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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (11 articles)
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2018 06:09:45 -0700
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 48FA8BEE-FDF7-46F3-A991-B2506AD9390B**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 6:09:34 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 (11 articles)
LIVONIA BUSINESS EVACUATED AS HAZMAT TEAM CALLED FOR CHEMICAL MISHAP
Tags: us_MI, industrial, release, response, ammonia, ammonium_hydroxide, carbon_dioxide
OLD-FASHIONED SAFE RELEASES TEAR GAS AFTER ROBBERY AT KARL'S CABIN
Tags: us_MI, public, release, injury, tear_gas
ONE KILLED IN FIRE AT PUNE DRDO LAB
Tags: India, laboratory, explosion, death, explosives
OSU WRISTBANDS REVEAL TOXINS IN HOUSTON AREA
Tags: us_OR, public, discovery, environmental, toxics
WHAT CAUSED EXPLOSION, CHEMICAL SPILL AT MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE POOL AREA?
Tags: us_CA, education, explosion, response, carbon_dioxide
SEMINAR ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY: FICCI ORGANISES A 3-DAY SEMINAR ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Tags: India, industrial, discovery, environmental, natural_gas, petroleum
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES CAUSED UNEXPECTED BENZENE CONTAMINATION OF DRINKING WATER
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, benzene
HONEY OIL LAB EXPLOSION AT DESERT HOT SPRINGS HOME
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, clandestine_lab
WISCONSIN MANUFACTURER FINDS GROUNDWATER POLLUTION AT PLANT
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
NEW: CHEMICAL SPILL IN LOXAHATCHEE SHUTS DOWN TRAFFIC
Tags: us_FL, transportation, release, response, chlorine
SENATE JOINS HOUSE IN APPROVING BUDGET FOR CSB
Tags: us_WA, public, follow-up, environmental
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LIVONIA BUSINESS EVACUATED AS HAZMAT TEAM CALLED FOR CHEMICAL MISHAP
https://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/livonia/2018/06/19/livonia-business-evacuated-hazmat-team-called-chemical-mishap/714385002/
Tags: us_MI, industrial, release, response, ammonia, ammonium_hydroxide, carbon_dioxide
Livonia firefighters and the Wayne County Hazardous Materials Response Team were on the scene of an industrial chemical reaction that prompted the evacuation of 16 businesses Tuesday.
The incident occurred at Hughes Electronics Products Corp., on Industrial Road west of Stark. It began unfolding around 7 a.m., when an employee arriving for work noticed smoke and thought a fire was under way, Livonia Fire Chief David Heavener said.
"There is no residential threat," Heavener said at the scene shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday. There were complaints about an odor, however, and 16 businesses in the immediate area were evacuated as a precaution, Heavener said.
Fire department officials said there had been a reaction at Hughes between three chemicals: ammonium hydroxide, ammonium chloride and ammonium carbonate. That resulted in smoke that HAZMAT members had to "off-gas" as ammonia and carbon dioxide, officials said.
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OLD-FASHIONED SAFE RELEASES TEAR GAS AFTER ROBBERY AT KARL'S CABIN
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2018/06/employees_at_salem_bar_tear_ga.html
Tags: us_MI, public, release, injury, tear_gas
SALEM TWP., MI - Four employees of Karl's Cabin Restaurant and Bar in Salem Township were taken to a hospital Tuesday after encountering tear gas that leaked out of an old safe.
Fire crews were called to the restaurant at 60005 Gotfredson Road about 9:51 a.m. after workers there reported a strange, oily liquid seeping out of an old safe, according to Salem Township Fire Chief Rachwal.
The restaurant had been burglarized between midnight and 1 a.m. Monday morning, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. The old-fashioned safe was tampered with and cash was stolen from it, police said.
The safe, which was roughly five feet tall, is about 100 years old and contained the tear gas as a security feature, according to Rachwal.
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ONE KILLED IN FIRE AT PUNE DRDO LAB
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/one-killed-in-fire-at-pune-drdo-lab-5224882/
Tags: India, laboratory, explosion, death, explosives
One contract worker died and another was seriously injured in a fire involving explosive material at the High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), at Pashan in Pune on Tuesday afternoon.
