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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: Wed, 16 Aug 2017 07:45:01 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 2806FC94-CD31-4873-98E5-981BD7B95F3A**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, August 16, 2017 at 7:44:43 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 (15 articles)
ST. CLAIRSVILLE RESEARCHING NEW SYSTEM AFTER CHLORINE LEAK
Tags: us_wv, industrial, follow-up, water_treatment
PORTERVILLE FOREST SERVICE STATION EVACUATED BY HAZMAT
Tags: us_ca, public, discovery, response, ag_chems
APPVION EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_wi, industrial, release, response, sodium_hydroxide
AMMONIA LEAK BRINGS EMERGENCY CREWS TO SUBURBAN YORK FILTER PLANT
Tags: us_pa, industrial, release, response, ammonia
5 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT SOUTHWEST SIDE FEDEX FACILITY
Tags: us_in, industrial, release, injuries, dust
RFD RESPONDS TO CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_ky, industrial, release, response, chlorine
7 SICKENED WHILE CLEANING TANKER ON SOUTHWEST SIDE
Tags: us_in, industrial, release, injuries, water_treatment
CALIFORNIA REFINERY REGS REQUIRE SAFETY CULTURE ASSESSMENTS -- OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental
HYDERABAD: BUFFALO KILLED IN EXPLOSION
Tags: India, public, explosion, response, explosives
MAN SPILLS TWO POUNDS OF MERCURY AFTER STORING IT IN CROWN ROYAL BOTTLE
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, mercury
MT. OLIVE RESIDENTS HOSPITALIZED FROM HIGH CARBON MONOXIDE LEVELS, REPORT SAYS
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
ST. CLAIRSVILLE SEWER PLANT EXPERIENCES SECOND LEAK IN 10 DAYS
Tags: us_WV, industrial, release, response, chlorine, water_treatment
GREENS SUE EPA OVER TOXIC CHEMICAL RULES
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
HOLLISTER PD OFFICER SUFFERS CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AFTER INVESTIGATING EXPLOSION
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, injury, bomb
RESEARCHERS ESTIMATE LEAD RELEASED FROM FLINT WATER PIPES
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, response, lead
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE RESEARCHING NEW SYSTEM AFTER CHLORINE LEAK
Tags: us_wv, industrial, follow-up, water_treatment
St. Clairsville Mayor Terry Pugh said an engineer is evaluating how the city may be able to move away from using chlorine at its wastewater treatment plant ‰?? or at least find a safer method of using the chemical.
A chlorine leak occurred at the plant on Monday due to a leak in a tank holding the chemical. On Aug. 4, a different leak occurred involving sulfur dioxide, due to a cracked hose, Pugh said. All hoses in that area were replaced after that incident.
Pugh said Tuesday that the city will be receiving a new batch of chlorine cylinders today from its vendor.
Sewage plant workers also have been retrained on how to inspect the chlorine components and how to connect them properly.
‰??The problem we had yesterday had nothing to do with the plumbing of the plant. It had to do with the leak in the cylinder. We returned all of them to the company and asked them to inspect them. New ones are being brought in,‰?? Pugh said.
He noted that since the plant, built in 1983, is not manned 24 hours a day, the audible alarm activated by the chlorine leak was not heard by anyone until employees arrived Monday morning for work. He said the plant was checked by a worker on Sunday and no alarm was going off at that time. Pugh said crews are fixing it so the alarm also will be heard at the police station, which is manned 24 hours a day, instead of just at the plant itself.
Pugh said the long-term plan is to seek funding or grants for the potential purchase of an ultraviolet light treatment system for the plant that would eliminate the need to use chlorine in the final disinfection process. Sulfur dioxide also is part of the final process, because it takes the chlorine back out of the water before it is released into a stream.
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PORTERVILLE FOREST SERVICE STATION EVACUATED BY HAZMAT
Tags: us_ca, public, discovery, response, ag_chems
Hazmat crews responded to the U.S. Forest Service Station in Porterville on Tuesday.
