From: Ralph B Stuart <rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**CORNELL.EDU>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (14 articles)
Date: August 13, 2012 5:04:59 AM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <1B4D1665F78352429F7714A6540EB03629AECAF4**At_Symbol_Here**MBXE-01.exchange.cornell.edu>

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, August 13, 2012 5:04:36 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)

SINKHOLE: H-BOMB EXPLOSION EQUIVALENT IN BAYOU CORNE POSSIBLE
Tags: us_LA, public, discovery, response, butane

HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO LEAK
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

ROAD BACK OPEN FOLLOWING HAZMAT SITUATION
Tags: us_CO, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

THOUSANDS FILE CLAIMS AFTER CHEVRON REFINERY FIRE
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, injury

HOUSE EXPLOSION LEADS TO WORRY OVER URBAN METH LABS
Tags: us_NC, public, explosion, response, meth_lab

DID THE CHEVRON FIRE AFFECT YOUR HEALTH? CONTRA COSTA COUNTY ANSWERS QUESTIONS
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum

GLASS FIRE EXTINGUISHER BREAKS, SENDS DELTONA RESIDENT TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_FL, public, release, injury, fire_extinguisher, carbon_tetrachloride

GLENDALE HAZMAT SITUATION INVOLVED CHEMICALS ON TRUCK
Tags: us_AZ, transportation, release, response, pool_chemicals

SMALL U-T PRODUCTION FIRE DOUSED
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, hydraulic_fluid

SILLIKER LAB SET TO LEAVE CHICAGO HEIGHTS
Tags: us_IL, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

HAZMAT TEAM CALLED TO REMEDY CHLORINE LEAK
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, injury, chlorine

LEAKING VALVE CAUSED HAZMAT EVENT IN CAROLINE
Tags: us_VA, public, release, response, ammonia

1,000 GALLONS OF FUEL SPILLED ON MIAMI BEACH STREETS
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, gasoline

CHEMICALS INVOLVED IN RALEIGH HOME EXPLOSION
Tags: us_NC, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical


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SINKHOLE: H-BOMB EXPLOSION EQUIVALENT IN BAYOU CORNE POSSIBLE
http://www.examiner.com/article/sinkhole-h-bomb-explosion-equivalent-bayou-corne-possible
Tags: us_LA, public, discovery, response, butane

Bayou Corne sinkhole disasterAssumption Parish oil and gas disasterLouisianaHuman RightsENMODGovernment Cover Ups

Louisiana State of Emergency: Oil and gas sinkhole disaster area risks and rights violations escalating

A possible breach of a butane-filled well 1500 feet from Bayou Corne's sinkhole, the size of three football fields, is so "very serious," it has Assumption Parish sheriff and local residents ordered to evacuate worried about a catastrophic explosion, one according to scientists in an Examiner investigation, would be in the range of one and a half B83 thermonuclear (hydrogen) bombs, the most powerful United States weapons in active service.

"The disaster is made all the more worrisome because the hole is believed to be close to a well containing 1.5 million barrels of liquid butane, a highly volatile liquid that turns into a highly flammable vapor upon release," CNN reported Friday about the declared State of Emergency.

Earlier it was reported the butane-filled well is only 1500 feet from the sinkhole and it will not be emptied.

A breach of that well, Assumption Parish Sheriff Mike Waguespack said, could be "catastrophic," CNN reports.

If ignited, the butane well would release as much explosive energy as 100 Hiroshima bombs, Deborah Dupre´'s scientist sources told her Sunday.

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

HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO LEAK
http://www.standard-journal.com/articles/2012/08/10/news/doc502500449c8c3931168213.txt
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

NEW COLUMBIA Ñ Residents who live near the Short Stop Market in New Columbia were ordered to stay in their homes and turn off their air conditioners following a hazardous materials incident that occurred at around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

According to emergency services radio communications, the incident involved a Halliburton truck, parked in the area of the Short Stop Market, that was omitting a white cloud. Radio communications indicated the truck may have been carrying 4,000 gallons of hydrochloric acid. About 100 gallons had leaked from the truck, causing the cloud, according to radio communications.

State police noted New Columbia Road was shut down approximately six hours while crews, which included a hazmat crew from Halliburton, cleaned up the leak.

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ROAD BACK OPEN FOLLOWING HAZMAT SITUATION
http://www.krextv.com/news/around-the-region/Hazmat-Situation-Prompts-Road-Closure--165733276.html
Tags: us_CO, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- An early morning fire turned into a hazmat situation after officials found chemical materials involved in the blaze.

Just before 6 a.m. Friday, the Grand Junction Fire Department responded to a fire at Plating Specialties located at 574 25 Road.

The damage to building is significant. Due to the danger involving hazardous chemicals inside the building, officials closed down part of 25 Road from Inland to Industrial avenues. It has since been reopened.

