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From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (19 articles)
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2022 05:56:13 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: A7184D92-A24D-4D5B-B72F-9E773CE884FC**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, June 24, 2022 at 5:55:49 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 (19 articles)
HONORS HALL AT UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA EVACUATED DUE TO POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS MATERIAL
Tags: us_AL, laboratory, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
PARKING LOT DEATH TRIGGERS STATE HAZMAT RESPONSE IN SOUTHBRIDGE
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
VICTIM IN 2018 MAGNET SCHOOL LAB FIRE AWARDED $133K
Tags: us_NC, education, follow-up, injury, ethanol
CHEMICAL TEAM CALLED TO MARSHALL INDUSTRIAL PARK
Tags: us_MN, industrial, release, response, ammonia
NOX-CRETE UPDATES NDEE ON CHEMICALS IN BUILDING FIRE
Tags: us_NE, industrial, follow-up, environmental, nitrogen, toluene
FEARS THAT THE WAR IN EAST OF UKRAINE COULD LEAD TO DEADLY CHEMICAL DISASTER
Tags: Ukraine, industrial, discovery, environmental
US EPA TO REASSESS HEALTH RISKS OF GLYPHOSATE
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, ag_chems, pesticides
HAZMAT CREWS STOP GAS LEAK AT HASKINS STEEL CO. BUILDING
Tags: us_WA, industrial, release, response, nitrogen, oxygen
AUCKLAND FIREFIGHTERS LEFT IN SHOCK AFTER SPECIALIST FIRE TRUCK FOUND TO BE UNUSABLE
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
BOMB SQUAD RUSHES TO SCHOOL IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY TO DISPOSE CHEMICAL IN CHEMISTRY LAB
Tags: us_MD, laboratory, discovery, response, picric_acid, time-sensitive
TESLA MODEL S ERUPTS IN FLAMES IN A SACRAMENTO SCRAPYARD
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, batteries
HAZMAT SITUATION DEVELOPS AFTER BOAT CATCHES FIRE IN SACRAMENTO RIVER BENEATH I-80 BRIDGE ' CBS SACRAMENTO
Tags: us_CA, transportation, fire, response, diesel
CLEANUP UNDERWAY ON RECYCLETRONICS WASTE SITE IN SOUTH SIOUX CITY
Tags: us_IA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, waste
PROPANE FUELS FIRE AT CO-OP
Tags: us_IA, industrial, fire, response, propane
4 SUBANG JAYA STUDENTS SENT TO HOSPITAL AFTER INHALING GAS
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, release, injury, natural_gas
CHEMICAL LEAK HAPPENS ON MERRITT BOULEVARD
Tags: us_CT, industrial, release, response, hvac_chemicals
POSSIBLE CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AT SWIMMING POOL: NC FIREFIGHTERS
Tags: us_NC, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
GAINESVILLE HAZMAT TEAM CLEANS CHEMICALS ON US 301
Tags: us_FL, transportation, release, response, pool_chemicals
LOCKHART CHEMICAL CO. ISSUED CEASE AND DESIST ORDER AS SPILL CLEAN-UP CONTINUES IN FLINT
Tags: us_MI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
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HONORS HALL AT UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA EVACUATED DUE TO POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS MATERIAL
https://www.wbrc.com/2022/06/23/honors-hall-university-alabama-evacuated-due-potentially-dangerous-material/
Tags: us_AL, laboratory, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - The University of Alabama has sent out an alert saying Honors Hall has been evacuated out of an abundance of caution because of a potentially hazardous material found in a storage room.
Officials with the University of Alabama say the material that caused the evacuation is a chemical that is commonly used in laboratories. The chemical can be dangerous if dried out and not moved properly.
Emergency officials removed the chemical, and will destroy it in an isolated area.
Officials say a loud boom might be heard on campus, but there is no danger to the community.
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PARKING LOT DEATH TRIGGERS STATE HAZMAT RESPONSE IN SOUTHBRIDGE
https://original.newsbreak.com/**At_Symbol_Here**quiet-corner-alerts-1594284/2645044644664-parking-lot-death-triggers-state-hazmat-response-in-southbridge
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
Southbridge, Mass. - At 6:18 pm on Wednesday, June 22nd, the Southbridge Police Department received a call for a woman slumped over the wheel of a vehicle in the parking lot of Brothers Pizza, 485 E Main St. At 6:20 pm officers arrived to observe a strong odor of chemicals coming from the vehicle and immediately requested Southbridge Fire Department and EMS to assist. Upon the arrival of fire department personnel, it was immediately determined there were not sufficient resources to handle the situation within the town, thus a Tier 1 Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) response from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services (DFS) was requested.
