From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (14 articles)
Date: July 16, 2012 7:34:01 AM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, July 16, 2012 7:33:25 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 (14 articles)

ANOTHER COURT DELAY FOR UCLA AND PATRICK HARRAN IN #SHERISANGJI CASE
Tags: us_ca, laboratory, follow-up

HAZMAT SITUATION DECLARED AT BOSTON COLLEGE AFTER STRANGE ODOR REPORTED IN CHEMISTRY LAB
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

POOL CHEMICAL MIXTURE LEADS TO SMALL EXPLOSION
Tags: us_NC, public, explosion, injury, chlorine

HAZMAT RESPONDS TO MYSTERIOUS LIQUIDS
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical, cleaners

COOKING OIL SCHEME CAUSES HAZMAT SCARE IN OLD CITY Ñ NEWSWORKS
Tags: us_PA, public, discovery, response, cooking_oil

AMMONIA LEAK FORCES CASINO EVACUATION
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, ammonia

MAN, 24, FACING EXPLOSIVES, MISCHIEF CHARGES
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, response, bomb

HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO AMMONIA LEAK AT BAKING COMPANY
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, ammonia

FIRE EXTINGUISHER CAUSES TEMPORARY EVACUATION AT CAL POLY POMONA
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, response, fire_extinguisher

CHEMICAL SPILL, EXPLOSION REPORTED AT CAL POLY POMONA BUILDING Ç CBS LOS ANGELES
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

YOUNGSTOWN NEWS, NO HARM SUSPECTED FROM MERCURY FOUND IN CHAMPION
Tags: us_OH, industrial, release, response, mercury

POOL REOPENS SATURDAY AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, chlorine

HAZMAT RAILROAD CRASHES UP 152% IN 10 YEARS
Tags: us_OH, transportation, follow-up, response

U OF M'S SMITH HALL EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_MN, laboratory, release, response, acetone, methanol


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ANOTHER COURT DELAY FOR UCLA AND PATRICK HARRAN IN #SHERISANGJI CASE
http://cenblog.org/the-safety-zone/2012/07/another-court-delay-for-ucla-and-patrick-harran-in-sherisangji-case/
Tags: us_ca, laboratory, follow-up

I heard from the district attorney's office last week that this would happen but got the final details just now: The arraignment of the University of California, Los Angeles, and chemistry professor Patrick Harran has been postponed yet again, this time to July 27. UCLA and Harran face felony charges of labor code violations related to the death of researcher Sheharbano (Sheri) Sangji.

Los Angeles County deputy district attorney Craig Hum says that UCLA and Harran will definitely have to enter pleas on the 27th, with or without a plea agreement in place.

Arraignment was previously postponed on Jan. 12 (UCLA only), Feb. 2, March 7, April 11, June 7.

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HAZMAT SITUATION DECLARED AT BOSTON COLLEGE AFTER STRANGE ODOR REPORTED IN CHEMISTRY LAB
http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/07/15/hazmat-situation-declared-boston-college-after-strange-odor-reported-chemistry-lab/NUIBN40ThFVlDXYqzisHjP/story.html
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

Boston firefighters and a hazmat team spent more than two hours testing the air at a Boston College chemistry building Sunday night after a strange odor was reported, but found no culprit, fire officials said.

The incident is the third time in just over a year that Boston firefighters have responded to the college's Merkert Chemistry Center.

Students noticed a strange smell after entering a third-floor lab of the chemistry building, located at 2609 Beacon St. in Brighton, around 6:45 p.m. The students called Boston College Police, who notified the Boston Fire Department.

Fire officials declared the incident a level-three hazmat response, which means the firefighter entry team were fully suited up when they entered the building, said fire department spokesman Steve MacDonald.

However, after three different hazmat team entries, all tests came back negative for anything hazardous. No one was injured.

"These are students used to being in chemistry labs, so for them to smell a strange odor is of course cause for concern," MacDonald said. "They did the right thing."

Crews had cleared out by around 9:15 p.m., and the building was turned back over to to the college.

"BC's own safety team dealing with the lab on a daily basis will check it further, but everything on our end came back negative," MacDonald said. "They have lab safety managers and a whole team of people who deal with things like this."

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

POOL CHEMICAL MIXTURE LEADS TO SMALL EXPLOSION
http://www.salisburypost.com/News/071612-Explosion-in-house-due-to-pool-chemical-reaction-Salisbury-qcd
Tags: us_NC, public, explosion, injury, chlorine

SALISBURY Ñ A couple escaped Sunday night with what authorities said appeared to be minor injuries after a small explosion in their Stokes Ferry Road home.

Tisha and Dennis Brown of 11690 Stokes Ferry Road were being treated in the emergency room at Rowan Regional Medical Center at press time, but their condition appeared to be stable, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Tisha Brown mixed chlorine pool shock treatment Ñ a powder Ñ with a small amount of water inside the house, causing a "violent chemical reaction," said Frank Thomason, director of Rowan County EMS.

