From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (18 articles)
Date: May 6, 2013 7:54:10 AM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <A9438AE7-E9C6-4147-B16F-78E8F61BED10**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, May 6, 2013 7:53:47 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 (18 articles)

HAZMAT CREWS CLEAN-UP CHEMICAL SPILL AT CARGILL
Tags: us_IA, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

YORKSHIRE DALES HOTEL EVACUATED AMID CHEMICAL SCARE
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

DANGEROUS CHEMICALS LEFT AT MIRAMAR LANDFILL
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, tetrahydrofuran, time-sensitive, waste

AFP: HUNDREDS PROTEST PROPOSED CHINA CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: China, industrial, discovery, response, petroleum, xylene

DANGEROUS CHEMICALS SPILLED IN LAKE UNION LAB FIRE
Tags: us_WA, laboratory, fire, environmental, metals

TOXIC PESTICIDES BURN UP IN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE Ñ RT USA
Tags: us_CA, public, fire, environmental, pesticides

300 EVACUATED IN BELGIUM AFTER CHEMICAL TRAIN FIRE
Tags: Belgium, transportation, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

FERTILIZER PLANT TARGETED BY THIEVES BEFORE BLAST
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, death, ammonia, meth_lab

NORWAY ORDERS BP SAFETY REVIEW AFTER LEAK
Tags: Norway, public, follow-up, response, petroleum

SUSPECT IN SAN JOSE STARBUCKS ATTEMPTED POISONING FREED WHILE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical

THE BERKELEY SCIENCE REVIEW
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, response

C&EN SAFETY ZONE FRIDAY CHEMICAL SAFETY ROUND UP
Tags: public, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical

BROWN INJURED IN OIL TANK EXPLOSION
Tags: us_KY, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING EVACUATED, 4 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER EXPOSURE TO FUMES FROM LAB
Tags: us_FL, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical

EVACUATION LIFTED AFTER CHLORINE LEAK IN ORANGE COUNTY
Tags: us_FL, industrial, release, response, chlorine

COPELAND FURNITURE PLANT DAMAGED BY SAWDUST FIRE
Tags: us_VT, industrial, fire, response, dust

WORKERS INJURED AFTER BLAST AT FORMOSA PLASTICS PLANT IN POINT COMFORT
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, injury, plastics

OIL TANK EXPLODES IN LOUISIANA; HOMES EVACUATED
Tags: us_LA, public, explosion, response, petroleum


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

HAZMAT CREWS CLEAN-UP CHEMICAL SPILL AT CARGILL
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Hazmat-crews-clean-up-chemical-spill-at-Cargill-206193121.html
Tags: us_IA, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Firefighters and hazmat crews spent Sunday cleaning up a chemical spill in Cedar Rapids.

Crews responded to Cargill, 1710 16th Street Southeast, at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday. A semi-trailer driver noticed hydrochloric acid spilling out of his tanker.

Cedar Rapids Police blocked off a half mile radius around the plant while firefighters and Linn County Hazmat crews accessed the tanker, with 46,000 pounds of hydrochloric acid to deal with. Anyone who got close had to be wearing a Hazmat suit and then decontaminated after contact with the tanker or the chemical.

"It has a corrosive effect. It's going to burn you. It's the skin, the eyes and the respiratory and intestines. Basically it can be lethal in large doses," said Cedar Rapids Fire Department Spokesperson Greg Buelow.

Linn County HAZMAT crews spotted the leak coming from a nickel-sized hole in the side of the tank. Crews used an air bag to stop the leak, then transferred the acid into another tanker. None of the people in the nearby homes were evacuated. No injuries were reported. Emergency crews left the plant around 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

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

YORKSHIRE DALES HOTEL EVACUATED AMID CHEMICAL SCARE
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-22418923
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

A woman has been taken to hospital after inhaling fumes in a chemical scare at a hotel in the Yorkshire Dales.

The Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey was briefly evacuated just after 10:00 BST.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said two chemicals had been mixed together inadvertently in the swimming pool plant room giving off fumes.

