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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (16 articles)
Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2019 09:14:53 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: FD3B5378-4962-4FD6-B3B5-8EFBCB53C638**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, December 30, 2019 at 9:14:30 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)
FIRE REIGNITES, CREWS MONITORING AIR QUALITY NEAR SPRINGDALE WAREHOUSE
Tags: us_AR, industrial, fire, injury, toxics
PHOTOS SHOW DEVASTATING SCENE LEFT IN WAKE OF CURROWAN FIRE
Tags: Australia, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
FIRE DEPARTMENT: CHRISTMAS TREE BURNING EXPERIMENT IS A SUCCESS
Tags: us_SD, public, discovery, environmental
RACE TO THE COURTHOUSE: WHY HARRIS COUNTY AND THE STATE ARE RUSHING TO SUE AFTER CHEMICAL FIRES
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental
VERMONT COLLEGE CITED FOR HAZMAT MANAGEMENT VIOLATIONS
Tags: us_VT, laboratory, discovery, environmental, solvent, waste, illegal
SUFFOLK OFFICIALS HAUL TRAIN TRAFFIC TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: us_VA, transportation, release, injury, unknown_chemical
2 WORKERS DEAD AFTER INCIDENT AT CHEMICAL TRANSPORTATION PLANT IN PASADENA
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, death, unknown_chemical
FIRE ERUPTS AT US ECOLOGY SITE IN OWYHEE COUNTY AFTER A CHEMICAL REACTION AT ITS LANDFILL
Tags: us_ID, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
MUMBAI: FRIDAY FIRE LEADS TO INSPECTION ON KURLA ROAD
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical
ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS: EVIDENCE STILL DAMNING
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
15 HURT IN EXPLOSION AT WICHITA AVIATION PLANT
Tags: us_KS, industrial, explosion, response, nitrogen
SUFFOLK ROAD REOPENS FOLLOWING HAZMAT SPILL INVOLVING WASTEWATER, JET FUEL
Tags: us_VA, transportation, release, response, jet_fuel
KENOSHA APARTMENTS EVACUATED AFTER WORKER POURS AMMONIA DOWN DRAIN
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, ammonia
RESPONDERS INCH TOWARD SECURE SITE ONE MONTH INTO TPC GROUP EXPLOSION
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
MAJOR FIRE AT CHEMICAL FACTORY GODOWN IN SAKI NAKA
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL SPILL LEAVES DURHAM CREEK BRIGHT GREEN
Tags: us_NC, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
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FIRE REIGNITES, CREWS MONITORING AIR QUALITY NEAR SPRINGDALE WAREHOUSE
https://katv.com/news/local/fire-reignites-crews-monitoring-air-quality-near-springdale-warehouse
Tags: us_AR, industrial, fire, injury, toxics
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) ‰?? TV content partner 40/29 News reports that fire crews said they are monitoring air quality after a fire in Springdale reignited Saturday.
A firefighter was taken to a hospital during a large warehouse fire in Springdale Friday night.
Hazmat crews placed smoke monitors at the Wobbe Lane Apartments to monitor chemicals in the air.
On Saturday night, no toxic chemical levels were reported.
Authorities encouraged residents to stay inside, and avoid breathing the smoke.
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PHOTOS SHOW DEVASTATING SCENE LEFT IN WAKE OF CURROWAN FIRE
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6560784/photos-show-devastating-scene-left-in-wake-of-currowan-fire/
Tags: Australia, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
On Monday afternoon firefighters were backburning near Bamarang Dam and plumes of smoke could be seen a few hundred metres from Shoalhaven River.
Fire and Rescue HAZMAT crews were called to investigate three 44 gallon drums potentially dumped off Braidwood Roads, about five kilometres west of Nowra.
Crews had to wear full HAZMAT suits to clean up the leaked substance with them regularly swapping out as it was hot and hard work.