There were no evacuations and fire officials say no one was injured in the fire.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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

THOUSANDS FILE CLAIMS AFTER CHEVRON REFINERY FIRE
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120811-NEWS-120819970
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, injury

RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) Ñ Several thousand Richmond residents have filed legal claims against Chevron Corp., seeking compensation for a refinery fire that fouled the region's air for hours and sent more than 4,000 people to seek medical care for breathing problems and irritated eyes.

Hundreds of residents showed up at a makeshift claim center in Richmond on Friday, and many more submitted claims throughout the week by calling a special hotline Chevron established after Monday's explosion and fire. The company said a total of about 3,800 people had submitted claims through Friday afternoon.

Most of the claims appear to be asking for modest amounts, reflecting the fact that there have been no reports of serious injury and nearly all seeking medical care were treated and released after a few hours in the hospital.

"It's not about the money," said Chanel Harris, who was seeking reimbursement for the cost of taking her three young children to the emergency room of the nearby Kaiser Hospital. "It's about holding Chevron accountable."

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HOUSE EXPLOSION LEADS TO WORRY OVER URBAN METH LABS
http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2012/aug/09/20/man-arrested-after-home-explosion-ar-2507528/
Tags: us_NC, public, explosion, response, meth_lab

RALEIGH, N.C. --
A North Raleigh man is facing charges after police say he caused his home to explode Thursday night, due to a meth lab inside.

Bond for Ralph Edward Bradsher, 48, was set at $25,000.

Investigators say they responded to an explosion call on Pidgeon Hill Road around 8:52 p.m Thursday.

"We had an upstairs fire, " said fire captain Rob Mitchell. "There was evidence of an explosion upstairs. The fire was knocked down and we pulled our people out."

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

DID THE CHEVRON FIRE AFFECT YOUR HEALTH? CONTRA COSTA COUNTY ANSWERS QUESTIONS
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2012/08/09/did-the-chevron-fire-affect-your-health-contra-costa-county-answers-questions/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum

Did the fire at Chevron's Richmond oil refinery affect your health? The Health Services department of Contra Costa County has posted answers to frequently asked questions on the topic.

It has also posted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District report on toxins found in the air.

Also Chevron has opened a help center for people affected by the fire.

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

GLASS FIRE EXTINGUISHER BREAKS, SENDS DELTONA RESIDENT TO HOSPITAL
http://www.news-journalonline.com/breakingnews/2012/08/glass-fire-extinguisher-breaks-sends-deltona-resident-to-hospital.html
Tags: us_FL, public, release, injury, fire_extinguisher, carbon_tetrachloride

A Deltona resident was transported to an area hospital after officials said the person dropped a glass fire extinguisher, causing its chemical contents to spill.

The resident of the home on the 1200 block of West Wellington Drive dropped the old fashioned fire extinguisher and a hazardous chemical spilled, requiring a Volusia County hazmat team to respond, Volusia County sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said.

Deltona Deputy Fire Chief Robert Rogers said the resident is in stable condition.

The chemical, carbon tetrachloride, is manufactured and can cause harmful effects if exposure occurs in high amounts, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. It used to be found in refrigeration fluids and propellants for aerosol cans, in cleaning and degreasing products, in fire extinguishers and in spot removers.

The chemical is only used in some industrial applications now because of its harmful effects.

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GLENDALE HAZMAT SITUATION INVOLVED CHEMICALS ON TRUCK
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2012/08/11/20120811PNI0812-met-glendale-arizona-hazmat-situation-chemicals-evacuation-brk.html
Tags: us_AZ, transportation, release, response, pool_chemicals

A hazardous chemical spill Saturday in an industrial area near Grand Avenue and Camelback Road will need to evaporate naturally for the next 10 to 12 hours, Glendale Fire Department spokesman Matt Young said.

No one was injured in the incident.

"They are letting the two chemicals, an oxidizer and a corrosive combined to off-gas," Young said Saturday evening. "You can't put water on it. The safest thing for us to do for firefighters and for the environment is to let it do its thing."

Young said officials will continually monitoring the air a quarter of a mile around the site throughout the evening. So far the readings have been negative, he said.

He said the types of chemicals were still undetermined, although officials suspect it may be pool chemicals.

Officials said the two chemicals were stored together on a flatbed truck at a warehouse and somehow combined to create dangerous gases and a possible fire hazard.

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

SMALL U-T PRODUCTION FIRE DOUSED
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/aug/11/small-u-t-production-fire-doused/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, hydraulic_fluid

MISSION VALLEY Ñ A small fire broke out in U-T San Diego's production building Saturday shortly before 11 a.m., forcing the evacuation of the employees. No injuries were reported.

