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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, November 16, 2020 at 6:24:30 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)
BAGHJAN GAS WELL IN ASSAM SEALED FULLY
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, natural_gas
DIWALI MISHAPS: 3 MAJOR FIRES IN FACTORIES IN LUDHIANA; NO CASUALTY REPORTED
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
POLICE TO INSPECT ALL CHEMICAL GODOWNS IN BENGALURU
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, environment, illegal
INVESTIGATORS FOCUS ON PROPANE LEAK AS POSSIBLE CAUSE OF NANTUCKET HOME EXPLOSION
Tags: us_MA, public, explosion, injury, propane
CONTRACTOR KILLED, OTHERS INJURED IN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT AT WACKER PLANT IN CHARLESTON, TN
Tags: us_TN, industrial, release, death, hydrochloric_acid
CHEMICAL SPILL IN THURMASTON WAS LEAKING GLUE
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
CHEMICALS THROWN IN TRASH CAUSED GARBAGE TRUCK EXPLOSION IN BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP NEIGHBORHOOD, FIRE CHIEF SAYS
Tags: us_MI, transportation, explosion, injury, fireworks, waste
MORE THAN 160 STUDENTS, TEACHERS NATIONWIDE HURT IN SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS GONE WRONG
Tags: us_MD, laboratory, discovery, environmental, explosives, flammables, methanol
AS AIR FORCE BUCKS N.H. PFAS LIMITS, STATE SEEKS PAYMENT FOR PEASE NEIGHBORS' WATER
Tags: us_NH, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
AUDIO FROM A 911 CALL MADE DURING THE RECENT BRENT SPENCE BRIDGE HAZMAT FIRE HAS BEEN RELEASED, REVEALING THE SHAKEN BUT HELPFUL NATURE OF THE HAZMAT TRUCK DRIVER INVOLVED IN THE CRASH.
Tags: us_oh, transportation, followup, diesel
WORKER DIES WHILE CLEANING TANK AT FLASH TANK SERVICES IN EAST HARRIS COUNTY
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, death, toluene
LIVE UPDATES: ROADS SHUT AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK IN THURMASTON
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
HUNDREDS OF DISILLUSIONED DOCTORS LEAVE LEBANON, IN BLOW TO HEALTHCARE
Tags: Lebanon, public, discovery, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
AMC SEALS 57 ILLEGAL CHEMICAL GODOWNS
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, environmental
KILBURN PLASTIC RECYCLING FACTORY GOES UP IN SMOKE, CAUSING $1 MILLION DAMAGE
Tags: Australia, industrial, fire, response, plastics
BRENT SPENCE BRIDGE CLOSURE: WHAT ARE ENGINEERS, INSPECTORS LOOKING FOR?
Tags: us_oh, transportation, follow-up, environmental
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BAGHJAN GAS WELL IN ASSAM SEALED FULLY
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/assam-gas-well-killed-fire-fully-doused-after-over-five-months/article33102661.ece
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, natural_gas
Indian and foreign experts on Sunday ‰??killed‰?? a disastrous well of Oil India Limited (OIL) in eastern Assam‰??s Tinsukia district, 173 days after it had a blowout, ejecting natural gas and associated elements uncontrollably from a depth of 3.7 km.
The blowout began at Well No 5 in OIL‰??s Baghjan Oilfield, adjoining the ecologically fragile Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, on May 27. To make matters worse, the well caught fire on June 9.
Also read: Process to kill blowout well begins in Assam
‰??The well has been killed with brine solution and is under control now. Fire has been doused completely,‰?? an OIL spokesperson said from the exploration major‰??s headquarters at Duliajan in the neighbouring Dibrugarh district.
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DIWALI MISHAPS: 3 MAJOR FIRES IN FACTORIES IN LUDHIANA; NO CASUALTY REPORTED
https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/3-major-fires-in-factories-no-casualty/story-K1zaUzVRz6aMf6WkTKVXoI.html
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
While city residents celebrated Diwali on Saturday by bursting crackers at large, the fire brigade remained on its toes with 33 fire incidents being reported from the district.
Major fires were reported from three factories in the city. Goods and machinery worth lakhs were gutted; but no casualty was reported.
The fires broke out at a blanket unit in Seera village near Rahon road, a hosiery unit on Tibba road and an oil and chemical factory at Pahwa village of Sahnewal area.
At Seera Road, flames ravaged a blanket and shawl manufacturing unit. The fire broke out at around 5.30pm and four fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The operation to douse the flames continued for around three hours and no casualty was reported. However, material and machinery worth lakhs perished. The unit was closed when the fire broke out and officials suspect a short circuit.
