From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (15 articles)
Date: February 18, 2013 7:50:42 AM EST
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, February 18, 2013 7:50:29 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 (15 articles)

HAZMAT SITUATION FORCES EVACUATION OF PHOENIX BUSINESS
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, release, injury, cleaners

QUICK RESPONSE AVERTS DISASTER AT CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: us_SC, industrial, fire, response, paints

CLARE MAN INJURED IN METH EXPLOSION
Tags: us_MI, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab

EIGHT INJURED IN VIC CHEMICAL BLAZE
Tags: Australia, industrial, explosion, injury, peroxide

GRAYVILLE MAN DIES FROM LAST MONTH'S EXPLOSION
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, death, acetylene

FIRE PUT OUT AT INDUSTRIAL PARK
Tags: us_GA, industrial, fire, response, runoff, solvent, waste

AMMONIA LEAK PROMPTS PLANT EVACUATION
Tags: us_GA, industrial, release, response, ammonia

ADVISORY LIFTED AFTER HAZ-MAT RELEASE IN ADRIAN
Tags: us_OH, public, release, response, nitric_acid, sodium_hydroxide

VINYL CHLORIDE LEAK STOPPED AT RUBBERTOWN PLANT
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, response, other_chemical

NEWS & COMMENTARY
Tags: us_WV, industrial, explosion, death, methane

AMMONIA LEAK CLOSES NORWICH ICE RINK
Tags: us_CT, public, release, response, ammonia

WORKERS STOP FRACKING-FLUID LEAK AFTER 30 HOURS
Tags: us_CO, industrial, release, response, petroleum

ÔCHEMICAL REACTION BOMB' EXPLODED OUTSIDE FORT HILL HIGH
Tags: us_MD, education, explosion, response, bomb, illegal

COUGHING EPISODE IN LAMBERTVILLE PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

HAZMAT CREWS FIX CHLORINE LEAK AT MIDLAND WATER TREATMENT PLANT
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, chlorine, gas_cylinders, water_treatment


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HAZMAT SITUATION FORCES EVACUATION OF PHOENIX BUSINESS
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Haz-mat-situation-forces-evacuation-of-Phoenix-business-189198701.html
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, release, injury, cleaners

PHOENIX -- Dozens of people were evacuated from a Phoenix business for a potential hazardous-materials situation Thursday morning.
Hazmat crews were called out to Angelica at 44th Avenue and Mohave Street shortly after 8 a.m.
Few details immediately available, but aerial video from the Fort McDowell Casino News Chopper showed employees gathered on the sidewalk outside the building. It also showed several drums and containers on the property.
A chemical reaction involving acid reportedly spawned some noxious fumes.
One person reportedly was splashed with the chemicals. Two more reportedly got sick after inhaling the fumes. Those people were take to a local hospital.
Fire crews were venting the building.
Founded in 1878, Georgia-based Angelica specializes in health-care linen and medical laundry. The Phoenix location is one of 25 medical laundry plants across the country.

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

QUICK RESPONSE AVERTS DISASTER AT CHEMICAL PLANT
http://www.wistv.com/story/21224952/quick-response-averts-disaster-at-chemical-plant
Tags: us_SC, industrial, fire, response, paints

RICHLAND COUNTY, SC (WIS) -
The Columbia Fire Department's quick response to a fire at a chemical plant prevented a potential disaster Saturday afternoon.

Brick Lewis with the fire department says firefighters were called to Lindau Chemicals on Granby Lane off Bluff Rd at about 12 p.m. Saturday.

Lewis says a coating on the exterior of a chemical tank was burning. The tank contained a chemical used to make paint adhere to surfaces. Firefighters put water on the exterior of the tank and prevented the fire from spreading to the chemical inside.

Lewis says the neighborhood was not threatened by a possible release of chemicals.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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

CLARE MAN INJURED IN METH EXPLOSION
http://www.themorningsun.com/article/20130216/NEWS01/130219721/clare-man-injured-in-meth-explosion
Tags: us_MI, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab

A 31-year-old Clare man is in a Genesee County hospital being treated for severe burns after a chemical explosion at a home on the east side of Clare late Friday night.

