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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, February 9, 2015 at 6:14:05 AM
A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (20 articles)
INSPECTOR GENERAL RIPS CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
CHLORINE SPILL CAUSES HAZMAT SITUATION AT PRISON
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, injury, chlorine
TWO BURNED IN FRESNO APARTMENT FIRE BLAMED ON DRUG LAB
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, injury, drugs, solvent
HUGE EXPLOSION AT DONETSK CHEMICAL PLANT, MILITARY ‰??DON‰??T KNOW WHAT THEY HIT‰?? (VIDEO) ‰?? RT NEWS
Tags: Ukraine, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
TIMARU CHEMICAL LEAK CONTAINED
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
SEVERAL PEOPLE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER TUNSTALL CHEMICAL SPILLAGE IN NEWFIELD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
ANTIFREEZE LEAK CAUSES HAZMAT SCARE AT THE CHESTERFIELD GOVERNME
Tags: us_VA, public, release, response, antifreeze, hvac_chemicals
WCAX.COM LOCAL VERMONT NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS-
Tags: us_VT, industrial, release, injury, ammonia
AMMONIA LEAK FORCES EVACUATION OF NEW BEDFORD FISH PLANT
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, injury, ammonia
VA. HAZMAT INCIDENT LEAVES 1 CRITICAL, 4 IN HOSPITAL
Tags: us_VA, public, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
EXPLOSION AT ALA. FIREWORKS FACTORY LEAVES 2 DEAD
Tags: us_AL, industrial, explosion, death, fireworks
WARSAW RESIDENTS TOLD TO AVOID LAKE AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_IN, industrial, explosion, injury, methanol, water_treatment
SAFETY FLAWS LED TO DEADLY DUPONT LEAK
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical
FIRE BREAKS OUT AT BEACONHURST SCHOOL'S CHEMISTRY LABORATORY
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
METH PRODUCTION EASIER, MORE DANGEROUS [2/5/2015]
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, environmental, meth_lab
4 BEAVERTON HS STUDENTS OK AFTER CHEMISTRY LAB CHEMICAL REACTION
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, release, injury, toxics
CDC REPORTS INVESTIGATION RESULTS OF LAB MIX-UP BREACH
Tags: us_GA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
HOW PREPARED IS THE BAY AREA FOR CHEMICAL DISASTERS?
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental
AMMONIA LEAK REPORTED AT R.C. BOTTLING PLANT NEAR AIRPORT
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, response, ammonia
21 STUDENTS TAKEN TO HOSPITALIZED IN HAZMAT SITUATION AT QUEENS SCHOOL
Tags: us_NY, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
---------------------------------------------
INSPECTOR GENERAL RIPS CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso and two staff members violated federal law by using private e-mail addresses to conduct official business. That‰??s the finding of EPA Inspector General (IG) Arthur A. Elkins Jr., whose office oversees CSB. It also is the most recent battle in a years-long war between Elkins and Moure-Eraso over the IG‰??s oversight responsibilities in investigating whether CSB executives have violated agency employees‰?? rights. Elkins told the House of Representatives Oversight & Government Reform Committee last week that the use of private e-mail is a problem because those documents are not captured by CSB‰??s official record-keeping system. Elkins testified that CSB had largely complied with his demands for documents and information, a year after the original request. But CSB had not yet explained how it searched for documents, which would help verify that it had given the IG everything he asked for.
---------------------------------------------
CHLORINE SPILL CAUSES HAZMAT SITUATION AT PRISON
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, injury, chlorine
COLLINS, N.Y. (WKBW) - Sources tell 7 Eyewitness News, a 150 gallon tank of chlorine spilled at the Collins Correctional Facility.
Erie County HAZMAT crews responded to the prison Sunday afternoon.
One person was brought to Erie County Medical Center. It's unclear who that person is and what condition they're in.
It's unclear how the spill happened.
