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Monday, May 23, 2011 8:15:01 AM

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Table of Contents (17 articles)

2 WORKERS DIE AT PLANT AFTER BEING OVERCOME BY CHEMICAL
Tags: us_LA, industrial, release, death, unknown_chemical

FIRE IN PUNJAB CHEMICAL FACTORY, NO CASUALTIES
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, flammables

UPDATE: POLICE SAY BURNED MAN HAD ITEMS IN HOME THAT MADE FLAMMABLE 
MIXTURES
Tags: us_CA, public, fire, injury, dust

OUR VIEW: ERIE NEEDS ANSWERS ABOUT BIOFUELS FIRE
Tags: follow-up

MAN CHARGED WITH MAKING BOTTLE BOMBS
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, response, bomb, illegal

DYERSBURG STATE GAZETTE: LOCAL NEWS: COUPLE ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGED METH 
LAB EXPLOSION (05/22/11)
Tags: us_TN, public, explosion, response, meth_lab

TWO ARRESTED AFTER METH LAB EXPLOSION
Tags: us_OK, public, explosion, response, meth_lab

WORKERS HITTING AMMONIA LINE, CAUSE EVACUATION
Tags: us_TN, public, release, injury, ammonia

AMMONIA LEAK FORCES EVACUATION IN OCEANO
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, ammonia

FIREFIGHTERS AND ENVIRONMENT OFFICERS HAD TO ACT SWIFTLY TO PREVENT A 
CHEMICAL SPILL HARMING A NATURE RESERVE.
Tags: United, Kingdom, transportation, release, environmental, 
unknown_chemical

SMALL CHEMICAL SPILL IN LATIMER HALL LEAVES NO ONE INJURED
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

25 SHOW UP AT HOSPITAL AFTER HAZMAT SPILL
Tags: us_CO, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

HAZMAT CREWS CLEANING UP CHEMICAL SPILL NEAR DOWNTOWN
Tags: us_OK, industrial, release, response, cyanide, sulfuric_acid

CHAMPLIN HS STUDENTS ARRESTED AFTER SMALL LUNCH ROOM EXPLOSION
Tags: us_MN, education, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

LARGE FIRE REPORTED AT STONE CONTAINER
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, explosion, response, metals

EMISSION OF SHARP SMELL CAUSES PANIC AMONG STUDENTS
Tags: Oman, laboratory, release, response, bromine

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA NEWS - BEAKER CHEMICAL ACCIDENT INJURES STUDENT
Tags: us_FL, laboratory, explosion, injury, hydrochloric_acid, titanium

---------------------------------------------

2 WORKERS DIE AT PLANT AFTER BEING OVERCOME BY CHEMICAL

http://www.wafb.com/story/14694428/2-workers-chemical-plant-in-plaquemine-
killed
Tags: us_LA, industrial, release, death, unknown_chemical

PLAQUEMINE, LA (WAFB) -
Two people died inside a chemical plant vessel south of Plaquemine on 
Sunday.

The Louisiana State Police said its hazardous materials hotline received 
a call around 1 p.m. about two people unconscious at the Shintech Plant.

Lt. Doug Cain with LSP said a contractor went inside the vessel to get 
tools he forgot and was overcome by an unknown chemical.

When another Shintech employee went in behind him, that person was also 
overcome by the chemical and died.

"We believe it was an oxygen-deficit environment," Cain explained. "They 
were overcome by some sort of chemical. There wasn't enough oxygen and 
both of them went unconscious and ultimately died."

---------------------------------------------

FIRE IN PUNJAB CHEMICAL FACTORY, NO CASUALTIES

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Fire-in-Punjab-chemical-factory-no-casualtie
s/Article1-700512.aspx
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, flammables

A major fire broke out in a chemical factory that was packed with 
inflammable material in Dera Bassi town of Punjab Sunday, officials 
said. No casualties have been reported. According to fire officials 
here, the blaze could have been caused by an electrical short-circuit. 
Dera Bassi in Mohali distri ct is around 15 km from the state capital 
Chandigarh.
"Around 10 fire extinguisher vans were pressed into service. The fire 
broke out at 5.30 a.m. and it took over four hours to bring it under 
control. The presence of highly inflammable material in the factory's 
godown made our work difficult," Fire Officer Avatar Singh told IANS 
Sunday.

