From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (12 articles)
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2019 06:32:39 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 89CB4EEF-E228-42CF-961B-E46640663BDF**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, November 4, 2019 at 6:32:21 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 (12 articles)

NEIGHBORS WAKE TO LOUD BOOM, FIND DISMEMBERED BODY AT DEKALB APARTMENT COMPLEX
Tags: us_GA, public, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

EXPLOSION AT DOW CHEMICAL PLANT IN LOUISIANA LEAVES NO INJURIES
Tags: us_LA, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

GUJARAT: THREE CHARRED TO DEATH AS BUS CATCHES FIRE
Tags: India, transportation, fire, death, unknown_chemical

AT LEAST EIGHT PALMER RESIDENTS RELOCATED AS CREWS WORK TO CLEAN UP OIL SPILL
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, oils

HAZMAT INCIDENT CLOSES UNION PACIFIC RAIL LINE
Tags: us_WA, transportation, release, response, ferric_chloride

CROSSINGS CLOSED BUT NO DANGER TO PUBLIC REPORTED AFTER FREIGHT TRAIN LEAKS CHEMICAL IN ROUND LAKE BEACH
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, ammonia

TWO KILLED IN EXPLOSION AT PHARMA GODOWN
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, pharmaceutical

MANDATORY EVACUATION DUE TO HAZMAT FIRE LIFTED FOR EST. 250 IN WILLIAMSBURG CO.
Tags: us_SC, public, fire, response, pesticides

TRI-STATE DRIVERS SHOULD BE ON ALERT FOR ANHYDROUS AMMONIA TANKS
Tags: us_IL, transportation, discovery, environmental, ammonia

CHINA SPRING NEIGHBORHOOD OVERWHELMED BY STENCH OF SEWAGE, BUT NO ONE KNOWS WHERE IT'S COMING FROM
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

ARLINGTON CO. WARNS RESIDENTS, PETS STAY OUT OF FOUR MILE RUN AFTER OIL TANK SPILL
Tags: us_VA, public, release, environmental, petroleum

5 CHARGED WITH MURDER IN CALIFORNIA DRUG LAB EXPLOSION
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, death, illegal, meth_lab


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

NEIGHBORS WAKE TO LOUD BOOM, FIND DISMEMBERED BODY AT DEKALB APARTMENT COMPLEX
https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/dekalb-county/neighbors-wake-to-loud-boom-find-dismembered-body-at-dekalb-apartment-complex/1004753358
Tags: us_GA, public, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - An explosion rocked a DeKalb County apartment complex early Sunday morning and when the sun came up, neighbors made a gruesome discovery.

Neighbors told Channel 2‰??s Lauren Davis they were awakened by a loud boom around 1:30 a.m.
Adrienne Hall said she found the body. She initially thought it was a Halloween prank.

‰??What I see is this leftover Halloween mannequin,‰?? Hall said is what she initially thought.

Then she called her fianc̩ to take a look.

‰??It didn‰??t look like a Halloween decoration,‰?? said Kevin Harris. ‰??I don‰??t know anyone in this neighborhood who would go to that kind of detail.‰??

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

EXPLOSION AT DOW CHEMICAL PLANT IN LOUISIANA LEAVES NO INJURIES
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/03/us/chemical-explosion-louisiana/index.html
Tags: us_LA, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

(CNN)An explosion at a Dow chemical plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana, on Sunday morning created a loud noise but left no injuries and has not posed a threat to the public at this time, according to Iberville Parish Council.

Chemical plant Dow Louisiana Operations reported that a vessel ruptured on site this morning and a loud noise was heard in the community.
"There are no injuries on site, and we are currently conducting air monitoring," Dow Louisiana Operations said in a statement on Facebook. "We have stopped all flow that was going to the vessel. During our initial assessment there does not appear to be any off-site impact other than the noise."
The company said the production unit is stable and that the rest of the site is running safely.

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

GUJARAT: THREE CHARRED TO DEATH AS BUS CATCHES FIRE
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/3-charred-to-death-as-bus-catches-fire/articleshow/71880769.cms
Tags: India, transportation, fire, death, unknown_chemical

SURAT/RAJKOT: Three passengers including a father-son duo were charred to death when a private bus coming to Ahmedabad from Pune caught fire after ramming a chemical tanker on national highway- 48 near Bharuch on Sunday.
The bus belonging to Gujarat Travels, which was carrying 27 passengers, crashed into the tanker from behind at around 4:45am when most passengers were asleep.
Police said that the bus driver tried overtaking the tanker at a turn near Atithi Resort, five km from Bharuch, but lost control and rammed into it. Due to the impact of the collision, the bus caught fire.
While most passengers jolted from their sleep rushed out somehow, three men - Kirit Shah (66), his son Harsh (30) and Prashant Shah (28) - could not come out in time and got charred inside.

