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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, April 2, 2012 6:46:39 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 (31 articles)
FIRE BREAKS OUT IN NETHERTON LABORATORY (FROM DUDLEY NEWS)
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
RIDGEWOOD BUILDING EVACUATED FOR FUMES
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, batteries
DRUG TEST BACKFIRES
Tags: us_FL, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab
AMC WASTE DUMPING SITE CATCHES FIRE
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, flammables, waste
POISONED MAN SICKENS RESCUERS, SHUTS DOWN MARGATE EMERGENCY ROOM
Tags: us_FL, public, release, injury, pesticides
EXPLOSION AT GERMAN CHEMICAL PLANT KILLS ONE
Tags: Guernsey, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
1962 DISASTER IMPELLED STRICTER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS REGULATIONS
Tags: us_CT, transportation, follow-up, death, explosives, mek, peroxide
STUDENTS MAY NEVER HAVE TO DISECT FROGS OR MIX TEST TUBES AGAIN
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, discovery, response
CARBON DIOXIDE LEAK SICKENS WORKERS AT FOOD PLANT
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, carbon_dioxide
TEAM CLEARS ACID AFTER BATTERY FAILS
Tags: us_MO, public, fire, injury, sulfuric_acid
MAGNABLEND CHEMICAL CO. CITED BY OSHA OVER EXPLOSION, FIRE Ç CBS DALLAS / FORT WORTH
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, response, flammables, hydrogen
OIL-DRUM RELEASE PROMPTS FIRE, HAZMAT RESPONSE IN NEWARK
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
DOZENS OF FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BLAZE AT LAJOIE'S SCRAP METAL
Tags: us_CT, industrial, explosion, response, acetylene, diesel, gas_cylinders, waste
WORKERS SAY FIRE ON TACOMA TIDEFLATS STARTED IN PAINT CAN
Tags: us_WA, public, fire, response
AN AMMONIA LEAK AT THE BIRDS EYE FOODS PLANT I
Tags: us_ND, public, release, response, ammonia
HAZMAT SCARE AT CARROLL COLLEGE WAS AMMONIA
Tags: us_MT, education, release, injury, ammonia
HAZMAT RESPONSE AFTER SCHOOL BUS GETS SPRAYED WITH PESTICIDE
Tags: us_CA, education, release, response, pesticides
POLICE: WHITE POWDER IN UVA HAZMAT SCARE TURNS OUT TO BE COCAINE
Tags: us_VA, education, discovery, response, drugs
CORROSIVE CHEMICAL CLEANED FROM ESCONDIDO HORSE ARENA
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, environmental, sodium_hydroxide
FARMER TILING HITS OLD OIL WELL
Tags: us_OH, public, discovery, environmental, petroleum
NARCOTICS TASK FORCE FINDS METH LABS AT LANDFILL
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, response, meth_lab
CHEMICAL SCARE IN EAST PEORIA EARNS CALLER CHASTISEMENT FROM 911 OPERATOR
Tags: us_IL, public, discovery, response, dust
SUSSEX TECH REVISES CALENDAR AFTER FIRE
Tags: us_NJ, laboratory, follow-up, response
FIRE CREWS RESPOND TO CHEMICAL SPILL AT WETHERILL
Tags: us_IN, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
THREAT OF CHEMICAL LEAK INTO LITTLE ELKHART RIVER AFTER TRAIN DERAILS
Tags: us_OH, transportation, release, response, sulphur
TWO-DOZEN VEHICLES VANDALIZED IN W. PHILLY
Tags: us_PA, public, discovery, response, corrosives
HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO CHEMICAL SPILL IN FRESNO
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL BLAZE TRAPS VILLAGERS IN THEIR HOMES
Tags: United_Kingdom, transportation, fire, response, calcium_carbonate
OREM FUEL COMPANY ENGULFED IN CHEMICAL FIRE
Tags: us_UT, industrial, fire, response, flammables
FIRE IN CZECH CHEMICAL PLANT, DAMAGE PUT AT CZK 25 MILLION
Tags: Czech_Republic, transportation, fire, response, oils
DUMPED CHEMICAL WASTE TURNS OUT TO BE CHIP FAT
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, environmental, waste
---------------------------------------------
FIRE BREAKS OUT IN NETHERTON LABORATORY (FROM DUDLEY NEWS)
http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/news/9626204.Fire_breaks_out_in_Netherton_laboratory/
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
FIRE crews attended a fire at a Netherton laboratory yesterday.
