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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (19 articles) Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2020 18:54:46 +0000 Author: "Stuart, Ralph" |
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, August 24, 2020 at 7:11:40 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)
HAZMAT INCIDENT AT RAPPAHANNOCK REGIONAL JAIL IN STAFFORD SENDS THREE TO HOSPITAL, 17 OTHERS DECONTAMINATED
Tags: us_VA, industrial, release, injury, cleaners
POLICE: GAS LEAK SICKENS 2 IN EDISON, N.J. [VIDEO]
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, response, titanium_tetrachloride
LOUDOUN COUNTY FIRE, HOW TO REMOVE LITHIUM BATTERIES
Tags: us_VA, public, explosion, response, batteries
BELLEVILLE RURAL FIREFIGHTERS KEPT HOPPING
Tags: Canada, industrial, fire, response, pool_chemicals
ARGUS MEDIA
Tags: us_TX, transportation, fire, response, propane
FIRE AT BONTHAPALLY SOLVENT STORAGE FACILITY
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, solvent
QUICK ACTION BY TRUCKER LIMITS DAMAGE AFTER FUEL SPILL
Tags: Canada, transportation, release, response, gasoline
MORE THAN 300 CHARGES FILED OVER EXPLOSION IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES BUILDING THAT INJURED A DOZEN FIREFIGHTERS
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, injury, unknown_chemical
TRAFFIC: I-10 CLOSED BOTH WAYS NEAR HIGHLAND DUE TO TANKER SPILLING HAZMAT
Tags: us_LA, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
TELANGANA SANGAREDDY CHEMICAL FACTORY FIRE CASUALTIES INJURED PEOPLE DETAILS
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
NORTHLAND TOXIC CHEMICAL STOCKPILE TO BE CLEARED AT RATEPAYER, TAXPAYER EXPENSE
Tags: New_Zealand, public, discovery, response, paints, solvent, waste
LA PROSECUTOR FILES CHARGES IN MAY EXPLOSION THAT INJURED 12
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, injury, drugs, illegal
AFTER BEIRUT EXPLOSION, PORTS AROUND THE WORLD SEARCHED FOR A DANGEROUS CHEMICALS. SOME DIDN‰??T LIKE WHAT THEY FOUND.
Tags: Senegal, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
POLLUTION IS STILL A RISK AFTER GRAND PRAIRIE FIRE, EXPERTS SAY
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, plastics
1 TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FROM HAZMAT INCIDENT AT UD RESEARCH INSTITUTE LAB
Tags: us_OH, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH USING N,N-DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE IN CHEMICAL REACTIONS
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, acids, oxidizer, solvent
MANDATORY RESEARCH CESSATION AND INFORMATION ABOUT SECURING RESEARCH MATERIALS
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, fire, environmental, other_chemical
DAKAR PORT IS STORING 2700 TONNES OF AMMONIUM NITRATE
Tags: Senegal, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
REVEALED: CHEMICAL THAT CAUSED HUGE BEIRUT BLAST STORED AT 18 ULSAN FIRMS
Tags: Republic_of_Korea, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
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HAZMAT INCIDENT AT RAPPAHANNOCK REGIONAL JAIL IN STAFFORD SENDS THREE TO HOSPITAL, 17 OTHERS DECONTAMINATED
https://fredericksburg.com/news/hazmat-incident-at-rappahannock-regional-jail-in-stafford-sends-three-to-hospital-17-others-decontaminated/article_a6ccfe66-7105-530e-a3dd-d1f4dfc48980.html
Tags: us_VA, industrial, release, injury, cleaners
Stafford County Fire and Rescue officials said a hazardous materials incident at the Rappahannock Regional Jail Saturday sent three jail staff members to Mary Washington Hospital and required 17 inmates to be decontaminated on the scene for possible exposure to toxic chemicals.
Stafford County Fire Chief Joseph Cardello said none of the injuries were considered life-threatening.
According to Cardello, first responders arrived at the jail about 2:30 p.m. after receiving notification that kitchen workers had mixed two separate caustic cleaning chemicals together, producing a toxic, chlorine gas vapor cloud within the facility.
