From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (10 articles)
Date: August 3, 2012 7:06:22 AM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, August 3, 2012 7:05:50 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 (10 articles)

HAZMAT RESPONSE CAUSES I-5 SHUTDOWN IN SEATTLE
Tags: us_WA, transportation, release, response, bleach, sodium_hydroxide

FIRE DEPARTMENT: 10 PEOPLE POSSIBLY EXPOSED TO CHEMICAL OVERSPRAY
Tags: us_CA, public, release, environmental, unknown_chemical

FIREFIGHTERS COOL RUNAWAY CHEMICAL REACTION AT ADHESIVES PLANT
Tags: us_MA, industrial, discovery, response, adhesives

RESIDENTS GET 'ALL CLEAR' AFTER MASSIVE CHEMICAL FIRE
Tags: us_NY, industrial, fire, response, waste, pcb

EXPLOSION AT HYDROGEN PEROXIDE CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: Myanmar, industrial, explosion, injury, hydrogen_peroxide, peroxide

FIRE CHIEF: CHEMICAL BLAZE AT METRO PLANT EXTINGUISHED
Tags: us_OK, industrial, fire, response, propane

HOMEMADE DEVICES EXPLODE IN FAIRFIELD NEIGHBORHOOD
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, bomb, carbon_dioxide

CHEMICAL WASTE SPILLAGE
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, corrosives, waste

CHEMICAL REACTION AT ZEON PLANT IN RUBBERTOWN CONTAINED
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, injury, oxidizer

MOBILE METH LAB EXPLOSION AT ARCADIA LAKE COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE
Tags: us_OK, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab


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HAZMAT RESPONSE CAUSES I-5 SHUTDOWN IN SEATTLE
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/northbound-i-5-closed-south-seattle/nP8TZ/
Tags: us_WA, transportation, release, response, bleach, sodium_hydroxide

SEATTLE Ñ Northbound Interstate 5 near Interstate 90 in Seattle was completely shut down Wednesday afternoon after a semi truck spilled a couple gallons of toxic chemical onto the freeway.
The Seattle Fire Department said a placard on the truck indicated the leaking liquid was a sodium borohydride and sodium hydroxide solution.
"It's a toxic substance, and it can be deadly in large amounts," fire department spokesman Kyle Moore said. "It's something we didn't want people driving over in their cars. We didn't want vapors to get into their air conditioning systems, so as soon as we learned what the substance was, we shut down all lanes of northbound I-5."
Emergency crews said the substance is used to bleach pulp and wood products.

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FIRE DEPARTMENT: 10 PEOPLE POSSIBLY EXPOSED TO CHEMICAL OVERSPRAY
http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/Fire-department-10-people-possibly-exposed-to-chemical-overspray-164756466.html
Tags: us_CA, public, release, environmental, unknown_chemical

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) Ñ Around 10 people complained of burning eyes Thursday morning after what is believed to be a chemical overspray.

The incident occurred around 6:15 a.m. at East Panama Lane and Malaga Road, according to the Kern County Fire Department. Firefighters were called to the scene around 7 a.m. By around 7:45, the affected people were no longer complaining of symptoms.

The fire department and Kern County Environmental Health are investigating what chemical the people might have been exposed to.

The fire spokesman didn't give any information regarding the people exposed to the overspray.

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FIREFIGHTERS COOL RUNAWAY CHEMICAL REACTION AT ADHESIVES PLANT
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/08/03/firefighters_cool_runaway_chemical_reaction_at_adhesives_plant/
Tags: us_MA, industrial, discovery, response, adhesives

Lawrence firefighters helped an adhesives manufacturer regain control of its workspace Thursday after a chemical reaction overheated, said Lawrence Fire Chief Jack Bergeron.

In a telephone interview, Bergeron said firefighters used water to cool an "exothermic reaction that overreacted" at Key Polymer, which is located at 17 Shepard St. There were no injuries.

"Everything went well," Bergeron said.

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RESIDENTS GET 'ALL CLEAR' AFTER MASSIVE CHEMICAL FIRE
http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/Dangerous-chemical-blaze-near-Mass-N-Y-border/-/9848876/15938458/-/cmvavh/-/index.html
Tags: us_NY, industrial, fire, response, waste, pcb

GHENT, New York -
Residents near a massive fire at a transformer recycling company in eastern New York have been given the all-clear to leave their homes and open their windows again as firefighters have put out most of the blaze.

Officials had urged people to stay indoors after a fire at TCI of New York broke out Wednesday night in a small industrial park 25 miles south of Albany.

Officials say Thursday tests of soot from the fire show no evidence of PCB contamination. Tests results for dioxin, a potential byproduct of the burning, are expected by Friday.

The fire was almost completely out by Thursday afternoon. The investigation of the cause continues.

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EXPLOSION AT HYDROGEN PEROXIDE CHEMICAL PLANT
http://www.mizzima.com/news/breaking-and-news-brief/7680-explosion-at-hydrogen-peroxide-chemical-plant.html
Tags: Myanmar, industrial, explosion, injury, hydrogen_peroxide, peroxide

Three violent explosions at a hydrogen peroxide chemical plant in Chauk in Magway region could be heard five kilometres away and caused numbers of people breathing difficulties on Thursday, according to reports.

Five workers and one fireman were injured, said the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Friday.

The factory is operated under the Myanma Paper and Chemical Industries of the Ministry of Industry.

