Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 6:45:41 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)
PERSON INJURED IN CANNABIS PROCESSING PLANT FIRE TAKEN TO DENVER
Tags: us_MT, industrial, fire, injury, flammables
THREE RIVERS HOUSE EXPLOSION TIED TO MANUFACTURE OF BUTANE HASH OIL LAB
Tags: us_MI, public, fire, response, butane, clandestine_lab
CHILD HOSPITALISED AFTER SUSPECTED CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AT LAURIE LAWRENCE'S GOLD COAST SWIM SCHOOL
Tags: Australia, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
SAC CREWS CLEAN UP CHEMICALS LEFTOVER AT CHEMIST'S FORMER HOME
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
GILBERT WARNS RESIDENTS DUMPING FLAMMABLE MATERIALS AFTER 4 TRUCKS CATCH FIRE
Tags: us_AZ, public, follow-up, response, batteries, flammables, waste
AMMONIA LEAK PROMPTS EVACUATION FROM N. WICHITA MANUFACTURING FACILITY
Tags: us_KS, industrial, release, injury, ammonia
CHEMICAL TEST RESULTS DELIVERED TO PAINT CREEK RESIDENTS FOLLOWING CRASH
Tags: us_WV, transportation, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL RELEASE AT DOW MICHIGAN OPERATIONS I-PARK IN MIDLAND
Tags: us_MI, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO CHEMICAL SPILL AT HALIFAX HOTEL
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, bleach, hydrochloric_acid
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TECHNICIANS CALLED TO OSTERVILLE FOR MERCURY SPILL
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, mercury
LSP WARNS MOTORISTS OF HAZMAT CLEAN UP IN ST. LANDRY PARISH
Tags: us_LA, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
PORTLAND FIRE HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS AFTER LAB FIRE RAISES CONCERN
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, fire, response, pharmaceutical
CAPE COD MA YMCA HAZMAT SITUATION CAUSED BY ACCIDENT CHEMICALS MIXING – NBC BOSTON
Tags: us_MA, public, follow-up, environmental, hydrochloric_acid
NAZI SHIPWRECK IS LEAKING TOXIC CHEMICALS INTO THE SEA, 80 YEARS AFTER SINKING
Tags: Belgium, transportation, release, environmental, explosives, metals
---------------------------------------------
PERSON INJURED IN CANNABIS PROCESSING PLANT FIRE TAKEN TO DENVER
https://www.kulr8.com/news/one-person-injured-after-fire-at-cannabis-processing-facility-on-duck-creek-rd/article_20a19a16-547c-11ed-a486-ab8947695f08.html
Tags: us_MT, industrial, fire, injury, flammables
The Billings Fire Dept. released additional information about the large fire at the cannabis processing facility.
An investigation found that during the distillation process, an employee accidentally ignited ethanol vapors which caused the fire.
That employee suffered severe upper body burns and has since been transported to Denver for treatment of those injuries.
BFD says the fire was contained to the distillation room, which has charring on the walls and ceiling, and heat damage to the equipment.
There was about 500-thousand dollars worth of damage to the facility.
UPDATE: 2:13 P.M.
The following is a press release from the Billings Fire Department:
The Billings Fire Prevention Bureau is investigating a fire that was reported at 3620 Duck Creek Road shortly after 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
When fire crews arrived on scene, they found smoke coming from a marijuana processing facility operated by dispensary company Elevated.
Part of the team prepared to attack the fire, while others tended to an employee who suffered severe upper body burns.
The victim was immediately taken to a local hospital for treatment. An update on the victim’s condition is not available.
The fire inside of the building was contained within 15 minutes.
Because marijuana processing facilities use flammable chemicals like butane and ethanol, firefighters had to take extra caution when battling the fire.
---------------------------------------------
THREE RIVERS HOUSE EXPLOSION TIED TO MANUFACTURE OF BUTANE HASH OIL LAB
https://wwmt.com/news/local/three-rivers-house-explosion-september-one-injured-court-records-butane-thc-marijuana
Tags: us_MI, public, fire, response, butane, clandestine_lab
THREE RIVERS, Mich. — A butane explosion from a homemade lab used to manufacturing concentrated marijuana is the likely cause of a Three Rivers home explosion last month, according to investigators.
