From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (9 articles)
Date: Fri, 22 May 2015 07:38:06 -0400
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, May 22, 2015 at 7:37:39 AM

A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas

Table of Contents (9 articles)

HILLSBORO-DEERING HIGH SCHOOL EVACUATED BECAUSE OF ODOR
Tags: us_NH, laboratory, release, injury, formaldehyde

TEXAS LAWMAKERS APPROVE FERTILIZER SAFETY BILL
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems, ammonium_nitrate

ONE TRANSPORTED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT FARM
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical

COUNTY AND STATE TEAM UP TO KEEP SAFE SITE OF HIGHWAY CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, dust

COMPANY BEHIND PEARL CITY CHEMICAL SPILL EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENED
Tags: us_HI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, cleaners

HAZMAT BATTLES ANHYDROUS AMMONIA SPILL
Tags: us_IA, transportation, release, response, ammonia

FIRE MARSHAL: 1 TREATED AFTER EXPOSURE TO CLEANING CHEMICALS ON
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, injury, acids

TWO MEN INJURED AFTER AMMONIA LEAK IN SYDNEY‰??S SOUTHWEST
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, injury, ammonia

TRAIN DERAILMENT CAUSES FUEL SPILL IN GREAT FALLS
Tags: us_MT, transportation, release, response, diesel


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HILLSBORO-DEERING HIGH SCHOOL EVACUATED BECAUSE OF ODOR
Tags: us_NH, laboratory, release, injury, formaldehyde

HILLSBOROUGH, N.H. ‰??About 400 students were evacuated Thursday from Hillsboro-Deering High School after a strong odor was detected in one section of the building.

Emergency crews were called about 9:15 a.m. after students and staff members reported feeling sick. Firefighters and emergency crews from three towns responded.

"Basically, we were called to the location for an unknown odor, so basically, we're investigating one of the rooms on the second floor for an unknown odor," Fire Chief Kenny Stafford said. "We did get a report of some symptoms, headaches, dizziness and stuff like that."

Officials said seven people, including students and staff members, were evaluated at the school. No one was taken for treatment, and authorities said everyone appeared to be OK.

All students at the school were taken to the nearby middle school and dismissed for the day.

First responders spent most of the morning trying to isolate the smell and figure out what it was.

"We've narrowed it down to one room, possibly two rooms, which are in the science end of the high school, and that's what we know so far," Stafford said.

Around noon, officials determined that the smell was coming from a formaldehyde-like packaging material that had leaked from one of the biology projects, and they said there was no danger.

"Right now, it doesn't appear that there is (any danger), but to be on the safe side, we have the hazmat crew checking the building out, and we have the (Department of Environmental Services) folks to just to make sure the building is safe," Superintendent Bob Hassett said.

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TEXAS LAWMAKERS APPROVE FERTILIZER SAFETY BILL
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems, ammonium_nitrate

AUSTIN (AP) ‰?? Texas lawmakers have sent to Gov. Greg Abbott a bill meant to strengthen regulations for storing the chemical fertilizer that caused a fatal explosion in West in 2013.

The Senate gave final approval Thursday to requiring ammonium nitrate be kept separate from combustible material. The bill also grants the state fire marshal new powers to inspect businesses that store the chemical and issue citations.

Businesses would have 10 days to fix problems or face penalties.

Companies also would be required to give multiple state agencies and local emergency officials reports on what chemicals they store. The Texas Commission on Environment Quality would make those records public.

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ONE TRANSPORTED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT FARM
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical

One person was brought to the hospital following a chemical spill Thursday morning at Dickinson Farm on U.S. Route 202 in Granby, Massachusetts.
Granby Fire Capt. George Randall told necn affiliate WWLP that at least two chemicals spilled and mixed together, causing a reaction at around 9 a.m. The farm building was immediately evacuated.
Firefighters and police from Granby, as well as an Amherst hazardous materials team, and officials from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection all responded to the farm.
It was not immediately clear what chemicals had reacted, and the condition of the patient is not known at this time.

