Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, December 16, 2022 at 7:22:22 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)
TXJ TO PAY $2 MILLION FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE DUMPING IN CALIFORNIA
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, environmental, batteries, cleaners, corrosives, flammables, waste
COUNTY SEEKS INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO MARTINEZ REFINERY RELEASE OVER THANKSGIVING
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, dust, metals
CHEMICAL DISCOVERY LEADS TO EVACUATION IN NATCHEZ
Tags: us_MS, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
HYDERABAD: CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT DUMP YARD LEAVES 2 INJURED
Tags: India, public, explosion, injury, solvent
TRUCKING COMPANY SENT VIOLATION NOTICE IN WEST VIRGINIA CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_WV, transportation, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
C6-ZERO EMPLOYEE: PLANT OFTEN HAD FIRES, CHEMICALS ON THE GROUND AND DIDN’T PAY EMPLOYEES
Tags: us_IA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, dye, explosives
CSB RELEASES UPDATE INTO FATAL EXPLOSION AT POLYMERS RESIN PLANT
Tags: us_OH, industrial, follow-up, death, plastics, solvent
2 SENT TO HOSPITAL AFTER 'HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT': AURORA FD
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
NEW ANALYSIS FINDS 30% OF CHEMICAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
ORTHO-TOLUIDINE EXPOSURE LIMIT FOR WORKERS IS TOO HIGH, OSHA ADMITS
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED FROM DOWNTOWN SUMMERSIDE BUILDING
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, response, mustard_gas
HOUSTON BUSINESS ACCUSED OF LEAKING CHEMICALS ILLEGALLY INTO STORM DRAINS, HAZMAT INVESTIGATES
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, illegal, oils
DUMPSTER FIRE SPARKS 3-ALARM BLAZE THAT DESTROYS MUCH OF OAK PARK STRIP MALL
Tags: us_CA, public, fire, response, waste
2 KILLED, 4 INJURED AFTER FIRE BREAKS OUT IN IRKUTSK OBLAST, RUSSIA
Tags: Russia, industrial, fire, death, petroleum
NEWPORT NEWS FIRE CREWS CONTEND WITH HAZMAT SITUATION IN CAR FIRE
Tags: us_VA, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical
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TXJ TO PAY $2 MILLION FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE DUMPING IN CALIFORNIA
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/tjx-ordered-to-pay-2-million-to-california-counties-for-hazardous-waste/103-2abbac82-1b3c-4827-8c2b-effec60d48b4
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, environmental, batteries, cleaners, corrosives, flammables, waste
CALIFORNIA, USA — The parent company of TJ Maxx, Home Goods and Marshalls has been ordered by a state judge Friday to pay over $2 million for improperly disposing of hazardous waste in its California facilities.
TJX, a Massachusetts-based retail company with over 300 locations across the California, was sued in October by 38 California Counties — along with the city of Los Angeles and the City of San Diego — for improperly disposing of goods with hazardous materials into normal facility trash bins, which end up in municipal landfills.
Local facilities effected by the unlawful dumping are located in San Joaquin County, Stanislaus County, Tuolumne County and others.
These materials include batteries, aerosol products, electronic devices, cleaning agents, ignitable liquids and other flammable, reactive, toxic and corrosive materials as noted in court documents from the trial.
This violated numerous state health codes resulting high risk of environmental harm, according to the San Joaquin District Attorney's Office.
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COUNTY SEEKS INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO MARTINEZ REFINERY RELEASE OVER THANKSGIVING
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/martinez-refinery-release-thanksgiving-contra-costa-county-seeks-investigation/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, dust, metals
MARTINEZ – Contra Costa Health (CCH) is recommending that the county lead an independent, community-involved investigation into November's hazardous material release at Martinez Refining Company (MRC).
The release, which started Thanksgiving evening, blanketed the surrounding community in metal-laden dust and wasn't reported to the county health department, which confirmed it with the company days later after hearing about it from residents on social media.
In a statement released late Wednesday, CCH said it will ask the Contra Costa County Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) Ad Hoc Committee, which is appointed by the county Board of Supervisors, for the investigation.