---------------------------------------------
TWO BURNED IN FRESNO APARTMENT FIRE BLAMED ON DRUG LAB
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, injury, drugs, solvent
Two people were burned in what authorities believe was a honey oil explosion inside their two-bedroom apartment on the 3000 block of East Olive Avenue in central Fresno.
Honey oil (also known as hash oil) is a form of cannabis extracted by soaking marijuana in a chemical solvent.
Firefighters arrived just after 11 a.m. where they found one woman with what were initially described as minor to moderate burns on her leg. She was transported to Community Regional Medical Center. The second burn victim, a man, fled the scene and later showed up at the medical center for treatment. In a news release a couple hours later, Capt. Paul Garnier described the victims as ‰??badly burned.‰??
---------------------------------------------
HUGE EXPLOSION AT DONETSK CHEMICAL PLANT, MILITARY ‰??DON‰??T KNOW WHAT THEY HIT‰?? (VIDEO) ‰?? RT NEWS
Tags: Ukraine, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
Windows were shattered and homes shaken in Donetsk after a huge blast rocked the vicinity of a city chemical plant. A Ukrainian MP praised pro-Kiev forces for hitting a target ‰?? but said they ‰??don‰??t know what they hit.‰??
The powerful explosion took place at 10:50pm local time on Sunday. Local militia reported that a military chemical plant DKZHI was the target of Kiev‰??s artillery shelling.
Witnesses saw the sky lit up by the explosion, some nearby living residents had their windows broken by the blast‰??s shockwave and many others felt the ground shake, RIA Novosti reported. Even those living in nearby towns said they felt the tremor.
---------------------------------------------
TIMARU CHEMICAL LEAK CONTAINED
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
Police have given the all-clear for Timaru residents to return after a chemical leak at an industrial building forced them out of their homes early this morning.
Six fire trucks, two specialist units and the police were called to the Chrome Platers building on Heaton Street about 5.30am.
Police had set up a large cordon around the Heaton St area, closed down several surrounding streets and evacuated people from nearby houses as a precaution.
The chemical leak had been contained, and the temporary cordon which closed off a number of streets has been lifted.
Police said a cordon remained around the building while fire fighters worked to isolate a number of leaking chemical containers inside.
Earlier, the fire service said smoke coming from the building could have been caused by either a fire or a chemical reaction.
---------------------------------------------
SEVERAL PEOPLE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER TUNSTALL CHEMICAL SPILLAGE IN NEWFIELD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
Several people have been taken to hospital after a hazardous substance spillage at an industrial estate this morning.
Two fire crews from Sandyford and Hanley, a special chemical identification team, police and ambulance attended the incident at Newfield Industrial Estate in Tunstall at 8.04am.
It is unclear at this stage what chemical was spilled and the High Street company involved in the incident.
A Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "We're working with the police and the West Midlands Ambulance Service and the company involved.
---------------------------------------------
ANTIFREEZE LEAK CAUSES HAZMAT SCARE AT THE CHESTERFIELD GOVERNME
Tags: us_VA, public, release, response, antifreeze, hvac_chemicals
CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) -
Chesterfield Fire and EMS have identified a green substance found in a creek running from the County Jail to Krause Road, as antifreeze.
Officials were called to the 6600 block of Public Safety Way on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. for a report of a green substance in a creek. The creek runs alongside the walking trails in the Chesterfield County Government Complex.
Further investigation showed that the antifreeze was leaking from the HVAC units at the County Jail. The antifreeze is now contained to that area, but clean-up of the creek could take up to several days.
Chesterfield officials say the spill does not effect the county's drinking water in any way. Citizens should, however, avoid contact with the contaminated water.
Fire officials want to remind citizens that antifreeze can be extremely harmful if swallowed or ingested. Many animals find the smell and taste of antifreeze to be inviting. As a result, many try to drink the sweet-tasting, but highly poisonous substance.