Clare Police Chief Brian Gregory said the man was in the living room of the older, rental home in the 800 block of East Fifth Street in Clare when the explosion occurred at about 11:10 p.m.

Clare firefighters were called to the home and found evidence of an improper mix of volatile chemicals in the living room and contacted police, Gregory said.

Police did not find a full-blown methamphetamine lab but what could be a smaller version Gregory said.

There were no witnesses, but evidence indicates that the man was sitting on his couch when the explosion happened, igniting the man and the home, Gregory said.

The man's girlfriend apparently arrived shortly after the explosion and took him to MidMichigan Medical Center-Clare by car, but he was later taken to the burn unit at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Gregory said.

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EIGHT INJURED IN VIC CHEMICAL BLAZE
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/02/16/10/00/eight-injured-in-vic-chemical-blaze
Tags: Australia, industrial, explosion, injury, peroxide

Eight people have been hospitalised and 17 others had to be decontaminated after a container of chemicals exploded at a factory in Melbourne's west.

Emergency crews rushed to the factory in Laverton North about 7.30pm on Friday (AEDT) after a container refrigeration failure saw close to 2500kg of organic peroxide overheat and ignite, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) said.

About 25 people working at the OneSteel factory had to be decontaminated after coming into contact with the chemical, which is hazardous to skin and eyes.

"A large section of the container roof has bulged upwards due to the force of the explosion," the MFB said in a statement early on Saturday.

Paramedics assessed those affected at the scene and took eight people to hospital for observation of their blood pressure and breathing, an Ambulance Victoria spokesman said.

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

GRAYVILLE MAN DIES FROM LAST MONTH'S EXPLOSION
http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=586652
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, death, acetylene

A burn victim from an explosion in southern Illinois last month has died. Cook Funeral Chapel in Carmi tells us that 66-year-old Larry Perry died this morning. He was being treated at the burn center in St. Louis. The explosion happened in Grayville on January 26. A wood burning stove at a drilling company overheated and caused a nearby acetylene gas tank to explode. Another man, 43-year-old Tony Berger, was also hurt in the blast. He is recovering at home.

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

FIRE PUT OUT AT INDUSTRIAL PARK
http://valdostadailytimes.com/local/x766088315/Fire-put-out-at-industrial-park
Tags: us_GA, industrial, fire, response, runoff, solvent, waste

VALDOSTA Ñ Valdosta firefighters extinguished an industrial park fire Thursday morning, then fought to keep chemical runoff from polluting a waterway.

While absorbent materials contained the majority of the runoff, some chemicals entered the water, said Valdosta Fire Chief J.D. Rice.

The city fire department contacted the state Environmental Protection Division and the water will be tested for possible contaminants.

At approximately 10:30 a.m. Thursday, city firefighters responded to a fire call within the Gil Harbin Industrial Park. They found smoke billowing from a transfer area of Perma-Fix of South Georgia on the 1600 block of James P. Rodgers Circle, Rice said.

Perma-Fix processes wastes, both hazardous and non-hazardous; these materials include aerosol cans, ink paste, etc.

Firefighters contained the fire to a transfer container, which Rice described as being similar to a tanker trailer with the top removed. Once ready for transfer, the top is replaced.

Though the definitive cause of the fire remained under investigation Thursday evening, the fire chief said workers were placing chemicals, such as paint and paint thinner, into this container when a chemical reaction ignited the blaze.

While extinguishing the fire, firefighters began spreading absorbent materials to keep the chemicals from running into the nearby waterway. Rice said he could not definitively name the water way, but Mud Creek runs near the industrial park.

Perma-Fix has a containment system to prevent chemicals from entering the waterway, but the runoff overwhelmed the system.

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

AMMONIA LEAK PROMPTS PLANT EVACUATION
http://www.gpb.org/news/2013/02/15/ammonia-leak-prompts-plant-evacuation
Tags: us_GA, industrial, release, response, ammonia

AUGUSTA, Ga. Ñ
Employees at a beef processing plant in Augusta were evacuated from the building and sent home after an ammonia leak. Steve Hixon, director of marketing at FPL Foods, said some employees were taken to a nearby hospital for evaluations.