Crews were called just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday after a citizen brought in Carbofuran to the station located off Highway 190.
Carbofuran is a pesticide which has been banned in the U.S. since 2009. The chemical is highly toxic if ingested, according to the World Health Organization.
Visalia Hazmat is working with California Highway Patrol to clear the area of the pesticide.
---------------------------------------------
APPVION EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_wi, industrial, release, response, sodium_hydroxide
APPLETON, Wis. (WBAY) -- A chemical leak at Appvion in Appleton prompts an evacuation and shut down Wisconsin Avenue for a few hours Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Appleton Fire Department, crews responded to the paper plant around 2 p.m. after a report of a sodium hydroxide leak in the basement.
Fire officials say workers had contained the leak to the building and the fire department HazMat team helped dilute the chemical. The leak started because a hose broke.
Sodium hydroxide can severely irritate skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
Crews were on scene for about three hours.
---------------------------------------------
AMMONIA LEAK BRINGS EMERGENCY CREWS TO SUBURBAN YORK FILTER PLANT
Tags: us_pa, industrial, release, response, ammonia
An ammonia discharge from a York Water Co. filter plant near York brought hazmat crews to the scene Tuesday, but there was no impact on the water supply, company officials said.
The filter plant is on the 1300 block of Grantley Road in Spring Garden Township.
Ammonia is used to help disinfect the water, and the discharge occurred late Tuesday morning when a water company vendor was filling the tank, York Water President and CEO Jeffrey Hines said Tuesday.
There were no injuries, he said.
---------------------------------------------
5 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL AT SOUTHWEST SIDE FEDEX FACILITY
Tags: us_in, industrial, release, injuries, dust
INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Decatur Township Fire Department officials say that five people are recovering after they became sick due a chemical spill at the FedEx Freight facility on Decatur Blvd. early Tuesday.
Officials say the spill happened while crews were attempting to move containers of a powder that is used as some type of coating material.
While moving the powder, one of the containers punctured, sending powder into the air.
Five people became ill because of the powder. They went to St. Francis Hospital in Mooresville complaining of nausea and vomiting. Firefighers say they are expected to be OK.
---------------------------------------------
RFD RESPONDS TO CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_ky, industrial, release, response, chlorine
The Russellville Fire Department responded to a chlorine leak at the City Corporation water treatment facility at 100 Jimmy Lile Road at approximately 10:04 a.m. on Monday. According to a release from the department, the leak was discovered during routine maintenance from a one-ton cylinder of chlorine.
The department's HazMat technicians entered the area at approximately 11 a.m. and stopped the leak using an emergency-B kit, a procedure involving replacing the regulating valve. According to the fire department, there is no further leaking and less than five pounds of chlorine were released, posing no risk to the public.
Further, the the department said there was never a risk of the chemical entering the water supply since it was at a non-potable treatment facility.
---------------------------------------------
7 SICKENED WHILE CLEANING TANKER ON SOUTHWEST SIDE
Tags: us_in, industrial, release, injuries, water_treatment
INDIANAPOLIS -- At least seven people were exposed to a chemical on Indianapolis' southwest side Tuesday afternoon.
A representative from the Decatur Township Fire Department said some employees were cleaning out a tanker near a building in the 5300 block of Decatur Boulevard and started feeling sick.
Seven were being evaluated, but nobody has been taken to the hospital.
The incident happened on the Cloud Blue side of the building shared by Rolls Royce and Cloud Blue.
Vice President of Public Affairs for Rolls Royce said none of the employees complained or were sickened by the odor and the facility was evacuated as a precautionary measure.
He said the "Decatur Township Fire Department provided an air quality check, and we received an ‰??all clear‰?? signal from them and employees returned to the building."
The tanker contained reverse osmosis rejected water.
