Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:50:53 -0400
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety"

Subject: CH&S headlines from google

Police Plan To Burn Building To Destroy Dynamite 
Guilford County, NC-- Land being turned over to the state for a park got a visit from the Greensboro Bomb Squad Tuesday. A Guilford County man who is turning over land to the state for the Haw River Park called police and hazmat after finding dynamite and other explosive devices in an old barn.

The property is located off NC Highway 150 East in Guilford County. Officers told WFMY News 2, the dynamite is about 50 years old and was used to blast the area to make a creek bed.

Kelley Thompson, Superintendent for the park, told that it is common to find dynamite on old farms.

Police say rather than collect the dynamite, they will burn down the barn and destroy it.

In May 2009, the bomb squad burned an old barn in Rockingham County after someone found dynamite in it. Click here to see that story.
us_nc  waste  response  farm  
1 hour ago 
Morristown plant explosion injures one =C2=BB Knoxville News Sentinel 
MORRISTOWN =E2=80=94 A chemical explosion at a Hamblen County manufacturing plant sent one worker to a local hospital Monday afternoon, according to emergency responders. 

The explosion, reported at 4:15 p.m., caused some structural damage to the Trelleborg Coated Systems plant in Morristown, which produces printing materials, said Morristown Fire Department Capt. Scott Moshier. 

The facility was evacuated and one plant employee was transported by ambulance to Jefferson Memorial Hospital as a precaution, Moshier said. 

The explosion, centered in an exhaust system, was sparked by a liquid solvent, toluene, he said.
us_tn  industrial  explosion  injuries  
1 hour ago 
Chlorine leak: Last cylinder dumped - Mumbai - City - The Times of India 
MUMBAI: Rescue teams comprising experts from chemical firms, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the fire brigade, did a clinical job of completing clean-up operations at MbPT's Sewree warehouse. 

Failing to drill a hole or open the valve of the last lot of the cylinders- from which chlorine gas had leaked last week landing 120 people in hospital-the teams dumped the hazardous waste into the sea.

A senior NDRF commandant confirmed that cylinders were dumped because "it was too risky to carry out the neutralisation process on them".
india  waste  industrial  chlorine  response  
1 hour ago 
Fire leads to hazardous materials danger at Waltham chemical firm 
A security guard was hospitalized after a small chemical fire broke out at Nova Biomedical Corp. on Prospect Street late Monday night when lactic acid lithium was left in a stove with the temperature set too high, said Deputy Fire Chief Roger Hebert.

The guard was doing his rounds in the back area of the building, when he noticed smoke and called 911 at 9:51 p.m. Monday night, Hebert said.

The man, whose name was not disclosed, was taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital as a precaution, but appeared to be fine, Hebert said.

Lactic acid lithium can cause respiratory problems when inhaled, he said.

The chemical powder is normally placed in the oven when it arrives at Nova, because it gets moist during the shipping process and needs to be dried out, Hebert said.

It should have been heated to 100 degrees Celsius, but the oven was turned up higher, to an unmarked temperature, he said.

Because the fire was in the oven, it was contained, and emergency workers shut the oven off and let the smoke vent out before inspecting, with the help of several Nova employees, Hebert said.
us_ma  fire  response  industrial  
1 hour ago 
EPA Begins Cleanup Of Madison County Property 
MADISON COUNTY, Idaho -- The Environmental Protection Agency has received the green light to go ahead and clean up the chemicals off the Madison County property found to contain hazardous substances.
Hazmat crews will move the more than 3,000 containers full of chemicals and paint products over the next three to five days.
Last week, the EPA conducted on-site testing of chemicals.
The containers were discovered by the sheriff's office while visiting the home due to neighbor's complaints of the dozens of junky cars on the property.
The warrant given by the U.S. District Court of Idaho gave the EPA 30 days to both clean up the property and gather soil samples.
us_id  waste  industrial  cleanup  
yesterday 
Gas Leaking from Railroad Car Shut Down Doniphan 
EL PASO -- A railroad car sprung a gas leak in the Upper Valley this morning, forcing HazMat crews to close down a section of Doniphan near the intersection of Montoya street. 


Firefighters say the railroad car, loaded with carbon dioxide, was traveling along the railroad tracks parallel to Doniphan when a valve started leaking. 


People in the area called 911around 5:45 a.m. and reported hearing a loud hissing noise. 


Firefighters and a HazMat team closed down a stretch of the 6000 block of Doniphan, but said the leak posed no immediate danger. 


Railroad authorities moved the leaking car to a new location to remove the gas.
us_tx  transportation  response  industrial  releases  carbon_dioxide  
yesterday 
Cropduster plane crashes into barn in Sandusky Co. | 13abc.com 
A cropduster plane crashed in Sandusky County Monday night. It happened just after 6 pm outside of Clyde off of County Road 294. 

The pilot was the only person on board. He was injured and transported to Bellevue Hospital. Officials won't release his name, only saying he is in stable condition. Meanwhile, the cause of the crash remains under investigation. 

The chief of the Townsend Township volunteer fire department says the pilot of this cropduster plane was working, spraying pesticide in this field when it suddenly crashed. Chief Joe Parkhurst says, "A local cropduster was spraying fungicide on the corn here. And investigators are determining if he was under power or if he clipped something coming out of the field." 

One of the wings of the plane clipped the empty gran bins in the back of this property. Also, part of the plane's debris hit the barn. The pilot was injured, but was up and walking around at the scene. 

Parkhurst says, "When we arrived on scene he was standing by the homeowner's house. He was complaining of some chemical burn and some head injuries." 

Hazmat crews were called because of the pesticide spill from the plane. Hazmat left the scene by 8:30. Parkhurst says, "Everything has been contained down on the ground. The ground has been so dry, it was absorbed into the ground." 

Ohio Highway Patrol is in charge of the investigation. FAA officials are expected to be on scene Tuesday morning. The fire chief says the family who lives in the house next to the barn is staying with grandparents who live nearby. They were inside the home when the crash happened and were not injured.
us_oh  transportation  ag_chems  response  releases  
yesterday 
Crash and chemical spill north of Tucson injures four 
A crash Monday morning resulted in a hazardous materials spill injured four people and slowed traffic on a highway northeast of Tucson, authorities said.  
The crash happened about 9:15 a.m. on Arizona 77 at milepost 120, six miles north of Mammoth, and involved a tractor trailer and a pickup truck, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said. 
The trailer was carrying sulfuric acid which leaked out of the rig and required hazmat crews to respond, DPS said. 
The road remained open in both directions during the cleanup, and traffic was routed around the collision area, DPS said. 
The four people injured were flown to area hospitals, but none of their injuries were considered life-threatening, DPS said.
us_az  transportation  sulfuric_acid  leak  response  
yesterday 
Hazmat Situation at Red Rock Hotel and Casino 
Las Vegas, NV -- Three people were taken to hospital after inhaling some strong fumes after some chemicals were accidentally mixed at Red Rock Hotel and Casino. 

According to Clark County Fire at around 11am Monday, Hazmat teams were called to Red Rock Hotel and Casino because chlorine was pumped into an acid tank in the hotel's pool area. 

This created fumes that caused respiratory irritation to people in the area.  Three people were taken to hospital by private vehicle for treatment. 

Approximately 25 gallons of chlorine was pumped into the acid holding tank, that system will be flushed and cleaned out to eliminate any further problem.
us_nv  pool_chemicals  response  releases  
yesterday 
Hazmat team responds to Springfield USPS facility - BostonHerald.com 
SPRINGFIELD =E2=80=94 Authorities are still trying to figure out what prompted a hazardous materials response at a Springfield postal facility. 

A fire department spokesman says six postal workers had to be decontaminated Sunday after an unknown substance spilled out of a parcel at the U.S. Postal Service=E2=80=99s Bulk Mail Distribution Center. 

The workers had to take a decontamination shower and had their clothes bagged. 


The workers did not require hospitalization and preliminary testing determined that the substance was not dangerous. 

It will take additional lab tests to determine exactly what the substance is. 

The area where the spill occurred was closed off, but work continued in the rest of the facility.
us_ma  industrial  releases  response  unknown_chemical  
yesterday 
EPA, hazmat called after trailer tips on Turnpike 
NORTH RIDGEVILLE =E2=80=94 A Lorain County haz mat team and the Ohio EPA were called Monday night after a semi hauling two trailers, including one containing 288 pounds of corrosive liquid, overturned on the Ohio Turnpike.

Fire crews were called to the Interstate 80 exit ramp at state Route 10 in North Ridgeville about 8:30 p.m. to find one trailer on its side and another trailer containing what appeared to be paint still upright.

"When we went to the back of the overturned trailer, there was a cloud of gas and a smell of alkalide, so we called hazmat in right away,=" North Ridgeville fire Lt. Greg Laborie said.

The liquid, which is used in manufacturing processes, remained in the trailer, but the hazmat team spent Thursday night assessing how much gas leaked out. Laborie said there=E2=80=99s no harm to anyone in the area as a result of the gas.

What could be more severe is the "quite a bit=" of fuel that leaked into the drainage system below the off-ramp, Laborie said. The Ohio EPA was called out to assess how much of it flowed down the hill that the section of road sits on and whether it can be cleaned from the creek below.