---------------------------------------------

UPDATE: POLICE SAY BURNED MAN HAD ITEMS IN HOME THAT MADE FLAMMABLE 
MIXTURES

http://murrieta.patch.com/articles/explosion-burns-man-in-murrieta-block-s
ealed
Tags: us_CA, public, fire, injury, dust

A man badly burned Sunday when some powder ignited at his home had some 
items that when mixed could be hazardous, a Murrieta police sergeant 
said.

The man, who has tentatively been identified as Miles Lowenthal, 56, 
came out of his rented home in his underwear and told his fiancee to get 
him to a urgent care center.

Police were directed to the home about 2:30 p.m. by the fiancee, who 
flagged down an officer as she drove the man to an emergency room.

Officers cordoned off the block, evacuated the homes on either side of 
29638 Big Dipper Way, and called for an air ambulance to take the man to 
a burn unit.

Murrieta police Officer Jim Gruwell told Patch that investigators 
searching the home found the items that could prove to be hazardous if 
mixed.

Lowenthal's fiancee, Sandra Collette, said her man told her he was 
trying to "get rid of some ammo."

---------------------------------------------

OUR VIEW: ERIE NEEDS ANSWERS ABOUT BIOFUELS FIRE

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110522/OPINION01/3052
29990/-1/OPINION06
Tags: follow-up

How much do we know about how biofuels are produced? Not enough, 
apparently.

That's our conclusion after fire and explosions destroyed an industrial 
plant in Harborcreek Township a week ago Saturday. The fire at American 
Biodiesel Energy Inc. and North American Powder Coatings, 4680 Iroquois 
Ave., required heroic efforts by 12 volunteer firefighting companies, 
with Erie firefighters on standby. Volunteers returned twice when the 
fire rekindled.

More than one-quarter of the estimated 100 responding firefighters have 
been treated for respiratory problems. These firefighters and their 
chiefs are right to be concerned about their exposure to harmful 
substances. The Erie community, in turn, is justified to ask about the 
plant's operations and the hazards it presented.

---------------------------------------------

MAN CHARGED WITH MAKING BOTTLE BOMBS

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_BR_Bom
bs_0521.33f18b6be.html
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, response, bomb, illegal

Denton fire marshals arrested a man Friday afternoon on a charge of 
manufacturing a prohibited weapon.

Deputy Fire Marshal Chad Weldon said John Stephens, 26, was arrested 
after neighbors complained Wednesday night that he was setting off 
explosives in his yard on Howard Court.

The investigators found evidence of three bottle bombs, which are made 
with a combination of dry and liquid chemicals in a plastic two-liter 
bottle. They found no damage caused by the explosions, he said.

---------------------------------------------

DYERSBURG STATE GAZETTE: LOCAL NEWS: COUPLE ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGED METH 
LAB EXPLOSION (05/22/11)
http://www.stategazette.com/story/1729864.html
Tags: us_TN, public, explosion, response, meth_lab

Dyersburg Police arrested a couple this week after a meth lab allegedly 
exploded at a residence on Cherry Street.
James Glissen, 25, 1016 Cherry St., and Tara Crews, 21, 1501 Schaffer 
St., are both charged with methamphetamine manufacture.

The incident occurred on Tuesday around 4 a.m. when police responded to 
Glissen's residence after a 911 hang-up call came into Dyersburg 
Dispatch. Glissen allowed police inside the home and they discovered a 
bottle at the top of the stairs with a hose connected to it. There was 
also a substance reportedly coming out of it, which was allegedly 
associated with the manufacturing of methamphetamine.

Crews had locked herself in a bathroom and police had to exit the house, 
due to a strong chemical odor. Glissen told police he had heard a loud 
boom come from the upstairs and went to investigate. He stated to police 
he entered the room where he heard the explosion and another suspect was 
inside there waving a bottle around. Glissen said he got sprayed in the 
eyes with whatever was in the bottle.

---------------------------------------------

TWO ARRESTED AFTER METH LAB EXPLOSION
http://www.ktul.com/story/14693505/two-arrested-after-meth-lab-explosion
Tags: us_OK, public, explosion, response, meth_lab

Tulsa Police arrest a man and woman after officers say a meth lab 
exploded.

Officers arrested Samuel Hunter, 28, and Fawn Shuttler, 39, after 
responding to an apartment fire at the Conway Apartments, located near 
4500 E 33rd St.

When officers arrived on scene about 6 o'clock Sunday morning, they say 
they immediately smelled a strong chemical odor.

