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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (11 articles)
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2020 07:34:21 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: 1190B1D1-31A7-4529-BDC4-3075D230E531**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 7:34:05 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 (11 articles)
A 'HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE' CHEMICAL HAS BEEN FOUND AT GARVAN INSTITUTE IN SYDNEY
Tags: Australia, laboratory, discovery, response, picric_acid
TESTS AT SUGARLOAF FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT SHOW CONTAMINATED WATER
Tags: us_CO, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
HAZARDOUS REACTIONS DATABASE MOVING TO CAS
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental
DROPPED MERCURY THERMOMETER PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN EASTON
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, mercury
FIGHTING FOREST FIRES WITH FIRE: PYROTECHNICS AND FLAMING PING-PONG BALLS
Tags: Canada, industrial, fire, environmental, antifreeze
EXPLOSION AT UK OILSEED PLANT INJURES THREE
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
RALLY MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF BLAST THAT SHUTTERED PES REFINERY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, toxics
DOZENS OF METHYLENE CHLORIDE USES POSE HEALTH RISKS, US EPA SAYS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, methylene_chloride
DOZENS AFFECTED BY TOXIC EXPOSURE FROM FIRE AT HAZMAT STORAGE FACILITY AT KADENA
Tags: Japan, industrial, fire, response, chlorine
SCHOOL CHEMICAL SCARE HITS PREPS, KINDER
Tags: Australia, education, discovery, response, toxics
FORMER US CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD MEMBER KRISTEN KULINOWSKI REFLECTS ON HER TERM
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
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A 'HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE' CHEMICAL HAS BEEN FOUND AT GARVAN INSTITUTE IN SYDNEY
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8454251/A-highly-explosive-chemical-research-centre-Sydney.html
Tags: Australia, laboratory, discovery, response, picric_acid
A 'highly explosive acid' has been found at a research centre in inner-city Sydney.
NSW Fire and Rescue HAZMAT crews arrived at the Garvan Institute in Darlinghurst around 12.30pm on Wednesday after a 250ml bottle of explosive perchloric acid was found.
The NSW Police bomb squad were also called to the institute following reports of a chemical spill.
NSW Fire and Rescue told Daily Mail Australia the acid had crystalised which meant it had a high explosive potential.
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TESTS AT SUGARLOAF FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT SHOW CONTAMINATED WATER
https://www.dailycamera.com/2020/06/23/water-in-sugarloaf-fire-protection-district-contains-pervasive-chemical/
Tags: us_CO, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Water tested from Boulder County‰??s Sugarloaf Fire Protection District contains levels of the pervasive chemicals known as polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
The chemical, usually found in firefighting foam, was tested for there before. The Sugarloaf fire district was one of four entities in the state‰??s most recent testing with results that exceed the EPA health advisory, according to a news release from the state health department.
Testing in the most recent project looked at 400 water systems, 15 firefighting districts, 152 groundwater sources and 71 surface water sources like rivers and streams.
‰??This is an essential step in filling in the gaps in our understanding of where the chemicals are in the state,‰?? Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Director of Environmental Programs John Putnam stated in the release. ‰??But, our work is not complete ‰?? we will continue to work to assess conditions for the other systems not sampled, private wells near areas of contamination and Colorado‰??s waters. And, we‰??ll work to find solutions where the chemicals are found at high levels and to safely dispose of materials before they get to our waters.‰??
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HAZARDOUS REACTIONS DATABASE MOVING TO CAS
https://cen.acs.org/safety/lab-safety/Hazardous-reactions-database-moving-CAS/98/web/2020/06
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental
The Chemical Safety Library, a database created for chemists to share information about hazardous reactions, will be moving to CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society (ACS publishes C&EN.)
Credit: PubChem
Information from the Chemical Safety Library is included in PubChem, an open chemistry database supported by the National Institutes of Health.
The library was originally developed by the Pistoia Alliance, which brings together life sciences industry stakeholders to address R&D challenges. Launched in 2017, the library now has more than 1,000 registered users and information from more than 140 incidents. Users can submit information to the library confidentially, and the data are freely available to the public and uploaded to PubChem, an open chemistry database supported by the National Institutes of Health.
As CAS becomes host and developer of the Chemical Safety Library, it ‰??will continue to be a free resource for the entire chemical community, enhanced with a new deposition and search interface developed by CAS,‰?? CAS and Pistoia say in a joint statement.
