From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (12 articles)
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2022 06:30:27 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: E0FF3D67-46C4-4762-B8E9-DC2C61B37C38**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, June 20, 2022 at 6:30:14 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 (12 articles)

CLEAN UP EFFORTS CONTINUE FOLLOWING ON OIL SPILL ON FLINT RIVER
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental, oils

2 MEN CHARGED IN FATAL FIREWORKS EXPLOSION THAT KILLED 4
Tags: us_MO, public, explosion, death, fireworks

3 HOSPITALIZED, SEVERAL EVACUATED FROM POOL IN ASHEVILLE AFTER POSSIBLE CHEMICAL REACTION
Tags: us_NC, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

BEIJING AND SHANGHAI LAUNCH INSPECTIONS OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL COMPANIES AFTER FIRE AT SHANGHAI ETHYLENE GLYCOL PLANT
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ethylene_glycol, pharmaceutical

CARDIFF BAY CHEMICAL LEAK: THREE IN HOSPITAL AS PUBLIC TOLD TO CLOSE WINDOWS AND DOORS
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

FOUR INJURED IN PAINT-MIXING FACTORY FIRE
Tags: Thailand, industrial, explosion, injury, flammables, paints

SIX KILLED, 8 INJURED IN EXPLOSION AT CHINA'S CHEMICAL FACTORY
Tags: China, industrial, explosion, death, ag_chems, pesticides

KILDEE: "THIS IS WHY THOSE PROTECTIONS ARE IN PLACE" WHEN SPEAKING ABOUT OILY SUBSTANCE SPILL IN FLINT RIVER
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

PUMP MALFUNCTION CAUSED HAZMAT INCIDENT AT CHESTERFIELD POOL
Tags: us_VA, public, follow-up, injury, dust, pool_chemicals

HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO DEADLY CRASH NEAR SAN DIEGO AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical

HUGE FIRE BREAKS OUT AT SINOPEC'S SHANGHAI COMPLEX, LEAVING 1 DEAD
Tags: China, industrial, fire, death, ethylene_glycol, petroleum

US ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ANNOUNCES NEW SAFETY LIMITS FOR FLUORINATED CHEMICALS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical


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CLEAN UP EFFORTS CONTINUE FOLLOWING ON OIL SPILL ON FLINT RIVER
https://localnews8.com/news/2022/06/19/clean-up-efforts-continue-following-on-oil-spill-on-flint-river/
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental, oils

FLINT, Michigan (WNEM) ' Officials say that cleanup efforts continue following an oil spill in the Flint River.

The leak was first reported Wednesday. State investigators confirmed Friday that the source of the Flint River oil spill came from the Lockhart Chemical Company.

So far, recovery is going well, according to Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. Swanson said if crews continue working as they are, response teams could scale back operations as soon as Sunday.

A county wide no contact order with the river remains in place. Residents should not fish, boat or swim in the Flint River from Stepping Stone Falls to the Genesee County Line.

Genesee County Board Chairman Domonique Clemons said he is grateful for the joint effort.

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2 MEN CHARGED IN FATAL FIREWORKS EXPLOSION THAT KILLED 4
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/2-men-charged-in-fatal-fireworks-explosion-that-17251979.php
Tags: us_MO, public, explosion, death, fireworks

BLACK JACK, Mo. (AP) ' Two men were charged with murder in a house explosion near St. Louis that authorities say killed four people who were assembling fireworks in a garage.

St. Louis County prosecutors say 37-year-old Terrell Cooks and 43-year-old Seneca Mahan made fireworks and directed younger people on how to load the canisters and attach a fuse for lighting. They would then sell the fireworks to others. Neither Cooks nor Mahan had a license to make or sell fireworks.

Cooks and Mahan are each with three counts of second-degree murder and several other charges in Friday's explosion near the town of Black Jack. They were charged before a fourth victim died Saturday.

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3 HOSPITALIZED, SEVERAL EVACUATED FROM POOL IN ASHEVILLE AFTER POSSIBLE CHEMICAL REACTION
https://abc17news.com/cnn-regional/2022/06/19/3-hospitalized-several-evacuated-from-pool-in-asheville-after-possible-chemical-reaction/
Tags: us_NC, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) ' A possible reaction between chemicals in a private pool in Asheville sent several to the hospital over the weekend for evaluation.

A spokesperson for Asheville Fire Department (AFD) says crews responded to a pool at 27 Resort Drive, Asheville Racquet Club, around 1:40 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 for a 'possible hazardous materials incident.'

'The dispatcher stated caller reported people having difficulty breathing and difficulty speaking between breaths,' Public Information Officer Kelley Klope wrote in an email to News 13.