As of 9 pm, June 22nd, units remained on the scene and the death is still being investigated. At this point, it is unclear if the death appears accidental or intentional in nature.
Agencies that responded to the incident included the Southbridge Police Department, Southbridge Fire Department, Southbridge EMS, and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.
---------------------------------------------
VICTIM IN 2018 MAGNET SCHOOL LAB FIRE AWARDED $133K
https://www.hendersonvillestandard.com/news/victim-in-2018-magnet-school-lab-fire-awarded-133k/article_77071e3e-f0cd-11ec-9581-b34e1f9ab3ec.html
Tags: us_NC, education, follow-up, injury, ethanol
A judge has ordered the Sumner County Board of Education to pay a former Merrol Hyde Magnet School student $133,283 for injuries she sustained in a 2018 flash fire at the school.
Emergency crews evacuated the K-12 school just before 9 a.m. on May 9, 2018 after a science experiment involving the mixture of boric acid and ethyl alcohol ignited a brief explosion. The teacher conducting the experiment and eight students were treated at two local hospitals and released the same day. Nine other students were treated at the scene for their injuries.
The parents of two students filed separate lawsuits against the school district in Sumner County Circuit Court in March and April of 2019. Both lawsuits claimed the school district was negligent in allowing the teacher to conduct the experiment and said the fire caused permanent physical and/or mental health damage.
A settlement agreement was reached with the parents of one of the students in April of 2020 for $20,000.
In the second lawsuit filed April 3, 2019 by a mother on behalf of her daughter who was 15 years old at the time of the incident, the mother alleged the classroom explosion caused serious, permanent injuries to her daughter. The mother sought a total of $850,000 in damages for medical bills, lost wages and emotional distress.
In June of 2020, the school district admitted the incident was caused by the actions of its employee, a science teacher who no longer works for the school district, and didn't dispute liability. However, the school district denied the nature and extent of the victim's injuries and losses claimed by the mother, and the case went to trial in October of 2021.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL TEAM CALLED TO MARSHALL INDUSTRIAL PARK
https://www.marshallindependent.com/news/local-news/2022/06/chemical-team-called-to-marshall-industrial-park/
Tags: us_MN, industrial, release, response, ammonia
The Marshall Fire Department and the Southwest Minnesota Chemical Assessment Team were called to the Arctic Glacier ice facility on Halbur Road in Marshall Thursday night, in response to reports of an ammonia odor. Marshall Police blocked traffic on Michigan Road, and nearby businesses in the industrial park were evacuated while responders went to work. Marshall Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold said responders thought the leak was no longer active. They ventilated the structure, and businesses to the north of Arctic Glacier were evacuated, Brunsvold said.
---------------------------------------------
NOX-CRETE UPDATES NDEE ON CHEMICALS IN BUILDING FIRE
https://fox42kptm.com/news/local/nox-crete-updates-ndee-on-chemicals-in-building-fire
Tags: us_NE, industrial, follow-up, environmental, nitrogen, toluene
OMAHA'Nox-Crete has sent the state an updated list of materials that were in its warehouse when it went up in flames on Memorial Day.
According to public records, the company sent an inventory of 125 chemicals that were in quantities below 1,000 pounds to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) on June 21. It had already submitted chemicals in quantities above 5,000 pounds.
Included on the new list is just under 46 pounds of toluene diisocyanate. Fox 42 previously reported the chemical had been listed on an inventory NDEE had of the building in February. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, TDI produces toxic gases like cyanides and nitrogen oxides when burned.
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FEARS THAT THE WAR IN EAST OF UKRAINE COULD LEAD TO DEADLY CHEMICAL DISASTER
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/fears-that-the-war-in-east-of-ukraine-could-lead-to-deadly-chemical-disaster/4015860.article
Tags: Ukraine, industrial, discovery, environmental
As the war in Ukraine drags on into its fourth month, there have been increasing reports of attacks on chemical facilities. On 31 May an air strike in Severodonetsk caused the explosion of a nitric acid container, spewing a huge cloud of toxic fumes into the air, with residents urged to stay in their homes. On 12 June there were reports of a huge fire at the Azot chemical plant in the same city, where hundreds of civilians were sheltering.
