Chemical Safety Headlines =46rom Google
Friday, June 17, 2011 8:15:02 AM

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Table of Contents (11 articles)

WBAY-TV GREEN BAY-FOX CITIES-NORTHEAST WISCONSIN NEWS
Tags: us_WI, transportation, release, response, ammonia

FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: public, release, response, ammonium_hydroxide, chlorine, Canada

NINE SICKENED BY FUMES
Tags: us_MI, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION AND FIRE DESTROY BUILDING IN MASON
Tags: us_MI, transportation, explosion, injury, solvent, follow-up

DOCTORS, CHEMISTS RAISE HEALTH CONCERNS OVER EXPLOSION
Tags: us_LA, industrial, explosion, injury, methanol, toluene, xylene, 
follow-up

HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO ALLEGHENY COUNTY POOL AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, chlorine

CHLORINE GAS LEAK EVACUATES BATTELLE BUILDINGS
Tags: us_OH, public, release, response, chlorine

AMMONIA LEAK NEAR DAIRY PROMPTS 'SHELTER-IN-PLACE' =B7 OPB NEWS
Tags: us_OR, industrial, release, response, ammonia

LA. PLANT FIRE WILL BE ALLOWED TO BURN ITSELF OUT: NATIONAL
Tags: us_LA, industrial, explosion, environmental, methanol, toluene, 
xylene, follow-up

RESIDENTS EVACUATED AFTER ASBESTOS FOUND AT BLAZE
Tags: United, Kingdom, industrial, fire, response, acetylene

LAKE DREAMLAND FD, COAST GUARD INVESTIGATE UNKNOWN CHEMICAL IN OHIO 
RIVER
Tags: us_KY, other, release, environmental, unknown_chemical

---------------------------------------------

WBAY-TV GREEN BAY-FOX CITIES-NORTHEAST WISCONSIN NEWS

http://www.wbay.com/story/14921707/2011/06/16/ammonia-leak-from-rail-car-c
ontained-in
Tags: us_WI, transportation, release, response, ammonia

A Hazmat crew contains an ammonia leak from a rail car south of New 
London.

Crews were called to the scene near Readfield in Waupaca County just 
before nine o'clock Thursday morning.

The leak was located on a rail line near the Larsen Co-op. Officials say 
a valve on a rail car was leaking.

Three homes were evacuated as a precaution. Traffic in that area was 
closed but has since reopened.

Hazmat had the situation under control in an hour.

---------------------------------------------

FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO CHEMICAL SPILL

http://www.cornwallseawaynews.com/News/Local/2011-06-16/article-2591380/Fi
re-Department-Responds-to-Chemical-Spill/1
Tags: public, release, response, ammonium_hydroxide, chlorine, Canada

At 8:36 am, on Thursday June 16th, a call was received by the 911 
operator advising of a chlorine smell at the toll booth on Brookdale.

The Fire Services Department responded with four vehicles from both 
stations, including the HazMat vehicle.   A total of 11 fire personnel 
were at the scene.

A spill of 50 gallons of Ammonium Hydroxide happened on Brentags site.  
All traffic across Brookdale (Second to Ninth) and the bridge was 
stopped, and the pay toll and the customs office were evacuated as a 
precaution. Air monitoring was put in place with minimal readings.  The 
spill was contained to the site itself.  The incident was concluded at 
10:15 am.

---------------------------------------------

NINE SICKENED BY FUMES

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/lansing/article_d05ef3c7-ae54-
50bf-9d58-4f4802e6310c.html
Tags: us_MI, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

LANSING | Fire Department investigators are trying to determine what 
caused an odor in a house that sent its four residents and five 
firefighters to an area hospital for treatment.
Firefighters responded about 9 a.m. Thursday to a call of an odor coming 
from a house in the 3300 block of Ann Street.
When firefighters arrived, the four residents had evacuated, and crews 
entered the house to see if the scene was contained. Although they could 
not find any problem, or additional residents, Fire Chief Dan Gregorovic 
said five of the firefighters began complaining of nausea after leaving 
the house.
Those five firefighters, along with the four residents, were taken to 
The Community Hospital in Munster. As of Thursday afternoon, four of the 
firefighters had been treated and released. One other firefighter was 
continuing to be treated, as were the four residents.