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BEIJING AND SHANGHAI LAUNCH INSPECTIONS OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL COMPANIES AFTER FIRE AT SHANGHAI ETHYLENE GLYCOL PLANT
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202206/1268489.shtml
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ethylene_glycol, pharmaceutical

Emergency authorities in China's two metropolises, Beijing and Shanghai, decided to carry out citywide inspections of hazardous chemical companies from Sunday to identify potential risks, after a fire caused by a dangerous chemical explosion in Shanghai.

The fire broke out Saturday morning at an ethylene glycol plant area operated by Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company, a subsidiary of China's largest state-owned petrochemical enterprise Sinopec, killing one person and injuring another slightly.

There was a loud explosion followed by a pungent smell, before the whole plant was engulfed in black smoke, local media quoted residents nearby as saying.

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company on Sunday expressed deep condolences to the victims of the fire and expressed deep sympathy to the injured and the families of the victims, as cleanup work is underway.

The inspections mainly involve dangerous chemical manufacturers, oil depots, gas stations in key areas, chemical companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers and other operators with storage facilities, Beijing emergency authorities said in a statement.

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

CARDIFF BAY CHEMICAL LEAK: THREE IN HOSPITAL AS PUBLIC TOLD TO CLOSE WINDOWS AND DOORS
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-cardiff-bay-chemical-leak-27274318
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

Three people have been taken to hospital due to reports of a chemical leak at Cardiff Bay today.

Emergency services and an onsite engineer resolved a "small scale gas release" at Queen Alexandra Dock shortly after 11am.

There is no ongoing risk to the public and three workers were transferred to hospital for "precautionary checks", reports Wales Online.

A spokesman for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "At approximately 1050 today, 19th June 2022 we responded to a report of a chemical incident at Queen Alexandra Dock, Cardiff.

"We mobilised a number of fire appliances and specialist crews from Cardiff Central, Whitchurch, Maindee, Pencoed, Penarth and New Inn.

"The incident was a small scale gas release, which was resolved with the assistance of an onsite engineer.

"Three workers have been transferred to hospital for precautionary checks.

"South Wales Police and Welsh Ambulance Service were also on scene. There is no ongoing risk to members of the public in the area."

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FOUR INJURED IN PAINT-MIXING FACTORY FIRE
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2329373/four-injured-in-paint-mixing-factory-fire
Tags: Thailand, industrial, explosion, injury, flammables, paints

SAMUT PRAKAN: A fire broke out at a paint-mixing factory belonging to a company in Bang Phli district of this coastal Central province on Saturday. Two firefighters and two employees of the company were injured.

Pol Maj Sithipong Panthaiwong, a Bang Phli police duty officer, said about 10 fire engines from Bang Phli Yai tambon administration organisation and nearby municipalities were dispatched to the factory in Soi Wong Phet in tambon Bang Phli Yai after the fire occurred at about 11am.

On arrival at the scene, firefighters found flames engulfing the two-storey building where large quantities of paints and highly inflammable chemicals were stored.


As firefighters were inside the building trying to douse the fire, an explosion occurred, causing a chemical fire that injured two of them along with two factory employees.

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

SIX KILLED, 8 INJURED IN EXPLOSION AT CHINA'S CHEMICAL FACTORY
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/2078245-six-killed-8-injured-in-explosion-at-chinas-chemical-factory
Tags: China, industrial, explosion, death, ag_chems, pesticides

At least six people were killed and eight others injured in an explosion at a chemical factory in Northwest China's Gansu Province, Lanzhou, local media reported. The report said citing the doctors that one person was discharged from the hospital while the other seven injured are stable, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The incident took place on Thursday at 6:58 pm (local time) in a sludge drying plant of a chemical factory namely, Binnong Tech Limited located in the industrial park in Lanzhou. At least 430 rescue personnel and more than 70 rescue vehicles were on the spot for the rescue work. The media reported that after the explosion there was a power outage in the residential area nearby.
The report said that the cause of the explosion at the chemical factory which covers pesticide production and sales, as well as the production of hazardous chemicals is not yet known. (ANI)

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KILDEE: "THIS IS WHY THOSE PROTECTIONS ARE IN PLACE" WHEN SPEAKING ABOUT OILY SUBSTANCE SPILL IN FLINT RIVER
https://www.abc12.com/news/local/kildee-this-is-why-those-protections-are-in-place-when-speaking-about-oily-substance-spill/article_00459d3a-ee79-11ec-97c5-5b84dbf8afff.html
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) - U.S. Congressman Dan Kildee said the spill into the river is another example why strong environmental protections are necessary.

On Friday, crews were making progress against the oil-like spill in the Flint River.