"We tried to stop as much of it as possible from getting down there, but some definitely went in,=" he said.
us_oh  transportation  releases  response  corrosive  
yesterday 
Chlorine pump fails, sends 17 kids to hospital | abc7.com 
ARCADIA, Calif. (KABC) -- Dozens of children were evacuated and given medical treatment Monday after a chlorine leak at an Arcadia pool caused kids to complain of breathing problems 

A total of 30 people had to be treated by paramedics. 

Seventeen had to be transported to local hospitals. 

Nine of them were taken to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. All the children were treated and released, except for one that will be kept overnight. 

Eight of them were transported to Methodist Hospital in Arcadia. Five of them have been released, while the other three remain under observation. 

The emergency call to Arcadia County Park on South Santa Anita Avenue went out at about 11:30 a.m. 

Dozens of children were at an open swim session when a pump at the pool malfunctioned, leading to the pool becoming over chlorinated, authorities said. 

The kids and some life guards began complaining of shortness of breath, problems with breathing, burning eyes and throats.
us_ca  pool_chemicals  injuries  releases  
yesterday 
Hazmat Crews Clean Up Diesel Spill After Tanker Flips 
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. -- A diesel tanker truck rolled over in Greenwood Village Sunday morning and firefighters spent more than seven hours cleaning up a 100-gallon fuel spill and off-loading the remaining diesel so the rig could be safely removed. 
South Metro Fire Rescue Authority=E2=80=99s Hazmat Team and firefighters responded to the tanker rollover near the Comfort Dental Amphitheater about 7:15 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. The tanker was making a U-turn at the intersection of Greenwood Plaza Boulevard and East Caley Avenue when it flipped onto its side. 
The tanker driver was not injured. But it took the hazmat team until about 2:45 p.m. to clean up the diesel spill and offload nearly 3,000 gallons from toppled tanker into another truck, officials said.
us_co  transportation  petroleum  spill  response  
2 days ago 
Homes Evacuated After Chemical Leak 

It was a very early morning wake-up call for some people living in Lincoln County, who were evacuated from their homes after a chemical spill.

It all happened about one o'clock Sunday morning, when the Stanford fire chief says an employee at the city's water plant was trying to close off a chlorine tank.

But in the process of doing that, he says that worker accidentally cracked a tank next to it, causing chlorine to start leaking out. That worker immediately evacuated the water plant, and hazmat crews were called in from several counties to clean it up. The fire department evacuated several homes nearby, and people were sent to a nearby school as a precaution.

"Chlorine is heavier than air, it stays down to the ground, so air doesn't move it around as well, so you'll pick it up and breathe it very easily, and it's very dangerous to breathe," said Stanford Fire Department Chief Kenneth McDaniels.

But the fire chief says luckily none of that chlorine leaked outside the building, and once it was cleaned up inside the water plant, everyone evacuated was allowed to go back home by about four o'clock Sunday morning.

Fire officials say they were lucky, because if any of that chlorine had spilled outside the plant, they would have had to evacuate a five square mile area, including the entire city of Stanford.
us_ky  leak  chlorine  industrial  response  
2 days ago 
Tomball paint warehouse burns for 16 hours 
A Tomball paint warehouse burned for nearly 16 hours Saturday.
Several callers reported flames shooting from American Coatings, a painting manufacturer in the 10600 block of Mahaffey Road, around 2:40 a.m., said Dean Hensley, an arson investigator with the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office.
About a dozen agencies responded to the blaze, including the Klein, Ponderosa, Cy-Fair, Magnolia, Rose Hill, Houston and Cypress Creek fire departments as well as Harris County hazmat and emergency management officials.
No one has been injured. A person of interest, arrested on unrelated charges, is being questioned.
Several households were evacuated in the early hours of the emergency, but everyone has been told to return to their homes, he said.
The Harris County Department of Public Health and Environmental Services monitored air quality for nearly 11 hours into the early afternoon Saturday and found nothing to prompt further directives for residents to evacuate or shelter in place.
Agency spokeswoman Rita Obey said the department=E2=80=99s devices can determine whether gases or particulate matter exists at dangerously high levels.
"We had our air monitors up and we did not detect anything above normal levels. There was some faint intermittent ground-level smoke,=" Obey said. "We monitor downwind of whatever the event is and we try to get in the areas where people may be impacted to see if there are any readings, but we didn=E2=80=99t find anything.=" .
Us_tx  industrial  fire  response  paints  
3 days ago 
Hazmat crews clean up chemical spill in North St. Louis County 
(KMOV)-- Hazmat crews in North St. Louis County had to rush to clean up a dangerous chemical spill.
This happened Thursday night on Old St. Charles Road and Smiley.
Crews had to shut down the intersection for one hour to clean up the mess.
Authorities said this all started when a drum carrying chemicals fell off the back of a truck. Crews checked the container but there were no labels to describe what the drum contained on the inside. Firefighters said the container carried some type of fuming acid.
There were no reported injures. The Pattonville Fire Protection district was one of the first to respond.
Authorities said they are still looking for the driver of the truck. 
 
transportation  leak  acids  response  us_mo  
4 days ago 
Semi Crash closes I-15 in Box Elder County - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News 
HONEYVILLE, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Hazmat and medical helicopters have been called to the scene of a semi crash on I-15 in Box Elder County. 

Dispatchers tell ABC 4 the truck was headed southbound on I-15 near milemarker 374 in Honeyville around 5:30 a.m. Friday morning when it crashed and plunged into a river. 

No other vehicles were involved. 

The truck was carrying some kind of cleaning product.  It's unclear how much of that solution leaked into the water. 

A medical helicopter was called to the scene. Two people were injured, but only one person was flown to a nearby hospital.
Us_ut  transportation  leak  response  
4 days ago 
Bradford Woods chemical accident sends camper, 3 staffers to hospital 
MARTINSVILLE =E2=80=94 Hazardous fumes at a Bradford Woods swimming pool in Morgan County hospitalized a child camper and three adults Thursday after a strange reaction in the pool=E2=80=99s chemical room.

Thirty swimmers were evacuated from the pool area late in the afternoon after they smelled the strong fumes, Bradford Woods director Shay Dawson said. In all, nurses evaluated 18 youth campers and the 13 adults who were supervising them at Camp Riley, a summer program for children ages 8 to 18 who have physical disabilities.

Emergency medical responders and fire officials also evaluated the children and adults, most of whom were fine.

Apparently 6 to 8 ounces of muriatic acid mixed with chlorine in a chemical room near the pool, Dawson said. Swimmers who had been closest to the irritating fumes appeared to be most affected.

Dawson couldn=E2=80=99t explain Thursday how the two chemicals became mixed, or why.
Us_in  pool_chemicals  reaction  injuries  ohm  
4 days ago 
Nine-year-old girl escapes drug lab blast 
A nine-year-old girl was two metres away from a chemical explosion that occured in a clandestine methylamphetamine labratory in Maddington overnight, police said. 

A man and woman have been charged with trying to manufacture the illegal drug. 

Assistant Commissioner Stephen Brown said the child had been taken into custodial care. 

He said she was found cowering in a bath tub, metres from the explosion. 

"It was absolutely miraculous that child was not injured seriously or actually killed in the event," he said. 

"So it is something that causes great concern." 

It is the third incident a child has been found living in clandestine drug labratories in the past week.
Australia  meth_lab  response  Illegal  
5 days ago 
One person injured in fire at Roger Adams Lab | News-Gazette.com 
URBANA =E2=80=94 One student was injured as a result of a fire involving hazardous materials late Thursday afternoon at Roger Adams Lab, 600 S. Mathews Ave., U. 

Urbana Fire Department Division Chief Russell Chism said firefighters were called to the lab at 4:59 p.m. after an automatic alarm went off on the fourth floor. 

When firefighters arrived at 5:03 p.m., they found a small fire in a ventilation hood on the fourth floor. 

Chism said a student doing work under a ventilation hood accidentally started a fire when research chemicals encountered flammable vapors from another chemical nearby. 

Chism said firefighters used dry powdered chemicals to put out the fire. 

Firefighters had the fire under control within about five minutes, Chism said. 

Chism said all persons in the building were evacuated, but he didn=E2=80=99t know how many people were in the building at the time of the fire. 

Urbana Fire Chief Mike Dilley said one man, a student, was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana for treatment of minor burns. 

Nobody else was injured, Chism said. 

Dilley said damage was limited to the interior of the hood, with damage estimated at about $200.
Us_il  fire  laboratory  higher_ed  solvent  
5 days ago 
Valve failure behind Farmington chemical leak 
FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE) - A Schlumberger spokesperson said it appears a valve failure on a primary holding tank caused a chemical leak at the company's Farmington plant over the weekend.
Us_nm  leak  response  hcl  industrial  
6 days ago 
Chlorine leak reveals poor state of disaster management in Mumbai - dnaindia.com 
Mumbai: Wednesday=E2=80=99s chlorine gas leak at Mumbai Port Trust=E2=80=99s yard in Sewri was a litmus test for the agencies involved in disaster management, but they managed only a slipshod job, and the leak had to be finally plugged with the help of private chemical companies

The poor level of preparedness was borne out by the lack of even basic amenities and equipment required to handle such situations. For one, the road leading to the dock is in such bad shape that a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation vehicle responding to the emergency got stuck in a puddle along the way. Construction of the alternative road to the dock is yet to be completed. 

Worse still, both the Mumbai Fire Brigade, and especially the one operated by the port, are not equipped to handle a disaster like this.

