From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (13 articles)
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 05:45:35 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 8E8C3605-6D53-486B-B545-5F58093D6454**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at 5:45:12 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 (13 articles)

HYDROGEN LEAK CLOSES ENTRANCE TO TOWN INDUSTRIAL PARK
Tags: us_VT, industrial, release, response, hydrogen

HALFWAY HOUSE RESIDENT IN UPPER DARBY ORDERS URANIUM, PROMPTS HAZMAT TEAM RESPONSE
Tags: us_PA, public, discovery, response, uranium

NUSTAR BLAST: HAZMAT OFFICIAL SAYS HE LEARNED OF FIRE FROM REPORTERS. NOT FIRM
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ethanol

HEAD OF US CHEMICAL FIRM GRILLED OVER FRENCH FACTORY BLAZE
Tags: France, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

UPDATE: ALL CLEAR GIVEN TO WVU ENGINEERING RESEARCH BUILDING THAT WAS EVACUATED
Tags: us_WV, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

NUSTAR INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY; COUNTY COULD CHANGE REGULATIONS
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

EPA OVERSEEING CLEANUP OF CHEMICAL PLANT DESTROYED IN FIRE
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

KCK APARTMENT BUILDING EXPLOSION BREAKS WINDOWS THROUGHOUT COMPLEX
Tags: us_KS, public, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

ELEVATED LEVELS OF CARBON MONOXIDE FOUND IN DURHAM APARTMENT PROMPT EVACUATION
Tags: us_NC, public, release, response, batteries, carbon_monoxide

CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES SCIENCE CENTER AT HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY
Tags: us_AR, laboratory, release, response, other_chemical

HAZMAT INCIDENT AT MARSHFIELD CLINIC LAB CLEARED SAFELY
Tags: us_WI, laboratory, release, response, nitric_acid

MILLEDGEVILLE CREWS BATTLE FIRE AT CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: us_GA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

ONE HURT IN FIRE IN MEERUT'S KHARKHAUDA CHEMICAL FACTORY
Tags: India, industrial, fire, injury, solvent


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HYDROGEN LEAK CLOSES ENTRANCE TO TOWN INDUSTRIAL PARK
https://www.samessenger.com/news/hydrogen-leak-closes-entrance-to-town-industrial-park/article_d50297c2-f4ca-11e9-84be-f79d10a5fcc4.html
Tags: us_VT, industrial, release, response, hydrogen

ST. ALBANS ‰?? The fire department briefly stopped traffic from entering the St. Albans Town Industrial Park in response to a hydrogen leak at Superior Technical Ceramics (STC) Tuesday morning.

According to Harold "Bobby" Cross, the St. Albans Town Fire Chief, STC's kiln operator noticed something was off when he arrived in the morning and used a detector to determine that there was a leak.

STC contacted the fire department at approximately 5:45 a.m. and evacuated the building.

Workers at other businesses in the park sheltered in place while fire fighters determined the area was safe.

Hydrogen is "highly flammable," said Cross. It's also lighter than other gases, causing it to rise.

The Vermont Hazmat Team also responded to the scene and a check was done of both low-lying areas and high points in the building to make sure the gas hadn't collected anywhere.

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HALFWAY HOUSE RESIDENT IN UPPER DARBY ORDERS URANIUM, PROMPTS HAZMAT TEAM RESPONSE
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/halfway-house-resident-orders-uranium-prompts-hazmat-team-response/article_a084d100-f505-11e9-8b87-1f55920b19ba.html
Tags: us_PA, public, discovery, response, uranium

UPPER DARBY ‰?? The Delaware County Certified Hazardous Materials Response Team made an unusual visit to a West Chester Pike halfway house Monday afternoon after a resident there received an order of uranium through the mail.

‰??Just another day in Delco,‰?? said Delaware County Emergency Services Director Tim Boyce, whose office oversees the Hazmat team.

Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said the unidentified resident of Harwood House at 9200 West Chester Pike had ordered two grams of powdered uranium for $12 from United Nuclear Scientific Equipment and Supplies in Michigan.

Chitwood said the uranium was in a powder form and was sealed inside a glass vial within a cardboard box when it was delivered to Harwood House about 3 p.m. The halfway house screens all incoming packages and detected the powder, he said, at which point police and fire fighters were called to the scene.

