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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, July 20, 2012 7:46:54 AM
A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (16 articles)
BOOM GOES THE SYNTHETIC POT: PALM BEACH MAN SUES AFTER DRUG LAB EXPLOSION BURNS HIS BUSINESS
Tags: us_FL, laboratory, follow-up, response, drugs, flammables
TUG BOAT AND BARGE SINK IN LAKE HURON SPILLING FUEL, CAUSE HAZMAT
Tags: us_MI, transportation, release, response, diesel
LEAKING INSECTICIDE TRIGGERED BARRINGTON-AREA HAZMAT CALL
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, ag_chems
HAZMAT TEAM INSPECTS BEACHED CONTAINERS
Tags: South_Africa, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
3 EMPLOYEES SUED OVER CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION -- SHANGHAI DAILY
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical
WANDTV.COM, NEWSCENTER17, STORMCENTER17, CENTRAL ILLINOIS NEWS-
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, injury, sulfuric_acid
3 PORTLAND, ORE.-AREA WORKERS RUSHED TO HOSPITALS; POSSIBLE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING
Tags: us_OR, industrial, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
UCONN FORMS GROUP TO FIND LOCATION FOR HAZMAT STORAGE FACILITY :: MANSFIELD TODAY
Tags: us_CT, education, follow-up, response, waste
HAZMAT RAILROAD CRASHES UP 152% IN 10 YEARS
Tags: us_OH, transportation, follow-up, response
HAZMAT TEAMS RESPOND TO SPILL ON U.S. 75
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, amines
FAILING CHEMICAL SECTOR FIRMS RARELY CLOSED DOWN, SAYS AD
Tags: Netherlands, industrial, follow-up, environmental
FIRE CHIEF PRAISES CHEMICAL COMPANY'S SAFE OPERATION
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, response, flammables
CHEMICAL FIRE IGNITES IN SOUTHEAST ODESSA
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
CITY FILES CLAIM TO RECOUP CHEMICAL FIRE CLEANUP COSTS
Tags: industrial, follow-up, death, pesticides
20 WORKERS HOSPITALIZED IN CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING AT TOWNSEND FARMS PLANT IN FAIRVIEW
Tags: us_OR, industrial, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
FIRE, HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS RESEARCH BUILDING
Tags: us_KS, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
---------------------------------------------
BOOM GOES THE SYNTHETIC POT: PALM BEACH MAN SUES AFTER DRUG LAB EXPLOSION BURNS HIS BUSINESS
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2012/07/boom_goes_the_synthetic_pot_pa.php
Tags: us_FL, laboratory, follow-up, response, drugs, flammables
When it comes to finding a home for your small business, there are a lot of factors to consider: the cost of rent, where your customers are located, how much space you need. But it's also worth trying to figure out if your neighbors run a drug lab full of unstable, highly flammable chemicals that could blow up and incinerate your workplace at any given moment.
Dale Puckett learned the hard way when, on the evening of May 21, he found his West Palm Beach business engulfed in flames.
The culprit? An accident at KRATOM Lab, located half a block from Puckett's shop. KRATOM, which purportedly made herbal incense, was secretly making synthetic marijuana until the blast that wiped out the fake-bud business. Now, Puckett is suing the three would-be chemical kingpins who ran the lab for a million dollars, as well as the landlord who rented them the property.
The three men named in the lawsuit as KRATOM employees are John Shealy, Matt Bryant, and Dylan Harris. A call to a number registered to a John Shealy in Palm Beach County was not returned. Attempts to contact Bryant and Harris were unsuccessful. The landlord, Jack Lowen of Lowen Properties, also could not be reached.
---------------------------------------------
TUG BOAT AND BARGE SINK IN LAKE HURON SPILLING FUEL, CAUSE HAZMAT
http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/tug-boat-and-barge-sink-in-lake-huron-spilling-fuel-cause-hazmat
Tags: us_MI, transportation, release, response, diesel
LAKE PORT, Mich., (WXYZ) - A major HAZMAT situation is under way after a tug boat and barge sank in Lake Huron, spilling fuel.
The 110 ft. long barge and a tugboat named the Madison started taking on water around 4:30 a.m. when the weather took a sudden turn for the worse. It happened about two miles from shore in the Lakeport area.
According to the Coast Guard, both the barge and Madison were being pulled by another tug boat named the Drummond Islander II. Six workers were aboard the Drummond Islander II but were never in danger.