The report said chemicals leaked from the main oxidation tower.

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FIRE CHIEF: CHEMICAL BLAZE AT METRO PLANT EXTINGUISHED
http://www.koco.com/news/oklahomanews/okc/Fire-chief-Chemical-blaze-at-metro-plant-extinguished/-/11777584/15665978/-/mjyirhz/-/index.html
Tags: us_OK, industrial, fire, response, propane

The blaze sent a large, thick, black plume of smoke into the sky near Interstate 35 and Southeast 22nd Street.

KOCO Eyewitness News 5's Dan Thomas reported that the fire was at a business called Bachman Services, where 400 barrels -- 55 gallons each of Triazine, an oil field chemical -- ignited a propane tank on a forklift that caught fire.

It soon grew into a four-alarm fire, largely due to the manpower needed to bring the fire under control in the nearly 100-degree heat. Firefighters cycled in and out for rest breaks and underwent a thorough decontamination process. Their heavy gear was removed and hosed down because the chemicals inside are known to burn and sting the eyes a

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HOMEMADE DEVICES EXPLODE IN FAIRFIELD NEIGHBORHOOD
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/ci_21214708/homemade-devices-explode-fairfield-neighborhood
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, bomb, carbon_dioxide

A series of explosions rocked a quiet Fairfield neighborhood early Wednesday morning after police said four homemade devices were detonated in the street, followed by a fifth dispatched by bomb squad personnel.
Officers responded to the 1000 block of Hickory Avenue around 6:17 a.m. after receiving reports of "loud explosions or gunshots in the neighborhood," Fairfield police Lt. Greg Hurlbut said.

When officers arrived, they found the street littered with debris from the already-exploded devices, made using two-liter soda bottles, while one more device remained intact, Hurlbut said. The unexploded bottle appeared to contain some kind of chemicals, but police said it wasn't clear what chemicals were used. The devices were designed to fill with gas when the chemicals inside interacted and, once enough pressure built, the bottles exploded.

No one was injured by the explosions, Hurlbut said, and there was no damage to property. A shelter in place order was issued for residents in the area and the Yolo County Bomb Squad was called and rendered the device safe around 8:45 a.m.

According to Hurlbut, there were reports that the bottles were "dry ice bombs" but he said officials had not confirmed that.

After the last device was "rendered safe" by bomb squad personnel, investigators began collecting evidence, which Hurlbut said will be sent to a lab for fingerprint and DNA analysis. Technicians will also determine what the devices were made of, he added.

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CHEMICAL WASTE SPILLAGE
http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/local/chemical-waste-spillage-1-4116131
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, corrosives, waste

THREE people were involved in a chemical spillage in Camford Way in Luton yesterday.

Firefighters were called to Hair Systems Europe Ltd at 4.40pm when an automatic fire alarm was activated by chemical vapours.

There was no fire, but fumes from a 15 kg sack containing waste chemicals which had split had caused the alarm.

Fire crews from Luton and Stopsley wore gas-tight suits while they dealt with the bag of waste chemicals, by putting it into a storage drum and then an on-site water tank to treat the chemicals.

Fire spokesperson Neil Thompson said: "When our fire crews are dealing with any sort of chemical or hazardous substance, they wear gas-tight suits as well as breathing apparatus. It's something that creates a seal to protect them from corrosives and harmful substances. It's standard procedure for these incidents."

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CHEMICAL REACTION AT ZEON PLANT IN RUBBERTOWN CONTAINED
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120801/NEWS01/308010059/Chemical-reaction-Zeon-plant-Rubbertown-contained?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, injury, oxidizer

A chemical reaction that caused the evacuation of Zeon Chemicals in Rubbertown Wednesday morning has been contained and presents no danger to the surrounding area, officials said.

Two employees of the plant were sent to the hospital for heat-related illness, Louisville police said. A portion of Bells Lane and a nearby railroad were also closed this morning, although both are now open.

Company officials and emergency personnel are monitoring the reaction to see if they can stop it, but may have to wait for the reaction to end itself, said Bill Simpson, manufacturing support manager of Zeon Chemicals.

About 35 employees and contractors were evacuated around 8:14 a.m. from the plant, which is in the 4100 block of Bells Lane.

The reaction was caused when an oxidizing agent was inadvertently mixed with another chemical, Simpson said. The resulting gases are dangerous to inhale.

Although the reaction was contained, the plant was evacuated as a precautionary measure, Simpson said.

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MOBILE METH LAB EXPLOSION AT ARCADIA LAKE COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE
http://www.news9.com/story/19163264/police-mobile-meth-lab-explosion-at-arcadia-lake-could-have-been-worse
Tags: us_OK, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab

EDMOND, Oklahoma - Police say a meth lab explosion Monday night in Edmond that burned two people severely could have been worse.
7/31/2012 Related Story: Edmond Police Identify Couple Injured In Mobile Meth Lab Explosion

Christina Martin and Owen Dandridge suffered second and third-degree burns when there was an explosion inside their RV.

The Winnebago was parked inside an Arcadia Lake camp area. Others rushed to Martin's and Dandridge's aid.

Police say Dandridge threw meth chemicals and bottles out the back of the RV after the explosion. Police say that made the area around the RV extremely dangerous to those who tried to help.

"The bottles still have the chemicals and everything inside of it that was reacting," explained Police Spokesperson Jenny Monroe.

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