From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (11 articles)
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2022 05:48:24 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: F596E9D2-FEBB-422B-BCFA-33E9B5CB27A9**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, July 1, 2022 at 5:48:12 AM

A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
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Table of Contents (11 articles)

TWO INJURED IN EARLY-MORNING HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: us_NV, industrial, release, injury, ag_chems, pesticides

CHLORINE EXPOSURE AT NORTH YORK GYM POOL SENDS 5 PEOPLE TO HOSPITAL, INCLUDING 2 CHILDREN
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, chlorine

TRUCK CARRYING 4,500 KG FIREWORKS CATCHES FIRE IN US, LIGHTS UP SKY
Tags: us_NJ, transportation, fire, response, fireworks

COUNTY SCALES BACK NO-CONTACT ORDER ON FLINT RIVER
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental, petroleum

HIGHWAY 29 IN ST. HELENA REOPENS AFTER CHEMICAL CONTAINERS FALL INTO ROADWAY, PROMPTING HAZMAT RESPONSE
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical

US EPA CONFIRMS RISKS OF BROMINATED FLAME RETARDANTS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, plastics, waste

OFFICIALS RESPOND TO NATURAL GAS WELL RUPTURE IN ARNAUDVILLE
Tags: us_LA, industrial, fire, response, natural_gas

ARMY BOMB SQUAD CALLED IN AFTER 'HAZARDOUS MATERIAL' DISCOVERED AT CORK CITY RESIDENCE
Tags: Ireland, public, discovery, response, bomb, waste

INVESTIGATORS PLAN TO DISCUSS CAUSE OF HOGARTH AVENUE EXPLOSION IN SEPTEMBER
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical

INSTITUTE RAISES ALARM OVER POOR CHEMICAL HANDLING IN NIGERIA ' THE SUN NIGERIA
Tags: Nigeria, public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical

GASEOUS EXPLOSION PROBABLY CAUSED DEATH OF 21 YOUNG PEOPLE AT EASTERN CAPE TAVERN, PATHOLOGY EXPERT SAYS
Tags: South_Africa, public, explosion, death, unknown_chemical


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TWO INJURED IN EARLY-MORNING HAZMAT INCIDENT
https://www.kolotv.com/2022/06/30/two-injured-early-morning-hazmat-incident/
Tags: us_NV, industrial, release, injury, ag_chems, pesticides

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Two workers with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection were injured in a hazmat incident early Thursday, the Reno Fire Department reported.

Crews responded to the old agriculture mixing building on Galletti Way near Kietzke Lane around 8 a.m. on June 30, 2022.

The fire department said the workers were cleaning the building when they both had physical reactions to something stirred up in the air.

Investigators learned that pesticides were once made inside the building, although it's unclear what substance affected the workers.

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CHLORINE EXPOSURE AT NORTH YORK GYM POOL SENDS 5 PEOPLE TO HOSPITAL, INCLUDING 2 CHILDREN
https://www.cp24.com/news/chlorine-exposure-at-north-york-gym-pool-sends-5-people-to-hospital-including-2-children-1.5970566
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, chlorine

Five people have been hospitalized, including two children, after a chlorine exposure at a fitness centre pool in North York on Thursday afternoon.
Toronto Fire said crews responded to the LA Fitness near Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue around 5:20 p.m. for a hazmat call.
Several people needed medical attention after possibly breathing in chlorine fumes while in the pool due to over-chlorination, Toronto Fire said.
Ten people were assessed at the scene, and five were taken by Toronto paramedics to the hospital.
Of the five, one suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, paramedics said, adding that the children's injuries are described as mild.

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TRUCK CARRYING 4,500 KG FIREWORKS CATCHES FIRE IN US, LIGHTS UP SKY
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/truck-carrying-4-500-kg-fireworks-catches-fire-in-us-lights-up-sky-3117603
Tags: us_NJ, transportation, fire, response, fireworks

A truck-trailer carrying about 10,000 pounds (over 45 Kg) of fireworks caught fire on a highway near New Jersey, the United States. The incident took place on Sunday (June 26) giving motorists on the road a chance to enjoy the celebrations just days before the US Independence Day on July 4.
The Central Jersey Fire Department said on Twitter that a hazmat truck was part of the crew that arrived at the scene for assistance.


The highway was closed due to the truck fire and Tanker Task Force was also requested at the site, said the fire department. Miles of traffic queues were seen on the road till Monday morning.