The report states Hunter had burns consistent with a meth lab explosion. 
He signed a search warrant, and police found a meth lab in the 
apartment.

---------------------------------------------

WORKERS HITTING AMMONIA LINE, CAUSE EVACUATION

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110521/NEWS/305210038/Workers-hitting-
ammonia-line-cause-evacuation-
Tags: us_TN, public, release, injury, ammonia

There was a chemical scare Friday in downtown Nashville when 
construction workers hit an ammonia line, forcing an evacuation and 
closing roads in the area around the intersection of Charlotte Avenue 
and 11th Avenue North.

The Nashville Fire Department contained the leak by midafternoon. One 
person who was in the immediate vicinity when the leak occurred was 
taken to the hospital with noncritical injuries, according to Fire 
Department spokeswoman Maggie Lawrence.

The leak took place at a closed-down Polar Icehouse Storage facility, 
which developers are demolishing to make way for an apartment 
development dubbed Eleven North.

---------------------------------------------

AMMONIA LEAK FORCES EVACUATION IN OCEANO

http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/local/article_8bc3d16c-82a9-11e0-8a43-
001cc4c03286.html
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, ammonia

A strong chemical odor at a California State Parks Department 
maintenance yard in Oceano on Thursday led to an evacuation of the area, 
but the incident ended without injury.
The odor eventually was traced to an abandoned pressurized cylinder 
containing ammonia.
State Parks employees at the maintenance yard noticed the odor around 8 
a.m., prompting a  multi-jurisdiction team of emergency personnel from 
Oceano to Paso Robles to respond to the scene.
=93We take (chemical releases) very seriously,=94 said Cal Fire 
Battalion Chief Phil Veneris. =93It=92s an inhalation danger.=94

---------------------------------------------

FIREFIGHTERS AND ENVIRONMENT OFFICERS HAD TO ACT SWIFTLY TO PREVENT A 
CHEMICAL SPILL HARMING A NATURE RESERVE.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Firefighters-environment-officers-a
void-chemical-spill-damage/article-3577078-detail/article.html
Tags: United, Kingdom, transportation, release, environmental, 
unknown_chemical

FIREFIGHTERS and environment officers had to act swiftly to prevent a 
chemical spill harming a nature reserve.

About 200 litres of plastisol spilled into Acton Avenue, on Long Eaton's 
Acton Lane industrial estate, after a drum on a lorry split.

Fire crews from Long Eaton were called to the scene, at just after 
12.30pm yesterday.

They immediately requested Environment Agency officials to attend, 
fearing the chemical could spread to the nearby Forbes Hole nature 
reserve, which is designated as a site of special scientific interest. 
The Highways Agency were also called upon to dump a ton of sand on to 
the spillage to stop it spreading.

The spillage forced the road to be closed for a number of hours.

---------------------------------------------

SMALL CHEMICAL SPILL IN LATIMER HALL LEAVES NO ONE INJURED

http://www.dailycal.org/article/113183/small_chemical_spill_in_latimer_hal
l_leaves_no_one
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

A small chemical spill occurred in Latimer Hall on Wednesday night, 
though no one sustained any injuries.

At about 8:53 p.m., UCPD received a call that there had been a small 
amount of chemicals spilled in 505 Latimer Hall, according to department 
spokesperson Lt. Alex Yao. He said UCPD, the Berkeley Fire Department 
and the campus's Office of Environmental Health and Safety responded to 
the call.

According to Yao, the room was closed off and there were no reported 
injuries. He added that individuals from the EHS office returned 
Thursday morning to finish cleaning up the small amount of chemicals 
that were spilled Wednesday night.

---------------------------------------------

25 SHOW UP AT HOSPITAL AFTER HAZMAT SPILL
http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=620441
Tags: us_CO, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

PUEBLO, COLO. -- Pueblo County Sheriff's deputies are investigating a 
hazardous material spill at the Pueblo Airport that resulted in 25 
people showing up at Parkview Hospital complaining of illness Friday 
morning.

All 25 people had symptoms consistent with an exposure. They all work at 
Integrated Document Solutions at the Pueblo Memorial Airport Industrial 
Park.

As a precaution, all 25 are being decontaminated for possible exposure 
to an unknown chemical.