Police have identified the deceased worker as Laxmikant Ramesh Sonawane (26), a resident of Ramnagar in Warje, and the injured as Yogesh Kirtikar.
‰??The deceased was a contract worker. All the safety measures were in place at the time of the accident. A high-level DRDO committee will investigate the causes of the accident and come up with a report,‰?? said HEMRL Director KPS Murthy.
Senior Inspector Arun Waykar of Hinjewadi police station said, ‰??The workers were taking samples of some explosives when suddenly, some of the substances they were handling exploded.‰??
HEMRL is one of the oldest laboratories of the DRDO.
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OSU WRISTBANDS REVEAL TOXINS IN HOUSTON AREA
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/osu-wristbands-reveal-toxins-in-houston-area/283-565806378
Tags: us_OR, public, discovery, environmental, toxics
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- When Hurricane Harvey swept through the Houston area last August, it caused devastating floods.
Many residents worried those floodwaters had swept toxic chemicals into their neighborhoods.
It was a concern shared by scientists from Oregon State University.
So in the weeks following the hurricane, they flew down to Houston and passed out hundreds of special chemical absorbing wristbands. Participants wore the wristbands for one week.
Related: Wristband tracks chemicals you're exposed to, and how they affect you
Thirty-two of those participants lived in the Highlands area of Houston near a flooded Superfund site.
"The overarching concern is... are chemical exposures increasing?" asked Peter Hoffman, assistant director of the Food Safety and Environmental Stewardship Program at Oregon State University.
After wearing the wristbands, the participants sent them back to researchers at OSU, who were able to extract the chemicals from the first set.
The findings revealed the residents were being exposed to an unusually high number of chemicals.
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WHAT CAUSED EXPLOSION, CHEMICAL SPILL AT MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE POOL AREA?
https://www.modbee.com/news/article213390584.html
Tags: us_CA, education, explosion, response, carbon_dioxide
Modesto Junior College officials expect it will take several days to fully assess the damage from an explosion early Sunday at the east campus swimming pool that resulted in a chemical spill.
As more details emerged Monday, it appeared the blast shaking windows in surrounding neighborhoods originated in a carbon dioxide system in the pool room, a fire official said.
The east and west campuses were open Monday for summer courses and classes were in session. The college worked to relocate classes normally held in areas closed by the explosion and spill, an MJC spokeswoman said.
Officials closed the pool area, library, the MJC gymnasium, the men's and women's physical education buildings, nearby offices for PE staff, and the practice field to the west off Coldwell Avenue. The gymnasium and area around the pool were fenced off.
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SEMINAR ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY: FICCI ORGANISES A 3-DAY SEMINAR ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/ficci-organises-a-3-day-seminar-on-industrial-safety-and-emergency-preparedness/articleshow/64657833.cms
Tags: India, industrial, discovery, environmental, natural_gas, petroleum
LUCKNOW: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) jointly with Government of Uttar Pradesh, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), Natural Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Chemical &Industrial Disaster Management (CIDM) Board together organised a 3-days seminar on ‰??Industrial Safety and Emergency Preparedness‰?? on June 19, 2018 in Lucknow.
During the program, UP‰??s governor Ram Naik, UP‰??s Minister of Industrial Development, Satish Mahana, Commissioner, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department, Anup Chandra Pandey, Deputy Secretary General of FICCI, Nirakar Saxena and UP‰??s Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar were present.
The seminar witnessed participation of over 300 industry delegates throughout India from various sectors including Oil & Gas, Petroleum etc. along with key stakeholders from the government. A technical session was conducted which focused on various important issues related to prevention, preparedness, mitigation and best practices for ensuring safety in chemical, Petro-chemicals, Natural gas and Petroleum Industries.
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CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES CAUSED UNEXPECTED BENZENE CONTAMINATION OF DRINKING WATER
https://cen.acs.org/environment/water/California-wildfires-caused-unexpected-benzene/96/i26
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, benzene
As the 2018 wildfire season begins in the western U.S., part of Northern California is still grappling with previously unrecognized and wholly unanticipated damage from fires that burned 15,000 hectares and devastated the state‰??s wine country last year.