The barge was carrying between 1500 and 2000 gallons of diesel fuel in a tank that is now leaking into Lake Huron. Officials say the tank has six valves on it. Four of the valves have been closed. Divers will need to close the final two in order to close the tank completely.
---------------------------------------------
LEAKING INSECTICIDE TRIGGERED BARRINGTON-AREA HAZMAT CALL
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120719/news/707199836/
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, ag_chems
Insecticide in a leaking, unmarked container was to blame for a hazardous materials response at a Barrington-area home that left one firefighter hospitalized Thursday morning.
The pesticide later was identified as Malathion, commonly used to control mosquitoes and other types of insects, Barrington Fire Chief Jim Arie said.
"Fortunately, the firefighter took in just a minor dose and was released from the hospital," Arie said.
There's nothing unusual about finding the insecticide in a house, he added. The only difficulty came from identifying it in its unmarked container.
The firefighter treated at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital was part of the Barrington Fire Department's first response to the 7:02 a.m. call about a mysterious gas odor in a home on the 25300 block of West Cuba Road, in unincorporated Lake County.
Firefighters found a box emitting the gas-like odor and removed it from the home's garage. After one firefighter developed medical symptoms requiring transport, the Lake & McHenry County Hazardous Materials Response Team was called to the scene.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAM INSPECTS BEACHED CONTAINERS
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Hazmat-team-inspects-beached-containers-20120719
Tags: South_Africa, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
Cape Town - The containers which washed ashore near St Francis Bay this week were inspected and checked on Thursday by a hazardous materials (hazmat) team.
People living along the coast had been warned of potential dangers and not to tamper with the containers, because the contents are unknown.
Kevin Kelly of Xtreme projects inspected the beached containers earlier on Thursday in the company of South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) officials during an on site meeting to decide on what action needs to be taken.
The seals on the containers are still intact and looked clean, said Kelly.
---------------------------------------------
3 EMPLOYEES SUED OVER CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION -- SHANGHAI DAILY
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nsp/National/2012/07/19/3%2Bemployees%2Bsued%2Bover%2Bchemical%2Bplant%2Bexplosion/
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical
THREE suspects who were responsible for a fatal chemical plant explosion that killed 15 in east China's Shandong Province will face charges in court[m1] , Shandong provincial government said.
Another 13 people responsible for the accident will be given administrative penalties, China National Radio reported today.
Fifteen workers were killed and four were injured after the explosion occurred at a melamine production facility of Shandong Liaherd Chemical Industry Co Ltd in the city of Xintai on November 19 last year.
The explosion caused an economic loss of 18.9 million yuan (US$2.97 million). The local government has confirmed the serious accident was caused by negligence, following a half-year investigation.
---------------------------------------------
WANDTV.COM, NEWSCENTER17, STORMCENTER17, CENTRAL ILLINOIS NEWS-
http://www.wandtv.com/story/19059384/urbana-plant-evacuated-after-chemical-leak
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, injury, sulfuric_acid
URBANA - Ten workers were hospitalized after a chemical leak at the Guardian West Facility in Urbana.
The Flex-N-Gate plant began a full evacuation just before 3pm Wednesday.
A trucking company's error led to the release of sulfuric acid throughout the building.
Urbana Fire Chief Mike Dilley says the leak was not a fire risk but an inhalation hazard.
While large fans were used to get rid of the vapors, firefighters faced a challenge with the heat.
Dilley suspects the transported employees to be treated and released.
---------------------------------------------
3 PORTLAND, ORE.-AREA WORKERS RUSHED TO HOSPITALS; POSSIBLE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING
http://www.pendletontimespost.com/view/story/90d1e5edf1c7414eb2f87b57d861c364/OR--Ailing-Construction-Workers/
Tags: us_OR, industrial, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
MILWAUKIE, Ore. Ñ A fire district spokesman says three construction workers in the south Portland suburb of Milwaukie were taken to area hospitals after showing symptoms of possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
Clackamas Fire District 1 spokesman Brandon Paxton says they were reportedly using a gas-powered circular saw in a walled-off pit Wednesday afternoon when co-workers reported they were acting oddly.
A supervisor had the workers leave the pit and called 911.
The Oregonian reports the three are employees of McDonald Excavating Inc. Paxton says the crew was installing pipe under rail tracks as part of the Milwaukie to Portland light rail project.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause sudden sickness and even death. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea and confusion.
