The Teachers‰?? Union says strike action at two North Lanarkshire schools is still planned to go ahead after a review found an elevated level of a banned chemical .
An independent report published today into health and safety concerns at the St Ambrose and Buchanan High Schools in Coatbridge discovered polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the campus.
However, the survey concluded the schools are safe and there is no link between the site and illness.
It comes after staff reported blue water and expressed fears of a link between possible exposure to chemicals and illness among staff and pupils.
We previously reported how four current and former staff at the campus were diagnosed with cancer and mum Josie Morgan, from Plains , told how son Tommi lost his sight and has elevated arsenic levels in his system after starting at Buchanan High last year.
---------------------------------------------
WAUKEGAN SILICONE PLANT EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION INCONCLUSIVE, CAUSE MAY NEVER BE KNOWN
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/ct-lns-waukegan-explosion-update-st-0810-20190809-vttkwlm7gvfnha6hbm3j5grp5i-story.html
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical
The Waukegan Fire Department‰??s role in investigating the May 3 explosion at AB Specialty Silicones of Waukegan is just about wrapped up, and a conclusive cause for the blast that killed four people and destroyed the plant has not been nailed down.
It may never be, according to Waukegan Fire Marshal Steve Lanzi.
‰??From a municipal standpoint, we‰??re ruling out intentional causes,‰?? Lenzi said, adding that he is also confident that investigators have determined the point of origin of the explosion in the plant.
Lenzi said local investigators have been unable to pinpoint an exact cause.
Lenzi noted that the closest witnesses to the incident cannot be interviewed, unfortunately, because they did not survive the blast, or died soon after.
---------------------------------------------
COMMUNITY ASKED TO AVOID AREA FOLLOWING CHEMICAL EXPLOSION IN CWRU LAB
https://fox8.com/2019/08/09/community-asked-to-avoid-area-following-chemical-explosion-at-cwru-lab/
Tags: us_OH, laboratory, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
CLEVELAND ‰?? Firefighters were called to Case Western Reserve University Friday night after a campus building experienced a chemical explosion.
According to the university, the chemical explosion happened around 6 p.m. in a science lab in the Kent Hale Smith Building on Adelbert Road.
Environmental Health and Safety staff are currently cleaning up the scene. Hazmat officials were called in as a precaution, Cleveland fire reports.
No injuries have been reported.
Case is asking community members to avoid the area until further notice.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD WITHDRAWS APPEAL OVER ACCIDENT REPORTING
https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20190809/NEWS08/912330075/Chemical-safety-board-withdraws-appeal-over-accident-reporting
Tags: us_DC, public, follow-up, environmental
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has withdrawn its appeal of a federal district court judge‰??s order to adopt regulations requiring people to report accidental chemical releases to the agency.
A judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the CSB to promulgate reporting regulations within 12 months of the court‰??s Feb. 4 order, according to court documents in Air Alliance Houston et al v. U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. On Thursday, the CSB filed an unopposed motion to drop its appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The CSB‰??s rulemaking schedule remains unchanged and the agency intends to issue a proposed rule in October and publish a final rule by Feb. 1, 2020, according to a spokesperson.
Congress established the CSB by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and directed the agency to promulgate certain reporting requirements concerning accidental chemical releases, but the agency has not done as Congress directed since beginning its operations in 1998, according to the judge‰??s ruling.
---------------------------------------------
HAMILTON WATERFRONT ATTRACTIONS EVACUATED FOR AMMONIA LEAK
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9541315-hamilton-waterfront-attractions-evacuated-for-ammonia-leak/
Tags: Canada, public, fire, response, ammonia
An ammonia leak prompted firefighters to evacuate the city's Pier 8 waterfront buildings for about four hours.
The buildings were emptied and police blocked vehicle access to the pier after a security guard heard an alarm and noticed an odour in the Waterfront Grill building at 47 Discovery Dr. around 5 p.m. Thursday.
The guard "caught a whiff of ammonia," said acting fire platoon chief Mike Hamelin, spurring a HAZMAT (hazardous materials) response that included firefighters with oxygen tanks and isolation suits trying to stop a slow ammonia leak.
Ammonia is a colourless gas that is often used as a refrigerant. Exposure to high levels can burn eyes, skin and lungs.
---------------------------------------------
ELLIS LIBRARY EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK IN BASEMENT
https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/ellis-library-evacuated-after-chemical-leak-in-basement/article_ed55b3a2-ba07-11e9-bf36-6b124eca26ae.html
Tags: us_MO, education, release, response, hvac_chemical
Library was briefly evacuated around noon Thursday after potentially dangerous chemicals were leaked from an air conditioning unit in the library basement.
MU Police Department officers and Columbia firefighters responded to the incident. No one was injured, said Sheena Rice, outreach manager for the MU News Bureau.
Sara Diedrich, MU police spokesperson, said employees were moving the old air conditioning unit that leaked the chemicals, which set off the fire alarm. Diedrich said she is not aware of any damage to library property.
---------------------------------------------
KIETZKE NEAR MILL BACK OPEN AFTER HAZMAT INVESTIGATION
https://www.kolotv.com/content/news/Hazmat-situation-closes-portion-of-Kietzke-near-Mill-528436971.html
Tags: us_NV, public, release, injury, ethylene_oxide
RENO, NV (KOLO) - The Reno Fire Department has identified the chemical that prompted a hazmat investigation, closing down a portion of Kietzke Lane near Mill Street Thursday afternoon.
The first calls came in around 12PM August 8, 2019.
The fire department says two workers were in a drain pipe when they started to feel nauseous. They were reportedly exposed to ethylene oxide, a colorless gas with a sweet ether-like odor. They were taken to a hospital. No update on their conditions has been released.
Earlier, police asked surrounding businesses to keep people inside during the investigation.
Kietzke between Mill and Automotive Way was closed for about two hours, but has since reopened.
Authorities are trying to determine how the chemicals got into the sewer system. They said it poses no risk to the public. Reno Public Works and the Washoe District Health Department are working to take care of the issue.
---------------------------------------------
SIX STATES SEEK REVERSAL OF EPA CHLORPYRIFOS DECISION
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/12496-six-states-seek-reversal-of-epa-chlorpyrifos-decision
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, ag_chems, pesticides
Six states, including California and New York, have sued the Environmental Protection Agency over its decision to allow continued use of chlorpyrifos, alleging the agency did not adequately ensure infants and children are protected.
‰??Chlorpyrifos causes significant harm to our children, farm workers and vulnerable communities,‰?? California Gov. Gavin Newsom said. ‰??California is doing our part to address the harms of this pesticide ‰?? it‰??s time for D.C. to do theirs.‰??
---------------------------------------------
WORKERS BEGIN DISPOSING DANGEROUS CHEMICAL AT SHUTDOWN PHILADELPHIA REFINERY
https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/workers-begin-disposing-dangerous-chemical-shutdown-philadelphia-refinery
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, response, hydrofluoric_acid, waste
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) ‰?? Workers have begun the dangerous task of disposing of hydrofluoric acid at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery, shut down since a disastrous fire in June. Officials predict the process will take weeks to complete.
Hydroflouric acid, or HF, is so toxic that a small splash of it on the skin can be fatal. Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said workers in hazmat suits are combining a strong base with the acid to "neutralize" it.
"The resulting products can be dealt with here on the site. They can go into the permitted and regulated by DEP waste water treatment plant that's operated here on the site and DEP is maintaining very close oversight of that," he said.
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