Of the three jail staff members sent to the hospital, one suffered minor burns, the second complained of mild respiratory issues and the third had chest discomfort, Cardello said.
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POLICE: GAS LEAK SICKENS 2 IN EDISON, N.J. [VIDEO]
https://news.yahoo.com/gas-leak-forces-hazmat-response-031032054.html
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, response, titanium_tetrachloride
Officials say 200 gallons of titanium tetrachloride was released. CBS2's Alice Gainer reports
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LOUDOUN COUNTY FIRE, HOW TO REMOVE LITHIUM BATTERIES
https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/loudoun-county-fire-lithium-batteries-dc/65-b75e65bf-e220-4377-a827-e9ee55b0a10a
Tags: us_VA, public, explosion, response, batteries
DULLES, Va. ‰?? The Loudoun County Fire Department announced that a faulty lithium-ion battery was to blame for a Friday house fire that displaced a family of four Friday.
The battery was in a remote-control car located in the garage of the Dulles area home, located on the 2500 block of Trilobite Court. Firefighters responded to the home around 7 p.m., and multiple rescue crews were called to help battle the flames, the fire department said.
In total, the damages from the flames estimated around $958,000 dollars to the home. One person suffered minor injuries but is expected to be okay, the fire department announced.
They also warned residents to take notice of the batteries they might have in their homes, as lithium-ion batteries can occasionally cause fires and explosions. The batteries power dozens of everyday devices like phones and laptops, and also can be found in toys and scooters.
Fire officials said you should stop using the batteries immediately if you notice changes in color or shape, or if you smell a strange odor or see any leaks. They urge residents to move the batteries -- if possible -- away from anything that might catch on fire and to immediately call 911.
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BELLEVILLE RURAL FIREFIGHTERS KEPT HOPPING
https://www.quintenews.com/2020/08/23/belleville-rural-firefighters-kept-hopping/
Tags: Canada, industrial, fire, response, pool_chemicals
Cannifton pool and hot tub business Aqua Bay has a large storage area at 20 Tank Farm Road and a little rainwater had somehow reacted with ‰??pool pucks‰?? stored on a skid causing a chemical reaction igniting flames which spread to two dumpsters filled with cardboard and other materials.
Firefighters used water and foam to put out the flames and stopped what could have been a serious incident.
Fire Protection Officer Ryan Rutter says chemical reactions can be dangerous and can‰??t always be doused with water alone.
---------------------------------------------
ARGUS MEDIA
https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2134930-port-of-corpus-still-partially-shut-after-pipeline-fire
Tags: us_TX, transportation, fire, response, propane
Parts of the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas remained shut over the weekend as clean up continued after a deadly explosion and fire from a ruptured propane pipeline near the port's refinery area.
The Corpus Christi Inner Harbor is closed from the Chemical Turning basin to the Viola Turning basin, disrupting some shipping traffic at the port which is a key outlet for exporting US crude and other commodities. The port on 21 August was closed from the Harbor Bridge inward.
A dredging barge struck a submerged propane pipeline at around 9am ET on 21 August causing the explosion and fire. The Coast Guard yesterday recovered the bodies of two crew members and two others are still missing. Six other crew members were taken to area hospitals last week, according to the Corpus Christi fire department.
A fire on the barge reignited late on 21 August and was extinguished before the vessel broke apart and sank. The Coast Guard was planning to recover the barge, but inclement weather could hamper the process as tropical storm Laura appeared headed to the Texas or Louisiana coast later this week. Another storm in the Gulf, Hurricane Marco, was headed to make landfall in Louisiana.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE AT BONTHAPALLY SOLVENT STORAGE FACILITY
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/fire-at-bonthapally-solvent-storage-facility/articleshow/77710085.cms
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, solvent
Hyderabad: A fire broke out at a chemical storage unit in Bonthapally industrial area in Sangareddy district on Saturday night. Five workers, who were at the facility at the time of the mishap, managed to escape unhurt.
Around 8.10pm, workers were transferring solvents from a tanker to barrels. ‰??A spark must have triggered a fire. However, we are still investigating,‰?? Jeedimetla station fire officer Subhash Reddy said.