A 34-year-old man told police his arm caught fire when he went to investigate the explosion in the basement of 502 8th Street on Sept. 11, according to the Three Rivers Police report obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Police discovered two large canisters of butane and seized items from the home indicative of a butane honey oil lab, detectives said.
Butane honey or butane hash oil is commonly extracted from marijuana plant material using butane, which is highly flammable and can cause explosions if ignited, according to detectives.
Officers discovered a blown off front door and blew down the rear wall when they responded to a report for a fire around 11:40 p.m., police said.
---------------------------------------------
CHILD HOSPITALISED AFTER SUSPECTED CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AT LAURIE LAWRENCE'S GOLD COAST SWIM SCHOOL
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-26/suspected-chemical-inhalation-laurie-lawrence-swim-school-/101578756
Tags: Australia, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
Five children under the age of six have been treated by paramedics after suspected chemical exposure at Laurie Laurence swim school on the Gold Coast this morning.
A Queensland Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said a "dispersal technique" was used to ventilate the area at Flagstone Drive in Burleigh Heads.
Swim school operator and celebrated swim coach Laurie Lawrence said children in the class began to suffer respiratory problems in the class this morning, but it was still not clear what had caused the children to experience breathing issues.
"No chemical was reported by the fire brigade when they came and did tests, no chemical in the air was detected and we can't detect any excess in the pool itself … So it's a bit of a mystery," he said.
---------------------------------------------
SAC CREWS CLEAN UP CHEMICALS LEFTOVER AT CHEMIST'S FORMER HOME
https://www.kcra.com/article/unknown-chemicals-abandoned-sacramento-home/41770872
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A large firefighter presence outside of a Sacramento home Tuesday afternoon was because of a scheduled cleanup of a home full of chemicals left behind by a chemist who died this summer, officials said.
"We’re double checking to make sure it's safe for a third party to come in and dispose of the chemicals," said Capt. Andrew Ramos, of the Sacramento Fire Department's Special Operations Division. "There is nothing that we should be afraid of. They're just small quantities."
Advertisement
A spokesperson with the Sacramento Fire Department said the chemist used to live in a home in the 7500 block of 19th Street that was full of about 100 different chemicals. The house is off Meadowview Road and 21st Street in the Meadowview area.
Fire officials emphasized that this is not an emergency and that it had been on their calendar to begin cleanup on Tuesday.
No evacuations were issued, and the scene is contained to the home, but the fire department said 19th street is closed to through traffic at Matson Drive.
"We're being meticulous in the way we clean it up," said Battalion Chief Patrick Costamagna, of the Sacramento Fire Department.
---------------------------------------------
GILBERT WARNS RESIDENTS DUMPING FLAMMABLE MATERIALS AFTER 4 TRUCKS CATCH FIRE
https://www.azfamily.com/2022/10/25/gilbert-warns-residents-dumping-flammable-materials-after-4-trucks-catch-fire/
Tags: us_AZ, public, follow-up, response, batteries, flammables, waste
GILBERT, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- The Town of Gilbert is warning residents to stop improperly dumping flammable goods into their trash cans after a number of garbage trucks have caught fire this year.
On the town’s blog, officials report that it just had its fourth truck fire this year, and a recent @GilbertYourTown TikTok notes that the town had five last year. Fire crews want communities to know that they need to be mindful of what chemical batteries and potentially hazardous materials go into the crash can. Items like tires, fuels, pool chemicals, and electronic waste should be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility off Queen Creek Road, west of Greenfield.
As the cooler temperatures roll into town, it’s important to never put ashes into your trash until they’ve been cooled for at least 24 hours, bagged, and tied. Dumping flammable materials into ordinary trash cans can lead to two types of truck fires. An engine fire could happen by falling debris and damage to the exhaust or engine, but hot loads are vastly more volatile and dangerous. Oftentimes, the operator has to extinguish the load by packing it to deprive the fire of oxygen. In some cases, they may have to dump the load in an open area to safely distinguish the fire.