The leak was first noticed at around 4am by an on-duty security guard, who rushed to his cabin to call the fire station, located in the same yard. However, when MbPT firemen reached the spot, they realised that it was a chlorine leak, which they did not have the required equipment to deal with.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade was summoned for help, which, too, was not geared up to tackle the situation, and began spraying water on the chlorine cylinder as a routine exercise. 
When senior fire officials realised this measure was not enough, they contacted private chemical companieslike Herdillia Chemicals, Century Rayon, and RCF for guidance. Safety officers from these companies reached the yard after about five hours and took stock of the situation. Soon after, Ulhas Thakur, safety manager of Herdillia Chemicals, plugged the kleak.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was contacted. A specialised NDRF team, stationed at its base in Talegaon, reached the spot by 12.30pm with a self container breather (SCB) to neutralise the chlorine in the cylinder. But when MbPT officials were asked to provide a crane and weigh machine to reach the cylinder, all they could do was bring in a private crane, but one which did not have a weigh machine. Finally, Century Rayon officers called their own weigh machine from their plant in Shahad, Kalyan. The machine arrived at around 2.30pm, and only then could the NDRF start its work.

MbPT officials booked
"Th e police have filed a case against MbPT authorities under sections 284, 308, 324 and 337 of the Indian Penal Code (pertaining to negligence in dealing with poisonous substances and culpable homicide not amounting to murder), along with sections 7, 8, 9 and 15 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (mishandling of hazardous substances),=" said senior police inspector Rajan Bhogle of Sewri police station.

Union cries foul, says safety steps inadequate
umbai Port Trust workers have blamed the company for the incident. The Transport and Dock Workers Union, a representative body of dock workers, has demanded that all unclaimed hazardous goods lying inside the dock premises should be immediately cleared. RM Murthy, the union secretary, said such hazardous cargo posed maximum threat to the workers. Several of those being treated in hospitals are dock workers. At least 13 contract labourers, who were working within 50 metres of the spot where the cylinder leaked, are among those who fell ill. Four are in the critical care unit at JJ hospital.
K Mohan, who was present when the incident occurred, said that the gas began leaking around 3.20am. "Since I was closest to the site, I raised an alarm after sensing something amiss. We had already inhaled gas by the time we came out.=" Mohan has been working at the dock as a loader for more than two decades. He complained about the lack of safety equipment. "There are no smoke detection alarms or fire alarms.="

Permission to dispose of cylinders sought 2 yrs ago
he Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) might not be the only agency to be blamed for the debacle. Though there is no denying that the port trust had delayed in disposing of the cylinders, other agencies too are to be blamed. A senior MbPT official said that permissions had been sought at least two years ago from the controller 
of explosives and customs to dispose of (auction) the consignment comprising 105 cylinders. "The clearance is still to arrive,=" the official said. The consignment belonged to a private firm =E2=80=94 port trust officials identified it as Agro Gases Pvt Ltd =E2=80=94 and it was brought in the dock in April 2001. The official said that the firm never claimed the consignment after the customs department raised some objections. According to government rules, the port trust can penalise a firm if it does not claim a consignment within a month of it being unloaded at the dock. Also, the port trust can auction a consignment if it is not claimed within six months.
India  leak  chlorine  response  industrial  
6 days ago 
Response to Drum Dumping 
Desert Hills and Lake Havasu City firefighters joined forces in response to a hazardous material situation Wednesday after receiving reports of two 55-gallon drums dumped in the parking lot of a closed business in Desert Hills.
Lake Havasu City firefighters investigate the unknown contents of two 55-gallon drums Wednesday left abandoned in the parking lot of a closed Desert Hills business in the 3000 block of London Bridge Road.


The hazardous material tested as gasoline.

Desert Hills Fire Department responded the incident in the 3000 block of London Bridge Road to find the two barrels, which were not leaking when first-responding firefighters arrived, according to Fire Chief Mat Espinoza. One of the barrels was marked "acetone=" and the second was marked "automa tic transmission fluid,=" he said. Desert Hills Fire Department responded with Engine 21 and Rescue 2.

Lake Havasu City Fire Department Hazmat team was called in to assist about 1:16 p.m. The firefighters arrived on scene geared up to identify the substances.

"We were able to test the chemical (within the drums) and it was unleaded gasoline. One of the barrels is about half full and one was about three quarters full,=" said Lake Havasu City Acting Battalion Chief Jeff Kemp.

The Havasu-based fire department responded with Engine 2, the department=E2=80=99s Hazmat trailer, which is Support 2. Truck 1, staffed with two Hazmat-trained firefighters, the department=E2=80=99s rehab unit and Havasu Fire Marshal Chip Shilosky also responded to the incident.

Havasu BC Kemp reported the crews were on scene about two hours.

"It was incredibly hot (Wednesday afternoon) =E2=80=A6 if it would have been a chemical, it would have taken longer,=" he said.

Kemp said the greatest risks associated with the call were the high midday temperatures, the unknown contents of the drums that were causing expansion and the possibility the drums would breach and begin leaking the contents onto the ground.
Us_nv  illegal  waste  petroleum  response  
6 days ago 
Chemical Safety: Dangers Of Diglyme 
Reading the investigators=E2=80=99 account of the T2 Laboratories explosion, which was attributed to metallic sodium and hot di glyme, we suspect this may be an example of a much wider phenomenon, already met in other guises (C&EN, Sept. 21, 2009, page 8). A previous account of a violent runaway in diglyme, postulated as powered by reaction with finely divided active metal (in this case aluminum) has long been in "Bretherick=E2=80=99s Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards,=E2=80 =9D but, having its primary entry under "lithium aluminium hydride,=" might be missed by the hasty searcher. 

We are also strongly reminded of the Seveso, Italy, accident of 1976 (and its several precursors). Investigation showed that these were the result of a high-temperature, base-induced decomposition of diethylene glycol, or ethylene glycol itself, to materials including hydrogen and water, the coreagent sodium hydroxide, not sodium metal, and the temperature again around 200 =C2=B0C. 

Thermodynamic calculations from "Heats of Formation=" suggest that 1,2 diols are higher energy than they look and may dehydrate exothermically. This, no doubt, is why biology finds sugars so useful as fuels and energy stores (and why sugar refineries occasionally have explosions from a hot molasses decomposition usually attributed to Maillard reaction with protein impurities). 

Capping the glycol as an ether, so that methanol, or dimethyl ether, is eliminated rather than water, will do little to the thermodynamics=E2=80=94and perhaps not much to the kinetics=E2=80=94of reaction. The simplest diethyleneglycol ether, dioxan, is known to decompose exothermically at around 200 =C2=B0C.
< a class="tag" href="http://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Us/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(170, 85, 17); line-height: 24px; ">Us  explosion  followup  glyme  laboratory  
6 days ago 
Richmond Chemical Leak: Wasterwater treatment plant evacuated after sulfur dioxide leak. - wtvr 
RICHMOND, VA - Fire and rescue crews spent hours tending to a hazardous materials incident at the Richmond wastewater plant Tuesday morning. A potentially dangerous chemical was leaking in the 1400 block of Brander Street - just off Interstate 95 near Ancarrow's landing in Richmond's southside. 

A worker inside called emergency crews after smelling something he thought was sulfur dioxide. 

Richmond fire Lt. Shawn Jones says the employee was right. Rescue crews detected a small dose of sulfur dioxide leaking from a pipeline connecting a rail car and the facility. 

Jones says sulfur dioxide in large quantities can be very toxic and the worker who inhaled the sulfur dioxide was checked out as a precaution. It was determined that he was okay and the other workers were kept outside for hours for their safety. 

Chris Rossi works at the facility and is also a volunteer Hanover firefighter. His experience came in handy. Rossi spent part of his morning investigating the incident himself - trying to figure out the dangers of sulfur dioxide. 

"I checked my handy dandy hazard book," said Rossi. "Dangers of sulfur dioxide, distance, etc."
Us_va  leak  industrial  hydrogen_sulfide  response  
7 days ago 
Chemical fire in Newton blackens Surrey sky 
SURREY =E2=80=93 It looked like a bomb dropped on a west Newton neighbourhood late Monday afternoon as a chemical fire in a cabinet furniture shop sent up massive columns of billowing jet-black smoke that obscured the blue sky and fogged out nearby streets. 

The fire was fully erupting at about 4:30 p.m., on 83A Avenue just west of 124th Street, with flames shooting up some 30 feet high. 

Onlookers quickly clogged a length of 124th Street as fire truck after fire truck raced in to the scene. Some people helped direct traffic as helicopters flew overhead. The cause of the fire was not known as of about 5 p.m. Nor was it known if anyone had been injured. 

At about 9:30 p.m., local roads were blocked off and at least eight fire trucks were at the scene, as well as an ambulance, but there was still no word of any injuries. 

Firefighters at the scene said they'd been fighting largely a defensive fire. They were still pumping water into from a crane at 9:30 p.m. and there was still some smoke coming from the building.
Canada  fire  industrial  response  
7 days ago 
Chemical spill closes UCO building =C2=BB Local News =C2=BB The Edmond Sun 
EDMOND =E2=80=94 A University of Central Oklahoma building was temporarily closed after spilled chemicals were found in a chemistry lab, a spokesman said. 

Tuesday morning university administration was notified of the spill, and the Edmond Fire Department responded to a suspicious substance call at 7:36 a.m., according to the city fire incidents report. 

UCO spokesman Charlie Johnson said the spill occurred in Howell Hall, the math and science building, which was evacuated since it could have presented a fire hazard. 

