Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 6:38:09 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 (12 articles)
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SPILL INJURIES ONE PERSON IN NORTHERN ALBERTA
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, injury, hydrochloric_acid
HAZMAT SITUATION TAKING PLACE AT US ICE AFTER AMMONIA LEAK, OFFICIALS SAY
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, ammonia
COOLING DOWN: CHEMICAL ACCIDENT IN MANNHEIM: CONTAINER IS OPENED NEWS
Tags: Germany, transportation, follow-up, environmental, sulfur_dioxide
CREWS FINISH REMOVING CONTAMINANT THAT TURNED NEW ALBANY CREEK BLUE
Tags: us_IN, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
A REVIEW OF SAFETY ISSUES AND RISK ASSESSMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AMMONIA REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
Tags: Malaysia, industrial, discovery, environmental, ammonia, hvac_chemicals, ozone
BATTERY FAILURE LEADS TO FIRE AT BETA TECHNOLOGIES
Tags: us_VT, industrial, fire, response, batteries
OIL & GAS COMPANIES AND THEIR GAPING HOLES
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, methane, petroleum
HAZMAT CALLED TO CRASH WITH PESTICIDE LEAK IN CHESTERFIELD
Tags: us_VA, transportation, release, response, pesticides
3-MEMBER PANEL TO PROBE EXPLOSION AT GNDU LAB
Tags: India, laboratory, follow-up, injury, unknown_chemical
WORKER DIES FOLLOWING CHEMICAL LEAK AT U.S. ECOLOGY IN CANTON TOWNSHIP
Tags: us_OH, industrial, follow-up, death, hydrogen_sulfide
FIRE CREWS RESPOND TO CHEMICAL LEAK AT DAYS INN IN DANVILLE
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, chlorine
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical, dye, repellent
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HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SPILL INJURIES ONE PERSON IN NORTHERN ALBERTA
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/1-hurt-after-hazardous-materials-spill-northwest-of-edmonton-1.6049190
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, injury, hydrochloric_acid
Emergency crews were called to a commercial job site in the area of 157 Avenue and 89 Street in Clairmont, Alta. for a hazardous materials spill Tuesday afternoon.
RCMP told CTV News Edmonton less than 100 litres of hydrochloric acid spilled and that an employee suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Crews from the County of Grande Prairie Fire Department were able to dilute the material and make the area safe again.
Police said Occupational Health and Safety has been notified.
Clairmont is about 453 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
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HAZMAT SITUATION TAKING PLACE AT US ICE AFTER AMMONIA LEAK, OFFICIALS SAY
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2022/08/31/hazmat-situation-taking-place-at-us-ice-after-ammonia-leak-officials-say/
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, ammonia
DETROIT – Officials say that a hazmat situation occurred at US Ice after an ammonia leak.
Officials say that the leak occurred on 8 Mile Road and Wyoming Avenue.
It happened at US Ice on West Eight Mile Road between Meyers and Wyoming.
The Detroit Fire Department declared it a hazmat situation after what was believed to be an ammonia leak.
Some people were evacuated from their homes as a precaution.
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COOLING DOWN: CHEMICAL ACCIDENT IN MANNHEIM: CONTAINER IS OPENED NEWS
https://www.indonewyork.com/breaking/cooling-down-chemical-accident-in-mannheim-container-is-opened-h39471.html
Tags: Germany, transportation, follow-up, environmental, sulfur_dioxide
The container is to be opened this Wednesday, the contents of which caused a chemical accident in the port of Mannheim. "We are confident that we will be able to open the container in the course of tomorrow," said the Mayor of Mannheim, Christian Specht (CDU), on Tuesday. After more than a week, the container had cooled down so that it could be salvaged without any major reactions. Probes would have measured temperature and sulfur dioxide; a mini camera gave an impression of the situation in the container with almost 200 barrels. "All of this has enabled us to put our rescue concept into practice," said Specht. The maneuver, which is estimated to take two or three days, poses no danger to local residents.
Toxic fumes escaped from the container intended for Turkey with a bleach for textiles from the chemical company BASF on Tuesday last week. When fighting the fire and the gases, 17 people were slightly injured. After the rescue, the cause of the leak should be clarified.
Hydrosulfite is harmless if handled with care. However, it is classified as dangerous goods due to the risk of self-ignition with release of sulfur dioxide and sulfur. According to current knowledge, such a self-ignition has probably expired.
For salvage, each barrel is grasped with a telescopic arm and taken to the so-called sighting area, where specialists and investigators examine it. Once this is completed, the barrels are prepared for safe transport. Specht emphasized that the securing of the barrels was closely accompanied by a complete fire engine from the fire brigade. If chemical reactions occur, 10,000 liters of water are immediately available. In an emergency, a hood can be placed over a drum with chemicals that are still reactive. BASF will dispose of the barrels properly.
