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From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (16 articles)
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2021 06:42:01 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: B32ED0FA-D628-44BA-9748-95D770F2070C**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 at 6:41:45 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)
WEST ALLIS OFFICIALS RESPOND TO HAZMAT SITUATION NEAR 65TH AND GREENFIELD; NO INJURIES
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE TO MONITOR MOSS LANDING BATTERY FACILITY
Tags: us_CA, public, fire, response, batteries
RIVERFEST CANCELED; ALL EFFORTS GOING INTO FLAT ROCK CHEMICAL SPILL RECOVERY ‰?? THE NEWS HERALD
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, response, other_chemical
ONE SUSTAINS CHEMICAL BURNS IN HAZ-MAT INCIDENT TUESDAY
Tags: us_LA, public, release, injury, corrosives, waste
RALLYING TO THE CHEMICAL SAFETY CAUSE
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, asbestos, dinitrophenylhydrazine, time-sensitive
DIVERS IDENTIFY BROKEN PIPELINE AS SOURCE OF GULF OIL SPILL
Tags: us_LA, transportation, release, response, oils
AMMONIA LEAK REPORTED AT TYSON‰??S GOODLETTSVILLE PLANT
Tags: us_TN, industrial, release, response, ammonia
IDA AFTERMATH: SHELL REFINERY SPEWS CHEMICALS, ENERGY COMPANIES ASSESS DAMAGE
Tags: us_LA, industrial, follow-up, response, ammonia, oils, sulphur
AVONDALE POLICE IDENTIFY TOXIC CHEMICAL IN FATAL HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical, toxics
MASSIVE FIRE AT UK POLYURETHANES PLANT
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, fire, response, urethane
CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE IN PAKISTAN KILLS AT LEAST 17 WORKERS
Tags: Pakistan, industrial, fire, death, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL DEFINITION OF BRINE AS WATER COULD HELP CLEAR UP CHILE‰??S LITHIUM CONTROVERSY
Tags: Chile, laboratory, discovery, environmental, batteries
SANTA ANA: JAIL EMPLOYEE RUSHED TO HOSPITAL AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
FORD TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR FLAT ROCK GAS LEAK
Tags: us_MI, industrial, release, environmental, gasoline
‰??CHEMICAL CLOUD‰?? PROMPTS EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Tags: us_NC, industrial, release, response, HCl
HAZMAT TECHS STOP ATTLEBORO SULFURIC ACID LEAK
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, response, sulfuric_acid
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WEST ALLIS OFFICIALS RESPOND TO HAZMAT SITUATION NEAR 65TH AND GREENFIELD; NO INJURIES
https://www.cbs58.com/news/west-allis-officials-respond-to-hazmat-situation-near-65th-and-greenfield-no-injuries
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
WEST ALLIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The West Allis Police Department responded to 65th and Greenfield after receiving information that there was a potentially combustible chemical in a vacant building on Monday, Sept. 6.
Officials say West Allis police, fire officials, and Milwaukee Fire Personnel responded around 8:20 p.m., along with the Milwaukee Police Department's Hazardous Devices Unit.
The chemical was located and destroyed on the premises.
No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made.
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FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE TO MONITOR MOSS LANDING BATTERY FACILITY
https://www.ksbw.com/article/moss-landing-power-plant-battery-fire/37501119
Tags: us_CA, public, fire, response, batteries
MOSS LANDING, Calif. ‰??
Firefighters have been at the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility since Saturday after one or more batteries overheated and caused part of the facility to fill with smoke. According to the fire department, there is no threat to the public.
The facility, which is housed in the former Moss Landing Power Plant, which is now owned by Vistra Corp. Vistra reported last week that on Sept. 4 the facility experienced an "overheating issue" in some of its battery modules.
According to Fire Chief Joel Mendoza, firefighters were called out to the facility on Saturday for reports of smoke which then turned into reports of a possible structure fire. When firefighters arrived they found smoke inside the building and worked to clear it out, no fire was located by firefighters.
An investigation found that some of the batteries had overheated leading to plastic and wires melting.
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RIVERFEST CANCELED; ALL EFFORTS GOING INTO FLAT ROCK CHEMICAL SPILL RECOVERY ‰?? THE NEWS HERALD
https://www.thenewsherald.com/2021/09/07/riverfest-canceled-all-efforts-going-into-flat-rock-chemical-spill-recovery/
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, response, other_chemical
As Flat Rock city officials continue to grapple with the state of emergency relating to the recent chemical spill in the sewer system, the decision has been made to cancel this weekend‰??s Riverfest festivities.