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FIRE DEPARTMENT: CHRISTMAS TREE BURNING EXPERIMENT IS A SUCCESS
https://www.capjournal.com/news/fire-department-christmas-tree-burning-experiment-is-a-success/article_97544c84-2a5f-11ea-8ee3-ef72bf9cfa2b.html
Tags: us_SD, public, discovery, environmental
The Pierre Volunteer Fire Department invited capital area residents to bring their real Christmas trees to the refuse disposal area to help the PVFD conduct an experiment, and to remind folks to take care of their Christmas trees throughout the season.
One-third of house fires beginning with Christmas trees happen in the month of January, according to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).
Armed with a clipboard, Logan Zeisler of PVFD Engine No. 4, questioned folks as they drove up to drop off their trees. For the experiment and safety survey, Zeisler asked how long the tree had been at the home, what it was stored in, how often it was watered, and especially if it received any chemical treatment.
As folks dropped their trees off, Randy McFarling, also with PVFD Engine No. 4, explained the difference between chemically treating and not treating the trees. Some folks didn‰??t realize there was a difference. Most trees come with a small package of powder to be added to the first watering of the tree when it arrives home, he said.
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RACE TO THE COURTHOUSE: WHY HARRIS COUNTY AND THE STATE ARE RUSHING TO SUE AFTER CHEMICAL FIRES
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Race-to-the-courthouse-Why-Harris-County-and-the-14938163.php
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental
Emergency crews were still containing a massive chemical fire in Deer Park last spring when the state of Texas filed a lawsuit against the company for environmental violations.
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VERMONT COLLEGE CITED FOR HAZMAT MANAGEMENT VIOLATIONS
https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Vermont-college-cited-for-hazmat-management-violations-566542281.html
Tags: us_VT, laboratory, discovery, environmental, solvent, waste, illegal
BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) State authorities say a Vermont college has been cited for violating hazmat regulations. Authorities wrote up Bennington College for the material management violations after a May visit. The school is considered a small waste generator with materials like glazing substances at a ceramics studio, waste from painting studios, chemical wastes from a laboratory, and solvent wastes. Improper storage and lack of arrangements with emergency response teams were among the violations. The public comment period on the agreement is scheduled to end Jan. 17. A college official says nearly all the violations were minor procedural or labeling oversights and were quickly corrected.
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SUFFOLK OFFICIALS HAUL TRAIN TRAFFIC TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE HAZMAT INCIDENT
https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/suffolk-officials-haul-train-traffic-to-investigate-possible-hazmat-incident/
Tags: us_VA, transportation, release, injury, unknown_chemical
SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) ‰?? Suffolk Fire and Rescue responded to two locations related to a possible hazmat incident involving a Norfolk Southern freight train Saturday evening.
Dispatchers were notified of the incident at 8:51 p.m.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Chuck Knight said that a Norfolk Southern train stopped at Lake Meade Drive and Lake Cahoon Road. This, after two workers on the train became ill after the train reportedly passed through what was described as a ‰??mist,‰?? at the Saratoga Street rail crossing.
Officials say following medical assessment and treatment the two workers were transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
As a result, train traffic was stopped at these locations while the incident was investigated, officials said.
Norfolk Southern officials called in a private hazmat company to evaluate the train before releasing it to continue traveling.
Fire and Rescue officials along with a representative from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Hazmat Team responded to the area of Saratoga Street and did not find any sign of the noted mist.
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2 WORKERS DEAD AFTER INCIDENT AT CHEMICAL TRANSPORTATION PLANT IN PASADENA
https://abc13.com/2-workers-dead-after-incident-at-chemical-plant-in-pasadena-/5794094/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, death, unknown_chemical
PASADENA, Texas (KTRK) -- Two workers have died while cleaning a chemical tank in Pasadena, Harris County Sheriff deputies say.
Deputies responded to reports of a work incident at a chemical transportation plant on Underwood Road near West Fairmont Parkway around 1:30 a.m.
Deputies say both workers went into the back of an 18-wheeler tank and never came out.
Investigators believe the workers may have been overcome by some kind of fumes. An investigation is underway.