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

AT LEAST EIGHT PALMER RESIDENTS RELOCATED AS CREWS WORK TO CLEAN UP OIL SPILL
https://www.westernmassnews.com/news/at-least-eight-palmer-residents-relocated-as-crews-work-to/article_45046af6-fcf4-11e9-a960-8fe81eb6477b.html
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, oils

PALMER, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - At least eight people have been relocated as crews work to clean a massive oil spill at a home in the Thorndike section of town.

According to Chief Roy of the Palmer Fire Department, crews were called to a multi-family home on the 4020 block of Church Street around 3:30 Friday afternoon.

Firefighters arrived to find that over 100 gallons of heating oil had spilled out inside the basement of a home located at 4026-4032 Church Street.

Chief Roy says that the Department of Environmental Protection has been called in to assist and is classifying this situation as a Tier 1 hazmat.

We're told that the American Red Cross was immediately notified of the situation and reached out to the four families that resided at the Church Street home to see if they needed help finding temporary shelter.

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

HAZMAT INCIDENT CLOSES UNION PACIFIC RAIL LINE
http://www.spokanevalleyonline.com/articles_svnews/2019/110119_Hazmat%20incident%20closes%20Union%20Pacific%20Rail%20Line.html
Tags: us_WA, transportation, release, response, ferric_chloride

Spokane Valley Fire Department units responded last Friday to a report of a hazardous materials release from a railcar at Kemira Water Solutions, 2317 N Sullivan.

A total of 15 apparatus and support vehicles responded, said George Hedebeck, SVFD spokesman.
Just before 3p.m., SVFD was notified by dispatch that an unknown red fluid was leaking from a railcar on the Union Pacific spur line. A drive-by caller on Sullivan noticed a visible stream of red liquid leaking from a railcar.

SVFD Engine 5 arrived first on scene and witnessed a red liquid leaking from a railcar under pressure, and began requesting a full hazardous materials response which included units from Spokane Fire Department‰??s Hazmat team.

The Engine 5 officer made contact with a Kemira official, who stated that the product was ferric chloride, and had been leaking for approximate 30 minutes.

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

CROSSINGS CLOSED BUT NO DANGER TO PUBLIC REPORTED AFTER FREIGHT TRAIN LEAKS CHEMICAL IN ROUND LAKE BEACH
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/ct-lns-round-lake-beach-train-st-1102-20191101-sd4h4rrzg5a6dctdeyaq3nx3ha-story.html
Tags: us_IL, transportation, release, response, ammonia

Formica said the train was rolling through the area at the intersection of the tracks and Monaville Road when a piece of metal debris apparently was hit and flew up, striking a railroad car and causing a breach.

An initial call on the incident came in at 9:38 a.m., Formica said.

About 20 pounds of a non-airborne ammonia compound was released, but the leak was quickly sealed and railroad crews began addressing the clean-up situation.

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

TWO KILLED IN EXPLOSION AT PHARMA GODOWN
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/two-killed-in-explosion-at-pharma-godown/article29858617.ece
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, pharmaceutical

Two men were killed in a devastating explosion that ripped through a pharmaceutical distribution godown at a commercial complex in Seelamvari Street at Kothapet here in the early hours of Thursday. Kolagani Rama Rao, who is the proprietor of Long Live Pharmaceutical Company, and K. Madhava Rao, a local electrician, were killed in the explosion. The impact of the explosion was so severe that the entire store was gutted, the iron shutters of the adjacent shops were flattened and the thick blanket of soot was formed on the ground floor of the complex. While the cause of the explosion is not yet clear, preliminary investigation revealed that a gaseous explosion could have caused the incident which took place in a crowded commercial area in the town.

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

MANDATORY EVACUATION DUE TO HAZMAT FIRE LIFTED FOR EST. 250 IN WILLIAMSBURG CO.
https://abcnews4.com/news/local/multiple-structures-burning-near-greeleyville-residents-asked-to-avoid-hazmat-scene
Tags: us_SC, public, fire, response, pesticides

UPDATE (9:15 PM): An estimated 250 residents are under a mandatory evacuation nearly Greeleyville, according to Lt. Moyd with Williamsburg County Emergency Management.

Two farm sheds and a mobile home on Bloody Bucket Rd. caught fire, and the hazmat situation stems from herbicides and pesticides stored in the sheds. "The smoke that was coming from this fire contained herbicides and pesticides they used at this farm," said Capt. William Horton with the Williamsburg County Fire Department.

