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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 6:21:41 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)
UPDATED AT 7:54 P.M.:TANKER TRUCK WRECKS NEAR COTTONWOOD, SPILLS ABOUT 4,000 GALLONS OF FUEL
Tags: us_ID, transportation, release, response, gasoline
LOS ALAMOS LAB DEBUTS NEW HAZMAT ROBOT
Tags: us_NM, industrial, discovery, environmental, waste
HAZMAT CAMBRIDGE: 12 FIREFIGHTERS SUFFER CHEMICAL BURNS ‰?? NECN
Tags: us_MA, education, release, injury, cleaners
FIRE BREAKS OUT IN CHEMICAL LABORATORY IN JEEDIMETLA
Tags: India, laboratory, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
TWO DEAD IN GERMAN CHEMICAL SITE BLAST
Tags: Germany, industrial, explosion, death, solvent
2 DEAD, 7 INJURED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK AT LYONDELLBASELL FACILITY IN LA PORTE, OFFICIALS CONFIRM
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, death, unknown_chemical
FEDERAL AGENCY TASKED WITH INVESTING CHEMICAL INCIDENTS IS STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental
FIVE PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER GAS LEAK, EXPLOSION IN TYRONE ‰?? CBS PITTSBURGH
Tags: us_PA, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
EXPLAINED: WHY CHEMISTRY LABS ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO FIRE
Tags: India, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
CHEMICAL REACTION SENDS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TEAM TO SAGE CREEK HOME
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
TAUNTON, HONITON AND CULLOMPTON FIRE CREWS IDENTIFY HAZARDOUS MATERIAL IN PLYMTREE
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
WATER CONTAMINANT LEVELS STILL DECREASING SINCE GREENSBORO SPILL
Tags: us_NC, industrial, follow-up, environmental, runoff
HAZMAT TEAM FINDS DANGEROUSLY HIGH CO LEVELS IN WAREHOUSE IN SYRACUSE
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, response, batteries, carbon_monoxide, hvac_chemicals
UNITED PHOSPHORUS LIMITED: TOXIC WAREHOUSE IN DURBAN PA...
Tags: South_Africa, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems
MYSTERY BLAST: SHEPHERD LOSES ALL FINGERS AT HOME
Tags: India, public, explosion, injury, other_chemical
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UPDATED AT 7:54 P.M.:TANKER TRUCK WRECKS NEAR COTTONWOOD, SPILLS ABOUT 4,000 GALLONS OF FUEL
https://lmtribune.com/hazardous-materials-team-responds-to-gas-tanker-rollover-near-cottonwood/article_4715bed2-eefe-11eb-8c2a-ff9405379146.html
Tags: us_ID, transportation, release, response, gasoline
COTTONWOOD -- Traffic on U.S. Highway 95 about 3 miles south of Cottonwood was temporarily blocked Tuesday as cleanup crews worked to take care of a fuel spill that resulted from an overturned tanker truck.
No one was injured in the accident that was reported at 5:50 a.m. According to a news release from the Idaho State Police, Brian H. Heywood, 53, of Spokane, who was driving a 2018 Peterbilt semi-truck pulling fuel tanker trailers owned by the Jackson Energy Corp. of Meridian, fell asleep as he entered a left-hand curve near milepost 251 and went off the right-hand shoulder.
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LOS ALAMOS LAB DEBUTS NEW HAZMAT ROBOT
https://www.krqe.com/news/technology/lanl-debuts-new-hazmat-robot/
Tags: us_NM, industrial, discovery, environmental, waste
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) ‰?? Los Alamos National Lab has a unique new robot to handle dangerous situations. ‰??There‰??s no other robot on the market that can do what this robot can do, which is why we were so excited to get our hands on it,‰?? said LANL hazmat specialist Charles Gibson.
The robot keeps the hazmat team from having to go near dangerous chemicals and radiological waste. The team can manipulate the robot to open doors then carefully handle dangerous materials. All while crews control it in a truck using a joystick.
‰??This robot specifically fits into the mission of safety and security at the lab by allowing us to have the confidence in its newer technology to handle responses very efficiently,‰?? said another hazmat specialist Dan McDonald. He says the robot is easy to use and says they bought it from a company based out of Pennsylvania.
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HAZMAT CAMBRIDGE: 12 FIREFIGHTERS SUFFER CHEMICAL BURNS ‰?? NECN
https://www.necn.com/news/local/hazmat-team-deployed-in-cambridge/2517135/
Tags: us_MA, education, release, injury, cleaners
A hazardous material response team with the Boston Fire Department was deployed in Cambridge Wednesday morning, where 12 firefighters were taken to the hospital with chemical burns.
