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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (14 articles)
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2017 07:24:32 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 3849209A-2BA7-4471-82C1-E0BF48965A8C**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 7:24:16 AM
A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (14 articles)
AMMONIA LEAK CONTAINED AT JBS PACKERLAND IN FRANCONIA
Tags: us_MD, industrial, release, response, ammonia
THREE DEAD IN AMMONIA LEAK
Tags: Canada, public, release, death, ammonia
CHEMICAL FACTORY GUTTED IN FIRE AT TURBHE MIDC
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
GLYPHOSATE DEBATE HEATS UP IN THE EU
Tags: Europe, public, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems, pesticides
CALIFORNIA ENACTS CLEANING PRODUCT LAW
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental
WHEAT DUST ALLERGY LEADS TO WORKER DEATH
Tags: us_IN, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical
HARVEY REVEALS THE NEED FOR MORE PLANNING ON STORMS
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, environmental, toxics
SMALL LEAK CONTAINED AFTER TRUCK OVERTURNS NEAR I-440 AND I-40, FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS
Tags: us_AR, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
NIOSH POSTS NEW CHAPTER ON BIOLOGICAL MONITORING FOR CHEMICAL EXPOSURES -- OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
STATE ISSUES VIOLATION NOTICE IN TINKER CREEK CHEMICAL SPILL AND FISH KILL
Tags: us_VA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems
OIL RIG EXPLODES IN LOUISIANA LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN, INJURING 5 CRITICALLY
Tags: us_la, industrial, explosion, injuries, petroleum
OUTRAGE, CALLS FOR HEALTH STUDY AFTER CHEMICAL VALLEY SPILLS INVESTIGATION
Tags: canada, industrial, discovery, environmental, toxics
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION SENDS TAUNTON MAN TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_ma, public, explosion, injury, cleaners
TWO U.S. STATES BAN FLAME RETARDANTS IN FURNITURE, SAN FRANCISCO MAY DO THE SAME
Tags: us, discovery, public, environmental, toxics
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AMMONIA LEAK CONTAINED AT JBS PACKERLAND IN FRANCONIA
Tags: us_MD, industrial, release, response, ammonia
FRANCONIA >> Emergency services personnel, including the Montgomery County Hazardous Materials Team, were at the scene of an Oct. 15 ammonia leak for almost a full day.
‰??It was a long time until everything drained out, so they were there from 10 o‰??clock yesterday morning and they cleaned up at 8 a.m. this morning,‰?? Franconia Township police Chief Joseph Kozeniewski said at the Oct. 16 Franconia Township Board of Supervisors meeting, ‰??but everything turned out well. No spillages into the ground or groundwater. No injuries, so it came away pretty much clean.‰??
The police department, along with local fire companies and EMS, were dispatched at 10:12 a.m. Oct. 15 for a reported ammonia leak at the JBS Packerland plant at 249 Allentown Road, police said.
A JBS safety officer said he had a very high reading of ammonia fume concentration, police said.
Fortunately, all the ammonia and fumes were contained within the room in which the tank was located, Kozeniewski said.
‰??There was no danger of anything escaping,‰?? he said.
The room could not be entered without the use of personal protective suits and breathing apparatus, though, he said.
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THREE DEAD IN AMMONIA LEAK
Tags: Canada, public, release, death, ammonia
The city of Fernie has confirmed that three people have died following an ammonia leak at the local hockey arena.
Several rescue crews, including a hazmat team, are now on scene at the Fernie Memorial Arena. Officials added that the site has been secured, but crews are not yet able to safely enter the facility. All homes in the area bordered by 9th Street, 13th Street, Highway 3 and 6th Avenue were included in the evacuation.
Evacuees are being asked to check in at the Senior Citizens Drop-in Centre at 562 3 Avenue. The nearby Red Apple, 7-11 and Trinity Lodge have also been evacuated.
CIMCO Refrigeration is on scene assisting city crews, and the city is working to acquire additional specialized resources to deal with the hazardous situation.
Several streets surrounding the arena have been shut down, and the public has been asked to avoid the area. As soon as they become available, this story will be updated.
