From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (15 articles)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2021 05:41:59 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: 1D6A7125-2782-452C-BB7A-F8ED62170079**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


definitions 21-08-16_03,2021-08-13_02,2020-04-07_01

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, August 16, 2021 at 5:41:44 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 (15 articles)

FIRE CREWS CALLED TO SUSPECTED HAZMAT INCIDENT IN REGENCY SQUARE
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, other_chemical

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PRESENT SPECIAL RISKS DURING FIRES
Tags: us_MO, laboratory, fire, response, biodiesel

NITRIC ACID SPILL AT CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY
Tags: us_OH, laboratory, release, response, nitric_acid

SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER SUSPENDED IN LA PORTE, REMAINS IN PLACE IN SEABROOK FOLLOWING REPORTS OF MYSTERY ODOR, OFFICIALS SAY
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, irritant

GHAZIABAD: OFFICER FALLS OFF SECOND FLOOR IN FIREFIGHT
Tags: India, industrial, fire, injury, unknown_chemical

‰??WE‰??VE HAD ENOUGH‰??: ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT CHEMICAL PLANT‰??S PROPOSED EXPANSION IN HOUSTON‰??S EAST END ‰?? HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental

COURT ORDERS EPA TO TAKE FINAL ACTION ON RULES REGARDING DISPERSANT CHEMICALS USED IN MITIGATING OCEAN OIL SPILLS
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, oils

15 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED IN POSSIBLE CHLORINE POOL PUMP BREAK AT YUCAIPA REGIONAL PARK ‰?? NBC LOS ANGELES
Tags: us_CA, public, release, injury, chlorine

CALL FOR IN-DEPTH REPORT AND COMPENSATION AFTER CHEMICAL WAREHOUSE FIRE
Tags: South_Africa, public, follow-up, environmental, petroleum, phosphorus

LEVELS OF DIOXINS AND FURANS IN AIR FROM VIN€?A LANDFILL FIRE MUST BE MEASURED
Tags: Serbia, public, fire, response, pesticides, plastics

FRUSTRATIONS OVER LACK OF RESTOCKING SUPPORT FOR EDEN RIVER FOLLOWING SPILL
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

HAZMAT TEAM DEPLOYED FOLLOWING MERCURY LEAK AT HISTORIC HOME IN NORTH ANDOVER ‰?? BOSTON NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, mercury

BIG RIG CRASH, HAZMAT SPILL IMPACTS TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 3 NEAR HIGHWAY 36 IN TRINITY COUNTY
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, petroleum

ALL LANES OF I-275 EAST AT COLERAIN AVENUE REOPEN FOLLOWING CRASH WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Tags: us_OH, transportation, release, response, flammables

HAZMAT SCARE CAUSES SCIENCE BUILDING TO EVACUATE AT FRESNO STATE
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, release, response, nitrogen


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FIRE CREWS CALLED TO SUSPECTED HAZMAT INCIDENT IN REGENCY SQUARE
https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/19514653.fire-crews-called-suspected-hazmat-incident-regency-square/
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, other_chemical

FIREFIGHTERS were called to a suspected hazmat incident in Regency Square yesterday, Saturday.

Shortly after 11.30am firefighters were called to reports that an unknown substance had leaked from a van.

A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: "On arrival, crews found a small amount of an unknown green liquid was leaking out of the side door of the vehicle.

"A cordon was put in place as a precaution and firefighters worked to prevent the substance from entering the drains.

"Following enquiries, crews established that the substance was a non-hazardous cable lubricant.

"Roadway crews helped to clean-up the liquid and firefighters were detained at the scene for around 90 minutes."

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HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PRESENT SPECIAL RISKS DURING FIRES
https://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/public_safety/hazardous-materials-present-special-risks-during-fires/article_ef12e8ac-fc6f-11eb-a368-6fb61dfb0d9c.html
Tags: us_MO, laboratory, fire, response, biodiesel

The St. Joseph Fire Department has dealt with multiple incidents since Wednesday where potentially hazardous materials started burning, and the department says those situations require their own precautions and planning.

The first call was Wednesday for a biodiesel column on fire at Seaborn Energy, and the other was Thursday for a laboratory microwave that burned at BioZyme nutrition plant.

Dealing with hazardous materials carries special safety measures and practices for companies, as well as firefighters, said Paris Jenkins, a battalion chief for the St. Joseph Fire Department.

‰??We take more of a defensive posture,‰?? he said. ‰??We take into account the ambient temperature, wind direction, as well as what‰??s in the general area and how that material may travel.‰??