---------------------------------------------

HAZMAT CREWS CLEANING UP CHEMICAL SPILL NEAR DOWNTOWN

http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_news/hazmat-crews-cleaning-up-chemical-
spill-near-downtown-
Tags: us_OK, industrial, release, response, cyanide, sulfuric_acid

TULSA - Tulsa HAZMAT crews are cleaning up a chemical spill at a 
warehouse near downtown, officials say.

A mixture of silver cyanide and sulfuric acid was spilled at a building 
near 12th and South Frankfort.

An employee inhaled the mixture and was treated by EMSA. Officials say 
the mixture can also be absorbed though the skin.

Silver cyanide is used in silver-plating.

---------------------------------------------

CHAMPLIN HS STUDENTS ARRESTED AFTER SMALL LUNCH ROOM EXPLOSION
http://kstp.com/article/stories/s2121114.shtml
Tags: us_MN, education, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

Two Champlin High School students were arrested Thursday in connection 
to a small explosion in the cafeteria during lunch.

According to the school district, a plastic bottle was filled with a 
chemical and left in the dish tray area of the lunch room. The bottle 
exploded, making a loud noise and splashing one nearby student with the 
chemical. The student was not injured, but was sent home.

Lt. Eric Nelson with the Brooklyn Park Police Department says it caused 
a very small explosion and investigators are working to determine what 
chemical was put in the bottle.

---------------------------------------------

LARGE FIRE REPORTED AT STONE CONTAINER
http://www.newsherald.com/news/fire-93780-building-scene.html
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, explosion, response, metals

Firefighters put out a blaze at Arizona Chemical Friday afternoon.

The incident began with an explosion at a metal corrugated tall oil 
upgrade facility at the plant at about 4:30 p.m., officials said. The 
fire was out by 5:15 p.m. No one was injured in the incident officials 
said.

"It was pretty involved initially," said Charlie Snelling, the manager 
of human resources at the plant. 

The fire at the sent out large, thick black plumes of smoke into the 
afternoon air. 

"We don't know how the fire started," Snelling said. He also described 
the building as the place where workers refine the materials they use at 
the plant.

---------------------------------------------

EMISSION OF SHARP SMELL CAUSES PANIC AMONG STUDENTS
http://main.omanobserver.om/node/51829
Tags: Oman, laboratory, release, response, bromine

By Maryam Khalfan - MUSCAT - In unfamiliar incident, an emission of a 
sharp smell resulting from a chemical reaction emitted smoke and a sharp 
smell in one of the chemistry laboratories on the main building of one 
of the schools in Seeb activated an emergency alert causing panic among 
students last week, it is learnt.
The incident occurred when the laboratory technician was preparing 
Bromine water for an experimental exercise before the students could 
proceed for the lesson that is part of the Ministry of Education=92s 
(MoE) grade 11 syllabus in bilingual schools.
The reaction of the solution changed from its liquid to gas state and 
emitted a smoke like fume, which was sensored by one of the smoke 
detectors equipped in the laboratory and other susceptible and select 
areas of the school.
Automatically, the smoke detector activated the alarm bells in the 
corridors of the school for students to vacate to safety. Immediately, 
all the teachers confirmed that it was not a false call and instantly 
guided and instructed the students to safely proceed to the assembly 
point within moments of the incident.

---------------------------------------------

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA NEWS - BEAKER CHEMICAL ACCIDENT INJURES STUDENT
http://news.ufl.edu/2011/05/20/beaker/
Tags: us_FL, laboratory, explosion, injury, hydrochloric_acid, titanium

GAINESVILLE, Fla. =97 At approximately 11 a.m. Thursday, the University 
of Florida Police Department and Gainesville Fire Rescue responded to a 
report of an injured person and a beaker explosion that occurred at the 
Materials Engineering Building.
Upon arrival, units from both UFPD and GFR assisted the injured person, 
UF student Zhi Zhou, 27, and secured the lab where the incident 
occurred. Zhou was transported to Shands at UF medical center with 
non-life threatening injuries.
After the GFR Hazmat Unit cleared the lab where the minor explosion 
occurred, it was determined that the materials involved were 
hydrochloric acid, tetrachloride, titanium and water, which were 
combined and heated in a 30-milliliter beaker. Given the small and 
contained nature of the explosion, the building was not evacuated.
All units from UFPD and GFR cleared the scene by 11:43 am, with only 
staff from the University of Florida Environmental Health & Safety, 
and Physical Plant Division completing follow-on tasks.

---------------------------------------------

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