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Previous by Date: Subject: [DCHAS-L] flammable hazardous waste Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at 6:26:31 AM Author: Melissa Ballard <melissa.ballard**At_Symbol_Here**MICHELIN.COM> |
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at 6:40:26 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 (19 articles)
TANK CONTAINING COOKING OIL EXPLODES IN CHELSEA
Tags: us_MA, industrial, explosion, response, biodiesel, gasoline
OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE CAUSE OF FIRE AT ENERGY STORAGE FACILITY IN SW PHILLY ‰?? NBC10 PHILADELPHIA
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
DELAWARE COUNTY TASK FORCE NARROWING IN ON MYSTERIOUS ODOR
Tags: us_PA, public, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical
SUSPECT ACCUSED IN MERCURY THEFT, SPILLS TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE 'THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO PLAY WITH'
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, follow-up, response, mercury
5 TREATED AFTER REPORTS OF CHEMICAL ODOR AT SAN FRANCISCO APARTMENT BUILDING
Tags: us_CA, public, release, environmental, bleach
BREWSTER PLEASED WITH EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO CHEMICAL SCARE
Tags: us_OH, transportation, follow-up, environmental, chlorine
STUDY URGES BROADENING COMPENSATION FOR WORKPLACE INJURIES TO COVER 2 TYPES OF CANCER AMONG FIREFIGHTERS, OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY WORKERS
Tags: us_VA, public, discovery, environmental
THREE INJURED IN CRASH INVOLVING PROPANE TRUCK IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA CITY
Tags: us_OK, transportation, release, injury, propane
FIRE CREWS BATTLE TWO-ALARM BLAZE AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA ‰?? CBS PHILLY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, ethanol
CHEMICAL FIRMS, NOTING STRING OF 2019 INCIDENTS, OFFER $1M TO HARRIS COUNTY FOR AIR MONITORS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
EPA WATCHDOG: HEALTH MONITORING AFTER HARVEY WAS LACKING
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
1 TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT LAKESIDE REHABILITATION AND CARE CENTER
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, injury, bleach, cleaners
TWO DEADLY CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSIONS IN CHINA
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, death, dye, waste
CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD PROPOSES ACCIDENT REPORTING RULE
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
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
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TANK CONTAINING COOKING OIL EXPLODES IN CHELSEA
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2019/12/17/metro/tank-containing-cooking-oil-explodes-into-flames-chelsea/
Tags: us_MA, industrial, explosion, response, biodiesel, gasoline
A tank carrying 1,500 gallons of cooking oil exploded and caused a fire at an oil terminal in Chelsea on Tuesday morning, Chelsea firefighters said.
The 25,000-gallon biodiesel tank overheated at the Global Chelsea Terminals at 11 Broadway around 5:30 a.m., Chelsea Deputy Fire Chief Robert Houghton said.
‰??We‰??re thinking it was a possible overpressure of the product inside. It heated to a high temperature that caused the explosion,‰?? Houghton said. ‰??It was in the rear of the yard protected by a concrete wall.‰??
Firefighters put out the fire in about 10 minutes, Houghton said. A hazmat officer responded to the scene.
"Early this morning a small tank released biofuel and resulted in a minor fire at our Chelsea Terminal ... All product was confined within the tank‰??s concrete containment dike. There was no impact to adjacent infrastructure and no injuries,‰?? Global Partners, a gasoline company that owns the terminal, said in a statement.
Chelsea firefighters, Massachusetts State Police, US Coast Guard officials, US Environmental Protection Agency officials, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection are investigating the explosion, Houghton said.
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OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE CAUSE OF FIRE AT ENERGY STORAGE FACILITY IN SW PHILLY ‰?? NBC10 PHILADELPHIA
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/officials-investigate-cause-of-fire-at-energy-storage-facility-in-sw-philly/2261903/
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
A fire started at an energy storage facility Monday evening in Southwest Philadelphia. It is the second major hazmat situation that firefighters have risked their lives for within six months. NBC10‰??s Matt DeLucia found out how the firefighters and plant employees worked together to control the flames.
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DELAWARE COUNTY TASK FORCE NARROWING IN ON MYSTERIOUS ODOR
https://6abc.com/delco-task-force-narrowing-in-on-mysterious-odor/5764057/
Tags: us_PA, public, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical
MEDIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- In the first meeting of the newly formed Delaware County task force aimed at identifying the mysterious odor, authorities have now determined but not named, two potential sources in the investigation.
Federal agencies including the National Weather Service have now joined state, county and local agencies in trying to identify the culprit.
The 30 agencies from Delaware, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties have now been joined by New Castle County, Delaware in the response and investigation of the mysterious foul odor.
"We're in a better position to respond and I think it's going to increase our capabilities in the region if there was a release anywhere in the five-county or six-county area, we're gonna be better prepared," said Delaware County Emergency Services Director Timothy Boyce.