---------------------------------------------
WCAX.COM LOCAL VERMONT NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS-
Tags: us_VT, industrial, release, injury, ammonia
SWANTON, Vt. -
HAZMAT crews worked into the night Friday at a cheese processing plant in Swanton.
Fire officials tell us maintenance men were working on a compressor at Swan Valley Cheese, which caused an ammonia leak.
Everyone in the building and the surrounding industrial park on Jonergin Drive was evacuated as a precaution.
HAZMAT was brought in to assess the cleanup.
No word on any injuries or if that leak is cleaned up yet.
---------------------------------------------
AMMONIA LEAK FORCES EVACUATION OF NEW BEDFORD FISH PLANT
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, injury, ammonia
NEW BEDFORD ‰?? Hazmat and city fire officials are investigating an ammonia leak that occurred tonight at a fish plant on the city's waterfront, Fire Chief Michael Gomes said.
Gomes said the spill occurred inside the Pier Fish Co. plant at 68 Conway St. and one worker was taken to the hospital by ambulance to be checked out.
"At this point we have contained it and controlled (the leak) at the source," Gomes said from the scene at 10:47 p.m. He said officials were not certain of how big the spill was but that the state hazmat team was on site assisting the fire department.
There were about 14 fire department personnel and 16 people from the state hazmat team on hand, he said.
---------------------------------------------
VA. HAZMAT INCIDENT LEAVES 1 CRITICAL, 4 IN HOSPITAL
Tags: us_VA, public, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (WUSA9) -- One person is in critical condition and four others were taken to the hospital Friday evening after a gas leak in Prince William County, Va. that caused a carbon monoxide incident, officials said.
Prince William County Fire and Rescue responded to a gas leak around 6 p.m. at the Super Suds Laundromat located at 14328 Jefferson Davis Highway.
A total of five people were taken to the hospital. One of those patients was unconscious and flown to Inova Mount Vernon Hospital for treatment in a hyberbaric chamber, according to officials.
The other four patients were taken by ambulance to Sentara Healthcare facility located in Woodbridge. The conditions of the other victims are not known.
---------------------------------------------
EXPLOSION AT ALA. FIREWORKS FACTORY LEAVES 2 DEAD
Tags: us_AL, industrial, explosion, death, fireworks
Two people are dead and several others injured after an explosion at an Alabama fireworks factory that's being slammed for its deadly past.
Among the injured in Friday morning's blast at the Ultratec facility in Owens Cross Roads, south of Huntsville, one person is described as in critical condition and three others suffering minor injuries, said Sgt. Brian Chaffin with the Madison County Sheriff's Office.
Aimee Cothran Bearden's family identified her to WHNT as one of two female employees killed. In a statement released to the station they cradled her memory while slamming the company's past which includes a 1999 explosion that killed one person.
"Aimee was killed doing a job she was dedicated to, because she was dedicated to taking care of her family," the statement read. "We hope this tragedy will prevent future tragedies at a company notorious for fires and explosions. She leaves behind a family disappointed in the safety standards of Ultratec."
---------------------------------------------
WARSAW RESIDENTS TOLD TO AVOID LAKE AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_IN, industrial, explosion, injury, methanol, water_treatment
WARSAW, Ind. (WANE) ‰?? The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is concerned about hazardous materials leaked into Winona Lake after an explosion at a chemical plant in Warsaw on Friday. Conservation officers are asking residents to stay off the ice and to not eat any fish from the lake until further notice.
Multiple fire departments responded Warsaw Chemical to reports of a fire, followed by an explosion. Warsaw Chemical, located at 2300 E. Durbin St. is well known for producing car washing products.
The Indiana DNR reports an unknown amount of chemicals, mostly methanol, made its way into the storm drains and into Winona Lake, which turned the lake and snow blue and green from the dyes in the chemicals. Conservation officers said it‰??s possible thousands of gallons of chemical and water mixture went into the lake.