Evacuees are being directed to a shelter at 2086 Thurgood Marshall Hwy. in Kingstree. As of 11 PM, the Red Cross said two evacuees were staying at the shelter.

Residents nearby the fire who were not evacuated are told to shelter in place with their doors and windows shut.

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

TRI-STATE DRIVERS SHOULD BE ON ALERT FOR ANHYDROUS AMMONIA TANKS
https://khqa.com/news/local/tri-state-drivers-should-be-on-alert-for-anhydrous-ammonia-tanks
Tags: us_IL, transportation, discovery, environmental, ammonia

UTTER, Ill. ‰?? Drivers may find themselves in long lines, stuck in traffic, or looking for a way to get around machinery this harvest season.

As crops are being taken out of the field, farmers begin soil preparations for next year using anhydrous ammonia.

Most Tri-State farmers remain out of the field this week due to high moisture levels both in the field and in the crop.

Cold temperatures also are slowing the drying process. But temperatures must remain cool for farmers to apply anhydrous ammonia.

With dryer weather in next week's forecast, drivers will need to be on the lookout not only for farm equipment, but also anhydrous ammonia tanks.

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

CHINA SPRING NEIGHBORHOOD OVERWHELMED BY STENCH OF SEWAGE, BUT NO ONE KNOWS WHERE IT'S COMING FROM
https://www.kxxv.com/hometown/mclennan-county/china-spring-neighborhood-overwhelmed-by-stench-of-sewage-but-no-one-knows-where-its-coming-from
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

By: Joel Lopez

CHINA SPRING, TX ‰?? A China Spring neighborhood is worried for their health after an overwhelming sewage odor made its way into their homes, and they fear it'll only get worse.

People in the High Point Addition neighborhood say the sewage smell is causing them to have headaches, dizziness, nausea, and even vomiting.

"It's enough to take your breath away. It'll gag you," said resident William Dickson

Waco Water Utility services said they've gone through and put a camera through the sewage lines and found no problems.

They've also flushed nearly 13,000 gallons of water to the force main that's coming from China Spring Elementary School, suspecting that the school may be the source of problem.

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

ARLINGTON CO. WARNS RESIDENTS, PETS STAY OUT OF FOUR MILE RUN AFTER OIL TANK SPILL
https://wtop.com/arlington/2019/10/arlington-co-warns-residents-pets-stay-out-of-four-mile-run-after-chemical-contamination/
Tags: us_VA, public, release, environmental, petroleum

Arlington County, Virginia, is warning residents to keep themselves and their pets out of Four Mile Run following a spill from an underground oil tank Thursday.

In an update just before 3:30 p.m., Arlington Fire said the source of the spill had come from an underground oil tank in the area of S. Carlin Springs Road and Columbia Pike, at the border of Arlington County.

A hazmat crew was initially dispatched around 6:30 a.m. Thursday to the 4200 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive after reports of a chemical odor and sheen on the water. When the hazmat team investigated, they found what they assumed to be a petroleum product leaving the sheen. The team then deployed special booms to try to contain the product.

‰??A cleanup contractor and our hazmat team are on scene. Use caution in the area as there is a sheen of product on the roadway,‰?? Arlington Fire tweeted.

With a number of dog parks nearby, and many people who like to let their dogs play in the water, officials are recommending that everyone stay clear of Four Mile Run until they give the all clear.

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

5 CHARGED WITH MURDER IN CALIFORNIA DRUG LAB EXPLOSION
http://www.startribune.com/5-charged-in-deadly-california-honey-oil-lab-explosion/564181972/
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, death, illegal, meth_lab

LOS ANGELES ‰?? Five men have been charged with murder following a deadly explosion at an illegal drug lab in a Los Angeles in September that killed a man who worked with them, authorities announced Thursday.

For at least two months the defendants and the victim operated a lab in Chatsworth, in the San Fernando Valley, where they extracted the high-inducing chemical THC from cannabis plants to create a highly potent concentrate known as hash oil or honey oil, the Los Angeles district attorney's office said in a statement. The extraction process is dangerous and often involves butane, an odorless gas that easily ignites.

The oil can be used in vape pens, edibles, waxes and other products. Vaping-related illnesses have soared nationwide and many victims reported purchasing illegal THC oils.

The Chatsworth lab exploded Sept. 21 while four of the men and the victim, Dados Aroutiounov, 62, were inside. Aroutiounov's remains, burned beyond recognition, were found the following day under a pile of debris after investigators received information that someone may have been killed in the fire.

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


Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org

Membership chair
American Chemical Society
Division of Chemical Health and Safety

---
For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post



The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.