Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:48:10 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: "House, Katherine C." <HouseKC**At_Symbol_Here**CORMETECH.COM>
Subject: Re: 4 Chemical Safety news stories from Google
In-Reply-To: <3E488B87-F810-4E99-999E-4B5E58BC1326**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu>

Is "Sodium Hydrochloride" in the last article a typo?  Is it supposed to be
 "sodium hypochlorite" (bleach)?
Cheers,

Katherine C. House, CCHO
Laboratory Coordinator
Chemical Hygiene Officer
Cormetech, Inc.
5000 International Drive
Durham, NC 27712
919.620.3044 (office)
919.815.2024 (mobile)

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Li
st Moderator
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 10:24 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] 4 Chemical Safety news stories from Google

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/12/24/UPI-NewsTrack-TopNews/UPI-6953126
1673858/

Four people killed in factory explosion

OSAKA, Japan, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Four people died Thursday morning in Osaka, 
Japan, in an explosion at a chemical factory, police say.

Osaka Prefectural Police said the deadly blast took place at the Kanzakigaw
a Plant owned by Morita Chemical Industries Co. and involved a boron triflu
oride storage tank, The Mainichi Daily News reported.

The four workers killed in the blast were on top of the tank when the explo
sion occurred. The victims were identified as Kazuhiro Hayashi, 47, Tatsuya
 Nakatani, 45, Tomoyuki Kanazawa, 33, and Keisuke Nishida, 30.

Police said sparks caused by an employee sawing a hole into the tank may ha
ve caused the explosion. The incident is under investigation.

The Daily News said boron trifluoride is toxic but not flammable. The chemi
cal compound is used to help manufacture petroleum resin.

===

http://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/articles/2009/12/23/news/47.txt

Idaho, US

Station reopens after big explosion

TERRETON -- Ike's Tesoro service station has reopened in Terreton, but clea
nup is still underway following the gas tanker explosion on Dec. 17.

According to owner Ike Tomlinsen, the area is still under investigation by 
several insurance companies, after which it will be subject to an investiga
tion and cleanup operation by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
.

Steve Heaton, a DEQ representative, said that following the removal of the 
gas tanker wreckage by the insurance companies, the DEQ will begin to overs
ee cleanup of both the fuel spill and chemical foam used to fight the fire.

"We are providing in the field oversight of the cleanup activity," said Hea
ton. "Our primary concern is the fuel that was released."

The DEQ will be excavating several layers of soil to look for ground contam
ination.

In a phone interview, Tomlinson expressed some frustration that the cleanup
 was not already under way.

"Its still under investigation -- we can't do anything as far as cleanup un
til after," said Tomlinson.

At the moment, the station is offering all of its services except for the s
ale of fuel, although it has been delivering bulk fuel to customers via tru
cks from Idaho Falls.

Tomlinson said he is unsure when the investigations will be complete or whe
n he will once again be able to sell fuel.

The monetary costs of the damages caused by the explosion have not yet been
 assessed.

Last Thursday, three above-ground fuel tanks and a gas tanker truck explode
d during a scheduled refueling of the above-ground tanks. The cause of the 
explosion was due to an apparent overfilling of one of the tanks.

Observers at the gas station reported that the series of explosions could b
e seen in the night sky as far away as Rexburg, which is more than 30 miles
 away. Residents who lived a far as 5 miles away reported hearing and feeli
ng the series of blasts.

Seven fire districts and close to 100 emergency personnel responded to the 
accident.

The explosion also temporarily knocked out phone service for Terreton resid
ents. The service has since been restored.

NATE SUNDERLAND

===

Australia

Highway lane reopens after chemical spill

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/24/2780291.htm?site=riverina

One lane of the Hume Highway north of Tarcutta has reopened after a chemica
l spill which closed two northbound lanes just after midnight.

A police highway patrol car noticed a leak from a tanker carrying 16,000 li
tres of ferric chloride solution, which contains hydrochloric acid.

More than half the liquid chemical load has spilt.

The leak ran from Tarcutta north about 20 kilometres to just past the Sturt
 Highway junction, causing detours until 6:30am (AEDT).

A New South Wales Fire Brigades spokesman says contract cleaners are about 
to start decanting the remaining chemical from the truck and a check for en
vironmental damage has begun.

===
Georgia, US

http://www.macon.com/149/story/964187.html

Central State Hospital evacuated for chemical spill
By AMY LEIGH WOMACK - awomack**At_Symbol_Here**macon.com

Patients and employees were evacuated from the Craig Nursing Center at Cent
ral State Hospital in Milledgeville Wednesday following a chemical spill, a
ccording to the Baldwin County Fire Department.

Some of the patients and employees were treated for possible inhalation inj
uries following the 5:17 p.m. spill, according to a news release.

Firefighters determined the chemical spilled was Sodium Hydrochloride. The 
scene was secured and turned over to the hospital's administration for clea
n-up, according to the release.

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