The chemicals, which included ethylene glycol, ethanol and acetone, were in a container which for an unknown reason went from a table top to the floor and broke, Johnson said. The amount of chemicals spilled was enough to cause concern, he said. 

Johnson said the classrooms in the building were reopened at 8 a.m. and the lab side was reopened by mid morning. Because it was summer, few people were in the building at the time, he said. No one was injured
Us_ok  leak  laboratory  higher_ed  solvent  response  
7 days ago 
Applegarth Middle School in Monroe evacuated after flammable powder was exposed in science lab | mycentraljersey.com | MyCentralJersey.com 
< div class="description" style="line-height: 15px; margin-top: 2px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); ">MONROE =E2=80=94 Fire and HazMat crews responded to Applegarth Middle School in Monroe late Monday morning to remove a potentially flammable powder that was found exposed in a science lab, authorities said.

An employee found the powdered magnesium out of a container in a storage cabinet around 11 a.m., prompting officials to evacuate the school, said James Garbin, chief of the township=E2=80=99s second fire district. Crews from the Middlesex County Hazardous Materials Unit responded and went inside to secure the powder with the help of firefighters.

About 20 staff members were at the Applegarth Road school at the time, Carbin said. No one was injured during the incident.

Powdered magnesium is flammable if exposed to water and poses several other hazards, Carbin said. Employees at the school called authorities after recognizing the substance.
Us_nj  response  spill  laboratory  high_school  magnesium  
7 days ago 
Chemical leak at Farmington plant | Farmington, N.M. | KRQE News 13 
FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE) - Residents displaced by the chemical leak in Farmington can seek shelter at Bluffview Elementary School located at 1204 Camino Real. 

Battalion Chief Troy Brown with the Farmington Fire Department said there maybe as many as 100 people who can still not return to their homes after 1,500 to 2,000 gallons of Hydrochloric Acid leaked from a holding tank at the Schlumberger Plant Sunday evening. 

The fire department had hoped to lift all shelter in place orders by midnight, but Brown said the clean up is going to take longer than expected.
Us_nm  leak  industrial  response  hcl  
7 days ago 
Press of Atlantic City Mobile Edition 
An Absecon man was hurt Sunday in an explosion caused by poolchemicals, police said.   

Frank Blee Sr., 79, of South Mill Road, was injured about 5:45 p.m.when a container of chlorine tablets exploded after pool water wasaccidentially splashed into it, police said. Blee was taken to theRegional Trauma Unit at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, CityCampus, in Atlantic City for treatment.   

Absecon police, a Galloway Township ambulance and an AtlantiCareparamedic unit responded to the initial call, and the Absecon FireDepartment and Atlantic County Office of Emergency Managementassisted to properly secure the remaining chlorine. Several homesin the immediate area were evacuated, and traffic on South MillRoad was diverted for a short time, police said.  
Us_nj  explosion  pool_chemicals  injuries  home  
7 days ago 
KTUU : Hazmat teams investigate smell in South Anchorage apartments 
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A strange odor in a South Anchorage apartment complex displaced dozens of residents Saturday evening. Hazardous materials teams worked into Sunday morning trying to identify the substance responsible. 

The Anchorage Fire Department evacuated 27 units of the Kinnear Park Apartments at 2510 Sentry Drive in Independence Park, before an investigation which lasted until 4 a.m. Sunday -- but couldn't determine the source of the smell.
Us_ak  home  unknown_chemical  response  
8 days ago 
Syracuse family evacuated, hazmat crews check home | Standard-Examiner =E2=80=93 Ogden, Layton, Brigham, Weber, Davis, Top of Utah News 
SYRACUSE  =E2=80=94 It was a restless night for a whole neighborhood here Sunday night with noisy fire department generators and flood lights surrounding a house until well after midnight where the family had reported a strange "burned metallic smell" and a suspicion of gas in their home. 
Police barricades kept any cars from entering the street as dozens of safety officials from a long list of agencies responded to a home at 2314 S. 3585 West after the family called 911 reporting that a portable propane and methane gas detector had gone off in their home. 
Although crews worked throughout the night, no one could determine what the family had smelled in their home earlier that evening. 
"We're beginning to wonder if we drove it out with our ventilation system," said Sgt. Brent Peters with the Davis County Sheriff=E2=80=99s Office. 
Pesticide had recently been applied at the home, as well as at a couple of neighboring homes, which initially raised the concern that toxic fumes may have seeped into the dwelling from the poison.
Us_it  home  response  unknown_chemical  
8 days ago 
BBC News - Fume warning follows barn fire on Isle of Sheppey 
Residents in parts of the Isle of Sheppey have been urged to stay in their homes and close their windows following a serious fire at a barn.
About 100 firefighters are tackling the blaze in Leysdown Road which began at about 0245 BST on Sunday.
A 400m (1,310ft) exclusion zone has been set up around the site because the barn contains a potentially explosive chemical used in fertiliser.
Uk  fire  ag_chems  response  
9 days ago 
Chemical leak forces officials to shut down stretch of Red Bluff in Pasadena | abc13.com 
A chemical leak in Pasadena means a busy road will be shut down, possibly all weekend.

Harris County HazMat teams were called to the scene of a polypropylene leak at 8300 Red Bluff Friday afternoon. According to Vance Mitchell with the Pasadena Police Department, the situation was brought under control without any injuries.

However, Mitchell also says there is a large amount of the chemical remaining in the line that will need to be flared off. As a precaution, Red Bluff will be completely shut down from Genoa Red Bluff to Underwood. The nearly two mile stretch of road is expected to be closed anywhere from about 12 hours to two days.

Polypropylene, also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications, including packaging, textiles (e.g. ropes, thermal underwear and carpets), stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components and polymer banknotes.
us_tx  industrial  leak  response  
10 days ago 
I-75 reopens after chemical leak at Toledo industrial complex 
TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) =E2=80=93 Residents have returned to their homes and I-75 is back open after a chemical leak at a north Toledo plant forced evacuations and shut down the interstate for about two hours Saturday.

Crews were called to American Gas on 6055 Brent Dr., near Suder Avenue and just north of Alexis Road, shortly before 3:30 a.m. after they say the hazardous substance silicon tetrafluoridea toxic began leaking from a cylinder.

Toledo Hazmat and fire crews, as well as Ohio EPA and the Lucas County Health Department, responded.

A cloud of gas, which looked like smoke, could be seen rising from the building.

As a result, officials closed I-75 from the Ohio-Michigan line to near Suder around 5 a.m. and some neighborhoods were evacuated.

Both directions of I-75 reopened around 7:30 a.m.
us_oh  leak  industrial  response  
10 days ago 
Kirksville Fire Department responds to pesticide spill - Kirksville, MO - Kirksville Daily Express 
Kirksville firefighters donned self-contained breathing apparatus Thursday night after being called to a residence concerning reports of spilled liquid pesticides. 

Six firefighters were on scene to clean up the chemical spill, located in a garage at 1105 E. Harrison St. 

Fire Cpt. James Snyder said a small amount of the liquid pesticide Malathion 50 had spilled in the garage and the chemical vapor had permeated the house. 

The house was evacuated since the chemicals are a respiratory irritant, Snyder said. 

"If you were to breath it in for a long time, it would give you a headache and cause other respiratory problems,=" he said. 

The fire department stayed on scene for two hours as it cleaned up the spill. Officers inspected the house today and ensured the chemicals and vapor levels were safe. 

Snyder said he was unsure of how the chemicals were spilled and that despite possible health risks, neither residents or firefighters had reported any ill effects as of Thursday night.
us_mo  leak  pesticides  response  home  
10 days ago 
4 Roosevelt men injured in chemical release in oil and gas fields | Deseret News 
VERNAL =E2=80=94 Four Roosevelt men suffered chemical burns Friday in an incident in the oil and gas fields south of Vernal. 

The men, all employees of Monument Well Service, were working on a "workover rig" 15 miles south of Bonanza, Uintah County, when a separator allowed hydrogen sulfide to escape from it, said Uintah County Undersheriff John Laursen. The four were injured when they became exposed to the liquid gas about 11:50 a.m. 

... 
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, poisonous and flammable gas that occurs from a bacterial breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. It is often associated with natural gas production, which occurs in the oil and gas fields near Vernal.
us_ut  releases  injuries  hydrogen_sulfide  industrial  
10 days ago 
Arvada Man Dies After Englewood Work Site Blast 
A 32-year-old Arvada man was standing on a ladder welding on the side of tank at his workplace when an explosion killed him Thursday, according to a safety board investigation. 

Erik Donaldson, a father and husband, suffered "blunt impact injuries to the head and trunk," according to the Arapahoe County coroner. 

...
According to U.S Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, Donaldson was welding on a 21,000-gallon tank partially filled with a mixture of water and flammable hydrocarbons. 

"Sparks ignited flammable vapor and the worker was thrown off the ladder, suffering fatal injuries," according to a news release dated Friday released by the Safety Board. 

The coroner's office ruled the death an accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.
us_co  explosion  deaths  industrial  
10 days ago 
Explosion at Chemical Factory Kills One 
At least one person has been killed and two others injured after a tank containing hydrochloric acid exploded at a chemical factory in Banten on Friday.

Antara said the factory in Bojonegara, Serang district, was owned by PT Sulfindo Adiusaha.

