From: Secretary ACS DCHAS <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (15 articles)
Date: Wed, 28 May 2014 07:36:05 -0400
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Chemical Safety Headlines
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Table of Contents (15 articles)

EXPLOSIONS, LARGE FIRE DESTROY BIO-DIESEL PLANT IN ANTHONY, N.M.
Tags: us_NM, industrial, explosion, response, biodiesel

HAZMAT INCIDENT AT CODY LABS CONTAINED
Tags: us_WY, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

10 PEOPLE SICKENED BY FUMES IN SEWICKLEY TOWNSHIP
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, injury, propane

CHEMICAL SPILL LEADS TO EVACUATION OF ST. LUKE'S DIALYSIS CENTER IN BETHLEHEM, FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, acids

SWICKERS EVACUATES STAFF AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical

CREWS TO LET STORAGE TANK FIRE BURN ITSELF OUT
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, petroleum, waste

HAZMAT CREW EMPTIES TANK, 12 HOMES EVACUATED
Tags: us_NY, transportation, release, response, ammonia

CDC TO EXAMINE DRILLING DEATHS
Tags: us_ND, industrial, follow-up, death, methane, natural_gas

AMMONIUM NITRATE OVERSIGHT FOUND LACKING
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, ammonium_nitrate

SMALL FIRE AT A&M'S CHEMICAL ENGINEERING BUILDING PROMPTS EVACUATION
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO AMMONIA LEAK
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, ammonia

KWES NEWSWEST 9 / MIDLAND, ODESSA, BIG SPRING, TX: NEWSWEST9.COM |
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

POLICE INVESTIGATING STRING OF BOTTLE BOMB EXPLOSIONS AT MOVIE THEATERS
Tags: us_MD, public, explosion, response, bomb

CHEMICAL LEAK FROM 'SHOKTONG' WAREHOUSE IN ILOILO CITY VILLAGE, RESIDENTS TOLD TO LEAVE AREA
Tags: Philippines, industrial, release, environmental, other_chemical, ammonia

TOXIC CHEMICAL STOLEN FROM FACTORY
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, release, environmental, other_chemical


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EXPLOSIONS, LARGE FIRE DESTROY BIO-DIESEL PLANT IN ANTHONY, N.M.
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_25842993/car-fire-closes-n-m-460-anthony
Tags: us_NM, industrial, explosion, response, biodiesel

ANTHONY, N.M >> It was a normal Tuesday at the Pic Quik gas station, manager Julio Gonzalez was ringing up customers when all of a sudden loud booms shook the store.

"We just heard boom boom one after the other," Gonzalez said. "It was several loud booms then we saw people running from there (the plant)."

The booms came from five explosions and a large fire at a bio-diesel plant down the block from the gas station. Officials were forced to evacuate more than 1,000 people in the rural Anthony, N.M., neighborhood.

The fire started about 9:45 a.m. after five tanks exploded at the Rio Valley BioFuels plant, 1940 Anthony Drive, said Kelly Jameson, spokeswoman for the Do–a Ana County Sheriff's Office.

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HAZMAT INCIDENT AT CODY LABS CONTAINED
http://www.codyenterprise.com/article_42f785aa-e5ed-11e3-b095-0019bb2963f4.html
Tags: us_WY, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

Cody police and fire departments responded to a hazmat incident at Cody Labs on Tuesday.
The accident occurred at about 12:40 p.m., inside the west fenced yard at the company?s 601 Yellowstone Ave. location.
The incident resulted in the emitting of a non-toxic odor.
?However, it will cause eye and respiratory irritation,? Police Chief Perry Rockvam said.
Due to the location of the incident, the odor is not a danger to the public.
The police are notifying residents on Conifer Lane for informational purposes only

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10 PEOPLE SICKENED BY FUMES IN SEWICKLEY TOWNSHIP
http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/10-people-sickened-fumes-sewickley-township/nf7n8/
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, injury, propane

SEWICKLEY TOWNSHIP, Pa. ? Ten people were sickened by fumes in Westmoreland County Monday night.
Officials said a truck driver?s mistake led to two families being treated at UPMC East in Monroeville.
Hazmat crews responded to the scene on Kunkle Road in Sewickley Township around 9 p.m., officials said, and discovered that a propane tank with a leaky valve was to blame.
The Department of Public Safety officials said the tanker truck driver parked his vehicle in his driveway Friday night and unloaded propane from it, not knowing that the tank?s valve was leaking.
?A neighbor knocked on the door and as soon as I opened it, it was heavy, thick gas,? Lisa Krowchak said.
Five people were taken to the hospital via ambulance, another five drove themselves to be treated. All are expected to be OK, emergency officials said.

