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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, August 31, 2012 8:00:07 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 (8 articles)
FEW CONCRETE ANSWERS TO THE CHEVRON FIRE
Tags: us_ca, industrial, fire, follow-up, petroleum
VENEZUELAN REFINERY UNDER SCRUTINY AFTER DEADLY BLAZE
Tags: venezuela, industrial, fire, follow-up, petroleum
HAZMAT INCIDENT ON JIMMY CARTER BLVD
Tags: us_ga, transportation, release, response, cleaners
INSECT FOGGER SPARKS EDGERTON ATTIC FIRE
Tags: us_ga, public, fire, response, pesticide
SUMMER WINDS NURSERY IN SOUTH SAN JOSE DESTROYED BY OVERNIGHT FIRE
Tags: us_ca, public, fire, response, ag_chems
MUNICH EXPLOSION ROCKS GERMAN CITY
Tags: Germany, public, explosion, response, bomb, waste
SAN MATEO HOTEL ROOMS EVACUATED AFTER SUICIDE, HAZMAT SITUATION Ç CBS SAN FRANCISCO
Tags: us_CA, public, release, death, suicide
HAZMAT CLEANS UP PESTICIDE IN BUHL
Tags: us_ID, transportation, release, response, pesticides
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FEW CONCRETE ANSWERS TO THE CHEVRON FIRE
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Few-concrete-answers-to-the-Chevron-fire-3819354.php#ixzz257l4LXPI
Tags: us_ca, industrial, fire, follow-up, petroleum
The agencies investigating the fire at the Chevron refinery in Richmond sought to assure residents Monday that they would hold the company accountable and use lessons from the Aug. 6 blaze to prevent future accidents.
"We want to take the lessons here to all of the 150 refineries," Dan Tillema, the lead investigator from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, said at a public meeting in Richmond's City Council chambers.
The investigators, though, faced a skeptical and at times angry crowd of about 50 people - and they were able to provide few concrete answers. Some in the audience said they were still feeling ill from the plume of smoke put out by the fire in the refinery's crude-oil processing unit.
"This fatigue and fogginess I have is pretty apparent to me," said Valerie Yerger, an assistant professor at UCSF who has studied the health effects of tobacco and its marketing in African American communities.
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VENEZUELAN REFINERY UNDER SCRUTINY AFTER DEADLY BLAZE
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/08/pictures/120830-venezuela-refinery-fire-pictures/
Tags: venezuela, industrial, fire, follow-up, petroleum
Fires raged at Venezuela's Amuay refinery after a predawn explosion rocked the facility on August 25 and left at least 42 dead, dozens wounded, and hundreds of homes demolished. The blast was the world's deadliest refinery accident in 15 years.
The catastrophe's exact causes haven't been determined, but Energy Minister Rafael Ram’rez, president of the state's oil company Petr—oleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), said on Venezuelan television that a gas leak had appeared in a fuel storage tank area and formed a cloud that burst into a ball of flame despite the efforts of workers. "All this happened very fast, and the explosion occurred almost immediately," Ram’rez said.
(Related Story: "Isaac, Refinery Woes Drive Spike in U.S. Gas Prices")
"I don't think there is enough information about this incident at this point, but obviously I think all of the oil industry and the government agencies that have some responsibility for refinery safety are going to be very interested in finding out what happened and what lessons can be learned," said Don Holmstrom of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, (CSB) the independent federal agency responsible for investigating all U.S. industrial chemical accidents.
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HAZMAT INCIDENT ON JIMMY CARTER BLVD
http://www.wsbradio.com/news/news/local/hazmat-incident-jimmy-carter-blvd/nRPhj/
Tags: us_ga, transportation, release, response, cleaners
Norcross, GA Ñ
Firefighters responded to the scene of a hazmat incident in Norcross on the Exit Ramp to Jimmy Carter Blvd. from Interstate 85 Northbound.
Crews say a tanker truck accidentally leaked industrial soap from the container. The material was exposed to a passenger and police car. There was also some product spilled along the trailer and on the ground.
As a precaution, paramedics evacuated the officer and the two civilians from the passenger car who were exposed to the product. The were released at the scene and were not transported to the hospital.
The product is described as industrial soap and its main ingredient is a flammable substance. A clean-up company (Hepco) was called to the scene to address the spill and organized the clean-up operation.
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INSECT FOGGER SPARKS EDGERTON ATTIC FIRE
http://gazettextra.com/weblogs/latest-news/2012/aug/30/update-insect-fogger-sparks-edgerton-attic-fire/
Tags: us_ga, public, fire, response, pesticide
EDGERTONÑA rural Edgerton home was damaged in a fire after chemical insect foggers sparked a blaze in the attic, authorities said.
