From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (8 articles)
Date: Mon, 1 May 2017 07:45:44 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 06895C24-11EF-4E1C-BBD0-28126669F57C**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, May 1, 2017 at 7:41:23 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 (8 articles)

COMPANY PAYS $3.5 MILLION IN LAW SUIT ALLEGING ILLEGAL HAZWASTE DISPOSAL
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, environmental, illegal, waste

U.S. MAKERS DISPUTE PESTICIDES‰?? RISKS TO ENDANGERED SPECIES
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental, pesticides

NEW YORK TO REQUIRE DISCLOSURE OF CHEMICALS IN CLEANING PRODUCTS
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

GROCERY STORE IN CITYPLACE REOPENS AFTER EVACUATION DUE TO CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, pool_chemical

OFFICIALS: 15 TAKEN TO HOSPITALS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL IN MALDEN
Tags: us_MA, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

REPORTED GAS LEAK CAUSES STUDENTS TO BE EVACUATED
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

SOUTHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_CT, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

WV METRONEWS ‰?? WVSU FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST DOW CHEMICAL FOR WATER POLLUTION
Tags: us_WV, public, follow-up, environmental, hvac_chemicals


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COMPANY PAYS $3.5 MILLION IN LAW SUIT ALLEGING ILLEGAL HAZWASTE DISPOSAL
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, environmental, illegal, waste

Big Lots Stores Inc. was recently ordered to pay more than $3.5 million in fines following settlement of a lawsuit alleging illegal hazardous waste disposal at its 206 California stores and a distribution center. The law suit, filed by 35 California District Attorneys, was the result of an investigation into the company‰??s disposal of hazardous waste into trash bins at its stores throughout California.

In the opinion of the District Attorneys‰??, Big Lots failed to properly handle waste at all of its stores and its distribution center. The hazardous materials were also illegally transported to local landfills not permitted to receive the waste.

‰??The hazardous waste included ignitable and corrosive liquids, toxic materials, batteries, electronic devices and other e-waste,‰?? Deputy District Attorney Dan Loug for San Bernardino County said to Daily Press. ‰??In some instances, the hazardous waste was the result of overstock or expired merchandise. ‰??In others, it was the result of spills, damaged containers and customer returns.‰??

Per the settlement, Big Lots must pay $2,017,500 in civil penalties and $336,250 to reimburse the costs of investigation. Additionally, $350,000 more ‰??will fund supplemental environmental projects furthering environmental enforcement and consumer protection in California,‰?? according to the statement.

The company will also fund hazardous waste minimization and enhanced compliance projects valued at $803,750 and has implemented new policies, procedures and training designed to properly manage and dispose of hazardous waste.

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U.S. MAKERS DISPUTE PESTICIDES‰?? RISKS TO ENDANGERED SPECIES
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental, pesticides

Manufacturers of three organophosphate insecticides are urging EPA to abandon its process for assessing the risks of pesticides on endangered species. The companies‰??Dow AgroSciences, Makhteshim Agan of North America (Adama), and FMC Corp.‰??claim that EPA‰??s approach is fundamentally flawed. At issue are biological evaluations of three pesticides‰??chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion‰??released by EPA in the final days of the Obama Administration. The evaluations conclude that the three chemicals are likely to adversely affect more than 1,000 endangered species. The three companies claim that EPA failed to adequately describe its risk assessment approach, making it difficult to evaluate and reproduce the results. The companies are also questioning EPA‰??s use of studies that were not evaluated for data quality and relevance and why the agency failed to consider several studies submitted by the pesticide industry. In addition, the companies say that EPA‰??s estimates for!
exposure to the pesticides are ‰??unrealistically high and sometimes physically impossible.‰?? The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group, says that Dow is profiting by pressuring the Trump Administration to scrap efforts to regulate pesticides.

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NEW YORK TO REQUIRE DISCLOSURE OF CHEMICALS IN CLEANING PRODUCTS
Tags: us_NY, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

New York is poised to become the first U.S. state to require manufacturers to disclose ingredients in household cleaning products. Under a regulation proposed on April 25 by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), manufacturers would be required to reveal all of the chemicals, including impurities, in cleaning products sold in New York. In addition, manufacturers would have to provide a range of how much of each chemical by weight is in their cleaning products. Companies would need to display the information on their websites, which will eventually be linked to a database called the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse. ‰??These new regulations will help protect New Yorkers and give them the peace of mind of knowing what‰??s in their homes and in their communities,‰?? Cuomo says. The American Cleaning Institute, a trade group for the U.S. soaps and detergents industry, claims that manufacturers already provide ‰??detailed information online about the ingredients in the products they use saf!
ely and effectively every day.‰?? New York‰??s Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting comments until June 14 on the draft disclosure certification form that cleaning product manufacturers would need to file to sell their products in New York.