News of such chemical leaks do not come as a surprise to Yaroslav Yurtsaba, Ukraine's national manager for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The organisation has been working with the Ukrainian government to monitor and improve chemical safety for a number of years, but the shift in the hostilities to the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine is particularly worrying. 'This part of the country is heavily industrialised. More than 600 industrial enterprises that actually store a lot of chemicals are placed there,' says Yurtsaba.
---------------------------------------------
US EPA TO REASSESS HEALTH RISKS OF GLYPHOSATE
https://cen.acs.org/policy/litigation/US-EPA-reassess-health-risks/100/i23
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, ag_chems, pesticides
In a win for public health and environmental groups, a federal appeals court ordered the US Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the human health risks of glyphosate. The EPA must reassess the cancer risks of the widely used herbicide, as well as its impact on endangered species, the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled June 17.
The ruling nixes the EPA's 2020 finding that glyphosate does not pose unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. The court agreed with the plaintiffs that the agency did not follow its own guidelines for evaluating cancer risks, but the three-judge panel ruled that the herbicide can remain on the market while the EPA completes its reassessment. The agency faces an October 2022 statutory deadline to finish that review.
The ruling 'gives voice to those who suffer from glyphosate's cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,' Amy van Saun, senior attorney with the Center for Food Safety and lead counsel in the case, says in a statement. 'EPA's 'no cancer' risk conclusion did not stand up to scrutiny.'
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup, now made by Bayer, and in many generic formulations. Bayer has been the target of thousands of lawsuits from plaintiffs who claim that using Roundup contributed to their non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In a setback for the company, the US Supreme Court announced June 21 that it will not review the ruling in one of the cases'a $25 million judgment in favor of Edwin Hardeman, a California man who claimed his cancer was caused by using Roundup on his property for decades.
The case serves as a test for thousands of other lawsuits. Most of the claims are related to residential use of glyphosate. In an attempt to thwart future litigation, Bayer announced last year that it would stop selling glyphosate in the US residential market in 2023.
Farm groups are disappointed that the Supreme Court will not hear Monsanto v. Hardeman. The Department of Justice advised it not to take up the case. In a brief submitted to the court, the Biden administration argues that states can impose labeling requirements beyond those federally mandated. Growers are concerned that a patchwork of state requirements will threaten access to tools needed to ensure a global food supply.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT CREWS STOP GAS LEAK AT HASKINS STEEL CO. BUILDING
https://www.kxly.com/hazmat-situation-reported-at-haskins-steel-building/
Tags: us_WA, industrial, release, response, nitrogen, oxygen
SPOKANE, Wash. ' The Spokane Fire Department has put out a gas leak at the Haskins Steel building in East Central Spokane.
Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer says the leak was identified as nitrogen and oxygen, which came from high-pressure vessels inside the building.
The leak has been stopped and the building and neighborhood are now safe.
---------------------------------------------
AUCKLAND FIREFIGHTERS LEFT IN SHOCK AFTER SPECIALIST FIRE TRUCK FOUND TO BE UNUSABLE
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-firefighters-left-in-shock-after-specialist-fire-truck-found-to-be-unusable/EB3U6DUOJT3RN5A3AZ72ZJAP4M/
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
A specialist fire truck based in Auckland and used when responding to incidents involving potentially dangerous substances is out of action.
Firefighters at the Auckland City Fire Station reported finding its Hazmat (hazardous materials) command unit leaning over in the engine bay late last night - rendering it unable to be used.
The NZ Professional Firefighters' Union said crew members were left "shocked" at the discovery; particularly as the truck would normally respond to hazardous material emergencies and provide vital co-ordination and control at major incidents.
"The fire truck going offline meant that special decontamination showers that are on trial to mitigate carcinogen exposure for firefighters could not be used," NZPFU spokesman Jaron Phillips said.
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"It also meant that the Ports of Auckland would not receive a speedy response from a Hazmat team in the event of a chemical emergency at the port."
At the scene, a note had been put on the window shield of the affected truck, reading: "Don't drive this truck. Air bags broken. Workshops due 8am 23/6."
The Hazmat fire truck currently unavailable. Photo / Hayden Woodward
The station also had makeshift signs on the front, which read: "Understaffed. Undervalued. Overworked."