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SUSPECT ACCUSED IN MERCURY THEFT, SPILLS TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE 'THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO PLAY WITH'
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/fbi-no-nefarious-intent-behind-mercury-theft-and-spill-from-houston-lab/285-ecc3fc1f-8218-48cf-ba8c-aa9de63f45c4
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, follow-up, response, mercury
HOUSTON ‰?? Investigators are trying to learn more about why a 19-year-old man broke into a Houston laboratory and stole at least one vial of mercury and several checks on Friday night.
In court, documents revealed Christopher Melder allegedly stole 11 pounds of mercury and personal and business checks.
Houston fire Chief Sam Pena later explained that the lab had multiple vials of mercury, and that each one could contain about 11 to 15 pounds of mercury in its liquid metal form. It is unclear exactly how many Melder may have stolen.
Those documents also show Melder tried to sell the mercury at a Walmart and nearby gas station.
Investigators determined through questioning that there was "no nefarious intent" behind the theft and subsequent spilling of the mercury. Investigators said Melder "thought it would be fun to play with."
---------------------------------------------
5 TREATED AFTER REPORTS OF CHEMICAL ODOR AT SAN FRANCISCO APARTMENT BUILDING
https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/5-treated-after-reports-of-chemical-odor-at-san-francisco-apartment-building/
Tags: us_CA, public, release, environmental, bleach
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) ‰?? The San Francisco Fire Department responded to an apartment building on Tuesday afternoon following reports of residents smelling a chemical odor.
Around 12:43 p.m. fire crews responded to the scene of 6th and Howard Streets.
The odor was reported on the seventh floor of the building. Crews say it was bleach mixed with a cleaning product.
---------------------------------------------
BREWSTER PLEASED WITH EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO CHEMICAL SCARE
https://www.timesreporter.com/news/20191217/brewster-pleased-with-emergency-response-to-chemical-scare
Tags: us_OH, transportation, follow-up, environmental, chlorine
DISCUSSION On Dec. 9, a rail car at Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway was suspected of releasing chlorine. The Brewster Fire Department was called to investigate and proceeded to alert Stark County HAZMAT. Fortunately, no hazardous materials were found in the area. Fire Chief Chris Colucy reported a well executed response to the emergency, with Police Chief Keith Creter lauding the excellent communication by both departments. Mayor Mike Schwab noted that this had made for an excellent exercise, despite the potential for danger initially.
---------------------------------------------
STUDY URGES BROADENING COMPENSATION FOR WORKPLACE INJURIES TO COVER 2 TYPES OF CANCER AMONG FIREFIGHTERS, OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY WORKERS
https://www.roanoke.com/townnews/work/study-urges-broadening-compensation-for-workplace-injuries-to-cover-types/article_3d0a3c78-27bf-5140-994c-796bd4d28846.html
Tags: us_VA, public, discovery, environmental
RICHMOND ‰?? A new state study found what many Virginia firefighters and public safety employees say they have long argued ‰?? the state‰??s workers‰?? compensation system unfairly blocks them from receiving the health benefits they deserve for the diseases and injuries they suffered in doing their jobs.
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission recommended Monday that the General Assembly consider changing state law to add two forms of cancer, and potentially a third, to the list of diseases presumed related to workplace exposure for firefighters.
The report recommends that the state consider adding brain and testicular cancer to the list of illnesses presumed to have been caused by chemical exposure in fighting or investigating fires, as well as colon cancer, even though current scientific studies are less conclusive on its link to the job.
The long-awaited study, accelerated by legislators this year in response to mounting concerns among public safety workers, also found that the state system puts ‰??unreasonably burdensome‰?? requirements on workers to prove their illnesses were caused by their jobs.
---------------------------------------------
THREE INJURED IN CRASH INVOLVING PROPANE TRUCK IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA CITY
https://www.koco.com/article/video-9-year-old-norman-boy-is-cancer-free-breaks-down-in-tears-after-last-chemo/30246808
Tags: us_OK, transportation, release, injury, propane
OKLAHOMA CITY ‰??
Three people are injured in a crash involving a propane truck Monday afternoon in northeast Oklahoma City, according to officials.
According to Oklahoma City police, the crash involving the propane truck and another truck was reported at Northeast 50th Street and North Hiwassee Road. Hiwassee is shut down in the area.
A hazmat crew has also been called due to gas leaking from the propane tank, officials said.
According to the Oklahoma City Fire Department, the propane tank came loose from the truck. There are three patients involved.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE CREWS BATTLE TWO-ALARM BLAZE AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA ‰?? CBS PHILLY
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/12/16/fire-crews-battle-two-alarm-blaze-chemical-plant-in-southwest-philadelphia/
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, ethanol
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) ‰?? Fire crews battled a two-alarm blaze at a chemical plant in Southwest Philadelphia Monday night. Officials say the fire at Kinder Morgan‰??s Point Breeze Terminal, near the intersection of 63rd Street and Passyunk Avenue, was first reported around 6:45 p.m.
It was placed under control at 9:20 p.m. The fire reached two alarms before being placed under control.
Kinder Morgan says the fire was discovered coming from a cargo pump next to an ethanol tank. Ethanol was released from the tank but is contained at the facility.
Officials are monitoring air around the facility to gauge any impact to the community.
