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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Compressed Gas Safety Date: Sunday, December 22, 2019 at 7:41:34 PM Author: Monona Rossol <0000030664c37427-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU> |
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, December 23, 2019 at 6:44:53 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 (15 articles)
THREE HOSPITALISED AFTER LARA GAS LEAK
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
EXPLOSION SPARKS FIRE, CHEMICAL SPILL AT SONOMA COUNTY GEOTHERMAL PLANT NEAR CLOVERDALE
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
RESIDENTS ALLOWED BACK AFTER EVACUATION AT SALT LAKE CITY SENIOR FACILITY
Tags: us_UT, public, release, injury, pesticides
VIDEO: CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD RELEASES NEW ANIMATION DETAILING HUSKY EXPLOSION
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, injury, petroleum
YELLOW SUBSTANCE SEEPING ONTO I-696 IDENTIFIED AS CHEMICAL HEXAVELENT CHROMIUM
Tags: us_mi, release, public, response, chromium
FIRE BRIGADE EXTINGUISHES HUGE FIRE IN APPROPRIATE GRASS NURSERY ROTTERDAM
Tags: Netherlands, fire, laboratory, response
CHEMICAL TANK CATCHES FIRE IN COOS BAY
Tags: us_OR, industrial, fire, response, ammonia
CHINESE INSTITUTES INVESTIGATE PATHOGEN OUTBREAKS IN LAB WORKERS
Tags: China, laboratory, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
PART OF RUFFS DALE EVACUATED FOR HOURS FOR OVERTURNED TANKER
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, response, propane
ILLEGAL AIR POLLUTION IN TEXAS DOUBLED IN 2018 ‰?? HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental, illegal
4 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARRESTED AFTER BOTTLE-BOMB BLAST
Tags: us_CA, education, discovery, environmental, bomb
RADIOACTIVE TRASH TRUCK IN HOT SPRINGS PROMPTS MEDICAL MYSTERY
Tags: us_AR, industrial, discovery, response, radiation
TANKER CATCHES FIRE ON MUMBAI-PUNE EXPRESSWAY, TRAFFIC AFFECTED
Tags: India, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SUE OVER CHEMICAL SAFETY ROLLBACK
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental
REUSABLE BAMBOO MUGS LEACH DANGEROUS AMOUNTS OF FORMALDEHYDE AND MELAMINE
Tags: Germany, public, discovery, environmental, formaldehyde, resin
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THREE HOSPITALISED AFTER LARA GAS LEAK
https://www.bay939.com.au/news/local-news/112282-three-hospitalised-after-lara-gas-leak
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
A gas leak at a local workplace has been declared safe this afternoon.
CFA, HAZMAT and gas crews have attended the scene on Old Melbourne Road, following a gas leak inside a building at 11:45am.
It is not clear what caused the incident, with three people taken to hospital in stable conditions.
The leak has since been rectified and the incident handed back to Riordan Grain.
---------------------------------------------
EXPLOSION SPARKS FIRE, CHEMICAL SPILL AT SONOMA COUNTY GEOTHERMAL PLANT NEAR CLOVERDALE
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10501708-181/explosion-sparks-fire-chemical-spill
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
Sonoma County officials are investigating what caused a transformer to explode and a fire to break out Saturday night at a geothermal power plant in The Geysers east of Cloverdale, not far from the energy facilities where October‰??s destructive Kincade fire started.
The extent of the damage from a fire that consumed a transformer and a generator, but didn‰??t harm any of the workers on site, is still being determined.
Fire crews from Cal Fire and Lake County responded to a thermal plant near Geysers Resort and Big Sulphur Creek roads about 10:55 p.m. after receiving reports that hazardous material was leaking due to an ongoing fire, said Cal Fire Capt. Cody Parks.
Hazardous material teams from Sonoma County and Santa Rosa were called in to evaluate the seeping chemical before suppression efforts could begin, he said.
‰??They wanted to make sure it wasn‰??t toxic and it wasn‰??t harmful to the crews,‰?? Parks said of the leakage.