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COUNTY AND STATE TEAM UP TO KEEP SAFE SITE OF HIGHWAY CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, dust

County and state authorities were able to contain a chemical spill at the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway 75 in Huntsville on Wednesday morning.
Huntsville Emergency Management Coordinator John Waldo said the Walker County Hazmat Team was able to neutralize the acid-based substance by about 11 a.m. Authorities are unsure how the spill occurred, which forced the roadway in front of McCoy's Building Supply to be closed for a couple of hours.
"It must have fallen off a truck that was turning onto the on-ramp at Highway 19," Waldo said. "We got a call that there was a substance on the ground and that it was smoking. When we got there it was eating the asphalt.
"The Hazmat Team was able to neutralize the spill with a sodium-based powder off the truck."

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COMPANY BEHIND PEARL CITY CHEMICAL SPILL EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENED
Tags: us_HI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, cleaners

The state is considering enforcement action against the company investigators say caused a chemical spill in Aiea last week.

The spill occurred on May 11, killing more than 600 fish in an adjacent ditch. The fish have been removed and warning signs have since come down.

Investigators traced the spill last week to MOC Hawaii, which sells industrial cleaners and operates out of Harbor Center.

The health department said the company accidentally spilled more than 70 gallons of chemicals in the parking lot, which was sent into a storm drain that led to the nearby ditch.

KHON2 finally heard from MOC Hawaii‰??s general manager Wednesday. While he refused to go on camera, he said the company is cooperating with the investigation and actually paid for the clean-up.

Two chemicals were involved: a car wash detergent and a dressing that shines tires. The manager said that on the day of the incident, he followed the instructions on what to do in the event of a spill on the Material Safety Data Sheets provided by the manufacturers of the two chemicals.

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HAZMAT BATTLES ANHYDROUS AMMONIA SPILL
Tags: us_IA, transportation, release, response, ammonia

BLOOMFIELD ‰?? Just before 3 p.m. Tuesday the Davis County Sheriff‰??s Department was dispatched to the 19800 block of Ice Avenue in Bloomfield for an anhydrous ammonia tank rollover.
After receiving the initial call, Davis County Sheriff Dave Davis requested Ottumwa Hazmat respond to the scene, due to the inhalation danger of the chemical.
‰??There is actually no cleaning being done; what hazmat did when they got on scene was go up and plug a hole where a valve had broken off,‰?? said Davis explaining how Ottumwa‰??s team effectively put a stop to any possible danger.
A driver had been heading toward Highway 2 on Ice Avenue with two tanks attached to the back. After entering the gravel on the righthand side of the road, the truck began to fishtail resulting in the flip.

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FIRE MARSHAL: 1 TREATED AFTER EXPOSURE TO CLEANING CHEMICALS ON
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, injury, acids

LONGVIEW, TX (KLTV) -
A wrecker service employee was taken to the hospital Tuesday for chemical burns sustained while handling hazardous material on the scene of an overturned 18-wheeler on Interstate 20.

Longview Police PIO Kristie Brian says that driver of the 18-wheeler was attempting to exit I-20 on the off-ramp for exit 595 in Longview. The driver did not slow down enough, she said, and lost control of the vehicle, causing the trailer to roll over.

Longview Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary says the truck was carrying 20 different products, including acids and bases, to which the wrecker service employee was exposed. He was taken to the hospital by private vehicle to be treated.
Six other people were evaluated at the scene, but did not need treatment.

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TWO MEN INJURED AFTER AMMONIA LEAK IN SYDNEY‰??S SOUTHWEST
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, injury, ammonia

Two men are in hospital after ammonia leaked from a burst hose south-west of Sydney.

One man suffered burns to his arms and another was treated for inhalation after paramedics were called to the scene just after midday at an industrial building on Kurrajong Rd in Prestons.

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TRAIN DERAILMENT CAUSES FUEL SPILL IN GREAT FALLS
Tags: us_MT, transportation, release, response, diesel

GREAT FALLS - Emergency crews responded to the derailment of a rail care in Great Falls on Tuesday afternoon.

It happened at about 5:30 p.m. on the east side of town south of Giant Springs State Park.

Initial reports indicate that up to 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel may have spilled from a tanker rail car.

There have been no injuries.

There is no word yet on the cause of the incident.

Matt Jones, a spokesman for BNSF, tells MTN News that the derailment is being investigated.

Jones says that a fuel tank on the locomotive was ruptured in the accident.

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