From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (12 articles)
Date: September 5, 2012 7:52:32 AM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, September 5, 2012 7:52:18 AM

A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
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Table of Contents (12 articles)

COAST GUARD INVESTIGATING 90 REPORTS OF OIL, CHEMICAL LEAKS FOLLOWING HURRICANE ISAAC | NOLA.COM
Tags: us_LA, industrial, release, environmental, petroleum

U.S. 50 OPEN NEAR PUEBLO AFTER HAZMAT SITUATION | NEWS - HOME
Tags: us_CO, transportation, discovery, response, unknown_chemical

TAMPA FIRE: FUEL SPILL CONTAINED AT ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL | WTSP.COM
Tags: us_FL, public, fire, injury, unknown_chemical

BURLINGTON CITY CHEMICAL EXPLOSION SENDS THREE PEOPLE TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_PA, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

WORK FOR CORNELL CHEMISTRY CLASS ÔEXHAUSTING' FOR PROFESSOR, TOO | THE CORNELL DAILY SUN
Tags: us, education, discovery, response

OIL AEROSOL PLUME DRIFTS OVER RESIDENCES
Tags: us_UT, industrial, explosion, response, grease

HAZMAT SITUATION UNDER CONTROL
Tags: us_MD, public, release, response, illegal

ONE ILLNESS REPORTED AFTER CHEMICAL HAZMAT SITUATION - CENTRAL COAST NEWS KION/KCBA
Tags: us_ca, industrial, release, injury, cleaners

DAYS AFTER ISAAC, HOMES NEAR STOLTHAVEN CHEMICAL PLANT IN BRAITHWAITE EVACUATED | NOLA.COM
Tags: us_la, industrial, discovery, environmental

INVESTIGATORS FIND POSSIBLE METH LAB IN PERRY COUNTY
Tags: us_pa, public, discovery, response, meth_lab

HAZ-MAT CREWS CALLED TO VANDALIA FIRE
Tags: us_oh, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE TO BATTLE WAREHOUSE FIRE NEAR HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL
Tags: us_tx, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical


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COAST GUARD INVESTIGATING 90 REPORTS OF OIL, CHEMICAL LEAKS FOLLOWING HURRICANE ISAAC | NOLA.COM
http://www.nola.com/hurricane/index.ssf/2012/09/coast_guard_investigating_90_r.html
Tags: us_LA, industrial, release, environmental, petroleum

The Coast Guard is investigating about 90 reports of oil and chemical releases associated with Hurricane Isaac, including a leak from a closed storage facility in Plaquemines Parish that killed several brown pelicans, officials said Tuesday. Separately, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries closed a stretch of coastline from Elmer's Island to Belle Pass after a tar mat appeared in the Gulf of Mexico and tar balls washed ashore.

Paul Purpura/The Times-Picayune
Coast Guard Adm. Robert Papp discusses dozens of oil and chemical leaks being investigated following Hurricane Isaac.
The closure affects commercial and recreational fisheries from the shore to one mile offshore.
The agency and Department of Environmental Quality will determine the source of the oil, but its location has stoked concerns that it is remnants of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil leak.

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U.S. 50 OPEN NEAR PUEBLO AFTER HAZMAT SITUATION | NEWS - HOME
http://www.krdo.com/news/U-S-50-open-near-Pueblo-after-hazmat-situation/-/417220/16478590/-/nyjj1b/-/index.html
Tags: us_CO, transportation, discovery, response, unknown_chemical

BLENDE, Colo. -
A garbage truck encountered an unknown substance on Tuesday, prompting the closure of U.S. 50 east of Pueblo for about two hours.

The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office tells us that the truck ran over the substance and there were strong fumes coming from the area. Sante Fe Dr. (U.S. 50) was closed at Gunnison Street in Blende, Colo. until about 4 p.m. while crews investigated the substance. Several local fire departments and Colorado State Patrol assisted the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office in this investigation.

Nearby residents received a notice to stay indoors and take shelter in place. No evacuations were ordered. It is unclear what the substance was or if it posed any risks to the public.

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TAMPA FIRE: FUEL SPILL CONTAINED AT ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL | WTSP.COM
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/article/271827/8/Tampa-Fire-Fuel-spill-contained-at-Tampa-hospital
Tags: us_FL, public, fire, injury, unknown_chemical

Tampa, Florida -- Tampa Fire Rescue crews responded to St. Joseph's Hospital Tuesday morning after a report of a fuel spill in the area.

