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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, September 10, 2021 at 6:26:58 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)
PA MAN ARRESTED MAKING MILITARY GRADE EXPLOSIVES IN HOME LAB TO PREPARE FOR 'APOCALYPSE'
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, discovery, response, explosives, illegal
HOMES EVACUATED IN SCOTTSDALE AFTER UNDERGROUND GAS LEAK REPORT
Tags: us_AZ, public, release, response, methane
SHARED LAB SPACES IN PHARMA & LIFE SCIENCES: KNOW YOUR EHS RISKS
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, pharmaceutical
OIL-SOAKED BIRDS FOUND NEAR OIL SPILL AT REFINERY AFTER IDA
Tags: us_LA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, oils, petroleum
BAKERSFIELD FACILITIES SETTLE OVER ALLEGED SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Tags: us_CA, industrial, discovery, environmental, ammonia
REPUBLIC GARBAGE HAULER SUFFERS 3RD DEGREE BURNS AFTER EXPOSURE TO DEADLY CHEMICAL PUT IN RESIDENTIAL TRASH BIN
Tags: us_LA, public, release, injury, corrosives, sulfuric_acid
REPORTS OF HURRICANE IDA OIL, CHEMICAL SPILLS ESCALATE IN LOUISIANA WATERS
Tags: us_LA, public, release, response, oils
FIREFIGHTERS SWARM STREET AFTER OSSETT CHEMICAL LEAK AS RESIDENTS WARNED TO KEEP WINDOWS SHUT
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
1 DEAD AND 1 SERIOUSLY INJURED AFTER EXPLOSION AT TORONTO CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: Canada, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
EPA FINES HAWAIIAN ICE COMPANY MORE THAN $82K FOR CHEMICAL SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Tags: us_HI, public, follow-up, environmental, ammonia
LESSONS LEARNED FROM A DELAYED EXOTHERMIC DECOMPOSITION‰??AMINE NEUTRALIZATIONS WITH STRONG, OXIDIZING ACIDS
Tags: laboratory, explosion, response, amines, nitric_acid
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
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PA MAN ARRESTED MAKING MILITARY GRADE EXPLOSIVES IN HOME LAB TO PREPARE FOR 'APOCALYPSE'
https://www.newsweek.com/pa-man-arrested-making-military-grade-explosives-home-lab-prepare-apocalypse-1627604
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, discovery, response, explosives, illegal
Pennsylvania man was arrested Wednesday for operating a dangerous and illegal home laboratory where he was allegedly making military-grade explosives.
Joseph M. McClure, 44, of Middletown is being held without bail for charges of possessing weapons of mass destruction, risking a catastrophe and reckless endangerment, according to court documents viewed by Newsweek.
Police and a bomb squad closed down a section of the city around McClure's apartment for hours following the discovery of his lab which contained highly volatile, highly explosive material used in making military-grade explosives like Semtex that police said McClure had no training in handling.
McClure "did admit that he possessed explosive items and materials related to explosive materials, making explosives and compounds related to such," Detective Keegan Wenner wrote in arrest papers filed with District Judge David H. Judy, "and that he had an at-home laboratory, not being formally trained in any capacity related to these items."
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HOMES EVACUATED IN SCOTTSDALE AFTER UNDERGROUND GAS LEAK REPORT
https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/gas-leak-forces-12-homes-to-be-evacuated-in-scottsdale/75-91153a34-d812-4f4a-a855-e873412f2f91
Tags: us_AZ, public, release, response, methane
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. ‰?? At least 20 homes in a suburban Scottsdale neighborhood had to be evacuated Thursday afternoon after an underground gas leak was reported.
Hazmat crews responded to the area along Le Marche Drive, near McDowell Mountain Ranch Road and Paradise Lane, around 2:45 p.m.
The Scottsdale Fire Department said no one was seriously hurt, but 20 homes had to be evacuated while crews investigated. Up to 40 homes could be impacted, Scottsdale fire said, as residents try to return home from work.
Southwest Gas crews identified the leak and managed to control it around 4:30 p.m. Residents will be allowed back in their homes sometime Thursday evening, after the gas dissipates, Scottsdale fire said.
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SHARED LAB SPACES IN PHARMA & LIFE SCIENCES: KNOW YOUR EHS RISKS
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shared-lab-spaces-pharma-life-174607776.html
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental, pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical, life science, and biotech incubators and accelerators are designed to assist with the growth and success of companies by providing various types of business support and resources. Specifically, incubators are companies formed in the "idea" stage and need assistance from the ground-up. Accelerators, on the other hand, need assistance in progressing their business. Both incubators and accelerators often require support from established companies such as a physical place to work, shared laboratory spaces, capital, and networking connections.