---------------------------------------------
QUICK ACTION BY TRUCKER LIMITS DAMAGE AFTER FUEL SPILL
https://london.ctvnews.ca/mobile/quick-action-by-trucker-limits-damage-after-fuel-spill-1.5075071
Tags: Canada, transportation, release, response, gasoline
LONDON, ONT. -- London firefighters were called to a fuel spill in the southeast end of the city Saturday.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find a HAZMAT level 2 incident at Hamilton Road and Meadowlily Road.
Fire officials say the fuel truck operator took quick action to ensure more fuel wasn‰??t spilled on the road.
The truck driver told CTV News that he was refueling when a piece of equipment failed. A broken fueling elbow was the cause of the spill.
The truck driver quickly shut off the pump and called 911 and the fire department.
That fast action meant no fuel entered the catch basin. The driver told CTV News he has been driving for 25 years and has never had this happen before.
---------------------------------------------
MORE THAN 300 CHARGES FILED OVER EXPLOSION IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES BUILDING THAT INJURED A DOZEN FIREFIGHTERS
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-charges-filed-explosions-los-angeles-building-firefighters-injured-20200822-edtzbg7svreijh4k66tildkk3m-story.html
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, injury, unknown_chemical
More than 300 misdemeanor charges have been filed against the owner of four buildings and three businesses after a massive fire and explosion in downtown Los Angeles left a dozen firefighters injured.
Dramatic video of the blaze, which occurred May 16, shows first responders scrambling away from the building, which houses shops including Smoke Tokes, Green Buddha and Bio Hazard. Firefighters said the flames were so intense that they melted through helmets and charred some of the fire engines, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Steve Sungho Lee, who owns the building where the fire began, is facing up to 68 years in jail and thousands of dollars in fines, City Attorney Mike Feuer said in a statement on Friday. The charges include conspiracy to endanger the public health for reasons that include failure to identify aerosols, failure to maintain aisles, failure to have hazmat warnings, failure to have no smoking signs, and failure to obtain a facility permit.
The flames quickly spread to another one of Lee‰??s buildings, where Green Buddha and Bio Hazard also conducted business.
The fire, which could be seen for miles, prompted an investigation that uncovered fire code and safety violations
---------------------------------------------
TRAFFIC: I-10 CLOSED BOTH WAYS NEAR HIGHLAND DUE TO TANKER SPILLING HAZMAT
https://www.wbrz.com/news/traffic-i-10-closed-both-ways-near-highland-due-to-tanker-spilling-hazmat/
Tags: us_LA, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
BATON ROUGE - Officials have closed down I-10 West and East due to a disabled tractor trailer Saturday afternoon.
Around 4:30 p.m. both sides of I-10 closed down due to a tanker spilling hazardous materials on the interstate near the parish line at Ascension Parish.
I-10 West is closed at LA 73 and I-10 East is closed at LA 42 (Highland Road).
Congestion has reached 2 miles. Motorists are advised to seek an alternate route.
---------------------------------------------
TELANGANA SANGAREDDY CHEMICAL FACTORY FIRE CASUALTIES INJURED PEOPLE DETAILS
https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/telangana-sangareddy-chemical-factory-fire-casualties-injured-people-details-644107
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
A massive fire broke out at a chemical factory located in the Bantupalli industrial area in the Sangareddy district of Telangana. The degree of the incident was so severe that the flames were seen from miles. As of now, firefighters have reached the spot, and the operations for dousing off the fire are underway.
As per the initial report, huge containers with chemicals were kept at the factory due to which the fire spread rapidly.
---------------------------------------------
NORTHLAND TOXIC CHEMICAL STOCKPILE TO BE CLEARED AT RATEPAYER, TAXPAYER EXPENSE
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/300081012/northland-toxic-chemical-stockpile-to-be-cleared-at-ratepayer-taxpayer-expense
Tags: New_Zealand, public, discovery, response, paints, solvent, waste
A Northland toxic chemical stockpile, at risk of catastrophic explosion or fire, will have a multi-million dollar clean-up at the expense of ratepayers and taxpayers.