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said that crews have now cleaned-up nearly 5,000 gallons of the substance from the river since the leak was discovered Wednesday and those crews have contained the spill.

"This is why those protections are in place. This is why the work I have been doing on great lakes restoration or strengthening our watersheds is so critical, so the regulations we want to have in place and the protections we want to have in place should be firmer, stronger would go a long way to preventing something like this from happening in the first place," said Kildee.

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

PUMP MALFUNCTION CAUSED HAZMAT INCIDENT AT CHESTERFIELD POOL
https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/pump-malfunction-caused-hazmat-incident-at-chesterfield-pool/
Tags: us_VA, public, follow-up, injury, dust, pool_chemicals

CHESTERFIELD, (WRIC) ' An investigation by the Chesterfield Fire Marshal's office has revealed that a hazmat incident earlier this week that sent 11 people to the hospital was caused by a pump malfunction in the neighborhood pool.

Fire officials told 8News that parents became concerned after children became nauseous and began having respiratory issues.

Now, fire officials say 'preliminary information' indicates that pool staff were not responsible for the incident ' instead pointing to a malfunctioning chemical pump that flooded the pool system with too much pool chemical.

One mother ' who asked to remain anonymous ' was at the pool with her five children, who ranged in age from eight years to four months. She said they inhaled a 'powdery substance' and began choking, after which she drove them to Chippenham Hospital for treatment.

Hours later, she could still be heard coughing on the phone.

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

HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO DEADLY CRASH NEAR SAN DIEGO AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
https://star941fm.iheart.com/content/2022-06-17-hazmat-crews-respond-to-deadly-crash-near-san-diego-after-chemical-spill/
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical

Local News
Hazmat Crews Respond To Deadly Crash Near San Diego After Chemical Spill
By Sarah Tate
Jun 17, 2022

Photo: Getty Images


Hazmat crews were called to the scene of a deadly crash Friday (June 17) morning in San Diego County after chemicals spilled onto the roadway.

An early morning police pursuit in Oceanside turned deadly when the pickup truck that San Diego County sheriff's officials were pursuing around 5 a.m. Friday crashed, per NBC San Diego. The chase reportedly began shortly after 4 a.m. in Vista when an a security alarm went off near the 1900 block of Willow Ridge and ended when the truck crashed into a pole at the intersection of Lake Boulevard and Cannon Road. According to officials, the driver of the pickup truck, whose name has not been released, died at the scene. No other vehicles in involved in the crash.

The news outlet reports that footage from the scene showed the truck bed was filled with chemicals in buckets, which then spilled onto the roadway. Due to the chemical spill, a hazmat crew was called to the scene. During the course of the investigation, which remains ongoing, a sheriff's deputy was taken to a hospital for observation after being exposed to the fumes from the chemicals, per ABC 10 News.

Following the wreck, the intersection where the truck crashed was closed to allow crews space to clean up the chemicals.

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

HUGE FIRE BREAKS OUT AT SINOPEC'S SHANGHAI COMPLEX, LEAVING 1 DEAD
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/17/business/shanghai-explosions-fire-sinopec.html
Tags: China, industrial, fire, death, ethylene_glycol, petroleum

A huge fire broke out Saturday at the headquarters of a petrochemical facility in southeast Shanghai and at least one person died.

The fire started around at 4 a.m. at an ethylene glycol processing unit owned by Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical, a state-owned oil company whose headquarters are in an industrial park in the suburban Jinshan district.

Firefighters were able to put the blaze under control, the company said in a statement posted to its Chinese social media account. Sinopec said a 'third-party driver' had died in the disaster and that one of its employees was injured.
'The specific cause is under further investigation,' the company said.

Videos on social media of the scene showed raging fires and huge plumes of dark smoke rising from what appeared to be part of Sinopec facility, which is separated from the district's residential area.

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

US ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ANNOUNCES NEW SAFETY LIMITS FOR FLUORINATED CHEMICALS
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/us-environment-agency-announces-new-safety-limits-for-fluorinated-chemicals/4015829.article
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued stricter safety standards for four different per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, saying that these chemicals are more hazardous than previously thought. Now the agency is considering regulating these compounds as one class rather than individually.

So far, the EPA has identified about 8000 different types of PFAS compounds. This family of highly-fluorinated chemicals, which have been in use since the 1940s in various industries, share attractive properties such as the ability to repel oil, grease and water, and can be used as lubricants.

The EPA's new health advisories, announced on 15 June, will adjust exposure levels for the two most well-known and best-studied of these compounds in drinking water from 70 parts per trillion (ppt), set in 2016, to 0.004ppt for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 0.020ppt for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).

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