Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:23:51 -0500
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Subject: 4 Chemical Safety news stories from Google

h
ttp://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/12/24/UPI-NewsTrack-TopNews/UPI-6953126
1673858/

Four people killed in factory explosion

OSAKA, Japan, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Four people died Thursday morning in 
Osaka, Japan, in an explosion at a chemical factory, police say.

Osaka Prefectural Police said the deadly blast took place at the 
Kanzakigawa Plant owned by Morita Chemical Industries Co. and involved a 
boron trifluoride storage tank, The Mainichi Daily News reported.

The four workers killed in the blast were on top of the tank when the 
explosion occurred. The victims were identified as Kazuhiro Hayashi, 47, 
Tatsuya Nakatani, 45, Tomoyuki Kanazawa, 33, and Keisuke Nishida, 30.

Police said sparks caused by an employee sawing a hole into the tank may 
have caused the explosion. The incident is under investigation.

The Daily News said boron trifluoride is toxic but not flammable. The 
chemical compound is used to help manufacture petroleum resin.

===

http://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/articles/2009/12/23/news/47.txt

Idaho, US

Station reopens after big explosion

TERRETON -- Ike's Tesoro service station has reopened in Terreton, but 
cleanup is still underway following the gas tanker explosion on Dec. 17.

According to owner Ike Tomlinsen, the area is still under investigation 
by several insurance companies, after which it will be subject to an 
investigation and cleanup operation by the Idaho Department of 
Environmental Quality.

Steve Heaton, a DEQ representative, said that following the removal of 
the gas tanker wreckage by the insurance companies, the DEQ will begin 
to oversee cleanup of both the fuel spill and chemical foam used to 
fight the fire.

"We are providing in the field oversight of the cleanup activity," said 
Heaton. "Our primary concern is the fuel that was released."

The DEQ will be excavating several layers of soil to look for ground 
contamination.

In a phone interview, Tomlinson expressed some frustration that the 
cleanup was not already under way.

"Its still under investigation -- we can't do anything as far as cleanup 
until after," said Tomlinson.

At the moment, the station is offering all of its services except for 
the sale of fuel, although it has been delivering bulk fuel to customers 
via trucks from Idaho Falls.

Tomlinson said he is unsure when the investigations will be complete or 
when he will once again be able to sell fuel.

The monetary costs of the damages caused by the explosion have not yet 
been assessed.

Last Thursday, three above-ground fuel tanks and a gas tanker truck 
exploded during a scheduled refueling of the above-ground tanks. The 
cause of the explosion was due to an apparent overfilling of one of the 
tanks.

Observers at the gas station reported that the series of explosions 
could be seen in the night sky as far away as Rexburg, which is more 
than 30 miles away. Residents who lived a far as 5 miles away reported 
hearing and feeling the series of blasts.

Seven fire districts and close to 100 emergency personnel responded to 
the accident.

The explosion also temporarily knocked out phone service for Terreton 
residents. The service has since been restored.

NATE SUNDERLAND

===

Australia

Highway lane reopens after chemical spill

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/24/2780291.htm?site=riverina

One lane of the Hume Highway north of Tarcutta has reopened after a 
chemical spill which closed two northbound lanes just after midnight.

A police highway patrol car noticed a leak from a tanker carrying 16,000 
litres of ferric chloride solution, which contains hydrochloric acid.

More than half the liquid chemical load has spilt.

The leak ran from Tarcutta north about 20 kilometres to just past the 
Sturt Highway junction, causing detours until 6:30am (AEDT).

A New South Wales Fire Brigades spokesman says contract cleaners are 
about to start decanting the remaining chemical from the truck and a 
check for environmental damage has begun.

===
Georgia, US

http://www.macon.com/149/story/964187.html

Central State Hospital evacuated for chemical spill
By AMY LEIGH WOMACK - awomack**At_Symbol_Here**macon.com

Patients and employees were evacuated from the Craig Nursing Center at 
Central State Hospital in Milledgeville Wednesday following a chemical 
spill, according to the Baldwin County Fire Department.

Some of the patients and employees were treated for possible inhalation 
injuries following the 5:17 p.m. spill, according to a news release.

Firefighters determined the chemical spilled was Sodium Hydrochloride. 
The scene was secured and turned over to the hospital=92s administration 
for clean-up, according to the release.

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