---------------------------------------------
UCONN FORMS GROUP TO FIND LOCATION FOR HAZMAT STORAGE FACILITY :: MANSFIELD TODAY
http://mansfield.htnp.com/2012/07/19/uconn-forms-group-to-find-location-for-hazmat-storage-facility/
Tags: us_CT, education, follow-up, response, waste
The University of Connecticut recently established an advisory committee to identify alternate sites for the hazardous materials storage facility, now known as the "main accumulation area" (MAA).
The current facility located off Horsebarn Hill was constructed as a temporary storage area for chemical, biological and medical waste and "low-level" radioactive material generated by the academic and research facilities.
The committee, which includes UConn and town representatives, is tasked with identifying five potential alternative sites, said UConn Environmental Compliance Analyst Jason Coite.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT RAILROAD CRASHES UP 152% IN 10 YEARS
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/local/hazmat-railroad-crashes-up-152-in-10-years/nPwYn/
Tags: us_OH, transportation, follow-up, response
The number of railroad cars carrying hazardous materials involved in accidents in Ohio increased by 152 percent in the past 10 years Ñ from 129 in 2002 to 326 last year Ñ but industry officials stress railroad safety and the industry's importance to the economy.
While total railroad accidents and incidents decreased 41 percent to 270 last year, hazmat car involvement continued a 10-year climb. Last year, 49 of the 326 cars carrying hazardous material in accidents were damaged or derailed, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
Two incidents this week highlighted railroad safety in Ohio.
Early Wednesday morning, a train derailment in Columbus caused three tanker cars carrying ethanol to explode and burn with a fire that reportedly could be seen for miles. Thursday morning, two empty trains collided in downtown Akron.
"We are moving as much freight today that has ever been moved by the railroad industry, and we work very hard to keep things safe," said Arthur Arnold, president of the Ohio Railroad Association. "Shippers that rely on rail service and facilities would have to close down if the rail service was not available."
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAMS RESPOND TO SPILL ON U.S. 75
http://www.scntx.com/articles/2012/07/18/plano_star-courier/news/8090.txt
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, amines
Rush hour traffic was delayed for several hours Tuesday afternoon when a tanker truck carrying two hazardous materials sprang a leak while traveling northbound on U.S. 75 through Plano and Richardson. It is estimated that three to five gallons of the chemicals were spilled.
....
Officer David Tilley of the Plano Police Department said Richardson PD officers followed the vehicle from their city and made a traffic stop at about 6:40 p.m. The officers cordoned off the scene while the hazmat teams determined the identity of the chemical and assessed the threat level.
....
The chemicals have been identified as tetramethylammonium chloride and decy-dimethyl amine oxide. Once the leak was mitigated, the tanker was moved to a secure location so repairs could be made, Childress said.
---------------------------------------------
FAILING CHEMICAL SECTOR FIRMS RARELY CLOSED DOWN, SAYS AD
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2012/07/chemical_sector_inspection_is.php
Tags: Netherlands, industrial, follow-up, environmental
The supervision of the chemical industry is a sham, with inspections rarely leading to tough action such as closure and inspectors merely having 'a quiet word' with the management, the AD reports on Wednesday
The paper bases its claim on an analysis of 17 new inspection reports made after visits to refineries and storage facilities in the Rotterdam port area.
Twelve of the companies inspected violated safety procedures. These violations, 47 in total, lead to unacceptable risks because in the case of fire or leaks, dangerous chemicals can be released into the air, the AD said.
New problems
In many cases problems are not solved, or new violations of safety rules are uncovered when the plants are inspected again.
The chemical sector is subject to inspection by various supervisory organisations, ranging from the Rotterdam environment service to the fire service.
Earlier this year, a report into a fire at chemicals storage plant Chemie-Pack said the company failed to meet operating permit conditions and did not keep to its own policy or procedures.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE CHIEF PRAISES CHEMICAL COMPANY'S SAFE OPERATION
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2012-07-18/article-3033756/Fire-chief-praises-chemical-company%26rsquos-safe-operation/1
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, response, flammables
A chemical company in Charlottetown that is not eager to have residential neighbours operates safely, says the capital city's fire chief.
Randy MacDonald testified at a hearing Tuesday that BioVectra, a company he describes as being "high hazard occupancy," operates in full compliance with national fire code guidelines.
MacDonald added the Charlottetown Fire Department has a "good working relationship'' with BioVectra, noting the company has carried out training exercises and has an emergency response plan in place.