Crews from Tipton, Cradley Heath and Smethwick attended the fire in the first floor lab at Exova UK Ltd in Halesowen Road, shortly before 5.30pm.
The fire had broken out inside the ventilation extraction unit, with 10 per cent of the two-storey building engulfed in flames.
Firefighters wore chemical protection suits and gloves to put out the flames because of the presence of laboratory gases.
Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service and Environmental officers were also in attendance at the premises, which is one of the world's leading laboratories in the testing of pipeline materials for the oil and gas industry.
---------------------------------------------
RIDGEWOOD BUILDING EVACUATED FOR FUMES
http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/bergen_safety/Ridgewood_commercial_building_evacuated_.html
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, batteries
RIDGEWOOD - Firefighters evacuated a five-story building at 45 North Broad St. Sunday following reports of a sulfuric acid odor coming from the basement.
Tenants of the commercial and office building, known as The Lincoln Building, were kept out for two hours as the Bergen County Hazardous Materials unit investigated. Fire and police officials said they did not know how many people were in the building at the time of evacuation.
Six people were medically evaluated on the scene, but no one required additional medical treatment. The Ridgewood Fire Department responded to the scene at about 3 p.m. and swept thorough the building wearing air packs to make sure everyone was out, said fire Capt. Robert Kozielski. He said carbon monoxide levels were elevated in the building.
The fire crews ventilated the building with power fans until Hazmat investigators determined it was safe to occupy, Kozielski said.
The leak was caused by a malfunctioning battery in the basement. Batteries and other equipment are stored in the basement to support cellphone towers located at the downtown building.
---------------------------------------------
DRUG TEST BACKFIRES
http://www.dailycommercial.com/News/LakeCounty/033112officer
Tags: us_FL, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab
An Umatilla police officer was taken to the emergency room after a substance he was testing for drugs at a suspicious home apparently turned out to be part of a recipe for meth -- and exploded in his face.
A hazardous materials unit was called to the scene and officer Josh Brown was treated at an area hospital and released, according to Police Chief Douglas Foster.
Clayton Tabor, 22, of Umatilla, was charged with loitering and prowling after being found hiding in the woods behind the Orange Street home.
Tabor also was charged with violation of probation and placed in the Lake County jail without bail.
According to Umatilla police, Brown responded to 154 Orange Court on Wednesday to reports of people being in an abandoned home.
Brown spotted a bag filled a white powdery substance, candles, sheets and other items. The officer assumed the powder was methamphetamine. But when he put a small amount of the substance in a test kit -- it turned black, exploded and shot out of his hand and sprayed him in the face with "noxious gas."
He was treated by EMS before being taken to a hospital. It was not clear what injuries he received.
"He's was released, so its seems he's OK," Foster said.
---------------------------------------------
AMC WASTE DUMPING SITE CATCHES FIRE
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/AMC-waste-dumping-site-catches-fire/articleshow/12497336.cms
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, flammables, waste
AHMEDABAD: City reported three major fire incidents on Sunday afternoon. In the first incident, an AMC waste disposal site in Gyaspur village in the outskirts of the city caught fire on Sunday evening after a dumper rammed into a stationary electric pole. Three fire fighters and two tankers of Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AEFS) doused flames. AFES officials also attended fire calls from Odhav and Sarkhej-Bavla highway.
The officials said fire at Gyaspur was a major operation as they had to ensure that the fire does not spread in the highly inflammable heaps of waste. Another major operation was carried out in Odhav near Takshshila Society where nearby chemical units had disposed of their chemical waste near residential area and set it on fire.
"Nearby residents called us up after the burning chemical spread a stench in the area along with lot of smoke and fumes that caused eye and nose irritation. We sent six vehicles including fire fighters and tankers to control fire," said AFES officials.
---------------------------------------------
POISONED MAN SICKENS RESCUERS, SHUTS DOWN MARGATE EMERGENCY ROOM
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/fl-poison-contamination-20120401,0,6530787.story
Tags: us_FL, public, release, injury, pesticides
MargateÑ
The suicidal man survived the revolting attempt to take his own life.
But by downing a toxic cocktail of malathion Ñ a common pesticide Ñ he touched off a chain of disruptive consequences Sunday when fumes from the poison sickened three paramedics, shut down a hospital emergency room and knocked a rescue vehicle out of service for hours.