Jonathan Dropiewski, former mayor and event volunteer, said it was an easy decision to reach, but a difficult one to have to make.
The event was planned for Sept. 10 and 11.
Dropiewski, who resides in the Hickory Ridge subdivision, off Olmstead, said he is right in the heart of the evacuation area and is displaced along with hundreds of other residents at the moment.
Due to the ongoing efforts to deal with a chemical spill in Flat Rock‰??s sewer system, this year‰??s Riverfest has been canceled.(MediaNews Group file photo)
‰??It takes about a year to plan this event, but we‰??re not going to do anything that distracts from the mitigation and remediation efforts,‰?? Dropiewski said. ‰??Not one minute will be taken away from that.‰??
He said organizers are in the process of notifying all vendors and entertainment acts scheduled for the festival.
Putting on the event is a large-scale undertaking for a small city and it involves the Flat Rock Police and Fire departments and a host of city workers and volunteers.
‰??City workers have been working 24/7 for almost a week now,‰?? he said. ‰??They are not going to be asked to stop what they‰??re doing so they can set up for a festival. Everyone is putting effort into this recovery ‰?? everybody is pitching in.‰??
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ONE SUSTAINS CHEMICAL BURNS IN HAZ-MAT INCIDENT TUESDAY
https://www.katc.com/news/lafayette-parish/one-sustains-chemical-burns-in-haz-mat-incident-tuesday
Tags: us_LA, public, release, injury, corrosives, waste
Scott firefighters and the Lafayette Fire Department's Haz-Mat team responded Tuesday to a local refuse facility after an employee reportedly obtained chemical burns from an unknown material leaking onto him from a trash bin.
Firefighters located a container with an unidentified liquid material in a trash bin, which the employee had been exposed to.
Haz-Mat technicians entered the container in protective suits to test the material and identify what the employee was exposed to quickly so that emergency room personnel could properly treat the burns.
The substance was "a dangerous and deadly corrosive material," which Scott FD says had been improperly disposed of in the trash bin. The Haz-Mat team sifted through the remainder of the bin, checking its contents to make sure there were no other containers with hazardous materials present.
Responders collected the material and the area was deemed safe. The employee received chemical burns and is being treated at an area hospital.
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RALLYING TO THE CHEMICAL SAFETY CAUSE
https://www.chemistryworld.com/careers/rallying-to-the-chemical-safety-cause/4014034.article
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, asbestos, dinitrophenylhydrazine, time-sensitive
In September 2016, a practical using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine made a return to the A-level curriculum ‰?? with unexpectedly dramatic consequences. Dried-out containers of the reagent were soon being unearthed in school chemical stores. Safe when damp, once dry this chemical has the potential to explode. By Christmas that year, the bomb squad had been called out to blow up containers at nearly 600 UK schools. This mammoth endeavour was coordinated by Cleapss, the UK‰??s science education advisory service. ‰??It was a very exciting, but also quite a stressful, period of time,‰?? explains Matt Endean, the Cleapss deputy director.
Two years later, safety in school laboratories was back in the news. It transpired that some ‰??heatproof gauzes that had been sold to schools [for use with Bunsen burners] had asbestos in them‰??, Endean says. With no information available on how far back this issue went, ‰??we had to oversee the bagging up and safe disposal of every gauze in every school in the country‰??.
Endean is an ex-teacher who graduated with a combined degree in chemistry and secondary education from the University of Exeter, UK, in 2001. He then took up a science teacher post at an inner London girls‰?? school. After a couple of years, he was promoted to acting head of department and found that he relished leadership. In 2005, he left the classroom ‰?? becoming a science advisor for a local authority. ‰??It was a new challenge and a chance to influence and work at a higher level,‰?? he says. In this role, he supported science teachers and heads of department at 17 secondary schools.
In 2011, Endean joined Cleapss as its assistant director and was promoted to his current position four years later. Cleapss is a membership organisation that provides advice to 98% of schools and colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and around 700 overseas schools. Its overarching goal is to ‰??provide support and guidance to teachers and technicians in schools on how to do safe and effective practical work,‰?? Endean explains.