---------------------------------------------

CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION AND FIRE DESTROY BUILDING IN MASON

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100807/NEWS01/101200002/Chemi
cal-plant-explosion-fire-destroy-building-Mason?odyssey=nav%7Chead
Tags: us_MI, transportation, explosion, injury, solvent, follow-up

MASON - An explosion and fire that destroyed a building at Americhem 
Sales Corp. on Friday remains under investigation.

No one was seriously hurt in the afternoon incident that involved a 
truck containing mineral spirits, a chemical used in paint thinners.

At about 3 p.m., a tanker containing up to 7,000 gallons of mineral 
spirits entered a weighing facility and either blew up or sparked a 
fire, said Bruce Whetter, Americhem's president.

---------------------------------------------

DOCTORS, CHEMISTS RAISE HEALTH CONCERNS OVER EXPLOSION

http://www.katc.com/news/doctors-chemists-raise-health-concerns-over-explo
sion/
Tags: us_LA, industrial, explosion, injury, methanol, toluene, xylene, 
follow-up

Tuesday's explosion in New Iberia is raising concerns from doctors and 
chemists. Some of those chemicals involved in the explosion could cause 
side effects for people nearby. A few of the chemicals used at the plant 
include xylene, toluene and methanol. All, highly explosive chemicals. 
Now, residents are voicing some health complaints in the aftermath.

"It's unusual," one resident said. "I wasn't feeling the same after I 
left."

He complained of being light-headed and experienced some headaches. It's 
statements like that are common in New Iberia now, after a chemical 
explosion rocked some nearby homes.
Louisiana's Department of Environmental Quality says air measurements in 
the area are at safe levels but experts say there are some risks.

"If you around this fire and breathed in some of the smoke and fumes, 
you'll probably have some symptoms," Dr. Gary Guidry said.

Dr. Guidry is a pulmonologist at Lafayette General. In short, he studies 
lungs. 
Guidry says if chemicals like xylene and methanol are airborne, it won't 
take much to start seeing side effects.

"Headache, nausea, vomiting, CNS (central nervous system) depression," 
he listed. "For toluene, they can go into pulmonary edema which is fluid 
building up in the lungs."

The list of possible problems doesn't just stop with people. Chemist 
Wilma Subra says the affected area also includes local farms and food 
supplies.

---------------------------------------------

HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO ALLEGHENY COUNTY POOL AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
http://www.wtae.com/r/28243898/detail.html
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, chlorine

CRAFTON, Pa. -- Hazardous materials crews were called to an Allegheny 
County pool early Wednesday after reports of leaking chemicals.
Crews were called to Crafton swimming pool on West Steuben Street around 
1 a.m. Wednesday after reports that chlorine was leaking in a chemical 
room.
Crews were concerned because the chlorine could have mixed with 
hydrochloric acid and caused dangerous fumes.

---------------------------------------------

CHLORINE GAS LEAK EVACUATES BATTELLE BUILDINGS

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2011/jun/15/18/king-avenue-closed-due-hazmat-si
tuation-battelle-ar-542000/
Tags: us_OH, public, release, response, chlorine

COLUMBUS, Ohio --Around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday Columbus Division of Fire 
firefighters were dispatched to Battelle at 505 King Avenue on a report 
of a hazmat.
...
On-scene officials said Battelle is changing the operation of the 
building's air conditioning to a greener solution.

Crews were removing a container of chlorine, which was part of the 
original system, from the basement. The tank holds 125 gallons but was 
half full, officials said.

As crews were removing the container, a fitting came loose, causing the 
leak.

The tank is kept in a gas containment room and was sealed off. Shortly 
after 4 p.m., the leak was capped.

---------------------------------------------

AMMONIA LEAK NEAR DAIRY PROMPTS 'SHELTER-IN-PLACE' =B7 OPB NEWS

http://news.opb.org/article/portland-residents-urged-shelter-place-after-a
mmonia-leak/
Tags: us_OR, industrial, release, response, ammonia

People living near the Alpenrose Dairy in Southwest Portland were asked 
to stay indoors Wednesday, following the release of ammonia gas.