After specialists determined it was safe, firefighters extinguished the blaze using foam and water. They cleared the property by 4 a.m. Sunday.
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RESIDENTS ALLOWED BACK AFTER EVACUATION AT SALT LAKE CITY SENIOR FACILITY
https://www.ksl.com/article/46694539/salt-lake-city-crews-responding-to-chemical-exposure-at-apartment
Tags: us_UT, public, release, injury, pesticides
SALT LAKE CITY ‰?? Residents at the Rendon Terrace senior apartments were allowed to return Sunday night after two residents and two firefighters were taken to the hospital after a home pesticide cartridge was detonated earlier in the day.
The cartridge had too much product and set off smoke alarms in the building, Salt Lake Fire Capt. Adam Archuleta said, prompting an evacuation and causing authorities to respond to a presumed fire about 2:30 p.m. The pesticide got into the apartment's air vents, Archuleta said.
He said the four treated were in good condition and were transported mostly as a precaution.
Officials said the pesticides were released on the building's second floor, and that the fogger's labels were not printed in English, making it difficult for first responders to read and turn off.
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VIDEO: CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD RELEASES NEW ANIMATION DETAILING HUSKY EXPLOSION
https://www.superiortelegram.com/business/energy-and-mining/4831051-VIDEO-Chemical-Safety-Board-releases-new-animation-detailing-Husky-explosion
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, injury, petroleum
The federal agency investigating the 2018 explosion and fire at the Husky Energy refinery in Superior that injured 36 workers and led to the evacuation of much of Superior released an updated animated video Thursday of the incident.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board's 5 1/2 minute YouTube video details both the cause of the incident and the emergency crew's response. The board has released several updates in the 20 months since the explosion fire, but its investigation is ongoing.
In a factual update last year, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board said that while the refinery had ‰??process hazard analyses‰?? considering what would happen when an open valve would allow hydrocarbons and air to mix within the fluid catalytic cracking unit ‰?? where the explosion occurred ‰?? the safeguard did not consider what would happen when the valve was closed but unable to hold a seal. In an August update, the board said a worn ‰?? but closed ‰?? valve within the fluid catalytic cracking unit allowed air to mix with hydrocarbons, creating an explosive mixture that then ignited.
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YELLOW SUBSTANCE SEEPING ONTO I-696 IDENTIFIED AS CHEMICAL HEXAVELENT CHROMIUM
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/yellow-substance-seeping-onto-i-696-identified-as-chemical-hexavelent-chromium
Tags: us_mi, release, public, response, chromium
MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (FOX 2) - The strange ooze that was seeping through the freeway wall on the shoulder has been contained and 696 at Couzens is back open but a portion of the service drive is closed.
The greenish-yellow substance was tested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and has been identified to be Hexavelent Chromium. A chemical used in manufacturing and is a known carcinogen.
Hazmat crews claim there is no imminent threat to the public. But what has officials on alert is that any material that enters storm drains along I-696 eventually travels to Lake St. Clair.
Although the chemical substance is in Oakland County, due to the storm drain running to Lake St. Clair - Macomb County Public Works is assisting the situation.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE BRIGADE EXTINGUISHES HUGE FIRE IN APPROPRIATE GRASS NURSERY ROTTERDAM
https://ourbitcoinnews.com/fire-brigade-extinguishes-large-fire-in-legal-weed-nursery-rotterdam/
Tags: Netherlands, fire, laboratory, response
In a Rotterdam laboratory where medicinal cannabis is cultivated, a significant fire broke call at the evening from Friday to Saturday. On Friday evening, regional residents obtained an NL alert with all the guidance to help keep house windows, doorways and air flow shut due to smoke cigarettes development.
The owner of this business saw smoke development through their cam in the home. When the fire brigade decided to go to look, the business premises had been on fire. Because carbon monoxide may be introduced, the NL alert ended up being delivered. According towards the fire brigade, no toxins had been introduced.
