DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, January 13, 2020 at 7:40:51 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 (15 articles)

NSW POLICE DISCOVER METH LAB AT HAROLD'S CROSS NEAR SOUTH COAST BUSHFIRES
Tags: Australia, laboratory, discovery, environmental, drugs, illegal

BOISAR BLAST: 8 CONFIRMED DEAD AS 2 MORE BODIES FOUND; HERE'S WHAT EYEWITNESSES HAVE TO SAY
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical

MATRIXCHEM, NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION, OPERATED WITHOUT OVERSIGHT
Tags: us_VT, public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical

C&ENâ??S WORLD CHEMICAL OUTLOOK 2020
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

ARLINGTON FIRE: NO INJURIES FOLLOWING A SATURDAY MORNING PROPANE TANK LEAK
Tags: public, release, response, propane

18-YR-OLD DIES AS EXTINGUISHER BURSTS WHILE FILLING CHEMICAL
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, gas_cylinders

MAHARASHTRA CHEMICAL FACTORY EXPLOSION LEAVES SIX DEAD
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, hydrogen

TWO KIDS HURT IN BOISAR BLAST HAD COME TO UNIT WITH THEIR MOTHER
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

SAFE SCALE-UP OF AN OXYGEN-RELEASING CLEAVAGE OF EVANS OXAZOLIDINONE WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, hydrogen_peroxide, pharmaceutical

OFR FIREFIGHTER HOSPITALIZED AFTER CHEMICAL FIRE IN NORTH ODESSA
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, injury, acetic_acid

1 DEAD, MULTIPLE INJURED IN STATESVILLE AMMONIA LEAK
Tags: us_NC, industrial, release, death, ammonia

CASTAIC: HAZMAT TEAMS RESPOND AFTER MAN BARRICADES HIMSELF WITH CHEMICALS â?? ONSCENE TV
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, hydrogen_sulfide

SAKINAKA FIRE: UNIT STORED CHEMICALS BEYOND LIMIT, SAYS BMC
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, environmental, flammables, illegal

TWO INJURED IN CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

CHEMICAL REACTION TEMPORARILY CLOSES TRANSFER STATION
Tags: us_MA, industrial, fire, response, waste

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

NSW POLICE DISCOVER METH LAB AT HAROLD'S CROSS NEAR SOUTH COAST BUSHFIRES
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/potentially-explosive-meth-lab-found-close-to-south-coast-bushfires-20200113-p53qz5.html
Tags: Australia, laboratory, discovery, environmental, drugs, illegal

Police have shut down a potentially explosive methylamphetamine laboratory on a remote property close to a bushfire that has burnt more than 37,000 hectares on the NSW South Coast.

Strike force detectives descended on a rural property at Harolds Cross, about 30 kilometres south-west of Braidwood on Saturday, arresting two men and allegedly uncovering a large drug manufacturing laboratory.

Luke Drever was one of the men arrested, while police remove equipment at the rural property at Harolds Cross.CREDIT:FACEBOOK, NSW POLICE

The volatile site was about 15 kilometres from the edge of the North Black Range, Palerang firefront, which is under control but still burning west of Braidwood.

Luke Drever, 37, and Kevin Reilly, 38, were arrested just after 8.30am at the remote property, where they had allegedly been staying in a shed while manufacturing a commercial quantity of the drug ice.

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

BOISAR BLAST: 8 CONFIRMED DEAD AS 2 MORE BODIES FOUND; HERE'S WHAT EYEWITNESSES HAVE TO SAY
https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/boisar-blast-8-confirmed-dead-as-2-more-bodies-found-in-rubble/articleshow/73219719.cms
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical

Two more bodies were recovered on Sunday from the debris of a chemical unit building that partially collapsed due to a chemical explosion at Tarapur MIDC area in Boisar, taking the toll to eight. News reports had on Saturday put the toll at eight, but they were unconfirmed.
The dead have been identified as: Ilyas Ansari (54), Nishu Singh (26), Madhuri Vashisht Singh (46), Golu Yadav (15), Khushi Yadav (13), Rajmati Yadav (35), Mohan Ingale (32) and Trinath Dasari (39).
For the past six years the Yadav and Singh families were living on the second floor of the ground-plus-four structure of ANK Pharma Company, where the incident took place. The unit, which was still under construction, is situated on Plot M2 of Tarapur MIDC area. Both families worked as caretakers of the property. Mulayam and Rakeshkumar worked in the company, while Ilyas was employed as a watchman. Trinath was a lift technician and had visited the site to complete some civil work, police said. Patel was the owner of the unit.