Jim Hooker, U-T San Diego's engineering and maintenance supervisor, said the fire burned one of four vacuum pumps used to feed advertisement inserts into the newspaper. A tank holding 20 gallons of hydraulic oil which powers the pumps was still smoldering when production workers were allowed back into the building.

Hooker said it was unclear if the fire originated in the pump or tank.

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

SILLIKER LAB SET TO LEAVE CHICAGO HEIGHTS
http://chicagoheights.patch.com/articles/chicago-heights-business-as-silliker-lab-moves-out-some-worry-crime-will-move-in
Tags: us_IL, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

As laboratory giant Silliker, Inc. prepares to leave its Chicago Heights site this Friday, some residents are nostalgic, but others assert they've endured years of obnoxious odors wafting from their corporate neighborÑand are glad to see it go.

And, they say they now fear Silliker's former lab will be left unguarded against thieves and filled with chemicals.

"Our whole house smells like garbage because of this place, just smells awful," said resident Sue Wallace, who says she's lived in her home near the intersection of 13th and Halsted since 1988.

"We can't even go in our own backyard and barbecue without being bothered by the smell."

Wallace said brown liquid had often oozed from drains near the building, and that last April, she and her husband contacted the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency after discovering a bag of discarded syringes in her yard.

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

HAZMAT TEAM CALLED TO REMEDY CHLORINE LEAK
http://standardspeaker.com/news/hazmat-team-called-to-remedy-chlorine-leak-1.1356413
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, injury, chlorine

A Conyngham Borough Authority employee required medical treatment after getting blasted with chlorine vapor while checking on a well house Wednesday morning.

The leak also forced the closure of Banks Avenue, from Main Street in Conyngham to state Route 93 in Sugarloaf, for about three hours as emergency responders assessed and neutralized the leak.

A small leak in a hose at the well across the street from 42 Banks Ave. built up chlorine vapor in the cold well house, which is about 6 feet tall, said Kenneth Temborski, authority board chairman. The well house, which resembles a vault, is mostly underground; inside is a 100-gallon drum of water-diluted chlorine to which the hose is attached, he said. However, the tank was not full.

The employee, who has not officially been named, was overcome by chlorine vapors after opening the door of the well house. The employee was taken by ambulance to Hazleton General Hospital for treatment after experiencing a respiratory issue.

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

LEAKING VALVE CAUSED HAZMAT EVENT IN CAROLINE
http://blogs.fredericksburg.com/carolinecrossroads/2012/08/09/leaking-valve-caused-hazmat-event-in-caroline/
Tags: us_VA, public, release, response, ammonia

Leaking valve caused hazmat event in Caroline
A leaking valve on an anhydrous ammonia tank caused a hazmat event in Caroline County Wednesday.

Caroline Fire & Rescue units arrived at the Russell Stover Candy Distribution Center in Carmel Church early Wednesday afternoon and found that the alarm detection system was activated for the room where the ammonia is stored, fire officials said.

The first monitoring indicated levels in that space were "well above dangerous amounts," said Mike Jones, deputy fire chief of the Fredericksburg Fire Department, whose Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team was called to assist at the scene around 1 p.m.

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

1,000 GALLONS OF FUEL SPILLED ON MIAMI BEACH STREETS
http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21008221211595/1-000-gallons-of-fuel-spills-on-to-miami-beach-streets/
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, gasoline

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- Hazmat crews are cleaning up after a gasoline leak at a South Florida gas station.

Miami Beach Police and fire rescue responded to the Chevron Gas Station at 1880 Alton Road, just before 5 a.m. Thursday. Crews capped the leak within 10 to 15 minutes.

A station attendant said there could have been too much pressure of the pipes, which caused the spell. However, gallons of gasoline had already spilled into the streets and spread 200 feet from the station, forcing authorities to shutdown Alton Road and West Avenue from Dade Boulevard to 20th Street. By noon, the intersection of 18th Street and West Avenue was blocked off

"It could've been pretty catastrophic. Gasoline will ignite very easily, it travels very easily and evaporates and can go into buildings," Miami Beach Fire Rescue Chief Javier Ortero said. "Certainly, it could've been pretty bad."

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

CHEMICALS INVOLVED IN RALEIGH HOME EXPLOSION
http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2012/aug/09/10/homes-evacuated-due-possible-explosion-raleigh-hom-ar-2507528/
Tags: us_NC, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

RALEIGH, N.C. --
HAZMAT, police and fire crews are on-scene at a house explosion in north Raleigh.

Investigators say they responded to an explosion call on Pidgeon Hill Road at approximately 8:52 p.m.

"We had an upstairs fire, " said fire captain Rob Mitchell. "There was evidence of an explosion upstairs. The fire was knocked down and we pulled our people out."

That's because investigators say they found a chemical hazard on the second floor of the house.

The homeowner, Ralph Bradsher, was in the house at the time and was pulled out by fire officials.

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