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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, February 7, 2020 at 7:52:48 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 (18 articles)
MULTIPLE PEOPLE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOLLOWING HAZMAT INCIDENT AT WESTERN CAROLINA, OFFICIALS SAY
Tags: us_NC, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
GARAGE FIRE IN LEAMINGTON LED TO SEIZURE OF CANNABIS, OILS AND RESINS
Tags: Canada, public, fire, response, illegal, oils
SUMMIT ON LABORATORY SAFETY COMING TO UO ON MARCH 4
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, discovery, environmental
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO STRANGE ODOR AT CAL STATE L.A LAB
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
SPATE OF TEXAS CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS LEADS TO INVESTIGATIONS, SUITS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
TEN U.S. REFINERIES EMIT CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICAL ABOVE EPA LIMITS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, benzene
SPILL AT UT'S WOLFE HALL PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE
Tags: us_OH, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
TOXIC FIRE FOAM SEEPS OVER 800 HECTARES FROM BASE WOODBOURNE
Tags: New_Zealand, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
HIGH READINGS FOR PFAS FOUND IN MONTPELIER AND NEWPORT WASTEWATER PLANTS
Tags: us_VT, public, discovery, environmental, water_treatment
NO INJURIES, OFF-SITE IMPACT FOLLOWING 'VENTING EVENT' AT DOW CHEMICAL IN ORANGE COUNTY
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
DRIVER KILLED AFTER CHEMICAL-CARRYING TANKER OVERTURNS ON N2
Tags: South_Africa, transportation, release, death, chlorine
FIRE CREWS WERE ON THE SCENE IN MORWELL TO REMOVE A BAG OF ACID CONCENTRATE.
Tags: Australia, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
STATE OF ILLINOIS SUES FREEPORT COMPANY OVER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrochloric_acid
‰??HOW SAFE ARE WE?‰?? AFTER GESSNER EXPLOSION, COUNCIL MEMBERS BEGIN FLOATING IDEAS FOR CHANGE
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
PARMA RESIDENT INJURED DURING HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: us_oh, public, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
HAZMAT INCIDENT CLOSES RECYCLING FACILITY IN LEXINGTON
Tags: us_ky, industrial, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
MAJOR FIRE BREAKS OUT AT CHEMICAL FACTORY IN TARAPUR, NO CASUALTY REPORTED
Tags: india, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
MAN TREATED IN HOSPITAL FOLLOWING INCIDENT AT SHANNON CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Tags: ireland, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
---------------------------------------------
MULTIPLE PEOPLE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOLLOWING HAZMAT INCIDENT AT WESTERN CAROLINA, OFFICIALS SAY
https://www.cbs17.com/news/north-carolina-news/multiple-people-taken-to-hospital-following-hazmat-incident-at-western-carolina-officials-say/
Tags: us_NC, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
CULLOWHEE, N.C. (WNCN) ‰?? At least 17 people suffered symptoms following a hazmat incident at a building on the campus of Western Carolina University Thursday morning, school officials said in a news release.
At 8:56 a.m., the school received a medical call at their Health and Human Services building. Once WCU EMS arrived at the scene, it was determined that there were multiple patients who were in need of medical care, the school said.
Harris EMS was called to the school after multiple students started to complain of light-headedness and other symptoms, officials said. University police, emergency services and facilities management, along with Jackson County Emergency Management and the Cullowhee Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the scene.
After all emergency crews were at the scene, the building was evacuated and locked down.
---------------------------------------------
GARAGE FIRE IN LEAMINGTON LED TO SEIZURE OF CANNABIS, OILS AND RESINS
https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/garage-fire-in-leamington-leads-to-massive-seizure-of-cannabis-cannabis-oils-and-resins
Tags: Canada, public, fire, response, illegal, oils
OPP say investigation of a garage fire in Leamington led to the seizure of more than 140 kilograms of cannabis, cannabis oils, and resins last week.
The fire happened during the afternoon of Jan. 29, at a garage in the 500 block of Mersea Road 8.
Leamington firefighters and OPP officers arrived on the scene to find the structure already engulfed in flames.