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DIVERS IDENTIFY BROKEN PIPELINE AS SOURCE OF GULF OIL SPILL
https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-oil-spills-1c41bfc63b17f35cf699c45ab0d77c02
Tags: us_LA, transportation, release, response, oils
WASHINGTON (AP) ‰?? Divers at the site of an ongoing oil spill that appeared in the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Ida have identified the apparent source as one-foot diameter pipeline displaced from a trench on the ocean floor and broken open.
Talos Energy, the Houston-based company currently paying for the cleanup, said in a statement issued Sunday evening that the busted pipeline does not belong to them.
The company said it is working with the U.S. Coast Guard and other state and federal agencies to coordinate the response and identify the owner of the ruptured pipeline.
Two additional 4-inch pipelines were also identified in the area that are open and apparently abandoned. The company‰??s statement did not make clear if oil was leaking from the two smaller pipelines, but satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press on Saturday appeared to show at least three different slicks in the same area, the largest drifting more than a dozen miles (more than 19 kilometers) eastward along the Gulf coast.
The AP first reported Wednesday that aerial photos showed a miles-long brown and black oil slick spreading about 2 miles (3 kilometers) south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The broken pipe is in relatively shallow water, at about 34 feet (10 meters) of depth.
---------------------------------------------
AMMONIA LEAK REPORTED AT TYSON‰??S GOODLETTSVILLE PLANT
https://www.wsmv.com/news/davidson_county/ammonia-leak-reported-at-tyson-s-goodlettsville-plant/article_288f110c-0e4d-11ec-8499-d31ccc13d9dd.html
Tags: us_TN, industrial, release, response, ammonia
GOODLETTSVILLE, TN (WSMV) - The Goodlettsville Fire Department and Nashville Fire Department Hazmat team are investigating an ammonia leak at the Tyson plant located near Interstate 65.
Crews were dispatched to the plant at 4:39 a.m. because of a large ammonia leak at the facility. The building was evacuated and many streets and the interstate in the area were closed because of the threat.
Officials decided to close Highway 41, Interstate 65 and the CSX rail adjacent to the plant as a precaution. The Grand Ole RV Resort campground located closed to the plant, located at 201 Cartwright St., was also evacuated as a precaution. Around 280 people were evacuated from the RV park.
The Goodlettsville Fire Department advised residents who live in the area of the plant should remain indoors and leave all windows and doors closed.
Employees said there was an ammonia leak outside the rear of the plant and all Tyson employees evacuated.
---------------------------------------------
IDA AFTERMATH: SHELL REFINERY SPEWS CHEMICALS, ENERGY COMPANIES ASSESS DAMAGE
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ida-aftermath-shell-refinery-spews-135113361.html
Tags: us_LA, industrial, follow-up, response, ammonia, oils, sulphur
Energy companies have worked to assess the extent of damage in the post-Hurricane Ida Gulf landscape as over half a million residents remain without power.
Widespread flooding and power outages have affected over 1 million residents in Louisiana alone after the Category 4 hurricane passed through the state.
In Norco, Shell Oil‰??s refinery has spewed black smoke and sulfur ‰?? a sight common to some facilities where companies hope to burn off toxic chemicals rather than risk continued spills into the surrounding area.
CLEANUP BOATS ON SCENE OF LARGE GULF OIL SPILL FOLLOWING IDA
The extent of pollution in the area remains unknown partially due to the lack of communications, preventing state police from deploying hazmat units to handle toxic emissions. So far, the U.S. Coast Guard has received 17 calls about air releases, including multiple reports of ammonia released into the air when flares were blown out by the storm, allowing the chemicals to release, The Guardian reported.
Some companies took precautions ahead of the storm by shutting production down rather than risk damage to facilities that could result in significant spillage and pollution to the surrounding area.
---------------------------------------------
AVONDALE POLICE IDENTIFY TOXIC CHEMICAL IN FATAL HAZMAT INCIDENT
https://ktar.com/story/4668737/avondale-police-identify-toxic-chemical-in-fatal-hazmat-incident/
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical, toxics
PHOENIX ‰?? Authorities have identified the toxic chemical at an Avondale commercial truck wash that led to the deaths of two men in August.
Police said two Danny‰??s Truck Wash employees who had been assigned to clean the inside of a liquid tanker truck died Aug. 29 following exposure to the corrosive chemical known as sodium hydrosulfide, which can cause death in higher exposures.
Officers responded to a call about two men being trapped inside the truck near 99th Street and Interstate 10 and requested assistance from the fire department after determining it was a hazmat situation, the Avondale Police Department said in a press release.
Authorities said the first man collapsed and became unconscious shortly after entering the tank. The second employee went inside the tanker to help and also became unconscious.