MacDonald was the second of two witnesses to take the stand at a hearing before the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission.
BioVectra is appealing permits granted by the City of Charlottetown to Elwin Jay Holdings and Paramount Construction to build two 18-unit apartment buildings and one 36-unit building on Nicholas Lane near the chemical company.
Jonathan Coady, a lawyer representing BioVectra at the hearing, stressed the issue is not if the company is a safe operation. He assures that it is.
The concern BioVectra has is with "increased risk'' occurring by exposing more people to potential danger by allowing residential property to be built near the company.
"Accidents happen,'' he said.
Commonly, at least 90,000 litres of flammable liquid is stored on site at BioVectra.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL FIRE IGNITES IN SOUTHEAST ODESSA
http://www.oaoa.com/news/fire-90063-county-odessa.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
A fire sparked up Saturday morning in Odessa after a possible chemical reaction at an oilfield company.
Midland County Fire Marshal Dale Little said the fire, which happened at Trican Well Service, 8200 E. Interstate 20, was burning the same chemicals as a fire Friday afternoon in southeast Midland County.
Fire personnel were called from Odessa, Ector County and Midland County at about 6:13 a.m. Saturday to the fire, and the fire was put out by about 7:35 a.m. Little said cleanup crews would be working the entire day Saturday at the business.
"It's real strange, but if it is a chemical reaction, then we've got the humidity, the temperature, the wind, how hot it's been, how much the humidity recovers at night Ñ there's a lot of factors that need to be looked at," Little said. "I would say to the companies be sure if they've got this kind of chemical to make sure they're in a well-ventilated and cool place."
The fires burned the chemicals, which were being stored in the yard, and four frac trucks, Little said.
---------------------------------------------
CITY FILES CLAIM TO RECOUP CHEMICAL FIRE CLEANUP COSTS
http://www.eastoregonian.com/news/local_news/city-files-claim-to-recoup-chemical-fire-cleanup-costs/article_b507e232-d15b-11e1-8e64-0019bb2963f4.html
Tags: industrial, follow-up, death, pesticides
he city of Pendleton is taking court action to preserve a claim for losses and protect itself from liability for dangerous chemicals that may have contaminated city property during a warehouse fire in July 2011.
Robert Hart, former owner and operator of Dobyns-Hart Pest Control, leased city property from 1960 until he died Sept. 1, 2011, at age 84, according to court documents and family information. A fire the night of July 14, 2011, destroyed his warehouse on city-owned property at 1517 N.W. 50th St., Pendleton. Hart kept an abundance of chemicals there, some now banned, according to city documents.
---------------------------------------------
20 WORKERS HOSPITALIZED IN CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING AT TOWNSEND FARMS PLANT IN FAIRVIEW
http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2012/07/20_workers_hospitalized_for_ca.html
Tags: us_OR, industrial, release, injury, carbon_monoxide
Twenty people were taken to several different hospitals Tuesday after they were sickened by carbon monoxide, the Gresham fire chief said.
The call came in about 9:40 a.m. from Townsend Farms, 23400 N.E. Townsend Way. Chief Scott Lewis of the Gresham Fire Department said at least 40 workers reported feeling nauseated, dizzy and short of breath.
Lewis said workers at the plant where vegetables and fruits are processed used a gasoline power washer inside the building overnight. When workers arrived Tuesday morning, they suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning.
"Many of the workers felt immediately better when we got them outside,'' Lewis said. "But 20 were not responding as quickly as we had hoped so we sent them to hospitals all over the metro area."
Lewis said he expected all of the affected workers to be released soon after treatment. At least 20 others were treated at the scene.
"We've seen this kind of thing happen time and time again,'' Lewis said. "When the power goes off and people run a gas generator inside, or when they start a charcoal grill indoors."
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FIRE, HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS RESEARCH BUILDING
http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/region_kansas/fire-hazmat-crews-called-to-university-of-kansas-research-building
Tags: us_KS, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
LAWRENCE, Ka - Firefighters and HazMat crews were called Tuesday morning to a University of Kansas chemistry research building.
University spokesman Jack Martin says light smoke was reported coming from an air handling system at McCollum Laboratories, 2095 Constant Ave.
The single-story building, on KU's West Campus, houses the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy, according to the university's website.
The building was evacuated. No injuries were reported.
A tweet from the university at about 9:50 a.m. said the building had been reopened.
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