Check out Safety Emporium for your N95, N99, and face shield needs.
From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (13 articles)
Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2022 05:56:50 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: 4002B280-E634-4855-928D-129CF554759A**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, June 3, 2022 at 5:56:39 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 (13 articles)
HAZMAT TEAM SECURES AREA AFTER PHENOL LEAK IN MAGEE
Tags: us_MS, transportation, release, response, phenol
DUBLIN BEST BUY WAREHOUSE EVACUATED DUE TO HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE
Tags: us_GA, industrial, release, injury, batteries, dust
IOWA CITY HOTEL EVACUATED AFTER POOL-AREA CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_IA, public, release, injury, chlorine
STATE CALLING IN EPA TO LOOK INTO OMAHA CHEMICAL FIRE'S IMPACT
Tags: us_NE, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
HUGE EXPLOSION AT CHEMICAL COMPANY IN GUJARAT'S VADODARA
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
TOXIC PCBS MANAGED POORLY DECADES AFTER PRODUCTION CEASED
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
OES: CHEMICAL SPILL AT GLENN COUNTY LANDFILL CLEANED UP
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, hydrochloric_acid, waste
FIRE OUTBREAK AT PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN ENUGU DEFIES SOLUTION, RAGES FOR 11 DAYS
Tags: Nigeria, education, fire, response, methane, natural_gas
DEMOLITION OF BUILDING BEHIND ‰??GREEN OOZE‰?? SPILL IN MADISON HEIGHTS UNDERWAY
Tags: us_MI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, toxics
CHEMICAL MAKER TCP GROUP FILES PRE-ARRANGED BANKRUPTCY
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
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
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAM SECURES AREA AFTER PHENOL LEAK IN MAGEE
https://www.wlbt.com/2022/06/03/hazmat-team-secures-area-after-phenol-leak-magee/
Tags: us_MS, transportation, release, response, phenol
MAGEE, Miss. (WLBT) - A Hazmat team was called in to secure an area after a phenol leak in Magee.
The incident occurred at the Love‰??s Truck Stop in the 1700 block of U.S. 49.
Simpson County Emergency Management Director John Kilpatrick says an 18-wheeler leaked the substance due to a valve leak.
Authorities say people were temporarily evacuated as a precaution.
---------------------------------------------
DUBLIN BEST BUY WAREHOUSE EVACUATED DUE TO HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE
https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/dublin-best-buy-warehouse-evacuated-due-to-unknown-hazardous-substance-2/93-3d020a84-07b1-4396-9e95-7a64f132d685
Tags: us_GA, industrial, release, injury, batteries, dust
DUBLIN, Ga. ‰?? Dublin's Best Buy warehouse was evacuated after more than 20 people Thursday complained of eye, nose, and throat irritation. One of those people was hospitalized, and authorities say it may have been caused by a hazardous material leak.
According to Dublin Fire Chief Matthew Cutler, the 911 call came in about 9:15 a.m. Thursday morning. He says the cause of the problem could be lithium ion batteries that leaked and released a powdered substance.
"Had multiple people complaining of irritation to the eyes, throat, and some were having difficulty breathing," Cutler said.
He says at least 20 people complained of problems, and one of them was sent to Fairview Park hospital.
---------------------------------------------
IOWA CITY HOTEL EVACUATED AFTER POOL-AREA CHEMICAL SPILL
https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/iowa-city-hotel-evacuated-after-pool-area-chemical-spill
Tags: us_IA, public, release, injury, chlorine
Iowa City ‰?? Iowa City Fire Department responded to a hazardous materials incident at a local hotel on Thursday.
Fire crews responded just after 2:30 p.m. to the Hilton Garden Inn, 328 S. Clinton St. for a chemical spill in the lower level pool area.
According to a press release, crews on scene noticed the smell of chlorine when they went inside and called for backup from the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Response Team.
The hotel was evacuated while crews worked to locate the chemical container and safely remove it from the building.
Five people were taken to the hospital to get checked out.
---------------------------------------------
STATE CALLING IN EPA TO LOOK INTO OMAHA CHEMICAL FIRE'S IMPACT
https://www.ketv.com/article/state-calling-in-epa-to-look-into-chemical-fires-impact-southwest-of-downtown-omaha/40171966
Tags: us_NE, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
OMAHA, Neb. ‰??
There are many unknowns after Monday‰??s massive chemical fire just southwest of downtown Omaha, and now the state is calling in the feds for help.
Nebraska's Department of Environment and Energy filed a request with the EPA Wednesday afternoon, for help with recon and sampling.
Advertisement
Douglas County Commissioner Roger Garcia brought state and local leaders together in an attempt to answer the community's questions.
‰??This will affect hundreds if not thousands of people‰??s lives that were in the plume," a woman said. "I'm sorry if I'm emotional about this but it's pretty scary."
"There's many people who don't know what's going on, there's a lot of unanswered questions on things that more than likely will affect many people's lives and their health," said Anna Hernandez, who lives in the area that was evacuated.
---------------------------------------------
HUGE EXPLOSION AT CHEMICAL COMPANY IN GUJARAT'S VADODARA
https://pragativadi.com/huge-explosion-at-chemical-company-in-gujarats-vadodara/
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
Gujarat: A huge explosion and fire has been reported at the at a chemical company in Gujarat‰??s Vadodara. The explosion and fire occurred at a Deepak Nitire factory in Gujarat‰??s Vadodara.
Seven workers have been hospitalised after inhaling smoke, while some 700 people living in the vicinity of the factory have been shifted to safer places, officials said.