The temperature of an environment is a major consideration when there‰??s an issue with hazardous chemicals, Jenkins said.

‰??Some things, when it‰??s cold out, are not nearly as explosive ... because of temperature,‰?? he said.

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NITRIC ACID SPILL AT CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY
https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cleveland/firefighters-clean-up-nitric-acid-spill-at-cleveland-state-university-sunday-august-15/95-506d92e8-0421-4ced-a683-187f93a713ff
Tags: us_OH, laboratory, release, response, nitric_acid

CLEVELAND ‰?? The Cleveland Division of Fire was called to clean up a nitric acid spill at Cleveland State University Sunday afternoon, according to officials in charge.
Crews were called to East 24th Street on CSU's campus around 12:30 p.m. for reports of a chemical spill that needed neutralization.

According to Lt. Mike Norman with Cleveland Fire, HazMat officers were dispatched after half a gallon of nitric acid was spilled in a closed classroom. At this time, officials believe that the spill was an accident related to cleaning.
Nitric acid is a highly corrosive chemical compound that can cause severe burns and is considered toxic to humans.
No injuries were reported from this incident.

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

SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER SUSPENDED IN LA PORTE, REMAINS IN PLACE IN SEABROOK FOLLOWING REPORTS OF MYSTERY ODOR, OFFICIALS SAY
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/08/16/shelter-in-place-issued-for-la-porte-officials-say/
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, irritant

Officials in La Porte issued an all-clear after a shelter-in-place order Sunday night following reports of a mystery odor in the area. As of 11:40 p.m., Seabrook remains under the shelter-in-place order.
All residents were asked to go inside and turn off the A/C system immediately, officials advised.

As of 10:40 p.m, the La Porte Fire Department continued to detect an odor in certain areas of the city.
‰??At this time, we are still recommending that residents remain sheltered in place,‰?? officials wrote via Facebook. ‰??We are working with Harris County Pollution Control, but do not have confirmation of any detections in the city at this time.‰??
City officials said they have received multiple calls regarding an odor and irritant in the air.
The shelter-in-place order is in place during the investigation.
Harris County Pollution Control is in the area to conduct air monitoring and to assist in the identification of the source of the odor.

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

GHAZIABAD: OFFICER FALLS OFF SECOND FLOOR IN FIREFIGHT
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/officer-falls-off-2nd-floor-in-firefight/articleshow/85354740.cms
Tags: India, industrial, fire, injury, unknown_chemical

GHAZIABAD: A fire broke out at a three-storey chemical factory in the industrial area of Kavi Nagar on Sunday morning. A fire inspector, who was at the spot dousing flames, was injured when he fell from the second floor and landed on the first floor of the building.
He has received shoulder and leg injuries and his condition is stated to be stable, officials said.
No one else was injured in the incident but several vehicles parked near the chemical factory at Pandav Nagar have been damaged.
The blaze was first noticed around 9.30 am and within minutes, flames spread to an adjacent factory, damaging parts of it. More than 15 fire tenders from Ghaziabad and Noida were called in and it took over five hours to contain the blaze.

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

‰??WE‰??VE HAD ENOUGH‰??: ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT CHEMICAL PLANT‰??S PROPOSED EXPANSION IN HOUSTON‰??S EAST END ‰?? HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2021/08/13/405908/weve-had-enough-environmental-groups-raise-concerns-about-chemical-plants-proposed-expansion-in-houstons-east-end/
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental

Local environmental groups on Thursday raised opposition to the planned expansion of a chemical plant in Houston's East End owned by the company at the center of a Port Neches explosion.
The company, TPC Group, has applied for air quality permits to expand its production of butadiene, a known carcinogen. During a Thursday night meeting, which was held by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, residents and environmental advocates expressed concern about the cumulative impact of additional emissions in an area that already has so much industry.
Susan Rogers, who has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years, said she opposes the expansion.
"The human cost of expansion is far too high," she said. "In our community, we are subject to far too many hazards and I think we've all had enough."
Many also brought up the company's history and questioned what it would do to ensure safety in the community.