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FIRE ERUPTS AT US ECOLOGY SITE IN OWYHEE COUNTY AFTER A CHEMICAL REACTION AT ITS LANDFILL
https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/chemical-reaction-causes-fire-at-us-ecology-site-in-owyhee-county/277-95943a3e-1496-47e9-95c0-f6203ded3326
Tags: us_ID, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
OWYHEE COUNTY, Idaho ‰?? First responders battled a fire at the US Ecology Site in Owyhee County, near Grandview, on Saturday afternoon.
Officials said the fire was started after a chemical reaction happened in a container at the site's landfill but did not state how the chemical reaction was started or what chemicals caused the fire.
The Owyhee County Sheriff's Office said the fire was first called in at 2:37 p.m. and the Grandview Volunteer Fire Department was at the scene until the evening.
According to officials, crews will continue to monitor the site 24/7 until they're confident that there are no other hot spots that could reignite and there won't be further problems.
The smoke is not hazardous so there were no evacuations, according to the sheriff's office.
---------------------------------------------
MUMBAI: FRIDAY FIRE LEADS TO INSPECTION ON KURLA ROAD
https://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-friday-fire-leads-to-inspection-on-kurla-road/22340197
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical
After two deaths in the fire incident on Friday evening that spread owing to small scale chemical factories, the BMC has now decided to conduct an inspection drive to check if the structures on Khairani road in Kurla are legal. While civic officials have said that there are no specific provisions regarding issuing licenses to small scale industries that store or deal with chemicals in the middle of the city, they said that these units have existed for over 25 years and despite action to remove them, they set up business here again.
Two people were reported dead due to the fire that broke out at Khairani Road on Friday. While what started the fire is still under investigation, officials say it was initially confined only to the electrical fittings and later spread to furniture, raw materials, including chemicals stored in the galas. Assistant municipal commissioner of L ward, Manish Valanju, said, "The inspection drive started on Saturday. We will be checking all of Khairani Road and looking at their licences. In case of absence of licences, immediate action by police under relevant IPC sections will be taken."
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ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS: EVIDENCE STILL DAMNING
https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/environmentalhealth/84125
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Last December, MedPage Today covered a studyr that linked early-life exposure to some endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to early puberty, particularly among young girls. These EDCs are found in many everyday household items, such as furniture and cosmetics. In this follow-up feature, we review research developments in environmental health and EDCs since that story appeared.
New Reports of Harmful BPA Links
In a game-changing study published in December 2019, a group of researchers revealed how exposure to the EDC bisphenol A -- commonly known as BPA -- may be wildly underestimated. Specifically, indirect techniques utilized by the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to estimate BPA exposure via urine may yield such low estimates.
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15 HURT IN EXPLOSION AT WICHITA AVIATION PLANT
https://www.ksnt.com/news/kansas/live-explosion-reported-at-east-wichita-aviation-plant/
Tags: us_KS, industrial, explosion, response, nitrogen
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNT) ‰?? At least 15 people were injured Friday when a nitrogen line exploded at the Beechcraft aircraft manufacturing facility causing part of the building to collapse, authorities say.
Daniel Wegner, deputy fire chief for Sedgwick County, said the explosion happened at around 8 a.m. at the facility. John Gallagher, the county‰??s EMS director, said 11 people were taken to hospitals and four were treated at the scene. No one was killed.
Workers inside the plant at the time say some were disoriented after hearing what they call an explosion.
‰??What felt like an earthquake,‰?? said one person who was in the building at the time. ‰??It was like an explosion there is no other way to describe it. I saw darkness and dirt in the air. I saw everything moving around because, like I said, there was a pretty big explosion. And the walls were flexing and the wall I was standing next to, it moved four feet.‰??
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SUFFOLK ROAD REOPENS FOLLOWING HAZMAT SPILL INVOLVING WASTEWATER, JET FUEL
https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/suffolk/suffolk-road-reopens-following-hazmat-spill-involving-wastewater-jet-fuel/
Tags: us_VA, transportation, release, response, jet_fuel
SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) ‰?? A tanker truck carrying wastewater and jet fuel spilled the liquids over a stretch of road on Route 17 in Suffolk Friday morning.