On Friday, two fire departments arrived at the plant at 11:15 a.m., according to our partners at WSBT. Residents within 1,000 feet north and east of the plant were asked to evacuate. The area remains under evacuation until further notice and until air quality tests have been performed.
Lt. Kip Shuter of the Warsaw Police Department said eight people were injured. Out of those eight people, five were with the Warsaw City Waste Water Treatment and two were firemen. Their injuries included burning eyes and lungs. One person was also treated for burns on his hands.
---------------------------------------------
SAFETY FLAWS LED TO DEADLY DUPONT LEAK
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical
HOUSTON -- It was DuPont's third deadly U.S. accident in five years and the deadliest of them all. On November 15th, a chemical leak in LaPorte took the lives of four workers, including two brothers.
They were inside a building that manufactured insecticides.
Federal investigators have now claimed there were problems both with the building and with how things were done there.
"What we are seeing here in this incident in LaPorte is definitely a problem of safety culture in the corporation of DuPont," said Rafael Moure-Eraso, Chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
After months of investigating, the independent agency found a ventilation system had been broken that allowed a harmful chemical called methyl mercaptan to build up without anyone knowing it.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE BREAKS OUT AT BEACONHURST SCHOOL'S CHEMISTRY LABORATORY
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
A chemistry laboratory has caught fire at a private school in Bridge of Allan.
Fire crews were called to Beaconhurst Grange School at 6.15pm on Wednesday.
A blaze had broken out in the lab on the first floor of the building.
Four firefighters wearing breathing equipment entered the building and put out the flames.
There was significant smoke damage to the room but the school, which teaches children aged three to 18, was open as normal on Thursday.
A statement from the school said: "A minor fire broke out this evening in the Science Building. Fire crew were quickly on site and the incident was contained.
---------------------------------------------
METH PRODUCTION EASIER, MORE DANGEROUS [2/5/2015]
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, environmental, meth_lab
More makers of meth in our area are moving away from using clandestine labs and instead using what's called the one-pot or shake and bake method. It's a process that requires fewer ingredients and less knowledge, but increases the chances of chemical burns, fires, and explosions.
"During this process they have to loosen the cap on the bottle to burp it, they call it, to let some of the gases emit and let air enter the bottle," said Det. Sgt. Matthew Cower of the Broome County Sheriff's Office.
Pseudophedrine tablets, sulfuric acid and lithium strips from batteries are common ingredients used to make meth.
"Lithium can burn through the side of the plastic bottle to cause a fire or if the pressure builds up enough it will cause an explosion," said Cower.
There are also other signs to look for if you suspect suspicious activity near your home.
"Windows that are blocked off, covered with something so that people can't see into them, towels or blanket material stuffed underneath the doorway to try not to have the fumes exit from that room or from the building," said Cower.
Cower also says a strong chemical smell similar to cat urine is among other many signs that could point to the manufacture of meth. And the one-pot method is making the manufacture of the drug more mobile and widespread.
"It's in every geographic or socioeconomic area now especially because you don't need a large area for the clandestine lab anymore. It's just the one bottle. You can make it in an apartment, you can make in in a hotel room," said Cower.
---------------------------------------------
4 BEAVERTON HS STUDENTS OK AFTER CHEMISTRY LAB CHEMICAL REACTION
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, release, injury, toxics
BEAVERTON, Ore. ‰?? Four students were treated for inhaling toxic chemicals after a reaction in a chemistry lab at Beaverton high School Thursday morning, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue said.
The four students were not taken to the hospital and are considered OK, fire officials said.
Crews were called out to the school around 9:30 a.m. Thursday after getting reports that a chemical reaction created some toxic fumes in a classroom.
The school was not evacuated.
---------------------------------------------
CDC REPORTS INVESTIGATION RESULTS OF LAB MIX-UP BREACH
Tags: us_GA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the results of its internal investigation of the December 22 incident in Atlanta.