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

COURT ORDERS EPA TO TAKE FINAL ACTION ON RULES REGARDING DISPERSANT CHEMICALS USED IN MITIGATING OCEAN OIL SPILLS
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/court-orders-epa-to-take-final-action-9174344/
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental, oils

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (‰??EPA‰??) ‰??delayed unreasonably‰?? by waiting at least six years to finalize draft regulations updating its 1994 National Contingency Plan rules regarding which chemicals may be used in oil spill mitigation. The decision came as part of an order by Judge William H. Orrick on Aug. 8, 2021 granting summary judgment to plaintiffs, a collection of environmental groups and others, who brought suit in Earth Island Institute v. Michael S. Regan, et al., Case No. 20-cv-00670-WHO subsequent to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill which released hundreds of millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Plaintiffs alleged, in part, that the EPA violated The Clean Water Act (‰??CWA‰??) by failing to perform a nondiscretionary duty to issue a final rule, updating Subpart J of the National Contingency Plan (‰??NCP‰??) regarding the removal of oil and hazardous substances after oil spills. Plaintiffs also claimed violations of the Administrative Procedure Act (‰??APA‰??) due the EPA‰??s allegedly unreasonable delay in issuing the final rule. More specifically, plaintiffs claimed that some chemical dispersants currently allowed under the NCP and used in oil spill remediation are actually more toxic to humans when mixed with oil than oil alone. While Judge Orrick ordered the EPA to take final action on the listing and authorization of use provisions regarding such chemicals, he adopted the EPA‰??s suggested deadline of May 31, 2023.

In holding the EPA had violated the CWA, Judge Orrick clarified that the EPA‰??s nondiscretionary duty to revise the NCP does not arise from any new information developments, but ‰??new information that shows that the current standards . . . to minimize damage from oil and hazardous substance pollution are insufficient to safely provide for mitigation of any pollution.‰?? To that end, the decision relied on older EPA documents regarding the need for further testing of chemical dispersants.

Judge Orrick also relied on EPA documents in holding a violation of the APA which allows a court to compel an agency‰??s action if ‰??unlawfully withheld‰?? or ‰??unreasonably delayed.‰?? See 5 U.S.C å¤ 706(1). In making that determination, the Court analyzed the ‰??TRAC factors‰?? articulated in Telecommunications Research and Action Center, et al., Petitioners, v. FCC et al., 750 F.2d 70 (D.C. Cir. 1984) which weigh the practical time for agencies to act; danger to human health; competing priorities; and interests prejudiced by delay.

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

15 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED IN POSSIBLE CHLORINE POOL PUMP BREAK AT YUCAIPA REGIONAL PARK ‰?? NBC LOS ANGELES
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/local-2/15-people-hospitalized-in-possible-chlorine-pool-pump-break-at-yucaipa-regional-park/2671765/
Tags: us_CA, public, release, injury, chlorine

A possible chlorine pump malfunction at a pool at Yucaipa Regional Park sent 15 swimmers to hospitals Friday and prompted a callout from a HazMat team, officials said.

A total of 25 patients were evaluated and the pool was closed until further notice, according to the CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit.

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

CALL FOR IN-DEPTH REPORT AND COMPENSATION AFTER CHEMICAL WAREHOUSE FIRE
https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kwazulu-natal/call-for-in-depth-report-and-compensation-after-chemical-warehouse-fire-b89a30d5-f447-43ea-9228-f1338ff8524b
Tags: South_Africa, public, follow-up, environmental, petroleum, phosphorus

THE national Parliamentary portfolio committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries said it was concerned about the impact on people living around the United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) warehouse in Cornubia, north of Durban.

The committee had been on a fact-finding oversight visit in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday after the warehouse was allegedly looted and set alight during civil unrest in KZN last month.

The committee visited the UPL warehouse, Blackburn Village informal settlement and Ohlanga River.

Workers at the warehouse and river were wearing full protective coveralls, including special face masks. A thick black oily substance could be seen in a stream in the informal settlement.

During a committee meeting, the committee was briefed by the Joint Operation Committee (Department of the Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the provincial Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), the Department of Water and Sanitation, eThekwini Municipality and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife), while community members spoke about the effects which included shortness of breath, intermittent asthma, polluted irrigation water for vegetable gardens and the closure of schools.

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

LEVELS OF DIOXINS AND FURANS IN AIR FROM VIN€?A LANDFILL FIRE MUST BE MEASURED
https://balkangreenenergynews.com/levels-of-dioxins-furans-air-from-vinca-landfill-fire-must-be-measured/
Tags: Serbia, public, fire, response, pesticides, plastics

Gas expert from UNECE and chemical engineer by training Branko Mili€?evi€? says the question is not whether dangerous dioxins and furans are in the air after a major fire erupted at the Vin€?a landfill in Belgrade but how much, as their levels aren‰??t measured. He warned the incident could get international significance.

