From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (7 articles)
Date: December 31, 2012 2:25:45 PM EST
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <34C0F01C-C7A1-4B2C-AA3A-4CF6B099C69A**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, December 31, 2012 2:24:16 PM

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 (7 articles)

HAZMAT CALLED TO AMMONIA LEAK IN DOWNTOWN LA
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, ammonia

CHEMICAL PLANT EVACUATED AFTER MIXTURE SPARKS FIRE, OFFICIALS SAY
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

2 INJURED IN CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT CINCINNATI INDUSTRIAL WASTE FACILITY
Tags: us_OH, industrial, explosion, injury, other_chemical

HAZMAT CALL SHUTS DOWN 5TH AVENUE
Tags: us_CA, transportation, discovery, response, unknown_chemical

RESIDENTS ALLOWED TO RETURN FOLLOWING HAZMAT SITUATION IN APACHE JUNCTION
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, release, response, gas_cylinders, waste

FREIGHT TRAIN DERAILS, SPILLS CHEMICALS IN PAULSBORO, NJ
Tags: us_NJ, transportation, release, injury, vinyl_chloride

LAB EXPERIMENT SMOKE EVACUATES HUTTO HS
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, fire, response, sodium


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HAZMAT CALLED TO AMMONIA LEAK IN DOWNTOWN LA
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8936422
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, ammonia

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Firefighters said they sealed a significant ammonia leak coming from a pipe at a cold storage facility in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.

Firefighters were dispatched to the area after receiving a call about a strong smell of ammonia. The leak was found on the roof of Los Angeles Cold Storage Co. at 400 S. Central Ave. between 4th and 5th streets.

"We got LAPD on scene to assist us with the evacuation. We cleared about a block in either direction and found out that we did actually have a leak from one of the pipes on the roof," said Battalion Chief Greg Gibson of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Gibson said a one-block radius was cleared as a precaution and a hazmat crew was called in to close the valve. The area was closed for less than an hour, he said.

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/CHEMICAL PLANT EVACUATED AFTER MIXTURE SPARKS FIRE, OFFICIALS SAY
http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2012/12/chemical_plant_evacuated_after.html
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

BRANCHBURG Ñ An inadvertent mixture started a 55-gallon drum fire that evacuated a Meister Avenue chemical plant and required a hazmat team Friday afternoon, fire officials said.

At about 3:40 p.m., the North Branch Volunteer Fire Dept. responded to a pull station alarm and found a working fire at the Voltaix chemical manufacturing facility, according to Chief David Hickson.

Hickson called for backup from the Readington Fire Dept.; Bradley Gardens Fire Dept., for its specialized Firefighter Assistance Search Team; the Somerset County Hazmat team; and Branchburg Rescue Squad.

"After ensuring that all employees were evacuated and accounted for, we checked the guidelines for the quantity and type of chemicals involved, and determined that neighboring facilities did not need to be evacuated," Hickson said.

One of the chemicals involved, however, was "water reactive," Hickson said, which meant that the water would actually feed into the fire instead of extinguishing it.

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/2 INJURED IN CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT CINCINNATI INDUSTRIAL WASTE FACILITY
http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/state/2-injured-in-chemical-explosion-at-cincinnati-industrial-waste-facility
Tags: us_OH, industrial, explosion, injury, other_chemical

An explosion at a Cincinnati business injured two people and prompted HAZMAT units to respond early Friday morning.

Emergency personnel were called to the site of the explosion at Environmental Enterprises Inc. at approximately 4 a.m.

Four men were shredding an industrial filter containing sodium chlorate, which is sensitive to friction, causing a flash fire, officials said.

Two people were injured as HAZMAT and fire crews work to extinguish any hot spots as a result of the explosion.

One person suffered serious injuries and another is stable, fire officials said. Both were taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The two men injured are in their late 20s to early 30s.

Roads are closed in the area as authorities work to clear the scene.

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

/HAZMAT CALL SHUTS DOWN 5TH AVENUE
http://redwoodcity-woodside.patch.com/articles/fire-dept-responds-to-hazmat-call-on-fair-oaks-ave
Tags: us_CA, transportation, discovery, response, unknown_chemical

County Public Works is on its way to retrieve a suspicious, odorous container at Fair Oaks Avenue and 4th Avenue. The Redwood City Fire Department shut down 5th Avenue to investigate the potentially hazardous material and is just re-opening the street, according to Battalion Chief Dan Abrams with the Belmont-San Carlos Fire Department.

A resident called the Redwood City Fire Department around 4:45 p.m. to report a suspicious container in a gutter "with a bite to it," Abrams said.

Firefighters in three fire engines and one truck plus emergency officials from Menlo Park, Woodside, Belmont and San Carlos arrived on scene and began clearing around 7:45 p.m.

"We've been hearing sirens all night," said resident Dave Johnson, who lives on 6th Avenue near Middlefield Road.

A chemist with the county's HazMat team has not been able to specifically identify the material.

No one was injured.

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

/RESIDENTS ALLOWED TO RETURN FOLLOWING HAZMAT SITUATION IN APACHE JUNCTION
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Apache-Junction-Hazmat-situation-leads-to-evacuations-184984951.html
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, release, response, gas_cylinders, waste

APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. -- Several Apache Junction residents who had to evacuate their homes due to a hazmat situation at a metal recycling business were allowed to return to their houses Thursday evening.

Firefighters said employees reported the leak Thursday afternoon.

No injuries were reported, but more than 40 people had to be evacuated from both nearby businesses and homes in the area of Southern and Tomahawk.
Investigators eventually determined that the substance that led to the evacuation was a gas used for welding, which was leaking from a cylinder.
The leak occurred as the cylinder was being moved.
Fire crews remained on scene for about an hour after allowing residents to return.

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

/FREIGHT TRAIN DERAILS, SPILLS CHEMICALS IN PAULSBORO, NJ
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/11/30/freight-train-derails-spills-chemicals-in-paulsboro-nj-evacuations-ordered/
Tags: us_NJ, transportation, release, injury, vinyl_chloride

PAULSBORO, NJ (CBS) Ñ A freight train derailment resulted in a chemical spill Friday morning in Paulsboro, New Jersey sending dozens of people to area hospitals.

Officials say a Conrail freight train derailed over Mantua Creek at about 7 a.m., leaking a chemical called vinyl chloride. In total, the train had two locomotives and 84 cars. Officials say seven cars were derailed; two on land and five on the bridge with four of those cars going into the creek. One of the derailed cars was compromised. Hazmat crews responded and limited evacuations were ordered.

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/LAB EXPERIMENT SMOKE EVACUATES HUTTO HS
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/williamson/lab-experiment-smoke-evacuates-hutto-hs
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, fire, response, sodium

HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) - Smoke coming from an experiment in the science lab earlier Friday afternoon spurred an evacuation at Hutto High School.

All students headed to the stadium as fire crews worked to vent the building.

"Just a regular experiment that had some smoke to it that set off our alarms," said Hutto ISD spokeswoman Emily Grobe. "There is not a HAZMAT team here."

The experiment called for a mixture of sodium and water, which created the smoke and caused alarms to go off. School officials said that is standard experiment in a chemistry class.

The evacuation ended around 3 p.m., and the students went back to school.

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Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society

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