Check out Safety Emporium for your N95, N99, and face shield needs.
From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (9 articles)
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2020 07:09:18 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 2A142BDE-710D-43E1-B9F1-6D1DD4A70A5F**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 7:08:49 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 (9 articles)
HOW OLD AMMUNITION GONE BAD NEARLY BLEW UP THIS AMERICAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER
Tags: industrial, follow-up, response, bomb
1 CRITICAL AFTER TANKER TRUCK FIRE ON AIRLINE HIGHWAY; HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND
Tags: us_LA, transportation, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
BLAST AT SOUTH KOREA'S LOTTE CHEMICAL SHUTS NAPHTHA CRACKER; INJURES 31 PEOPLE
Tags: Republic_of_Korea, industrial, explosion, injury, naphtha, petroleum
LA. SENATOR FILES BILLS TO ADDRESS ALERT SYSTEMS AFTER EXXONMOBIL REFINERY FIRE
Tags: us_LA, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
SC ASKS CBI TO PROBE USE OF BANNED CHEMICALS IN FIRECRACKERS MADE IN TN
Tags: India, public, discovery, environmental, fireworks, potassium_nitrate
CHEMICAL MANUFACTURER'S PLAN UNDER SCRUTINY; LAWMAKERS SEEK DELAY IN MAKING SUSPECTED CANCER AGENT IN ORANGEBURG
Tags: us_SC, industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
PHILLY 'GAS' ODOR MONDAY STILL A MYSTERY, FIRE OFFICIALS SAY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
DUMP FIRE CONTAINED BUT STILL BURNING
Tags: Cayman_Islands, industrial, fire, response, wastes
TEXAS CRIMINAL TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS CLIMATE LIABILITY FOR FACTORIES IN FLOODPLAINS
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental
---------------------------------------------
HOW OLD AMMUNITION GONE BAD NEARLY BLEW UP THIS AMERICAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/how-old-ammunition-gone-bad-nearly-blew-american-aircraft-carrier-129107
Tags: industrial, follow-up, response, bomb
Key Point: Older bombs, bad storage and handling, along with human error can cause big problems. Thankfully the USS Forrestal was not lost, but many lives were.
Two deadly collisions involving U.S. Navy destroyers in June and August 2017 may have cost the lives of up to sixteen sailors, leading the Navy to declare a day-long operational pause to reflect upon its safety culture. That such similar accidents took place in such close proximity reflects stresses and failings common to the maritime fighting branch.
In the 1960s, the Navy also suffered a series of deadly accidents aboard its carriers. In their wake came major reforms addressing the inherent dangers of operating ships packed full of explosive munitions, fuel and jet planes. This three-part series will examine why each of the accidents occurred, how the crew responded and the lessons that were drawn from the tragedies.
---------------------------------------------
1 CRITICAL AFTER TANKER TRUCK FIRE ON AIRLINE HIGHWAY; HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND
https://www.newsbreak.com/louisiana/baton-rouge/news/0OJ5wqOy/1-critical-after-tanker-truck-fire-on-airline-highway-hazmat-crews-respond
Tags: us_LA, transportation, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - One person is in critical condition after a tanker truck fire on Airline Highway Monday night. Emergency officials say the fire happened around 10 p.m. Monday, March 2 in the 7700 block of Airline Highway near S Choctaw Drive. One person was reportedly critically injured.
---------------------------------------------
BLAST AT SOUTH KOREA'S LOTTE CHEMICAL SHUTS NAPHTHA CRACKER; INJURES 31 PEOPLE
https://whtc.com/news/articles/2020/mar/03/blast-at-lotte-chemical-plant-in-south-korea-injures-more-than-20-yonhap/990852/?refer-section=world
Tags: Republic_of_Korea, industrial, explosion, injury, naphtha, petroleum
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Lotte Chemical has shut its naphtha cracker after an explosion at the plant in the southwestern city of Seosan, which injured 31 people, the company said on Wednesday.
The explosion, which was triggered by a fire at a compressor in Lotte Chemical's naphtha cracker at around 3 a.m. local time (1800 GMT), has been contained and is under control, the company said in a statement.
The petrochemical maker said it has suspended its naphtha cracker's operations in Daesan county in Seosan due to the fire and will seek to minimize supply disruptions.
The company is looking into the exact cause of the accident, it said, adding there was no leak of toxic chemicals.
---------------------------------------------
LA. SENATOR FILES BILLS TO ADDRESS ALERT SYSTEMS AFTER EXXONMOBIL REFINERY FIRE
https://www.wafb.com/2020/03/03/la-senator-files-bills-address-alert-systems-after-exxonmobil-refinery-fire/
Tags: us_LA, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - La. Senator Cleo Fields has filed a number of bills in response to February‰??s fire at the ExxonMobil refinery in north Baton Rouge.
Fields spoke to neighbors who live nearby the plant at a community meeting recently, saying he was looking at writing legislation to improve how statewide emergency notifications are dispersed after a number of people claim they never got an alert from Exxon about what was going on after the blaze.