The fireworks in the truck lit up and exploded in the sky above the vehicle as it caught fire close to milepost 15.4 in the Somerset-Bridgewater (Green Knoll) area of 287 S. Highway authorities were informed to close the road and call for water supplies to douse the blaze.

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COUNTY SCALES BACK NO-CONTACT ORDER ON FLINT RIVER
https://davisonindex.mihomepaper.com/articles/county-scales-back-no-contact-order-on-flint-river/
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental, petroleum

FLINT ' A no-contact order for the Flint River has been partially lifted as environmental cleanup crews work to locate the exact location of a hazardous spill breach in the City of Flint.

On Monday, the Genesee County Health Department allowed activities to resume on the Flint River south of Leith Street in Flint and westward to the county line. A no-contact zone was originally issued for 22 miles of the Flint River from Stepping Stone Falls in Genesee Township to Willard Street/Barber Park in Montrose Township, following a June 15 petroleum product leak in the area of West Boulevard in Flint.

However, a no-contact order remains in effect on the Flint River from Stepping Stone Falls to Leith Street. Residents and visitors are advised to not have direct contact or participate in any sports or fishing in the effected area.

The county health department is also advising residents to avoid consuming fish that are caught in the Flint River from Stepping Stone Falls to Willard Street until an all-clear is issued.

Officials said that the current no-contact zone cannot be reopened until it is determined that spilled substance response activities do not pose a hazard of physical harm, and that the potential for any danger from the spill is resolved.

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HIGHWAY 29 IN ST. HELENA REOPENS AFTER CHEMICAL CONTAINERS FALL INTO ROADWAY, PROMPTING HAZMAT RESPONSE
https://abc7news.com/st-helena-hazardous-materials-spill-highway-29-hazmat-situation-in-cal-fire/12006463/
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical

ST. HELENA, Calif. -- State Highway 29 in the area of St. Helena has reopened after a hazardous materials spill caused an hourslong closure Thursday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The highway was closed from Stice Lane to Whitehall Lane, the Napa County Sheriff's Office reported. There was another closure on northbound Highway 29 to Rutherford Crossing/state Highway 128.


CHP spokesman Officer Jaret Paulson reported that 5-gallon containers of a chemical fell from a vehicle into the roadway just after 9 a.m. Paulson did not know if there was a crash involved or what the chemical was.

Following clean-up crews clearing the roadway, Highway 29 opened and traffic resumed around 12:45 p.m.

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US EPA CONFIRMS RISKS OF BROMINATED FLAME RETARDANTS
https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/US-EPA-confirms-risks-brominated/100/i24
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, plastics, waste

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and similar cyclic brominated flame retardants pose unreasonable risks to human health and the environment, the US Environmental Protection Agency concludes in a revised risk assessment released June 29. HBCD is one of the first 10 chemicals the agency is evaluating under the 2016 revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The EPA first finalized the evaluation for HBCD in September 2020, finding risks to workers and the environment. But the agency revamped its process for evaluating the risks of chemicals last year. One of the changes involves determining the risks of a chemical overall'what the agency calls a whole chemical approach'rather than of each particular use. The agency also now assesses exposure to chemicals in air and water, as well as from land disposal, all of which it previously ignored. In addition, the EPA no longer assumes that workers wear personal protective equipment. HBCD has multiple uses, including in buil!
ding insulation, solder paste, recycled plastics, and automobile parts, according to the EPA. The chemical is persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic, and it has irreversible health effects, the agency says. The EPA is now moving ahead to manage the risks for specific uses of HBCD.

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OFFICIALS RESPOND TO NATURAL GAS WELL RUPTURE IN ARNAUDVILLE
https://www.katc.com/homepage-showcase/louisiana-state-police-responding-to-reported-natural-gas-well-rupture
Tags: us_LA, industrial, fire, response, natural_gas

Louisiana State Troopers said several agencies responded to the scene of a ruptured natural gas well near Joe Kidder Road off of LA Hwy 93 in Arnaudville.

An evacuation area of 1/2 mile in diameter remains in place as agencies monitor the air quality. Joe Kidder Road & Lee Roy Bourque Road are both closed to travel.

Authorities from the Emergency Service Hazmat Division, Saint Martin parish Sheriffs Department, Lafayette Fire Department Hazmat Division, and the Department of Environmental Quality are all working to contain the blaze.