Tampa Fire says they worked with Hazmat crews to contain a spill of approximately 1,100 gallons of fuel that leaked before the emergency shut off switch was pressed. Fuel reportedly made its way into the storm drain, but authorities say it appears the leak was contained to the immediate area.

Tampa Fire Rescue worked closely with hospital personnel and the spill has been cleaned up.

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BURLINGTON CITY CHEMICAL EXPLOSION SENDS THREE PEOPLE TO HOSPITAL
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/burlington-city-chemical-explosion-sends-three-people-to-hospital/article_6874ad13-a946-5e43-b423-00eb390b2af2.html
Tags: us_PA, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

BURLINGTON CITY Ñ Three people were taken to the hospital after exposure to potentially harmful gases from a chemical cloud inside an Independence Drive home, authorities said.
The incident happened about 1 p.m. Tuesday while a resident was mixing pool chemicals inside his house, emergency management officials said. The resident and two other adults breathed in the fumes.
The victims were conscious and alert when taken to an undisclosed hospital, officials said. Their identities, ages and conditions were not released.
"One (person) was complaining of having difficulty breathing," said Frank Caruso, the city's emergency management coordinator.
Independence Drive was closed because of the incident, but Caruso said no other homes were evacuated.

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WORK FOR CORNELL CHEMISTRY CLASS ÔEXHAUSTING' FOR PROFESSOR, TOO | THE CORNELL DAILY SUN
http://www.cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2012/09/05/work-cornell-chemistry-class-%E2%80%98exhausting%E2%80%99-professor-too
Tags: us, education, discovery, response

This article is the first in a series on the most difficult classes to teach at Cornell.

Every year, the class begins with a bang. Literally. This year, the bang came in a simple enough guise: a balloon filled with hydrogen to the point that it burst.

As flame came in contact with the balloon's plastic skin, fire and sound erupted. The explosion heralded the start of General Chemistry Ñ CHEM 2070 Ñ and it was loud, bright and visible. But what was harder to see was the sheer amount time, energy and money invested to put on such a class.

The rest of the lecture was more mundane. Prof. Hector Abru–a, chemistry, looked through the syllabus, highlighting the dates of prelims, homeworks and laboratory experiments. It was, except for the fireball, an average first day of class. In other words, it was easy to forget just how much time Abru–a sank into this lecture, he said.

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OIL AEROSOL PLUME DRIFTS OVER RESIDENCES
http://www.downstreamtoday.com/(X(1)S(0szaebecw0balu551a50mlyl))/news/article.aspx?a_id=37124&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Tags: us_UT, industrial, explosion, response, grease

Woods Cross -- Gloria Hillier is no stranger to oil splatter on her house. This is the third time it has happened since she has lived in Bountiful.

On Friday morning, Hillier and her husband, who have lived there for 50 years, sat outside on their patio. After they got up, they noticed their clothes were covered in grease. A fine coating of oil droplets had dusted her property. She spent the next two hours cleaning up all of her lawn furniture and railings around her home.

"It has been worse before," Hillier said as she noticed another dark spot on her front porch railing.

The latest dousing happened Thursday night, when a large metal oil storage tank's roof burst at the HollyFrontier refinery in Woods Cross. The eruption sent a swath of oil about a 40 yards wide and traveling through the air over Interstate 15 and up to 1 mile southeast of the refinery.

An estimated 8,400 gallons of oil landed on homes, businesses and cars in Woods Cross, West Bountiful and Bountiful. The refinery sits 393 S. 800 West in Woods Cross.

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HAZMAT SITUATION UNDER CONTROL
http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/crime_checker/baltimore_county_crime/hazmat-situation-under-control
Tags: us_MD, public, release, response, illegal

PARKVILLE, Md. (WMAR) - It was a scary night for some folks along Ridgley Oak Road in Parkville Tuesday.

Fire and hazmat crews were called out to the 8300 block after a homeowner noticed a strong odor in his home. When police arrived, they shut down the block and evacuated neighbors.

It turns out it wasn't a chemical lab, but the homeowner says there was some mixing going on in the basement and it involved his nephew and a friend.

Homeowner Eddie Dize says the two were in the basement mixing "a spray engine starting fluid, sprayed into two Mountain Dew bottles and filled it up with hot water and were shaking it up and preparing to sell it because apparently they were selling these things to get high with."