Employees at a beef processing plant in Augusta were evacuated from the building and sent home after an ammonia leak.

FPL Food is being aired out following an ammonia leak from a refrigeration system Thursday morning.

Steve Hixon, director of marketing at FPL, said some employees were taken to a nearby hospital for evaluations. The plant employs about 500 people and it was unclear how many employees were being evaluated. No injuries were reported.

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

ADVISORY LIFTED AFTER HAZ-MAT RELEASE IN ADRIAN
http://www.13abc.com/story/21216773/people-in-an-area-110th-of-a-mile-maumee-gulf-in-adrian-advised-stay-inside
Tags: us_OH, public, release, response, nitric_acid, sodium_hydroxide

Adrian Police and Fire Department's are on the scene of a chemical release in the area of E. Maumee and Gulf Streets in the City of Adrian. Roads are closed in the immediate vicinity. Residents and others in an area 1/10th of a mile from the intersection of Maumee and Gulf are advised to shelter in place until further notice.

Adrian Fire Department is on the scene of a chemical release at 1336 E. Maumee in the City of Adrian. A barrel containing 30-35 gallons of nitric acid is off-gassing after reacting with a small amount of sodium hydroxide. The temperature of the reaction is continuing to fall, which is a sign that the immediate threat is coming to an end. At this time, the problem is an on-site issue, with no immediate threat to the public.

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

VINYL CHLORIDE LEAK STOPPED AT RUBBERTOWN PLANT
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130212/NEWS01/302120051/Vinyl-chloride-leak-stopped-Rubbertown-plant?gcheck=1
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, response, other_chemical

City officials notified Rubbertown-area residents this morning of a brief chemical release at the Lubrizol plant on Bells Lane.

Jody Duncan, emergency management agency director, said the leak of the carcinogen vinyl chloride occurred about 11:30 a.m. The leak was from a valve inside the plant and it was contained sometime before 12:15 p.m., she said. Air monitoring showed no threats to workers or the public, she said.

"There is no immediate danger," she said.

She said she did not know how much of the chemical leaked.

The leak was considered a level one hazardous materials incident, the lowest category, she said. Metro Safe dispatchers said officials on scene were subsequently getting "zero readings" of any leaks from a valve at Lubrizol, a specialty chemicals company.

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

NEWS & COMMENTARY
http://www.barchart.com/headlines/story.php?id=8657447
Tags: us_WV, industrial, explosion, death, methane

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) Ñ West Virginia state regulators say a worker was killed Friday morning in an explosion at an EQT Corp. natural gas well pad near Flemington in rural Taylor County.

Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Kathy Cosco said the unidentified victim was working alone at the time.

The worker was attempting to transfer brine from a tank into a truck, she said. What sparked the explosion is unclear and will be the focus of the state's investigation, already under way.

Brine is the salty, chemical-laced water that gas drillers use to blast fissures into shale, allowing the gas to migrate up for collection. Some of the chemicals used in the brine can be flammable.

Pittsburgh-based EQT didn't immediately return a telephone or email message.

Cosco said the DEP wasn't sure what time the blast happened because no other workers were present.

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

AMMONIA LEAK CLOSES NORWICH ICE RINK
http://www.theday.com/article/20130214/NWS04/130219801/-1/NWSlatest
Tags: us_CT, public, release, response, ammonia

Norwich Ñ An ammonia leak at the Norwich Ice Rink Wednesday night caused serious equipment damage to the rink's compressor and cooling system, costing an estimated $25,000 to $50,000 in damage and forcing the rink to close for 10 days to two weeks, rink officials said Thursday.

No injuries were reported in the leak, which forced evacuation of the rink at 8 p.m. Wednesday and brought environmental monitors from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to the scene overnight to monitor air quality.

