From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (9 articles)
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2022 06:40:09 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: 7B87C326-6732-40C9-92DF-B7CB191702A7**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 6:39:56 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 (9 articles)

6 EMPLOYEES OF LEGAL CANNABIS BUSINESS EVALUATED BY HAZMAT TEAM FOLLOWING OVERNIGHT PESTICIDE SPRAYING
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, ag_chems, pesticides

WADENA FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE HAZMAT FIRE AMID TORNADO THREAT ‰?? WCCO
Tags: us_MN, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems

OMAHA CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE EXTINGUISHED; EVACUATIONS END
Tags: us_NE, industrial, follow-up, response, propane

SHELTER-IN-PLACE IN WADENA DUE TO HAZARDOUS MATERIAL FIRE ‰?? WCCO
Tags: us_MN, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems

FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO A REPORT OF A HAZMAT INCIDENT AT GEORGETOWN HOSPITAL
Tags: us_SC, public, release, injury, dust

2 COMPANY OWNERS BOOKED FOR CAUSING DEATH BY NEGLIGENCE IN MIDC FIRE
Tags: India, public, follow-up, environmental, fire_extinguisher

RESIDENTS EVACUATED AS FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE THREE ALARM FIRE CHEMICAL FIRE NEAR DOWNTOWN OMAHA
Tags: us_NE, industrial, explosion, response, paints, propane

THE NEXT GENERATION OF NUCLEAR REACTORS WILL PRODUCE EVEN MORE RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Tags: Sweden, industrial, discovery, environmental, radiation, waste

FREIGHTLINER CRASHES ON HIGHWAY 36, BECOMES ENGULFED IN FIRE
Tags: us_KS, transportation, fire, injury, gasoline


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6 EMPLOYEES OF LEGAL CANNABIS BUSINESS EVALUATED BY HAZMAT TEAM FOLLOWING OVERNIGHT PESTICIDE SPRAYING
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/6-workers-at-legal-cannabis-business-evaluated-by-hazmat-team-following-overnight-pesticide-spraying/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, ag_chems, pesticides

Six employees of a local legal cannabis business required evaluation by paramedics Tuesday, after their workplace was sprayed with pesticides.

Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics were dispatched to the business in the 300 block of W. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in South Los Angeles at around 8 a.m.

The employees had entered the business Tuesday morning ahead of opening for the day and experienced "brief respiratory irritation" due to the pesticides sprayed overnight, as detailed by Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

None of the six employees sought further medical attention and declined transport to hospitals for examination.

Still, a Hazardous-Materials team was called to the scene to determine the extent of the potential threat, to which they stated that there was no hazard present.

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WADENA FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE HAZMAT FIRE AMID TORNADO THREAT ‰?? WCCO
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2022/05/31/wadena-hazmat-fire/
Tags: us_MN, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems

WADENA, Minn. (WCCO) ‰?? Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order in Wadena Monday as crews worked to extinguish a fire at a large industrial building ‰?? all while a tornado was tearing through the region.

The fire started at about 3 p.m. on the 600 block of Ash Avenue Northeast, in a building being used by Minnesota Valley Irrigation for storage and equipment operations.

Because the building was being used to store agricultural chemicals, a temporary shelter-in-place was issued. Fire crews were pulled away from their efforts at about 5 p.m. after a tornado was confirmed on the ground about 20 miles south near Eagle Bend.


(credit: Maelvy Castillo)
Firefighters were able to return to the scene about a 30 minutes later to continue fighting the fire, which they did so until about 8 p.m.

On recommendation of the Minnesota Duty Officer Hazardous Material Division, crews made a sand dike ‰??to contain the chemicals on the west side of the building.‰?? Authorities say there are no remaining health risks to employees of the business, or nearby residents.

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OMAHA CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE EXTINGUISHED; EVACUATIONS END
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/residents-evacuate-as-fire-rages-at-omaha-chemical-company/2022/05/31/708d0506-e096-11ec-ae64-6b23e5155b62_story.html
Tags: us_NE, industrial, follow-up, response, propane

OMAHA, Neb. ‰?? A large fire that raged through a Nebraska chemical plant was extinguished by Tuesday morning and nearby residents who were initially evacuated were allowed to return to their homes, authorities said.
Thick smoke billowed from the Nox-Crete facility just southwest of downtown Omaha that could be seen as far away Monday evening as the Elkhorn River, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the west.
Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick said the first call for help came shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, and firefighters who initially entered the building found a much bigger fire than they had anticipated, forcing them to retreat.
Fire crews then fought the fire from outside the building, noting the presence of chemicals and propane bottles inside. Explosions could be seen and heard as propane tanks ruptured.

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SHELTER-IN-PLACE IN WADENA DUE TO HAZARDOUS MATERIAL FIRE ‰?? WCCO
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2022/05/30/shelter-in-place-in-wadena-due-to-hazardous-material-fire/
Tags: us_MN, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems

WADENA, Minn. (WCCO) ‰?? Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order in Wadena as crews worked to extinguish a fire at a large industrial building Monday.

The fire started at about 3 p.m. on the 600 block of Ash Avenue Northeast, in a building being used by Minnesota Valley Irrigation for storage and equipment operations.

Because the building was being used to store agricultural chemicals, a temporary shelter-in-place was issued.

Fire crews were pulled away from their efforts to extinguish the blaze, due to a tornado warning, but were able to return about a half hour later.