While Dize doesn't live there, his sister and her family do. He said he called 911 earlier in the day about his 19-year-old nephew because he was posting threats on Facebook.

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ONE ILLNESS REPORTED AFTER CHEMICAL HAZMAT SITUATION - CENTRAL COAST NEWS KION/KCBA
http://www.kionrightnow.com/story/19442653/one-illness-reported-after
Tags: us_ca, industrial, release, injury, cleaners

San Juan Bautista, Calif. -- One person was reported sick and several others evacuated after a chemical disinfectant mix created dangerous fumes inside the Earthbound Farms plant in San Juan Bautista.

It happened just before 10pm Sunday night at 1721 San Juan Highway.

CalFire says it started when an employee of the disinfecting crew mixed chlorine and citric acid into a bucket. The mixture created fumes that overcame the employee who was pouring the chemicals.

Investigators say the employee fell down and hit his head, but didn't sustain any injuries because of a protective helmet protecting the employee's head.

CalFire says the employee was treated and released at the scene for his illness. There were no other complaints reported.

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DAYS AFTER ISAAC, HOMES NEAR STOLTHAVEN CHEMICAL PLANT IN BRAITHWAITE EVACUATED | NOLA.COM
http://www.nola.com/hurricane/index.ssf/2012/09/days_after_isaac_stolthaven_ch.html
Tags: us_la, industrial, discovery, environmental

Law enforcement officials ordered the evacuation of homes within a half-mile of a storm-damaged chemical plant in Braithwaite to guard against possible contamination or fire. State Police Troop B spokeswoman Trooper Melissa Matey said teams with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Quality were evaluating the Stolthaven New Orleans plant, which has been without power since Hurricane Isaac flooded it last week. The reason for the evacuation days after the storm wasn't immediately clear, but Matey said the company alerted the state police's hazardous materials division about potentially harmful and flammable chemicals inside.

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INVESTIGATORS FIND POSSIBLE METH LAB IN PERRY COUNTY
http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20120830/NEWS01/208300309/Investigators-find-possible-meth-lab-Perry-County
Tags: us_pa, public, discovery, response, meth_lab

SOMERSET -- Authorities arrested two men and a woman and removed a child from a home near Somerset after receiving a tip about a possible methamphetamine lab.

The Perry County Sheriff's Office said this is the seventh meth lab seized in Perry County this year.

Detectives with the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force were led to a home at 3530 Reading Township Road 123 after receiving word two men had bought items commonly used to manufacture drugs.

The people arrested are facing felony charges of drug manufacturing and endangering children. Sheriff William Barker said their names are not being released until the case is presented to a Perry County grand jury.

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

HAZ-MAT CREWS CALLED TO VANDALIA FIRE
http://www.whiotv.com/news/news/haz-mat-crews-called-to-vandalia-fire/nR2bq/
Tags: us_oh, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

VANDALIA Ñ Firefighters from several communities and the Dayton Haz-Mat Team were called out at 3:00 a.m. Monday morning to a fire at Lipo Technologies, 800 Scholz Drive.
Investigators said fire broke out in a lab, and workers tried to put it out with fire extinguishers. The fire activated the sprinkler system in the building, which created a two-foot build-up of water. The fire was contained to the lab, but firefighters called the haz-mat team because of runoff and chemical concerns.
Crews said there are no environmental concerns associated with the fire.
According to its website, Lipo Technologies is involved in microencapsulation. The company places active ingredients inside capsules. One use of such a technology is "scratch and sniff" cosmetic ads in magazines.

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FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE TO BATTLE WAREHOUSE FIRE NEAR HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Firefighters-continue-to-battle-warehouse-fire-3835052.php
Tags: us_tx, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

Firefighters continue to battle a four-alarm fire at a chemical warehouse near the Houston Ship Channel.

The blaze, which broke out shortly after 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Texas Distribution Services Inc., is under control but still burns, said Lt. Chad Shaw with the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office. Shaw said the blaze is expected to continue until Monday and heavy machinery is being used to clear debris.

On Saturday, two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion but, as of Sunday afternoon, no other injuries had been reported.

Tanker trucks are being bought in to transport water because of fire hydrant shortages in the vicinity, Shaw said.

Financial losses have not been calculated, but Shaw said they will be substantial.

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