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CREWS FINISH REMOVING CONTAMINANT THAT TURNED NEW ALBANY CREEK BLUE
https://www.wdrb.com/news/crews-finish-removing-contaminant-that-turned-new-albany-creek-blue/article_16d65d54-288b-11ed-87eb-93171cbd0d41.html
Tags: us_IN, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- Cleanup is now finished after a chemical spill turned this New Albany creek bright blue.
The spill happened Aug. 11 after a business washed containers. Fluid from the process drained into Fall Run Creek, leading to the unusual color and an unusual smell.
The New Albany city government, Floyd County government and Indiana State Department of Environmental Management all responded. Crews used a temporary dam to remove 86,000 gallons of contaminated water.
Officials said no aquatic life was harmed by the spill.
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A REVIEW OF SAFETY ISSUES AND RISK ASSESSMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AMMONIA REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chas.2c00041
Tags: Malaysia, industrial, discovery, environmental, ammonia, hvac_chemicals, ozone
Several industries like cold storage and ice plants heavily rely on ammonia (NH3) due to its low cost, excellent thermophysical traits, and zero effects on the ozone layer. Despite its widespread use as a refrigerant, the hazardous nature of ammonia remains a significant health concern. Since the industrial revolution, ammonia leakage has led to numerous major accidents, including fire and vapor cloud explosions. This paper reviews the safety issues and the current practices of risk assessment with regard to the industrial ammonia used in refrigeration systems. In addition, previous works related to the risk analysis of ammonia-based industries are reviewed. The majority of ammonia refrigeration system-related works applied the traditional static tools for risk analysis such as fault tree, event tree, and bow-tie that are not suitable to handle common causes of failures or conditional dependencies, which are absolutely significant aspects for a reliable safety assessment. Th!
us, it is vital to maintain and improve the safety levels of diverse industries using ammonia-based refrigeration systems. Various characteristics of ammonia-based refrigeration systems and their safety issues related to industry, present development, and future trends are comprehensively underscored. This review may act as a guide to develop a better understanding of dealing effectively with the hazards of ammonia-based refrigeration systems and risk assessment, thus enhancing the overall safety of humans and the environment.
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BATTERY FAILURE LEADS TO FIRE AT BETA TECHNOLOGIES
https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/battery-fire-doused-at-beta-technologies/Content?oid=36359302
Tags: us_VT, industrial, fire, response, batteries
A shipping container filled with lithium-ion batteries for Beta Technologies' experimental aircraft caught fire early on Friday, pushing flames nearly 40 feet high.
Crews with the Vermont Air National Guard and South Burlington Fire Department were dispatched shortly after midnight to the tech company's headquarters at the Burlington International Airport, where they found one of several containers fully engulfed, the flames reaching 20-to 40-feet into the air, according to information provided by the fire departments.
The fire was controlled within 30 minutes and extinguished shortly after 1 a.m. Crews used “copious amounts of water” to stop thermal runaway, a dangerous chain reaction in which lithium-ion batteries generate uncontrollable heat, according to an incident report the South Burlington Fire Department provided to Seven Days.
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OIL & GAS COMPANIES AND THEIR GAPING HOLES
https://gaussling.wordpress.com/2022/08/30/oil-gas-companies-and-their-gaping-holes/
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, methane, petroleum
According to E&E News, the government is releasing $560 million of a total of $4.7 billion to fund the cleanup of orphan oil and gas wells in 24 states. It is part of the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act.
>From the E&E article-
“Historic oil and gas activity in regions like Appalachia and the West goes back more than a century, with many old wells lost. Additionally, oil and gas price busts have left more wells abandoned, their original drillers out of business or difficult to trace. When left unchecked, those wells can release greenhouse gases like methane and pose combustion risks.
All told, states have flagged more than 10,000 high priority wells for cleanup, the first in line of a nearly 130,000 backlog of unreclaimed known well sites, Interior reported today. That number is expected to rise as federal funds bolster state efforts to identify hidden or lost orphans.”
