From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (13 articles)
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2019 08:35:42 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: A28CE896-039B-4E79-B4BF-2F281E581808**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, November 11, 2019 at 8:35:22 AM

A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
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Table of Contents (13 articles)

POLICE SAY SAN MATEO HAZMAT INCIDENT CAUSED BY LEAKING FREEZER ‰?? SFBAY
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, ammonia

GAS LEAK KARDINIA PARK: CFA CREWS WORK TO SECURE GAS LEAK
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, natural_gas

DECATUR TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT LT. DIES AFTER LEUKEMIA DIAGNOSIS
Tags: us_IN, industrial, follow-up, death, toxics

EPA SETTLES WITH SEAFOOD STORAGE BUSINESS OVER DELAY IN REPORTING AMMONIA LEAK
Tags: us_WA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonia

KENT CHEMICAL LEAK: OVER 50 PEOPLE TREATED FOR BREATHING PROBLEMS IN BRITISH TOWN
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical

CHEMICAL LEAK THREATENS CHINO HILLS RESIDENTS ‰?? DAILY BULLETIN
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical

EXPLOSION HEAVILY DAMAGES KENTUCKY HEMP PROCESSING FACILITY
Tags: us_KY, laboratory, explosion, response, ag_chems

2 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS IN DC
Tags: us_DC, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical

RAGPICKER INJURED IN PLASTIC CONTAINER BLAST
Tags: India, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

AIR FORCE TESTS PLASMA REACTOR TO DESTROY ‰??FOREVER CHEMICALS‰?? IN CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER
Tags: us_NM, industrial, follow-up, environmental

SPEEDING UP EDC IDENTIFICATION WOULD REQUIRE MORE ANIMAL TESTING ‰?? ECHA‰??S HANSEN
Tags: Denmark, public, discovery, environmental, toxics

EU ASKED TO CREATE COMPREHENSIVE RULES ON ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS
Tags: Denmark, public, discovery, environmental, toxics

'NOT IN GREAT CONDITION': WESTERN GUILFORD STUDENT BURNED DURING CHEMISTRY CLASS EXPERIMENT, PARENTS SAY
Tags: us_NC, education, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical


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POLICE SAY SAN MATEO HAZMAT INCIDENT CAUSED BY LEAKING FREEZER ‰?? SFBAY
https://sfbay.ca/2019/11/10/police-say-san-mateo-hazmat-incident-caused-by-leaking-freezer/
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, ammonia

he source of a strong ammonia smell that prompted the hazardous materials closure of a block of South B Street in San Mateo on Sunday morning has been identified by the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department as a fluid leak from an unmaintained freezer.

The freezer was located in an apartment building at 1427 South B St., according to San Mateo police.

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GAS LEAK KARDINIA PARK: CFA CREWS WORK TO SECURE GAS LEAK
https://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/geelong/cfa-securing-gas-leak-at-kardinia-park/news-story/5f38531bfb0892303675b50c30ca7ea8
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, natural_gas

A GAS leak wreaked havoc at Kardinia Park this afternoon, forcing a road to close.

The leak from a ruptured gas main closed part of Latrobe Terrace in both directions for more than two hours.

CFA trucks were called to the Moorabool St site at about 12.42pm, with four units attending as well as a specialist hazmat van.

A CFA spokeswoman said firefighters were called to ‰??a large vapour cloud‰??.

She said the gas company had been notified and were on scene with specialist equipment to fix the main.

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

DECATUR TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT LT. DIES AFTER LEUKEMIA DIAGNOSIS
https://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/decatur-township-fire-department-lt-dies-after-leukemia-diagnosis
Tags: us_IN, industrial, follow-up, death, toxics

INDIANAPOLIS ‰?? Decatur Township Fire Department Lt. Tracy Hayden, 38, died Saturday evening after he was diagnosed with Leukemia in April.

Hayden joined the fire department in July 2002 and was promoted to lieutenant in 2011, according to a tweet from DTFD. In 2014, he was promoted to Division Chief of Fire and Life Safety.

In April, Hayden was diagnosed with Leukemia believed to be the result of prolong exposure to toxic chemicals when he was investigating a fire at a chemical storage location, according to the Supporting Heroes website. His diagnosis came less than four years after he was exposed to the chemicals.