Reverse 911 calls were sent out to local residents to tell them to shut 
their windows and doors and turn off air conditioners. The idea was to 
stop outside air from being drawn in. 

Paul Corah of the Portland Fire Bureau, said while there was a smell of 
ammonia when authorities first arrived, by the time hazardous materials 
teams sampled the air inside, it was only at 21 parts per million of 
ammonia.

"Hazmat teams just got inside and did a sample of the air inside the 
plant. And it's reading about 21 parts per million of Ammonia. You can 
actually start smelling ammonia at about 17 parts per million. And any 
type of health risks start up at about 300 parts per million. So it's 
pretty low right now. It's a good sign," Corah said.

---------------------------------------------

LA. PLANT FIRE WILL BE ALLOWED TO BURN ITSELF OUT: NATIONAL

http://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/national/article_4e58c880-9769-11e0-8
901-001cc4c002e0.html
Tags: us_LA, industrial, explosion, environmental, methanol, toluene, 
xylene, follow-up

NEW IBERIA, La. (AP) =97 A fire at a southern Louisiana plant where 
chemicals are blended and stored for oilfield operations was being 
allowed to burn itself out Wednesday before investigators enter the 
facility to search for a cause.
Tuesday afternoon's explosion and fire at the Multi-Chem Corp. plant in 
New Iberia forced residents within a 1-mile radius of the area to 
evacuate. There were no injuries.
The evacuation remained in effect Wednesday morning. Louisiana 
Department of Environmental Quality staffers at the scene have 
identified xylene, toluene and methanol among chemicals at the site, 
department spokeswoman Jean Kelly said. All three can pose health risks.
However, the corporation and the DEQ said air quality measurements in 
the evacuation area were at safe levels as of Wednesday morning and that 
air monitoring was continuing.

---------------------------------------------

RESIDENTS EVACUATED AFTER ASBESTOS FOUND AT BLAZE

http://news.scotsman.com/glasgow/Residents-evacuated-after-asbestos-found.
6785743.jp
Tags: United, Kingdom, industrial, fire, response, acetylene

A large fire has broken out at an industrial estate.
Almost 50 firefighters worked throughout yesterday afternoon tackling 
the blaze in Biggar Road Industrial Estate in Cleland, North 
Lanarkshire.

They had set up a precautionary 200 metre exclusion zone around the area 
when they came across cylinders of acetylene, a gas used as a fuel and a 
chemical building block. The safety zone was later removed.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said the fire was in a large industrial 
unit. No one was injured in the blaze.

Incident commander Gary Wallace said: "This has been a major blaze in a 
large industrial unit. Additional worries for us has been the 3 
acetylene cylinders on site, the roof, which has been confirmed as 
asbestos, and a 1,000 litre diesel tank. These additional issues 
required residents to be evacuated from nearby homes. That exclusion 
zone has now been lifted and residents have been escorted back to their 
homes."

---------------------------------------------

LAKE DREAMLAND FD, COAST GUARD INVESTIGATE UNKNOWN CHEMICAL IN OHIO 
RIVER

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110615/NEWS01/306150123/Lake-Drea
mland-FD-Coast-Guard-investigate-unknown-chemical-in-Ohio-River?odyssey=
tab%7Cmostpopular%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE
Tags: us_KY, other, release, environmental, unknown_chemical

An unknown chemical leaked into the Ohio River on Wednesday, killing 
some fish but creating =93absolutely=94 no danger to the public, the 
chief of the Lake Dreamland Fire Department said early Thursday.

Just before 11 p.m., Lake Dreamland crews responded to the scene near 
the 4300 block of Campground Road. John Wilkinson, chief of the 
department, said shortly after 1 a.m. that employees of Rohm and Haas 
chemical company had reported a sheen on the river=92s surface.

His department and the Coast Guard, along with members of the Pleasure 
Ridge Park Fire Department, were investigating the incident.

The response was designated as a level one hazmat situation, the lowest 
level.

According to a Coast Guard official in the Louisville office, there were 
dead fish at the scene.

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