Flames also engulfed a hosiery unit on Tibba Road at around 9.15pm. Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot. No casualty was reported but the fire brigade faced problems as a large number of labourers gathered at the spot.
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POLICE TO INSPECT ALL CHEMICAL GODOWNS IN BENGALURU
https://www.deccanherald.com/city/top-bengaluru-stories/police-to-inspect-all-chemical-godowns-in-bengaluru-915998.html
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, environment, illegal
Police will check all chemical factories/warehouses in residential areas.
In a circular on Saturday, Bengaluru police chief Kamal Pant instructed the beat police to conduct a survey to identify chemical warehouses operating in their jurisdiction.
All papers to be checked
If any warehouse appears to be illegal, the beat police should check their documents, such as the requisite permissions from the explosive department, the fire and emergency services department and the pollution control board.
They should also check the prescribed safety measures inside these units and submit a report to the police inspector concerned. Senior police officers should notify the department concerned in case any violations are found.
The direction came days after a massive explosion in an illegal chemical factory warehouse located in Hosaguddadahalli, Mysuru Road, killing a worker.
Five buildings, five cars, one Tempo Traveller and two motorbikes were burnt completely.
---------------------------------------------
INVESTIGATORS FOCUS ON PROPANE LEAK AS POSSIBLE CAUSE OF NANTUCKET HOME EXPLOSION
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/11/13/metro/investigators-focus-propane-leak-possible-cause-nantucket-home-explosion/
Tags: us_MA, public, explosion, injury, propane
Fire investigators are focusing on a propane leak as the possible source of a fire and explosion on Nantucket that destroyed one home and damaged more than a dozen others, causing an estimated $15 million in property damage, officials said Friday.
Three houses were damaged by fire and at least 15 more were damaged by the explosion that destroyed a home at 11 Woodbury Lane just after noon on Thursday. One person was injured in the blast that could be heard for miles.
The person was in stable condition at a Boston hospital, the state fire marshal‰??s office said in a statement Friday evening.
---------------------------------------------
CONTRACTOR KILLED, OTHERS INJURED IN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT AT WACKER PLANT IN CHARLESTON, TN
https://newschannel9.com/news/local/crews-responding-to-incident-at-wacker-in-charleston-friday-morning
Tags: us_TN, industrial, release, death, hydrochloric_acid
One of five contract workers injured during an industrial accident at Wacker Polysilicon plant in Charleston Friday morning did not survive his injuries, plant officials confirmed.
Spokesperson Lisa Mantooth said in a statement that the injured workers were taken to area hospitals. As of 6 p.m., three are being treated, and one has been treated and released.
"Our thoughts and prayers remain with the injured individuals and the family of the deceased," said Mantooth in the statement.
Site Manager and Vice President Mary Beth Hudson told Mix 104.1 WCLE's Steve Hartline in an interview that from what they've learned so far, during a maintenance operation by the contractors, a "small release of a mixture of steam and hydrochloric acid" happened. She says the leak was quickly contained.
Hudson says while the contractors were injured in the leak, the community and surrounding area were never endangered.
Wacker's investigation into the incident is ongoing.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL IN THURMASTON WAS LEAKING GLUE
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/chemical-spill-thurmaston-leaking-glue-4697967
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
A leaking chemical dealt with by hazardous materials specialists from the fire service was a type of glue.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service sent crews from across Leicester, Birstall and Coalville to the scene of the spillage in Earls Way, Thurmaston, shortly after 8am today.
Also in attendance was the specialist hazmat team from Coalville fire station who worked quickly to block off the drains in Earls Way and nearby Church Hill Road to stop the substance getting into the local waterways.
About 40 litres of the glue had escaped from the drum by the time the fire crews arrived on the scene, which was on a small industrial estate.
Both the roads were partially closed while the emergency services dealt with the spill, which came from an open container at a premises on Earls Way.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICALS THROWN IN TRASH CAUSED GARBAGE TRUCK EXPLOSION IN BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP NEIGHBORHOOD, FIRE CHIEF SAYS
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/11/14/chemicals-thrown-in-trash-caused-garbage-truck-explosion-in-bloomfield-township-neighborhood-fire-chief-says/
Tags: us_MI, transportation, explosion, injury, fireworks, waste
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. ‰?? A GFL Environmental truck exploded while it was picking up trash at a home in Bloomfield Township.
‰??The biggest thing with chemicals is when you mix them, you never know what‰??s going to happen,‰?? said Bloomfield Township Fire Chief John LeRoy. ‰??That‰??s unfortunately what happened today when multiple chemicals are mixed together. We had some sort of a reaction that nearly injured two firefighters.‰??