---------------------------------------------
AMMONIA LEAK PROMPTS EVACUATION FROM N. WICHITA MANUFACTURING FACILITY
https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/26/chemical-spill-prompts-evacuation-n-wichita-manufacturing-facility/
Tags: us_KS, industrial, release, injury, ammonia
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - An ammonia leak at a manufacturing facility in north Wichita led to evacuations, but there were no serious injuries. The leak prompted evacuations from Perfekta in the 400 block of East 21st street, near 21st Street North and Broadway.
A Wichita Fire Department battalion chief said investigators isolated the leak to a tanker trailer in a lot northwest of the manufacturing facility that makes parts for the aerospace industry. WFD Battalion Chief Lane Pearman said weather conditions played a role in the ammonia getting into the business. The smell of the chemical caused minor illness to three workers at Perfekta and prompted the emergency call. Pearman said the three workers were evaluated at the scene and refused transport to the hospital.
As of late Tuesday night, crews remained on the scene near 21st and Broadway as Pearman said the investigation continued to determine how the leak happened.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL TEST RESULTS DELIVERED TO PAINT CREEK RESIDENTS FOLLOWING CRASH
https://www.wvpublic.org/energy-environment/2022-10-25/chemical-test-results-deliver-to-paint-creek-residents-following-crash
Tags: us_WV, transportation, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
Environmental health specialists from Kanawha and Fayette counties tested wells along Paint Creek following an Aug. 24 truck crash on the West Virginia Turnpike that spilled a chemical surfactant.
In letters mailed to Paint Creek residents, the Kanawha-Charleston and Fayette County health departments said there were trace amounts of the chemical detected in 19 hand-dug or shallow wells.
The tractor trailer was carrying containers with the surfactant Empigen AS/F90 when it crashed on I-64 spilling the chemical into Skitter Creek, which flows into Paint Creek. Fayette County Health Department and Kanawha-Charleston Health Department employees sampled 19 hand-dug and shallow wells for testing.
No chemical was found beyond the detection limit of 0.3 percent. These results do not reflect the overall safety of the wells that were sampled. They only indicate that the chemical spilled was not detected above that level in the wells that were tested.
Properly constructed private wells were not impacted by the spill. Consuming water from a hand-dug or shallow well is not recommended.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL RELEASE AT DOW MICHIGAN OPERATIONS I-PARK IN MIDLAND
https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Substance-release-at-Dow-Michigan-Operations-17533965.php
Tags: us_MI, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
In a statement released on social media, Dow Michigan Operations confirmed that there was "a product release" at about 2 p.m. at Dow Michigan Operations I-Park.
The company did not disclose what chemical was released into the air. The City of Midland released a statement stating Dowtherm A (biphenyl) was the chemical released. Command staff from Midland Fire Department responded and, in coordination with on-site and field staff from Dow, determined that it had been contained with the fence line. No negative community health impacts are expected, according to the city's statement.
Four employees who were in close proximity to the release are being evaluated. A shelter-in-place order was lifted at 3:30 p.m.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO CHEMICAL SPILL AT HALIFAX HOTEL
https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/halifax-hotel-evacuated-as-hazmat-team-cleans-chemical-spill-in-pool-area-1.6122513
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, bleach, hydrochloric_acid
A Halifax hotel was evacuated Monday morning after toxic chemicals were reported in the pool area.
Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency's hazmat team responded to The Holiday Inn Express on Parkland Drive around 11 a.m.
According to Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Chief Kevin Corkum, someone cleaning the pool created a mixture of bleach and muriatic acid, causing a release of caustic gas.
Corkum says five people were treated by paramedics on scene.
---------------------------------------------
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TECHNICIANS CALLED TO OSTERVILLE FOR MERCURY SPILL
https://www.capecod.com/cape-wide-news/hazardous-materials-technicians-called-to-osterville-for-mercury-spill/
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, mercury
OSTERVILLE – Hazardous Materials technicians were called to Osterville around 2:45 PM Monday. A broken thermometer reportedly caused a mercury spill at a residence on Oak Ridge Road. No injuries were reported.
---------------------------------------------
LSP WARNS MOTORISTS OF HAZMAT CLEAN UP IN ST. LANDRY PARISH
https://www.katc.com/news/st-landry-parish/louisiana-state-police-assisting-with-hazmat-clean-up
Tags: us_LA, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
Louisiana State Police announced hazmat crews are working to clean up a gas line leak near the intersection of LA 182 and LA 3233.