The report revealed that the scientists at CDC were lucky in their latest laboratory accident that had the potential to expose its workers to the deadly Ebola virus.
On December 22, a scientist working with Ebola at CDC's biosafety level 4 lab, a high-biosecurity lab accidentally transferred some specimens of Ebola virus to a lower-level lab with minimal protection.
But investigation of the incident by the agency concludes that the samples sent to the biosafety level 2 lab at CDC did not contain live Ebola virus.
Lab technicians were working with cheek swabs from some guinea pigs in biosafety level 4 lab. The report after the investigation confirmed that the animals used in the experiment no longer had detectable live virus in their bodies at the time of the mistake.
The report conduced that the chief cause of the breach was the lack of a written study plan, a document that outlines specific steps to be followed in an experiment. The report also noted a failure to design the study so that a possible human error can be minimized.
Scott Becker of the Association of Public Health Laboratories said, "That concerned me. I thought that was one of the issues they uncovered after the first lab incident".
According to the report, the scientist placed Ebola into two sets of tubes, one to inactivate it and another to merely isolate it. The tubes looked identical except for a blue cap and label on one.
But the caps had been removed, which left no visual clue as to which was which. This resulted in mistake of sending untreated samples to the lower-biosecurity lab down the hall.
The CDC said that it will prevent further incidents, such as using colored liquids and different-sized containers so that live and killed pathogens can be differentiated in a proper manner.
---------------------------------------------
HOW PREPARED IS THE BAY AREA FOR CHEMICAL DISASTERS?
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental
Hazardous materials leak into Bay Area soil, water, and air daily. The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit Analyzed data for every hazmat incident reported to the state in 2014.
Last year, California recorded 7,033 incidents. That‰??s an average of 19 chemical spills a day, ranging from petroleum spills to toxic gas leaks. In the nine Bay Area counties, emergency crews responded to 1,376 calls last year. Alameda County topped the list with 299 hazardous spills in 2014, followed by Contra Costa County with 226 and Santa Clara County with 193.
‰??Those are just the ones that we know about, because I‰??m sure there‰??s many out there that people understand there‰??s a threshold to report, or not reporting because they‰??re trying to stay under the radar screen,‰?? Fire Chief Kim Zagaris said. He leads the California Office of Emergency Services, which is responsible for overseeing the state‰??s Local Emergency Planning Committees, known as LEPCs. They are federally mandated committees tasked with creating an emergency response plan, reviewing it yearly, and informing residents about the chemicals in their community.
---------------------------------------------
AMMONIA LEAK REPORTED AT R.C. BOTTLING PLANT NEAR AIRPORT
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, response, ammonia
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS) ‰??Emergency crews responded to an ammonia leak near the Louisville Airport at the 7up / R.C. bottling group in the 6200 block of Strawberry Lane. Officials received the call around 10 p.m. on February 5.
Officials have said no nearby houses or businesses are in danger.
Hazmat crews currently believe the leak is due to a problem in refrigeration
---------------------------------------------
21 STUDENTS TAKEN TO HOSPITALIZED IN HAZMAT SITUATION AT QUEENS SCHOOL
Tags: us_NY, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
RICHMOND HILL (WABC) -- Nearly two dozen people were taken to the hospital after a HazMat situation at a school in Queens Thursday.
The incident happened at Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy on 86th Avenue in Richmond Hill.
The FDNY responded to the scene.
Officials with the Brooklyn Diocese say that a faulty science project caused the issue. It is science fair week at the school, and one of the kids' projects caused a chemical spill that filled the science room with either a smoke or gas.
Officials say 21 students in all were taken to local hospitals to be evaluated, but they are all OK. No teachers were sickened.
The school was not evacuated, only the science room the kids were in.
None of the children needed to be admitted to the hospital, and all were released.
The victims suffered injuries ranging from inhalation to eye irritation.
---------------------------------------------
Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society
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