After the fire was extinguished, investigators examined the remnants of the garage and discovered several items related to illicit cannabis production.
The next day, Essex County OPP executed a search warrant on a location ‰?? finding about 80 kilograms of dried cannabis and 60 kilograms of cannabis oils and resins.
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SUMMIT ON LABORATORY SAFETY COMING TO UO ON MARCH 4
https://around.uoregon.edu/content/summit-laboratory-safety-coming-uo-march-4
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, discovery, environmental
UO Safety and Risk Services will host its second annual summit on laboratory safety on March 4.
The half-day event is aimed at university faculty members, staff and students who manage labs and who work as principal investigators. Its goal is to teach best practices for preparing for and preventing major incidents such as lab fires or equipment failures.
This year‰??s summit theme is ‰??Emergency Planning for Research Continuity.‰?? It will take a look at lessons learned from a catastrophic freezer failure in the UO‰??s Stankunas lab in 2019 and from a 2014 fire started in UO‰??s ZIRC quarantine room. Both incidents had lasting effects on some research efforts at the university.
Speakers will discuss preventive measures that labs can take to minimize risks, as well as researchers‰?? ongoing recovery efforts. The summit also will feature a Q&A session with the UO fire marshal group and the Eugene-Springfield Fire Department and a keynote address from AndrÌ© Le Duc, UO‰??s chief resilience officer.
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HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO STRANGE ODOR AT CAL STATE L.A LAB
https://www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhoods/el_sereno/hazmat-team-responds-to-strange-odor-at-cal-state-l/article_c804fdec-4954-11ea-a852-5bb28bac50e2.html
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
El Sereno -- A hazmat team was sent to Cal State Los Angeles tonight to investigate a strange odor in an organic chemistry laboratory, but crews did not find a hazardous substance.
The Los Angeles Fire Department received the call about 5 p.m., after four students smelled a strange odor in the laboratory in Cal State's La Kretz Hall in the 5100 block of East State University Drive, according to LAFD's Brian Humphrey.
The students had self-evacuated by the time fire crews arrived, but none of them experienced any symptoms, Humphrey said.
Fire department personnel used sophisticated sensing equipment to examine the lab and they did not find any hazardous substance, according to Humphrey.
---------------------------------------------
SPATE OF TEXAS CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS LEADS TO INVESTIGATIONS, SUITS
https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/safety/spate-of-texas-chemical-accidents-leads-to-investigations-suits
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
A fire at a Chesapeake Energy Corp. gas well Jan. 30 that killed three workers is at least the seventh incident in the Houston area since mid-2018 to trigger a probe by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, a marked increase in scrutiny by the agency.
In the aftermath, workers and county officials allege in lawsuits that oil and gas companies are violating safety and other regulations, and local officials worry about the potential for more explosions and chemical releases. At the same time, attorneys for oil and gas companies say their fears of criminal prosecutions against managers and company officials are coming true.
The CSB has deployed investigators to the region seven times since 2018 compared with roughly once per year between 2016 and 2018, according to the agency‰??s website. Investigators attribute the spate of fires and explosions to aging refineries, the sheer number of chemical companies in operation, and companies‰?? increasing leeway to self-regulate.
‰??There are certain issues we‰??ve seen over and over again,‰?? said Kristen Kulinowski, interim director of the CSB, acknowledging refinery age as a contributing factor in the recent increase in the frequency of fires and explosions in Texas. ‰??Some refineries are over 100 years old,‰?? Kulinowski said in an interview, adding that the agency commonly recommends companies ensure plant maintenance is up to date.
---------------------------------------------
TEN U.S. REFINERIES EMIT CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICAL ABOVE EPA LIMITS
https://e360.yale.edu/digest/ten-u-s-refineries-emit-cancer-causing-chemical-above-epa-limits
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, benzene
Ten oil refineries in the United States are emitting levels of the pollutant benzene well above the federal government‰??s ‰??action level‰?? limit, according to a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project, an environmental watchdog group. Long-term exposure to benzene can cause blood disorders and leukemia, Reuters reported.
