Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:18:02 -0400
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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety"

Subject: Chemical Safety Headlines From Google (14 articles)

Chemical Safety Headlines =46rom Google
Monday, July 18, 2011 8:15:01 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 (14 articles)

POOL-CHEMICAL SPILL IN PORTLAND MET BY HAZMAT TEAMS
Tags: us_OR, industrial, release, response, pool_chemicals

CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES HIGHWAY
Tags: us_MI, transportation, release, environmental, pesticides

NORTHPORT RESIDENTS EVACUATED DUE TO FUEL TRUCK ACCIDENT
Tags: us_ME, transportation, release, response, gasoline

AMMONIA LEAK SCARE AT OLD SASKATOON DAIRY PLANT
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, injury, ammonia

ACID SPILL ON I-44 =AB CBS ST. LOUIS
Tags: us_MO, transportation, release, injury, sulfuric_acid

MAN GETS TRIP TO HOSPITAL AFTER SPILLING MERCURY WHILE CLEANING CLOSTER 
HOME
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, mercury

POSSIBLE METH LAB BUSTED AT LOCAL MOTEL
Tags: us_FL, public, discovery, response, meth_lab

HAZMAT CLEAN-UP CONTINUES ON I-70 IN GREENFIELD
Tags: us_IN, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical

CO EXPOSURE IN INDUSTRIAL SETTING
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, injury, carbon_monoxide

AURORA APARTMENTS EVACUATED AFTER SUSPECTED CHEMICAL SUICIDE
Tags: us_CO, public, release, response, suicide

3 TREATED FOR EXPOSURE TO MIXTURE OF POOL CHEMICALS
Tags: us_PA, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

OSU STUDENT GETS OUT JUST IN TIME
Tags: us_OR, education, explosion, injury, batteries

VILLAGE EVACUATION STOOD DOWN AFTER 'CHEMICAL' EXPLOSION AT FIRE-RAVAGED 
MILL
Tags: United, Kingdom, industrial, explosion, response, gas_cylinders

UC CENTER FOR LABORATORY SAFETY
Tags: laboratory, release, response, follow-up

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

POOL-CHEMICAL SPILL IN PORTLAND MET BY HAZMAT TEAMS

http://www.pressherald.com/news/pool-chemical-spill-in-portland-met-by-haz
-mat-response-_2011-07-18.html
Tags: us_OR, industrial, release, response, pool_chemicals

Dozens of firefighters, many wearing fully enclosed hazardous materials 
suits, swarmed the Namco facility on Larrabee Road Sunday after 50 to 60 
gallons of toxic pool chemicals spilled.

Workers discovered the spill in a storeroom at about 9:40 a.m. A stack 
of 5-gallon containers of sodium hypochlorite, a pool treating chemical, 
had toppled, many of them rupturing and leaking their contents, said 
Public Safety Director Michael Pardue.

The handful of employees in the business evacuated the building, as did 
workers in the nearby Sherwin Williams paint store and Advance Auto 
Parts. Nobody was hurt.

The first entry teams, wearing green, Class B hazmat suits, assessed the 
spill and made sure the chemicals were not reacting with other 
substances in the warehouse, said Pardue.

Namco, a pool supply company, had technical information about the 
chemical. In high concentrations it can release a toxic vapor and the 
liquid is harmful to touch. The company also had neutralizer on site to 
clean it up, fire officials said.

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

CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES HIGHWAY
http://www.wwmt.com/news/-1393462--.html
Tags: us_MI, transportation, release, environmental, pesticides

VAN BUREN COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Hazmat crews are working to 
clean up a pesticide spill on M-51, just south of I-94.

Deputies say the spill happened around 4 a.m. Friday when a semi hit a 
tractor and about 400 gallons of pesticide leaked out.

No one was injured in the crash and officials say the leak does not pose 
a public health threat.

Traffic is being detoured right now on 64th Ave. and it could take 
several hours to get this cleaned up.

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

NORTHPORT RESIDENTS EVACUATED DUE TO FUEL TRUCK ACCIDENT

http://knox.villagesoup.com/news/story/northport-residents-evacuated-due-t
o-fuel-truck-accident/422466
Tags: us_ME, transportation, release, response, gasoline

NORTHPORT =97 Route 1 was re-opened to traffic Friday afternoon after 
police and emergency crews cleaned up the scene of a fuel truck rollover 
that prompted police to evacuate nearby residents.

Maine State Police Lieutenant David Tripp reported that Route 1, which 
had been closed to traffic since the accident occurred just before 8:30 
a.m., was re-opened at about 3:20 p.m. 

Earlier in the day, Tripp explained that traffic was being re-routed 
onto the Perkins Road, through the Woods Road and back over to Rocky 
Road because the fuel truck, which was registered to Thompson=92s Oil 
out of Waldo, was loaded with 4,250 gallons of gasoline at the time of 
the accident. Residents were evacuated as a precaution, Tripp said.