---------------------------------------------

NUSTAR BLAST: HAZMAT OFFICIAL SAYS HE LEARNED OF FIRE FROM REPORTERS. NOT FIRM
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/NuStar-blast-Hazmat-official-says-he-learned-of-14554561.php
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ethanol

Minutes after two NuStar Energy ethanol storage tanks caught fire and exploded in Crockett, Contra Costa County‰??s hazardous materials chief learned about the blaze from reporters who were phoning him. His wife, who lives in Crockett, then called to ask what was burning.

He still hadn‰??t heard from the company itself.

At no point on Oct. 15 did NuStar reach out to the hazardous materials office, which is required under state rules, hazardous materials chief Randy Sawyer told Contra Costa supervisors Tuesday in a hearing about the fire that shut down Interstate 80 and forced thousands of residents to shelter in place.

---------------------------------------------

HEAD OF US CHEMICAL FIRM GRILLED OVER FRENCH FACTORY BLAZE
https://www.courthousenews.com/head-of-us-chemical-firm-grilled-over-france-factory-blaze/
Tags: France, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

(CN) ‰?? The CEO of Ohio-based chemical giant Lubrizol appeared before both houses of the French Parliament on Tuesday to face questions about a factory fire in Normandy last month that forced locals to stay indoors.

Speaking in English, Eric Schnur told the French politicians, ‰??We want to be good neighbors, we want to help,‰?? when questioned about what the company was planning to do for the victims of the fire in the northern city of Rouen.

In the early morning hours of Sept. 26, a fire broke out at the Lubrizol chemical factory in Rouen, a port city of around 100,000 people on the River Seine and capital of the region of Normandy. Some 5,000 tons of chemicals burned in the blaze that spread to neighboring warehouses.

No one was injured in the fire, which took 130 firefighters to extinguish, but Rouen residents have since complained of ailments including headaches, diarrhea, and vomiting.

---------------------------------------------

UPDATE: ALL CLEAR GIVEN TO WVU ENGINEERING RESEARCH BUILDING THAT WAS EVACUATED
https://www.wdtv.com/content/news/WVU-evacuates-Engineering-Research-Building-due-to-chemical-accident-precaution-563641451.html
Tags: us_WV, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

MORGANTOWN, W.VA. (WDTV) -- UPDATE 10/22/2018 **At_Symbol_Here** 8:00 p.m.
The "all clear" has been given for the Engineering Research Building that had been evacuated, according to the WVU Alert Twitter page.

The affected chemicals have been removed from the lab. Operations in the building will now resume as normal.

UPDATE 10/22/2018 **At_Symbol_Here** 2:45 p.m.
West Virginia University students, faculty and staff in the Engineering Research Building were sent home Tuesday as a precaution after a chemical accident inside one of the laboratories.

---------------------------------------------

NUSTAR INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY; COUNTY COULD CHANGE REGULATIONS
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/10/22/concerns-about-nustar-explosion-in-crockett-prompt-contra-costa-officials-to-review-safety-ordinance/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

Contra Costa County supervisors on Tuesday decided to explore whether fuel storage facilities such as the one in Crockett that exploded last week should be regulated like refineries and chemical plants.

The move followed a presentation by Contra Costa County‰??s hazardous materials chief, who revealed he first learned of the NuStar explosion and fire from the news media and his wife a few minutes after it happened, instead of from the facility itself.

In addition, Contra Costa Fire Protection District Chief Lewis Broschard said NuStar‰??s own fire suppression system was not immediately activated, though it‰??s too early to tell whether that was because the system failed or employees didn‰??t activate it.

---------------------------------------------

EPA OVERSEEING CLEANUP OF CHEMICAL PLANT DESTROYED IN FIRE
https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/22/epa-overseeing-cleanup-of-chemical-plant-destroyed-in-fire/aagvnj1/
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

The Environmental Protection Agency will oversee the cleanup of a chemical plant outside New Lenox that was destroyed by fire in August, according to a news release.

On Aug. 3 and 4, a large fire destroyed the MPG Industries chemical plant at 20604 Amherst Court, EPA officials said. The company makes custom tools with special chemicals.

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KCK APARTMENT BUILDING EXPLOSION BREAKS WINDOWS THROUGHOUT COMPLEX
https://fox4kc.com/2019/10/21/kck-apartment-building-explosion-breaks-windows-throughout-complex/
Tags: us_KS, public, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- An apparent explosion nearly leveled a KCK apartment building and shattered windows throughout the Villa Bella Townhomes complex late Sunday night.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 55th Terrace and Everett Avenue shortly after 11 p.m.

Due to the instability of the structure, a defensive fire attack was set up with a second alarm being called, a collapse zone was established around the structure.