Oil refineries with high levels of benzene are not technically breaking the law. But these facilities are required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to monitor the pollutant and take action if levels exceed EPA‰??s limit of 9 micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over a year. Benzene is a colorless or light yellow chemical that evaporates from gasoline and oil. Exposure to it can cause vomiting, headaches, anemia, and an increased risk of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The new report from the Environmental Integrity Project analyzed a year of air monitoring data from 114 refineries around the U.S. Philadelphia Energy Solutions had the highest benzene concentrations in the nation, measuring nearly five times the EPA limit. The Philadelphia plant, once the largest refinery on the East Coast, closed in 2019 following an explosion and fire. But former employees are pushing to reopen the facility, backed by the Trump White House, InsideClimate News reported.
---------------------------------------------
SPILL AT UT'S WOLFE HALL PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE
https://www.toledoblade.com/local/police-fire/2020/02/06/Spill-at-UT-s-Wolfe-Hall-prompts-HAZMAT-response/stories/20200206146
Tags: us_OH, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
A chemical spill in the University of Toledo‰??s Wolfe Hall on Thursday afternoon prompted a HAZMAT response and the evacuation of two buildings.
Fire crews were dispatched at 1:59 p.m. Pvt. Sterling Rahe, spokesman for the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department, said someone working in a science laboratory bumped into a beaker or vial containing a chemical.
‰??Somehow the beaker was broken, and the chemical then leaked out into a sink or a sink area,‰?? he said at the scene. ‰??They noticed some off-gassing, some smoke coming up from that.‰??
Officials have not yet confirmed what the substance is, he said, but a chemical reaction created vapor. The fourth-floor lab is equipped with a negative-pressure system designed to contain any airborne chemicals or vapors.
‰??It‰??s always drawing into the room, so it‰??s vented that way,‰?? Private Rahe said. ‰??That system was activated right away, so there was no immediate danger to the surrounding rooms or occupants.‰??
The classroom involved was immediately evacuated, and university police evacuated the remainder of Wolfe Hall, as well as the connected Bowman-Oddy Laboratories. Both buildings house science classrooms and labs.
---------------------------------------------
TOXIC FIRE FOAM SEEPS OVER 800 HECTARES FROM BASE WOODBOURNE
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/119318369/toxic-fire-foam-seeps-over-800-hectares-from-base-woodbourne
Tags: New_Zealand, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Toxic fire foam chemicals have spread in a "groundwater plume" covering 815 hectares around Base Woodbourne in Marlborough.
A New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) investigation, released recently, found foam chemicals in groundwater seven kilometres east of Woodbourne, including at Bells Rd, David St and along Old Fairhall Creek.
Five drinking wells on properties near the base showed chemical levels which exceeded safe drinking guidelines. The properties were among those given alternative supplies.
---------------------------------------------
HIGH READINGS FOR PFAS FOUND IN MONTPELIER AND NEWPORT WASTEWATER PLANTS
https://vtdigger.org/2020/02/05/high-readings-for-pfas-found-in-montpelier-and-newport-wastewater-plants/
Tags: us_VT, public, discovery, environmental, water_treatment
he wastewater treatment plants in Montpelier and Newport have ‰??significantly higher‰?? PFAS concentrations in the discharge leaving their plants, according to a report out today from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The two plants cited are the only ones that regularly accept landfill leachate for processing.
PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of widely used chemicals under scrutiny for their health impacts. Last year, lawmakers passed a law, Act 21, requiring the state Agency of Natural Resources to set drinking water standards for five PFAS compounds ‰?? PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFHpA and PFNA. The agency is moving ahead with setting those standards at a combined 20 parts per trillion.
---------------------------------------------
NO INJURIES, OFF-SITE IMPACT FOLLOWING 'VENTING EVENT' AT DOW CHEMICAL IN ORANGE COUNTY
https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/local/power-city/no-injuries-off-site-impact-following-venting-event-at-dow-chemical-in-orange-county/502-b4039adc-63aa-43de-99f2-5d88de7e26e1
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
ORANGE COUNTY, Texas ‰?? A ‰??venting event‰?? at an Orange County chemical plant along the Sabine River caused no injuries and put at least one other nearby plant on a brief lock down Wednesday morning.