---------------------------------------------
CALIFORNIA REFINERY REGS REQUIRE SAFETY CULTURE ASSESSMENTS -- OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental
New regulations that aim to improve workers' safety and environmental protection at the 15 oil refineries operating in California have been given final approval and will take effect Oct. 1, 2017, Cal/OSHA announced. The regulations implement key recommendations of the Governor's Interagency Working Group on Refinery Safety, which was created after the Aug. 6, 2012, Chevron refinery fire. Developed by the Department of Industrial Relations, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, and the California Environmental Protection Agency, the regulations make California refineries safer for both workers and surrounding communities, according to the agencies.
"California now leads the nation in protecting the safety and health of refinery workers and people in nearby communities," said David M. Lanier, secretary of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
The regulations overhaul Cal/OSHA worker safety regulations as they apply to refineries and the California Accidental Release Prevention program that is designed to prevent the accidental release of hazardous substances that could harm public health and the environment. "These new regulations increase overall preparedness, provide greater accountability, and implement a nation-leading approach to public safety and emergency prevention at refineries," explained Governor's Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci.
"The goal of these regulations is to hold refineries accountable for the safety of workers and communities," added Matthew Rodriquez, California's secretary for Environmental Protection. "Thanks to input from refinery workers, industry leaders, and environmental and community organizations, we can better anticipate problems and prevent accidents that might pose serious risks to the public and environment."
Key features of the regulations include:
Increased employer accountability for the mechanical integrity of refinery equipment
Requirements to adopt inherently safer designs and systems to the greatest extent feasible
Increased employee involvement in all aspects of the safety and prevention program
Periodic workplace safety culture assessments to evaluate whether management is appropriately emphasizing safety over production pressures
Authority for refinery personnel to shut down a unit, if necessary, in the event of an unsafe condition or emergency
Provisions for anonymous reporting of safety hazards
Requirements for investigations to determine root causes of any incident that occurs and develop interim and permanent corrective measures in response
Annual public reporting of refinery safety metrics under the Accidental Release Prevention program
Cal/OSHA reports many of the state's refineries have adopted some of these practices and have seen significant improvement in safety performance as a result.
---------------------------------------------
HYDERABAD: BUFFALO KILLED IN EXPLOSION
Tags: India, public, explosion, response, explosives
Hyderabad: In a mysterious explosion on the city‰??s outskirts around noon on Monday, a buffalo was killed, reportedly after it tried to open a package of explosives.
According to the police, the explosion was in a dumping yard in Omkar Nagar of Miyapur. No other casualties were reported. The reason for the blast and the explosive substances involved are being verified, police said.
The explosion, which was around noon, shocked the residents of the nearby slum area, who panicked and alerted the police. The Miyapur police rushed to the spot along with a dog squad and a CLUES team. Samples from the blast site were collected. Police suspect it could be either be some chemical substance or a bundle of gelatin sticks. This is however, yet to be confirmed.
‰??We couldn‰??t find proper evidence of the type of the explosive. We have collected samples and sent the same to the laboratory for examination. The reports will reveal what explosive material led to the blast,‰?? said Harishchandra Reddy, Inspector, Miyapur, adding that the buffalo, suspected to grazing in the area, could have tried to pry open the package with its teeth, leading to the explosion.
---------------------------------------------
MAN SPILLS TWO POUNDS OF MERCURY AFTER STORING IT IN CROWN ROYAL BOTTLE
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, mercury
A HazMat team with the Houston Fire Department inspected a Midtown apartment complex after a man reported spilling two pounds of mercury in his home ‰?? three days after the accident occurred.
Firefighters evacuated the fifth floor of Mid Main Lofts, an apartment complex at 3550 Main, after the man reported the spill at about 10:30 Monday morning, according to a press release from the Houston Fire Department.
The man told officials at the scene that he spilled the liquid mercury, a potentially toxic element, Friday night, according to Sheldra Brigham, a spokeswoman for the Houston Fire Department. He had brought the mercury from his last apartment and was storing the liquid in a Crown Royal bottle. When his girlfriend grabbed the bottle on Friday, she was surprised by the weight of the bottle and dropped it on the floor, where it smashed. Mercury has a much higher density level than other liquids. Two tablespoons of the liquid form weighs about 1 pound.
