From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (14 articles)
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2022 05:58:09 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: A624617A-C999-46F2-BE4F-E2FAFFA8CADB**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, June 13, 2022 at 5:57:55 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 (14 articles)

TRUCK DUMPS 50 GALLONS OF FUEL OUT IN FORT BEND COUNTY NEIGHBORHOOD
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, gasoline

MAN DIES, FATHER INJURED IN CHEMICAL BLAST IN HYDERABAD
Tags: India, public, explosion, death, waste

RUSSIAN SHELLING TRIGGERS FIRE IN EASTERN CITY OF SIEVIERODONETSK, GOVERNOR SAYS
Tags: Ukraine, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

FIRE CREWS RESPOND TO A CHEMICAL SPILL IN THE CITY‰??S SOUTHWEST
Tags: Canada, transportation, release, injury, sodium_hydroxide

US CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD CHAIR RESIGNS CITING LOST CONFIDENCE
Tags: public, follow-up, environmental

US EPA ORDERS FIRST TESTS OF A PFAS CHEMICAL
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

BELLMTS ICEPLEX EVACUATED AFTER AMMONIA LEAK
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, response, ammonia

FIRE ERUPTS IN CHARLESTOWN SECONDARY LAB:
Tags: Guyana, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

NOX-CRETE RELEASES CHEMICALS IN WAREHOUSE AT TIME OF FIRE
Tags: us_NE, industrial, follow-up, environmental, runoff

CHEMICAL FIRE AT DIRATS LABORATORIES IN WESTFIELD
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

SITAKUNDA FIRE VICTIMS FACE RISK OF LOSING EYESIGHT
Tags: Bangladesh, industrial, follow-up, injury, hydrogen_peroxide, peroxide

BREAKING: ALGOMA STEEL SPILL PROMPTS ST. MARYS WATER ADVISORY
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, oils

EPA ORDERS SOME FIREFIGHTING FOAM MAKERS TO TEST PFAS PRODUCTS FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE RISKS
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

BIDEN NOMINATES CATHERINE J.K. SANDOVAL FOR CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental


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TRUCK DUMPS 50 GALLONS OF FUEL OUT IN FORT BEND COUNTY NEIGHBORHOOD
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2022/06/12/truck-dumps-50-gallons-of-fuel-out-in-fort-bend-county-neighborhood/
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, gasoline

NEEDVILLE ‰?? Officials with the Fort Bend County Fire Marshal‰??s office says they were on scene Sunday afternoon in a neighborhood after a truck dumps 50 gallons of gasoline out.
According to FBCFMO, the spillage happened on Highway 36 at Dolores Road.
Fort Bend County Hazmat Response Team responded to the scene.
As of Sunday afternoon, the northbound lane was closed on Highway 36 at Dolores in Needville for cleanup.

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MAN DIES, FATHER INJURED IN CHEMICAL BLAST IN HYDERABAD
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/2070235-man-dies-father-injured-in-chemical-blast-in-hyderabad
Tags: India, public, explosion, death, waste

32-year-old man died while his father was injured here on Sunday in a suspected blast triggered while they were cleaning a chemical can, police said.
The incident happened under Afzalgunj police station limits in the city when the duo was cleaning a can containing liquid chemical with water and disposing the waste into a manhole in front of their house when there was a sudden explosion resulting in the man's death on the spot and injury to his father, they said.
The man's father escaped with injuries as he had just entered the house to turn off the water supply when the explosion took place, police pointed out.
The duo, who ran a kirana store, started selling chemicals in the past few months, a police official said, adding that the men had requisite licence for its sales.
He added that the impact of the explosion was so severe that it caused a hole measuring around five metres surrounding the manhole and the man's body was blown into pieces.

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RUSSIAN SHELLING TRIGGERS FIRE IN EASTERN CITY OF SIEVIERODONETSK, GOVERNOR SAYS
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/11/russian-shelling-triggers-fire-in-eastern-city-of-sievierodonetsk-governor-says-.html
Tags: Ukraine, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

Russian shelling of the Azot chemical plant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk ignited a big fire on Saturday after a leak of tonnes of oil, the regional governor said, as the battle for the city raged on.

In neighboring Donetsk province, Russian media reported that a huge cloud of smoke could be seen rising into the air after an explosion in the city of Avdiivka, which houses another chemical plant.

Weeks of fighting for Sievierodonetsk, a small city in Luhansk province that has become the focus of Russia‰??s advance in eastern Ukraine, has pulverized sections of the town and has been some of the bloodiest since Moscow‰??s Feb. 24 invasion.

The governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Gaidai, did not say whether the fire at the plant, where hundreds of civilians were sheltering, had been extinguished. Reuters could not independently verify the report.

Speaking on national television, Gaidai said non-stop fighting was raging in Sievierodonetsk. He said earlier that Russian forces controlled most of the city but Ukraine controlled the Azot chemical plant.