According to a June 16, 2020, article in Reuters, drillers are required to pay a bond up-front to pay for remediation in case they go bankrupt. In reality, the system is a patchwork of state and federal regulations that are underfunded. The article goes on to say-
“The U.S. figures are sobering: More than 3.2 million abandoned oil and gas wells together emitted 281 kilotons of methane in 2018, according to the data, which was included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent report on April 14 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. That’s the climate-damage equivalent of consuming about 16 million barrels of crude oil, according to an EPA calculation, or about as much as the United States, the world’s biggest oil consumer, uses in a typical day. (For a graphic on the rise in abandoned oil wells, click tmsnrt.rs/2MsWInw )“
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HAZMAT CALLED TO CRASH WITH PESTICIDE LEAK IN CHESTERFIELD
https://www.nbc12.com/2022/08/29/hazmat-called-crash-with-possible-pesticide-leak-chesterfield/
Tags: us_VA, transportation, release, response, pesticides
CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) - Hazmat crews were called to a crash involving the leak of pesticides in Chesterfield Monday afternoon.
The crash happened in the area of South Arch Road between Redbridge Road and Castleburg Drive. The area was closed for an extended period of time but has reopened.
Officials said the crash involved a lawn care vehicle going into a creek.
Hazmat was on the scene and had the spill of pesticides under control. Officials said only a small amount spilled, and there was no threat to the public or waterway.
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3-MEMBER PANEL TO PROBE EXPLOSION AT GNDU LAB
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/3-member-panel-to-probe-explosion-at-gndu-lab-426768
Tags: India, laboratory, follow-up, injury, unknown_chemical
A departmental committee has been constituted by Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) authorities to look into the recent incident of an explosion that occurred at a chemistry lab in the university. A student was critically injured in the incident.
The three-member committee will consist of Head of Department of Chemistry Dr Sukhpreet Singh; senior professor of chemistry Prof Kamaljeet Singh and a retired professor, Manoj Kumar.
The HoD said: “Terms of reference include probing the cause of incident and give specific reasons behind the mishap; to design a standard operating procedure for such experiments so that such cases can be prevented in future and to give suggestions for further safety of students. The enquiry report will be submitted within two or three days.”
He said contrary to earlier reports, the laboratory was a medicinal chemistry research lab. “Raw material was being used for research in medicinal chemistry and during preparations, the experiment turned aggressive and an explosion was caused. The damage to the laboratory is minimal and we will be further assessing the damages during the enquiry,” he said.
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WORKER DIES FOLLOWING CHEMICAL LEAK AT U.S. ECOLOGY IN CANTON TOWNSHIP
https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2022/08/29/worker-dies-following-chemical-leak-at-u-s-ecology-in-canton-township/65461775007/
Tags: us_OH, industrial, follow-up, death, hydrogen_sulfide
CANTON TWP. ‒ One of five people injured during an Aug. 22 hazardous chemical release at U.S. Ecology has died, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed on Monday.
OSHA's Cleveland Field Area Office Director Howard Eberts said U.S. Ecology, 2050 Central Avenue SE, notified the agency on Thursday that employee Ray Sullivan, 27, of Waynesburg, had died.
The investigation into the chemical release was launched immediately, Eberts said, who added OSHA has six months to complete its probe.
Canton Township Fire Chief Christopher Smith has said that hydrogen sulfide was released at site, requiring five workers to seek medical treatment.
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FIRE CREWS RESPOND TO CHEMICAL LEAK AT DAYS INN IN DANVILLE
https://www.wandtv.com/news/fire-crews-respond-to-chemical-leak-at-days-inn-in-danville/article_1ccd8390-27dc-11ed-8456-438aaedf30a4.html
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, chlorine
DANVILLE, Ill. (WAND)- The Danville Fire Department were dispatched to a Days Inn Monday morning for the report of a Chlorine gas leak.
According to officials, the Hazardous Materials Response Team responded to the leak located in the basement of the Days Inn around 8:31 a.m.
Crews say several individuals were injured due to the release and were treated, transported or released by Ambulance crews.
The entire complex was evacuated before the Hazardous Materials Technicians entered the basement and contained the release, then Positive Pressure Ventilation fans were used to introduce fresh air into the basement.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/26156/interactive/?mc_cid=0dcf1bc9b3&mc_eid=4dd0c354af
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical, dye, repellent
In thousands of communities across the United States, drinking water is contaminated with chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are used in a wide range of products such as non-stick cookware, water and stain repellent fabrics, and fire-fighting foam because they have properties that repel oil and water, reduce friction, and resist temperature changes (learn more). Exposure to PFAS has been linked to an increased risk of several adverse health effects, including certain cancers, thyroid dysfunction, small reductions in birth weight, and high cholesterol.
A report from the National Academies recommends that Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) should revise its existing PFAS clinical guidance to say that clinicians should offer education and blood testing to patients who are likely to have a history of elevated exposure to PFAS, such as those exposed through their work or who live in areas with known PFAS contamination. The CDC, ATSDR, and public health departments should support clinicians by creating educational materials on PFAS exposure, potential health effects, the limitations of testing, and the harms and benefits of testing
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