From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (8 articles)
Date: December 24, 2012 6:58:50 AM EST
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <8237FFFB-F460-46D5-9133-22B9F4B29CF2**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, December 24, 2012 6:58:14 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 (8 articles)

OCONEE FIRE AND RESCUE INVESTIGATES CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_GA, public, release, response, other_chemical

RICHARD J. ENGLER NOMINATED TO CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental

GENE POLLUTION IN CHINA'S RIVERS
Tags: China, public, discovery, environmental

PRELIMINARY HEARING ENDS IN A CLIFF-HANGER FOR CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR CHARGED WITH FELONY LABOR CODE VIOLATIONS
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, response

SMALL FIRE BREAKS OUT AT CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

HAZMAT CREWS DISPATCHED FOR CHEMICAL RELEASED INTO AIR
Tags: us_OH, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

I-84 TRAVEL CENTER IN STURBRIDGE REOPENS AFTER ACID LEAK
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, response, phosphoric_acid

SHREWSBURY BUILDING EVACUATED IN HAZMAT SCARE
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, ammonia, chlorine, cleaners


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OCONEE FIRE AND RESCUE INVESTIGATES CHEMICAL SPILL
http://oconee.patch.com/articles/oconee-fire-and-rescue-assist-with-chemical-spill
Tags: us_GA, public, release, response, other_chemical

Oconee County Fire and Rescue personnel were called to a residence in the 1600 block of Branch Road on Dec. 10 at 5:52 p.m. to assist with a chemical spill.

The resident of the property found a bottle of Dimethyl Sulfoxide -- chemical is used to treat cuts on horses-- turned over and smoke coming from it in the barn, according to administrative assistant Lara Crowe.

The fire department investigated and advised the homeowner to have a private cleaning company come and clean the spill, Crowe reported.

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RICHARD J. ENGLER NOMINATED TO CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD
http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/i52/Richard-J-Engler-Nominated-Chemical.html
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental

Richard J. Engler, founder and director of the New Jersey Work Environment Council, was nominated by President Barack Obama last week to the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). The board investigates the root cause of chemical plant accidents and has been short of a full complement of five members since September 2011.
Currently CSB has only two board members, and with Engler's nomination, two nominees await Senate approval. Beth J. Rosenberg, a public health professor at Tufts University School of Medicine was nominated in September.
The nominations are pending before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee.

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

GENE POLLUTION IN CHINA'S RIVERS
http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/i52/Gene-Pollution-Chinas-Rivers.html
Tags: China, public, discovery, environmental

Antibiotic resistance genes used in molecular biology experiments and genetic engineering may have reached the environment. In six Chinese rivers, researchers found bacterial DNA carrying these synthetic genes (Environ. Sci. Technol., DOI: 10.1021/es302760s).
Still, other experts are calling for more studies to confirm the results and pinpoint sources of the genes.
Heavy use of antibiotics in hospitals and on farms has polluted environments the world over with bacteria carrying genes that confer resistance to the drugs. Once in the environment, researchers say, resistance genes can be quickly transferred to other bacteria, leading to antibiotic-resistant strains that can cause severe and sometimes untreatable infections. The resistance genes are also cheap, powerful tools for biologists. In molecular cloning studies, researchers introduce the genes into synthetic versions of plasmids, the small circular molecules of DNA found in bacteria.

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PRELIMINARY HEARING ENDS IN A CLIFF-HANGER FOR CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR CHARGED WITH FELONY LABOR CODE VIOLATIONS
http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/i52/Preliminary-Hearing-Ends-Cliff-hanger.html
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, response

A defense attorney request in the felony labor code violation case against University of California, Los Angeles, chemistry professor Patrick G. Harran means a judge's decision on whether the charges are dropped, reduced, or the case goes to trial is on hold until February 2013.
On Dec. 18, after testimony ended in the preliminary hearing in the case, defense attorney Thomas P. O'Brien requested that the defense be allowed to present written arguments for reducing or dismissing the charges against Harran. Los Angeles County Court Judge Lisa B. Lench granted the request. The delay is a cliff-hanger after almost a year of court appearances for Harran.

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SMALL FIRE BREAKS OUT AT CHEMICAL PLANT
http://www.chron.com/business/article/Small-fire-breaks-out-at-chemical-plant-4139642.php
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

Company officials are investigating what caused a small fire at the Dow Chemical Plant in Freeport on Friday night.

Around 7 p.m., a safety relief device created a loud noise at the Dow Oyster Creek site, according to a statement from the chemical company.

A brief fire at the plant was quickly extinguished, according to the statement. No injuries were reported.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing. No further information was immediately available.

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

HAZMAT CREWS DISPATCHED FOR CHEMICAL RELEASED INTO AIR
http://www.northwestohio.com/news/story.aspx?id=840004#.UNWfRMRYuTQ
Tags: us_OH, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

Toledo fire and hazmat crews are at the scene of a hazardous material situation on American Road.

According to fire dispatch, 10,000 pounds of material that is used to make resin, a chemical binding agent, was released into the air from a tank outside Arclin USA before 12 p.m.

No one was hurt during the incident and the building has been evacuated. Our reporter at the scene says a TARTA bus is being used to keep employees away from the spill.

Authorities are currently researching with the company how to safely clean up the spill. Dispatch says high winds in the area are helping to clear out the chemical, but they are advising people in the area to stay inside.

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

I-84 TRAVEL CENTER IN STURBRIDGE REOPENS AFTER ACID LEAK
http://www.telegram.com/article/20121221/NEWS/121229952/1116
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, response, phosphoric_acid

STURBRIDGE Ñ The Pilot Travel Center off Interstate 84 closed early this morning when about 200 gallons of phosphoric acid leaked from a tractor trailer truck that stopped to refuel late Thursday night.

According to Fire Capt. John C. Marinelli, the hazardous acid was leaking from two of the 11 containers the truck was hauling. The truck driver spotted the leak just before 11 p.m. Each container holds 300 gallons.

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SHREWSBURY BUILDING EVACUATED IN HAZMAT SCARE
http://shrewsbury.net/?p=19653
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, ammonia, chlorine, cleaners

SHREWSBURY, Massachusetts - Shrewsbury Firefighters responded today to a hazardous materials call at 1:23 PM at 60A Shrewsbury Green Drive. The resident had inadvertantly mixed two common household bathroom cleaners together, one containing a chlorine base, and the other ammonia. Those of you with a chemistry backround will understand that these are two things that you just never, ever mix, as they generate deadly chlorine gas. Having applied both of these cleaners and closed the bathroom door, the resident saw a cloud of vapor coming out from under the door and immediately called emergency services.
Shrewsbury is fortunate to have Hazmat specialist Bob Ljunggren on staff, who is not only trained to handle such emergencies, but is also a State Fire Academy Hazardous Materials Instructor, and along with one of our other Hazmat technicians Aaron Roy and the rest of the team, responded to the scene and proceded to use high speed fans to pressurize the building, and evacuate all residents. Fortunately there were no serious injuries, and the residents were allowed to return to their units aat 3:10PM.

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Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society

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