The failure of a refrigeration system at the Dow Chemical Plant along FM 1006 caused the venting event according to Dow spokesperson Ashley Mendoza.
Several callers to 12News claimed that there was a fire at the facility but according to Mendoza there was no fire.
Dow employees responded to the event and are conducting air monitoring and everyone at the plant is safe Mendoza told 12News.
The company is also using a third-party air monitoring group and they and employees‰?? air monitoring have shown ‰??zero or non-detect‰?? according to Mendoza.
The event did not cause any off-site impact she said.
---------------------------------------------
DRIVER KILLED AFTER CHEMICAL-CARRYING TANKER OVERTURNS ON N2
https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/driver-killed-after-chemical-carrying-tanker-overturns-on-n2-42160266
Tags: South_Africa, transportation, release, death, chlorine
Durban - The N2 between Tinley Manor and Umhlali offramp has been closed to traffic after a truck overturned on the highway on Thursday afternoon. The driver was killed in the crash.
According to IPSS Medical Rescue, the truck is believed to have been transporting hazardous material, was travelling along the route when the driver
allegedly lost control of the tanker, causing it to overturn.
"The vehicle rolled off the road and overturned multiple times. Unfortunately, the driver has succumbed to his injuries. The fire department and rescue personnel cannot extricate the body of the driver due to the hazardous chemical," an IPSS spokesperson said.
He added that some of the chemical being transported in the truck is believed to be chlorine and is leaking into the local river.
"We are waiting for Spill Tech to come to the scene. The driver is severely entrapped in the truck. We are waiting for the spill to be contained. The fire department is on
---------------------------------------------
FIRE CREWS WERE ON THE SCENE IN MORWELL TO REMOVE A BAG OF ACID CONCENTRATE.
https://www.latrobevalleyexpress.com.au/story/6617022/pungent-odour-removed-by-firies/
Tags: Australia, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
COUNCIL staff working near Latrobe City Traffic School in Morwell this morning alerted authorities to a chemical odour.
Three fire trucks quickly attended at the scene while police blocked pedestrian access.
Traralgon Senior Station manager Glenn Ravenhall said the chemicals were secured within an hour of the call.
"There was a bag of acid concentrate for Chemotherapy dialysis found on the walkway adjacent to the creek," Mr Ravenhall said.
"When we found it the bag was empty, but it was omitting a pungent odour, so we just took steps to secure the scene then secure the bag."
Senior Station Officer Gavin Parker said the incident had been reported to the relevant authorities.
---------------------------------------------
STATE OF ILLINOIS SUES FREEPORT COMPANY OVER CHEMICAL SPILL
https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/state-of-illinois-sues-freeport-company-over-chemical-spill/
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrochloric_acid
FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) ‰?? The State of Illinois is suing a Freeport company for air and water pollution after a chemical spill earlier this month.
On January 14th, Freeport Fire crews were called to Modern Plating Corporation, 701 South Hancock Avenue.
Officials say 4,800 gallons of hydrochloric acid were spilled from a holding tank and onto the pavement, an adjacent building, and into the on-site stormwater retention.
The acid created a vapor plume that wafted over to the Arcade neighborhood at DeLeon between 14th and 15th Avenue. The acid then reached a pond, which connects to a creek that drains into the Pecatonica River.
‰??Hydrochloric acid poses significant health and environmental hazards, and I am committed to ensuring the immediate and long-term impacts of this release are addressed,‰?? said Attorney General Kwame Raoul. ‰??My office will continue working to ensure that companies are held accountable for contamination that threatens public health and our environment.‰??
In addition to paying civil penalties, Modern Plating must investigate the cause of the spill and take steps to prevent future incidents.
