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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (14 articles)
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2019 07:51:03 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: F119C920-43BE-4FF2-B6EF-BF12E8908048**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, December 16, 2019 at 7:50:46 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 (14 articles)
HAZMAT SITUATION AT ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY, STUDENTS EVACUATED
Tags: us_RI, education, release, response, dust
ONE PERSON IN HOSPITAL AFTER EVACUATION DUE TO NOXIOUS SUBSTANCE
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
CREWS EXTINGUISH FIRE CAUSED BY RUPTURED PIPELINE IN INDUSTRY, NO INJURIES REPORTED ‰?? SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE
Tags: us_CA, transportation, fire, response, natural_gas
POLICE EXPLORE POSSIBLE CRIMINAL ORIGIN OF MERCURY EXPOSURE IN WEST HOUSTON
Tags: us_TX, public, release, environmental, illegal, mercury
SAWMILL BREWERY FIRE: BURNING LAUNDRY STARTED BLAZE AT CRAFT BEER PLANT IN MATAKANA
Tags: New_Zealand, public, fire, response, cleaners
I-10 CLOSED AT I-17 AFTER TRUCK TURNS OVER, CAUSING NATURAL GAS LEAK
Tags: us_AZ, transportation, release, injury, methane, natural_gas
1 KILLED, 3 INJURED IN EXPLOSION IN IISC LAB IN BENGALURU
Tags: India, laboratory, explosion, death, gas_cylinders
HERE'S WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER TRY TO PUT OUT A GREASE FIRE WITH WATER
Tags: us_OH, public, fire, response, grease
LE HAVRE: FIRE IN CHECK IN A TOTAL REFINERY
Tags: France, industrial, fire, response, petroleum
UPDATE: MERCURY SPILL AT OSWEGO WATER TREATMENT PLANT CLEANED UP
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, response, mercury
SMALL FIRE AT WACKER CHEMICAL CORP. QUICKLY PUT OUT
Tags: us_MI, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS WANT JUDGE TO ORDER RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS IN TWO HARRIS COUNTY CHEMICAL FIRES
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL REACTION CAUSES HAZMAT SCARE AT MANUFACTURER'S WAREHOUSE IN SOUTH JORDAN
Tags: us_UT, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
NEW YORK RESTRICTS 1,4-DIOXANE IN CLEANING AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
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HAZMAT SITUATION AT ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY, STUDENTS EVACUATED
https://turnto10.com/news/local/marine-and-natural-sciences-building-at-roger-williams-university-evacuated
Tags: us_RI, education, release, response, dust
BRISTOL, R.I. (WJAR) ‰?? The Marine & Natural Sciences building at Roger Williams University was evacuated following a hazmat incident on Sunday afternoon.
Crews responded to 1 Old Ferry Road in Bristol after a fire retardant was discharged in one of the labs.
Upon investigation, powder was found from the retardant and authorities had the building evacuated for precaution.
The Bristol Fire Department was called to evaluate and clean up the scene.
Officials determined the fire retardant was not prompted by a fire or other emergency.
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ONE PERSON IN HOSPITAL AFTER EVACUATION DUE TO NOXIOUS SUBSTANCE
https://london.ctvnews.ca/one-person-in-hospital-after-evacuation-due-to-noxious-substance-1.4731018
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
LONDON, ONTARIO -- An apartment building on Godfrey Drive in London was evacuated early Sunday morning, due to a noxious substance.
One person was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Middlesex EMS, the London Fire Department and their Hazmat Team were on scene as the building was evacuated as a precaution.
While the investigation is still on-going, there is no threat to public saftey at this time.
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CREWS EXTINGUISH FIRE CAUSED BY RUPTURED PIPELINE IN INDUSTRY, NO INJURIES REPORTED ‰?? SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE
https://www.sgvtribune.com/2019/12/15/crews-extinguish-fire-caused-by-ruptured-pipeline-in-industry-no-injuries-reported/
Tags: us_CA, transportation, fire, response, natural_gas
INDUSTRY ‰?? County firefighters extinguished a fire caused by a ruptured petroleum products pipeline Sunday in the City of Industry, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
GAS MAIN BREAK WITH FIRE | FS 61 | 100 S Brea Canyon Road #CityofIndustry| Malfunction at a unleaded gas distribution/pumping station sends 12 foot flames spewing from 24 inch supply pipe. Fuel contained. Knockdown achieved with no injuries. Repairs underway.