The Vin€?a landfill is still smoldering while firefighters are trying to put out a fire that started last week and toxic smoke keeps spreading throughout Serbia‰??s capital Belgrade. Such events create favorable conditions for the synthesis of dioxins and furans ‰?? elevated pressures and temperatures, the presence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), PET plastic bottles, other aromatic polymers, salts, pesticides, chlorinated substances, according to Branko Mili€?evi€?, Secretary of the Group of Experts on Gas in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

He told Balkan Green Energy News the two families of heterocyclic chemical compounds are dangerous and pointed to the grave consequences of a 1976 industrial accident in Italy. The question is not whether dioxins and furans were released but what the quantities are, as their levels aren‰??t measured, according to Mili€?evi€?.

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

FRUSTRATIONS OVER LACK OF RESTOCKING SUPPORT FOR EDEN RIVER FOLLOWING SPILL
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/2454568/fishing-club-hits-out-at-lack-of-support-support-for-eden-river-after-toxic-spill/
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

A Fife fishing club is frustrated at the lack of support from Scottish environment chiefs following a toxic spill in the River Eden that killed hundreds of fish.

Sepa says Scottish Water‰??s accidental release of 500 litres of Zetag into the River Eden in 2018 ‰?? for which it was later fined å£6,700 ‰?? will continue to have effects on salmon and trout numbers for years.

It also agreed that the spill, caused by a forklift operator, had ‰??serious financial consequences‰?? for the local fishing club, the Eden Angling Association.

However, the club has not been compensated or financially supported in any way to restock the river.

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

HAZMAT TEAM DEPLOYED FOLLOWING MERCURY LEAK AT HISTORIC HOME IN NORTH ANDOVER ‰?? BOSTON NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS
https://whdh.com/news/hazmat-team-deployed-following-mercury-leak-at-historic-home-in-north-andover/
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, mercury

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. (WHDH) - A hazmat team was deployed after a suspected mercury leak at a historic home in North Andover on Thursday afternoon, officials said.

Fire crews responding to The Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens on Andover Street found mercury leaking from a mirror.

Firefighters continue to monitor the air quality following the incident.

There were no reported injuries and no additional information was immediately available.

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

BIG RIG CRASH, HAZMAT SPILL IMPACTS TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 3 NEAR HIGHWAY 36 IN TRINITY COUNTY
https://krcrtv.com/news/local-elections/traffic-accident-and-hazmat-spill-impacts-traffic-on-highway-3-near-highway-36-wednesday
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, petroleum

TRINITY RIVER, Calif. ‰?? A tractor-trailer hauling a petroleum slurry overturned down an embankment on Highway 3, north of Highway 36 on Wednesday, requiring a hazmat cleanup.

The California Highway Patrol said the truck made an unsafe turn and overturned just after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police say the truck was hauling two tanks containing about 6,200 gallons of heated Micro Surfacing Emulsifier when the collision took place.

As a result of the crash, the CHP said about 1,000 gallons of the mixture leaked from the tanks into a dry creek bed through a culvert under the road.

Environmental health officials were notified of the spill, and a private contractor was called in to clean it up.

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

ALL LANES OF I-275 EAST AT COLERAIN AVENUE REOPEN FOLLOWING CRASH WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
https://www.wlwt.com/article/covid-19-vaccine-card-holder-kids/37268973
Tags: us_OH, transportation, release, response, flammables

CINCINNATI ‰??
All eastbound lanes of Interstate 275 at Colerain Avenue have reopened after officials initially thought hazardous material was spilling onto the roadway from a crash.

According to Hamilton County dispatch, a call came in about the hazardous material at around 3:43 p.m. Thursday.

Colerain Fire reported the vehicle involved in the crash was carrying around 23,000 pounds of a flammable liquid. The truck lost 55 gallon drums onto I-275 but Colerain officials say there was no spillage from the drums.

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

HAZMAT SCARE CAUSES SCIENCE BUILDING TO EVACUATE AT FRESNO STATE
https://kmph.com/news/local/hazmat-scare-causes-science-building-to-evacuate-at-fresno-state
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, release, response, nitrogen

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) ‰?? A hazmat scare took place at Fresno State University Thursday around 6:18 p.m. after custodians noticed liquid leaking from a science professor's office.

According to Fresno State Campus Police, custodians noticed the leak and quickly alerted police.

When police arrived, they say the first and second floors of the science building had to be evacuated.

That‰??s when Fresno Fire Department showed up with hazmat.

The fire department found the leak, which was said to be Nitrogen, and are cleaning the area.

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

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