A homeowner had conducted a deep clean and unknowingly dumped all her teenage son‰??s chemicals that he used to make fireworks. Once the mix was put into the garbage truck, it exploded and trash flew everywhere.
---------------------------------------------
MORE THAN 160 STUDENTS, TEACHERS NATIONWIDE HURT IN SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS GONE WRONG
https://wlos.com/news/spotlight-on-america/more-than-160-students-teachers-nationwide-hurt-in-science-experiments-gone-wrong
Tags: us_MD, laboratory, discovery, environmental, explosives, flammables, methanol
WASHINGTON (SBG) ‰?? As many students return to in-person learning, experts are warning about a danger they could face in the classroom: not COVID-19, but a phenomenon known as flame jetting. It's already injured dozens of students and teachers across the nation in classroom science experiments gone terribly wrong.
Spotlight on America got a firsthand look at the phenomenon known as flame jetting from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, going behind the scenes at the agency's Fire Research Laboratory in Maryland. As trained and equipped representatives from the ATF demonstrated, the phenomenon can turn a flammable liquid inside a container into a flame thrower, creating a wall of fire that shoots forward with an intense force, torching anything in its path.
According to Jonathan Butta with the ATF, it can happen when alcohols, especially methanol, are used in demonstrations involving an open flame. While the idea is to liven up classroom experiments and give a real-life application to a chemical concept, the results can be tragic. Butta explained, "It essentially turns a typical flammable liquid container into a flamethrower."
---------------------------------------------
AS AIR FORCE BUCKS N.H. PFAS LIMITS, STATE SEEKS PAYMENT FOR PEASE NEIGHBORS' WATER
https://www.nhpr.org/post/air-force-bucks-nh-pfas-limits-state-seeks-payment-pease-neighbors-water#stream/0
Tags: us_NH, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
New Hampshire wants the Air Force to cover the cost of drinking water assistance for three homes near the former Pease Air Base with PFAS chemical contamination in their home wells.
It's the latest escalation in a dispute over whether the Air Force has to follow New Hampshire's new limits on PFAS in drinking water as part of ongoing groundwater cleanup around Pease.
PFAS are toxic industrial compounds that were used for decades in a range of products. They've been linked to kidney and liver disease, high cholesterol, immune deficiencies and reproductive and developmental problems, as well as potentially some cancers.
There are thousands of these chemicals, which don't break down easily in the environment and are the basis of a kind of firefighting foam that won't be phased out of military use until 2024.
This foam caused extensive PFAS contamination in the groundwater beneath Pease. The Air Force has worked for years to remediate it, following the only federal guideline that exists for PFAS: a non-binding health advisory level from the Environmental Protection Agency.
New Hampshire is one of only a few states that have adopted their own binding limits on certain kinds of PFAS in drinking water and groundwater -- limits that are several times more restrictive than the EPA's advice.
But the Air Force has so far refused requests to follow these standards at Pease from New Hampshire officials and members of Congress.
The Air Force says no one around Pease is drinking water with a higher level of PFAS than the EPA recommends, but they say they'll consider New Hampshire‰??s standards as part of a remedial investigation that's set to continue through the end of 2022.
Some treatment technology is already installed at Pease, but officials say it‰??s designed to focus on shallower, disproportionately contaminated groundwater and won't directly help clean the deeper part of the aquifer that feeds neighboring wells.
A PFAS treatment system installed on the former air base runways won't affect the deeper groundwater that feeds neighboring wells, officials say.
In a letter to the Air Force, or USAF, this month, Gov. Chris Sununu joined state regulators and New Hampshire's Congressional delegation in pushing back on the Air Force's stance.
---------------------------------------------
AUDIO FROM A 911 CALL MADE DURING THE RECENT BRENT SPENCE BRIDGE HAZMAT FIRE HAS BEEN RELEASED, REVEALING THE SHAKEN BUT HELPFUL NATURE OF THE HAZMAT TRUCK DRIVER INVOLVED IN THE CRASH.
https://cdllife.com/2020/brent-spence-bridge-fire-911-calls-released-my-trucks-on-fire-big-time-god-almighty/
Tags: us_oh, transportation, followup, diesel
In the wreck, the hazmat driver heard in the 911 call crashed into another semi truck that had jackknifed in front of him, setting both rigs ablaze ‰?? including 110 pounds of potassium hydroxide.
Emergency responders say that diesel fuel was the main cause of the fire, which burned for two hours at up to 1,500 degrees.
