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From: Eugene Agbor OGA <ogaeugene99**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Science Safety News Summary for January 25- February 14
Date: Feb 20, 2026 17:43 UTC
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: <DB4PR02MB93579708C1E7580A2563D0BDA968A**At_Symbol_Here**DB4PR02MB9357.eurprd02.prod.outlook.com>
In-Reply-To: <BLAPR07MB7762C24FA668F967903FD8DC8768A**At_Symbol_Here**BLAPR07MB7762.namprd07.prod.outlook.com>
Sincerely,
Eugene Oga,
Research/Teaching Assistant |Department of Chemistry,
Grad Rep. Recruiting Committee | Department of Chemistry
President | UND African Student Union
Student Rep. Senate Committee on Community Engagement and Opportunities | University of North Dakota
| * Message sent from a system outside of CSCU |
Date of Incident: January 27, 2026
Location: Baileyville, Maine
Synopsis: Kasie Malcolm, a 20-year-old junior chemical engineering student at the University of Maine, died following a chemical release at the Woodland Pulp mill where he was working as an intern. The incident occurred in the facility's bleach plant and reportedly involved the mixing of concentrated sulfuric acid with sulfurous compounds, which generated toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. While Malcolm passed away from his injuries, nine other workers were injured, two of them seriously. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) and OSHA have launched investigations into the mill's safety protocols and chemical handling practices.
URL: https://www.wabi.tv/2026/01/28/university-maine-student-dies-gas-incident-woodland-pulp-mill/
Date of Incident: January 31 – February 2, 2026
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Synopsis: A joint operation between the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department resulted in the raid of two homes connected to Jia Bei Zhu, the operator of an illegal biolab discovered in Reedley, California, in 2023. Investigators utilized robots and drones to safely enter a locked garage, where they discovered a "significant volume" of biological testing equipment and vials of unknown liquids stored in refrigerators and freezers. Ori Solomon, the property manager, was arrested on charges of improperly handling and disposing of hazardous waste. The materials have been transported to an FBI laboratory for testing to determine if they contain dangerous pathogens similar to those found in the previous California investigation.
Date of Incident: February 3, 2026
Location: West Burlington, Iowa
Synopsis: Emergency teams were called to the Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center following a formaldehyde spill in the hospital's surgery department. The spill occurred around 8:45 a.m. and was contained to a single operating room, which was subsequently closed for neutralization and cleaning. While no patients were exposed to the chemical, one employee suffered exposure and received immediate treatment in the emergency department. The West Burlington Fire Department and local Hazmat teams assisted in the mitigation efforts, and the hospital has since returned to normal operations.
Date of Incident: January – February 2026 (Appropriations Period)
Location: Washington, D.C.
Synopsis: The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), an independent federal agency tasked with investigating industrial chemical accidents, has secured a reprieve after being targeted for elimination in the Trump administration’s FY 2026 budget. While the administration argued the agency’s work was duplicative of OSHA and the EPA, a bipartisan coalition in Congress moved to restore funding, citing the board's unique role in identifying the root causes of disasters without issuing fines. Recent fatal incidents, including the January 2026 Maine pulp mill leak, have underscored the agency's current workload, with leadership emphasizing that their safety recommendations save the industry millions by preventing future catastrophic failures.