At 03.20 the problem ended up being in check. Despite the extent of this fire, the fire wasn‰??t used in neighboring structures. The business, MariPharm, is based regarding the edge between Rotterdam and Schiedam. It has actually a laboratory where appropriate cannabis is cultivated. In 2002, it had been the initial business on earth to get an exemption that allowed it to develop cannabis lawfully.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL TANK CATCHES FIRE IN COOS BAY
https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/chemical-tank-catches-fire-in-coos-bay/
Tags: us_OR, industrial, fire, response, ammonia
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) ‰?? A tank full of Anhydrous Ammonia caught fire at the Charleston Marina Ice Dock in Coos Bay on Friday morning.
The fire caused the evacuation of the USCG station nearby and people in the immediate area had to evacuate.
A toxic plume was carried north by the wind and nearby businesses were notified. Shortly after, the USGS said the plume dissipated. A fire was still burning on the dock, however.
No injuries were reported.
---------------------------------------------
CHINESE INSTITUTES INVESTIGATE PATHOGEN OUTBREAKS IN LAB WORKERS
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03863-z
Tags: China, laboratory, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Two Chinese agriculture research institutions are investigating how more than 100 students and staff became infected with the bacterium Brucella, strains of which are typically found in farm animals but can also trigger potentially fatal complications in people.
The Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute in central China confirmed on 7 December that 96 staff and students have tested positive for the infection. In a statement, the institute said most of the infected people are not experiencing signs of brucellosis, the illness caused by the bacterium, which can include fever and flu-like symptoms.
The institute says it has closed its labs following the outbreak. Although some mice have also tested positive to the infection, an investigation has yet to announce the strain of Brucella in the infected people, or the source of the outbreak.
---------------------------------------------
PART OF RUFFS DALE EVACUATED FOR HOURS FOR OVERTURNED TANKER
https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/westmoreland-county/part-ruffs-dale-evacuated-hours-overturned-tanker/B5TAJWXJYBAQFNTXI5BWNOMWUQ/
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, response, propane
EAST HUNTINGDON TOWNSHIP, Pa. ‰?? Part of the Ruffs Dale area in East Huntingdon was evacuated after a tanker carrying propane rolled over.
Officials at the scene told WPXI the tanker had a leak, and our crew at the scene was kept about a mile away.
First responders from several surrounding communities have responded in addition to Westmoreland County Hazmat.
---------------------------------------------
ILLEGAL AIR POLLUTION IN TEXAS DOUBLED IN 2018 ‰?? HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/houston-matters/2019/12/19/354804/illegal-air-pollution-in-texas-doubled-in-2018/
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental, illegal
Illegal chemical emissions in Texas doubled in 2018 compared to the year before.
Environment Texas analyzed data from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from incidents where industrial facilities released pollution exceeding what their government permits allowed. Those incidents can be anything from fires, to explosions, to cases of operator error.
The report says 267 companies were responsible for the release of hundreds of chemicals during more than 4,500 separate events in 2018. Those chemicals included cancer causing agents like benzene and butadiene, along with nitrogen oxide, a chemical that contributes to smog formation.
Under state law, companies are required to report within 24 hours any time there is such an emission event. And they must finalize their report within two weeks.
---------------------------------------------
4 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARRESTED AFTER BOTTLE-BOMB BLAST
https://fox5sandiego.com/2019/12/19/4-middle-school-students-arrested-for-bringing-explosive-device-on-campus/
Tags: us_CA, education, discovery, environmental, bomb
CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- Four Eastlake Middle School students were arrested Wednesday after they admitted having an explosive device on campus, police said.
Officers with the Chula Vista Police Department and the San Diego Sheriff Bomb Squad were told an explosive device was found on the middle school campus Wednesday. The device, a plastic soda bottle filled with a chemical mixture, was left near the school's Physical Education fields. Once officers arrived at the school, they said the device had already been detonated.
The boys allegedly caused the blast at the Chula Vista intermediary school prior to classes Wednesday morning by mixing several chemicals together in a two-liter soda bottle, according to police.
Four male students later admitted to bringing the bottle on campus.