She suffered minor chemical burns, Thomason said, and she and Dennis Brown fled the house and called a relative.

The house filled with chlorine gas, which the couple may have breathed, Thomason said.

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

HAZMAT RESPONDS TO MYSTERIOUS LIQUIDS
http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/77946/Hazmat-responds-to-mysterious-liquids
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical, cleaners

The Kelowna Fire Department's Hazmat team was called into action Saturday night after the RCMP discovered a van containing some unknown liquids inside, parked behind Cawston Avenue.

"They found three 19 litre containers of an unknown product in the back of van. They weren't quite sure what is was, so they called in our guys," says Platoon Captain Laurie Serres.

The team donned their gear and removed a sample of the liquid.

"They did a test and determined it's most likely water," says Serres.

However, they couldn't make a determination that it was 100 per-cent water so a clean-up crew was scheduled to come and safely remove the liquid from the van on Sunday.

"The cans were labelled as brake parts cleaner, so whether it would be a mix of that with water, they weren't quite sure. When it comes back inconclusive like that we have to deal with it as a hazardous material."

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COOKING OIL SCHEME CAUSES HAZMAT SCARE IN OLD CITY Ñ NEWSWORKS
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local//item/41448-cooking-oil-scheme-causes-hazmat-scare-in-old-city/
Tags: us_PA, public, discovery, response, cooking_oil

Two men are in custody today after an anonymous call reporting suspicious activity led police to a parking lot near 3rd and Market streets in Old City.
Officers arrived around 5 a.m. Saturday to find a white van carrying big black drums parked in the lot. They blocked off the streets and firefighters evacuated the residences and at least one business within a city block, ABC6 reports. Residents were sent to an area diner while authorities sorted out the situation.
Officials determined that the 300 gallon drums contained nothing but cooking oil.
"We called Hazmat to make sure the oil was not explosive," said Philadelphia Police Lt. Michael Young.
CBS3 reports that when 6th District officers arrived on location they stopped two men. They determined that the van contained "an elaborate setup to recover cooking oil," said Lt. Young.
He said that the men were taking the oil from containers in the lot and were set to store it in the big drums in the back of the van and that the evacuation was just officials being extra cautious.
The two men are now in custody as police try to determine the motivation behind the theft.

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

AMMONIA LEAK FORCES CASINO EVACUATION
http://www.lfpress.com/news/canada/2012/07/14/19987006.html
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, ammonia

EDMONTON Ñ An ammonia leak at the River Cree Resort and Casino Saturday in south Edmonton caused about 1,000 people to flee the area.

The fire department was called at 10:30 a.m. after a 700-pound ammonia tank failed at the resort's twin hockey rinks, causing ammonia gas to leak into the resort.

Initial readings showed a dangerously high ammonia level of 300 parts per million, said deputy fire chief of operations for Edmonton John Lamb.

"To give some aspect of that level, 25 would be quite an irritation on your eyes and nose."

There were no major injuries as a result of the leak. Lamb credits the joint effort of the casino and the fire department for making sure that everyone got out safely.

"It's a situation that we're geared to mitigate, and with the co-operation of the staff we were able to move everybody out."

The leak broke up Wild TV's Huntfest, an interactive festival dedicated to all things related to hunting, but it didn't damper the spirits of festival goers.

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

MAN, 24, FACING EXPLOSIVES, MISCHIEF CHARGES
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2012/07/13/ottawa-man-charged-arbordale-explosives.html
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, response, bomb

A 24-year-old Ottawa man has been charged with mischief and possessing an explosive after police executed two search warrants at a home on Arbordale Crescent.

Police searched 13 Arbordale Cresc. and a vehicle parked nearby after a public complaint Wednesday.

Police, a HAZMAT unit and paramedics showed up at the home and stayed there overnight while the warrants were requested and approved.

Fourteen neighbouring homes were evacuated as a precaution while police and firefighters investigated.

On Thursday night, an Ottawa police bomb squad detonated and safely destroyed some materials they found during their searches. People living close to the Experimental Farm reported hearing a loud boom.

Police said Friday there's "no known evidence to suggest further safety concerns to the public."

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

HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO AMMONIA LEAK AT BAKING COMPANY
http://newark.patch.com/articles/hazmat-team-responds-to-baking-company-after-leak
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, ammonia

Two individuals received medical care and a baking company was briefly evacuated and after a reported leak of ammonia, according to the Alameda County Fire Department.

Two employees were treated after they reported irritation from exposure to the ammonia, according to a tweet from the Alameda County Fire Department.

Two fire engines, one fire truck and a hazmat team were called to FullBloom Baking Company after the reported leak, fire officials said.

The Alameda County Fire Department tweeted this morning that "the HazMat Team investigated report of an ammonia leak & found a residual amount on a machine scheduled for repair today."