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POLICE EXPLORE POSSIBLE CRIMINAL ORIGIN OF MERCURY EXPOSURE IN WEST HOUSTON
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Chemical-spill-blocks-west-Houston-roads-14908260.php
Tags: us_TX, public, release, environmental, illegal, mercury
Houston police are investigating the origins of a small amount of mercury found Sunday near three businesses off the West Sam Houston Tollway, where firefighters decontaminated up to 60 people as a precaution, officials said.
Exposure to mercury, a heavy silvery metal that maintains a liquid form at normal temperatures, can be dangerous when ingested or inhaled. However, officials with the Houston Health Department said that the mercury found Sunday posed an ‰??extremely low‰?? risk to the public, because trace amounts were found on the ground outside.
A pregnant woman was the only person hospitalized during the cleanup, according to Houston Fire Chief Sam Pe̱a. He added there was no risk to anyone outside the contaminated area.
‰??Anybody who was processed through the decontamination corridor did so as a precaution,‰?? Pe̱a said. ‰??If they had it on their shoes or the lower part of their pants, we did that as a precaution before we led people out of the zones where we discovered the material.‰??
An unidentified ‰??concerned citizen‰?? who works in the chemical industry reported a white silvery substance on the ground at 11:15 a.m. in the 10700 block of Westview near the parkway. Firefighters responded and found the chemical outside the nearby Walmart, Sonic Drive-In and a Shell gas station.
It‰??s unclear how long the mercury had been on the ground or how it got there, said Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Matt Slinkard. He said the police investigation will focus on whether the exposure was intentional or accidental.
Slinkard said investigators are following up on two potential leads: a burglary at a business or warehouse near the exposure site, and a man at a county hospital who on Saturday night or Sunday morning reported mercury exposure. If the exposure does prove to be intentional, the FBI will head up the criminal investigation, Slinkard said.
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SAWMILL BREWERY FIRE: BURNING LAUNDRY STARTED BLAZE AT CRAFT BEER PLANT IN MATAKANA
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/118073802/sawmill-brewery-fire-burning-laundry-started-blaze-at-craft-beer-plant-in-matakana
Tags: New_Zealand, public, fire, response, cleaners
A late-night fire at Matakana's Sawmill Brewery which left it extensively damaged was caused by the "spontaneous ignition" of a pile of laundry.
Multiple fire crews were called to the north Auckland brewery just before 11pm on October 7.
A fire investigator found burn patterns that suggested the blaze started in a pile of tea towels, aprons and chair covers, which had been placed near a set of stairs leading to the office.
The fire was classified as accidental and the investigator concluded it was caused by an "exothermic reaction" ‰?? a chemical reaction which releases energy in the form of light or heat ‰?? to the laundry which saw it smoulder then catch alight.
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I-10 CLOSED AT I-17 AFTER TRUCK TURNS OVER, CAUSING NATURAL GAS LEAK
https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/i-10-closed-at-i-17-after-truck-turns-over-causing-natural-gas-leak/75-5da2a8ee-b55f-48d2-8175-ef296aeae057
Tags: us_AZ, transportation, release, injury, methane, natural_gas
PHOENIX ‰?? A lengthly closure is taking place on Interstate 10 in Phoenix near the Interstate 17 stack after a truck reportedly rolled off the road, crashed and caused a natural gas leak.
The driver of the truck has non-life threatening injuries, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
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1 KILLED, 3 INJURED IN EXPLOSION IN IISC LAB IN BENGALURU
https://dentondaily.com/1-killed-3-injured-in-explosion-in-iisc-lab-in-bengaluru/
Tags: India, laboratory, explosion, death, gas_cylinders
A suspected cylinder blast killed a 32-year old technician and injured three others during an experiment in a laboratory of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru on Wednesday, police said.
