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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, April 4, 2022 at 6:39:08 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 (14 articles)
CHEMICAL LEAK CLOSES HIGHLANDS RANCH SWIM CENTER
Tags: us_CO, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
UPDATE: TYSON FOODS ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER SULFURIC ACID INJURES 2 PEOPLE AT FACILITY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, injury, sulfuric_acid, waste, water_treatment
MARGARET MELHASE FUCHS AND THE RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPE
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, radiation
MISSISSIPPI WORKER ON OIL PLATFORM PLEADS GUILTY TO DISCHARGING HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INTO GULF OF MEXICO
Tags: us_MS, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum, illegal
'THE MANDALORIAN' HAND SANITIZER RECALLED FOR POSSIBLE CARCINOGEN
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, benzene, ethanol
GLUE SPILL IN KENINGAU'S BARIAWA AND PEGALAN RIVERS, RESIDENTS ADVISED NOT TO USE WATERS
Tags: Malaysia, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
CHEMICAL LEAK SPARKS MEMORIES OF 1990S LAKEVILLE INCIDENT
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, antifreeze
CHUBB, LIBERTY MUTUAL MUST DEFEND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES COMPANY
Tags: us_NY, public, follow-up, environmental, water_treatment
FIRE CALLS IN AP INCREASE WITH SUMMER HEAT GOING UP
Tags: India, industrial, discovery, environmental, flammables
OSHA ISSUES $139,427 IN PENALTIES AFTER FLASH FIRE
Tags: us_LA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, benzene, sulphur
24 NEW BEDFORD HIGH STUDENTS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
WHAT RUMENCO SAYS ABOUT MASSIVE FIRE AT ITS FACTORY IN BURTON
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
TRUCK SPILL CLOSES AUGUSTA HIGHWAY
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
MORE ANTIPERSPIRANT RECALLED FOR CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICAL BENZENE
Tags: us_TN, public, discovery, environmental, benzene
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CHEMICAL LEAK CLOSES HIGHLANDS RANCH SWIM CENTER
https://spotoncolorado.com/denver-area/1401916/chemical-leak-closes-highlands-ranch.html
Tags: us_CO, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) - A swim school was closed Sunday morning after an employee discovered a chemical leak in a mechanical room and called 9-1-1. Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) personnel from South Metro Fire Rescue responded to Waterworks Aquatics Highlands Ranch
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UPDATE: TYSON FOODS ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER SULFURIC ACID INJURES 2 PEOPLE AT FACILITY
https://www.wgal.com/article/sulfuric-acid-injures-two-people-at-tyson-foods-lancaster-county/39619476
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, injury, sulfuric_acid, waste, water_treatment
EARL TOWNSHIP, Pa. '
Update: Officials say two people were injured by sulfuric acid at Tyson Foods Sunday afternoon.
Emergency crews were called to the 500 block of South Custer Avenue around 1 p.m.
Hazmat was also dispatched.
There is no word on how the two victims were burned by the acid.
Tyson Foods' corporate communications team issued a statement on the incident.
"We're investigating an accident at our waste water treatment facility in New Holland, Pennsylvania. Two of our team members were treated for minor injuries and are doing well. We're grateful for the swift response and assistance from local first responders."
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MARGARET MELHASE FUCHS AND THE RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPE
https://www.chemistryworld.com/culture/margaret-melhase-fuchs-and-the-radioactive-isotope/4015340.article
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, radiation
Rebecca Trager tells the story of a brilliant female undergraduate who discovered caesium-137 in 1941 but was blocked from pursuing a PhD
The person who discovered the radioactive isotope caesium-137 ' which is today one of the most widely used radionuclides in the world ' was Margaret Melhase. What's more, she did it as an undergraduate chemistry student at the University of California, Berkeley, in the US. Her remarkable finding in 1941 came about because Melhase managed to convince Glenn Seaborg, a rising star in nuclear chemistry, to set her up with a research project and lab space on the top floor of the university's old chemistry building.
