From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (11 articles)
Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2019 07:18:38 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 533B6EE0-1D55-4B4B-8D64-FBB426291200**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, October 28, 2019 at 7:18:18 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)

PURE ETHANOL SPILL PROMPTS FULL HAZMAT RESPONSE IN BALLARD
Tags: us_WA, industrial, release, response, ethanol

CHEMICAL REACTION AT LEVIN POOL CAUSES EVACUATION
Tags: New_Zealand, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

PETROLEUM INCIDENT IN EUREKA
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, petroleum

STRANGE ODOR REPORTED IN WESTERN PART OF COUNTY FOR HOURS FRIDAY
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

ISRAELI TECHNION PROFESSOR DIES OF INJURIES AFTER LABORATORY EXPLOSION
Tags: Israel, laboratory, explosion, death, hydrogen

CHEMICAL LEAK NEAR FARMINGTON RESULTS IN EVACUATION OF HOUSES
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, response, ammonia

HAZMAT CREW CALLED TO NITROGEN TANK LEAK NEAR FORD AIRPORT, ROADS BLOCKED
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, nitrogen

HOUSES NEAR CHEMICAL PLANT 'TO HAVE WINDOWS THAT WON'T OPEN'
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, discovery, environmental

OSHA LOOKS TO FINE SUBURBAN MANUFACTURER $1.6 MILLION
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, death, propane

CHEMICAL FIRE CAUSES FISH KILL IN MILLEDGEVILLE CREEK
Tags: us_GA, industrial, release, response, solvent

HAZMAT TEAM CLEANING UP CHEMICAL SPILL AT SPOKANE VALLEY RAIL YARD
Tags: us_WA, transportation, release, response, ferric_chloride


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PURE ETHANOL SPILL PROMPTS FULL HAZMAT RESPONSE IN BALLARD
https://newsmaven.io/keynewsnetwork/seattle/pure-ethanol-spill-prompts-full-hazmat-response-in-ballard-6RcyU-2mBkOTOQGRgHiq9Q/
Tags: us_WA, industrial, release, response, ethanol

Employee working with pure Ethanol accident spills some on himself and the ground prompting combustion concern.

Seattle, WA: Around 8:15 p.m., Seattle Fire received a call from a business in the 1100 block of Northwest 51st Street stating they had spilled pure Ethanol on themselves and the ground.

The employee who spilled the substance on himself quickly removed his clothing and reported no injuries.

Due to the low combustion temperature of pure Ethanol, a full hazmat response was dispatched.

Seattle Fire Public Information Officer David Cuerpo said the temperature needed for Ethanol to auto ignite is only 57 degrees Fahrenheit.

Crews pulled a hose line and made entry to the building and slowly worked to dilute the spill to render it safe.

Seattle Fire stated that the spill was contained to the one building and there was no threat to nearby businesses or home.

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CHEMICAL REACTION AT LEVIN POOL CAUSES EVACUATION
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116970827/chemical-reaction-at-levin-pool
Tags: New_Zealand, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

A chemical incident at a Levin pool is believed to have been caused by a pump that wasn't working.

Fire, police and ambulance services rushed to the Levin Aquatic Centre about 11.50am on Monday after a chemical reaction caused breathing difficulties for pool staff and users.

Fire and Emergency assistant area commander Ian Penn said two chemicals had accidentally mixed and created a gas that caused irritation.

Horowhenua District Council chief executive David Clapperton said the reaction appeared to be caused by the chemicals being mixed in a pump that wasn't working properly.

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

PETROLEUM INCIDENT IN EUREKA
https://lostcoastoutpost.com/hazmat/19-6897/
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, petroleum

A new hazardous materials incident involving petroleum has been reported to the California Office of Emergency Services.

According to a report published by the office, the incident took place at or near a residence in Eureka at around 10:30 a.m. today.

Less than one gallon of a substance described as ‰??oil - mineral type, non pcb‰?? was released to the environment, according to the person who called in the report.

Here‰??s the description of the incident that was recorded by the Office of Emergency Services:

Pole mounted transformer failed causing the release, material flowed onto concrete, RP is handling the containment and clean up.