The deceased has been identified as Jumani, 22. His body and those who survived the explosion have been evacuated to the Krakatau Medika Hospital in Cilegon.

The factory management has not commented on the incident, with an official at their head office telling the Jakarta Globe that they were unaware of the explosion

...

"PT Sulfindo AdiUsaha have been implementing working safety & healthy management system which is according to Ministry of Labours Republic of Indonesia instruction no. 5 1996. And for the result PT Sulfindo Adi Usaha achived the golden flag for the year of 1999 and 2002,=" the Web site states in poor English.
indonesia  explosion  deaths  hcl  industrial  
10 days ago 
HazMat incident shuts Dillerville Road for 3 hours 
A city street was closed for three hours early this morning, after a release valve malfunctioned on a rail car filled with a very flammable liquid.
Dillerville Road was closed from Harrisburg to Manheim pikes from about 1 a.m. to 4 a.m., as a hazardous materials crew and city firefighters worked to ensure there was no danger to the surrounding area from the release of a small amount of the liquid, called styrene.
The styrene, used to make plastic foam cups, was in a tanker car headed to Dart Container in Leola. When the train stopped near the Dillerville Road overpass, a rail worker smelled the liquid, which has a pungent odor, said Lancaster City Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Oatman.
It turned out a relief valve on top of the rail car wasn't properly working, and a small amount of styrene had leaked out.
The Lancaster County Haz-Mat team responded to the incident, as well as city firefighters.
Us_pa  leak  styrene  response  transportation  
11 days ago 
Portions of Grand Saline closed due to gas cloud | East Texas 
Grand Saline fire crews and  a Tyler Hazmat team responded to a reported release of toxic chemicals early Thursday morning. 

A Grand Saline police officer spotted a white cloud of gas coming from a pumping house near the city's swimming pool Thursday and alerted authorities. Fire crews determined the building was not on fire and called for a Hazmat team. 

Highway 80 was closed for more than an hour while authorities determined the extent of the leak. No injuries were reported and no word on what caused the leak. The investigation is ongoing.
us_tx  leak  unknown_chemical  response  pool_chemicals  
11 days ago 
Forsyth County road reopened; chemical barrels removed  | ajc.com 
A Forsyth County road was reopened Thursday afternoon after authorities removed two chemical drums that were found in the area.


The abandoned drums were discovered Thursday morning along Chattahoochee Road northeast of Cumming. The road was reopened around 1:20 p.m., according to Capt. Jason Shivers, spokesman for the Forsyth County Fire Department.

Chattahoochee Road was closed between Holzclaw and Shady Grove roads for more than two hours.

According to Shivers, the labels on the drums indicated they contained an oxidizer, but the material turned out to be some type of oil-and-water mixture.

Shivers said the barrels were loaded into a larger container and removed by Williams Transport of Flowery Branch. They will be taken to a facility where tests will be run to determine exactly what is in them, Shivers said.
us_ga  unknown_chemical  response  waste  
12 days ago 
Worker Critically Injured In Tank Car Explosion - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver 
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- A worker at an environmental contract company was critically injured Thursday afternoon when he was blown off a railroad tank car. 
The explosion was reported at ACI Services, 2695 S. Raritan Street, just after 4 p.m., according to Marla Wilcox of the Englewood Fire Department. 
The worker was on a 21,000-gallon tank car and was using welding equipment near an open a vent, when the explosion occurred, she said.
us_co  explosion  transportation  injuries  
12 days ago 
Hazmat crews busy in Elgin, South Elgin :: The Courier News :: Local News 
Elgin-area emergency crews responded to reports of two separate potential hazardous material spills Wednesday, one prompting the temporary closure of Duncan Avenue and the Fox River Trail bike path north of the city.

Elgin spokeswoman Susan Olafson said authorities received a call around 12:45 p.m. that a 55-gallon steel drum was leaking an unknown fluid near Duncan Avenue a mile north of I-90.


The Kane County Office of Emergency Management and Elgin Fire Department were called to the scene, as well as crews from Carpentersville, East Dundee, South Elgin and Hanover Park.

It was unknown as of Wednesday evening what kind of material had leaked. East Dundee Fire Department officials said the spill was contained to the ground around the drum, and did not pose any danger to the public.

In a written release, East Dundee Fire Lt. Jason Parthun stated officials determined that no chemicals reached the nearby Fox River or any other adjacent waterway.

The drum was removed, he said, and the area was cleaned up by a chemical remediation company.
us_il  leak  unknown_chemical  response  
13 days ago 
HAZMAT response to gas smell in South Hill 
Graham firefighters and Central Pierce Fire & Rescue HAZMAT technicians responded to an odor complaint in South Hill Wednesday night.

A caller around 8:25 p.m. reported a gas smell on the 8600 block of 165th Street Ct. E, according to scanner chatter. Responding crews traced the smell to a shed in the backyard of a residence, according to Battalion Chief Daniel Hannah. Liquid fertilizer had escaped from its container and mixed with other yard chemicals in the shed.

The HAZMAT team disposed of the chemicals. There were no injuries or property damages.
us_wa  leak  response  ag_chems  
13 days ago 
Hazmat situation at gas station closes 701; reopens | SCNow 
CONWAY - Highway Patrol tells News13 a log truck left unattended rolled into a gas pump causing gas to spill at Gerald=E2=80=99s Convenience Store on Highway 701.  
The road was closed for a few hours, but has since been reopened. 
Hazmat crews were on scene to clean up the mess.
us_sc  spill  transportation  response  petroleum  
13 days ago 
Chemical spill danger level upgraded 
MADISON COUNTY - A potentially hazardous chemical spill near Archer has hazmat teams on alert. 

Around 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, police responded to a home on 2000 West. They were there on a complaint the owner had too many broken down cars on his property. They found something that may be much more dangerous. 

"It's a very large area of 5-gallon buckets, different storage containers containing chemicals in different states of leeching out of buckets [that are] rusting," said Captain Travis Williams of the Madison County Sheriff's Office. 

The homeowner, Max Spatig, says the chemicals are just ordinary household paints and primers, nothing hazardous about them.
us_id  leak  home  response  paints  
13 days ago 
Explosives found in drug lab in Sydney: police 
Neighbours are in shock after explosives were allegedly found in a police raid on an illegal drug laboratory in Sydney=E2=80=99s north-west today. 

Officers from the Middle Eastern crime squad stormed a house in Bidgee Road, Ryde, about 6am and arrested a 33-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman. 

Explosive devices were removed from the house by the Bomb Squad and Hazmat crews were called in to dismantle the lab, police said. 

Nearby residents have been evacuated and traffic has been diverted as the area is blocked off.
australia  response  home  meth_lab  illegal  
13 days ago 
BP, Governments Downplay Public Health Risk =46rom Oil and Dispersants 
PENSACOLA BEACH, Florida -- When Ryan Heffernan, a volunteer with Emerald Coastkeeper, noticed a bag of oily debris floating off in Santa Rosa Sound, she ran up to BP's HazMat-trained workers to ask if they would retrieve it.

"No, ma'am," one replied politely. "We can't go in the ocean. It's contaminated."

Ryan waded in and retrieved the bag. That was Wednesday, June 23, the first day visible oil hit Pensacola Beach. Ryan had been swimming off the beach the day before, as she said, "to get in my last swim before the oil hit." The trouble is that not all of the oil coming ashore is visible. Dispersed oil - tiny bubbles of oil encased in chemical dispersants - are in the water column. On Thursday Ryan was treated at a local doctor's office for skin rash on her legs.

Three days later on Pensacola Beach, I watched BP's HazMat-trained workers shovel surface oiled sand and oily debris into bags early in the morning. The workers followed the waterline like shorebirds, scurrying up the beach in front of breaking waves and moving back down with receding waters.

The late morning sun retired the workers to the shade of their tents and the job of "observing," while it brought out throngs of beach-goers -- children, parents, grandparents -- who happily plunged into the "contaminated" ocean without a second thought.
us_fl  response  petroleum  exposures  
13 days ago 
Ammonia odor from pet accumulations 
The toxic-levels of ammonia gas inside the mobile home owned and occupied by Betty Johnson is reportedly the result of animal urine and feces, according to a certified Hazmat technician and an investigator with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. 
The dwelling located at 1664 Fuller Rd. in Minden, which has been labeled a health hazard, has landed its owner in the hospital for ammonia inhalation. Her neighbors who own the land, Johnson=E2=80=99s daughter and son-in-law have been charged with not having visible rabies tags on their dogs as mandated by law, and cruelty to animals.

Issues at Johnson=E2=80=99s home stem back to approximately 11 p.m.  June 6, when Pafford EMTs were dispatched to the residence on a medical call.
"I was directed to respond to a call, where an EMT had fallen out inside a residence due to ammonia,=" Hazmat Technician Deputy Don Willis said while being questioned by the jury=E2=80=99s legal counsel during a public hearing conducted by the Webster Parish Police Jury Tuesday. 
"The ammonia gas at the home took my breath away,=" Willis said. 
Willis added that after opening the back door of the home, he estimates 10 to 15 cats ran out.
us_la  home  ammonia  injuries  releases  
13 days ago 
Fireman hurt in shed fire - Scotsman.com News 
A FIREFIGHTER was airlifted to hospital yesterday after part of a shed collapsed on him as he tackled a chemical fire at a golf club. 
He was one of 35 firefighters sent to the Gunsgreenhill course at Eyemouth, in the Borders, to deal with a blaze in the greenkeeper's shed. 