Officers vented the fumes from the building and carried out checks before allowing people back into the building.

The woman was taken to Airedale General Hospital in Keighley as a precaution, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service said.

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

DANGEROUS CHEMICALS LEFT AT MIRAMAR LANDFILL
http://www.cbs8.com/story/22163208/dangerous-chemicals-left-at-miramar-landfill
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, tetrahydrofuran, time-sensitive, waste

MIRAMAR (CBS 8) - Hazmat officials and the San Diego Bomb Squad were called to the Miramar Landfill Saturday after a man dropped off dangerous chemicals.

The San Diego resident dropped off about a liters worth of tetrahydrofuran in a clearly marked steal container, and it immediately raised a red flag when it was brought in.

"It was a small quantity of tetrahydrofuran. Which is basically a flammable liquid," said SDFD Hazmat Specialist Gerad Rodriguez. "And the concern with it is that as it sits, it ages and develops organic peroxides that can be explosive."

Hazmat and the Bomb Squad were called in, along with other local agencies. The Bomb Squad used a robot to handle the chemical. It was taken a safe distance away and detonated.

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

AFP: HUNDREDS PROTEST PROPOSED CHINA CHEMICAL PLANT
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jSFca97RAmKJ7gariuDMOf3VPtJA?docId=CNG.af8ed44a3851380d20e53f2d2b4150bf.4a1
Tags: China, industrial, discovery, response, petroleum, xylene

BEIJING Ñ Hundreds of people protested against a proposed chemical plant in southwest China on Saturday, state media said, while residents in another city accused authorities of preventing a similar protest.
More than 200 demonstrators gathered in the city of Kunming to protest plans for a factory which will produce paraxylene (PX), a toxic petrochemical used to make fabrics, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
Around 1,000 people described as "onlookers" surrounded the protesters, some of whom wore face-masks and held banners, the report said, adding that police "dissuaded" a protester from displaying a banner.
Police also lined the streets of Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, after locals planned to demonstrate over a nearby chemical plant, residents contacted online by AFP said.
"There were a lot of police outside government offices, public spaces and important crossroads in the city," one resident surnamed Liu said, adding that fliers posted around the city in recent days had called for a protest.

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

DANGEROUS CHEMICALS SPILLED IN LAKE UNION LAB FIRE
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2013/05/04/lake-union-research-lab-fire-send-plume-of-smoke-over-water-dangerous-chemicals-spilled/
Tags: us_WA, laboratory, fire, environmental, metals

A fire at a north Lake Union research lab triggered a large response from the Seattle Fire Department and sent a plume of potentially dangerous smoke over Lake Union Saturday afternoon.

As firefighters arrived at Modumetal, they saw roughly 20 foot-tall flames and a large column of gray smoke. When they entered the warehouse-like structure to fight the fire, they discovered large vats of nickle cobalt that had spilled, creating a potentially toxic situation. The chemical spill was limited by a building containment system and did not enter the waters of Lake Union, but firefighters had walked through the acidic chemical on the floor of the building, requiring them to be decontaminated. Flames were seen coming from the back of the warehouse where the owner stored wood pallets.
....
The Modumetal website describes their product as "a revolutionary nanolaminated alloy that is stronger and lighter than steel and will replace conventional metals and composites in many applications."

The fire was determined to be caused by an electrical arc to industrial plating equipment, causing an estimated $150,000 in damage.

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

TOXIC PESTICIDES BURN UP IN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE Ñ RT USA
http://rt.com/usa/toxic-pesticide-california-fire-779/
Tags: us_CA, public, fire, environmental, pesticides

Hazmat teams are trying to contain a massive California wildfire that is threatening 2,000 homes. Locals are being warned not to inhale the smoke - especially since highly toxic pesticides have caught fire and are releasing dangerous chemical fumes.

The wildfire erupted in Southern California at 6:30 a.m. Thursday, forcing residents near Camarillo to evacuate their homes. The raging fire has already burnt more than 12 1Ú2 sq. miles, and 15 homes have already sustained damage. A group of recreational vehicles in a mobile home park have been completely destroyed. About 2,000 other homes are at risk of destruction as the flames lick the edges of communities 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles. A small, local university canceled classes for the week as the fire threatened its campus, AP reports.