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

FIRE EXTINGUISHER CAUSES TEMPORARY EVACUATION AT CAL POLY POMONA
http://glendora.patch.com/articles/chemical-spill-causes-small-explosion-at-cal-poly
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, response, fire_extinguisher

A fire extinguisher that fell and discharged caused a temporary evacuation in the science building at Cal Poly Pomona Friday evening.

The incident occurred around 7 p.m., according to Uyen Mai, public affairs spokeswoman for the campus. The original reporting party heard a loud noise, saw the small yellow cloud from the fire extinguisher and reported it as a possible explosion.

Fire personnel responded to investigate. Students and faculty who were conducting research in the building were evacuated during that time. They were allowed to return to the building around 9 p.m., Mai said.

"They investigated, better safe than sorry," she said.

Nothing was damaged, there was no actual explosion and no injuries were reported, Mai said.

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

CHEMICAL SPILL, EXPLOSION REPORTED AT CAL POLY POMONA BUILDING Ç CBS LOS ANGELES
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/07/13/chemical-spill-explosion-reported-inside-science-building-at-cal-poly-pomona/
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

POMONA (CBS) Ñ A chemical spill and small explosion has been reported on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona.

The incident on Friday night occurred inside a three-story science building.

Stu Mundel, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, said Los Angeles County firefighters responded to the scene and the building was evacuated.

It wasn't immediately unclear if anyone was injured.

Mundel, however, reported that two ambulances were dispatched to the scene and were on standby.

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

YOUNGSTOWN NEWS, NO HARM SUSPECTED FROM MERCURY FOUND IN CHAMPION
http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/jul/13/no-harm-suspected-from-mercury-found-in-/?nw
Tags: us_OH, industrial, release, response, mercury

The Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer's Office says a small mercury spill was found at the Woodrow Avenue water tank, but the problem has not affected the drinking water in the tank or for its customers in the Champion and Bazetta areas.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Trumbull County HazMat team inspected the site today and determined that the mercury did not come in contact with the drinking water, said Rex Fee, executive director of the Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer's Office.

A sanitary engineer's employee conducting routine maintenance at the tank Thursday morning suspected mercury in a sump pit within the water tank property, which is fenced. The EPA and HazMat confirmed the suspicion today. The mercury was detected in the pit and in the air near the pit, Fee said.

Fee said he doesn't know where the mercury came from, but the tank was built in 1965, and a number of things manufactured in the 1960s that might be part of the tank contained mercury.

Arrangements have been made to abate the mercury next week, Fee said.

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

POOL REOPENS SATURDAY AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
http://www.wellandtribune.ca/2012/07/13/investigators-probe-chlorine-gas-release-at-pool
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, chlorine

A young lifeguard who stayed behind to ensure all children and adults were evacuated from a pool after a chemical leak should be commended, her boss said Friday.

The head lifeguard, whose name and age has not been released, was kept in hospital overnight after being exposed to chlorine gas longer than most of the other people who were at the Lion Dunc Schooley Pool in Merritton Thursday afternoon.

"She has to be commended. Apparently, she made sure everybody else was looked after," St. Catharines parks and recreation director Rick Lane said.

Other young lifeguards at the scene also reacted quickly when the leak occurred.

Lane said staff ran toward a group of about 100 children from a YMCA camp coming down the street at the time of the chemical reaction, telling them to stay out of the area.

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HAZMAT RAILROAD CRASHES UP 152% IN 10 YEARS
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/hazmat-railroad-crashes-up-152-in-10-years-1404214.html
Tags: us_OH, transportation, follow-up, response

The number of railroad cars carrying hazardous materials involved in accidents in Ohio increased by 152 percent in the past 10 years Ñ from 129 in 2002 to 326 last year Ñ but industry officials stress railroad safety and the industry's importance to the economy.
While total railroad accidents and incidents decreased 41 percent to 270 last year, hazmat car involvement continued a 10-year climb. Last year, 49 of the 326 cars carrying hazardous material in accidents were damaged or derailed, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
Two incidents this week highlighted railroad safety in Ohio.
Early Wednesday morning, a train derailment in Columbus caused three tanker cars carrying ethanol to explode and burn with a fire that reportedly could be seen for miles. Thursday morning, two empty trains collided in downtown Akron.

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

U OF M'S SMITH HALL EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
http://kstp.com/article/stories/S2686109.shtml
Tags: us_MN, laboratory, release, response, acetone, methanol

The University of Minnesota's Smith Hall was evacuated after a chemical spill.

According to the U of M, the building was evacuated after a total of 12 liters of chemicals were spilled at 2:50 p.m. Wednesday.

The chemicals spilled included acetone, mineral oil, methanol and carbon disulfide.

A class was in session during the time of the spill. The class was evacuated, and no one was injured.

Smith Hall is located on the U of M's East Bank. The Department of Chemistry, Glass Technology Services, and Printing Services are looking in the building.

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