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

MATRIXCHEM, NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION, OPERATED WITHOUT OVERSIGHT
https://vtdigger.org/2020/01/12/matrixchem-now-under-investigation-operated-without-oversight/
Tags: us_VT, public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical

GRAFTON â?? State safety officials are investigating a Grafton chemical manufacturer that has operated for years without basic fire or hazardous material safety measures, putting workers and other building tenants at serious risk.

The company, Matrixchem, has supplied chemicals to clients, including the U.S. Department of Defense, from an industrial building along the Saxtons River since 2012. The site sits in the village of Cambridgeport in the sparsely populated town of Grafton in southeastern Vermont, best known as the home of the Grafton Inn and the Windham Foundation.

While there has been extensive state-supervised environmental testing at the Matrixchem site because of contamination by previous owners, several key agencies were unaware a chemical company operated at the brownfield until last month.

In some cases, it appeared Matrixchem had not filed federally required paperwork with the state to work with and store hazardous chemicals.

A national fire safety expert told VTDigger that small chemical companies can sometimes operate â??under the radar,â?? falling between the cracks of different agencies.

Grafton town officials alerted state officials in December after a neighboring tenant reported â??unsafe and unhealthyâ?? conditions. The complainant was particularly concerned about chemical processing the company was about to start.

In mid-December, Grafton Fire Chief Rich Thompson, who is also the town health officer, found the building housing the chemical company was â??dilapidatedâ?? with â??large chemical containersâ?? stored haphazardly.

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

C&ENâ??S WORLD CHEMICAL OUTLOOK 2020
https://cen.acs.org/business/CENs-World-Chemical-Outlook-2020/98/i2#US-poised-for-action-on-PFAS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

This year, both the US Congress and the US Environmental Protection Agency are likely to take action on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution. These synthetic chemicals, prized for their durability, donâ??t break down in the environment. Studies of some nonpolymeric PFAS show that they cause health problems in people and laboratory animals.

Last week, the US House of Representatives was set to pass bipartisan PFAS legislation (H.R. 535) after C&ENâ??s deadline. The bill would speed the cleanup of the two PFASâ??perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)â??that most frequently are detected in US drinking water. Epidemiology studies have linked PFOA and PFOS, chemicals found in the blood of most Americans, to adverse reproductive effects and other health harms.

The bill contains a number of other provisions to control PFAS. At least some of them have sparked opposition to H.R. 535 from industry, including chemical makers, as well as a veto threat from the White House. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) told Bloomberg News that the House-passed bill has no chances in the Senate. Barrasso chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, which controls environmental legislation in the Senate.

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

ARLINGTON FIRE: NO INJURIES FOLLOWING A SATURDAY MORNING PROPANE TANK LEAK
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/large-propane-tank-leak-in-arlington/65-cf92ddcc-61b0-4f06-adcc-92afb872663b
Tags: public, release, response, propane

ARLINGTON -- Arlington County Fire Department said they are investigating a large propane leak on Fairfax Drive on Saturday.

Officials arrived to the 4000 block of Fairfax Drive just before noon for reports of an odor.

When Hazmat and the fire department arrived to the scene, they located a large propane tank leaking at a building under construction.

Arlington Fire said the leak has been contained and the air is currently being monitored.

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

18-YR-OLD DIES AS EXTINGUISHER BURSTS WHILE FILLING CHEMICAL
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/18-yr-old-dies-as-extinguisher-bursts-while-filling-chemical/story-oKwXGbhjj5qAu0nGYTevBI.html
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, gas_cylinders

An 18-year-old worker died while he was refilling a fire extinguisher in a private fire service company in Badlapur on Saturday afternoon, after the nozzle of the extinguisher blew off and pierced his chest.

The victim, Ganesh Mhaske, had started working at Woodpecker India Fire Services four days ago and did not have the training to handle such chemicals, said the police. The police have arrested the owner of the company for not providing Mhaske with safety gear.

LM Sariputre, a senior officer of Badlapur (West) police station, said, â??Around 12pm, Mhaske was filling dry chemical powder (DCP) in the extinguisher cylinder when due to pressure, the nozzle exploded and hit his chest. He was taken to Dhanwantari Hospital, where the doctors declared him dead. We have arrested the owner of the company, Gaurav Suresh Bihade, 39, who was present when the incident took place.â??

Sariputre said there are certain safety measures that should have been followed while dealing with the chemicals. â??The deceased was not wearing any safety jacket or safety gear. He [owner] also asked an untrained man to handle such chemicals. It could have resulted in a major fire mishap.â??

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

MAHARASHTRA CHEMICAL FACTORY EXPLOSION LEAVES SIX DEAD
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/maharashtra-chemical-factory-explosion-leaves-six-dead-6212141/
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, hydrogen

SIX LABOURERS were killed and at least 10 injured after a huge explosion took place at a chemical plant in Bhoisarâ??s Tarapur Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation area â?? 136 km west of Mumbai. The explosion destroyed a part of the plant as well as an adjacent building, which was under construction. At the time of going to press, rescue operations were underway to locate the workers trapped under the rubble.