CCH said it notified MRC that, based on its initial investigation, it has determined the Nov. 24-25 release was a Major Chemical Accident or Release (MCAR), a legal designation allowing CCH to thoroughly investigate the cause of the release through an independent investigation. The department will also perform followup work to fill safety gaps, and publicly report its activities.
CCH told MRC in a letter Wednesday that the refinery violated state law and local policy when it failed to report the airborne release of more than 20 tons of "spent catalyst," a substance that laboratory testing later showed to contain elevated levels of heavy metals.
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CHEMICAL DISCOVERY LEADS TO EVACUATION IN NATCHEZ
https://www.wlbt.com/2022/12/15/chemical-discovery-leads-evacuation-natchez/
Tags: us_MS, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
NATCHEZ, Miss. (WLBT) - The Historic Natchez Foundation had to be evacuated Thursday after a chemical was discovered.
The Natchez Police Department is now working with federal agencies to test the substance to determine exactly what it is.
Evacuations began around 11 a.m. after police got a call about an “unknown chemical.”
Officials at the building were doing an inventory of donations when the discovery was made.
Out of an abundance of caution, police evacuated the building and surrounding streets, including Commerce Street between State and Main Streets as well as Main Street from South Union to Commerce Street.
Emergency Management Director Brad Bradford says his agency will be awaiting test results from the national guard.
The Historic Natchez Foundation works to improve the history and development of the city through the rehabilitation of historic properties, according to its website.
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HYDERABAD: CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT DUMP YARD LEAVES 2 INJURED
https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/hyderabad-chemical-explosion-at-dump-yard-leaves-2-injured20221215222859/
Tags: India, public, explosion, injury, solvent
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], December 15 (ANI): Two persons were injured after a bottle of thinner exploding led to a chemical explosion in a dump yard in Hyderabad.
The Head of the Clues team, Dr Venkanna told ANI that the bottle of thinner exploded in a dump yard after it was left closed.
"A bottle of thinner exploded in the dump yard after somebody left it closed," he said.
The police informed that both the persons injured in the explosion are out of danger now.
"A 45-year-old man and his 15-year-old son were injured in the explosion, they are undergoing treatment in the hospital and are out of danger," he added.
Further details are underway in the case. (ANI)
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TRUCKING COMPANY SENT VIOLATION NOTICE IN WEST VIRGINIA CHEMICAL SPILL
https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/trucking-company-sent-violation-notice-in-west-virginia-chemical-spill/
Tags: us_WV, transportation, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – The legal battle surrounding a chemical spill in the Paint Creek areas continues in Kanawha County.
Kanawha County Commissioners say a Final Notice of Violation was served to Dennis West of Gadsden, Gillard and West, LLC. Dennis West was the driving for the trucking company when his truck crashed on the West Virginia Turnpike near Pax on Aug. 24, 2022, causing the chemical spill and closing part of the West Virginia Turnpike for nearly 20 hours. West, from South Carolina, was arrested on suspicion of DUI following the crash, authorities said at the time of his arrest.
Commissioners say the chemical that spilled into Skitter Creek, which flows into Paint Creek, was a surfactant called Empigen AS/F90, which is not soluble in water. The spill created what the commission calls a “safety hazard and public nuisance” that negatively impacted residents and property in the area.
“We are committed to holding the trucking company responsible for this headache that has been affecting the people of Paint Creek for months now,” said Commission President Kent Carper.
The commission says they are asking the trucking company to respond to the Final Notice with their plan to clean the spill site within 10 days of receiving the letter.
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C6-ZERO EMPLOYEE: PLANT OFTEN HAD FIRES, CHEMICALS ON THE GROUND AND DIDN’T PAY EMPLOYEES
https://www.kcrg.com/2022/12/16/c6-zero-employee-plant-often-had-fires-chemicals-ground-didnt-pay-employees/
Tags: us_IA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, dye, explosives
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Before an explosion at C6-Zero’s plant in Marengo, Logan Homer said he was driving to confront C6-Zero′s co-founder Howard Brand because he wasn’t fully paid for more than a month’s worth of work.