The rink building at 641 New London Turnpike was cleared to reopen Thursday morning, but rink manager Mia Sanca said all activities, including a women's hockey tournament, a youth hockey tournament, high school hockey games, practices, skating programs and lessons, are canceled. The damage costs do not include lost revenue from rink rentals.

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

WORKERS STOP FRACKING-FLUID LEAK AFTER 30 HOURS
http://www.9news.com/news/article/316565/222/Workers-stop-fracking-fluid-leak-after-30-hours
Tags: us_CO, industrial, release, response, petroleum

WINDSOR - Oil-laden fracking fluid gushed from an oil well near Fort Collins for nearly 30 hours before it was stopped Tuesday afternoon.

A hydraulic failure around 9:30 a.m. Monday caused a piece of equipment to fall onto a valve and break it at the drilling site 4 miles east of Fort Collins. A horizontal stream of green-tinted fluid flowed from the valve for nearly a day and half before crews gained control of it.

The workers had the flow stopped shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday. The well operator, PDC Energy, planned to bring in a crew from Texas to stop the gushing liquid, which company officials say was contained by an earthen berm.

There were no injuries and no threat of an explosion, state oil and gas regulators said.

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

ÔCHEMICAL REACTION BOMB' EXPLODED OUTSIDE FORT HILL HIGH
http://times-news.com/local/x766088401/-Chemical-reaction-bomb-exploded-outside-Fort-Hill-High
Tags: us_MD, education, explosion, response, bomb, illegal

CUMBERLAND Ñ An Oldtown youth was arrested outside Fort Hill High School on Thursday morning when he detonated a homemade explosive device with about 10 people nearby.

No one was injured in the 7:35 a.m. incident that was witnessed by two Allegany County deputies who had just arrived at the school concerning an unrelated matter.

The 17-year-old junior at the school, who also attends the Career Center, was taken into custody at the scene on a felony charge of manufacturing, transporting, processing, controlling and storing an explosive device and reckless endangerment.

The student remained in custody awaiting an emergency hearing in juvenile court, according to the Allegany County Sheriff's Office.

Police said the device was a "chemical reaction bomb" that the youth reportedly assembled at home and then transported aboard a public school bus. The explosion created a loud noise similar to a gunshot, gave off a cloud of white smoke and blew pieces of the device into the air. Some of those materials were collected as evidence by the deputies who conducted the initial investigation with the assistance of the Cumberland Police Department school resource officer.

The matter was referred to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office for further investigation.

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

COUGHING EPISODE IN LAMBERTVILLE PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2013/02/coughing_episode_in_lambertville_prompts_hazmat_response.html
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

LAMBERTVILLE Ñ A restaurant and bar was evacuated and a county Hazmat team called in yesterday evening, police reported, because people started coughing.

Twenty-eight people were evacuated from Bell's Tavern shortly after 6:30 p.m. Police said that patrons believed an odorless substance caused people to start coughing.

They were taken to the nearby Columbia firehouse, where they were checked by the Lambertville-New Hope rescue squad. Police said that each refused further treatment.

Police said that no problems were found and firemen used fans to air out the restaurant and bar.

The incident is not as unusual as it may seem.

"Humans aren't the rational creatures that we fancy ourselves to be. We're often beasts of the herd," Robert Provine, a professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, told NBC News. "We yawn when other people yawn. We laugh when other people laugh. And we cough when other people cough."

Tadhgh Rainey heads the county Division of Public Health Services, which was involved in the Hazmat response. He confirmed that the air was tested for toxins and that nothing was found.

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

HAZMAT CREWS FIX CHLORINE LEAK AT MIDLAND WATER TREATMENT PLANT
http://permianbasin360.com/fulltext?nxd_id=250742
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, chlorine, gas_cylinders, water_treatment

Midland officials tell Big 2 that a chlorine cylinder at the water treatment facility near the intersection of north Midland Drive and Bluebird Lane sprung a leak around 9:30 AM Thursday.

The leak was reportedly caused by a manufacture defect on the cylinder.

HAZMAT crews were able to seal the leak by 11:45 AM Thursday

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


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

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