Several fire engines have been rushed to the spot. Smoke was visible from a long distance.
In a statement, it is said that authorities are monitoring the situation closely and the safety of employees and people in the vicinity was of foremost priority.
---------------------------------------------
TOXIC PCBS MANAGED POORLY DECADES AFTER PRODUCTION CEASED
https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/Toxic-PCBs-managed-poorly-decades/100/i20
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
The poster child for environmentally persistent synthetic chemicals is arguably polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), heat-resistant commercial chemicals whose production was phased out decades ago everywhere except North Korea.
But most countries are not managing the remaining PCB stocks and contaminated materials, leaving people, fish, and wildlife at risk from adverse toxic effects to their nervous systems that many of these chemicals can cause, an international team of researchers says (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01204). The failure to properly manage this group of compounds, which haven‰??t been produced in most of the world in the past 30 years, bodes poorly for the control of other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the researchers from Canada, the Czech Republic, and the US say.
‰??This analysis is an international wake-up call to limit the production of hazardous chemicals like PCBs,‰?? coauthor Veena Singla, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, says in an emailed statement. ‰??We just can‰??t clean up the mess these chemicals create.‰??
Factories churned out more than 1.3 million metric tons (t) of pure PCBs from 1930 to 1993, the researchers say. US-based Monsanto‰??a company that Bayer bought in 2016‰??produced half the global total. The substances were used in at least 114 countries. Applications included dielectric fluid in electrical transformers and capacitors, hydraulic or heat-transfer fluid, and flame retardants. PCBs were also used in paints, pesticides, carbonless copy paper, and building sealants.
---------------------------------------------
OES: CHEMICAL SPILL AT GLENN COUNTY LANDFILL CLEANED UP
https://www.actionnewsnow.com/news/local/chemical-spill-temporarily-closes-glenn-county-landfill/article_be427990-e1cf-11ec-9367-eb5b8dc0d08d.html
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, hydrochloric_acid, waste
ARTOIS, Calif. 5 P.M. UPDATE - The clean up at the Glenn County landfill has been completed but the landfill will remain closed for the remainder of the day, according to Amy Travis, the Deputy Director of the Glenn County OES.
The hazmat response team identified muriatic acid combined with an unknown substance during its initial assessment of the chemical spill at the Glenn County landfill.
A report of a chemical spill came in at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday at the Transfer Station located at 5700 County Road 33.
The chemical spill happened inside a sorting building and is a mixture of two chemicals that came from a residential garbage bin that was picked up by Waste Management, Travis said.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE OUTBREAK AT PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN ENUGU DEFIES SOLUTION, RAGES FOR 11 DAYS
https://saharareporters.com/2022/06/01/fire-outbreak-private-university-enugu-defies-solution-rages-11-days
Tags: Nigeria, education, fire, response, methane, natural_gas
Efforts to contain a fire outbreak which is now being suspected to be methane gas that emanated from a water drilling site at the Caritas University, Amorji-Nike, Enugu have defied all solutions thrown at it.
When SaharaReporters visited the site on Tuesday, the fire was still raging as emergency responders met at the site appeared to have run out of ideas on how to extinguish the fire which had been raging continuously for nearly two weeks.
Sources in the area told SaharaReporters on Wednesday that the situation had not changed.
It was gathered that despite that the school has a Chemical Engineering Department with experts in various chemical fields and management, they were not being carried along by emergency responders and neither was their expert opinion sought.
A lecturer with the university, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told SaharaReporters that the fire might have been caused by methane rather than the insinuations that it was natural gas.
The lecturer noted that his assumption was based on the fact that Enugu has coal deposits underground
---------------------------------------------
DEMOLITION OF BUILDING BEHIND ‰??GREEN OOZE‰?? SPILL IN MADISON HEIGHTS UNDERWAY
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2022/06/01/demolition-of-building-behind-green-ooze-spill-in-madison-heights-underway/
Tags: us_MI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, toxics
MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. ‰?? After years of legal battles, a condemned Madison Heights building deemed responsible for a toxic chemical spill is getting demolished.
Funding has been secured since 2020 for the demolition of the Electro Plating Services building, located on 10 Mile Road near Couzens Avenue. The building was tied to ‰??green ooze‰?? found leaking onto I-696 in 2019. That green substance was identified as hexavalent chromium -- a chemical compound often found in industrial environments that is considered carcinogenic and dangerous to human health.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL MAKER TCP GROUP FILES PRE-ARRANGED BANKRUPTCY
https://kfgo.com/2022/06/01/chemical-maker-tcp-group-files-pre-arranged-bankruptcy/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
HOUSTON (Reuters) ‰?? Texas petrochemical producer TCP Group filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday with a plan to hand over control to its lenders, after struggling under costs and legal claims from a 2019 fire.
The Houston-based firm filed for Chapter 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware with plans to eliminate $950 million of $1.3 billion in secured debt and shed liabilities from an explosion and fire at its plant in Port Neches, Texas. The company had negotiated and agreed the deal with debt-holders.
The largest North American processor of the petrochemicals butane and butadiene, plans to continue operations while it restructures, said Chief Executive Edward J. Dineen in a statement. The chemicals are used in manufacturing of plastics, tires and gasoline.
The company faces federal and state investigations over the Port Neches fire, and is in negotiations with a committee representing some 7,000 claims for property damage, business interruption and personal injury, according to court filings.
The fire was ‰??a critical event leading to‰?? the bankruptcy, according to a court filing. The pandemic later cut into its business, cutting 2020 revenue nearly in half compared to 2019, and a winter storm in 2021 also hit sales, it said.
---------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------
---
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