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CHEMICAL FACTORY GUTTED IN FIRE AT TURBHE MIDC
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
A major fire broke out at a chemical manufacturing company in Turbhe MIDC on Tuesday at 10.45 a.m. Though no casualties were reported, the firm, Machemco Resins Private Limited, may have suffered losses that the management estimates to be in crores.
Sanjay Harshe, production manager of the firm, said that the fire broke out around tea time. He said, ‰??I was in the cafeteria, when a staff member came running towards me and said that fire had engulfed the processing area. We immediately grabbed the fire extinguisher and doused the flames. However, the fire started blazing again and we had to evacuate the place. The fire brigade arrived at around 10.52 a.m.‰??
It took 12 fire tenders close to two hours to eventually bring the fire under control. The fire was put out at 4.30 p.m. and the cooling process ended at 7 p.m.
R.B. Patil, MIDC fire officer, said: ‰??The presence of chemicals made the firefighting challenging. The flames kept blazing and drums with chemicals kept exploding. It took more than five hours to douse the fire. The fire could have been triggered by a short circuit or sparks from welding work on the premises.‰??
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GLYPHOSATE DEBATE HEATS UP IN THE EU
Tags: Europe, public, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems, pesticides
Members of the European Parliament heard opposing views on the European Commission‰??s proposal to reauthorize use of the herbicide glyphosate in the EU for the next 10 years during a joint hearing of the agriculture and environment committees on Oct. 11. The current EU authorization for glyphosate expires in December. At issue is a set of documents revealed in ongoing U.S. lawsuits that suggest Monsanto, which makes the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, influenced safety assessments conducted by EU regulators. Plaintiffs in those lawsuits claim that glyphosate exposure led them or family members to develop cancer. Both the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency have declared that use of glyphosate is safe, but the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified the chemical as ‰??probably carcinogenic to humans.‰?? EU member states have yet to reach a consensus for or against the European Commission‰??s proposal to renew glyphosate‰??s!
authorization. Officials were expected to vote on it earlier this month, but they deferred the vote until at least their next meeting on Oct. 23.
---------------------------------------------
CALIFORNIA ENACTS CLEANING PRODUCT LAW
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental
Makers of cleaning products sold in California will have to reveal ingredients online and on product labels, under a first-of-its-kind law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) on Oct. 15. New York is expected soon to finalize a regulation requiring similar disclosure of cleaning product ingredients.
‰??People around the country and especially Californians are demanding more disclosure about the chemicals in products we use,‰?? says California state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D), who sponsored the legislation.
The California law applies to ingredients in general cleaning, air care, automobile care, and floor maintenance products. Fragrance compounds that are listed as allergens by the European Union must be disclosed. The chemical identities of other fragrance compounds, ingredients that are trade secrets, and colorants are exempt from disclosure.
Manufacturers will have to provide information about ingredients on product websites as of 2020. The law requires ingredients be listed on labels of cleaning product sold in the state starting in 2021.
The Consumer Specialty Products Association, an organization of companies that formulate affected products, backs the California measure. CSPA says the new law balances consumer and worker demands for information with businesses‰?? needs to protect proprietary data.
Companies supporting the bill include cleaning product makers Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, SC Johnson, Seventh Generation, Unilever, and WD40, and fragrance maker Givaudan.
---------------------------------------------
WHEAT DUST ALLERGY LEADS TO WORKER DEATH
Tags: us_IN, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical
When introducing a new chemical or raw material into the work environment, a risk assessment must be completed to eliminate or reduce workers‰?? exposure.
At the National Safety Congress in Indianapolis, OSHA investigators presented some of their most interesting cases. For Allen Grisar, Region V OSHA compliance officer, one of the most unexpected cases he has come across happened at a company involved in grain processing for the malting industry.
In September 2014, a worker, who had been with the company for four years, developed asthma and subsequently died from a severe asthma attack at the facility. His job role involved transferring grains to malt practices.
The company had introduced wheat and barley into its malting operations just months prior to the incident. Just four months before his death, the worker had a severe asthma attack on the clock, which was treated at work.
‰??Company did not conduct an incident investigation or send worker for further evaluation after May 2014,‰?? Grisar told attendees.
The OSHA investigation discovered many issues that the led to the fatality. First, preplacement medical exam were not provided to contract clinicians conducting respiratory clearance examinations, he said.