---------------------------------------------
WORKER DIES WHILE CLEANING TANK AT FLASH TANK SERVICES IN EAST HARRIS COUNTY
https://abc13.com/worker-accident-flash-tank-services-harris-county-sheriffs-office-baytown-hazmat/7902475/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, death, toluene
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man has died in a work accident in east Harris County. The worker was cleaning an industrial tank when he was possibly overcome by fumes.
The call for hazmat crews came in at about 3:30 p.m.
The business, located near Crockett Street, is called Flash Tank Services.
We're told the tank held toluene, a hydrocarbon associated with paint thinner
Authorities say it's not exactly clear how the man died since he was wearing a respirator at the time.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office is conducting an investigation. OSHA has been called to the scene as well.
---------------------------------------------
LIVE UPDATES: ROADS SHUT AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK IN THURMASTON
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/live-updates-roads-shut-after-4696797
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
pecialist hazmat teams are in Thurmaston this morning after a chemical spill.
About 40 litres of white liquid was leaking from a drum at a premises in Earls Way and the chemical had spread across the pavement and onto the road.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service was called at about 8.05am this morning and sent their hazardous materials team from Coalville fire station, along with other crews from Coalville, Leicester and Birstall.
The road remains closed, along with nearby Church Hill Road, and the drains in the area were blocked to stop the liquid from getting into them.
The leak is now contained but it remains unclear what the chemical is and the emergency services remain at the scene.
---------------------------------------------
HUNDREDS OF DISILLUSIONED DOCTORS LEAVE LEBANON, IN BLOW TO HEALTHCARE
https://nypost.com/2020/11/12/hundreds-of-disillusioned-doctors-leave-lebanon-in-blow-to-healthcare/
Tags: Lebanon, public, discovery, environmental, ammonium_nitrate
Sharaf Abou Sharaf, head of the doctors‰?? syndicate, said the departure of 400 doctors so far this year creates a major problem, especially for university hospitals where they both practice and teach.
Then came the Aug. 4 blast, when large amounts of poorly stored ammonium nitrate exploded, killing 200 people, injuring 6,000, making 300,000 people homeless and destroying large parts of the capital Beirut including several hospitals.
‰??The explosion was the final nail in the coffin,‰?? Boulos said.
‰??It crystallized all the fears, all the pain and all the difficulties that we were living through,‰?? added the medic, who trained at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
‰??Corrupt to the core‰??
Boulos said he had lost faith in the country‰??s leadership, after years of instability caused by political bickering.
‰??Lebanon is corrupt to the core,‰?? he said, echoing the chants of thousands of protesters who packed city streets during the last year.
---------------------------------------------
AMC SEALS 57 ILLEGAL CHEMICAL GODOWNS
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/amc-seals-57-illegal-chemical-godowns/articleshow/79200571.cms
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, environmental
Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has sealed over 50 chemical godowns and units that were illegally operating in the city. Of these, 47 units and godowns were sealed this week since Monday.
The action came after 12 workers were killed and nine injured in multiple explosions at a chemical processing unit in Ganeshnagar on the Piplaj-Pirana Road last week. The AMC estate, town planning department and the solid waste department teams got into action and raided various parts of the city.
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KILBURN PLASTIC RECYCLING FACTORY GOES UP IN SMOKE, CAUSING $1 MILLION DAMAGE
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-13/fire-at-kilburn-plastics-factory-causes-million-dollar-damage/12880014
Tags: Australia, industrial, fire, response, plastics
Residents living near a large plastics recycling factory in Adelaide's inner north, where a fire broke out last night, say they are worried about the health impacts of fumes being emitted from the facility.
Key points:
The fire broke out at the factory about 7:00pm on Thursday
The damage bill is expected to exceed $1 million
Residents have expressed concerns about toxic smells
The fire broke out at the Kilburn factory and caused toxic smoke to drift across the area ‰?? which is also home to residential streets, including many with new housing developments.
---------------------------------------------
BRENT SPENCE BRIDGE CLOSURE: WHAT ARE ENGINEERS, INSPECTORS LOOKING FOR?
https://www.wcpo.com/news/transportation-development/brent-spence-bridge-closure-what-are-engineers-inspectors-looking-for
Tags: us_oh, transportation, follow-up, environmental
CINCINNATI ‰?? It may take more than a month for the Brent Spence Bridge to reopen as authorities on both sides of the river assess damage following a fiery crash that shut down the interstate bridge Wednesday.
Just how deep the damage goes will determine how long it takes to reopen the bridge. No matter what inspectors find, engineering experts said it‰??s unlikely the solution will be a simple one.
One of the two semi tractor trailers involved in Wednesday‰??s crash was carrying potassium hydroxide, which caused the fire to burn hotter and longer. Crews battled the blaze for about two hours before it was extinguished.
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