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

FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO A REPORT OF A HAZMAT INCIDENT AT GEORGETOWN HOSPITAL
https://gabnewsonline.com/firefighters-respond-to-a-report-of-a-hazmat-incident-at-georgetown-hospita-p6192-90.htm
Tags: us_SC, public, release, injury, dust

Firefighters from the City of Georgetown and Georgetown County were sent to Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital late Monday evening because of what Georgetown Fire Chief Charlie Cribb said was a Hazmat incident.
Cribb said the firefighters were called when a couple of hospital workers began experiencing some symptoms including eye irritation after being in close proximity to a female patient in the emergency room area.
Cribb said the area, and the woman, were both searched and the only thing found was a small package containing a powdery substance in the woman‰??s possession. That package was turned over to the Georgetown Police Department to be tested.
Nothing else hazardous was found, Cribb said.
We had three readers tell us the emergency room was on lockdown while this investigation was taking place.
The scene was cleared at around midnight.

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2 COMPANY OWNERS BOOKED FOR CAUSING DEATH BY NEGLIGENCE IN MIDC FIRE
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/2-company-owners-booked-for-causing-death-by-negligence-in-midc-fire-101653933896324.html
Tags: India, public, follow-up, environmental, fire_extinguisher

Nearly three weeks after the Khairane MIDC fire, the Turbhe MIDC police have booked two partners of West Coast Polychem company for causing the death of two employees: they have not yet been arrested

In the Khairane MIDC fire earlier this month, West Coast Polychem dealing in chemicals did not have an effective fire extinguishing system in place. Two owners of the company were booked by Turbhe MIDC police for causing death by negligence. (HT FILE PHOTO)
Updated on May 30, 2022 11:34 PM IST


Nearly three weeks after the Khairane MIDC fire, the Turbhe MIDC police have booked two partners of West Coast Polychem company for causing the death of two employees.

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RESIDENTS EVACUATED AS FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE THREE ALARM FIRE CHEMICAL FIRE NEAR DOWNTOWN OMAHA
https://www.ketv.com/article/civilians-rescue-two-adults-7-month-old-from-plane-crash/40146731
Tags: us_NE, industrial, explosion, response, paints, propane

OMAHA, Neb. ‰?? Residents just southwest of downtown Omaha were evacuated as fire raged through a chemical company near 20th and Center Monday night.

Thick, black smoke billowed from the Nox Crete facility, and Omaha firefighters said they would be fighting the fire all night.

An alert just before 9;00 p.m. urged the evacuation of those between 13th and 20th, Leavenworth to Martha. Those living nearby were initially encouraged to shelter in place. Those who could not evacuate were urged to stay inside with the windows closed.
...
Explosions could be seen between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. as part of the building collapsed and ruptured the propane containers.

OFD estimated around 50 firefighters were on sight with aerial units pouring water on the site.

By 11:30 p.m., firefighters were still battling the flames but had downsized the response to two alarms.

Nox Crete manufactures a variety of products, including form coating and deactivator, liquid floor hardeners, joint fillers, curing and sealing compounds and water repellents according to its website.

Pottawattamie County Emergency Management advised the smoke posed no toxicity risks for residents in Council Bluffs. OFD had advised that protective measures extended east only to 13th Street in Omaha.

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THE NEXT GENERATION OF NUCLEAR REACTORS WILL PRODUCE EVEN MORE RADIOACTIVE WASTE
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/the-next-generation-of-nuclear-reactors-will-produce-even-more-radioactive-waste/4015753.article
Tags: Sweden, industrial, discovery, environmental, radiation, waste

Mini-reactors that have been described as the future of nuclear energy are likely to produce more radioactive waste than existing technologies. The finding comes from researchers who warn that waste management and disposal are being overlooked as policymakers and developers rush through plans for new nuclear infrastructure .

Small modular reactors (SMRs), also known as ‰??advanced‰?? nuclear reactors, have been heavily promoted in recent years. Their smaller size in comparison to traditional reactor designs means that SMRs can be prefabricated in factories and then shipped to different sites for installation. Promoters say that this will make them cheaper and easier to build than current nuclear power plants.

With countries struggling to reduce carbon emissions, many governments hope that SMRs will help them to meet climate targets. Earlier this year, the European Commission proposed adding nuclear energy to its list of ‰??green investments‰??, while the UK government has asked the Office for Nuclear Regulation to begin the approval process for SMRs designed by Rolls Royce. SMRs are currently licensed or being built in Argentina, Canada, China, Russia, South Korea and the US. In May 2020, a floating nuclear power plant in Russia became the first to put SMRs into commercial operation .

But according to Lindsay Krall from the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, a lot of important information is omitted in discussions around SMR waste streams. ‰??[Designers will] often employ metrics such as mass, which is easy to understand. But it‰??s not really helpful to those actually practising nuclear waste management ‰?? we need to know a lot more about the material, we need to know how much decay heat is being emitted,‰?? she says. ‰??What is the radionuclide composition of the waste? What is the chemical matrix that those radionuclides are bound in? How much low and intermediate-level waste is being produced? And this is especially important: what is the concentration of fissile nuclides in the spent fuel?‰??

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FREIGHTLINER CRASHES ON HIGHWAY 36, BECOMES ENGULFED IN FIRE
https://www.kttn.com/freightliner-crashes-on-highway-36-becomes-engulfed-in-fire/
Tags: us_KS, transportation, fire, injury, gasoline

A 1996 Freightliner went off Highway 36 east of Cameron, and hit a guard rail and bridge railing, causing the vehicle to catch fire.

The driver, 69-year-old Richard Taylor of Kansas City, Kansas was taken to Cameron Regional Medical Center with moderate injuries.

The crash happened late Friday night two miles east of Cameron as the truck was eastbound on Highway 36 when it went off the right side of the road and struck a guard and bridge railing, then jackknifed. The fuel tank was torn open upon impact and the vehicle became fully engulfed in fire.

The truck was demolished and the report indicated Taylor was wearing a seat belt.

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