St. Landry Parish is assisting with the road closure at Harry Guilbeau for northbound traffic and Brisco Road for southbound traffic on LA 182 said State Police.
The road closure may continue into after-school hours. State Police warn motorists to expect delays and avoid the area if possible.
According to State Police, no evacuations are necessary.
---------------------------------------------
PORTLAND FIRE HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS AFTER LAB FIRE RAISES CONCERN
https://www.kptv.com/2022/10/25/portland-fire-hazmat-team-responds-after-lab-fire-raises-concern/
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, fire, response, pharmaceutical
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – A HazMat team was deployed on Monday after Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a fire at Lacamas Labs, a producer of pharmaceutical intermediates.
Portland fire crews first received reports of the warehouse fire around 4:30 in the 3600 block of N Suttle Road. Responding crews reported seeing a large smoke column from a distance and were told the building was in the process of evacuation when they arrived.
Plant workers informed crews of the hazardous materials inside the building adjacent where the fire was active. Because of the dangerous materials, a HazMat team was called to the scene.
Portland Fire HazMat team responds after lab fire raises concern.(Portland Fire & Rescue)
Arriving crews found fire showing from the front of the building in and around the area of the oil pump. Early reports indicate that a failed hot oil system used in their operations caused the fire.
After a targeted attack on the exterior of the building, Portland fire said a more “methodical” approach was taken for the interior because of the hazardous materials. Crews faced concern with the risk of putting water onto substances that behave violently with water.
When entering the building, firefighters used gas monitoring devices to ensure the premises were safe. On entry, they discovered much of the fire was contained to the outside of the structure with very little damage to the inside of the warehouse.
---------------------------------------------
CAPE COD MA YMCA HAZMAT SITUATION CAUSED BY ACCIDENT CHEMICALS MIXING – NBC BOSTON
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/accidental-mixture-of-pool-chemicals-caused-hazmat-situation-at-cape-cod-ymca-investigation-finds/2871395/
Tags: us_MA, public, follow-up, environmental, hydrochloric_acid
YMCA Cape Cod has completed an investigation into the incident earlier this month that resulted in seven children being sent to the hospital after exposure to a noxious gas.
The YMCA had an outside investigation done by aquatic safety experts, who believe the noxious gas was created by an accidental mixture of muriatic acid and residual granular chlorine inside the filtration system of the pool, according to a statement about the incident.
The Y's automated chemical feeder system was not working properly, and management there said it was having trouble getting pool vendors to complete repairs. In the meantime, workers had to add chemicals to the pool manually when it was closed.
Workers put granular chlorine into the filtration system in the morning on Oct. 7, and later in the day, muriatic acid was added to the system, the Y said. The investigation found that the chlorine had not fully dissolved in the system, and noxious gas was released into the deep end of the pool when the two chemicals mixed. The seven children were swimming in the deep end.
They were having trouble breathing and were taken to the hospital to be evaluated.
---------------------------------------------
NAZI SHIPWRECK IS LEAKING TOXIC CHEMICALS INTO THE SEA, 80 YEARS AFTER SINKING
https://www.livescience.com/nazi-shipwreck-leaking-pollution
Tags: Belgium, transportation, release, environmental, explosives, metals
The wreck of a Nazi patrol boat sunk by British warplanes in the North Sea in 1942 is still leaking hazardous chemicals 80 years later, according to new research.
A study published Oct. 18 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science (opens in new tab) shows that pollutants from the historic shipwreck — including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from its fuel, heavy metals, and traces of explosives — are affecting the microbiology and geochemistry of the seafloor around where it now rests; and the researchers suggest that the thousands of wartime wrecks in the North Sea, between Britain and the European continent, could similarly threaten the marine environment.
"The heavy metals can come from various sources — the metalwork inside the wreck itself can be a source of metal ions, as well as the fuel (coal), paint, and lubricants," project leader Maarten De Rijcke (opens in new tab), a researcher at the Flanders Marine Institute in Belgium, told Live Science. "The PAHs and explosives are more clearly linked to the cargo of fossil fuels and munitions."
---------------------------------------------
---
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 @acsdchas