"It's a mess," said Dan Booker, a division chief for the Margate Fire Department. "This guy took up a lot of assets. And he is not out of the woods yet."
The identity of the Coconut Creek man who drank the pesticide was not released. He was listed in stable condition.
The bizarre incident began just before 1:30 a.m. when paramedics were called to the 5900 block of 40th Lane, where the man was found lying on the grass.
En route to Northwest Medical Center, the man vomited, Booker said, and three paramedics in the rescue truck with him began "to become dizzy, nauseous and getting headaches."
At the hospital the fumes pouring out of the man prompted hospital officials to move him to another floor, away from the emergency room, which was temporarily shut down as a precaution, Booker said.
The three paramedics were treated for their exposure to the chemical fumes, and hospital officials called for the Broward Sheriff's Office hazardous materials team and notified the state Department of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The patient, described as a man in his 30s or 40s, was conscious and talking, Booker said.
---------------------------------------------
EXPLOSION AT GERMAN CHEMICAL PLANT KILLS ONE
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/germany/120331/explosion-at-german-chemical-plant-kills-one
Tags: Guernsey, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
LONDON, UK - An explosion at a chemical plant in Germany killed at least one person and left two others injured Saturday.
Police spokeswoman Ramona told Bloomberg that a tank exploded at the Evonik Degussa plant in the western city of Marl and started a blaze, which about 100 firefighters managed to bring under control.
The injured man was flown to hospital, while a third person suffered only light injuries and was discharged earlier today.
More from GlobalPost: Great Pacific Garbage Patch will soon have even more garbage
Marl, a city of 87,000 in the Ruhr industrial heartland, is an important chemical industry hub. Its chemical park is among Europe's biggest, with 30 firms employing about 10,000 workers producing more than 4,000 products.
The blast - whose cause was not immediately known - was triggered in a tank containing substances used in the production of plastic parts in the auto industry, as well as in electronics and cosmetics, an industry spokesman told the Agence France Presse.
---------------------------------------------
1962 DISASTER IMPELLED STRICTER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS REGULATIONS
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/newsnow/x760614076/1962-disaster-impelled-stricter-hazardous-materials-regulations#axzz1qmuGSvNt
Tags: us_CT, transportation, follow-up, death, explosives, mek, peroxide
Tragedy is often the impetus for change.
By many accounts, the death of four Norwich firefighters during an explosion in 1962 had ripple effects that reverberated across the country Ñ leading to improved safety standards for first responders and major changes in the way hazardous materials are labeled, shipped and handled.
Today, vehicles carrying hazardous materials are required by federal law to have placards Ñ color-coded, diamond-shaped signs with numbers and symbols. In the event of an emergency, such as a fire, first responders need only consult a guidebook for general information about just how dangerous any cargo is.
There was no such law in place on the afternoon of April 3, 1962, when Norwich firefighters responded to reports of a truck fire at the Van Tassel warehouse on Forest Street.
"This is the Van Tassel Leather Co. on Forest St. We have a truck on fire, loaded with explosives," was the call to the fire department.
Thomas LaFreniere, 83, who was seriously injured in the explosion that was to come, said firefighters knew there were explosives on board, but not much else.
"The dispatcher said, ÔBe careful,' " LaFreniere said. "But our job is to extinguish the fire. When they're running out, we're running in."
The subsequent explosion leveled parts of the warehouse and shattered glass windows for miles Ñ and claimed the lives of four of the firefighters at the scene. There was an immediate outcry at the local and state levels for better regulations from the city and state after the investigation into the cause.
Norwich Fire Marshal Kenneth Scandariato said that in the 1960s, there were certain chemicals known to be volatile, but the type of response needed in a situation like Van Tassel was not well-understood.
"They were being classified from a compositional perspective, but not for safety," Scandariato said. "There were very few training bulletins Ñ procedures for fire departments to prepare for hazardous materials response.
"We didn't have the equipment, the training or the organization we have today," he said. "Many of those things came from the Van Tassel tragedy and other incidents that began to raise attention and alarm."
Major Carroll E. Shaw, the deputy state fire marshal in 1962, reported the load carried by the truck in question was organic peroxides Ñ a mix of benzoyl peroxide, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide and others shipped in wet and dry forms.
Shaw wrote that the load, was "extremely sensitive to shock, blows and impact," and likely shifted during the 600-mile trip to Norwich from Buffalo, N.Y.