Four technicians of a private start-up company were involved in some experiment when an explosion occurred suddenly at around 2.20 pm, they said.
Technician Manoj from Mysuru died on the spot while three others suffered injuries.
The injured have been admitted to a private hospital where their condition was said to be stable, police said.
A release from the IISc said an FIR had been registered by Sadhasghivanagar police and investigations were on.
‰??A case of suspected blast of a cylinder was received from the laboratory of Hypersonics and Shockwave research of the Aerospace Department in the afternoon‰?|,‰?? it said confirming the casualties.
Though the nature of explosion and its cause were yet to be established, it was suspected that the incident occurred due to a blast in a cylinder containing some gas, police said.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Niranjan Raj Urs told PTI that the start-up company Superwave Technologies Private Limited was having a tie-up with the IISc for carrying out experiments pertaining to its research.
‰??Forensic experts would ascertain the actual cause of the accident but it seems like a cylinder blast,‰?? he said.
---------------------------------------------
HERE'S WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER TRY TO PUT OUT A GREASE FIRE WITH WATER
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/cleveland-metro/heres-why-you-should-never-try-to-put-out-a-grease-fire-with-water
Tags: us_OH, public, fire, response, grease
EUCLID, Ohio ‰?? A house went up in flames early Saturday morning when a resident on the Cleveland/Euclid border tried to put out a grease fire with water.
The fire happened shortly before 6 a.m. in a second-floor apartment in the 600 block of East 185th Street.
According to Cleveland fire officials, the resident tried putting the kitchen grease fire out with water, but that caused the flames to flare up and spread to the rest of the kitchen.
---------------------------------------------
LE HAVRE: FIRE IN CHECK IN A TOTAL REFINERY
https://ourbitcoinnews.com/le-havre-fire-under-control-in-a-total-refinery/
Tags: France, industrial, fire, response, petroleum
The fire of a crude oil pump into the Total refinery of Normandy, the greatest in France, classified Seveso large threshold, caused considerable plumes of smoke Saturday at dawn over a place of ‰??‰??ten kilometers east of Le Havre, without hurting any person, before becoming brought in check.
This incident comes the afternoon following the signing of a prefectural purchase authorizing the limited but highly contested reopening of this Lubrizol factory in Rouen, additionally categorized as a top limit Seveso site, element of that was ravaged by flames on September 26 , causing a gigantic plume of black colored smoke 22 kilometers very long.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: MERCURY SPILL AT OSWEGO WATER TREATMENT PLANT CLEANED UP
https://www.nny360.com/news/oswegocounty/update-mercury-spill-at-oswego-water-treatment-plant-cleaned-up/article_0e5035e7-5522-502d-8d8a-45e7525bdbe3.html
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, response, mercury
OSWEGO ‰?? A half-cup mercury spill found Friday morning on the basement floor of the city‰??s westside water treatment plant has been cleaned up, Oswego Fire Department Chief Randall Griffin said Friday evening.
The spill was discovered by maintenance workers during a routine inspection of the area. Two decades-old, out of commission, mercury-filled meters (possibly from the 1960s) had been leaned up against the basement wall, and one or both had leaked. Each of the meters can contain up to 12 pounds of mercury, according to Griffin, and most of it still remained in them. Both were removed along with the spill.
The Oswego Fire Department, in conjunction with the Syracuse Hazardous Materials Team, make up a regional hazmat team that joined forces around 10:30 Friday morning for the cleanup. Four members of the team were sent into the basement and cleaned the area using both a hand-held suction device and a powder that, when mixed with the mercury, congeals it into a solid. The cleanup was completed by 1 p.m.
While four members of the team went inside to address the spill, other members remained outside to decontaminate the cleaners, their suits, the soles of their feet, and the equipment used. The water used to rinse everything and everyone off was contained and pumped off into a containment vessel that will be tested by an outside environmental company. Any contaminated hazmat suits will be disposed of
---------------------------------------------
SMALL FIRE AT WACKER CHEMICAL CORP. QUICKLY PUT OUT
https://www.lenconnect.com/news/20191214/small-fire-at-wacker-chemical-corp-quickly-put-out
Tags: us_MI, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
RAISIN TWP. ‰?? A small fire at the Wacker Chemical Corp. in Raisin Township Friday caused the evacuation of a building on the campus but no injuries.