---------------------------------------------
HARVEY REVEALS THE NEED FOR MORE PLANNING ON STORMS
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, environmental, toxics
We watched as Hurricane Harvey devastated areas of Texas, most notably Houston. We saw it halt Houston's rapid industrial growth. We saw toxic airborne releases from sites like the Arkema plant and some oil refineries like ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron Phillips. We heard that floodwater contamination from both current and longstanding toxic waste sites and damage from petrochemical infrastructure occurred. We heard that potable water was compromised. An estimated 1 million pounds or more of toxins like benzene, dioxins, lead, toluene, xylene, sulfur dioxide and arsenic, some of which are carcinogens, were released.
Could the Capital Region see our health imperiled, our rapid growth in industry halted, and our infrastructure damaged as Houston's was in the aftermath of a natural disaster? The similarities between our two regions should alarm us.
Separate of natural disasters, we already have had problems in remediating the effects of hazardous substances, such as PFOA contamination of the water supply in Hoosic Falls from the manufacture of Teflon by Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International and from PCBs and dioxins from the GE Plant that still remain in the Hudson and can be potentially dredged up in a natural disaster. Other areas that should concern us include the possibility of radioactive leaks and gas pipeline leaks, as well as, the risk from potential explosions from highly flammable oil trains in the oil- by- rail business that passes through the Albany population centers.
---------------------------------------------
SMALL LEAK CONTAINED AFTER TRUCK OVERTURNS NEAR I-440 AND I-40, FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS
Tags: us_AR, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
A small leak of a chemical used to prevent fungus growth on fruits has been contained after a tractor-trailer overturned on a ramp between two interstates in North Little Rock on Monday.
The truck overturned before 8:30 a.m. on the ramp from eastbound Interstate 40 to Interstate 440, which runs south from that area, authorities said.
North Little Rock Fire Department Lt. Dustin Free said hazardous materials teams contained a small leak of dodine, which he said is an antifungal product used on fruits.
---------------------------------------------
NIOSH POSTS NEW CHAPTER ON BIOLOGICAL MONITORING FOR CHEMICAL EXPOSURES -- OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
NIOSH has posted a new draft chapter to be published in its Manual of Analytical Methods. The draft chapter concerns biological monitoring methods for chemical exposures, and the agency is accepting comments on it until Dec. 15. Stakeholders can find it by visiting www.regulations.gov and searching for CDC-2017-0090 in the search box.
The 43-page chapter is titled "Application of Biological Monitoring Methods for Chemical Exposures in Occupational Health" and lists four individuals as authors: D. Gayle DeBord, Ph.D.; Dale Shoemaker, Ph.D.; Clayton B'Hymer, Ph.D.; and John Snawder, Ph.D., DABT.
They explain why biomonitoring is a valuable tool for demonstrating compliance with exposure limits, research, health monitoring, and risk assessment and management. "The spectrum of exposures for which biomarkers can be useful includes the full range of occupational hazards from noise to stress to chemicals," they write. "While this document generally focuses on chemical exposures, the considerations of purposes, study design criteria, quality assurance, and the ethical and safety issues have general application. The guidance provided in this document is particularly relevant to urinary and blood biomonitoring and is generally relevant to other biomonitoring assays that measure response or susceptibility factors such as genetic toxicology tests or gene variants."
---------------------------------------------
STATE ISSUES VIOLATION NOTICE IN TINKER CREEK CHEMICAL SPILL AND FISH KILL
Tags: us_VA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems
Environmental regulators are making a case against the company responsible for a chemical spill on Tinker Creek that caused one of the Roanoke region‰??s worst recorded fish kills.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality issued a notice of violation to Crop Production Services in a letter dated Oct. 4.
It was a key step in an investigation that began July 29, after a plastic storage tank outside the company‰??s Botetourt County location sprang a leak, spilling an agricultural-use chemical that eventually made its way into Tinker Creek.
About 165 gallons of Termix 5301 ‰?? described by its manufacturer as ‰??very toxic to aquatic life ... with long-lasting effects‰?? ‰?? killed more than 40,000 fish along an approximately five-mile stretch of the creek that flows through Botetourt and Roanoke counties.
Officials at DEQ have ‰??reason to believe‰?? that Crop Production Services violated state regulations, according to the letter, which the agency provided in response to an open-records request by The Roanoke Times.