Firefighters responded to a call for the smell of smoke in a corner apartment on the fourth floor of 355 Mass Ave, near the edge of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus and Kendall Square. But when they arrived on scene, they noticed an unusual smell.
"There were no difficulties fighting the fire. The difficulty was identifying the chemicals," Cambridge Assistant Fire Chief Thomas Cahill Jr. said.
It remains unclear what type of chemical was involved.
Mixture of cleaning chemicals blamed for causing Hazmat situation at apartment building on Mass Ave #Cambridge #MA. 12 firefighters sent to hospital with minor burns to hands. #nbc10boston pic.twitter.com/ahAwqMaNtJ
‰?? Katie Brace (**At_Symbol_Here**KatieBraceNews) July 28, 2021
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FIRE BREAKS OUT IN CHEMICAL LABORATORY IN JEEDIMETLA
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/fire-breaks-out-in-chemical-laboratory-in-jeedimetla/article35576312.ece
Tags: India, laboratory, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
The fire was reported in Nascent Labs around 8 a.m., fire personnel said.
A fire broke out in a chemical laboratory in Jeedimetla area in the morning on July 28, injuring at least one person.
According to firemen, the fire was reported in Nascent Labs around 8 a.m. after which fire tenders were rushed to the spot. They said efforts were underway to douse the fire.
‰??Vehicles from Jeedimetla, Sanathnagar and Kukatpally fire stations are currently in the process of putting out the fire. The cause of fire will be known in some time. As far as we know, one person has been injured, and there are no deaths so far,‰?? a Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services officer said.
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TWO DEAD IN GERMAN CHEMICAL SITE BLAST
https://www.begadistrictnews.com.au/story/7360083/two-dead-in-german-chemical-site-blast/?cs-76
Tags: Germany, industrial, explosion, death, solvent
An explosion in a German industrial park has killed at least two people and injured 31 others, setting off a fierce blaze that sent a pall of smoke over the western city of Leverkusen.
Several people were still missing on Tuesday.
Emergency services took three hours to extinguish the fire at the Chempark site, home to chemicals companies Bayer and Lanxess, that flared up after the blast at 9.40am, park operator Currenta said.
...
Police told residents living nearby to stay indoors and shut doors and windows in case there were toxic fumes.
Currenta said locals should also turn off air conditioning systems while it measured the air around the site for possible toxic gases.
Chempark's Friedrich said it was not clear what had caused the explosion, which led to a fire starting in a tank containing solvents.
---------------------------------------------
2 DEAD, 7 INJURED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK AT LYONDELLBASELL FACILITY IN LA PORTE, OFFICIALS CONFIRM
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/07/28/crews-responding-to-mass-causality-incident-at-lyondellbasell-industries-in-laporte-officials-say/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, death, unknown_chemical
LA PORTE ‰?? Two people are dead and seven sustained injuries following a chemical leak at the LyondellBasell Industries in La Porte, the city‰??s Office of Emergency Management confirmed Tuesday.
Crews responded to reports of an incident at LyondellBasell Industries, which is located at 1515 Miller Cut-Off Road, around 7:35 p.m.
During a news conference Tuesday evening, the Harris County Fire Marshal said two people died on the scene, two others were transported to the hospital -- one by LifeFlight and the other by ambulance -- five people were being treated at the scene and 31 people were being reviewed for possible symptoms. All employees working in the acetyls unit have been accounted for, according to officials.
HCFMO investigators conducted initial interviews and determined there was no explosion or fire, therefore we have turned the investigation over to **At_Symbol_Here**Pct8Constable who is the authority having jurisdiction regarding this incident. #hounews
‰?? **At_Symbol_Here**hcfmo (**At_Symbol_Here**hcfmo) July 28, 2021
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FEDERAL AGENCY TASKED WITH INVESTING CHEMICAL INCIDENTS IS STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP
https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/federal-agency-tasked-with-investing-chemical-incidents-is-struggling-to-keep-up/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental
Investigations by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, including at Houston-area facilities, ‰??slowed to a crawl‰?? in recent years because of budget cuts and deregulation.
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By Alexandra HartJuly 27, 2021 2:57 pm
Business & Your Money, Energy & Environment, Government & Politics, Health & Science
Edward Castillo/Houston Public Media
The explosion aftermath at Watson Grinding & Manufacturing Co. in 2020.