---------------------------------------------
STUDENTS MAY NEVER HAVE TO DISECT FROGS OR MIX TEST TUBES AGAIN
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/03/30/businessinsiderthe-fun-wacky-scienc.DTL
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, discovery, response
Online education is playing an increasing role in the physical classroom. Late Nite Labs is replacing real-life science labs with digital experiments.
Educators and students can access the virtual lab from any computer at any time. If a wrong mixture is made or too much of an ingredient is added, a beaker will explode and the scientist will have to start again -- just like a real lab. The platform combines gaming graphics with education principles.
Late Nite Labs works with over 150 colleges, universities, and high schools. More than 20,000 students use it.
The startup has raised $1.1 million from Harold Levy of Palm Ventures and the former Chancellor of New York Public Schools.
---------------------------------------------
CARBON DIOXIDE LEAK SICKENS WORKERS AT FOOD PLANT
http://www.kcra.com/r/30805263/detail.html
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, carbon_dioxide
VALLEJO, Calif. -- More than 70 workers at a Northern California food processing plant were sent to hospitals Friday after authorities say they were exposed to a carbon dioxide gas leak.
Workers at Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods in Vallejo began having difficulty breathing and some started vomiting due to what firefighters described as a gas leak in a kitchen fed by an external carbon dioxide tank.
The leak was capped but nearly all 74 workers at the plant suffered at least some effects from the gas, Vallejo Fire Captain Marty Culverwell said.
"It was shut off in the kitchen and the tank feeding the kitchen has also been secured," Culverwell said. "It was contained and ventilated correctly."
Firefighters arriving at the scene saw workers outside suffering from more serious symptoms of carbon dioxide exposure, including nausea, respiratory problems, fainting and difficulty seeing.
First responders said they didn't expect workers to suffer long-term effects from the exposure.
The plant's owner, Mike Ghiringhelli, questioned whether the problem was as serious as it seemed.
"I think it's a false alarm, 'cause the air was fine," Ghiringhelli told reporters outside the plant.
An investigator from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health was on the scene, agency spokesman Dean Fryer. He said the investigation into the leak had just begun.
---------------------------------------------
TEAM CLEARS ACID AFTER BATTERY FAILS
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/mar/30/hazmat-team-cleans-acid-leak/
Tags: us_MO, public, fire, injury, sulfuric_acid
A battery acid spill this morning resulted in fire crews being called to a generator room that provides power to Joint Communications and the Columbia Police Department.
Shortly after 8 a.m., firefighters responded to a report of smoke coming from the generator room at 17 N. Seventh St. The generator, which provides backup power for police and Joint Communications, failed to start during a routine test, according to a Columbia Fire Department news release. Fire crews found a battery next to the generator had failed and leaked battery acid on nearby equipment. A hazardous-materials team cleaned up the area and removed items requiring decontamination.
Two city employees who were exposed to smoke and fumes were being medically evaluated, the news release said. A cause of the battery's failure had not been determined this morning, and a damage estimate was not yet available.
---------------------------------------------
MAGNABLEND CHEMICAL CO. CITED BY OSHA OVER EXPLOSION, FIRE Ç CBS DALLAS / FORT WORTH
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/03/30/magnablend-chemical-co-cited-by-osha-over-explosion-fire/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, response, flammables, hydrogen
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the Magnablend Chemical company for seven serious violations and and levied a $45,000 fine for last year's explosion and fire at the company's Waxahachie factory.
The report concludes a six month investigation, in which OSHA says workers at the plant were exposed to fire hazards by a ventilation system that was far inadequate for what the company was doing.
"Magnablend exposed its workers to fire hazards by failing to provide adequate ventilation that would have removed flammable hydrogen and other vapors," said Jack Rector, OSHA's area director in Fort Worth. "OSHA's standards must be followed to prevent injuries and illnesses. It is fortunate that no one was injured."
---------------------------------------------
OIL-DRUM RELEASE PROMPTS FIRE, HAZMAT RESPONSE IN NEWARK
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_20289690/oil-drum-release-prompts-fire-hazmat-response-newark
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
NEWARK -- Alameda County fire personnel, including a hazardous materials team, responded to a report of an explosion at an oil recycling facility in Newark Thursday night, an Alameda County fire battalion chief said.
A 55-gallon drum at Evergreen Oil Inc., located at 6880 Smith Ave., was off-gassing some type of smoke when firefighters arrived at 10:41 p.m., according to Alameda County fire Battalion Chief Kris Kerstetter.