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EPA SETTLES WITH SEAFOOD STORAGE BUSINESS OVER DELAY IN REPORTING AMMONIA LEAK
https://stockdailydish.com/epa-settles-with-seafood-storage-business-over-delay-in-reporting-ammonia-leak/
Tags: us_WA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ammonia

A Seattle-based company that runs a seafood cold storage facility in Unalaska will upgrade its refrigeration system, improve its hazmat response and pay a $10,000 fine as part of a federal settlement over a dangerous ammonia leak last year.

The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it reached an agreement with Kloosterboer Dutch Harbor LLC over violations related to the Dec. 3 incident that seriously injured a worker. But the company didn‰??t alert the or the Alaska Emergency Response Commission until more than 46 hours after the ammonia leak.

The company‰??s failure to make a quick notification about the release put first responders at risk, the EPA said. A line inside a freezer leaked 125 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, which attacks the skin, eyes, throat and lungs and can kill, according to the EPA.

Under the settlement, the upgraded system will include leak detectors to trigger alarms and an automatic shutoff. An emergency exhaust system will be activated. The company also will purchase hazmat equipment for Unalaska‰??s Department of Public Safety and will provide hazmat training to two company employees.

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KENT CHEMICAL LEAK: OVER 50 PEOPLE TREATED FOR BREATHING PROBLEMS IN BRITISH TOWN
https://infosurhoy.com/news/kent-chemical-leak-over-50-people-treated-for-breathing-problems-in-british-town/
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical

More than 50 people are being treated for breathing problems after a suspected chemical leak at a commercial site near Maidstone in Kent.


Paramedics were called to the location at around 3:00 PM on Wednesday afternoon.

Seven fire engines and hazardous material officers, along with a specialist chemical unit are also at the scene.

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

CHEMICAL LEAK THREATENS CHINO HILLS RESIDENTS ‰?? DAILY BULLETIN
https://www.dailybulletin.com/2019/11/09/chemical-leak-threatens-chino-hills-residents/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical

Chino Hills residents living near a chemical leak were asked to shelter in place for more than 10 hours Friday night and Saturday morning, the San Bernardino County Sheriff‰??s Department said.

The leak was reported about 9:20 p.m. at a commercial business in the 12000 block of East End Avenue. Roads were closed in the area. The Sheriff‰??s Department said the leak was stabilized just after 5 a.m. but that dangerous fumes remained in the area. The all-clear was given just after 8 a.m.

A message was left for the Chino Valley Fire Protection District seeking details. As of 2 p.m. Saturday, the department had not publicly reported any information, including the type of chemical, the nature of the business, why the leak happened or whether anyone was injured.

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EXPLOSION HEAVILY DAMAGES KENTUCKY HEMP PROCESSING FACILITY
https://www.wvlt.tv/content/news/Explosion--564654941.html
Tags: us_KY, laboratory, explosion, response, ag_chems

WINCHESTER, Ky. (WKYT) ‰?? A Clark County dispatcher told WKYT there was an explosion and a fire at a hemp processing plant in Kentucky Thursday night.

The plant, called GenCanna is an agricultural technology company and has a hemp processing facility in Clark County.

GenCanna confirms that the G1 building of the Hemp Research Campus caught fire.

Clark County Fire Chief Ernie Barnes says they saw a large fire in the middle part of the building when they arrived.

Barnes said crews were working at the time. Firefighters have no reports of any injuries, and GenCanna confirms there were no injuries.

"Firefighters knocked down the flames pretty quick," Barnes said.

Part of GenCanna's business is to extra CBD oil from hemp plants.

Barnes said the part of the building that exploded and caught fire looks more like a laboratory. He said it's close to the size of a gym and had a lot of structural damage.

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2 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS IN DC
https://patch.com/district-columbia/washingtondc/2-people-hospitalized-after-being-exposed-chemicals-dc
Tags: us_DC, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical

WASHINGTON, DC ‰?? Two people have been sent to the hospital after being exposed to chemicals in a commercial dishwasher, authorities say.

D.C. Fire and EMS responded to the 1800 block of 14th Street NW for a hazmat incident after three people were exposed to the chemicals, the department said at around noon.

Two were transported to the hospital for evaluation, and the third person was treated and released at the scene.

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

RAGPICKER INJURED IN PLASTIC CONTAINER BLAST
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/ragpicker-injured-in-plastic-container-blast/article29925816.ece
Tags: India, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

A 25-year-old woman rag-picker was seriously injured after a plastic container she collected from a garbage heap exploded at Vijayapuri Colony of Meerpet on Friday morning.