Edgerton Fire Chief Brian Demrow said firefighters were called at 12:23 p.m. today to a house with its attic on fire at 375 Liguori Road in rural Edgerton.
Demrow said firefighters learned that a resident had been trying to get rid of insects, and they'd set off a couple of cans of brand-name chemical insect fogger in the attic.
"On the can, it says it gets really hot," Demrow said.
So hot that the foggers apparently caught wood and insulation on fire, igniting a blaze that burned part of the attic. Firefighters put about 1,500 gallons of water on the blaze to extinguish it, bringing down part of a ceiling in the process, Demrow said.
No one was hurt, but several area fire departments were called in to relieve Edgerton firefighters because of the extreme hot weather today, Demrow said. He said the residents are temporarily displaced and staying with family.
It's the first time Demrow's heard of insect foggers sparking a house fire.
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SUMMER WINDS NURSERY IN SOUTH SAN JOSE DESTROYED BY OVERNIGHT FIRE
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_21425071/summer-winds-nursery-south-san-jose-destroyed-by
Tags: us_ca, public, fire, response, ag_chems
SAN JOSE -- A huge fire swept through a large nursery in South San Jose late Tuesday, sending colorful flames into the night sky and destroying the estimated 10,000 square-foot structure.
It was also the rare sort of blaze that the Fire Department allows to burn.
The three-alarm fire at the Summer Winds nursery, located on Almaden Expressway near Branham Lane, was fueled in part by fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides and sent flames colored green, blue and purple into the sky, according to San Jose fire Capt. Mike Van Elgort.
San Jose firefighters first arrived at the nursery and reported that the structure was heavily involved in fire, which grew rapidly, Van Elgort said.
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MUNICH EXPLOSION ROCKS GERMAN CITY
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/munich-explosion-rocks-german-city-1286205
Tags: Germany, public, explosion, response, bomb, waste
THE detonation of the 70-year-old device resulted in several street closures while burning debris started numerous rooftop fires.
The detonation of the bomb caused mayhem in the city
A FIREBALL explosion rocked Munich after a 550lb World War II bomb was detonated.
The 70-year-old US-made device's chemical trigger meant bomb disposal experts were unable to defuse it. So they carried out a controlled explosion after evacuating 2500 people and clearing the immediate area of cars.
But the operation on Tuesday - a day after demolition men found the bomb under a bar - brought chaos to the city.
Firefighters tackle one of the blazes caused by the blast
Several streets were closed, including part of the city's ring road, and thousands more
residents were told to stay indoors.
Burning debris started a number of fires on rooftops and in the nearby streets. But police said they were quickly put out and the damage was minor.
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SAN MATEO HOTEL ROOMS EVACUATED AFTER SUICIDE, HAZMAT SITUATION Ç CBS SAN FRANCISCO
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/08/28/san-mateo-hotel-rooms-evacuated-after-suicide-hazmat-situation/
Tags: us_CA, public, release, death, suicide
SAN MATEO (CBS SF) Ñ Parts of a San Mateo hotel were evacuated Monday afternoon after emergency responders found evidence of hazardous materials while investigating a possible death by suicide, according to police said.
Police and firefighters responded to the Hilton Garden Inn at 2000 Bridgepointe Circle at 2 p.m. in response to a reported death inside a hotel room, San Mateo police said.
Officials discovered a female body in the hotel room and also found evidence of chemical exposure. A San Mateo County hazardous materials team was called in.
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HAZMAT CLEANS UP PESTICIDE IN BUHL
http://magicvalley.com/news/local/hazmat-cleans-up-pesticide-in-buhl/article_76efb1b0-f130-11e1-ade5-001a4bcf887a.html
Tags: us_ID, transportation, release, response, pesticides
BUHL - The Buhl fire department responded Monday evening to the 900 block of Robertson Street in Buhl after residents in the area called about a strange gas smell.
Assistant Fire Chief Nathan Fawcett said at about 6:30 p.m. a crew went out to the area to attempt to locate the source of the smell. Eventually the crew discovered several small puddles in the road.
"Due to the nature and smell and the properties nearby we decided to call in regional response hazmat team," Fawcett said.
The hazmat team identified the liquid as a pesticide.
"We placed floor-dry on the puddles immediately," Fawcett said. "Today we're working with public works to dig up the material and properly dispose of it and replace it with gravel."
Fawcett said he believes the pesticide was picked up by a city garbage truck and spilled in a few areas along the street when the truck compacted.
Fawcett said it appeared less than a gallon of the pesticide was spilled but it was giving off a definite odor.
If someone has a potentially hazardous material to dispose of, Fawcett said they can contact the landfill or check with the product's manufacturer.
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