The 44-year-old was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with a suspected broken leg then transferred to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. 

Fire crews were called to the course at around 5.30am. Seven fire service vehicles were involved in tackling the fire at the shed, where chemicals were being stored. 

A Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: "The firefighter was airlifted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. 

"At the moment the extent of his injuries is unclear, but we believe he has a broken leg."
uk  fire  unknown_chemical  golf  
13 days ago 
Blaze at Bayonne chemical plant warehouse; no injuries reported | NJ.com 
Bayonne firefighters extinguished a blaze at a chemical plant warehouse on Bergen Point in Bayonne, fire officials said. 
Indianapolis-based Vertellus Specialties Inc., the owners of the plant at Avenue A and Gertrude Street, released a statement saying that the fire was reported at 2 a.m. this morning. 
Company officials say the Bayonne Fire Department fought the blaze after discussing what materials were being stored in the building. 
The building was "primarily used" for storage of non-hazardous materials for disposal -- such as material from castor oil processing, company officials said. But a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection said hazardous materials were stored in the warehouse, and sulfuric acid leaked from some of the containers that had been damaged in the fire. 
The Hudson County Health Department had at least one representative on site testing the air and found that no toxic smoke was released. 

No injuries were reported and there is "no significant off-site impact" or significant interruption to production, company officials said.
us_nj  industrial  fire  response  
13 days ago 
FIELDSBORO: Fire at plant raises concerns | CentralJersey.com 
FIELDSBORO =E2=80=94 An industrial material caught fire at a local chemical plant last week, where hazardous substances have previously earned the site a spot on a watchdog group=E2=80=99s list. 

   The fire occurred July 1 at the Stepan Chemical Company plant on Fourth Street. Production superintendent Dan Callahan said a 55-gallon tub of about 200 pounds of solid sulfur was found smoldering just before 5 p.m.
us_nj  fire  industrial  response  
13 days ago 
Chemical mishap shuts down Wellesley street - Wellesley - Your Town - Boston.com 
A mishap on Brookside Avenue that saw two industrial chemicals mixed improperly led to a closed road and a visit from a HAZMAT team, Wellesley officials said today. The chemicals were not spilled, and police say there is no danger to the public. 

At 7:18 a.m., two chemicals being used to reline piping were combined in a 55-gallon drum being stored in the back of a truck. The chemicals were allowed to remain too long, and began heating up and emitting vapors. 

"As far as we know, the situation was unpleasant, but not dangerous," said Officer Marcia Cleary of the Wellesley Police Department. "The Fire Department responded to the incident and originally requested a Tier 1 HAZMAT response, which is standard procedure." 

At 8:40, the fire department amended their request to include more HAZMAT responders. 

"The drum was contained in the back of a truck, and it was difficult for us to get at it or see any weaknesses in the drum," said Captain Nat Brady of the Wellesley Fire Department, who was on the scene. "We felt it better to have a backup team in case something happened."
us_ma  reaction  industrial  response  unknown_chemical  
13 days ago 
Propane leak closes Route 104A - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports- 
A propane leak in Georgia closed Route 104A Tuesday afternoon. 

The road was shut down after the leak was discovered in a tank at a private home. Fire officials say the leak has been contained, but nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution. 

Officials said it could be some time before the road reopened. 

"We're cooling the tank and the Vermont hazmat team is here and we're going to actually get closer to the tank and see if we can move it or mediate the leak in whatever way needed," Georgia Fire Chief Chris Gonyeau said. 

Fire crews asked people to use Route 104 or Route 7 instead Tuesday, because they said Route 104A could be shut down for several hours.
us_vt  leak  propane  home  response  
14 days ago 
Hazmat team responding to vapor cloud at Watkins Memorial | newarkadvocate.com | The Newark Advocate 
ETNA TOWNSHIP -- Medics transported a janitor to an area hospital Tuesday after the janitor's floor cleaning supplies came in contact with another agent, creating a possible chemical reaction. 

No other staff members or students were hurt in the incident at the high school, 8868 Watkins Road SW. 

West Licking Joint Fire District received a call concerning a person feeling ill at around 9:50 a.m., fire Chief David Fulmer said. 

When medics arrived at the scene, the janitor was having trouble breathing. Medics transported the janitor to an area hospital for precautionary reasons, Fulmer said. 

Few other details were available early Tuesday, but Fulmer said the janitor was cleaning a floor in one of the school's hallways when the incident occurred. The janitor was using two regular cleaning products to mop the floor when the products "came in contact with an unknown (chemical), which caused the reaction," Fulmer said. 

The Licking County Haz-Mat team responded to the high school, along with firefighters from West Licking. A Licking County Sheriff's Deputy closed the entrance to the high school on Watkins Road. 

Other janitors, a handful of building administrators and some band students were inside the school when the incident happened. Firefighters evacuated them, in addition to students lifting weights in a nearby weight-lifting building. No other injuries were reported, Fulmer said. 

Because of the extreme heat, the Haz-Mat team was proceeding slowly Tuesday. Team members donned heavy chemical-resistant suits before entering the high school to ascertain the cause of the chemical reaction. 

Afterward, Fulmer said they intended to treat the chemical or air out the building. 

Watkins Memorial likely will be closed for part of the early afternoon as the Haz-Mat team works, Fulmer said. 

Earlier reports of Watkins Road closing as a result of the situation were in error.
us_nj  reaction  cleaners  injuries  re  school  
14 days ago 
Police Investigate Hazmat Situation At North Precinct - NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & Sports 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. =E2=80=93 Metro police investigated a potential hazmat situation at the North Police Precinct on Tuesday afternoon. 

It happened around 3:30 p.m. at the precinct at 2231 26th Avenue North at Clarksville Pike. Fire Department's Hazmat team was called out after a woman came in to report that her soon to be ex-husband may have tampered with her car. 

Police said she had removed the floor mats and the head rests and put them in the trunk.  She went inside the police precinct and got an officer. When they both went back to the car and opened the truck, they were hit with fumes that stung their eyes and throat.  That's when  hazmat crews were called in to investigate. 

They tested the substance and determined it was not hazardous. Metro police spokesperson Don Aaron said it is believed that the substance may have been pepper spray. 

A detective from the domestic violence squad is working this case to see if charges need to see if charges need to be filled against the woman's husband.
us_tn  home  leak  response  pepper_spray  
14 days ago 
2 workers badly burned at Evansville factory - chicagotribune.com 
EVANSVILLE, Ind. =E2=80=94 Authorities say two workers were badly burned in a flash fire at an auto parts factory in Evansville. 

City Fire Department District Chief Dan Grimm says the workers at Guardian Automotive Trim were using a chemical to clean a paint booth Monday when a halogen light was knocked onto the floor and ignited the fumes. 

Grimm said the initial explosion was out quickly, but the workers' clothing caught on fire. The names of the man and woman weren't immediately released and they were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., for treatment of their burns.
us_in  industrial  paints  fire  injuries  
14 days ago 
Hazmat crew cleans up downtown acid spill - San Diego, California Talk Radio Station - 760 KFMB AM - 760kfmb 
SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - An acid spill at a downtown jewelry store prompted evacuations Monday morning. 

It happened just before 11 a.m  at the Jewelers Exchange in the 800 block of Sixth Avenue near F Street. Employees were reportedly attempting to transport a container of muriatic acid when it spilled. 

Hazmat crews are at the scene, using soda ash to neutralize and absorb the chemical. 

At least 25 people in the building were evacuated from the building. One woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Us_ca  industrial  acids  spill  response  
15 days ago 
Medina County: Fatal chemical spill cleaned up; - Flash Player Installation 
SHARON TOWNSHIP -- Officials say the stretch of Beach Road, south of State Route 18 is open this morning, after a tanker truck spilled anhydrous ammonia yesterday.

HAZMAT was on the scene for the clean-up and all homes within a half-mile radius were evacuated. The residents were allowed back in their homes around 1:30 Tuesday morning.

The tanker company, LaGrange, Ohio-based Linden's Anhydrous Service, said the tanker overturned enroute to a drop-off site, killing the driver, 75-year-old Philip Linden.

Linden was taken to Medina General Hospital by the Medina Life Support Team, where he died from his injuries.

Agencies assisting at the accident scene with Ohio State Highway Patrol included EMA, HAZMAT of Medina County, Sharon Fire and Rescue, Granger Fire and Rescue, Wadsworth Fire Department, Medina Township Fire Department, Copley EMS, Bath EMS, and the Red Cross.
Us_oh  response  leak  transportation  ammonia  
15 days ago 
australia: Smithfield industrial fire 
DRUMS of chemicals were exploding and flying into the air at a factory fire in Smithfield on Saturday night. 

More than 75 firefighters were called in to contain the blaze at an unoccupied factory in Britton St. 

Drums of solvents and floor adhesives were exploding as firefighters arrived on the scene shortly after 6pm. 

No one was inside the factory when the fire broke. 

NSW Fire Brigades commissioner Greg Mullins said flames had leapt more than 30 metres from the roof of the building. 

``It=E2=80=99s a flooring manufacturing place so there are some really volatile chemicals inside,=E2=80=99=E2=80=99 he told the Fairfield Advance at the scene. 

``What really fuelled the fire was the 200 litre drums of solvents.=E2=80=99=E2=80=98 

``At this stage the fire has been so intense we have no way of getting in to find out what the cause is.=" 

More than ten fire trucks and a HAZMAT unit were called to the blaze that to burned into the early hours of Sunday morning. 