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CHEMICAL SPILL LEADS TO EVACUATION OF ST. LUKE'S DIALYSIS CENTER IN BETHLEHEM, FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2014/05/chemical_spill_leads_to_evacua.html
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, acids

An acid-based chemical spill led to the evacuation this morning of the St. Luke's Dialysis Center at 1425 Eighth Ave. in Bethlehem, the city's fire chief reports.

Authorities were trying to determine the kind of chemical, Robert Novatnack said, but the initial description was an "acid concentrate," emergency dispatches said. Initial reports from the center indicated 200 to 300 gallons of the substance spilled, Novatnack said.

Center personnel got the 12 dialysis patients and 10 employees safely out of the building soon after the spill at 7:02, Novatnack said.

There is no risk to the public, he said.

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SWICKERS EVACUATES STAFF AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
http://www.qt.com.au/news/swickers-evacuates-staff-after-chemical-leak/2272450/
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical

STAFF were evacuated from Swickers Kingaroy Bacon Factory this morning after a chemical leak was detected.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Area Commander Mark Long said two Kingaroy fire trucks were deployed to assist.

"The management stopped the leak and reduced the potential problems from the leak," he said.

"It's all cleaned up now.

"Swickers activated their evacuation procedures which evacuated all their staff."

The leak occured at the processing site at approximately 10.30am.

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CREWS TO LET STORAGE TANK FIRE BURN ITSELF OUT
http://www.news4sanantonio.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/oil-tank-fire-south-pleasanton-12067.shtml
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, petroleum, waste

NEAR PLEASANTON, Texas - Fire officials in Atascosa County believe a lightning strike is to blame for a massive storage tank fire south of Pleasanton.

Pleasanton Fire Chief Chuck Garris says lightning from an overnight storm struck one of several holding tanks, igniting a massive fire.

One worker at the rural storage tank site off Highway 281, ran to his truck and drove off to escape the flames. He was not hurt.

The fire burned four oil storage tanks holding an estimated several hundred barrels of crude oil.

Another 17 saltwater disposal tanks also burned.

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HAZMAT CREW EMPTIES TANK, 12 HOMES EVACUATED
http://wivb.com/2014/05/26/ammonia-nitrate-fertilizer-tank-tips-over-in-byron/
Tags: us_NY, transportation, release, response, ammonia

BYRON, N.Y. (WIVB) ? It should be a normal commute Tuesday morning for driver in the Town of Byron. Things are all cleaned up.

Monday, a tanker carrying 500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia tipped over On Route 237. Crews had to evacuate about a dozen homes. But, there were no leaks reported.

First responders say being exposed to this gas can be deadly.

?It only take a couple of breaths to incapacitate you, it would actually suffocate you and that would be the end of it,? said Keith Hunt, Genesee County Emergency Services.

Hunt said, ?Anhydrous ammonia is a pretty serious chemical so this was a level a hazmat situation where the hazmat responders, the people who actually were ready to go in, if something occurred, some kind of a leak or broken hose or something, they were in level A suits so they were fully protected.?

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CDC TO EXAMINE DRILLING DEATHS
http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i21/CDC-Examine-Drilling-Deaths.html
Tags: us_ND, industrial, follow-up, death, methane, natural_gas

At least four workers have been found dead since 2010 at oil and natural gas well sites that use hydraulic fracturing methods, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, a division of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. In a recent blog post, NIOSH announced it would begin examining the incidents, which occurred in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana. Available information, the blog says, indicates that the workers? deaths appear to be linked to exposure to hydrocarbons contained in ?flowback.? This term refers to fracking fluids that are pumped belowground and then returned to the surface and collected in tanks or ponds. Flowback carries volatile hydrocarbons, derived from underground formations, which are separated from the fracking fluids. Many of these hydrocarbons are acutely toxic at high concentrations, NIOSH said. The agency offered preliminary recommendations to limit worker exposure to the hydrocarbons and to!
boost safety.

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AMMONIUM NITRATE OVERSIGHT FOUND LACKING
http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i21/Ammonium-Nitrate-Oversight-Found-Lacking.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, ammonium_nitrate

The federal government does not know how many U.S. chemical facilities store ammonium nitrate, the fertilizer that detonated during a warehouse fire in West, Texas, last year, killing 14 people, the Government Accountability Office says (GAO-14-274). Congressional investigators attribute the incomplete picture to limited information sharing among federal agencies, poor coordination with states, and industry reporting exemptions. Without improved monitoring, GAO warns, federal agencies ?will not know the extent to which dangerous conditions at some facilities may continue to exist.? The report notes that 1,345 facilities in 47 states have informed the Department of Homeland Security for security purposes that they store ammonium nitrate. But a spot check of state records by investigators indicates that the federal database is missing as many as two-thirds of the nation?s storage sites for the substance, GAO says. It recommends that federal agencies improve data sharing, OSHA !
and EPA consider expanding decades-old safety regulations to cover ammonium nitrate, and OSHA conduct outreach to the fertilizer industry and target high-risk facilities for inspection.