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FIRE CREWS RESPOND TO A CHEMICAL SPILL IN THE CITY‰??S SOUTHWEST
https://www.cjwwradio.com/2022/06/11/fire-crews-respond-to-a-chemical-spill-in-the-citys-southwest/
Tags: Canada, transportation, release, injury, sodium_hydroxide

Fire crews responded to a chemical spill Thursday night in Saskatoon‰??s South West Industrial Park.

Around 6:45, the Saskatoon Fire Department was notified about an incident that saw approximately 6,000 to 8,000 litres of sodium hydroxide spilled while being unloaded from a transport truck in the 100 block of McLeod Avenue.

Once crews arrived including a hazmat team, firefighters found that a nearby storm drain had already been closed off by those on site.

The driver of the truck was treated for minor injuries on scene.

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US CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD CHAIR RESIGNS CITING LOST CONFIDENCE
https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/ap_news/washington/us-chemical-safety-board-chair-resigns-citing-lost-confidence/article_e781f4ad-e229-5a9b-9586-465a41670c44.html
Tags: public, follow-up, environmental

The head of a federal safety agency that investigates major industrial accidents has submitted her resignation, according to a letter seen by Bloomberg.

Katherine Lemos‰??s departure would leave the five-person U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board with two members, though the White House said this week it would nominate Catherine J.K. Sandoval, a professor at California‰??s Santa Clara University, to the board.

‰??Recent priorities of the Board have eroded my confidence in our ability to focus‰?? on the independent agency‰??s mission, Lemos, a nominee of former President Donald Trump, said in a resignation letter submitted to the White House on Friday.

Lemos, who was confirmed for a five-year term in 2020, wrote her resignation is effective July 22. Bruce Walker, a senior adviser to Lemos, also submitted his resignation.

The White House didn‰??t immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. A CSB spokeswoman confirmed Lemos‰?? resignation.

The Chemical Safety Board became operational in 1998 and has investigated incidents ranging from BP Plc‰??s 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig blowout to a chemical spill that tainted drinking water for hundreds of thousands of West Virginia residents in 2014.

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

US EPA ORDERS FIRST TESTS OF A PFAS CHEMICAL
https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/US-EPA-orders-first-tests-PFAS-chemical/100/web/2022/06
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

Four companies must conduct inhalation toxicity tests on the firefighting foam ingredient 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide betaine (6:2 FTAB), under a June 6 order from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Part of the family of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 6:2 FTAB may present an unreasonable risk of injury to human health or the environment, the EPA says. Because the chemical is an insoluble solid, the manufacture, processing, or use of 6:2 FTAB may lead to the formation of particles that workers could inhale, the agency says.
This marks the first time the agency has used its authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to order testing of any PFAS. The synthetic chemicals are resist to breakdown in the environment. Some PFAS are toxic, some are considered inert, and the majority, consisting of thousands of compounds, have never been tested for health effects. Currently, about 600 are made or used commercially.
The EPA order on 6:2 FTAB affects two chemical manufacturers, Chemours and DuPont, as well as two makers of firefighting foams, Johnson Controls and National Foam.

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

BELLMTS ICEPLEX EVACUATED AFTER AMMONIA LEAK
https://news4winnipeg.com/bellmts-iceplex-evacuated-after-ammonia-leak/
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, response, ammonia

BellMTS Iceplex was evacuated around 11:30 am on Friday, June 10, 2022, after workers in a non-public area had issues with a line containing ammonia.

Officials with the facility told News 4 that at the time of the evacuation upwards of 1,000 youth and adults were in the building as part of a large hockey tournament. No injuries were reported.


Members of the WFPS hazmat team enters the BellMTS Iceplex to deal with an ammonia leak on Friday, June 10, 2022 (Caden Jones | News 4)

Hazmat team members enter the decontamination trailer after leaving the iceplex (News 4)

Iceplex staff stand near an overhead door that firefighters opened to help ventilated the structure. (News 4)
Firefighters called in the Hazardous Materials Unit along with multiple other trucks and crews to locate the problem and monitor the air quality.

According to the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service the air in the building contained high levels of ammonia of up to 200 parts per million (PPM).

Shortly after 2:00 pm the hazmat crews were seen leaving the building and entering a decontamination trailer that had been brought to the scene. Shortly afterwards firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were seen entering the building as ventilation efforts began.

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

FIRE ERUPTS IN CHARLESTOWN SECONDARY LAB:
https://www.stabroeknews.com/2022/06/11/photos/fire-erupts-in-charlestown-secondary-lab/
Tags: Guyana, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

small fire erupted in the Charlestown Secondary School laboratory on Friday. Smoke was seen emanating from the room and the Guyana Fire Service quickly responded. According the Fire Prevention Officer Sheldon Sauns, the Guyana Fire Service received a call at about 07:38 hrs, alerting it about the fire at the school. Four fire tenders responded from the Central Fire Station, Campbelville Fire Station and the West Ruimveldt Fire Station. He stated that the fire originated from an experiment in the laboratory by the mixing of chemicals. Samples were taken to the forensic lab for testing. No injuries were reported.