According to a post on Twitter from the Lenawee County Office of Emergency Management Friday afternoon, the fire started at 8:20 a.m at the HC4 plant.
Raisin Township Fire Chief Jim Hannah said his department was dispatched shortly thereafter for a mixer that was on fire.
‰??When we got there, their fire suppression system had actually put it out,‰?? Hannah said. ‰??So we stayed around to make sure there wasn‰??t going to be a rekindle and just assisted them with overhaul of the mixer to make sure the fire was out all the way.‰??
Hannah said that there was no damage to the building and only minor damage to the mixer. The department was on the scene for four hours, helping plant employees who took insulation off the sides of the machine to make sure there were no hidden fires.
---------------------------------------------
FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS WANT JUDGE TO ORDER RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS IN TWO HARRIS COUNTY CHEMICAL FIRES
https://texasmonitor.org/federal-investigators-want-judge-to-order-release-of-documents-in-two-harris-county-chemical-fires/
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
The federal Chemical Safety Board wants a judge to order Harris County to turn over documents related to its investigation into two recent chemical fires, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Federal prosecutors filed a petition on Wednesday in Houston seeking to force Harris County Fire Marshall Laurie L. Christensen to turn over documents that could help their investigation. Prosecutors argued the safety board‰??s efforts have been stymied by Christensen because the county has failed to turn over documents even after it was issued administrative subpoenas, the newspaper reported.
Dan Tillema, the investigator in charge, wrote in an affidavit that the investigation has been harmed by ‰??hostility and entrenchment of the county‰??s asserted legal positions.‰??
Fire marshal office spokeswoman Rachel Moreno told the Chronicle that an opinion from the Texas attorney general‰??s office ‰??stated that certain information could not be released because it is a part of an ongoing criminal investigation.‰??
The Harris County Attorney‰??s Office also told the fire marshal‰??s office that releasing the information to the CSB would interfere with its investigation and possible prosecution of crimes involved in the fires., Moreno said.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL REACTION CAUSES HAZMAT SCARE AT MANUFACTURER'S WAREHOUSE IN SOUTH JORDAN
https://gephardtdaily.com/top-stories/chemical-reaction-causes-hazmat-scare-at-manufacturers-warehouse-in-south-jordan/
Tags: us_UT, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, Dec. 13, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) ‰?? Hazmat crews from several cities responded to a dental manufacturing plant in South Jordan Friday after a call regarding a chemical reaction.
Deputy Chief Ryan Lessner, South Jordan Fire Department, told Gephardt Daily that he call came in Friday afternoon, and crews responded to the warehouse of UltraDent, at 505 W. 10200 South, South Jordan.
The company manufactures dentists tools and materials used by in the dental processes of bonding, tooth whitening, making impressions and other procedures.
‰??Our crews were dispatched on a report of a possible hazmat spill,‰?? Lessner said. ‰??They had 5-gallon containers of chemical mixtures they were mixing, and they got a reaction they were not expecting.‰??
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NEW YORK RESTRICTS 1,4-DIOXANE IN CLEANING AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/New-York-restricts-14-dioxane/97/web/2019/12
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
New York is banning the sale of household cleaning and personal care products containing more than 2 ppm of 1,4-dioxane at the end of 2022. The state is the first in the US to set a maximum contaminant limit in products for 1,4-dioxane, which the US Environmental Protection Agency says is a likely human carcinogen and does not readily biodegrade in the environment.
The law, signed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Dec. 9, further tightens the limit to 1 ppm on Dec. 31, 2023. The law also prevents the sale in New York of cosmetics with more than 10 ppm of 1,4-dioxane as of the end of 2022.
The American Cleaning Institute, which represents producers of soaps and detergents, says the law is ‰??ill advised‰?? and could halt the sales of many common household products in New York.
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