Shared laboratory spaces are a popular option for pharmaceutical and life science start-up organizations to allow them a physical space to work and provide various types of business resources, including environmental, health, and safety (EHS) support. EHS responsibilities fall to the employer, however, the tenant or the landlord may take ownership depending on each contractual agreement. This makes communication between the landlord and tenant crucial. All lease agreements will vary as an incubator or accelerator, but below are a few common EHS risks to consider when operating a shared laboratory space.
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OIL-SOAKED BIRDS FOUND NEAR OIL SPILL AT REFINERY AFTER IDA
https://ktar.com/story/4674158/oil-soaked-birds-found-near-oil-spill-at-refinery-after-ida/
Tags: us_LA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, oils, petroleum
WASHINGTON (AP) ‰?? Louisiana wildlife officials say they have documented more than 100 oil-soaked birds after crude oil spilled from a refinery flooded during Hurricane Ida.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said Thursday that a growing number of oiled birds had been observed within heavy pockets of oil throughout the Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, as well as nearby flooded fields and retention ponds along the Mississippi River.
Jon Wiebe, a biologist running the state restoration program, said 10 oiled birds have been captured and transported to a rehabilitation location for cleaning. Five additional dead birds were recovered and bagged as evidence, he said.
---------------------------------------------
BAKERSFIELD FACILITIES SETTLE OVER ALLEGED SAFETY VIOLATIONS
https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/epa-announces-settlements-with-two-bakersfield-facilities-for-alleged-chemical-safety-violations
Tags: us_CA, industrial, discovery, environmental, ammonia
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KERO) ‰?? Four companies, including two with facilities in Bakersfield, reached a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for alleged violations of Clean Air Act chemical release prevention rules at anhydrous ammonia facilities.
A September 2019 EPA inspection of a Dreyers Grand Ice Cream Inc. facility in Bakersfield found the company failed to comply with process safety and hazard evaluation requirements; correct deficient equipment; manage change requirements; comply with compliance audit requirements; and submit accurate hazardous chemical reports for anhydrous ammonia.
Dreyers paid a penalty of $301,066 and improved process safety, corrected deficient equipment, and addressed outstanding recommendations from hazard evaluations and compliance audits.
An April 2018 EPA inspection of the Kern Ice and Cold Storage LLC. facility in Bakersfield found the company failed to identify hazards and conduct an adequate hazard review; design and maintain a safe facility; and minimize the consequences of a release.
Kern Ice agreed to a civil penalty of $115,012 and will make modifications to the facility to improve safety. These will include adding labeling, improving equipment access, installing emergency stop switches, and improving machine room ventilation.
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REPUBLIC GARBAGE HAULER SUFFERS 3RD DEGREE BURNS AFTER EXPOSURE TO DEADLY CHEMICAL PUT IN RESIDENTIAL TRASH BIN
https://www.klfy.com/lafayette-parish/republic-garbage-hauler-suffers-3rd-degree-burns-after-exposure-to-deadly-chemical-put-in-residential-trash-bin/
Tags: us_LA, public, release, injury, corrosives, sulfuric_acid
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) A Republic Services curbside hauler in Lafayette suffered burns on his arm when a dangerous and deadly corrosive material leaked onto him from a trash bin that he had been exposed too.
It happened Tuesday, Scott Fire Chief Chad Sonnier said.
He said firefighters were dispatched to a local refuse facility after the employee was reported to have obtained chemical burns from exposure to sulfuric acid which had been improperly placed in a residential trash bin.
The employee was initially transported to a local hospital, Sonnier said.
He was then transferred to the burn center where his condition is listed as serious, but stable.
‰??Due to the negligence of someone improperly discarding this dangerous material, in the normal trash, an employee received chemicals burns and is being treated at a local hospital,‰?? Sonnier said.
According to Sonnier, the Lafayette Haz-Mat Team, carefully sifted through the remainder of the trash bin, checking its contents, making sure there were no further containers, with hazardous materials present.
---------------------------------------------
REPORTS OF HURRICANE IDA OIL, CHEMICAL SPILLS ESCALATE IN LOUISIANA WATERS
https://www.kpvi.com/news/national_news/reports-of-hurricane-ida-oil-chemical-spills-escalate-in-louisiana-waters/article_52ed9a55-35d9-54a6-9c4c-5a92c813e376.html
Tags: us_LA, public, release, response, oils
NEW ORLEANS - The number of reported oil and chemical spills linked to Hurricane Ida has exploded this week, growing from 350 on Monday to more than 2,000 by Wednesday, according to the Coast Guard.