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ARMY BOMB SQUAD CALLED IN AFTER 'HAZARDOUS MATERIAL' DISCOVERED AT CORK CITY RESIDENCE
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/army-bomb-squad-called-after-27362738
Tags: Ireland, public, discovery, response, bomb, waste

Members of An Garda Siochana and the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) were called to a property in Cork city yesterday after reports of hazardous material.

The Army bomb disposal squad moved into the College Road area on Wednesday morning after the alarm was raised.

The units remained at the scene into the evening.

A spokesperson for the garda press office confirmed that as of 6.45pm Wednesday, the bomb squad were still on the scene where "it is understood a number of potentially hazardous chemicals are present."

While some road diversions were put in place in the immediate vicinity, Gardai said: "There is no hazard to the public at the current time."

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INVESTIGATORS PLAN TO DISCUSS CAUSE OF HOGARTH AVENUE EXPLOSION IN SEPTEMBER
https://www.abc12.com/news/local/investigators-plan-to-discuss-cause-of-hogarth-avenue-explosion-in-september/article_b4120818-f7d8-11ec-b6cd-af12f8a81a01.html
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical

FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) - The investigation into what caused a deadly explosion on Hogarth Avenue in Flint likely will remain a mystery through the summer months.

Investigators from several agencies who are trying to pinpoint a cause are not planning to meet again until Sept. 7, according to Michigan State Police and the Flint Fire Department.

They will discuss the results of testing conducted on evidence collected from the scene in February.

The explosion on the evening of Nov. 22 killed 3-year-old NuVeah Lucas, who lived in the house at the center of the blast, and 55-year-old Lisa Rochowiak, who lived in the house next door.

Three homes were completely destroyed in the explosion and dozens more in the neighborhood on Flint's west side sustained damage. Nearly 30 families were displaced after the blast and at least five homes will require extensive repairs before they can be occupied again.

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INSTITUTE RAISES ALARM OVER POOR CHEMICAL HANDLING IN NIGERIA ' THE SUN NIGERIA
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/institute-raises-alarm-over-poor-chemical-handling-in-nigeria/
Tags: Nigeria, public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical

Alarm has been raised by Institute of Chartered Chemist of Nigeria (ICCON) about the increasing free interaction with highly hazardous and reactionary chemicals by uncertified members of the society not knowing the dangers associated with that.
The Institute said that aside the risk of such exposure to the environment, they are dangers to the health of the persons as well as third parties due to unprofessional knowledge and skills required to handle such hazardous and reactionary chemicals.
ICCON President, Prof. Fanna Abdurrahman, alongside other stakeholders in chemical safety and management, raised the alarm in Abuja, on Wednesday, during the opening ceremony of the 16th ICCON Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) and investiture.
Prof. Abdurrahman frowned at data that indicated that majority of people handling chemicals across the country are unprofessionals who, obviously, knows little or nothing about the chemicals they are exposed to.
She made reference to cases of explosions and other dangerous reaction of chemicals as result of wrong mixture of chemical properties or handling by uncertified people, which, in most cases result in death or permanent injuries.

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GASEOUS EXPLOSION PROBABLY CAUSED DEATH OF 21 YOUNG PEOPLE AT EASTERN CAPE TAVERN, PATHOLOGY EXPERT SAYS
https://mg.co.za/news/2022-06-28-gaseous-explosion-probably-caused-death-of-21-young-people-at-eastern-cape-tavern-pathology-expert-says/
Tags: South_Africa, public, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

gaseous explosion on the ground floor of the Enyobeni tavern which resulted in chemical asphyxiation, was probably the cause of the death of 21 young people in the early hours of Sunday morning, a government pathology expert has said.

Dr Solomon Zondi did not rule out the possibility that the deadly substance could have been swallowed in drinks provided to patrons in the tavern. But he suggested that a gaseous substance was released in the enclosed downstairs area ' 'this is where the pandemonium started' ' and that people who were closer to the release epicentre were most affected.

Zondi said videos he had seen gave no indication of a teargas canister explosion, but people could be seen complaining of respiratory symptoms. During the post-mortem examinations on the deceased, Zondo said he was cautious not to inhale any odour emanating from any of the bodies. At one stage his heart started racing as he examined a body.

'I was becoming dizzy and had to stop for a while,' he told the Mail & Guardian. 'The children died of poisoning ' the question now is whether it was inhaled or ingested.'

Zondi spoke at the Woodbrook, East London, mortuary and pathology facility where the bodies of the deceased were taken after Sunday's horror incident.

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