The police said the incident took place around 7 pm when the owner of the plant, Natubhai Patel, and 11 labourers, were inside. The deceased have been identified as Ansari Elias, Nishu Singh, Madhuri Singh, Golu Yadav, Rajmatidevi Yadav and Mohan Ingale. At least five fire engines and 10 ambulances were rushed to the spot following the explosion.

Sources said the explosion took place when a trial run of a chemical production was being conducted. Hydrogen used during the trial could have led to the expolsion. Following the incident, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

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

TWO KIDS HURT IN BOISAR BLAST HAD COME TO UNIT WITH THEIR MOTHER
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/two-kids-hurt-in-boisar-blast-had-come-to-unit-with-their-mother/articleshow/73209959.cms
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

MUMBAI: Five persons, three of them women, were killed, six injured and a few feared trapped after a huge blast at a chemical unit in the Tarapur MIDC area in Boisar. Villagers around the Tarapur industrial estate mistook the explosion in the chemical unit for an earthquake and rushed out into the open. Another factory in the neighbourhood, Tara Nitrate, was also damaged in the blast. Eyewitnesses said the explosion led to massive smoke and emanation of a foul smell.
The dead were identified as workers Mohan Ingle (45), Sakshi Madan (39), Nishu Singh (26), Madhuri Singh (46), Gokul Jadhav (18) and watchman Ansari. The injured included two children, Prachi (3) and Ruchika Singh (2), who had come to the factory along with their mother. They have been moved to the Tungha hospital and are being treated for minor injuries.
Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased. Also, the medical costs of the injured will be borne by the state government. Officials said Thackeray was monitoring the relief and rescue operations.

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

SAFE SCALE-UP OF AN OXYGEN-RELEASING CLEAVAGE OF EVANS OXAZOLIDINONE WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.oprd.9b00462
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, hydrogen_peroxide, pharmaceutical

In the pharmaceutical industry, H2O2-mediated oxidation reactions are commonly used in chemical syntheses but they can also introduce unexpected safety hazards. Our labs recently reported on the discovery of oxygen evolution during the LiOH/H2O2-mediated cleavage of Evans oxazolidinone. Faced with this previously unexpected hazard, the authors, herein, report on the development and demonstration of a methodology for the safe scale-up of this O2-releasing reaction. It was found that O2 in the headspace could be controlled by a combination of N2 sweeping and modulation of the LiOH addition rate. A design of experiment study was used to probe the multivariate parameter space in order to minimize formation of the unstable peracid intermediate, thus avoiding accumulation and subsequent risk of rapid and uncontrolled O2 release. To support scale-up, the well-mixed vapor headspace assumption was tested using computational fluid dynamics, and it was found that N2 sparging is effecti!
ve at reducing heterogeneity in the headspace. Condenser conditions were evaluated to balance recovery of solventâ??because of the high N2 sweepâ??and avoid the risk of condenser freezingâ??because of the presence of water in the condensate. An additional fail safe was developed, using a pH buffer to rapidly halt the base-catalyzed reaction in the case of an unexpectedly high headspace O2 concentration. The final process was validated and executed at up to 215 kg scale.

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

OFR FIREFIGHTER HOSPITALIZED AFTER CHEMICAL FIRE IN NORTH ODESSA
https:​//www.oaoa.com/news/fire_and_rescue/article_7de3ee72-33fa-11ea-9a5d-1790df29daea.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, injury, acetic_acid

An Odessa Fire Rescue firefighter was hospitalized after a chemical fire in north Odessa.

The fire, which happened at a business near the area of 67th Street and Andrews Highway, started before 11 a.m. Friday morning.

According to Devin Sanchez, the City of Odessa director of communications, OFR crews are working on the hazmat situation, which is acetic acid. The shelter was in place, but it was lifted around 2 p.m. The OFR firefighter is reportedly expected to be OK.

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

1 DEAD, MULTIPLE INJURED IN STATESVILLE AMMONIA LEAK
https:​//www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/statesville-ammonia-hazmat-spill/275-7936486e-03fc-40e0-96b8-ccdbc499bdb4
Tags: us_NC, industrial, release, death, ammonia

STATESVILLE, N.C. â?? One person is dead and at least two people are injured after a hazmat spill at an industrial facility in Statesville.

There was a large emergency response Friday at Lineage Logistics, located at 3766 Tayorsville Highway, which is about a mile north of the interchange with Interstate 40.

Around 1:53 p.m., emergency crews responded to an ammonia spill at the facility, officials confirmed to WCNC NBC Charlotte.

A sub-contractor working at the facility died. That person's name has not been released.

Multiple other people were treated, including at least two of paramedics.