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

300 EVACUATED IN BELGIUM AFTER CHEMICAL TRAIN FIRE
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/300-evacuated-in-belgium-after-chemical-/663234.html
Tags: Belgium, transportation, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

BRUSSELS: Belgian authorities on Saturday evacuated nearly 300 people from their homes after several cars of a train carrying chemicals derailed, causing a major fire near the city of Gent.

Nobody was hurt in the accident which happened around 2:00 am (0000 GMT) between the towns of Schellebelle and Wetteren, said Infrabel, the entity responsible for the Belgian railway network.

The blaze led to a series of explosions in the railway cars prompting authorities to evacuate residents living near the site of the accident.

The train came from the Netherlands and was bound for Gent-Zeehaven, the city's seaport.

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

FERTILIZER PLANT TARGETED BY THIEVES BEFORE BLAST
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2013/may/03/fertilizer-plant-targeted-by-thieves-before/
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, death, ammonia, meth_lab

WEST Ñ Burglars occasionally sneaked into and around a Texas fertilizer plant in the years before a massive, deadly explosion Ñ sometimes looking for a chemical fertilizer stored at the plant that can be used to make methamphetamine, according to local sheriff's records.

Sheriff's deputies were called more than 10 times to West Fertilizer in the 11 years before an April 17 blast that killed 14 people, injured 200 and leveled part of the tiny town of West, according to McLennan County Sheriff's Office files released through an open-records request. Multiple calls involved suspicion that anhydrous ammonia was being stolen.

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

NORWAY ORDERS BP SAFETY REVIEW AFTER LEAK
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424127887323528404578452683581925700-lMyQjAxMTAzMDAwMjEwNDIyWj.html
Tags: Norway, public, follow-up, response, petroleum

OSLOÑNorway's Petroleum Safety Authority ordered BP BP.LN +1.08% PLC to review its management systems for the second time in two years after concluding that serious safety breaches caused a North Sea leak that could have turned into a major accident.

Nobody was hurt in the Sept. 12 leak at the company's Ula field, but the PSA said a number of lives could have been lost in the accident, which involved the leak of 125 barrels of oil, 1,600 kilograms of gas and some extremely hot water, shutting down the Ula platform for more than two months.

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

SUSPECT IN SAN JOSE STARBUCKS ATTEMPTED POISONING FREED WHILE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_23158009/suspect-san-jose-starbucks-attempted-poisoning-be-freed
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical

SAN JOSE -- A San Jose chemist who had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly trying to plant tainted orange juice at a Starbucks was released from jail without being charged Thursday.
Ramineh Behbehanian, 50, had been considered dangerous enough to be held without bail since her arrest Monday night, based on police reports. But the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office is still investigating what was in the juice, if anything.

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

THE BERKELEY SCIENCE REVIEW
http://sciencereview.berkeley.edu/article/risky-business/
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, response

A researcher's death spurs an overhaul of safety at the UCs

Review article on the UCLA incident and its ramifications, including several interesting infographics

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

C&EN SAFETY ZONE FRIDAY CHEMICAL SAFETY ROUND UP
http://cenblog.org/the-safety-zone/2013/05/friday-chemical-safety-round-up-67/
Tags: public, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical

Chemical health and safety news from the past couple of weeks.

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

BROWN INJURED IN OIL TANK EXPLOSION
http://clintonnews.net/pages/?p=9001
Tags: us_KY, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

Devastation rocked South Albany Thursday when an oil tank exploded at the BWI lot located behind Lee's Famous Recipe.
According to the Kentucky State Police, Kenneth E. "Buddy" Brown was grinding on a 210 barrel tank when sparks ignited the fumes and caused an explosion.
Brown suffered severe burns and was flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville where he is being treated for what was described by the KS{ as non life threatening injuries.
Lake Cumberland Head Start, also located near the area where the explosion occurred, and Lee's Famous Recipe were evacuated as a precautionary measure, but no other injuries were reported.