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

AMMONIA LEAK SCARE AT OLD SASKATOON DAIRY PLANT

http://www.globalwinnipeg.com/Ammonia+leak+scare+Saskatoon+dairy+plant/510
9178/story.html
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, injury, ammonia

A man suffered minor injuries Thursday evening after an ammonia leak 
scare at an old Saskatoon dairy plant in the Caswell Hill neighbourhood.

Hazmat teams were called to the scene at the corner of 23rd Street West 
and Avenue F North around 8:50 p.m. to investigate a report of an 
ammonia leak.

Workers there were dismantling old storage tanks for removal when one 
worker cut a steel line that once supplied ammonia to a tank.

He was taken to hospital by a co-worker suffering from minor inhalation 
and eye irritation from ammonia residue.

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

ACID SPILL ON I-44 =AB CBS ST. LOUIS
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2011/07/15/acid-spill-on-i-44/
Tags: us_MO, transportation, release, injury, sulfuric_acid

SULLIVAN, MO (KMOX) - West bound I-44 was closed for most of Friday 
night while a Hazmat team cleaned up an acid spill in the Sullivan area.

A truck carrying sulfuric acid was leaking and pulled over by Sullivan 
police. 

One officer suffered breathing problems and was taken to a hospital, but 
police tell KMOX he has been taken off of a breathing apparatus and is 
doing well.

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

MAN GETS TRIP TO HOSPITAL AFTER SPILLING MERCURY WHILE CLEANING CLOSTER 
HOME

http://www.northjersey.com/topstories/closter/Man_gets_trip_to_hospital_af
ter_spilling_mercury_while_cleaning_Closter_home.html
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, mercury

CLOSTER -- A man cleaning out a Chestnut Street home spilled liquid 
mercury on his hand and was hospitalized Saturday, police said.

     David Russell was cleaning out the home where an elderly relative 
had lived until dying recently. Around 11:30 a.m, he came upon a 
container filled with mercury, police said.

     Russell spilled the mercury on his arm, and became concerned that 
the liquid metal might poison him. He called police, which in turn sent 
a Hazardous Materials Unit to the home.

     The hazmat team tested the mercury and cleaned up the spill. This 
grade of mercury did not appear to be particularly dangerous, police 
said, but Russell was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

     Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in water, 
soil and air. It is often present in fish and animals, and in high 
doses, can be dangerous. Children and unborn fetuses are particularly 
susceptible to Mercury poisoning.

     Mercury is often used in such household items as thermometers, 
batteries and lightbulbs.

Symptoms of Mercury poisoning include skin rashes, tremors, and 
headaches.

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

POSSIBLE METH LAB BUSTED AT LOCAL MOTEL

http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2011-07-16/Hazmat-crews-called-to-No
rth-Fort-Myers-motel
Tags: us_FL, public, discovery, response, meth_lab

NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla.-  Hazmat crews were called in to safely remove 
what they are calling a meth lab at the Motel 6.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, undercover deputies went 
to the motel to bust a known drug dealer. But the man in the motel room 
wasn't the one they were looking for.

They did find plenty of meth-making materials, but since no drugs were 
cooked up, the suspect was allowed to go free.

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

HAZMAT CLEAN-UP CONTINUES ON I-70 IN GREENFIELD

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/north_central/hazmat-clean-up-continu
es-on-i-70-in-greenfield
Tags: us_IN, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical

GREENFIELD, Ind. (WISH) - Hazmat crews were on the scene of a spill on 
I-70 westbound near at mile marker 102 in Greenfield.

 

Shortly after 12 o=92clock Saturday afternoon, two semis collided. At 
least one of the semis was carrying hazardous materials that spilled.

Indiana State Police say that stretch of road where the spill happened 
didn=92t reopen until 7:20 Saturday evening.

No injuries have been reported.

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

CO EXPOSURE IN INDUSTRIAL SETTING
http://www.cknw.com/Channels/Reg/NewsLocal/Story.aspx?ID=1458235
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, injury, carbon_monoxide

Four people have been transported to hospital after inhaling carbon 
monoxide in an industrial building in East Vancouver near Commercial 
Drive and Pandora Street.

 

Their condition is not believed to be serious but fire officials are 
having trouble pinning down the source.

 

WorkSafeBC has been called in to investigate further.

 

The call originally came in around 2pm Saturday as a potential freon gas 
leak.

 

Once on scene HAZMAT crews didn't find any freon, but did detect high 
levels of carbon monoxide.

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

AURORA APARTMENTS EVACUATED AFTER SUSPECTED CHEMICAL SUICIDE
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_18493504
Tags: us_CO, public, release, response, suicide

AURORA =97 A suspected chemical suicide forced the evacuation of an 
apartment complex, one of a small but growing number of such cases 
nationwide.

Residents from 36 units at the Chelsea Park Village apartments had to 
leave their homes overnight during the investigation and cleanup.

All were allowed home by 4 p.m. Saturday.

Police and firefighters were called to 12079 E. Archer Place about 4 
p.m. Friday, Fire Capt. Allen Robnett said.