While less than half of the spills reported to the National Response Center have been investigated, the number of incidents eventually confirmed seems likely to top the 540 individual spill reports after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
‰??Two thousand spills is an amazing and sad amount,‰?? said Darryl Malek-Wiley, an organizer with the conservation organization Sierra Club. ‰??It shows that our oil and gas infrastructure is not prepared for hurricanes.‰??
Ida blasted a region chock-full of oil pipelines and wells, refineries and other industrial infrastructure, much of it in or near the Gulf of Mexico.
The Coast Guard set up a pollution response team in Baton Rouge after Louisiana and U.S. officials were flooded with reports of oil spills in Ida‰??s wake. Coast Guard personnel are checking on reported spills via boats and airplanes.
Most of the pollution incidents are oil spills in the Gulf or Mississippi River.
---------------------------------------------
FIREFIGHTERS SWARM STREET AFTER OSSETT CHEMICAL LEAK AS RESIDENTS WARNED TO KEEP WINDOWS SHUT
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/live-firefighters-tackle-ossett-chemical-21520279
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
Firefighters have confirmed a chemical spillage incident at Healey Mills in Ossett is now concluded.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service posted on Twitter earlier yesterday (Wednesday) evening that residents in the Thornhill area of Dewsbury were being asked to keep all windows and doors closed, due to a chemical spillage in Healey Mills.
They reassured residents that this was a precautionary measure based on "expert advice", as the area of Thornhill may have been affected by the spillage.
However, in a Twitter post at 11.53pm yesterday the force confirmed: "Crews have isolated the leak and made safe.
"We are handing the site back to the site operators. Thank you for your patience as we dealt with this incident."
---------------------------------------------
1 DEAD AND 1 SERIOUSLY INJURED AFTER EXPLOSION AT TORONTO CHEMICAL PLANT
https://globalnews.ca/news/8174455/explosion-toronto-wicksteed/
Tags: Canada, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
A person has died and another person has been seriously injured after an explosion at a chemical plant in Toronto Wednesday morning.
Emergency crews were called to a plant at the corner of Beth Nealson Drive and Wicksteed Avenue, southwest of Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue East, just after 9:50 a.m.
A Toronto Fire Services spokesperson told Global News there was some sort of chemical reaction that led to an explosion and a fire. The representative said crews were able to extinguish the fire soon after arriving.
A spokesperson for Toronto Paramedics said a patient died and a second person was taken to a trauma centre. The Toronto Fire Services representative said one of those patients had serious burns. Others were also treated for less severe injuries.
---------------------------------------------
EPA FINES HAWAIIAN ICE COMPANY MORE THAN $82K FOR CHEMICAL SAFETY VIOLATIONS
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/09/08/breaking-news/epa-fines-hawaiian-ice-company-more-than-82k-for-chemical-safety-violations/
Tags: us_HI, public, follow-up, environmental, ammonia
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a settlement resulting in a fine of $82,613 with Hawaiian Ice Company over violations of the Clean Air Act.
Specifically, EPA said the company violated the act‰??s chemical release prevention and reporting requirements at its ice production and distribution facility in Kalihi. In addition to the penalty, Hawaiian Ice has made facility safety improvements to protect the public and first responders.
‰??Facilities‰?? highest priority must be to properly manage the handling of extremely hazardous chemicals to prevent dangerous incidents,‰?? said Amy Miller, EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Director of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, in a news release. ‰??In Hawaii, EPA continues to focus our inspections and enforcement on those facilities that handle large amounts of extremely hazardous substances and have poor chemical management practices to prevent and minimize chemical accidents.‰??
On April 24, 2017, a release of ammonia from the facility‰??s 6,500-pound ammonia refrigeration system resulted in the evacuation of more than 100 people from surrounding businesses and watercraft, EPA said.
Although there were no serious bodily injuries, according to the EPA, several people were evaluated for irritated eyes, breathing difficulties, and other symptoms.
---------------------------------------------
LESSONS LEARNED FROM A DELAYED EXOTHERMIC DECOMPOSITION‰??AMINE NEUTRALIZATIONS WITH STRONG, OXIDIZING ACIDS
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chas.1c00042
Tags: laboratory, explosion, response, amines, nitric_acid
Industrial amines are combined with acids in concentrated forms for various applications. Recently, an explosion occurred when a scientist was screening different acids and selected concentrated nitric acid to mix with an aliphatic amine. This Case Study describes the incident and aftermath, the chemistry behind the incident, and a short review of the hazards of mixing oxidizing acids with amines, with a focus on hypergolic fuels. An SOP with recommended reaction setup is described as well as corrective actions that were identified after a safety review.
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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.
---------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
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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