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

COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING EVACUATED, 4 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER EXPOSURE TO FUMES FROM LAB
http://www.pendletontimespost.com/view/story/136805fb194044369295ba0851e2ef7c/FL--Chemical-Exposure/
Tags: us_FL, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical

PENSACOLA, Florida Ñ Four workers at an Escambia County office complex in Pensacola were hospitalized and the building was briefly evacuated after workers smelled apparent chemical fumes from a nearby laboratory.

The Pensacola News Journal (http://on.pnj.com/18dq3aZ ) reports that the building reopened Wednesday afternoon after it was deemed safe by the county's hazardous-materials unit.

Escambia County spokesman Bill Pearson says the smell began on the first floor near a laboratory used for water sampling.

Officials said exposure to the chemical can cause burning of the eyes and throat and vomiting but that the chemical is not life-threatening.

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

EVACUATION LIFTED AFTER CHLORINE LEAK IN ORANGE COUNTY
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/chlorine-leak-prompts-evacuations-in-orange-county/-/1637132/19986196/-/nyqw22/-/index.html
Tags: us_FL, industrial, release, response, chlorine

ORLANDO, Fla. -
A chlorine gas leak, which prompted evacuations, has been sealed in Orange County on Thursday, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.

The first call came into dispatch just after 10:30 a.m. Thursday in an industrial area off of 250 Central Florida Parkway. It was listed as a hazardous materials Level 3 situation, according to OCFR.

Local 6 helicopter Sky 6 flew over the scene as people were spotted walking down the roadway in an evacuation at the Brenntag Global Chemical Distributing Company.

No injuries were reported and employees have been allowed back in.

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

COPELAND FURNITURE PLANT DAMAGED BY SAWDUST FIRE
http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/Copeland-Furniture-Plant-Damaged-by-Sawdust-Fire-205792131.html
Tags: us_VT, industrial, fire, response, dust

BRADFORD, VT - A sawdust fire broke out yesterday at Copeland Furniture, a manufacturer of residential furniture based in Bradford, VT. There was damage to the building, but no one was injured.

The fire broke out in the sawdust silo at the 75,000-square-foot plant on Wednesday night, May 1. According to WCAX.com, 10 fire departments from Vermont and New Hampshire responded to the blaze. The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined.

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

WORKERS INJURED AFTER BLAST AT FORMOSA PLASTICS PLANT IN POINT COMFORT
http://www.khou.com/news/neighborhood-news/Fire-at-Formosa-Plastics-plant-in-Point-Comfort--205867181.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, injury, plastics

POINT COMFORT, Texas -- An explosion at the Formosa Plastics plant in Point Comfort, Texas injured a dozen people.
The New Jersey-based company says the flash fire happened around 1 p.m. Thursday. The fire was put out 40 minutes later.
Company officials said one person was flown by helicopter to a burn center in San Antonio with critical injuries. At least 11 other people were hurt in the blast, but the severity of their injuries is unknown.
The company has not said what caused the blast. Officials did say production was not disrupted.
Point Comfort is located about 125 miles southwest of Houston on the Gulf coast.

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

OIL TANK EXPLODES IN LOUISIANA; HOMES EVACUATED
http://www.wlox.com/story/22151730/oil-tank-explodes-in-louisiana-homes-evacuated
Tags: us_LA, public, explosion, response, petroleum

DENHAM SPRINGS, La. (AP) - An oil tank has exploded in Louisiana in an area outside Baton Rouge, prompting the evacuation of 30 to 35 homes.

The explosion happened late Thursday night near Denham Springs. No injuries had been reported early Friday.

Livingston Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness director Mark Harrell told The Times-Picayune (http://bit.ly/12uUH9T) there were two oil holding tanks at the scene and 1 of them ruptured and caught fire. He said it wasn't known why the tank ruptured. The second oil tank had not exploded but was bulging from the heat.

Harrell said the fire has been contained in a 200-square-foot area.

Harrell says evacuated residents will be allowed back in their homes once the fire is out.

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


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

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