This was the 31st hazardous materials incident recorded by the Office of Emergency Services in the Eureka area this year and the 57th petroleum spill in the county overall.

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STRANGE ODOR REPORTED IN WESTERN PART OF COUNTY FOR HOURS FRIDAY
https://www.delcotimes.com/news/local/strange-odor-reported-in-western-part-of-county-for-hours/article_d3f62da2-f81d-11e9-b606-f39d1e9f5b01.html
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

Some people had a cough in their throat. Others had headaches. Some businesses closed and one school dismissed early because of a strange widespread unidentified smell in the western part of Delaware County Friday.

"We're no longer receiving calls, which is a good sign," Delaware County Director of Emergency Services Timothy Boyce said Saturday. "I think we still should all be concerned about what was the source of this release."

The 911 Center began receiving calls around 10 a.m. Friday morning from police, firefighters and residents in the area of Chester Heights, Aston and Concordville of an unidentifiable odor that smelled like gasoline or home heating oil.

"It really was an irritant to a lot of people," Boyce said, adding that the smell drifted northeast as his center began to get calls from the areas of Broomall, Newtown Square, Media and Springfield.

No one was treated for conditions related to this incident, Boyce said although some businesses did close and the Chester Charter School dismissed early.

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ISRAELI TECHNION PROFESSOR DIES OF INJURIES AFTER LABORATORY EXPLOSION
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israeli-technion-professor-dies-of-injuries-after-laboratory-explosion-1.8028768
Tags: Israel, laboratory, explosion, death, hydrogen

Prof. Emeritus Elazar Gutmanas, 80, died Saturday after he was badly injured two weeks ago in a laboratory explosion at the Technion ‰?? Israel Institute of Technology.

The explosion occurred during the course of Gutmanas‰?? research with hydrogen at his lab in the Department for Materials Science and Engineering, according to the fire department.

A senior Magen David Adom paramedic said at the time that Gutmanas was hospitalized with burns covering his body as well as other injuries to his upper body. He was taken to Rambam Hospital in Haifa in serious condition.

Gutmanas completed his Ph.D. in the USSR in 1970, before immigrating to Israel in 1974 and joining the Technion‰??s Materials Science department a few months later.

His research topics included synthesis of composite materials, wear-resistant coatings on metal alloys, developing nanostructured bulk materials and developing load bearing biocompatible implantable devices, according to the Technion.

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CHEMICAL LEAK NEAR FARMINGTON RESULTS IN EVACUATION OF HOUSES
https://www.pjstar.com/news/20191026/chemical-leak-near-farmington-results-in-evacuation-of-houses
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, response, ammonia

FARMINGTON ‰?? A chemical leak Saturday at an agricultural facility near Farmington caused about six nearby residences to be evacuated, according to authorities.

No damage or injuries were reported as a result of the incident, which took place about 12:15 p.m. at Walters Ag Service. It‰??s located along Illinois Route 116 about a mile west of the city.

An undetermined amount of anhydrous ammonia leaked from a 10,000-gallon storage tank, according to Chris Helle, the Fulton County director of emergency management. The tank contained about 2,600 gallons of the chemical.

Anhydrous ammonia is a pungent fertilizer that can be harmful to humans.

The residential evacuation along Silver Creek Road was undertaken out of an abundance of caution, Helle said. The area is south and west of the leak site.

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HAZMAT CREW CALLED TO NITROGEN TANK LEAK NEAR FORD AIRPORT, ROADS BLOCKED
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2019/10/hazmat-crew-called-to-nitrogen-tank-leak-near-ford-airport-roads-blocked.html
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, nitrogen

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A hazardous materials team has been called to a reported nitrogen leak at a Cascade Township company and some roads in the area are blocked.

Cascade Township firefighters responded about 7:10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25 to 3290 Patterson Ave. SE for the leak.

Firefighters reported that nitrogen was coming out of a tank outside of GE Aviation and there was some chemical fog in the area. The fog, however, was not drifting because of light winds.