Working in that somewhat decrepit annex, which was dubbed the 'Rat House', Melhase was given 100g of a neutron-irradiated uranium compound to study. 'She spent the next several months extracting the elements of other groups and analysing what was left. Most of the residual activity precipitated out with silicotungstate, identifying it as caesium,' radiologist and historian Dennis Patton wrote in an April 1999 Journal of Nuclear Medicine article.
The activity was intense enough to measure with an electroscope and after it didn't appear to diminish over the next two weeks, it became apparent that this isotope of caesium had a very long half-life, which later turned out to be 30 years. Her findings corroborated Seaborg's theory that fission must produce group 1 elements.
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MISSISSIPPI WORKER ON OIL PLATFORM PLEADS GUILTY TO DISCHARGING HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INTO GULF OF MEXICO
https://www.magnoliastatelive.com/2022/04/02/mississippi-worker-on-oil-platform-pleads-guilty-to-discharging-hazardous-material-into-gulf-of-mexico/
Tags: us_MS, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum, illegal
A Mississippi man who was the person in charge of an oil and gas production platform pleaded guilty to the negligent discharge of a hazardous substance into the Gulf of Mexico.
United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Patrick Huse, 40, of Perkinston, pleaded guilty on Friday to a violation of Title 33, United States Code, Section 1321(b)(3) and 1319(c)(1)(A).
According to the guilty plea, Huse was employed as a 'Person-in-Charge' ( 'PIC') on Main Pass 310A ('MP-310A'), an oil and gas production platform. In July 2015, workers on MP-310A noticed a sheen on the surface of the surface of the water surrounding the platform. The sheen meant that the platform was discharging oil or other hazardous substances into the Gulf of Mexico. The workers alerted HUSE, a PIC on MP-310A. The workers told HUSE that they believed the sheen to be the result of sand buildup in filtration equipment on MP-310A. HUSE ordered the workers to remove the sand buildup from the filtration equipment in lieu of a complete shut-in, hoping the sheen would dissipate. These measures failed to stop the platform from sheening, so the workers shut down the platform through an emergency shutdown of the entire platform.
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'THE MANDALORIAN' HAND SANITIZER RECALLED FOR POSSIBLE CARCINOGEN
https://www.fox61.com/article/money/personal-finance/recalls/mickey-mouse-mandalorian-hand-sanitizer-recall/507-f731146e-f34c-4375-872a-b5f09539b164
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, benzene, ethanol
Two lots of hand sanitizer marketed with Mickey Mouse and the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian" are being recalled. Each could have a different, potentially hazardous chemical.
The Mandalorian Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 68% that is being recalled comes in both blue and green colors. Best Brands Consumer Products said the recalled lot may contain benzene, a potentially cancer-causing chemical. While benzene is found in multiple everyday products, significant exposure can lead to cancer.
The 2.11-ounce bottles have the "Star Wars" and "Mandalorian" logos and a photo of the character Grogu, colloquially known as Baby Yoda. The liquid is green or blue. They have lot number 20D21, NDC number 74530-013-02 and expiration date of June 30, 2022.
---------------------------------------------
GLUE SPILL IN KENINGAU'S BARIAWA AND PEGALAN RIVERS, RESIDENTS ADVISED NOT TO USE WATERS
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/04/02/glue-spill-in-keningau039s-bariawa-and-pegalan-rivers-residents-advised-not-to-use-waters
Tags: Malaysia, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
KENINGAU: Residents here are advised not to use water from Sungai Bariawa and Sungai Pegalan following a glue spill Friday (April 1) night.
Keningau police chief DSP Nor Rafidah Kassim said at 11.40 pm Friday, a lorry carrying glue from Kota Kinabalu heading to a plywood factory skidded and crashed while going downhill.
The driver was not injured but the accident damaged the lorry and glue spilled into a river in Kampung Bariawa.
"Teams from the Health Department and police have taken river water samples for further action. Reports have been submitted to the Environment (DOE) Department for action.
"The public is advised not to carry out any activities in the river that is suspected to be polluted," she said in a statement Saturday (April 2).