Enter ‰??Houston chemical incident‰?? or ‰??Houston plant explosion‰?? into an internet search engine and you‰??ll get no shortage of results. Many Texans may remember the International Terminals Company fire, also known as the the Deer Park Fire that shut down the Houston Ship Channel for three days in 2019.
Last year, there was an explosion at the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing facility that left two employees dead. And just last week, a chemical leak at a Dow facility in La Porte forced evacuations. Those are just a few recent examples.
But there is an agency in charge of investigating incidents like these: the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, or the CSB. But Houston Chronicle editorial writer Nick Powell questioned in a recent editorial just how well the agency is doing its job. He spoke with Texas Standard about his findings.
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FIVE PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER GAS LEAK, EXPLOSION IN TYRONE ‰?? CBS PITTSBURGH
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2021/07/27/five-people-hospitalized-after-gas-leak-explosion-in-tyrone/
Tags: us_PA, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
TYRONE, Pa. (KDKA) ‰?? A house exploded in Tyrone on Monday, sending five people to the hospital.
A HAZMAT team responded, as fire from the explosion spread to two other houses.
The CBS station in Altoona reports a neighbor smelled gas in the air beforehand and called 911.
A Peoples Gas worker who responded was among those injured in the explosion.
‰??We heard a loud, loud noise, a loud crash. And we both looked down the street and this house had collapsed into itself. It was kind of startling,‰?? said Kenneth Parks, a neighbor.
There‰??s no word yet on what caused the gas leak.
---------------------------------------------
EXPLAINED: WHY CHEMISTRY LABS ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO FIRE
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/chemistry-labs-fire-iiser-pune-7423503/
Tags: India, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
This year in June and July, two premier research institutes in Pune ‰?? National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) ‰?? witnessed fire accidents in their respective organic chemistry laboratories. What was common among these accidents was the origin of fire ‰?? the fume hood. The collective estimated loss at these publicly-funded institutes is expected to run into a few lakh rupees.
Newsletter | Click to get the day‰??s best explainers in your inbox
What are the standard safety protocols prescribed for chemistry labs?
* Architecture and design
Firstly, the design of a chemistry lab must allow two-way access for smooth entry and exist, especially in case of emergency. These doors must ideally be located diagonally opposite to one another and at distance equal from all areas of the lab. There must be a refuge area outside or in front of the lab, so that people, upon evacuation, can gather for safety.
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CHEMICAL REACTION SENDS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TEAM TO SAGE CREEK HOME
https://news4winnipeg.com/chemical-reaction-sends-hazardous-materials-team-to-sage-creek-home/
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to a hazardous materials call just after 9:30 pm Saturday night, July 24, 2021, on Sundog Drive in Sage Creek.
When crews arrived on scene they found pool chemicals were reacting with each other at a residence. Members of the Harardous Materials Response Unit dressed in chemical resistant suits and went into the home‰??s backyard to clean up the area.
Fire officials said that the incident did not involve a spill and that the incident was fairly minor but still needed to be dealt with in the proper manner.
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TAUNTON, HONITON AND CULLOMPTON FIRE CREWS IDENTIFY HAZARDOUS MATERIAL IN PLYMTREE
https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/19468167.taunton-honiton-cullompton-fire-crews-identify-hazardous-material-plymtree/
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
THREE fire crews were sent to deal with an incident involving hazardous materials last night.
Crews from Taunton Fire Station, along with ones from Cullompton and Honiton, were dispatched just over the Somerset border to Plymtree in Devon.
Just after 8.30pm, Fire Control received a call from Ambulance Control to reports of a male who had possibly inhaled a chemical substance, causing him breathing difficulties.
A spokesperson for the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue service said: "Two fire appliances and an environmental protection unit were immediately mobilised, and used breathing apparatus to identify and isolate the substance."
---------------------------------------------
WATER CONTAMINANT LEVELS STILL DECREASING SINCE GREENSBORO SPILL
https://chapelboro.com/town-square/water-contaminant-levels-still-decreasing-since-greensboro-spill
Tags: us_NC, industrial, follow-up, environmental, runoff
Two weeks of samples taken from Pittsboro‰??s water intake show decreasing concentrations of 1,4-Dioxane in the town‰??s drinking supply since a yet unknown Greensboro source discharged at least two ‰??slugs‰?? of the dangerous chemical into the Haw last month.
The latest round of data indicate 1,4-Dioxane ‰?? a suspected carcinogen derived from industrial runoff ‰?? has been diluted to levels beneath the Environmental Protection Agency‰??s standard of maximally acceptable concentrations for potable water.