When they arrived, they found a note taped to a bathroom door saying 
hazardous materials had been used and to call 911. The building was 
evacuated, and when the hazardous materials team entered the apartment, 
members found the body of a woman in the sealed bathroom, Robnett

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

3 TREATED FOR EXPOSURE TO MIXTURE OF POOL CHEMICALS

http://citizensvoice.com/news/3-treated-for-exposure-to-mixture-of-pool-ch
emicals-1.1176286#axzz1SNMFzHen
Tags: us_PA, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

A combination of swimming pool cleaning chemicals poured into a bucket 
in a West Hazleton home Saturday afternoon created a chemical vapor 
reaction that sent at least three people to a hospital for treatment.

West Hazleton fire Lt. Shawn Evans said a woman and her 13-year-old 
daughter were inside the home at 202 W. Green St. when two "pop" noises 
came from the bucket and vapors started filling the home, harming both 
of them.

The woman's husband, who is a trained firefighter, was outside at the 
time with their two 13-year-old sons and ran inside to save his wife and 
daughter. Evans said once he got them outside, one of the boys grabbed a 
garden hose and sprayed the three of them with water to decontaminate 
them while firefighters and ambulances were en route, Evans said.

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

OSU STUDENT GETS OUT JUST IN TIME

http://www.democratherald.com/news/local/article_87f9d783-b2ec-5fec-b722-3
cff8b585194.html
Tags: us_OR, education, explosion, injury, batteries

Nick Sitts was driving a solar vehicle north along 15th Street toward 
the formation area of the da Vinci Days parade shortly after 11 a.m. 
Saturday when he heard a pop.
Moments later there was an explosion, and soon the $100,000 vehicle was 
engulfed in flames.
Sitts got out just in time - right after he heard that initial pop, said 
Hai Yue Han, co-captain of the Oregon State University Solar Vehicle 
Team, which constructed the vehicle from 2008 to 2010.
"If it had been a few moments later, he may have not made it out alive," 
Han said.
Sitts' sister, Danielle, also a member of the team, was in an escort car 
ahead of solar vehicle when the explosion occurred. She looked back and 
saw smoke.
"I was more scared than I'd every been in my life," she said. "My 
brother was in a car that was on fire."
Sitts' wife, Elizabeth, was in a trail vehicle with their 
soon-to-be-1-year-old baby Penelope and two others sisters of Nick, 
Nicole and Cheyenne Sitts. Elizabeth helped pull her husband away from 
the burning vehicle, Danielle said.
Sitts had first- and second-degree burns to his arms and face and some 
singed hair. "He looked like he had a bad sunburn, she said. "He lost a 
shoe; it disintegrated."
Sitts, 23, a junior chemical engineering major from Scappoose, was 
treated at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. He was released 
mid-afternoon Saturday and was resting at home in Corvallis. His parents 
arrived from the Portland area to assist him.
"He seemed to be in very good spirits considering the accident and 
injuries he suffered," said Steve Clark, OSU vice president of OSU 
relations.
Han believes the explosion was caused by a short in one of the battery 
cells. Each of the 28 battery packs contains 20 small cylindrical 
lithium-ion battery cells - a total of 568.
Some of the battery cells landed in the OSU parking lot on the east side 
of 15th. The explosion occurred about 50 yards south of the Kerr 
Administration Building.

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

VILLAGE EVACUATION STOOD DOWN AFTER 'CHEMICAL' EXPLOSION AT FIRE-RAVAGED 
MILL

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/tayside/262571-chemical-safety-concerns-after-
blaze-tears-through-animal-feed-mill-in-fife/
Tags: United, Kingdom, industrial, explosion, response, gas_cylinders

Explosions rocked the mill outisde Cupar, after it was engulfed by 
flames on Friday morning.
...
One section of the mill in Cupar contained highly explosive chemicals, 
including an acetyline cylinder and 10,000l of fuel, firefighters have 
discovered. The roof of the building partially collapsed in the fire.

Fife Fire and Rescue Service received a call about the fire at the ABN 
Mill in the town at around 10.40am on Friday.

Ten engines from local fire stations, as well as an elevated platform, 
attended and around 80 firefighters battled to put out the flames in the 
Damside area of Cupar.

Although the flames were extinguished at around 1pm, firefighters 
remained at the site for several hours to assess and cool down the 
highly explosive materials on site.

The mill also contains 3000l of acid, while a 30,000l oil tanker nearby 
is being cooled after the blaze broke out.

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

UC CENTER FOR LABORATORY SAFETY
http://www.cls.ucla.edu/
Tags: laboratory, release, response, follow-up

The UC Center for Laboratory Safety (Center) has been created to improve 
the practice of laboratory safety through the performance of scientific 
research and implementation of best safety practices in the laboratory. 
The Center will operate under the oversight of the UC Center for 
Laboratory Safety Advisory Board with technical support from the UCLA 
Office of Environment, Health and Safety and the UCLA School of Public 
Health - Department of Environmental Health Sciences.

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

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