Meanwhile, Keningau district officer Walter Kenson, in a statement Saturday, urged villagers living near the Bariawa and Sungai Pegalan rivers not to use river water until it is confirmed to be safe by the department.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL LEAK SPARKS MEMORIES OF 1990S LAKEVILLE INCIDENT
https://wbsm.com/new-bedford-high-chemical-emergency-sparks-disturbing-memories-of-1995-lakeville-incident/
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, antifreeze
Some scary moments unfolded Thursday morning at New Bedford High School as dozens of students were sent to St. Luke's Hospital after being exposed to chemicals in a science lab.
Thankfully, it appears no serious injuries were reported.
The incident, however, sparked memories for some Lakeville natives of a similar incident that occurred back in the '90s.
A chemical spill of an antifreeze-like substance at George R. Austin Middle School sent more than 200 students, faculty and staff to area hospitals.
The accident occurred on May 26, 1995, in a fifth-grade social studies class. Newspaper accounts from the time show the school reopened a week after the incident.
While the spill happened nearly 27 years ago, it is still very clear in the mind of Andrea Botelho, who was a student at the school. She reached out to Fun 107 to share a few memories of that intense day.
---------------------------------------------
CHUBB, LIBERTY MUTUAL MUST DEFEND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES COMPANY
https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20220401/NEWS06/912348951/Chubb,-Liberty-Mutual-must-defend-environmental-services-company
Tags: us_NY, public, follow-up, environmental, water_treatment
Chubb Ltd. and Liberty Mutual Insurance Group units have a duty to defend an environmental services company in litigation over its work at a North Carolina pollution treatment system, a federal court in New York ruled Wednesday.
Paramus, New Jersey-based Suez Treatment Solutions Inc. was brought into upgrade the facilities of a wastewater treatment plant in High Point, North Carolina, to meet updated federal standards beginning in 2012, according to Wednesday's ruling by the U.S. District Court in New York in Suez Treatment Solutions Inc. v. Ace American Insurance Co. and Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co.
The problems that later developed included a plant shutdown and two fires, and the city ultimately sued Suez for breach of contract, breach of warranties, negligence, negligent misrepresentations, fraud and unfair deceptive trade practices under North Carolina state law.
Suez filed suit seeking declarations that Chubb unit Ace American Insurance Co. and Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co. have a duty to defend it in the litigation.
The court agreed with Suez. Chubb argues its policy excludes coverage and it, therefore, has no duty to defend under its product liability exclusion, the ruling said.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE CALLS IN AP INCREASE WITH SUMMER HEAT GOING UP
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/010422/fire-calls-in-ap-increase-with-summer-heat-going-up.html
Tags: India, industrial, discovery, environmental, flammables
VIJAYAWADA: With summer heat rising in Andhra Pradesh, fire services within the state have been getting an average 70 fire calls per day against 30'35 during other seasons. However, this is only the beginning. Fire department expects that these calls will rise to 200 during peak summer of May.
According to authorities, majority of cases attended to by fire engines are due to electric short circuit, whether the fire is in residential buildings, industrial or commercial establishments. With ambient temperature high and more power being drawn, non-quality wires start burning, causing an electric short circuit. In addition, power fluctuations also lead to fire mishaps. A few industrial fire mishaps have also been caused due to chemical reactions within stored chemicals, solvents and other inflammable materials.
The recent fire mishap at a paints' shop in the city had been due to release of vapours from the stored thinner in early hours of the day. Fire accidents due to leakage of domestic gas are also being reported.
---------------------------------------------
OSHA ISSUES $139,427 IN PENALTIES AFTER FLASH FIRE
https://safety.blr.com/workplace-safety-news/safety-administration/OSHA-and-state-safety-compliance-enforcement/OSHA-issues-139427-in-penalties-after-flash-fire/
Tags: us_LA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, benzene, sulphur
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced it issued a combined 11 serious violations to 4 employers and proposed penalties totaling $139,427 following a flash fire and subsequent explosion that seriously injured 6 workers on September 27, 2021, at Westlake Chemicals in Sulphur, Louisiana.
The agency cited Turn2 Specialty Companies LLC with 4 serious violations and proposed penalties of $58,008. OSHA cited Turn2 for 3 serious violations of the welding, cutting, and brazing standard and a serious violation of the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Moreover, OSHA cited Westlake Chemical Lake Charles South with 3 serious violations of the process safety management and permit-controlled confined space entry standards and proposed penalties of $30,453.