---------------------------------------------
‰??HOW SAFE ARE WE?‰?? AFTER GESSNER EXPLOSION, COUNCIL MEMBERS BEGIN FLOATING IDEAS FOR CHANGE
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/How-safe-are-we-After-Watson-explosion-15033870.php
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
For the first time, Houston City Council members publicly floated proposals Wednesday for how the city can better protect its residents from explosions like the one at Watson Grinding & Manufacturing, which killed two people and damaged hundreds of homes.
---------------------------------------------
PARMA RESIDENT INJURED DURING HAZMAT INCIDENT
https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/02/04/parma-resident-injured-during-hazmat-incident/
Tags: us_oh, public, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
PARMA, Ohio (WOIO) - A resident is being treated at MetroHealth Medical Center after being injured in a hazmat incident Tuesday afternoon.
Parma firefighters were called to a structural fire in the 1600 block of Lorimer Avenue around 1:30 p.m.
Resident injured in a hazmat incident on Lorimer Avenue.
Resident injured in a hazmat incident on Lorimer Avenue. (Source: Parma fire)
When firefighters arrived, they found hazardous chemicals in a reactive state.
The SERT Haz-Mat team was then called out to the home.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT INCIDENT CLOSES RECYCLING FACILITY IN LEXINGTON
https://www.wtvq.com/2020/02/04/hazmat-incident-closes-recycling-facility-lexington/
Tags: us_ky, industrial, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) ‰?? Fire officials say hazmat crews were called to Lexington‰??s recycling facility after a hazardous chemical was discovered in the building Tuesday afternoon.
The Lexington Fire Department says crews responded to the Lexington-Fayette Urban City Government Recycling Facility on Thompson Road around 2:40 p.m.
Fire officials say a small amount of muriatic acid, also known as hydrochloric acid, was found.
They say two people were checked out at the scene as a precaution, but no injuries were reported.
---------------------------------------------
MAJOR FIRE BREAKS OUT AT CHEMICAL FACTORY IN TARAPUR, NO CASUALTY REPORTED
https://english.jagran.com/india/maharashtra-fire-chemical-factory-tarapur-live-news-updates-firetenders-casualities-damages-10008591
Tags: india, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: A major fire broke out a chemical factory in Tarapur, Maharashtra on Tuesday evening. Six fire tenders have rushed to the spot.
No casualties were reported in the blaze that erupted at around 5.30 pm at Harshal Chemical Company in Boisar Tarapur MIDC, chief of Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell Santosh Kadam told PTI.
Three fire engines from Palghar fire services rushed to the scene, where firefighting operations were underway, he said.
Chemicals, which were stored in the premises, emanated a foul smell due to the fire and spread to the adjoining areas, he added.
While the cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained, no casualties were reported in the incident,
---------------------------------------------
MAN TREATED IN HOSPITAL FOLLOWING INCIDENT AT SHANNON CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY
https://www.clare.fm/news/emergency-response/man-treated-hospital-following-incident-shannon-chemical-manufacturing-company/
Tags: ireland, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
One person is being treated in hospital, following an incident at chemical manufacturing company in Shannon.
The man was hospitalised as a precaution, after a hazardous material incident was accidentally triggered, for what was later found to be minor occurrence.
Emergency services were alerted at around half past ten this morning, to an incident at the Reagecon facility in the Shannon Industrial Estate.
A man, who had been working with chemicals in an extraction hood, alerted the company‰??s on-site first aid personnel after he smelled a hazardous chemical.
GardaÌ-, ambulance paramedics and units from Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Shannon and Ennis were dispatched to the scene, as well as members of the fire service‰??s specialist ‰??hazmat‰?? team.
The man was assessed at the scene by National Ambulance Service paramedics and removed to University Hospital Limerick as a precaution.
A company spokesman said: ‰??One of our chemists, who was manufacturing a routine chemical mixture in an extraction hood, got a smell of a chemical that is hazardous. As a precaution he alerted our internal first aid team who went through our own usual internal protocols which includes carrying out a medical assessment and where required seeking further qualified medical attention.
In this instance, a call was made to the ambulance service and the call inadvertently triggered a full ‰??hazmat‰?? response. The patient was checked by the Fire Service and his clothes changed before he was taken to hospital for a final medical check-up and is in perfect health.‰??
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