---------------------------------------------
RADIOACTIVE TRASH TRUCK IN HOT SPRINGS PROMPTS MEDICAL MYSTERY
https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/hot-springs/mystery-radioactive-trash-hot-springs/91-e18a2cae-7dcd-4651-9ccf-34b435153bd8
Tags: us_AR, industrial, discovery, response, radiation
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. ‰?? A compact 90-sq.ft. radioactive hot zone in Hot Springs will be in place for a few weeks after a trash hauler tripped radiation detectors at the Saline County landfill on Tuesday.
State and city officials have cordoned off the trailer in a secure fire department training site while the materials inside decay. The officials stress there is no danger to the public, but no one will open the compartment until the levels go down.
"This is the first time in the 21 years at the fire department that we've had anything like this," said Tom Braughton, the city fire marshal and assistant chief.
"We have a hazardous materials team that has all the equipment and set up the necessary precautions."
---------------------------------------------
TANKER CATCHES FIRE ON MUMBAI-PUNE EXPRESSWAY, TRAFFIC AFFECTED
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/navi-mumbai/tanker-catches-fire-on-mumbai-pune-expressway-traffic-affected/articleshow/72894419.cms
Tags: India, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical
NAVI MUMBAI: A major fire on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, after a chemical tanker rammed into a trailer near Dhaka village, led to a traffic jam for over two hours, at 6.45am on Thursday. The tanker on the Mumbai-bound carriageway was charred, while the rear wheel of the trailer caught fire. The chemical tanker driver jumped off before the tanker fell off 20 feet. The fire was brought under control after three hours. Highway Safety Patrol assistant inspector Jagdish Pardesi said, ‰??A slow trailer was in the third lane of the Expressway. The tanker was speeding and dashed it. Suddenly, a blast was heard and a fire erupted. The rear tyres of the trailer caught fire.‰??
---------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SUE OVER CHEMICAL SAFETY ROLLBACK
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/overnights/475379-overnight-energy-environmental-groups-sue-trump
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental
CHEMICAL DISASTERS: A coalition of environmental groups is suing the Trump administration over its easing of chemical plant safety regulations following a recent plant explosion in Texas that injured several people.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last month finalized a rule that it said would get rid of "unnecessary and ineffective regulatory burdens," a change that was sought by industry groups and firms.
The coalition of 13 groups challenging the rule argued in a Thursday statement, however, that the change would put millions of people who live near chemical facilities "in harm's way."
"We are fighting for the lives and safety of our families and workers. Our lives are more valuable than the bottom line of a few chemical barons," the organizations said.
The suit comes weeks after a chemical plant in Port Neches, Texas, exploded.
According to the statement, eight people were injured and about 50,000 were displaced.
---------------------------------------------
REUSABLE BAMBOO MUGS LEACH DANGEROUS AMOUNTS OF FORMALDEHYDE AND MELAMINE
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/reusable-bamboo-mugs-leach-dangerous-amounts-of-formaldehyde-and-melamine/4010950.article
Tags: Germany, public, discovery, environmental, formaldehyde, resin
Coffee cups made from resin containing bamboo fibre ‰?? often sold as bamboo mugs ‰?? leach so much harmful formaldehyde and melamine into drinks that the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has warned that they shouldn‰??t be used for hot liquids.
Bamboo mugs are made from a melamine resin reinforced with bamboo fibres. While they are reusable, they are often marketed as eco-friendly, even though they aren‰??t biodegradable. Melamine resin is a polymer and in itself not dangerous, but its monomers ‰?? 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine and formaldehyde ‰?? are toxic and can cause cancer.
This summer, a German consumer group discovered worrying levels of harmful compounds being released by bamboo mugs. The BfR‰??s assessment found bamboo mugs release ‰??alarming‰?? amounts of the toxins into 70ĺˇC drinks, up to 30 times the EU‰??s safe limit for adults and up to 120 times the limit for children. Although one-off exposure to large amounts of these chemicals isn‰??t necessarily problematic, the BfR estimates that regularly using a bamboo mug poses a serious health risk.
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