The website for Lineage Logistics says their Statesville facility stores and ships food.

Iredell County officials said first responders and clean up crews will stay on the scene for several days.

â??With the size of the plant and the amount of ammonia that's in the building, it needs careful watching,â?? says Karyn Yaussy, the Emergency Management director in Catawba County who briefed the media on behalf of Iredell County.

An employee who was seriously injured was transported to a hospital in Winston-Salem due to the severity of his injuries.

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

CASTAIC: HAZMAT TEAMS RESPOND AFTER MAN BARRICADES HIMSELF WITH CHEMICALS â?? ONSCENE TV
https://onscene.tv/castaic-hazmat-teams-respond-after-man-barricades-himself-with-chemicals/
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, hydrogen_sulfide

01.09.2020 | 9:23 PM | CASTAIC â?? Hazmat teams responded after a man barricaded himself inside a car with hazardous chemicals, Thursday night.

Authorities responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle on Lake Hughes Road approximately 8 miles from Castaic Road around 9:23 PM.

Units arriving on scene located a a man barricaded inside his vehicle alleging he had a â??hydrogen sulfide device.â??

Hazmat teams and negotiators responded to the scene and eventually took the man into custody.

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

SAKINAKA FIRE: UNIT STORED CHEMICALS BEYOND LIMIT, SAYS BMC
https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/sakinaka-fire-unit-stored-chemicals-beyond-limit-says-bmc/story-WmSYqbejXYESCy25d73ORN.html
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, environmental, flammables, illegal

Nearly two weeks after a fire broke out at Sakinakaâ??s Ashapura Industrial Estate, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) probe has revealed that chemicals stored at the compound were beyond the permissible limit and may have escalated the fire.

The BMC also stated that it will inform the police about the development to add to the charges on owners already booked for criminal negligence. Moreover, Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) is still searching for the person who went missing person after the fire.

On December 27, around 5.15pm, a major fire broke out at Ashapura compound, an industrial estate in Sakinaka. Aarti Jaiswal, 25, and Piyush Pithadia, 42, were killed in the blaze, while Pratap Thakkar, 42, went missing. While the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, MFB had said that large amounts of flammable paint thinner, which was stored in the compound contributed to the major (level-4) fire.

BMC officials said they had given permission for storing around 3,500 litres of chemicals at the factory, including thinner, distemper and sodium silicate, but the probe revealed that over 4,000 litres were stored. â??The factory had permissions for storage of chemicals but the storage was in excess. Raids at the structures near the factory also revealed that the chemical storage was being done over permissible amounts,â?? said Manish Valanju, assistant municipal corporation, L Ward, which includes Sakinaka, Kurla.

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

TWO INJURED IN CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION
https:​//www.powderbulksolids.com/news/Two-Injured-in-Chemical-Plant-Explosion-01-10-2020
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

Two people were transported to a hospital after a blast at the Rathburn Chemicals production plant in Walkerburn, Scottish Borders, Scotland on Friday morning, officials and local news organizations said. Some homes near the plant were evacuated as a precaution during the incident and a school near the site closed.

Fire crews responded to the site at about 7 a.m. and remained on scene for several hours to put out a fire, coverage from the BBC said. Officials notified the public that some debris containing asbestos could have spread to areas near the facility.

â??Debris from the incident has been distributed into neighboring residential areas in the vicinity of Caberston Road, which we believe includes roof tiles which may contain asbestos,â?? the Scottish Borders Council said in a post on its website. â??A risk assessment is being carried out, however we believe that the risk to the public is very low due to the type of material involved.â??

Emergency personnel also shut down a portion of the A72 highway while the firefighting effort was underway.

The Walkerburn plant was destroyed in a boiler explosion and fire in 2001, according to The Scottish Sun.

Rathburn Chemicals produces HPLC grade solvents, glass distilled solvents, and materials for biochemistry, oligonucleotide synthesis, and peptide synthesis, information on the companyâ??s website states. The firm was founded in 1975.

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

CHEMICAL REACTION TEMPORARILY CLOSES TRANSFER STATION
https:​//www.capecodtimes.com/news/20200110/chemical-reaction-temporarily-closes-transfer-station
Tags: us_MA, industrial, fire, response, waste

MARSTONS MILLS â?? A chemical reaction led to the temporary closure of the Barnstable Transfer Station on Friday, according to a statement from the Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills Fire Department.

At 11 a.m., a possible fire inside a trash compactor was reported, according to the statement. Upon arrival, firefighters found white smoke coming from inside one compactor.

Firefighters determined the smoke was related to a chemical reaction, not a fire, the statement said.

The area was evacuated and the station was closed to traffic, the release said.

A state hazmat team sampled the air and contents of the compactor, which was moved to a remote area of the transfer station and emptied.

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

---
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