---------------------------------------------
MASSIVE FIRE AT UK POLYURETHANES PLANT
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/massive-fire-at-uk-polyurethanes-plant/4014300.article
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, fire, response, urethane
A worker is still unaccounted for after a large fire and several explosions on 27 August severely damaged buildings at Leeson Polyurethanes plant in Leamington Spa, UK. As of 2 September, emergency services had not been able to access the site to investigate the cause or search for the missing man, as it is still unsafe.
The fire spread soot and debris over a large area.
Local residents were temporarily evacuated but returned to their homes the following day once the fire was under control. Air monitoring suggested there was minimal hazard, although residents were warned that soot and debris could be irritants. Cleanup of soot and debris in the surrounding area by the local authorities is ongoing.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE IN PAKISTAN KILLS AT LEAST 17 WORKERS
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chemical-plant-fire-in-pakistan-kills-at-least-17-workers/4014302.article
Tags: Pakistan, industrial, fire, death, unknown_chemical
A fire in a chemical factory in Karachi, Pakistan, on 27 August has left at least 17 workers dead. According to local and international news reporting, the fire broke out on the ground floor of the three-storey building, which had only one entrance and exit. Many of the windows ‰?? as well as the roof exit å-‰?? had been blocked, leaving workers trapped on the upper floors.
Obstructed windows and roof exit hampered rescue attempts and trapped workers on the upper floors
An investigation is ongoing into the cause of the fire, while workers have called for an inquiry into the safety conditions, including how the factory was allowed to be established in what is reportedly a residential building in a congested area of the city.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL DEFINITION OF BRINE AS WATER COULD HELP CLEAR UP CHILE‰??S LITHIUM CONTROVERSY
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chemical-definition-of-brine-as-water-could-help-clear-up-chiles-lithium-controversy/4014312.article
Tags: Chile, laboratory, discovery, environmental, batteries
As evidence grows that lithium mining damages water sources, reclassifying brine as water ‰?? rather than as mineral ‰?? could empower Indigenous communities to protect their rights and convince mining companies to act more responsibly
Researchers have proven that lithium brine is a kind of water and not a mineral, answering a fundamental question surrounding the controversy of the element‰??s extraction, particularly in Chile.
The team hopes the finding could help minimise the environmental and human impacts of lithium mining from brines. Lithium mining is expanding , both from brines and rocks, as more lithium-ion batteries are needed for electric vehicles and grid storage in efforts to mitigate climate change with clean energy. One estimate suggests demand for lithium carbonate in 2021 will reach 429,000 tonnes, more than double what it was in 2016. By 2030, demand could quadruple.
‰??With the expansion of lithium supply to meet market demand, lithium mining has been rapidly expanding, and with that its environmental complications,‰?? says Amir Razmjou at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia who led the work. ‰??It was obvious [that brine is water] but there was not a scientific, peer-reviewed document that proved it.‰??
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SANTA ANA: JAIL EMPLOYEE RUSHED TO HOSPITAL AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE
https://www.countynews.tv/santa-ana-jail-employee-rushed-to-hospital-after-being-exposed-to-unknown-substance/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
09.04.2021 | 8:35 PM | SANTA ANA ‰?? A jail employee was rushed to a hospital after being exposed to an unknown substance that prompted a hazmat response, Saturday night.
The incident was reported around 8:35 PM at the Santa Ana Jail, located in the 1000 block of West Civic Center Drive.
Units arriving on scene determined a jail employee had been exposed to an unknown substance and was suffering from symptoms related to the exposure.
Firefighter paramedics treated the employee on scene before rushing them to an area hospital in unknown condition.
A hazmat team responded to clear the area where the substance was reportedly located and later allowed staff to reoccupy the area.
The incident remains under investigation and the substance in question was not immediately identified.
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FORD TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR FLAT ROCK GAS LEAK
https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/28740/ford_takes_responsibility_for_flat_rock_gas_leak
Tags: us_MI, industrial, release, environmental, gasoline
A gas leak originating at a nearby Ford plant is likely the source of a spill into the sewer system of Flat Rock, which has led to the evacuation of a number of homes in that Downriver community.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency as workers dealt with reports of chemical odors from the city's sewers over the last five days, which her office said had "the potential to be explosive." Bob Holycross, Ford's vice president of sustainability, environment and safety engineering announced Friday that the company's plant was the source of the leak.