---------------------------------------------
BOMB SQUAD RUSHES TO SCHOOL IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY TO DISPOSE CHEMICAL IN CHEMISTRY LAB
https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-bomb-squad-washington-christian-academy-science-chemistry-lab-students-school-chemical-picric-acid-hazmat-crews-photos
Tags: us_MD, laboratory, discovery, response, picric_acid, time-sensitive
OLNEY, Md. (7News) ' Montgomery County Fire Bomb Squad and Hazmat crews were called to a school in Olney, Md. to remove an "unstable chemical" from a chemistry lab.
The bomb squad responded to Washington Christian Academy around 11:30 a.m. to discard what appeared to be, Picric Acid found in a classroom, according to Montgomery County Fire Public Information Officer Pete Piringer,
The team had to take the chemical to a secure and isolated construction site nearby at Batchelor's Forest Road in Olney to properly dispose of it. Piringer said a loud "boom" was heard momentarily in the area.
---------------------------------------------
TESLA MODEL S ERUPTS IN FLAMES IN A SACRAMENTO SCRAPYARD
https://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2022/06/tesla-model-s-erupts-in-flames-in-a-sacramento-scrapyard/#:~:text=A%20white%20Tesla%20Model%20S%20extensively%20damaged%20in,car%20was%20on%20fire%20when%20the%20firefighters%20arrived.
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, batteries
A white Tesla Model S extensively damaged in a crash three weeks earlier and parked in a Rancho Cordova, California scrapyard unexpectedly burst into flames, burning hotter than 3,000å¡, according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
The electric car was on fire when the firefighters arrived. The car's battery compartment rekindled the fire every time it was briefly put out, the fire service claimed in an Instagram post.
'Crews knocked the fire down, but the car kept reigniting and off-gassing in the battery compartment,' the department said. 'Even with direct penetration, the vehicle would still re-ignite due to the residual heat. Crews and on-site personnel then created a small pit, placed the car inside it, and filled the pit with water effectively submerging the battery compartment.'
According to The Washington Post, the department was ultimately able to extinguish the blaze after an hour and 4,500 gallons of water. It's not the first time the department has battled a Tesla fire.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT SITUATION DEVELOPS AFTER BOAT CATCHES FIRE IN SACRAMENTO RIVER BENEATH I-80 BRIDGE ' CBS SACRAMENTO
https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2022/06/21/sacramento-river-boat-fire/
Tags: us_CA, transportation, fire, response, diesel
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ' A boat fire in the Sacramento River has turned into a hazmat situation beneath the I-80 bridge late Tuesday afternoon.
The boat, which the Sacramento Fire Department said is privately owned, was docked along the side of the river when it caught fire, putting up heavy smoke in the area. The boat, named the All-American, is likely to sink and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been made aware, officials said.
The fire department said a hazmat crew was called to the scene as fuel from the boat was leaking into the water.
---------------------------------------------
CLEANUP UNDERWAY ON RECYCLETRONICS WASTE SITE IN SOUTH SIOUX CITY
https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/cleanup-underway-on-recycletronics-waste-site-in-south-sioux-city/article_a0302f9d-dad9-595e-92d2-c07472a7af8e.html
Tags: us_IA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, waste
SIOUX CITY -- Federal contractors have begun cleaning up tons of hazardous leaded glass illegally stored in South Sioux City and in rural Akron, Iowa, by a now-defunct recycling business owned by a former Sioux City councilman.
On Tuesday, workers with an excavator and skid loader continued to remove an estimated 3.38 million pounds of crushed glass and other waste from 2301 G St., where the waste had been stored outdoors in totes for at least five years. Removal began June 13.
Work at the Akron site also has begun.
The cleanup projects, which are being overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are being done through the federal Superfund program, which enables the agency to clean up contaminated sites. According to EPA documents, cleanup of the South Sioux City site is estimated at nearly $1.4 million.
Cleanup of 8.4 million pounds of glass stored in cardboard boxes packed to the rafters inside a 9,000-square-foot building at an Akron farm is estimated to cost more than $1.9 million, EPA documents show.
---------------------------------------------
PROPANE FUELS FIRE AT CO-OP
https://www.messengernews.net/news/local-news/2022/06/propane-fuels-fire-at-co-op/
Tags: us_IA, industrial, fire, response, propane
OTHO ' A propane-fueled fire that produced flames visible from U.S. Highway 169 destroyed a machine at the NEW Cooperative facility on 250th Street west of Otho Tuesday evening.