Nirmala, a resident of Singareni Colony in Saidabad, was taken to a private hospital in the area and then shifted to Osmania General Hospital. She was said to be recuperating at OGH.

The victim suffered severe injuries on her left leg and right hand due to the impact of the explosion that took place around 8.30 a.m. when she tried to open a plastic box containing an unknown chemical solvent. ‰??She failed to open the box and hit it hard on the ground, which resulted in the explosion,‰?? Meerpet inspector Shiva Shankar said.

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AIR FORCE TESTS PLASMA REACTOR TO DESTROY ‰??FOREVER CHEMICALS‰?? IN CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER
https://nypost.com/2019/11/08/air-force-tests-plasma-reactor-to-destroy-forever-chemicals-in-contaminated-groundwater/
Tags: us_NM, industrial, follow-up, environmental

The Air Force is testing a plasma reactor to destroy harmful chemical compounds in contaminated groundwater.

The manmade compounds, which are called per- and polyfluoroalykyl substances, or PFAS, have seeped into groundwater at a number of military bases as a result of their former use in firefighting foam. The compounds, which have also been used in a number of commercial and industrial products, have been dubbed ‰??forever chemicals‰?? because they do not break down.

Last year the Department of Defense published a list of military installations that have water near or around them containing harmful levels of PFAS. Earlier this year New Mexico sued the Air Force over groundwater contamination at two bases.

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SPEEDING UP EDC IDENTIFICATION WOULD REQUIRE MORE ANIMAL TESTING ‰?? ECHA‰??S HANSEN
https://chemicalwatch.com/84330/speeding-up-edc-identification-would-require-more-animal-testing-echas-hansen#overlay-strip
Tags: Denmark, public, discovery, environmental, toxics

The process of speeding up identifying endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) ‰?? one of the biggest challenges for European regulators ‰?? would require more animal tests, Echa executive director Bjorn Hansen has said.

Addressing the European Parliament‰??s environment committee (Envi) on 7 November, Mr Hansen said more information was needed on EDCs and the key to that was "more tests on animals".

"If you look at the amount of information we have and the amount of chemicals for which we need information it is evident that more information is needed," he said.

Animal testing is a tricky subject in Europe, with many campaign groups opposed to using animals to assess the safety of chemicals, and REACH says such tests should be avoided where possible.

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

EU ASKED TO CREATE COMPREHENSIVE RULES ON ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS
https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/eu-asked-to-create-comprehensive-rules-on-endocrine-disruptors
Tags: Denmark, public, discovery, environmental, toxics

EU reviewing how it sets rules on endocrine disruptors
Possible new approach to identifying endocrine disruptors could affect more than 30 laws
Updates could be required to more than 30 European Union laws as a part of a push to change the way the bloc sets rules on endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Currently, different EU laws treat endocrine disruptors in different ways, but participants in a Nov. 8 EU conference in Brussels said the framework is too fragmented and does not adequately address the risks posed by the chemicals.

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'NOT IN GREAT CONDITION': WESTERN GUILFORD STUDENT BURNED DURING CHEMISTRY CLASS EXPERIMENT, PARENTS SAY
https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/western-guilford-student-aimee-green-burned-in-classroom-experiment-chemistry/83-6f380df7-188b-4247-81be-9b73fb33040c
Tags: us_NC, education, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

GREENSBORO, N.C. ‰?? The parents of a Western Guilford High School student who was injured during a classroom experiment say their daughter is being treated for burns at Brenner Children's Hospital.

Pete Green, the girl's father, sent WFMY News 2 a statement on Friday saying, "Aimee is not in great condition, we are currently at Brenner where her burns are being treated and cared for. At this time, we have no further comment."

Green's mom, Alicia Coverston Green has been updating family and friends via social media.

Coverston-Green wrote on her Facebook account that her daughter was admitted to the burn ICU Friday afternoon for fluid resuscitation, pain control and wound care.

A post on Wednesday evening gave more details about what happened to Aimee.

"Please pray for our beautiful daughter Aimee Green. She was in chemistry today, and the teacher was doing an experiment. It went badly and exploded. The explosion went right onto Aimee and caught her hair, face, chest, and arm on fire. She also has burns on both hands," wrote the mom.

Guilford County Schools confirmed a student at Western Guilford High School was injured Wednesday when a classroom experiment went wrong.

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