“I actually ended up losing a house, because of him [Brand] not paying me,” he said.
Homer wasn’t surprised the plant, which recycled roof shingles into oil along with other products exploded. He described to TV9 a plant with multiple problems creating safety hazards for employees including fires happening every other day due to machine malfunctions, chemical leaks, puddles of diesel oil across the plant’s floor and workers not having proper safety equipment like safety harnesses and hard hats.
Marengo Police Chief Ben Gray said on Tuesday the sprinkler system in C6-Zero’s plant wasn’t activated and hydrants on the property were not working. He said the reasons those fire safety protections weren’t working is part of their investigation, which includes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the State Fire Marshall’s Office.
According to documents from the city of Marengo, which our KCRG-TV9 i9 Investigative Team received, firefighters spent around two hours responding to another fire in October. Those records show this was the only time firefighters responded to a fire in the plant, which was caused by a malfunctioning machine.
Homer said staff members would often use fire extinguishers to put out fires before they got out of control, like the fires on Thursday and in October.
According to city officials, the city of Marengo learned C6-Zero was using chemicals after the first fire in October. More than a month later, officials said they still didn’t know about the chemicals used in the building because the company did not file a required form called a Tier Two. Chief Gray said the fire department has filed a claim with C6-Zero’s insurance to avoid paying for cleaning oil stains, which could cost the city around $80,000.
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CSB RELEASES UPDATE INTO FATAL EXPLOSION AT POLYMERS RESIN PLANT
https://www.powderbulksolids.com/industrial-fires-explosions/csb-releases-investigation-update-fatal-explosion-polymers-resin-plant
Tags: us_OH, industrial, follow-up, death, plastics, solvent
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released an update into its ongoing investigation of a fire and explosion at the Yenkin-Majestic OPC Polymers resin plant in Columbus, OH on April 8, 2021.
The update provides a detailed incident description, background information on the facility and production, as well as a history of the equipment. The large explosion and fire led to one fatality and injured eight others.
“This was a very serious incident which led to a fatality, several injuries, and serious damage to the facility and the surrounding community,” said CSB interim executive Steve Owens. “This update provides important information about the events leading up to this incident while our investigation is ongoing.”
The CSB update provides details of the events on the night of the incident. Chemical reactions occurred when a process in a unit referred to as kettle 3 was nearly complete. The CSB determined that during the addition of a solvent to kettle 3, an agitator (stirring mechanism) had not been running for more than an hour. When a worker realized that the agitator had shut down, he turned it on and the product inside the kettle began to quickly vaporize. This increased pressure inside the kettle, which continued to rise until a mixture of resin liquid and flammable solvent vapor released from kettle 3’s manway into the enclosed room where the kettle was located.
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2 SENT TO HOSPITAL AFTER 'HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT': AURORA FD
https://patch.com/illinois/aurora/hazardous-materials-incident-forces-road-closure-aurora-fd
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
AURORA, IL — Two firefighters were injured while handling a "hazardous materials incident" in the 600 block of West Illinois Avenue Thursday, officials said in an update.
The firefighters were wearing protective clothing and breathing air from their SCBA bottles when they entered the building and felt a "burning sensation" around their mask seal. After leaving the building, both were treated for minor injuries before they were taken to a local hospital, officials said. They were later released and returned to their duties.
Crews from the Aurora Fire Department, including its Hazardous Materials Team, were called to the scene at 11:25 a.m. after "some chemicals accidentally got mixed together and caused a vapor," Aurora Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Rhodes told Patch.
Rhodes said a total of 50 employees to evacuate before calling the fire department. One person was in the room when the incident occurred but was able to safely evacuate.
