Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:54:54 -0500
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Subject: 3 Chemical Safety stories from google

http://news.country94.ca/2009/11/chemical-spill-at-high-school.html

New Brunswick, Canada

Chemical Spill at High School

The Haz-mat Unit of the Saint John Fire Department is on scene at Fundy High School. A chemical spill in the building earlier this morning forced the evacuation of the building. Deputy Chief Mark Gillan tells CHSJ News, it appears several chemcials got mixed together when a shelf they were on in a chem-lab collapsed. 

A janitor was the first to smell a strange odour and quickly called the fire department about the incident. No one was hurt and St. George Fire were the first on the scene to secure the building.

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Connecticut

http:// www.connpost.com/ci_13873376?source=most_emailed

Blaze hits chemical warehouse in Fairfield

Staff reports
Updated: 11/26/2009 11:29:00 PM EST

FAIRFIELD -- Fire struck a chemical warehouse off the Post Road in the Southport section of town early Thursday, requiring an hours-long hazardous materials cleanup at the business.

No one was hurt, despite heavy flames that erupted shortly before 2 a.m. in a storage warehouse at Superior Plating Co., 1480 Post Road, corner of Lacey Place, and officials said initial tests show there was no significant environmental impact from the fire.

Firefighters poured large amounts of water on the fire for about two hours to neutralize the chemicals.

Assistant Fire Chief George Gomola said the heavy dousing is the way to attack a fire involving several different types of chemicals.

"What made this fire difficult is that some of the chemicals are water reactive," he added.

Two drums in particular contained chemicals used to treat ground water. Once hit with water, the chemicals began decomposing and generating heat, which then began melting the metal drums.

"The cleanup could possibly take several days," Gomola said.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Members of the Fire Department's Haz-Mat team, working with employees of Connecticut Tank, an environmental remediation company, continued the cleanup Thursday in the aftermath of the fire.

Superior Plating produces chrome and nickle products used to treat and coat metals. The warehouse was built from concrete block, which remained intact.

The flames, reported to the fire department about 1:45 a.m. by a passing motorist, were blue and green, indicating the presence of the chemicals including magnesium oxide, according to firefighters.

Fairfield Engines 1, 2, 4 and 5; Ladder 2, Rescue 1 and Car 3 were dispatched to the scene, assisted by the Fairfield County Hazardous Materials Team, crews from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Fairfield Fire Haz-Mat trailer.

The Post Road between River Street and Sasco Hill Road was closed until 6 a.m., but no evacuation of nearby residents was required.

Mutual-aid from fire companies in Bridgeport and Westport was ready to provide standby coverage. United Illuminating and Southern Connecticut Gas Co. crews also reported to the scene.

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North Carolina

http://www2.statesville.com/content/200 9/nov/25/chemical-accident-mooresville-heightens-disposal-c/

Chemical accident in Mooresville heightens disposal concerns

By Melinda Skutnick | Mooresville Tribune

Published: November 25, 2009

Town and county sanitation officials said a chemical spill Monday that injured two sanitation workers underscored the dangers of residents disposing of hazardous waste in their garbage cans.

The Monday incident temporarily shut down the Mooresville Transfer Station.

About 10:30 a.m., two Town of Mooresville employees received minor burns when acid-based materials in a residential trash can on Boger Street created a small explosion as they were collected and compressed in a garbage truck.

Mooresville Fire Battalion Chief J.L. Barrier said town firefighters and the Mooresville Hazardous Materials (Haz-mat) squad were called to the scene.

Additional contamination occurred at the transfer station on N.C. 150 when the town garbage truck was unloaded. To neutralize the chemical waste there and in the truck, a special cleanup company was brought in. The transfer station reopened to the public by 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Barrier said the two injured workers were treated for minor burns and released.

David Lambert, director of solid waste for Iredell County, said that "whoever disposed this material made a mistake." He said chemical waste spills are not common in the county, and that he only recalled one other incident, in Statesville, in the past 16 years.

However, he and Mooresville Public Works Manager John Finan said events such as this reiterate the need for the proper disposal of chemical materials.

"It's a dangerous profession and we always seek to protect employees," said Finan.
Lambert noted that residents should contact the Iredell County Solid Waste Department whenever they are unsure about the safe handling and disposal of any chemicals.



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