‰??People need to know as quickly as they can so they can make decisions on their own and not be governed by what they make think is in the interest or not of us,‰?? said one resident at the meeting.
---------------------------------------------
SC ASKS CBI TO PROBE USE OF BANNED CHEMICALS IN FIRECRACKERS MADE IN TN
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/sc-asks-cbi-probe-use-banned-chemicals-firecrackers-made-tn-119438
Tags: India, public, discovery, environmental, fireworks, potassium_nitrate
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the CBI to investigate allegations that Tamil Nadu-based firecrackers manufacturers were using banned chemicals like barium nitrate in the manufacturing of green crackers, in direct violation of the top court orders.
A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde and comprising Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant directed six manufacturers from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu to show cause as to why they should not be held liable for contempt of court.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing three children, alleged that the manufacturers have been violating the court's order prohibiting the use of this banned chemical. The bench asked the CBI stationed in Chennai to probe this issue and submit a report and posted the matter for further hearing after eight weeks.
In October 2018, the top court had said only green crackers without barium salt would be allowed to be manufactured in the country. The top court had also asked the Centre to file its reply on the objections raised against the use of chemical components like barium nitrate and potassium nitrate, especially in the chemical composition of 'green crackers'.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL MANUFACTURER'S PLAN UNDER SCRUTINY; LAWMAKERS SEEK DELAY IN MAKING SUSPECTED CANCER AGENT IN ORANGEBURG
https://www.kpvi.com/news/national_news/chemical-manufacturer-s-plan-under-scrutiny-lawmakers-seek-delay-in/article_9b230c41-f4c5-5d6a-afb4-446543edd30e.html
Tags: us_SC, industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Two lawmakers want an Orangeburg company to delay production of a chemical banned across the globe until its plans can be studied.
Gulbrandsen Chemicals Inc. plans to begin manufacturing pentachlorophenol or "penta," a wood preservative used to protect utility poles from insect damage.
The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that pentachlorophenol is a probable human carcinogen and the International Agency for Cancer Research considers it possibly carcinogenic to humans, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Gulbrandsen wants to begin production next year when the only maker of the chemical in North America closes its factory in Mexico.
---------------------------------------------
PHILLY 'GAS' ODOR MONDAY STILL A MYSTERY, FIRE OFFICIALS SAY
https://patch.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/gas-odor-philly-caused-refinery-cleaning-officials
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
PHILADELPHIA ‰?? A chemical odor that was permeating throughout Philadelphia Monday morning is still a mystery, according to officials.
The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management said the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in South Philadelphia is being cleaned.
Officials said the cleaning causing a chemical odor to spread around the city, according to officials.
However, the Philadelphia Fire Department said the initial chemical thought to cause the smell was not the cause.
"We actually went in and checked that vessel or hazmat taskforce did, and did not find that to be the source of the odors," Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said.
Subscribe
---------------------------------------------
DUMP FIRE CONTAINED BUT STILL BURNING
https://caymannewsservice.com/2020/03/dump-fire-contained-but-still-burning/
Tags: Cayman_Islands, industrial, fire, response, wastes
(CNS): A small but deep-seated fire at the George Town landfill, which has been burning since at least Saturday morning when it was discovered, is proving hard to completely extinguish. According to an update issued Monday afternoon, Cayman Islands Fire Service crews, working with staff from the Department of Environmental Health, are still battling the fire but are managing to keep it from escalating.
Authorities said that cautious excavation using mechanical diggers with continued damping down from CIFS monitors is preventing escalation and keeping any smoke to minimum. Fire crews will continue to work throughout Monday and reevaluate the situation this evening using thermal camera imagery.
‰??Whilst this type of fire is always challenging and operations protracted, in this case early notification and a quick intervention has prevented any rapid escalation and minimised any detrimental impact on surrounding residents and businesses,‰?? CIFS said.
---------------------------------------------
TEXAS CRIMINAL TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS CLIMATE LIABILITY FOR FACTORIES IN FLOODPLAINS
https://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=723217659
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental
Opening arguments ended Monday in Texas in the highest profile criminal case ever brought against a company and its employees for allegedly failing to adequately prepare for the effects of climate change.
The company, Arkema, owns a chemical plant outside Houston that flooded when Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 5 feet of rain on the area in 2017. The rising water knocked out power to the plant and caused volatile chemicals stored there to heat up and eventually catch fire. Burning containers and trailers sent up a column of black smoke above the facility for days.
It is that smoke that led to the current criminal case.
The Harris County District Attorney is charging Arkema, the local plant manager, and a company executive with recklessly emitting air pollution, and a third employee with assault. The criminal charges associated with air pollution allege that the company and its employees should have foreseen the risk of catastrophic flooding, and prepared for it better.
"We've had a new normal in Houston. We've had three 500-year floods in just a short period of time. And so it was a risk that was unjustifiable," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg told NPR in an interview after the first indictments were announced last year.
---------------------------------------------
---
For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas
Previous post | Top of Page | Next post