The man initially cleaned up the spill using a bottle dropper and other tools, but then threw those contaminated materials down the trash chute. He called the Fire Department Monday to report what happened.
---------------------------------------------
MT. OLIVE RESIDENTS HOSPITALIZED FROM HIGH CARBON MONOXIDE LEVELS, REPORT SAYS
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
MOUNT OLIVE ‰?? Several residents of the Flanders section have been taken to area hospitals after exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide Monday night.
According to a report on News 12 New Jersey, Mayor Rob Greenbaum said that people in a home on Fennimore Court were taken to the hospital after being exposed to the gas. There were no details released about the number of people exposed or their condition.
Flanders Fire Co. 1 said they were still treating patients on the scene and would have more information later.
The Facebook group MT Olive Twp NJ Alerts reported the Morris County Hazmat team had been called to the scene and that the fire company was reporting levels of 1,000 parts per million at the scene, which is more than 10 times safe limits.
More than 400 people die every year in the United States from carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas produced by fuel-burning appliances and engines.
---------------------------------------------
ST. CLAIRSVILLE SEWER PLANT EXPERIENCES SECOND LEAK IN 10 DAYS
Tags: us_WV, industrial, release, response, chlorine, water_treatment
ST. CLAIRSVILLE ‰?? To help lighten the mood and not dwell on the dangerous task ahead, members of the Belmont County Hazmat Response Team cracked jokes and poked fun at each other as they waited to enter the St. Clairsville wastewater treatment plant Monday morning.
But when the time came, the mood changed, reflecting the serious nature of the mission at hand ‰?? trying to determine if a chlorine leak still was occurring inside the facility.
Monday‰??s event was the second chemical leak to occur at the plant in less than two weeks. This time the leaking substance was chlorine, one of two chemicals used in the end process of treating the water before it is released into a stream.
No one was injured during the leak, discovered at about 7 a.m. by employees who had just arrived at the plant for a day of work. They noticed an audible alarm going off at the building on Legion Road and called first responders for help.
---------------------------------------------
GREENS SUE EPA OVER TOXIC CHEMICAL RULES
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
r lawsuit Monday, the groups said the agency watered down the rules and weakened the chemical review process compared to the proposed regulations issued by the Obama administration.
‰??After Congress took bipartisan action to make desperately needed updates to our chemical safety laws, the Trump administration has turned back the clock, leaving families and workers at risk,‰?? said Eve Gartner, an attorney at Earthjustice, which filed the lawsuit in federal court on Monday.
---------------------------------------------
HOLLISTER PD OFFICER SUFFERS CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AFTER INVESTIGATING EXPLOSION
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, injury, bomb
HOLLISTER ‰?? On August 8th, police received word of someone setting off explosive devices on the 1400 block of El Cerro Drive.
The investigating officer arrived and spoke with a 15-year-old juvenile, whom neighbors alleged was the person police were looking for.
The juvenile admitted as much, telling the officer he‰??d set off a chemical bomb in the middle of the court after learning how to make them through friends and watching online videos.
He also told the officer where the remains of the device were located ‰?? in a garbage container at a neighboring house.
The officer found said remains and was ‰??overcome with chemical vapors emanating from the exploded device‰?? and began to suffer symptoms of chemical exposure, which gradually became more severe.
He was transported to Hazel Hawkins Hospital for treatment and decontamination, and was able to return to work two days later.
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RESEARCHERS ESTIMATE LEAD RELEASED FROM FLINT WATER PIPES
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, response, lead
When Flint, Mich., started taking water from the nearby Flint River in 2014, lead levels spiked in the water coming out of residents‰?? taps.
Now, chemical and microscopic analyses of the city‰??s water pipes reveal a pockmarked pattern that confirms the lead came from corrosion of the pipes. The analysis also allowed the researchers to estimate the amount of lead released into the city‰??s water system.
This study further highlights the hazards of lead accumulation and mobilization in water pipes, says Marc A. Edwards of Virginia Tech, who played an integral role in exposing the Flint water crisis but who was not involved with this new study.
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