The southbound lanes on Bridge Road/Route 17 were shut down from Walden Road to Shoulders Hill Road as crews cleaned up the hazmat situation, Suffolk officials wrote in a news release.
The spill happened around 10:30 a.m. Officials say the fluids were spilled over a quarter-mile to half-mile stretch of road.
Suffolk Police and fire-rescue responded to the scene. The road reopened around 3 p.m.
Battalion Chief Charles Jolly said the tanker truck had a valve open while traveling, then was stopped at the intersection with Knotts Neck Road and Shoulders Hill Road.
---------------------------------------------
KENOSHA APARTMENTS EVACUATED AFTER WORKER POURS AMMONIA DOWN DRAIN
https://www.cbs58.com/news/kenosha-apartments-evacuated-after-worker-pours-ammonia-down-drain
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, ammonia
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- An apartment complex in Kenosha had to be evacuated after a maintenance worker poured ammonia down a drain Friday, Dec. 27.
Hazmat teams responded to the building near 16th and Birch Friday afternoon. The worker had been cleaning in the basement.
The Somers fire chief says the situation could have been deadly.
"Somebody had told him to mix chlorine bleach with it and it would clean better. That is deadly. That combination together is a deadly combination and people have done it around the county," said Somers Fire Chief Carson Wilkinson.
Thankfully, the worker did not do that.
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RESPONDERS INCH TOWARD SECURE SITE ONE MONTH INTO TPC GROUP EXPLOSION
https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Responders-inch-toward-secure-site-one-month-into-14935276.php
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
A month into response efforts at the TPC Group incident in Port Neches, reduced risk of impact outside the fence line will mean less intrusion on the roads for residents but the unified command isn‰??t dropping its guard just yet.
Parts of FM 366 directly in front of the chemical plant at the center of the Nov. 27 explosion will reopen at 6 a.m. today for the first time since a vapor cloud ignited in the early morning hours. Only one lane will be opened each way and there will be a speed restriction from Spur 136 to Park Avenue.
The opening of the road followed a Thursday night announcement from officials that flaring and other equipment activities would be starting up at the plant while TPC Group continued plans to eventually move chemicals out of the plant site.
Sara Cronin, a spokesperson with TPC Group, said the activity at the plant and opening of the road were all signs of reduced risk, but there were still mechanical integrity inspections and other procedures ahead before the site could be cleared.
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MAJOR FIRE AT CHEMICAL FACTORY GODOWN IN SAKI NAKA
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/major-fire-at-chemical-factory-godown-in-saki-naka/article30416558.ece
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
A major fire broke out at a chemical factory‰??s godown in Saki Naka on Friday. According to the Saki Naka police, the fire was reported at 5 p.m. at Sanaullah Compound in Kulkarni Wadi.
The incident was escalated to a Level IV emergency, with over 15 fire tenders being rushed to the six-storey structure. The fire was doused at 11.17 p.m. Fire officials said the fire had affected electric wiring, wooden furniture, plastic materials, tyres and a motorcycle. The ground floor area was spread across 300x200 square feet and had a stock of various types of chemicals and raw materials.
Assistant commissioner of police Milind Khetle said the fire brigade‰??s control room received a call about smoke billowing from the godown. ‰??The fire seems to have sparked from the scrap material and chemicals stored on one of the floors. Around 30 other godowns were also affected,‰?? Mr. Khetle said.
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CHEMICAL SPILL LEAVES DURHAM CREEK BRIGHT GREEN
https://abc11.com/chemical-spill-leaves-durham-creek-bright-green/5792917/
Tags: us_NC, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
DURHAM, N.C. -- A chemical spill left a Durham creek bright green on Friday afternoon.
The Durham Fire Department received a call from a passerby shortly before 5 p.m., of a chemical spill in a creek at Lakewood Avenue and University Drive.
On arrival, crews said the creek was a 'bright green' and begun to analyze the substance.
Testing done by the City of Durham Hazardous Materials team deemed the bright green substance to not be harmful.
Officials said the furthest upstream could be traced was a storm tunnel at the 800 block of South Duke Street.
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