On July 14, the most recent sample date as of press time Tuesday, Pittsboro‰??s finished water contained 17.3 parts per billion of 1,4-Dioxane at the Horton water tank, 16.2 ppb at the 1.0M water tank and fewer than 3 ppb elsewhere. The EPA recommends no more than 35 ppb in healthy drinking water based on a one in 10,000 chance of cancer over lifetime exposure.
‰??As expected, as we become further removed from the contamination event, we are seeing levels steadily decrease closer to non-detect, <1.0 (ppb),‰?? Town Manager Chris Kennedy said in a statement. ‰??Despite the improvements, town staff will continue to monitor and sample the water until we achieve consistent non-detect results.‰??
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HAZMAT TEAM FINDS DANGEROUSLY HIGH CO LEVELS IN WAREHOUSE IN SYRACUSE
https://www.syracuse.com/news/2021/07/hazmat-team-responds-to-reported-refrigerant-leak-at-byrne-dairy-warehouse-in-syracuse.html
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, response, batteries, carbon_monoxide, hvac_chemicals
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Firefighters fully decked out in hazmat suits entered a cold storage warehouse in Syracuse Sunday morning after a report that a refrigerant system was leaking, according to the Syracuse Fire Department.
Initially, firefighters believed an employee was inside the building, firefighters said in a news release.
Both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors were going off in the warehouse at 606 Oneida St. on the city‰??s southwest side when firefighters arrived at 11:24 a.m., Syracuse Deputy Fire Chief John Kane said.
Firefighters found dangerously high carbon monoxide levels in the building.
The department‰??s Hazardous Materials Response Team entered the building using ‰??totally-encapsulating chemical protective suits,‰?? Kane said.
The carbon monoxide issue was apparently caused by battery chargers in the building, Kane said.
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UNITED PHOSPHORUS LIMITED: TOXIC WAREHOUSE IN DURBAN PA...
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-07-25-united-phosphorus-limited-toxic-warehouse-in-durban-part-of-special-fast-track-state-investment-scheme-firm-fined-millions-in-india/
Tags: South_Africa, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems
The Indian-owned toxic chemical plant that blew up and polluted air, rivers and sea around Durban was part of a special ‰??fast-track‰?? economic investment scheme by national government, with no specific environmental or hazardous substance approvals or any local government scrutiny.
Back in India, the company has just been fined nearly R2-million after one of the company‰??s pesticide manufacturing plants was shut down by authorities following an explosion five months ago, which killed three workers and injured many more. The Supreme Court in New Delhi has also ordered it to pay another R20-million for operating a major plant for decades without valid environmental authorisation ‰?? while company lawyers have hounded journalists for decades for publishing ‰??defamatory‰?? stories about its legacy of environmental pollution.
***
Containing up to 1,600 different chemical products ‰?? many of them highly toxic ‰?? the Indian-owned United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) pesticide and agro-chemicals warehouse which blew up in Durban on 13 July was part of a special national government investment scheme in which normal regulatory approvals are ‰??fast-tracked‰?? to attract investors.
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MYSTERY BLAST: SHEPHERD LOSES ALL FINGERS AT HOME
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/mystery-blast-shepherd-loses-all-fingers-at-home/articleshow/84739202.cms
Tags: India, public, explosion, injury, other_chemical
Hyderabad: A 19-year-old shepherd was badly hurt and lost all fingers in both hands after a chemical substance he was allegedly handling exploded at his house in Peddemul in Vikarabad district on Sunday. Cops suspect that the boy was trying to make a small explosive to kill wild boars.
The explosion at tenant farmer B Yadaiah‰??s house around 10 am created panic in the SC Colony as it occurred in the middle of a residential area. Locals who reached the house found Yadaiah‰??s son Venkatesh withering in pain. The boy was alone at home when the incident happened, police said. Venkatesh was rushed to a local hospital initially and from there to Osmania General Hospital.
‰??Venkatesh was sitting on the tiles in front of his house when the blast occurred. We do not know exactly what he was holding and what he was trying to do. He lost fingers of both his hands. He suffered injuries to his palms and face. He is not in a condition to talk. Forensic team has collected samples for lab analysis,‰?? said Vikarabad SP M Narayana. The explosion caused a hole in the stone tile on which Venkatesh was sitting. ‰??There was about 2kg of ammonia-based fertiliser in a sack nearby. At the site of explosion, black gel like chemical was found. We suspect that Venkatesh was trying to make a small explosive using locally available chemicals to target wild boars,‰?? a Peddemul cop said. A case was registered.
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