Kerstetter said the oil drum that was gassing posed no danger to the public and no shelter-in-place order was given. None of the product made it into any storm drains or out of the facility.
Seventeen fire personnel arrived at the scene to work with plant staff. Six people from the haz-mat team responded.
Crews determined only one drum that contained some sort of paint product was off-gassing, while six other drums holding other products were sitting at a warmer than usual temperature, according to Kerstetter.
---------------------------------------------
DOZENS OF FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BLAZE AT LAJOIE'S SCRAP METAL
http://www.thehour.com/story/522535/norwalk-fire-battles-blaze-at-lajoies
Tags: us_CT, industrial, explosion, response, acetylene, diesel, gas_cylinders, waste
NORWALK -- Every on-duty firefighter in Norwalk fought to prevent a Wednesday afternoon blaze in a building at LaJoie's Scrap and Recycling from igniting thousands of gallons of diesel fuel and exploding containers of accelerants.
Deputy Fire Chief Ed Prescott said the fire tore through the 60-foot-by-60-foot, two-story sheet metal building that houses the mid-20th century, 20-cylinder diesel locomotive engine that powers a car shredder. The building contained about 9,000 gallons of diesel fuel as well as containers of acetylene and oxygen, fire officials said.
"Our main concern was that a lot of acetylene tanks and oxygen tanks were compromised and were fueling the fire," he said. "Our guys worked really hard to contain it to where it was and to make sure there was external explosions."
---------------------------------------------
WORKERS SAY FIRE ON TACOMA TIDEFLATS STARTED IN PAINT CAN
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/29/2086772/workers-say-fire-started-in-paint.html
Tags: us_WA, public, fire, response
A fire that threw up plumes of smoke and leveled a small office building Wedesday on the eastern edge of the Tacoma Tideflats might have been caused by a can of paint that caught fire, spreading flames to adjacent areas.
The blaze at 4011 E. 11th St. near the Hylebos Bridge drew a dozen fire vehicles and nearly three dozen firefighters who extinguished flames that destroyed the office building and damaged an attached, two-story wooden warehouse.
No one was injured in the fire, which caused about $190,000 in damage to the 5,119-square-foot building.
Cause of the fire still was under investigation Wednesday night. Some workers at the site said a can of paint had caught fire and ignited areas of the wooden structure.
---------------------------------------------
AN AMMONIA LEAK AT THE BIRDS EYE FOODS PLANT I
http://www.inforum.com/event/apArticle/id/D9TQ5THO1/
Tags: us_ND, public, release, response, ammonia
An ammonia leak at the Birds Eye Foods plant in Waseca caused employees to evacuate.
Fire Chief Gary Conrath says the source of the leak Wednesday evening was a gasket on some equipment in the compressor room. Employees were later allowed to return to the building after it was ventilated.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT SCARE AT CARROLL COLLEGE WAS AMMONIA
http://www.krtv.com/news/hazmat-scare-at-carroll-college-was-ammonia/
Tags: us_MT, education, release, injury, ammonia
The Helena Fire Department was dispatched to the Carroll College campus on Wednesday afternoon after a member of the college janitorial staff found a bottle with an unknown substance and opened it.
The person then reportedly smelled the substance, and sustained "unspecified injuries" and sought treatment at St. Peter's Hospital.
The bottle was then closed and removed to the Fortin Science Building to be identified by staff.
Hazardous materials technicians from the Helena Fire Department assisted staff in attempting to identify the substance.
The substance was identified on Wednesday night as a commercial-grade ammonia that is typically used as a cleaning agent.
A press release from the Helena Fire Department on Thursday morning states that there was no danger to the students, staff, or the general public after the initial incident took place.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT RESPONSE AFTER SCHOOL BUS GETS SPRAYED WITH PESTICIDE
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story/HAZMAT-response-after-school-bus-gets-sprayed/yYcb6poT5Ue_q1DeDSw8sA.cspx
Tags: us_CA, education, release, response, pesticides
Police, fire, ambulance and HAZMAT crews are at Rio Bravo-Greeley School in the 6600 block of Enos Ln. for reports of a school bus that was sprayed with pesticides.
So far, there are no reports of injuries, but some students have complained of itchy skin or being nauseated. Firefighters on scene reported it may have been the chemical Lorsban, an insecticide that interferes with an insect's nervous system.