The next step will be a meeting between DEQ and CPS officials. If the two sides come to an agreement, the most likely outcome would be a consent order that could involve a fine and a plan to correct any remaining problems at the CPS site on Simmons Drive in Cloverdale.
---------------------------------------------
OIL RIG EXPLODES IN LOUISIANA LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN, INJURING 5 CRITICALLY
Tags: us_la, industrial, explosion, injuries, petroleum
An oil rig exploded on a Louisiana lake Sunday night, injuring seven people, five of them critically, while another person remained unaccounted, authorities said.
The explosion on Lake Pontchartrain was reported at 7:18 p.m. (8:18 p.m. ET) about 1å1Ú2 miles from shore, authorities said at a briefing late Sunday. Rescue efforts were still underway, they said.
Authorities respond to an oil rig explosion in Lake Pontchartrain, off Kenner, La., on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. Matthew Hinton / The Advocate via AP
The cause remained unknown, and authorities said it was too soon to tell whether any oil had spilled. Ben Zahn, the mayor of nearby Kenner, said no homes were threatened.
Mike Guillot, director of emergency services at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, said that five patients were in critical condition at University Medical Center and that two others were listed as stable at East Jefferson. All suffered blast-type injuries and burns, he said.
The Coast Guard said it was coordinating search efforts for a missing man.
---------------------------------------------
OUTRAGE, CALLS FOR HEALTH STUDY AFTER CHEMICAL VALLEY SPILLS INVESTIGATION
Tags: canada, industrial, discovery, environmental, toxics
A chorus of outraged Ontarians ‰?? ranging from to the province‰??s environment watchdog to the First Nations community living in the shadows of industrial smokestacks ‰?? called for a health study Sunday in the aftermath of an investigation revealing a pattern of potentially dangerous leaks in Sarnia‰??s Chemical Valley.
Ontario environmental commissioner Dianne Saxe said the situation in the area ‰?? home to Canada‰??s highest concentration of petrochemical plants ‰?? is ‰??shameful.‰??
‰??It is clear to me that this situation is outrageous and it needs immediate attention,‰?? Saxe said, adding that there needs to be better air monitoring by industry and the province.
‰??First Nations communities disproportionately bear the burden of pollution across Ontario and that needs to change.‰??
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CHEMICAL EXPLOSION SENDS TAUNTON MAN TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_ma, public, explosion, injury, cleaners
TAUNTON, Mass. ‰?? A chemical explosion sent a Taunton man to the hospital with serious injuries Sunday evening.
Firefighters say the man was washing his back deck on Pine Street, when he mixed two cleaning products together into a spray bottle that should not have been paired up. "It was just two of the wrong ones,‰?? explained Capt. Keith Hartung. "The container that he was mixing them in exploded [and] gave him some pretty severe injuries."
The man was conscious when rescuers rushed him to the hospital with serious abdominal injuries.
Hazmat crews responded to the scene to evaluate the chemicals, eventually deeming the area safe. There was no fire from the explosion and no damage to the porch.
Hartung offered a common sense warning to residents: "Don't mix two chemicals if you don't know what they are."
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TWO U.S. STATES BAN FLAME RETARDANTS IN FURNITURE, SAN FRANCISCO MAY DO THE SAME
Tags: us, discovery, public, environmental, toxics
Rhode Island and Maine are halting the sale of new upholstered furniture containing flame retardants, and San Francisco may follow suit. Under legislation enacted earlier this month, Rhode Island is banning the sale of new furniture and bedding that contain organohalogen flame retardants as of July 1, 2019. Some organohalogen flame retardants have been linked to health problems, including cancer, reproductive and developmental effects, and hormone disruption, in animal studies. In August, Maine‰??s legislature overrode the governor‰??s veto and enacted a more sweeping ban than Rhode Island. That law, as of January 2018, prohibits the sale in Maine of new upholstered furniture containing any kind of flame retardant chemicals. Meanwhile, the city of San Francisco is considering a ban on flame retardants in upholstered furniture and children‰??s products such as nap mats. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission last month agreed to prohibit organohalogen flame retardants in!
infant and toddler items, residential furniture, mattresses and mattress pads, and outer casings on electronics. However, the agency has not started the official process for turning this plan into regulation.
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