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SMALL FIRE AT A&M'S CHEMICAL ENGINEERING BUILDING PROMPTS EVACUATION
http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Small-Fire-at-AMs-Chemical-Engineering-Building-Prompts-Evacuation-260616031.html?ref=031
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

COLLEGE STATION- A small fire on the 3rd floor of the Jack E. Brown Chemical Engineering Building at Texas A&M prompted an evacuation Sunday afternoon.

The College Station Fire Department says the call came in around 5 p.m. as a smoke alarm.

A calibration machine overheated and caused a small fire that spread smoke through parts of the building.

7 people were evacuated.

Once the fire was extinguished and smoke was cleared from the building, people were allowed to return.

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HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO AMMONIA LEAK
http://www.wbay.com/story/25607548/2014/05/25/hazmat-team-responds-to-ammonia-leak
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, ammonia

The Sheboygan Fire Department says there is no immediate danger to the public after an ammonia leak Saturday afternoon in a building located at 812 Michigan Avenue owned by Three Twins Organic Inc..

The fire department says investigators discovered the leak in a freezer compressor room in the basement of the building after a passerby reported the smell of ammonia in the area. A Hazmat crew and Alliant Energy were called to the scene to help clean up the leak.

Most of the vapors were contained to the building and firefighters are monitoring the surrounding area with meters to make sure there is no danger. As a precaution, the fire department asked residents in the area to keep their windows closed. No injuries have been reported in connection to the leak.

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KWES NEWSWEST 9 / MIDLAND, ODESSA, BIG SPRING, TX: NEWSWEST9.COM |
http://www.newswest9.com/story/25610156/highway-349-reopened-in-midland-after-saturday-explosion
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

MIDLAND - South Rankin Highway in Midland reopened on Sunday after crews finished their clean-up of a substance that leaked across the road causing an explosion.

The highway was closed since Saturday afternoon and the rain on Sunday, delayed clean-up for a little while.

On Saturday, smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles as HAZMAT crews responded to a ruptured gas line.

Officials say a utility crew was digging a hole and their drill punctured a line.

Several cars caught fire.

The Flea Market on Rankin Highway had to be evacuated and sustained smoke damage.

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POLICE INVESTIGATING STRING OF BOTTLE BOMB EXPLOSIONS AT MOVIE THEATERS
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/05/25/police-investigating-string-of-bottle-bomb-explosions-at-movie-theaters/
Tags: us_MD, public, explosion, response, bomb

LANHAM, Md. (WNEW/AP) ? Two movie theaters were evacuated less than an hour apart after bottle bombs were set off overnight, one week after an explosion in a Virginia theater.
A bottle bomb ? a soda bottle chemical device ? exploded at AMC Magic Johnson Capital Center 12 in Largo just after 1:30 a.m. Saturday, causing dozens of patrons to leave the theater.
Two people sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
For the second time in a week, AMC Tysons Corner 16 was evacuated after a bottle bomb was set off inside the theater around 2:15 a.m., according to Fairfax County Police.
More than 300 people were evacuated. No injuries were reported.

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CHEMICAL LEAK FROM 'SHOKTONG' WAREHOUSE IN ILOILO CITY VILLAGE, RESIDENTS TOLD TO LEAVE AREA
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/87603/chemical-leak-from-shoktong-warehouse-in-iloilo-city-village-residents-told-to-leave-area
Tags: Philippines, industrial, release, environmental, other_chemical, ammonia

ILOILO CITY -- Residents in Barangay West Timawa, Molo, Iloilo City affected by the reeking odor caused by leaking chemicals from the warehouse of the Imperial Distillery have been asked to evacuate the area for health reasons.

The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) said the ammonia leak and volatile organic compound used in the manufacture of wine locally known as ?shoktong? has prompted the agency to recommend the voluntary evacuation of residents living within the 100-meter radius from the warehouse of the local winery.

But affected residents refused to leave the area particularly now that the barangay prepares for its annual fiesta celebration early next week. They claimed that the foul odor is much less intense than during the previous days?.

It may be recalled that most residents have spent sleepless night due to the chemical leak.

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TOXIC CHEMICAL STOLEN FROM FACTORY
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/toxic-chemical-stolen-factory-5981794
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, release, environmental, other_chemical

Police are warning the public to be on the lookout for a dangerous chemical that looks and smells like coffee, that was stolen from an Auckland factory this morning.

The chemical, lignosulfate, was scooped from a 25-kilogram bag in an Avondale factory, is highly toxic, and should not be ingested.

Anybody who has come into contact with it should immediately call the New Zealand Fire Service and seek urgent medical assistance.

Police want to hear from anyone with information about the theft.

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