Mr Mullins said it was a large contingent for the NSW Fire Brigades. 

``Its been a very big response but everyone here has done a fantastic job,=" he said. 

Police are still working to determine the cause of the fire.
australia  fire  solvent  response  industrial  
15 days ago 
uk: Staff member taken to hospital after chlorine tank leak 
A 23-year-old man has been treated in hospital in Aberdeen following a gas leak at a gym. 

The incident happened at the David Lloyd club in Aberdeen at about 1500 BST after reports a chlorine tank near the swimming pool had started to leak. 

A member of staff was taken to the city's Royal Infirmary for treatment amid concern he had inhaled chemical fumes. 

People had to wait for more than two hours before the all clear was given. 

A Grampian Police spokesman said: "An exclusion zone around the location was implemented and a large number of members of the public, including members of staff, were evacuated, pending a full assessment by Grampian Fire and Rescue Service." 

An initial report into the incident confirmed there was a minor spillage of chemicals within a confined area.
uk  leak  chlorine  pool_chemicals  response  
16 days ago 
australia: Firefighters battle to contain chemical factory blaze 
Nearly 20 fire trucks are part of the effort to put out a blaze at a chemical factory at Smithfield, west of Sydney. 

An fire service spokesman says the large factory has been totally encapsulated by the blaze and it is expected to burn throughout the night. 

People with health or respiratory problems near the industrial building in Britton Street are being asked to stay inside until further notice due to a large amount of smoke and other fumes. 

It is unknown what sort of chemicals are involved in the fire. 

A passer-by called emergency services after noticing the blaze about 6:30pm. 

The fire service has confirmed no one was inside the building.
australia  fire  industrial  response  unknown_chemical  
17 days ago 
us_ca: Spring Lake lagoon re-opens 
The swimming lagoon at Spring Lake Park has re-opened after 40 gallons of muriatic acid were spilled in the area this morning due to a valve failure in the lagoon's chlorination system. 


The amount is less than the 600 gallons officials initially reported, and Hazmat testing showed that the leak never got beyond the system of six-inch pipes in the fenced area east of the lagoon. 

Officials say the lagoon itself was not contaminated. 

Santa Rosa Battalion Chief Andy Pforsich said the leak occurred where a garden hose is mounted to a 6-inch pipe via a spigot saddle. 

The spill was first reported to Sonoma County fire officials at 7:16 a.m. Hazmat teams are likely to be working throughout the afternoon testing the air and water and doing any mitigation necessary, Pforsich said. 

Pforsich said the park employee who first reported the leak said he smelled something and noticed a mist around the screened enclosure around the equipment, which is used to disinfect the swimming lagoon. The employee was given a medical screening. 

"He's okay,=" Pforsich said. "We've evaluated him at the scene but he's not in any need of any treatment.="
us_ca  leak  hydrochloric_acid  industrial  response  
17 days ago 
us_mo: Railroad fire under control 
Sugar Creek, MO =E2=80=94 
Three railroad cars that caught fire had stopped burning as of late Saturday afternoon. 

Numerous BNSF rail cars derailed in Sugar Creek near the BP refinery located near the Missouri River around 1:45 a.m. Saturday. 

The derailment started a fire on one of the cars, causing it to explode. Thick black smoke and intense flames billowed out, fueled by what the car was hauling: toluene, a chemical used in paint thinners, according to Sugar Creek authorities. 

The toluene rail car sparked a nearby car, carrying animal fat, and then a third car, carrying oil. 

No one was hurt and no residents had to be evacuated. 
Authorities initially let the cars burn. Later in the morning, firefighters cooled the remaining tanks to ensure other cars didn=E2=80=99t catch fire. 

A HAZMAT unit was called in to clean up the site and ensure chemicals from derailed cars did not spread into nearby waterways. 

Officials took air quality tests that found the air was not toxic.
us_mo  fire  transportation  response  toluene  
17 days ago 
us_vt: Hazmat team investigates stinky South Burlington home 
Hazmat team investigates stinky South Burlington home 

... 
A hazmat team investigated the residence reporting vomit, urine, feces, evidence of animals, and very little air circulation. 

Neighbors feared the smell may have been something worse. 

...Chris Herrick, who is chief of the Vt. Hazmat Response Team, said neighbors have nothing to worry about. 

"Those chemicals had absolutely nothing to do with the production of methamphetamines. But that's one of the reasons we came, to rule that out," he said. 

It turns out the mixture of makeup and tooth whitener left on the bathroom sink may have contributed to the fumes inside. 

"Our team went in, took samples and analyzed, and what we found has no health risk associated with the samples we took. They are all common household, well maybe not so common, but they are household items that would not cause someone to have the reactions the officers had," Herrick said. 

Officials believe the reaction was caused by the lack of air circulation since the renters left. 
... 

Police say they will not bring any charges against the renters because they did nothing illegal. 

The next stop for this case will be with the city health officer.
us_vt  home  response  various_chemicals  injuries  
18 days ago 
us_nh: Explosion leads Farmington police to meth lab 
FARMINGTON =E2=80=93 Police said they discovered a meth lab early yesterday morning after the shed it was in exploded, setting fire to some nearby woods. 
... 
The chemicals used to make meth can be particularly volatile and the illegal labs aren=E2=80=99t known for their safety. 
The fire "completely obliterated=" the shed, police said, and spread to nearby woods. It took firefighters about 30 minutes to douse the blaze, which was made harder by the precautions necessary when dealing with a chemical fire. 
Roberge said officers who were in the area all had to be decontaminated and Norman Marcotte had to be given new clothes as a precaution.
us_nh  explosion  meth_lab  illegal  
18 days ago 
uk: Commuter delays after Leeds chemical plant inferno UPDATED 
The WasteCare site in Garforth, West Yorkshire, was engulfed by flames after a fire broke out just after midnight on Thursday. 

Residents were told by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to stay indoors and pay attention to their water supply. 

Some locals and guests at the Holiday Inn were evacuated as 150 firefighters battled the blaze. 

The WasteCare website says the company specialises in handling hazardous waste and "difficult" non-hazardous waste that cannot be put in a landfill site. 

This includes chemicals, batteries, fluorescent tubing, vegetable oils, printing and photographic, dry cleaning, electrical, catering, packaging and toxic waste.
uk  industrial  fire  response  waste  
19 days ago 
india: Abhishek Industries Operations disrupted due to explosion in Chemical Storage Tank - EquityBulls.com 
Abhishek Industries Ltd has announced that there had been an explosion of the Chemical Storage tank which was stationed outside the Terry Towel Unit of the Company (Unit No - 3) situated in the Lotus Integrated Texpark Ltd (Textile Park) at Mansa Road, Dhula (Punjab). 

The explosion took place in early morning of July 1, 2010 and has caused loss to the building, plant a machineries, and stock stored in the various units situated under the Textile Park which among others include Unit No - 3 of Terry Towel division of the Company. The Unit No - 3 of Terry Towel division of the Company houses 42 looms. Since the Textile Park is situated adjacent to the other manufacturing facilities of the Company; the explosion has also caused losses to the nearby buildings. plants of machineries and stocks of other units of the Terry towel, Paper and Energy division of the Company. 

The Company has deployed dedicated technical team to take corrective measures to bring operations of the Terry towel, Paper and Energy division of the Company to normalcy and expects that these should come to the normal operations shortly. 

The exact loss due to this explosion is being evaluated by a team of experts. However, there has not been any loss or injury to any employee or person inside or outside the plant on account of the above said explosion.
india  explosion  industrial  response  unknown_chemical  
19 days ago 
us_ga: Macon authorities secure Meth lab 
Sheriff says additional charges may be filed 

Authorities with the Macon Couty Sheriff=E2=80=99s Office, N.C. State Bureau of Investigations and Cullasaja Fire Department dismantled a meth lab in full HazMat gear Saturday. "We were on scene at the residence from about noon, until about two o=E2=80=99clock in the morning,=" said Macon County Sheriff Robert Holland, as investigators obtained a search warrant. The search was executed with SBI chemists en route to assist in chemical analyses. 

Authorities from the Macon County Sheriff=E2=80=99s Office (MCSO) and the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), with assistance from the Cullasaja Fire Department, secured a private residence in the Ellijay community on Saturday to dismantle a lab used for manufacturing methamphetamine. The home, located on Ralph Taylor Road, belonged to David Lee Holland, 43, and his wife, Pamela Ledbetter Holland, 39. Both suspects were arrested and additional charges may be forthcoming. 

The June 26 bust was the result of a three-week surveillance investigation conducted by the MCSO. According to reports, authorities stopped Holland in a traffic stop and detained him around noon on June 25 for questioning and investigative purposes. Later that evening at 11:30 p.m., Holland was formally charged. Authorities promptly applied for a search warrant
us_ga  illegal  meth_lab  response  
20 days ago 
canada: Resin plant cleanup ordered 
The improper, lengthy storage of resin chips, asbestos and large amounts of other unidentified waste at the former St. Lawrence Resins plant have caused the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to issue an order to owners to clean up the Cayuga property.

Ground water and surface water investigations by the Ministry have revealed that there is a strong potential for contaminants from this site to be migrating off-site and possibly impacting the nearby Pike Creek, which empties into the Grand River.