It appears the bus may have driven through a drift and was not sprayed directly while children from the elementary and junior high school were on the bus. Then,the kids were dropped off at school.
---------------------------------------------
POLICE: WHITE POWDER IN UVA HAZMAT SCARE TURNS OUT TO BE COCAINE
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2012/mar/29/police-white-powder-uva-hazmat-scare-turns-out-be--ar-1803822/
Tags: us_VA, education, discovery, response, drugs
The bag of white powder that kicked off a hazmat scare after being found in a University of Virginia bathroom Thursday morning turned out to be cocaine, said Sgt. Darrell Byers of the Albemarle County police.
Dispatch records indicate the cocaine was found in a second floor women's restroom in the Sheridan G. Snyder Translational Research Building and Fontaine Research Park.
The Charlottesville Fire Department's regional hazmat team responded after the powder was found, confirmed Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner in an email. After determining the substance wasn't hazardous, fire officials turned the case over to the county police, according to Werner.
The amount of cocaine was relatively small, consistent with personal use rather than distribution, Byers said. He said investigators will have a tough time figuring out who left behind the cocaine.
---------------------------------------------
CORROSIVE CHEMICAL CLEANED FROM ESCONDIDO HORSE ARENA
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Corrosive-Chemical-Cleaned-from-Escondido-Horse-Arena-144732255.html
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, environmental, sodium_hydroxide
A cleanup crew has entered phase two of a massive clean-up effort in Escondido after 20,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide spilled from a water filtration plant Monday afternoon.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Monday, a breach in one of the tanks caused the corrosive chemical to spill from a water filtration plant in the 3400 block of Valley Pkwy on by Dixon Lake, according to authorities.
At about 5 p.m., the Hazmat crews entered the plant to evaluate the extent of the spill. According to authorities, the liquid had traveled down a paved roadway and then onto a dirt area where it was contained.
On Tuesday, the City of Escondido reported that the NRC Environmental Services began to remove the sodium hydroxide that was released into the containment area, as well as the removal of the remaining solution left in the failed tanks.
---------------------------------------------
FARMER TILING HITS OLD OIL WELL
http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/local/farmer-tiling-hits-old-oil-well
Tags: us_OH, public, discovery, environmental, petroleum
VILLAGE OF WOODVILLE, Ohio (WUPW) - A Sandusky County farmer tiling his field Wednesday afternoon hit an old underground well, causing it to spill into a ditch.
The incident took place at around 5:30 p.m. in the Village of Woodville.
EPA and Hazmat officials who were dispatched to assist in recapping the well. They said it's fairly common for underground wells to crack and spill during farming.
Crews have put absorbents out to hopefully suck up the oil.
The oil leak is not a risk to the public, the EPA said.
---------------------------------------------
NARCOTICS TASK FORCE FINDS METH LABS AT LANDFILL
http://www.lakeconews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24308:narcotics-task-force-finds-meth-labs-at-landfill&catid=1:latest&Itemid=197
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, response, meth_lab
CLEARLAKE, Calif. - A hazmat call last week at the East Lake Landfill in Clearlake led to the discovery of four methamphetamine labs.
Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said that on Thursday, March 22, at approximately 12:30 p.m. the Lake County Narcotics Task Force responded to the landfill at the request of the Lake County Fire Protection District HAZMAT Team.
Brooks said the Lake County Fire HAZMAT team had responded to the landfill after the operator of a bulldozer had run over a black plastic garbage bag as he was moving garbage.
The contents of the bag began to off gas, which produced a large visible chemical cloud, Brooks said.
The narcotics detectives located several two liter bottles containing both solid and liquid materials, according to Brooks.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SCARE IN EAST PEORIA EARNS CALLER CHASTISEMENT FROM 911 OPERATOR
http://www.eastpeoriatimescourier.com/news/x1184537645/Chemical-scare-in-East-Peoria-earns-caller-chastisement-from-911-operator
Tags: us_IL, public, discovery, response, dust
East Peoria, Ill. Ñ
Robby Owens found more than he bargained for when he went to retrieve his mail at 10 a.m. March 21. He was greeted by a layer of yellow powder inside his mailbox.
Owens was not alone. Four of his Fauber Lane neighbors had the same powder in their mailboxes. One neighbor also found his mail torn up and thrown in his yard.
911 clash
In this day and age of terrorism Owens took no chances. He dialed 911.