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NOX-CRETE RELEASES CHEMICALS IN WAREHOUSE AT TIME OF FIRE
https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/breaking-nox-crete-releases-chemicals-inside-warehouse-at-time-of-memorial-day-fire
Tags: us_NE, industrial, follow-up, environmental, runoff

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV)) ‰?? We now have a better idea of what chemicals were inside the Nox-Crete warehouse at the time of the Memorial Day fire.

The company released a list to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy in an email Thursday afternoon. The list entered the public database on Friday morning.

Nox-Crete already released a long list of their entire inventory, but this list gives specifics of what was in the warehouse and exact quantities.

Yesterday, 3 News Now reported that there were still questions about the chemicals that were in the fire and the runoff from cleanup efforts.

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

CHEMICAL FIRE AT DIRATS LABORATORIES IN WESTFIELD
https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/chemical-fire-closes-portion-of-airport-road-in-westfield/
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) ‰?? Westfield firefighters and a state hazardous material team are investigating a chemical fire on Airport Road.

Westfield Fire Deputy Chief Eric Bishop told 22News there was a chemical fire reported at Dirats Laboratories on Airport Road Wednesday morning. The state‰??s Hazardous Material Response Team arrived with two large trucks to help identify what chemical was involved in the fire.

Due to winds, a large area surrounding the lab has been closed off until the chemical has been identified. Police have also closed off a portion of Airport Road while crews investigate.

According to Dirats Laboratories website, they perform testing and chemical analysis for aerospace, automotive, defense, electronic, medical, power generation, and other industries.

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SITAKUNDA FIRE VICTIMS FACE RISK OF LOSING EYESIGHT
https://www.newagebd.net/article/172857/sitakunda-fire-victims-face-risk-of-losing-eyesight
Tags: Bangladesh, industrial, follow-up, injury, hydrogen_peroxide, peroxide

Victims of Sitakunda depot fire and explosions may lose their eyesight in the long run, said eye specialist MA Aziz on Thursday after visiting the injured at Chattogram Medical College Hospital.
‰??I have visited the patients. They are suffering from different problems. In future the victims may lose their eyesight,‰?? Aziz told reporters after his visit.

The fire started at the BM Container Depot, some 20 kilometres north of Chattogram port, at about 9:25pm on Saturday before unauthorised hydrogen peroxide stored in some containers there exploded.
Al Razi Chemical Complex Limited, a sister concern of depot owner Smart Group of Industries, owned the hydrogen peroxide-laden containers.
Sumon Ganguli, associate professor and former chairman of the Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Chittagong University, told New Age that almost all the fire victims came into contact with hydrogen peroxide after explosions.

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

BREAKING: ALGOMA STEEL SPILL PROMPTS ST. MARYS WATER ADVISORY
https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/breaking-aph-issues-warning-after-st-marys-river-spill-5462255
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, oils

Algoma Public Health (APH) has issued a public advisory warning residents downstream from Algoma Steel not to consume, swim or bathe in water drawn from the St. Marys River following an oil spill earlier today.

Wells located close to the shoreline may also be contaminated.

The Sault Ste. Marie municipal drinking water system has not been impacted by this incident, states a news release issued by APH.

The river should also not be used for recreational purposes, such as kayaking and fishing, until further information is provided.

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

EPA ORDERS SOME FIREFIGHTING FOAM MAKERS TO TEST PFAS PRODUCTS FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE RISKS
https://www.indianaenvironmentalreporter.org/posts/epa-orders-some-firefighting-foam-makers-to-test-pfas-products-for-human-exposure-risks
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued orders to four manufacturers of PFAS firefighting foam to test how breathing in specific PFAS products affects humans.

The agency sent the testing orders to Chemours Co., DuPont de Nemours Inc., National Foam Inc. and Johnson Controls Inc., ordering them to determine how inhalation exposure to their firefighting foam products made with a PFAS chemical called 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide betaine affects humans.

PFAS chemicals are a group of thousands of synthetic chemicals used since the 1940s to manufacture products resistant to water, fire, grease and stains.

The chemicals have been linked to increased risk of kidney and testicular cancers, increased cholesterol levels, increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, decreased birth weight and decreased vaccine response in children.

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BIDEN NOMINATES CATHERINE J.K. SANDOVAL FOR CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/22675-biden-nominates-catherine-jk-sandoval-for-chemical-safety-board
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental

Washington ‰?? President Joe Biden has nominated Catherine J.K. Sandoval to serve as a member of the Chemical Safety Board.

If confirmed, Sandoval, a law professor at Santa Clara University, would serve a five-year term. She would be the third CSB board member confirmed under the Biden administration. The agency currently has two vacant seats.

Sylvia Johnson and Steve Owens were sworn in for their five-year terms Feb. 2, and joined CSB Chair and CEO Katherine Lemos, who had served as a quorum of one since May 1, 2020.

According to her biography released by the White House, Sandoval teaches and conducts research on energy, communications, antitrust and contract law at Santa Clara. She previously served a six-year term as commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission.

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