The facility has been shut down and evacuated. No injuries have been reported at this time.
There is no word on what started the blaze. At least 100 firefighters responded to the blaze.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL FIRMS, NOTING STRING OF 2019 INCIDENTS, OFFER $1M TO HARRIS COUNTY FOR AIR MONITORS
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Chemical-firms-noting-string-of-2019-incidents-14909924.php
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
Trade organizations representing the petrochemical industry have offered a $1 million grant to Harris County to purchase additional air monitors and analyze the data they collect.
---------------------------------------------
EPA WATCHDOG: HEALTH MONITORING AFTER HARVEY WAS LACKING
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/epa-watchdog-health-monitoring-after-harvey-was-lacking/2019/12/16/c6fbb68a-2040-11ea-b034-de7dc2b5199b_story.html
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
AUSTIN, Texas ‰?? A federal watchdog released a report Monday that cast doubt on the public health assurances made after Hurricane Harvey unleashed an environmental assault on the country‰??s largest petrochemical corridor, saying officials relied on limited data to offer residents peace of mind and that Houston‰??s air quality monitors had been offline to prevent storm damage.
The report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‰??s Office of Inspector General paints a picture of state and federal regulators telling those who live in and around the nation‰??s fourth-largest city ‰?? which was inundated with more than 50 inches of rainfall ‰?? that there were no public health risks even though it lacked a full range of data to make such a determination.
And while the report says no instances were found of the EPA relaying inaccurate information during Harvey about air quality, it also determined that none of the air-quality sampling done by the federal agency ‰?? with a mobile laboratory and with a sensor-equipped plane ‰?? proved useful to assessing health risks.
---------------------------------------------
1 TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT LAKESIDE REHABILITATION AND CARE CENTER
https://www.kcbd.com/2019/12/16/taken-hospital-after-chemical-spill-lakeside-rehabilitation-care-center/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, injury, bleach, cleaners
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - One employee was taken to the hospital after a chemical spill at Lakeside Rehabilitation and Care Center located at 4306 24th Street.
According to officials with Lubbock Fire Rescue, just before 10:30 a.m. an employee cleaning a restroom spilled a cleaner and tried to clean that up with bleach. The mixture created a chlorine gas.
Eight units from Lubbock Fire Rescue responded to the scene and HazMat was called as a precautionary measure.
The residents were moved to a safe area until the affected area could be ventilated.
Other than the employee taken to the hospital, there were no other injuries reported.
---------------------------------------------
TWO DEADLY CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSIONS IN CHINA
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/two-deadly-chemical-plant-explosions-in-china/4010939.article
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, death, dye, waste
A wastewater tank at a dye factory in China exploded on 3 December, killing nine people and injuring about a dozen others. Local police have detained senior officials at Longzhou Printing and Dyeing pending an investigation into the cause of the incident, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) ‰?? Hong Kong‰??s newspaper of record. The contaminated wastewater reportedly flooded the area and polluted a nearby river.
This is not the first time that Longzhou Printing and Dyeing has faced legal backlash. Last summer, local police penalised the company for inadequate recordkeeping related to the toxic and explosive compounds housed onsite, according to SCMP. Local environmental officials also reportedly sanctioned the company last year for allegedly discharging ‰??excessive waste‰??.
In a separate incident also on 3 December, an explosion at a food processing plant in northern Beijing killed four people and injured 10 others, the SCMP reports. The facility is owned by Japanese company Kyo-Nichi Todai Foods, and is located in the Chinese township of Niulanshan.
Meanwhile, in November, police in China‰??s Jiangsu province took legal action against more than 40 people related to an explosion at the Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Company that occurred in March and led to 78 deaths and hundreds of injuries, says Xinhua, China‰??s official state-run press agency. Investigators have concluded that ‰??extremely severe‰?? safety issues caused the blast, and the plant‰??s shutdown was announced in April.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD PROPOSES ACCIDENT REPORTING RULE
https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/Chemical-Safety-Board-proposes-accident/97/web/2019/12
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) proposes that companies report immediately and directly to the CSB accidental chemical releases sufficient to trigger an investigation.
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating and finding the root cause of chemical accidents that result in a fatality, serious injury, or substantial property damages. The 1990 legislation that created the CSB required the board to create a reporting regulation, but it has never finalized one. Instead, the CSB has relied on press accounts and other incident reporting to determine which accidents it investigates.
Over the years, several federal agencies and community groups have urged the CSB to issue the reporting regulation. In 2009, the CSB issued a proposal and then dropped it due to a combination of implementation costs, lack of funding, and industry opposition, according to sources familiar with the proposal.
Several nonprofit advocacy groups, including Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Air Alliance Houston, then sued the agency. On Feb. 4, 2019, a US District Court judge ordered the board to issue the final rule within 12 months.
The proposal released by the CSB on Dec. 11 says that any incident serious enough to qualify for an investigation‰??such as a death or damages above $1 million‰??would require the company involved to file a brief report within four hours of an accidental release. The information in such reports could be changed, corrected, or updated without penalty.
---------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
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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