"The lady on the other end of the phone was quite upset with me," Owens said. "She said we had called for a Ônon-emergency.' How does she know?"
After calling a non-emergency number a Tazewell County Sheriff's deputy was dispatched. He came out and looked at the chemical in the mailboxes, Owens said.
"The deputy said he thought it was fire extinguisher material," Owens said, but admitted he was not sure. The deputy, he said, called the Spring Bay Fire Department and then East Peoria. Both departments said they were not equipped to handle the situation.
The Peoria Fire Department Hazmat Team was dispatched to the scene. The East Peoria Fire Department then responded, as well.
The hazmat team swabbed the material. It was found to be a caustic food processing material called Calcium hydrogenphosphate dihydrate.
"The hazmat team told us to rinse it out with water," Owens said, and left.
Aftermath
When Owens looked up the chemical on Google he found the following listed under safety precautions:
¥ In case of contact with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice
---------------------------------------------
SUSSEX TECH REVISES CALENDAR AFTER FIRE
http://www.njherald.com/story/17291644/sussex-tech-revises-calendar-after-fire
Tags: us_NJ, laboratory, follow-up, response
SPARTA -- The Sussex County Technical School Board of Education took several steps at Thursday's meeting to move forward from a science lab fire that closed the school for seven days.
The board unanimously voted to revise the school calendar to tack these seven days on to the end of the school year rather than interrupting the spring recess. The last day for students will now be June 21, and the third marking period will be extended to April 18.
"(The fire aftermath) was handled beautifully. Even the decision on what to do with those school days (was done well)," board member Susan Shake said. She said the administration talked to parents and teachers to reach a decision on the school calendar revision.
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FIRE CREWS RESPOND TO CHEMICAL SPILL AT WETHERILL
http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/community/the_exponent/fire-crews-respond-to-chemical-spill-at-wetherill
Tags: us_IN, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Exponent) -
The Purdue fire department responded to a chemical spill that occurred just after 9 p.m. Tuesday night at the Wetherill Hall of Chemistry.
Kevin Ply, chief of the Purdue Fire Department, said the chemical was "water-reactive."
"We had a spill in one of the labs," Ply said. "For precautionary purposes we evacuated the fourth floor."
You can read the rest of this story at the Purdue Exponent website .
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THREAT OF CHEMICAL LEAK INTO LITTLE ELKHART RIVER AFTER TRAIN DERAILS
http://articles.wsbt.com/2012-03-28/train-derails_31246616
Tags: us_OH, transportation, release, response, sulphur
LIGONIER Ñ Nearly 200,000 pounds of molten sulfur leaking from a derailed Norfolk Southern train car threaten a wetland area that empties into the Little Elkhart River. As of right now, officials say the impact on waterways appears to be minimal.
Around 4:40 a.m. 21 cars of the 59-car train derailed in the area of 1100 West 900 North, northwest of Ligonier. There were no injuries. The cause of the derailment is still under investigation.
Dave Pigeon, Norfolk Southern spokesman at the scene, told WSBT the eastbound train left Elkhart en route to Bellevue, Ohio.
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TWO-DOZEN VEHICLES VANDALIZED IN W. PHILLY
http://articles.philly.com/2012-03-29/news/31254999_1_cars-gas-tanks-tires
Tags: us_PA, public, discovery, response, corrosives
About two dozen passenger vehicles were damaged this morning by vandals who slashed tires, doused cars with a corrosive chemical and dumped sugar in gas tanks in the Overbrook section, police said.
Capt. Melvin Singleton, commander of the 19th Police District, said tires were slashed on 17 cars and the paint on seven other passengers vehicles had been stripped away by an acid-like substance.
Some cars also had sugar in the gas tanks, he said.
A Fire Department Hazmat Unit was called to the scene to scrape off some of the corrosive chemical for testing.
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HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO CHEMICAL SPILL IN FRESNO
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id…99679
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Fire Department, along with hazardous materials crews, responded to a small chemical spill at an anodizing company in Central Fresno.
The incident happened just after 3 a.m. Thursday morning at Pacific Coast Anodizing on Pine near West -- just south of McKinley Avenue. Firefighters say a heater caused some chemicals to overheat causing two fire sprinklers to turn on.
Hazmat crews worked with the fire department to make sure there no other leaks or spills of hazardous materials.