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DROPPED MERCURY THERMOMETER PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN EASTON
https://www.enterprisenews.com/photogallery/WL/20200622/NEWS/622009992/PH/1
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, mercury
A dropped thermometer that contained mercury resulted in a response from a hazardous materials team Monday afternoon. The Easton Fire Department responded to an apartment at 1 School St. after a resident reported dropping a mercury thermometer. Hazardous materials technicians cleaned up the spill and properly ventilated the apartment to avoid any exposure. A representative from the town‰??s Board of Health also responded to the scene.
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FIGHTING FOREST FIRES WITH FIRE: PYROTECHNICS AND FLAMING PING-PONG BALLS
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/world-on-fire-podcast-edmonton-wildfire-prescribed-burns-1.5567852
Tags: Canada, industrial, fire, environmental, antifreeze
Kevin Parkinson ignites slow-burning forest fires with a special kind of ammunition ‰?? thousands of tiny fireballs shot from the air into the trees below.
Spewed from the mouth of a metal box, the spheres cascade through the treetops before hitting the forest floor and bursting into flame.
The process involves items that look like Ping-Pong balls, and "the Ping-Pong balls are filled with potassium permanganate," Parkinson said. The machine injects glycol ‰?? antifreeze ‰?? into each ball before dropping it onto the ground.
"After about 25 to 30 seconds, it creates a chemical reaction inside the ball and the ball will catch on fire," said Parkinson, in an interview for the CBC podcast World on Fire.
Parkinson, a wildfire operations officer based in Slave Lake, Alta., is one of the few people in the province trained in the complex physics of prescribed burns.
Prescribed burns are done across Alberta every year to help eliminate potential fuel for wildfires, including dead wood and underbrush. The scorched areas left behind often serve as a barrier between the forest and residential communities.
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EXPLOSION AT UK OILSEED PLANT INJURES THREE
https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/explosion-at-uk-oilseed-plant-injures-three/
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
AN explosion at an oilseed processing plant in the UK has injured three people.
The explosion occurred at an oilseed processing plant owned by ADM in Erith, south-east of London on 19 June. ADM has confirmed that the explosion occurred in the extraction area of the facility‰??s oilseed crushing plant. Three contractors who were working outside in an adjacent silo suffered injuries and were taken to hospital. The BBC has quoted the police confirming that the three people had ‰??suffered injuries consistent with burns‰??.
ADM said in an emailed statement: ‰??The safety and health of all our colleagues and the community where we operate is our top priority, the fire brigade worked on-site and extinguished the fire, the plant was fully evacuated and shut down. At this point, we do not know the cause of the explosion, but there is an ongoing investigation to determine its cause.‰??
The HSE has started enquiries into how the workers were injured, the BBC reports. The incident also led to evacuations at neighbouring businesses, including Tesco and Ocado warehouses.
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RALLY MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF BLAST THAT SHUTTERED PES REFINERY
https://whyy.org/articles/we-dont-smell-that-gas-anymore-activists-mark-anniversary-of-blast-that-shut-down-pes-refinery/
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, toxics
It‰??s been a year and a day since the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery complex exploded, threatening the city with a toxic chemical catastrophe that could have especially affected its immediate neighbors in South Philadelphia.
The massive June 21 explosion and fire released several hundred thousand pounds of hydrocarbons and more than 5,000 pounds of deadly hydrofluoric acid, one of the most dangerous industrial chemicals in use, as well as propelling a bus-size piece of debris across the Schuylkill River. Damage from the fire led to the closure of the complex, the company‰??s bankruptcy, and a planned sale of the 1,300-acre property. More than 1,000 union workers lost their jobs.
Monday morning, Kilynn Johnson, a cancer survivor who has lived near the refinery for over 50 years, joined local residents and activists outside the refinery complex to celebrate its permanent shutdown.
When the refinery was operating, Johnson said, she kept her windows closed and was afraid to breathe.
‰??But now ‰?| I can breathe! I can breathe! We can breathe!‰?? she exclaimed, to applause from the crowd.
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DOZENS OF METHYLENE CHLORIDE USES POSE HEALTH RISKS, US EPA SAYS
https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/Dozens-methylene-chloride-uses-pose/98/web/2020/06
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, methylene_chloride
Nearly all uses of methylene chloride examined by the US Environmental Protection Agency pose ‰??unreasonable‰?? health risks to workers and consumers, the agency concludes in a final assessment released on June 19. The agency now has 1 year to propose actions to mitigate the risks and 2 years to finalize those actions, which could include banning or restricting certain uses of the chemical.