The agency also cited Leak Sealers Inc. with 2 serious violations of the process safety management standard and proposed penalties of $26,104.
Finally, the agency cited Wastewater Specialties LLC with 2 serious violations of the benzene and permit-controlled confined space entry standard and proposed penalties of $24,862.
---------------------------------------------
24 NEW BEDFORD HIGH STUDENTS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE
https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/2022/03/31/24-new-bedford-high-students-taken-hospital-after-chemical-exposure/7233185001/
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
NEW BEDFORD ' A total of 24 students were transported to St. Luke's Hospital after city firefighters and paramedics responded to New Bedford High School Thursday morning for a chemical exposure incident, the New Bedford Fire Department reported via Facebook.
According to the post, marked 11:55 a.m., two New Bedford High students were evaluated by paramedics and taken by ambulance to St. Luke's Hospital for "evaluation of mild symptoms from exposure to chemicals in a science lab."
"Out of an abundance of caution," the post states, another 22 students were also shuttled by school bus ' with New Bedford paramedics on board ' to the hospital to be evaluated.
All 24 students have since been released from the hospital, the fire department reported.
"NBFD hazardous materials personnel and NBPS staff are providing support information to hospital staff," the Fire Department stated in the Facebook post.
The Fire Department also reported that fire personnel had conducted air monitoring in the building and determined it was safe for classes to continue.
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WHAT RUMENCO SAYS ABOUT MASSIVE FIRE AT ITS FACTORY IN BURTON
https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/burton-news/what-rumenco-says-massive-fire-6888264
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
Animal feeds factory Rumenco has been left devastated following a fire which has engulfed its Burton factory. Dozens of firefighters have spent most of the day tackling the large-scale chemical fire at the premises in Derby Road. Plumes of black smoke have been blowing over the town for the majority of the day as the blaze has ravaged the factory.
The site and firms and houses nearby have had to be evacuated and people have been told to keep their windows and doors shut. The factory is all but destroyed, with the roof and an entire side gone in the massive inferno, which could be seen for miles around.
A spokesman for the firm has said: "This morning at 7.30am, our factory in Derby Road in Burton, caught fire. Employees were present and were all safely evacuated. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Services are currently working to contain the situation. At present, the cause of the fire is still unknown. We will be working with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Services as this situation evolves and are thankful for their response.'
TOP STORY: Live as large fire spotted in Burton town centre
Our reporter at the scene says one whole side of the large factory and the roof have been destroyed. The flames have engulfed the building throughout the day. There are giant plumes of smoke blowing over the town. Fire chiefs have confirmed the blaze involves chemicals.
---------------------------------------------
TRUCK SPILL CLOSES AUGUSTA HIGHWAY
https://www.transcontinental.com.au/story/7682723/truck-spill-closes-augusta-highway/
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
The Augusta Highway was closed to traffic while emergency crews cleaned up following an incident near Winninowie, 20km south of Port Augusta.
Around 10pm on Thursday, March 31, emergency services responded to a truck accident that resulted in a chemical spill on the Augusta Highway.
The road was closed to all traffic from the Wilmington B56 turn-off through to Port Augusta.
Hazmat crews from the SA Country Fire Service attended the scene.
CFS said the road will be re-opened once it was safe to do so.
---------------------------------------------
MORE ANTIPERSPIRANT RECALLED FOR CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICAL BENZENE
https://www.wbir.com/article/money/personal-finance/recalls/suave-antiperspirant-recall-benze-cancer-causing-chemical/507-39ca19fc-0a7a-4231-a788-94adaa1c922e
Tags: us_TN, public, discovery, environmental, benzene
A popular brand of antiperspirant is being recalled because it may contain a potentially cancer-causing chemical. It's the latest such recall involving aerosol health and beauty products in the past few months.
Unilever is recalling two versions of Suave 24-hour Protection Aerosol Antiperspirant. The company said an internal review found unexpected, slightly elevated levels of benzene from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can.
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