The former plant, at 82 Fishcarrier Street, was involved in the production of resins from approximately 1967 to 1997.
According to MOE Provincial Officer Brad Farnand's recent report, "In 1997, upon closure of the facility, much of the waste associated with the operation of this site was removed; however, a significant amount of material was left at the site."

In 2004, Provincial Officer Jason Ryan inspected the site and found numerous drums of resin, cylinders of boron triflouride, bags of asbestos, signs of spills and solvent odours coming from the tanks located on-site. Ryan wrote to St. Lawrence Resins regarding those issues and requested they submit a plan to correct them.

In early 2005, the company responded to Ryan, indicating his concerns would be addressed within 30 days by its tenant, Kevan Green, who had a lease purchase agreement with St. Lawrence Resins.
canada  industrial  response  various_chemicals  waste  
20 days ago 
us_ok: Man Dies After Possible Meth Explosion 
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A man investigators said was injured in a methamphetamine explosion has died.

Nathan L. Knapp, 48, died Monday at Integris Baptist Hospital. He was flown there June 23 with third degree burns on his face down to his lower body. 
The victim's son, Nathan C. Knapp, 27, initially told Oklahoma County sheriff's deputies that his father had been burning trash outside the eastern Oklahoma County home when the flames got out of control and burned him. 
When the victim arrived at the hospital, doctors determined he had chemical burns. Deputies said when they returned to the scene to investigate, they found signs of a meth lab. 
Investigators were told by witnesses that Knapp Sr. had actually been cooking methamphetamine inside a small bathroom when the chemicals exploded. Knapp Jr. attempted to destroy all the evidence of the meth lab by setting fire to the evidence outside of the trailer, Oklahoma County Sheriff's Dept. spokesman Mark Myers said.
us_ok  meth_lab  illegal  explosion  home  
20 days ago 
Coral Springs chemical odor: Strong chemical smell sickens two, leads to building evacuation - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com 
A Coral Springs apartment complex was evacuated Tuesday night after a strong chemical smell from one apartment unit made two maintenance workers sick. 

Tenants were allowed back into their homes at the Palms Point Apartments at West Atlantic Boulevard and Riverside Drive a few hours later, just after midnight, police said. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue and Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue hazardous materials crews tested the building for hazardous chemicals, but found nothing. 

"There are long-term environmental tests that HazMat can run, but we're done, because there's not an immediate life threat right now," said Capt. Mike Moser, a spokesman for the Coral Springs Fire Department. 

Fire department officials evacuated the building, which contained 24 units, after maintenance crew members reported that a vacant apartment unit had a dangerous odor and that appliances in the unit were rusting rapidly. 

The maintenance workers were treated at a hospital for nausea and vomiting, and were released, officials said Wednesday. 

The cause of the smell remains unknown. 

Mike Jachles, a spokesman for Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, said there will be no follow-up investigation because "whatever it was ventilated itself or dissipated."
us_fl  odor  response  injuries  unknown_chemical  
20 days ago 
us_ny: Chemical reaction leads to evacuation of YMCA 
The Grand Island YMCA was evacuated about 3 p.m. today because of a reported chemical spill. 

According to police scanner traffic, hydrochloric acid and chlorine accidentally mixed in the pool area, causing chemical fumes in the area of the building. 
Adults and children were evacuated, with preschoolers being taken to the Grand Generation Center and older children to the Central Plains Chapter of the American Red Cross. 

The Grand Island Fire Department responded to the scene to address the chemical leak and ventilate the building. The department's hazardous materials team was en route shortly after 3 p.m. 

Two ambulances were dispatched to the scene to treat at least four inhalation victims. 

More information will be reported as it becomes available.
us_ny  reaction  response  chlorine  pool  
20 days ago 
us_mo: Research Lab Explosion Injures Four People 
An explosion caused by hydrogen gas in a University of Missouri biochemistry research lab on Monday injured four people and destroyed the laboratory, university and fire department officials report.

The blast occurred in the lab of biochemistry professor Judy D. Wall, who studies sulfate-reducing bacteria.

The injured researchers included one graduate student, two postdoctoral researchers, and a staff research scientist, says University of Missouri spokesperson Christian Basi. Three were treated at the hospital and released; the fourth was hospitalized and reported to be in good condition on Tuesday.

The gas, which is extremely flammable and can form explosive mixtures with air, was being used for an experiment when the explosion occurred, says Columbia, Mo., fire department investigator Brian Davison. Investigators have not yet determined whether the gas was ignited or exploded spontaneously, although they do believe the explosion was an accident, Davison says.
us_mo  explosion  laboratory  hydrogen  injuries  
21 days ago 
us_pa: Hazmat team cleans up Springfield Township chemical spill 
WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The Erie County Hazardous Materials Team cleaned up a small chemical spill from a tractor-trailer this afternoon in Springfield Township.

The hazmat team responded to the call just after 3 p.m. at a Sunoco gas station and convenience store at Interstate 90 and Route 215.

Crews cleaned up a caustic liquid chemical, Springfield Volunteer Fire Department Captain Luke Weldon said.

There were no injuries reported.

The driver of the double tractor-trailer was eastbound on I-90. He pulled into the Sunoco station after noticing that one of his trailers was leaking, Weldon said.

One of his trailers contained three 300-gallon barrels of the caustic liquid, Weldon said. The other trailer contained household items.

The load shifted and spilled inside the trailer, Weldon said.

Weldon said most of the chemical spill was contained within the trailer.
us_pa  leak  response  transportation  caustic  
21 days ago 
us_ca: One Lane Closed After Haz-Mat Situation 
UPDATE: Cal-Fire says all eastbound lanes have reopened and only one westbound lane remained closed Tuesday afternoon after haz-mat teams determined no dangerous chemicals leaked from an overturned big rig.

The crash was reported just after 7 p.m. Monday when a big rig hauling about 4,500 pounds of methyl parathion, an agricultural-grade pesticide in powder form, crashed with at least one other vehicle, which caught fire, according to the California Highway Patrol.

People at the scene used fire extinguishers to put the fire out, according to the CHP. Two people were transported to hospitals with minor to moderate injuries, according to Cal Fire-Riverside County.

There were initial concerns the pesticide load was liquid, extremely hazardous, and that it was leaking. Authorities advised clearing a five-mile radius around the traffic crash scene.

By 11 p.m., county hazmat and environmental health workers determined none of the material had leaked. A private contractor was called out to clean up about 380 boxes of the pesticide, according to Cal Fire-Riverside County.
us_ca  response  ag_chems  transportation  
21 days ago 
us_pa: Cleaning Crew Finds Highly Toxic Substance Inside Elliot Home 
ELLIOT, Pa. -- Emergency responders blocked off Bucyrus Street in Elliot Tuesday morning after a cleaning crews found a barrel of potassium cyanide inside a home.
Neighbors were told to stay indoors while hazardous materials crews investigated the situation.
Police said no one was living at the home for about a month.
Firefighters said a 100 gallon barrel was half-full of the highly toxic substance. HAZMAT crews were able to safely take control of the substance and said it was never exposed to anyone.
Crews said the substance could have been used to clean concrete by the people who lived there before. Potassium Cyanide can also be used in the mining process and to clean jewelry.
Police are now investigating. No injuries were reported.
us_pa  response  cyanide  home  
21 days ago 
us_ny: Chemical Spill on Thruway - Tanker overturns in Catskill 
Catskill, NY 06/28/10 State Police assigned to the New York Sate Thruway investigated a tractor-trailer rollover accident which occurred at approximately 1:50am this morning. The accident occurred in the Town of Catskill in Greene County. The northbound vehicle, a tank truck owned by Slack Chemical Company of Carthage, NY, carrying approximately 4,700 gallons of hypochlorite solution, overturned and spilled about 3,200 gallons of the cargo. The driver, Robert Lawrence, age 55, of Galway, NY stated that he lost control of the vehicle when he swerved to miss a deer in the roadway. He was treated at the scene for minor lacerations and later transported to Albany Medical Center for precautionary measures. Emergency services including NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Spill Response, the Greene County Hazmat Team, a NYSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit and multiple local fire and ambulance services responded to the scene. Northbound traffic was detoured off the Thruway at the Saugerties interchange as the accident was investigated and the spill contained. Both northbound lanes were closed until 9:00am. The chemical was described as being stronger than household liquid bleach, but weaker than swimming pool shock treament, with contact being the primary hazzard. Cleanup of the spilled product is being addressed; the remaining product in the tanker was off loaded into another tanker. No tickets were issued to the driver.
us_ny  transportation  spill  bleach  response  
21 days ago 
us_mo: Human error blamed in University of Missouri blast 
(CNN) -- An explosion that injured four people at a University of Missouri science lab Monday afternoon was caused by human error, authorities said. 
Lab personnel failed to turn off a hydrogen tank during an experiment and the building concentration of gas eventually exploded, the Columbia Fire Department said after an initial investigation. The building's sprinkler system put out the fire. 
"Glass and debris from the third floor Biochemistry Lab had rained down onto the sidewalk, courtyard and driveway to the building, fire officials said. "Seventeen third-story windows were blown out." 
The injured were transported to University Hospital, officials said. Three of the victims had been released by late Monday. The fourth was being treated in the hospital's burn unit. 
"The number of injuries was certainly reduced due to the campus being on summer break, with a significantly reduced number of people in and around this facility," fire officials said.
us_mo  explosion  laboratory  hydrogen  injuries  
22 days ago 
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