The site in Ruakaka, south of Whang€?rei, has up to one million litres of solvents and hazardous waste haphazardly stored in deteriorating and ageing containers.
The chemicals are mostly solvents and paints and there is no indication that fertiliser or ammonium nitrate ‰?? the chemical that caused the deadly Beirut explosion ‰?? are stored there, the Whang€?rei District Council said.
However, the site has been deemed a significant environmental risk through groundwater contamination or catastrophic explosion or fire, according to the Environment Court.
---------------------------------------------
LA PROSECUTOR FILES CHARGES IN MAY EXPLOSION THAT INJURED 12
https://www.wfmj.com/story/42527850/la-prosecutor-files-charges-in-may-explosion-that-injured-12
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, injury, drugs, illegal
LOS ANGELES (AP) ‰?? The Los Angeles city attorney has filed dozens of criminal charges alleging fire code and safety violations against the owner of a building that exploded in the city's downtown and injured 12 firefighters, officials announced Friday.
The owner of the building faces up to 68 years in jail and thousands of dollars in fines if convicted, City Attorney Mike Feuer said in a statement. The city attorney can only file misdemeanor charges, not felonies.
A thunderous explosion rocked the building, which housed vape and marijuana accessories wholesalers, during the massive fire in May. Firefighters on the roof scrambled down ladders through the blaze, with their protective coats aflame.
---------------------------------------------
AFTER BEIRUT EXPLOSION, PORTS AROUND THE WORLD SEARCHED FOR A DANGEROUS CHEMICALS. SOME DIDN‰??T LIKE WHAT THEY FOUND.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/08/21/after-beirut-ports-around-world-searched-dangerous-chemicals-some-didnt-like-what-they-found/
Tags: Senegal, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
Ports around the world are working to remove potentially dangerous chemicals, sometimes stored in huge quantities, following an explosion in Beirut this month that left at least 180 people dead, thousands injured and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Officials in Dakar, Senegal‰??s capital city, announced Thursday they had requested the removal of almost 3,000 U.S. tons of ammonium nitrate from the city‰??s port ‰?? a larger volume of the chemical compound that caused Beirut‰??s explosion.
Last week, Romanian officials at the Black Sea port of Agigea said they had found a single warehouse illegally holding about 5,000 tons of ammonium nitrate. A further 3,800 tons of the compound had been found in raids across the country, police said in a statement.
As the dust settled after the Beirut blast, which many first took for an attack, a more mundane apparent culprit emerged: government inaction, incompetence and corruption.
---------------------------------------------
POLLUTION IS STILL A RISK AFTER GRAND PRAIRIE FIRE, EXPERTS SAY
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article245146670.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, plastics
By Wednesday night, firefighters had extinguished the massive fire at the Grand Prairie Poly-America plastics plant that had begun nearly 20 hours before. While some hot spots remained through Thursday, the sky was clear of the black smoke plumes that drew so many onlookers to the area. Environmental officials said there was no longer a need to monitor air quality and packed up by Thursday afternoon.
Although the immediate danger is gone, scientists, politicians and activists say that their concerns about the fire‰??s impact on the environment, particularly on air quality and water sources, have not diminished.
On Thursday evening, state Reps. Jessica GonzÌÁlez and Chris Turner, whose districts include portions of Grand Prairie, said they shared the concerns of their constituents and asked the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to clarify its findings and monitoring techniques at the plant.
‰??(The) fire and other incidents raise several questions regarding the safety of this facility and the environmental effects on the surrounding community,‰?? the pair said in a joint statement. ‰??We will be pursuing answers about this incident and what actions have and will be taken by the company, as well as the state and federal agencies charged with oversight to ensure that our constituents remain safe.‰??
---------------------------------------------
1 TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FROM HAZMAT INCIDENT AT UD RESEARCH INSTITUTE LAB
https://www.whio.com/home/1-taken-hospital-hazmat-incident-ud-research-institute-lab/3CP7FVKSV5HMRFBQ4FV2XC6INM/
Tags: us_OH, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
DAYTON ‰?? UPDATE **At_Symbol_Here** 10:35 p.m.: One person was taken to a hospital suffering from a minor respiratory issue from the hazmat incident at a University of Dayton Research Institute lab, Dayton Fire District Chief Andrew Wiley said.