Damage was limited to that machine, and no one was hurt.
The fire was extinguished after firefighters from the regional hazardous materials team at the Fort Dodge Fire Department closed a valve that was open and allowing propane to feed the flames.
The fire was reported at about 6 p.m.
The burning machine was right next to a roughly 18,000-gallon propane tank. Firefighters initially concentrated on keeping that tank from igniting.
---------------------------------------------
4 SUBANG JAYA STUDENTS SENT TO HOSPITAL AFTER INHALING GAS
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/06/21/4-students-sent-to-hospital-after-inhaling-gas-at-school-lab/
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, release, injury, natural_gas
KUALA LUMPUR: Four students suffered nausea and dizziness after they were believed to have inhaled gas from a leaking bunsen burner at SRK USJ 14 in Subang Jaya near here.
Selangor fire and rescue department director Norazam Khamis said the incident happened at 1.20pm when the Year 5 pupils were conducting experiments in the school laboratory.
He said the four students were sent to Shah Alam Hospital and all of them were reported to be in stable condition.
He said fire rescue personnel were sent to the school to ensure the school was safe and the environment free from leaking gas.
In a separate incident, Norazam said an 18-year-old teenager was injured in a gas explosion at a restaurant in Jalan Bidara, Saujana Utama 3, Sungai Buloh, near here, at 12.30pm yesterday.
He said a cooking gas leak was believed to have caused the explosion and a small fire which destroyed 30% of the premises.
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CHEMICAL LEAK HAPPENS ON MERRITT BOULEVARD
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Firefighters-respond-to-chemical-spill-in-Trumbull-17256602.php
Tags: us_CT, industrial, release, response, hvac_chemicals
TRUMBULL ' Trumbull firefighters were called to a chemical leak at a local building Tuesday morning, according to the Long Hill Fire Department.
Maintenance personnel at a building on Merritt Boulevard reported a chemical leaking from a pump that feeds a cooling tower on the roof. One person who was near the leak experienced eye and throat irritation, Fire Chief Alex Rauso Jr. said in an email.
After Trumbull firefighters responded around 11 a.m., they requested that the Fairfield County Hazardous Incident Response Team to come to the scene, Rauso said.
---------------------------------------------
POSSIBLE CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AT SWIMMING POOL: NC FIREFIGHTERS
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article262718477.html
Tags: us_NC, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
Two children were rushed to the hospital after a possible chemical exposure at a North Carolina swimming pool, officials said.
An adult also received medical care after a 'caller reported people having difficulty breathing and difficulty speaking between breaths' on Saturday, June 18, according to the Asheville Fire Department.
At about 1:40 p.m., firefighters in the mountain tourist town arrived at the scene of the potential 'hazardous materials incident.' While at a pool on Resort Drive, crews started to treat eight patients and worked on decontamination efforts, officials said.
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GAINESVILLE HAZMAT TEAM CLEANS CHEMICALS ON US 301
https://www.wcjb.com/2022/06/21/gainesville-hazmat-team-cleans-chemicals-us-301/
Tags: us_FL, transportation, release, response, pool_chemicals
HAWTHORNE, Fla. (WCJB) - A vehicle crash on US 301 caused chemicals to spill on the highway in the Island Grove area.
Traffic was blocked on the roadway near Hawthorne for about an hour Tuesday morning after two vehicles collided. One of the vehicles was carrying pool cleaning chemicals.
The Gainesville Fire Rescue HazMat team along with Alachua County Fire Rescue crews responded to contain the spill.
The team worked with the Alachua County EPA on definitive Mitigation.
---------------------------------------------
LOCKHART CHEMICAL CO. ISSUED CEASE AND DESIST ORDER AS SPILL CLEAN-UP CONTINUES IN FLINT
https://nbc25news.com/news/local/lockhart-chemical-co-issued-cease-and-desist-order-as-spill-clean-up-continues-in-flint
Tags: us_MI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
FLINT, Mich. ' Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley has announced that an order to cease operations has been issued to Lockhart Chemical Company as the investigation continues into a spill in the Flint River.
Neeley says that the cease-and-desist order will remain in place until Lockhart complies with all orders by the Environmental Protection Agency.
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