Methylene chloride is commonly used as a solvent and to manufacture other chemicals. It is found in many products, including paint and coating removers, sealants, adhesives, lubricants, and degreasers.
The EPA considers methylene chloride a likely human carcinogen. The chemical also causes acute effects on the central nervous system, including loss of consciousness and in some cases, death.
Both the chemical industry and environmental groups are disappointed in the EPA‰??s final methylene chloride assessment.
Methylene chloride has been widely used since the 1940s, with ‰??no evidence of risk to workers or other exposed individuals‰?? when workplace standards and other regulations are followed, says Faye Graul, executive director of the Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance, which represents manufacturers of chlorinated solvents.
The EPA relied on outdated exposure data, ignoring public comments and advice from its chemical advisory committee, Graul says. ‰??EPA also failed to adapt its cancer risk assessment methodology to reflect scientific advances over the past 40 years.‰??
Environmental groups claim that the risks of methylene chloride to workers are even greater than the EPA found because the agency assumed that all workers will wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
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DOZENS AFFECTED BY TOXIC EXPOSURE FROM FIRE AT HAZMAT STORAGE FACILITY AT KADENA
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/06/22/fire-burning-at-hazmat-storage-facility-at-us-air-base-on-okinawa/
Tags: Japan, industrial, fire, response, chlorine
About 45 people at Kadena Air Base were affected by exposure to smoke or chlorine gas from a fire that started at a hazardous materials facility, officials say.
The fire has been extinguished, according to a media release. Fire and emergency personnel from the 18th Wing responded to the scene just before 9 a.m. local time and quickly contained the fire to the HAZMAT facility.
‰??Due to smoke from the burning building and the potential release of chlorine gas, buildings and personnel in the affected area were evacuated,‰?? according to the release. The fire was extinguished at approximately 2 p.m. local time and the evacuation order for areas surrounding the incident has been rescinded.
About 45 people on base ‰??were affected by exposure to smoke and/or chlorine gas with the majority exhibiting mild symptoms,‰?? according to the release. ‰??Most of the individuals have been treated and returned to duty.‰??
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SCHOOL CHEMICAL SCARE HITS PREPS, KINDER
https://www.bay939.com.au/news/local-news/118721-school-chemical-scare-hits-preps-kinder
Tags: Australia, education, discovery, response, toxics
A private school in Werribee has shut down its kinder and prep areas after the discovery of dangerous chemicals in the soil.
Heathdale Christian College has advised parents that school land behind the adjacent Hoppers Crossing CFA station has tested positive for PFAS compounds.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals found in products that resist heat including food packaging, paints, pesticides and nonstick cookware. They are also found in firefighting foams that are no longer in use in Australia.
Studies have found that prolonged exposure to PFAS can interfere with the body's natural hormones, increase cholesterol levels, affect the immune system and increase the risk of some cancers.
Some of the college land that has been tested has in the past been leased by the fire authority.
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FORMER US CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD MEMBER KRISTEN KULINOWSKI REFLECTS ON HER TERM
https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/Former-US-Chemical-Safety-Board-member-Kristen-Kulinowski-reflects-on-her-term/98/i24
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
This spring, one of the longest-serving members of the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) in recent history resigned shortly before the end of her term. Kristen Kulinowski served on the board for nearly 5 years, during some of its most tumultuous times. For the last 2 years, she led the board. As a PhD chemist and nanotechnology and science policy expert, Kulinowski brought a science focus to the board, whose members are often drawn from other fields.
The board is a stand-alone independent body whose mission is to objectively investigate industrial chemical accidents. Like the US National Transportation Safety Board, the CSB has no regulatory authority and can only make recommendations. It is the only such body in the world focused on finding the root cause of chemical accidents that kill workers and destroy communities and businesses.
It is also no stranger to strife. Created in 1990, it was not funded until 1998 after state and federal regulators failed to conduct adequate and timely investigations of incidents. The board‰??s investigation findings frequently raise the ire of regulators, industrial companies, and a host of other bodies that are responsible for maintaining safe workplaces. Its only consistent supporters are workers and communities who have suffered through deadly mistakes.
....
Jeff Johnson spoke with Kulinowski about her term as a CSB member and the board‰??s future. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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