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HOUSES NEAR CHEMICAL PLANT 'TO HAVE WINDOWS THAT WON'T OPEN'
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/houses-near-chemical-plant-to-17147584
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, discovery, environmental

Houses near a chemical plant could be built with windows that don't open to protect residents from the impact of their industrial neighbours.

Mulbury Homes and Magenta Living want to build 243 homes on the former ICI site in Widnes.

But neighbouring industrial firms such as ICoNiChem are against the move, saying "accidental releases of dangerous substances, explosions and fires" from their sites could impact on the people who live in the planned homes.

So Halton council‰??s planners have put forward a proposal that the houses should be built without opening windows on the upper floors.

ICoNiChem, a chemical manufacturer around 200 yards from the edge of the proposed development between Tan House Lane and the St Helens Canal , said Mulbury Homes had ‰??failed to appreciate the nature of the locality generally‰?? as an industrial area.

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OSHA LOOKS TO FINE SUBURBAN MANUFACTURER $1.6 MILLION
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing/osha-looks-fine-suburban-manufacturer-16-million
Tags: us_WI, industrial, follow-up, death, propane

Federal workplace safety regulators have proposed fining a Waukegan plant just under $1.6 million following a May explosion that killed four people.

AB Specialty Silicones was cited for 12 willful federal safety violations, according to a statement from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration. OSHA, a branch of the U.S. Department of Labor, placed the manufacturer of silicon products in its enforcement program for ‰??severe‰?? violators.

Michelle Penman, an account manager at AB Specialty Silicones, said in an email that the company had cooperated with the investigation and was now reviewing the citations.

"It is important to recognize the scope of the OSHA report goes beyond the elements that contributed to the tragic explosion," she wrote. "Our internal investigation, as well as the fire marshal‰??s report, confirmed the incident was in fact an accident, and there was no willful intent involved."

The plant‰??s electrical equipment didn‰??t meet OSHA standards, according to the OSHA statement. AB Specialty Silicones also moved flammable liquids using forklifts powered by liquid propane, driving them around areas where employees processed volatile liquids and gases, ‰??creating the potential for ignition.‰??

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CHEMICAL FIRE CAUSES FISH KILL IN MILLEDGEVILLE CREEK
https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/milledgeville-zschimmer-schwarz-chemical-plant-fish-kill/93-97a27981-6af3-44e1-aee4-9d5f13c8ab8c
Tags: us_GA, industrial, release, response, solvent

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. ‰?? A state agency says chemicals from a Milledgeville factory leaked into a nearby creek, and they're warning people not to eat any fish caught there.

On Monday night, Baldwin County crews battled a chemical fire at the Zschimmer & Schwarz Inc. plant on Highway 22.

Now, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division says chemicals from Zschimmer & Schwarz caused a fish kill in Fishing Creek.

By email, EPD spokesman Kevin Chambers said these chemicals were released from the plant during the fire:

phosphetal C810-4, a lubricant;
glycol ether DB, a solvent;
and sorbitanmonolaurate and sorbitan monooleate, which are used as food additives.
He said some of the chemicals were contained at the factory site, but others washed downstream.

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HAZMAT TEAM CLEANING UP CHEMICAL SPILL AT SPOKANE VALLEY RAIL YARD
https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/spokane-county/hazmat-team-at-chemical-spill-on-n-sullivan/293-c3c2bb14-8481-4bcc-86fc-d036c76ea2e9
Tags: us_WA, transportation, release, response, ferric_chloride

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. ‰?? The Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to a Spokane Valley rail yard, where a 911 caller reported they saw red liquid spewing out of a rail car near North Sullivan Rd.

That red liquid is ferric chloride from a Kemira Water Solutions rail car, according to Spokane Valley Fire spokesperson George Hedebeck. It‰??s a corrosive chemical that appears red because of its iron components.

Kemira Water Solutions was moving the substance between rail cars using water and pressure, according Hedebeck. When pressure was added, an air bubble formed and it caused the chemical to spew out of a fracture in the valve, Hedebeck said.

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