Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 07:54:51 -0400
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: Secretary ACS DCHAS <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: Chemical Safety headlines from Google

Links to details available at 
http://tinyurl.com/chasnews


us_ks: Reported spill in Malott Hall just water 
A reported chemical spill in Malott Hall on the KU campus turned out to be just water.
Emergency crews and a Hazmat unit were dispatched to the scene, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, after reports of the spill came in just before 2 a.m. Thursday.
An individual inside the building had reported a chemical with an odor was leaking from a container onto the floor. The building was evacuated about 2:01 a.m.
Crews searched the seven-story building and discovered the spill on the fifth floor.
KU Police Sgt. Gary Wieden said the liquid that had collected on the floor turned out to be water that had accumulated under a chemical container.

us_ca: Suspicious container closes Beckman Road 
Beckman Road was closed for almost two hours Wednesday while Lodi firefighters investigated a container of suspicious liquid.
Final test results are still pending, but they believe the container held herbicide and likely fell off a truck, said Lodi Fire Battalion Chief Ron Heberle. But strict state laws regarding hazardous materials required a full investigation, including plastic suits with air masks. Volunteer police Partners were called to close the road just south of Lodi Avenue around 10:15 a.m. Meanwhile, off-duty firefighters were called in to help staff stations and deal with the incident.
The whole process must be documented, and the state will levy large fines if all paperwork is not correct, he said. The road was reopened around noon, and all fire personnel finally left around 1:30 p.m., Heberle said. The herbicide was stored inside another sealed container and will be transported to a certified disposal site.

us_mi: Chemical spill snarls up traffic 
An overturned chemical-transport truck spilled industrial lubricant onto eastbound Interstate 96 near Pleasant Valley Road on Wednesday, leading emergency crews to close the expressway in both directions during the afternoon and into the evening hours.
Police and firefighters believed the leaking chemical was potentially explosive.
Officials at the scene Wednesday were not sure what caused the accident, which also involved a passenger car, or how the semitruck overturned. The driver of the truck was hospitalized; the other motorist was not injured.
The truck carried 70 55-gallon drums of an industrial lubricant called Mono-Lube 3004, produced by Chem-Trend LP of Howell, which was determined at the scene to be a "hazardous substance of explosive nature," according to Sgt. Mark Thompson from the Brighton post of the Michigan State Police.

us_mn: Crews Clean Up Gas =46rom Overturned Tanker Truck 
A tanker truck filled with 87 hundred gallons of gasoline rolls over on Highway 99 early this morning.
...The rollover trapped Tschida and caused tiny cracks in the tank... cracks that were quickly filled by fire officials once they arrived on scene.St. Peter Asst. Fire Chief Mike McCarthy says, "plugged the tank, got the leak contained first, pretty much stopped it to a trickle then we got that individual out."((SU))When responding to rollovers like this one... in order to prevent further disaster crews first have to contain where the oil is coming from, then they have to drill holes in order to siphon out the hazardous material and then the pumping begins.MnDot HazMat Specialist Michael Ritchie says, "not safe to roll the truck over while there is still product in it because the tank is made out of aluminum and could rip open and could have a catastrophic release rather than a small release."

us_pa: Slime Backs Traffic Up On Cambria County Highway 
JACKSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Drivers on Route 22 in Cambria County reported seeing a green-colored slime on the road Wednesday.
It turns out that a tanker truck leaked a small amount of hydrochloric acid near Dishong Mountain Road, officials said.
Volunteers from the Jackson Township Fire Departmentand Hazmat crews said they threw some sand on the spill and had it cleaned up in a few hours.
According to hazmat crews, had it not been for recent rain, the situation could have been worse. Pavement damage and health problems could have resulted on a dry, warm day, they said.
The tanker truck eventually pulled over and was repaired.




Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post



The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.