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GROCERY STORE IN CITYPLACE REOPENS AFTER EVACUATION DUE TO CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, pool_chemical

A grocery store in the CityPlace development near the waterfront was briefly evacuated after a chemical leak in a nearby pool, Toronto police say.
Police said the Sobeys at Fort York Boulevard and Telegram Mews was evacuated as a precaution at about 2:05 p.m. after a call came in about a chemical leak at a pool nearby.
Callers told police that a chemical smell is wafting into the grocery store. The floor of the building above where the Sobeys is located was also evacuated, firefighter said.
One person reported they had vomited and experienced a burning sensation in their eyes.
Paramedics said they were assessing people at the scene but had not transported anyone.

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OFFICIALS: 15 TAKEN TO HOSPITALS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL IN MALDEN
Tags: us_MA, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

MALDEN, Mass. (AP) ‰?? A hazardous materials unit has been sent to a health care facility in Malden after a reported chemical spill sickened more than a dozen people.

Fire officials say the building on Savin Street was evacuated after the incident Friday afternoon and 15 people who complained of nausea and breathing difficulties were taken to area hospitals to be examined.

There was no immediate word on what kind of chemical was involved or how it may have spilled.

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REPORTED GAS LEAK CAUSES STUDENTS TO BE EVACUATED
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) ‰?? James Monroe Middle School was evacuated Friday morning due to a reported gas leak.

It turns out it was a science experiment gone wrong.

The school called reporting a strong gas odor coming from one of the chemistry rooms.

When firefighters go there they found no gas leak but an experiment.

KRQE News 13 reached out to Albuquerque Public School officials to find out more, but are still waiting for a call back

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SOUTHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_CT, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

SOUTHINGTON ‰?? A Southington High School classroom has been evacuated after a chemical began leaking from a tank.

About 2 p.m., fire crews were dispatched to the high school after the school resource officer reported the incident. A chemical was reportedly leaking from tanks in a science classroom, according to dispatch reports. The classroom was evacuated.

Police Sgt. Jeffrey Dobratz said the spill was small and that there was no emergency situation.

The health department was requested to respond to the school.

It wasn‰??t immediately clear what kind of chemical was leaking.

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WV METRONEWS ‰?? WVSU FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST DOW CHEMICAL FOR WATER POLLUTION
Tags: us_WV, public, follow-up, environmental, hvac_chemicals

INSTITUTE, W.Va. ‰?? West Virginia State University announced Thursday it has filed a lawsuit against Dow Chemical Company and other former owners of Dow‰??s Institute plant for underground water contamination on the university‰??s campus.

The suit demands that Dow clean up the water pollution that was discovered. WVSU President Anthony Jenkins said the contamination does not pose a human health risk to anyone on campus.

‰??While there is no threat to the health, wellness or safety to the students, faculty and staff, Dow contamination of our campus has potentially adversely impacted the brand, reputation, use of future property, the cost of future construction and potential enrollment growth here at the institution,‰?? Jenkins said during a Thursday press conference at the university.

Three contaminants were found in groundwater about 15-50 feet beneath the former Rehabilitation Center property located on the southwest side of the campus.

The discovery was made about four years ago. In the time since then, the university and Dow have conducted tests on the WVSU property including both outdoor and indoor facilities.

Roderic Moore, vice president of Enviroprobe Integrated Solutions, revealed the testing results Thursday. He said Enviroprobe and Dow collected about 150 samples of groundwater, soil gas, surface soil and air on campus.

The results showed that Dow‰??s plant, located next to the campus, released the following chemicals on to the WVSU property:

1,4-dioxane: A synthetic industrial chemical that is used in products such as paint strippers, dyes, greases varnishes and waxes.
1,1-dichloroethane: A colorless, oil liquid that is used mainly as an intermediate constituent in the manufacture of other chemicals.
Chloroform: A chemical that is used in refrigerants and that can form as a byproduct of water chlorination.
Moore said the chemicals have moved beyond the rehab center property.

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