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NEW ANALYSIS FINDS 30% OF CHEMICAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/12/15/2574468/0/en/New-Analysis-Finds-30-of-Chemical-Safety-Data-Sheets-Tested-Include-Inaccurate-Hazard-Warnings-Put-Workers-at-Risk.html
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The preliminary findings of the BlueGreen Alliance/Clearya project indicate that employers who purchase chemical products and the workers who handle those products do not have the information they need to protect themselves. The analysis, entitled Obstructing the Right to Know: A Bluegreen Alliance/Clearya Analysis Of The Chemical Industry’s Health Hazard Warnings On Safety Data Sheets, found that 30% of the over 650 Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) analyzed included inaccurate chemical hazard warnings.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HAZCOM) requires that all hazards of all chemicals used in the workplace be identified by the chemical manufacturer or importer. That information is supposed to be included on the SDS for each chemical. Additionally, HAZCOM requires employers to provide information, education, and training to their employees about all the chemical hazards in their workplace.
“Information is only useful if it is accurate and complete,” said Amit Rosner, Co-founder of Clearya, which helps people and organizations create a healthier environment through data-driven insights. “Too many workers are receiving an incomplete picture of the dangers these chemicals present or aren’t being told at all about potentially deadly hazards. Industry needs to do better and regulators should make sure they protect workers.”
There are more than 45,000 chemicals being used in the United States today. Estimates indicate chemical exposures kill between 50,000 to 120,000 U.S. workers every year. The analysis of over 650 SDSs is the first analysis of this scale.
A significant number of SDS omissions concerned carcinogens. Thirty carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances were present in 512 of the obtained SDSs, and 15% of these SDSs failed to report carcinogenicity in the Hazards Identification section. For example, in an SDS for vinyl chloride—a known human carcinogen—the SDS warned of skin, eye, and respiratory irritation but lacked any mention of cancer. Another SDS for benzene—which should warn of its mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and specific target organ toxicity—only reported skin and eye irritation and harmfulness if swallowed, contacted with skin, or inhaled. The SDS failed to mention the other highly hazardous effects of this well-studied chemical.
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ORTHO-TOLUIDINE EXPOSURE LIMIT FOR WORKERS IS TOO HIGH, OSHA ADMITS
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/15/1142915184/ortho-toluidine-exposure-workplace-osha
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Before his shift at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant in Niagara Falls, N.Y., in May 2021, a worker peed in a cup.
Before he clocked out, he did it again.
Goodyear shipped both specimens to a lab to measure the amount of a chemical called ortho-toluidine. The results, reviewed by ProPublica, showed that the worker had enough of it in his body to put him at an increased risk for bladder cancer — and that was before his shift. After, his levels were nearly five times as high.
It's no secret that the plant's workers are being exposed to poison. Government scientists began testing their urine more than 30 years ago. And Goodyear, which uses ortho-toluidine to make its tires pliable, has been monitoring the air for traces of the chemical since 1976. A major expose even revealed, almost a decade ago, that dozens of the plant's workers had developed bladder cancer since 1974.
What is perhaps most stunning about the trail of sick Goodyear workers is that they have been exposed to levels of the chemical that the United States government says are perfectly safe.
This story was produced in partnership with ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive their biggest stories as soon as they're published.
The permissible exposure limit for ortho-toluidine is 5 parts per million in air, a threshold based on research conducted in the 1940s and '50s without any consideration of the chemical's ability to cause cancer. Despite ample evidence that far lower levels can dramatically increase a person's cancer risk, the legal limit has remained the same.
Paralyzed by industry lawsuits from decades ago, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has all but given up on trying to set a truly protective threshold for ortho-toluidine and thousands of other chemicals. The agency has only updated standards for three chemicals in the past 25 years; each took more than a decade to complete.
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HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED FROM DOWNTOWN SUMMERSIDE BUILDING
https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/hazardous-material-successfully-removed-from-downtown-summerside-building-100805998/
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, response, mustard_gas
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — The hazardous material that forced the evacuation of a downtown Summerside building on Monday, Dec. 12 has been successfully removed and the property reopened.
Summerside Police evacuated the property, located at 290 Water St. and commonly known as the (former) National Bank building, around 2 p.m.
In an email to SaltWire Network, Deputy Police Chief Jason Blacquiere said that the chemical was suspected to be a “small amount of mustard gas.”
A chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) specialist team from Halifax arrived a few hours later and successfully removed the material. The building was reopened to tenants that same evening.
Police have not released much information about the incident, only that the owner of the material was a tenant of the building and did not appear to have any ill intent. No one was injured.
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HOUSTON BUSINESS ACCUSED OF LEAKING CHEMICALS ILLEGALLY INTO STORM DRAINS, HAZMAT INVESTIGATES
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/houston-business-accused-leaking-chemicals-illegally-in-storm-drains-hazmat-investigation
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, illegal, oils
HOUSTON - A business in east Houston is being investigated by local authorities, accused of leaking unknown chemicals or oils into storm drains.
"We’re conducting an environmental search warrant out at the property," said Sgt. Patrick Morrissey with the HPD Environmental Investigations Unit. "We’re going to be collecting evidence to find out what that discharge was and if it was potentially criminal in nature."
Numerous Houston police cars and firetrucks were outside the business Wednesday on Boyles Street. Much of the area along the block was closed for several hours for the investigation. Nearby workers from other businesses say they’ve never noticed anything unusual there before.
"[We’re] totally surprised coming out here, seeing all of the traffic and HPD," said Emmitt Welch, a nearby worker.
Authorities could be seen wearing hazmat gear going in and out of the packaging company located only about a half mile from Buffalo Bayou which feeds into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
"It’s a chemical manufacturing facility," said Houston Fire Department Captain Jason Wilson from the Hazardous Materials Response Team. "Details beyond that, I’m not really sure what they are. What also I’ve been told is that there has been some type of illegal discharge of those chemicals into the stormwater system. Which then affects the streams, lakes, rivers, bays, and things like that. The food we eat. It also puts pressure on our stormwater system."
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DUMPSTER FIRE SPARKS 3-ALARM BLAZE THAT DESTROYS MUCH OF OAK PARK STRIP MALL
https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2022/12/14/dumpster-fire-sparks-3-alarm-blaze-that-destroys-much-of-oak-park-strip-mall/
Tags: us_CA, public, fire, response, waste
A three-alarm blaze that started from a dumpster fire destroyed much of a strip mall early Wednesday in the Oak Park neighborhood of San Diego.
San Diego Fire-Rescue officials said nearly 100 firefighters were at the scene in the 1700 block of Euclid Avenue, including units from neighboring fire departments.
The first alarm was received at 4:05 a.m. and arriving units quickly extinguished the fire in the dumpster, but flames had spread to the strip mall’s common attic.
Officials said as many as four businesses were destroyed, and there is water damage to nearby homes.
Euclid Avenue between Federal Boulevard and Elm Street was closed due to the firefighter activity.
No injuries were reported. The blaze is under investigation by the Metro Arson Strike Team.
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2 KILLED, 4 INJURED AFTER FIRE BREAKS OUT IN IRKUTSK OBLAST, RUSSIA
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-12-15/2-injured-after-fire-breaks-out-in-Irkutsk-Oblast-Russia-1fMefJpj9rW/index.html
Tags: Russia, industrial, fire, death, petroleum
Two people were killed, four others injured after a fire broke out at an industrial site of Angarsk Petrochemical Company covering 2,500 square meters in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia, RIA news agency reported on Thursday, citing Igor Kobzev, the governor of the region.
The fire has been extinguished, Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said.
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NEWPORT NEWS FIRE CREWS CONTEND WITH HAZMAT SITUATION IN CAR FIRE
https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/nn-fire-crews-contend-with-hazmat-situation-in-car-fire/
Tags: us_VA, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – Fire crews had to contend with a hazardous materials situation as they dealt with a car fire in the 300 block of De Laura Drive in Newport News Tuesday.
The Newport News Fire Department responded to the fire just before noon and found several chemicals stored in the vehicle – none of which were out of the ordinary and the owner used for business purposes.
The fire department upgraded to a hazardous materials response as a precaution due to the chemical and fire exposure, and possible environmental issues. The hazardous materials ended up not posing an environmental issue, it said, and they were able to put the fire out.
No injuries were reported.
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