The affected area in Flat Rock is "a 4-square-mile perimeter including the areas south of Vreeland Road, east of Cahill Road, north of Woodruff Road and west of Interstate 75," according to The Detroit News:
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said in an email late Friday that an estimated 1,000 to 3,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline are estimated to have spilled into the sewer system.
As the company works to execute a "corrective plan," Holycross said, the plant ‰?? which builds Mustangs ‰?? will be shut down over the Labor Day weekend as previously planned. Ford said it also is in the process of isolating wastewater on its property from the city's system, assisting with cleanup efforts and "identifying people whose lives have been disrupted by this."
EGLE said in a Friday evening statement that the city of Flat Rock would use firefighting foam to "suppress" the vapors. The foam is "designed to bond with hydrocarbons" such as gasoline "to help break down the organic compounds." It will be applied inside sanitary sewers that were affected by the issue. The foam does not contain a group of chemicals known as PFAS.
The leak came from a line carrying gas used to fuel vehicles in the plant. While Holycross said the initial leak was thought to be small, it was eventually discovered to be much larger.
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‰??CHEMICAL CLOUD‰?? PROMPTS EMERGENCY RESPONSE
https://www.mtairynews.com/news/100385/chemical-cloud-prompts-emergency-response
Tags: us_NC, industrial, release, response, HCl
What initially was thought to be smoke from a structure fire Friday night west of Mount Airy was determined to be a ‰??chemical cloud‰?? deemed potentially life-threatening, according to Surry County Emergency Services.
After it was traced to an acid leak, precautions were taken including sending a 911 message to all residents within one mile of the scene advising them to shelter in place with their HVAC systems turned off, which was in effect for several hours.
A report concerning the fire was received by Surry County Communications around 7:45 p.m. Friday in reference to an old abandoned building at 4432 W. Pine St. (N.C. 89), Mount Airy, which was said to be ‰??smoking heavily.‰??
The location involved is just east of Interstate 77 near its interchange with Interstate 74 in the vicinity of the James River Equipment location and Gene Hill Road.
That report led to the Pine Ridge, Skull Camp, Franklin Community and White Plains volunteer fire departments being initially dispatched to the scene. Firefighters arrived to discover what appeared to be ‰??smoke‰?? blanketing the area and a large portion of N.C. 89 nearby.
Fire personnel quickly learned that the smoke was a chemical cloud instead and notified the Surry County Hazardous Materials Team.
Upon arriving, responders reported an irritating and choking sensation.
The cloud appeared to be ‰??following‰?? the topography in the area due to the moisture present, according to Surry County Emergency Services, prompting the 911 alert to residents.
Meanwhile, the N.C. Department of Transportation was contacted and rerouted traffic around the scene.
Also responding to the incident were the Surry County Emergency Medical Service, Surry County Sheriff‰??s Office, Surry County Fire Marshal‰??s Office and Surry County Emergency Management.
Firefighters and hazardous materials technicians were able to survey the building in question and located a leaking industrial tote with a label of muriatic acid, which online sources identify as another name for hydrochloric acid.
It is a corrosive strong acid that can be used for tasks such as removing salt deposits from rock or stucco materials and rust and stains from concrete and brick.
The leaking chemical appeared to be reacting to moisture in the soil along with organic materials, producing a chemical gas that continued to blanket the area. The location was sealed off and hazardous materials technicians were sent in to mitigate the leak and attempt to neutralize the reaction using protective equipment.
That led to the leak being stopped and the initial reaction was slowed, which produced less gas.
Due to size of the leak and the amount of gas still being generated, Ultimate Towing and Recovery was contacted for a site clean-up.
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HAZMAT TECHS STOP ATTLEBORO SULFURIC ACID LEAK
https://wbsm.com/hazmat-techs-stop-attleboro-sulfuric-acid-leak/
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, response, sulfuric_acid
ATTLEBORO ‰?? A hazardous chemical leak Friday morning that saw around 5,000 gallons of sulfuric acid spill out of a rail car at an Attleboro company has been stopped.
Massachusetts Department of Fire Services spokesperson Jake Wark stated that earlier today, a rail car containing 13,000 gallons of pressurized sulfuric acid pulled up next to an Attleboro chemical company for delivery.
But a hose failure caused a large leak, spilling hazardous contents around the area.
Emergency crews and hazmat techs depressurized the tank by offloading some of its contents.
The techs were then able to access the top of the car to shut off a valve and stop the leak, Wark stated.
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