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CHEMICAL BLAZE TRAPS VILLAGERS IN THEIR HOMES
http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/news/local-news/chemical-blaze-traps-villagers-in-their-homes-1-4399281#
Tags: United_Kingdom, transportation, fire, response, calcium_carbonate
VILLAGERS in Annesley Woodhouse were told to stay in their homes for several hours after a large blaze involving a chemical-filled container.
The fire started at the Collins Earthworks firm on an industrial estate off Park Lane, Kirkby on Friday March 23.
A tanker containing calcium carbonate (quicklime) is thought to have overheated and caught fire.
Residents were told to keep their windows and doors shut until lunchtime on Saturday March 24 because of fears surrounding fumes from the blaze.
A section of the MI between junction 27 at Annesley and junction 28 at Mansfield was closed from 5.30 pm last Friday, causing chaos during the rush hour. The road re-opened at 8.15 pm.
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OREM FUEL COMPANY ENGULFED IN CHEMICAL FIRE
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/orem/orem-fuel-company-engulfed-in-chemical-fire/article_8f8e22f6-79d0-11e1-bcfa-0019bb2963f4.html
Tags: us_UT, industrial, fire, response, flammables
OREM -- A comb of black smoke arched above Utah County early Thursday afternoon after a chemical fire burst out at an Orem fuel company.
The fire started around 12:36 p.m. at the cinder block warehouse occupied by 801 Racing. Orem fire inspector Casy Vorwaller said the company makes Ferox fuel additives designed to increase a vehicle's mileage. Workers were pumping fuel Thursday, Vorwaller said, when malfunctioning equipment sprayed flammable liquid on a hot pump. The liquid then ignited.
"Once a flammable liquid goes, it goes fast," Vorwaller added.
Crews from Orem and Provo responded to the blaze and had it under control quickly. Vorwaller said firefighters fought offensively, meaning they were able to get inside the building to extinguish the flames. Damage to the building was limited due to its cinder block construction, Vorwaller said, though the fire did spread to the wooden roof and rafters.
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FIRE IN CZECH CHEMICAL PLANT, DAMAGE PUT AT CZK 25 MILLION
http://praguemonitor.com/2012/03/30/fire-czech-chemical-plant-damage-put-czk-25-million
Tags: Czech_Republic, transportation, fire, response, oils
Pardubice, East Bohemia, March 29 (CTK) - The extensive fire that burst out in the Synthesia chemical plant complex early this morning fortunately injured no one but it caused an estimated damage worth up to 25 million crowns, local firefighters and police spokespersons told CTK.
The fire started around 4:00 in consequence of an accident in the premises belonging to Rekla, a company that handles mineral oils and is seated in the Synthesia complex.
Fifteen firefighter units, professional and voluntary, tackled the fire and its aftermath for about three hours, Synthesia spokeswoman Jaroslava Dolezalova told CTK.
The police and firemen will now start enquiring into the cause of the accident.
The fire injured no one, nor did it endanger the environment, Dolezalova said.
The firefighters originally said poisonous substances had leaked in the air and called on the residents of Pardubice, the regional centre with a population of 90,000, not to open the windows and not to leave their homes unless urgently necessary.
Dismissing the information, Dolezalova said expert measurements have not registered any leak of poisonous fumes.
The fire started at an oil processing line and spread to two halls that serve as oils store, causing several explosions and destroying two lorries, said Vendula Horakova, regional fire squad's spokeswoman.
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DUMPED CHEMICAL WASTE TURNS OUT TO BE CHIP FAT
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Dumped-chemical-waste-turns-chip-fat/story-15667441-detail/story.html
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, environmental, waste
Two specially trained officers were among 17 firefighters to attend reports of dumped chemical waste - which turned out to be used chip fat.
Police received reports of a mystery smell and a leak coming from ten plastic containers left in the Co-Op car park on Barras Street, Liskeard, at 9.15pm on Tuesday.
They contacted Cornwall Fire Service, who sent out two fire crews, plus an environment support vehicle and two officers specially trained to handle hazardous materials.
The area was cordoned off and firefighters wore specialist clothing to inspect the contents of the containers, only to find it was used cooking oil.
But yesterday, Lee Griffin, the fire services group manager for service delivery, said the service had to "err on the side of caution", but said the response was scaled-down because of "common sense". It could have cost up to £10,000 if protocol had been followed blindly. As it was, it cost about £1,500, he said.
Mr Griffin called whoever dumped the waste "totally irresponsible", and urged any witnesses to contact Cornwall Council's environmental services department.
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Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society
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