Heavy Rescue and Hazmat was ordered to assist with structural collapse and a strong odor on scene. Surrounding apartments were evacuated and checked for gas levels. BPU and Atmos gas companies were called to disconnect utilities.

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ELEVATED LEVELS OF CARBON MONOXIDE FOUND IN DURHAM APARTMENT PROMPT EVACUATION
https://abc11.com/all-clear-given-after-durham-apartment-carbon-monoxide-scare-/5636944/
Tags: us_NC, public, release, response, batteries, carbon_monoxide

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The odor from charging golf cart sparked 911 calls and an evacuation at a Durham apartment Monday night.

The Durham Fire Department said calls came in for the odor and respiratory difficulty at Lofts at Southside on S. Roxboro.

Elevated levels of carbon monoxide were found in tests and the call became a hazmat situation.

Durham fire officials said 40 people were evacuated and two were transported as a precaution.

The issue turned out to be a golf cart that was being charged overnight. The batteries produced an odor which led to the 911 calls for breathing problems, Durham fire officials said.

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CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES SCIENCE CENTER AT HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY
https://katv.com/news/local/chemical-spill-closes-science-center-at-henderson-state-university
Tags: us_AR, laboratory, release, response, other_chemical

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) ‰?? A chemical spill has led to the closure of the Reynolds Science Center at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia.

University spokeswoman Tina Hall said Monday that the center has been closed since Oct. 8, when a concerned faculty member reported an odor in the building. Police and fire officials evacuated the building. State police and the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management examined the building and confirmed that chemicals were spilled in a lab on the third floor.

Hall said that tests found benzyl chloride in the labs. It's an extremely hazardous substance that's used in the production of dyes and pharmaceutical products, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It's also used as a photographic developer.

Benzyl chloride may also be used to synthesize amphetamines, according to published research. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration monitors sales of the chemical.

---------------------------------------------

HAZMAT INCIDENT AT MARSHFIELD CLINIC LAB CLEARED SAFELY
https://waow.com/news/top-stories/2019/10/21/hazmat-incident-at-marshfield-clinic-lab-cleared-safely/
Tags: us_WI, laboratory, release, response, nitric_acid

UPDATE 4:45PM: New information has been released by Marshfield Fire & Rescue in regards to the HAZMAT incident at Marshfield Clinic.

Deputy Chief Troy Weiland says their crews were called at approximately 1:27pm Monday for a spill of Nitric acid.

According to Weiland, lab employees at the Melvin Laird Center on the Clinic Campus were pouring some of the acid into a 1 liter container when an unexpected chemical reaction occurred, causing a flush of orange-colored gas.

Two floors of the building were evacuated and all employees were accounted for after HAZMAT and Fire/Rescue crews arrived.

The spilled acid was found, contained and isolated in a fume hood within the building.

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MILLEDGEVILLE CREWS BATTLE FIRE AT CHEMICAL PLANT
https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/milledgeville-zschimmer-schwarz-fire-at-chemical-plant/93-e07101de-6efc-4e9b-a2d9-5ff55d0b0600
Tags: us_GA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. ‰?? Crews in Milledgeville battled a chemical fire at the Zschimmer & Schwarz Inc. plant Monday evening.

According to Phillip Adams with Baldwin County Fire Rescue, at about 6:30 p.m., the call came in about a fire inside the plant. Adams says it started from a reaction from the chemicals produced by the plant.

The City of Milledgeville and the county both assisted in putting out heavy fire and smoke coming from the building. The fire was contained in about 30 minutes.

The plant is investigating the chemicals and what could have caused them to ignite.

Adams says, "we didn't initiate any evacuation of any of the local areas, nor did we initiate any sheltering in place. Everything was localized to the building. No concerns for the people or the environment right now."

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ONE HURT IN FIRE IN MEERUT'S KHARKHAUDA CHEMICAL FACTORY
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/massive-fire-in-kharkhauda-chemical-factory-one-worker-sustains-burns/articleshow/71676730.cms
Tags: India, industrial, fire, injury, solvent

MEERUT: A massive fire engulfed a chemical factory in Meerut‰??s Kharkhauda on Sunday, with one worker sustaining severe burns in his legs. The fire broke out when the solvent stored in drums in the factory caught fire during loading and unloading of stock. Firemen battled for four hours before dousing the fire. An investigation has been set up in the.
‰??As many as six fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the fire in the factory. The fire broke out at about 9am. The fire took at least four hours to be doused as it rapidly spread among the drums full of chemical solvents,‰?? said Sanjeev Kumar Singh, fire station officer.

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