In addition to destroying more than 8,000 structures and killing 44 people, those fires unexpectedly also caused persistent contamination by the carcinogen benzene in the water infrastructure in a Santa Rosa neighborhood.
First detected in November, the benzene levels persisted for months, and Santa Rosa city officials feared a large portion of their water system would have to be replacedå-‰??a project they estimated would take two years and cost $43 million. Gradually, however, benzene levels dropped, most dramatically in the past few weeks, and a full system replacement may not be necessary. Nevertheless, the city will still be replacing up to 500 service lines at a cost of $3.4 million and supplying activated-charcoal filters to affected residents to ensure benzene levels fall below California‰??s limit of 1 ppb for drinking water.
The situation took the water supply industry and government agencies by surprise. Water experts say it‰??s likely to spur new research on the relationship between fires and water contamination and on ways to prevent such contamination.
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HONEY OIL LAB EXPLOSION AT DESERT HOT SPRINGS HOME
http://www.kesq.com/news/explosion-at-desert-hot-springs-home/754945870
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, clandestine_lab
DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. - A honey oil lab caused an explosion and fire at a home on West Dr. Monday.
Police and Fire responded to a call of explosions and fire just after noon on Monday at a house on the 12000 block of West Dr. in Desert Hot Springs.
Fire at a home on West Drive in Desert Hot Springs
A Hazmat team and Southern California Edison also arrived on scene. Cal Fire says that the house is a total loss.
Neighbors half a block away reported feeling the explosion and thinking it was an earthquake.
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WISCONSIN MANUFACTURER FINDS GROUNDWATER POLLUTION AT PLANT
http://www.startribune.com/wisconsin-manufacturer-finds-groundwater-pollution-at-plant/485833721/
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
MARINETTE, Wis. ‰?? A manufacturer in northeastern Wisconsin has discovered new evidence of groundwater pollution near Lake Michigan involving a chemical that has raised national health concerns.
Tyco Fire Products said this month that it discovered perfluorinated chemicals, or PFCs, in well samples at its manufacturing plant in Marinette. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had directed Tyco to test for PFCs at the wells, which are part of a separate cleanup of arsenic.
Tyco produces specialized firefighting foams that can extinguish gas and oil fires. PFCs are used in products like the firefighting foam and have been linked with increasing cancer risks and development problems in fetuses, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported .
Tyco, which is a unit of Johnson Controls International, said it's investigating the source and extent of the groundwater contamination by testing soil, ditches and surface water.
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NEW: CHEMICAL SPILL IN LOXAHATCHEE SHUTS DOWN TRAFFIC
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/new-chemical-spill-loxahatchee-shuts-down-traffic/dnHaHJboB3qn5VCD0mG1DP/
Tags: us_FL, transportation, release, response, chlorine
LOXAHATCHEE ‰??
Both east and west lanes of Orange Boulevard in Loxahatchee are closed after a chemical spill, the Palm Beach County Sheriff‰??s Office said.
A car crash at Orange Boulevard and 140th Avenue North resulted in minor injuries, deputies said. The crash resulted in a chlorine spill over the road, which deputies and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue are working to clear, the sheriff‰??s office said.
The cleanup will take about one to three hours, according to deputies.
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SENATE JOINS HOUSE IN APPROVING BUDGET FOR CSB
http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/17160-senate-joins-house-in-approving-budget-for-csb
Tags: us_WA, public, follow-up, environmental
Washington ‰?? The Chemical Safety Board is all but ensured of avoiding elimination for another fiscal year after the Senate allocated $11 million for the agency for FY 2019 in its Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
The legislation was unanimously approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 14. The amount matches CSB‰??s FY 2018 budget.
‰??The Board has the important responsibility of independently investigating industrial chemical accidents and collaborating with industry and professional organizations to share safety lessons that can prevent catastrophic incidents and the Committee expects this work to continue,‰?? the committee states in the bill.
The House Appropriations Committee allocated $12 million for the agency in its Interior and Environment bill, which was approved June 6.
In its past two budget proposals, the Trump administration has advocated eliminating CSB, citing the ‰??relative duplicative nature of [the agency‰??s] work, and the administration‰??s focus on streamlining functions across the federal government.‰??
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