He said Dayton crews and the regional hazmat unit were dispatched about 6 p.m. to Curran Place, 1700 S. Patterson Blvd., at the University of Dayton, on a potential hazard in one of the labs.
Another Dayton fire official told WHIO the incident involved a chemical reaction that occurred inside a laboratory cabinet. That official and Wiley said a contractor was called to the complex to clean up the incident.
‰??We don‰??t know at this time,‰?? Wiley said when asked if he knew what chemical was involved in the incident.
---------------------------------------------
POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH USING N,N-DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE IN CHEMICAL REACTIONS
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.oprd.0c00330
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, acids, oxidizer, solvent
N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) is frequently used as a solvent because of its unique physical properties that allow it to solubilize both organic and inorganic substances. It has also found broad applications as a catalyst for a variety of chemical transformations and as a donor for many functional groups in synthetic organic chemistry. However, DMF is incompatible with a wide variety of substances and has resulted in many incidents over the years. Analysis of literature information indicates that those incompatible substances can be categorized as acids, bases, halogenated reagents, oxidants, and reductants. This comprehensive review of the potential hazards of using DMF in chemical reactions will serve as an educational resource to promote awareness of such safety hazards in the broader chemistry community and encourage scientists to develop appropriate control strategies to mitigate the potential safety risks associated with the use of DMF in chemical reactions.
---------------------------------------------
MANDATORY RESEARCH CESSATION AND INFORMATION ABOUT SECURING RESEARCH MATERIALS
https://news.ucsc.edu/2020/08/mandatory-research-cessation.html
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, fire, environmental, other_chemical
Earlier today you received an email from me recommending that non-essential on-campus research operations temporarily cease due to the smoke and potential fire hazard. The situation has worsened and although the evacuation zone still does not include any campus space, it now extends to the entire region west of the Coastal Science Campus, Westside Research Park, and the residential campus and far to the North and an evacuation order for the campus could come at any time. Consequently, and at the direction of the CPEVC, I am now directing that all non-essential research operations at all Santa Cruz locations cease immediately. Please shut down all equipment as you would normally do for winter curtailment, secure chemicals in fire-safe storage, and secure lab notebooks and other irreplaceable items if possible.
As there is a risk that the fire may spread to the campus and there will be too little time to secure our research materials in the event of an evacuation, we have rapidly pulled together arrangements to move essential research materials off campus for a period of time, as follows:
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DAKAR PORT IS STORING 2700 TONNES OF AMMONIUM NITRATE
https://www.smh.com.au/world/africa/another-port-is-storing-2700-tonnes-of-ammonium-nitrate-20200821-p55o06.html
Tags: Senegal, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
Dakar: Officials at the port of Senegal's capital Dakar have requested the removal of about 2700 tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate stored in its complex - the same volume of the chemical that caused Beirut's devastating port explosion.
The unidentified owner of the stockpile has found a warehouse to store the industrial chemical outside the city, according to the general directorate of the port, which sits next to Dakar's densely populated downtown.
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REVEALED: CHEMICAL THAT CAUSED HUGE BEIRUT BLAST STORED AT 18 ULSAN FIRMS
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2020/08/371_294730.html
Tags: Republic_of_Korea, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
Ulsan city council has revealed that 18 firms in the Korean port city have ammonium nitrate, the controversial chemical that caused the huge explosion in Beirut earlier this month.
Most of them provide delivery as their main service, according to the city in the country's southeastern region on Wednesday. The firms were approved by the national Chemicals Control Act to have the chemical for business purposes as of March.
The city, however, did not reveal the amount stored because the information is confidential and linked to the anti-terror center under the Prime Minister's office.
Ulsan was second in the country in terms of chemical distribution ‰?? according to data released in 2016 by the National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) under the Ministry of Environment ‰?? with over 1.5 million tons a year (27 percent of the total). South Jeolla Province led the list, recording 33 percent.
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