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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (18 articles)
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 2015 07:14:46 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: D5D121BA-3FE2-4A14-94B3-2AB9E30AF9D2**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, December 23, 2015 at 7:14:14 AM
A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__pinboard.in_u-3Adchas&d=BQIFaQ&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=meWM1Buqv4IQ27AlK1OJRjcQl09S1Zta6YXKalY_Io0&m=b9BFhTyt1PfZzNIcVj6Bg_NmDO7MoJd1vdw78ubH_YM&s=49v61Zwx5nxOIscpU_aqxSf4QGFNN8rm_-Jtox7JquY&e=
Table of Contents (18 articles)
Follow up on POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER KILLED IN FIRE AT TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
Tags: China, laboratory, follow-up, death, hydrogen
ROANOKE CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION COMPANY PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL HAZARDOUS WASTE CHARGES
Tags: us_VA, public, follow-up, environmental, illegal, waste
KANSAS CHEMICAL COMPANY FINED $1M FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE DUMPS
Tags: us_KS, industrial, follow-up, environmental, corrosives, illegal, waste
EASTON HIGH SCHOOL ALL CLEAR AFTER CHEMICAL SCARE
Tags: us_PA, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
CHLORINE LEAK AT DOWNTOWN HOTEL SPURS HAZMAT RESPONSE
Tags: us_IL, public, release, response, chlorine
HAZMAT TEAM CALLED IN TO CLEAN UP HERMITAGE GAS SPILL
Tags: us_TN, transportation, release, response, gasoline
AAAS SECTION REQUESTS PERMISSION TO RE-REVIEW THE ELECTION OF PATRICK HARRAN AS A FELLOW
Tags: laboratory, follow-up, response
PETERBOROUGH COMPANY TO PAY FINE IN CONNECTION WITH 2014 EXPLOSION
Tags: us_NH, industrial, follow-up, injury, waste
CHEMICAL TANKER TRUCK BURSTS, SPEWS NAUSEOUS ORANGE FUMES NEAR PLAYGROUND (VIDEO) ‰?? RT NEWS
Tags: Ukraine, transportation, release, response, nitric_acid
WATER USED ON NASHUA GREASE FIRE INJURES TWO
Tags: us_NH, public, fire, response, grease
2 CHARGED IN ELLERBE METH LAB FIRE
Tags: us_NC, public, fire, response, meth_lab
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL REOPENED AFTER CHEMICAL TANKER FIRE LEADS TO 3 HOUR SHUTDOWN
Tags: us_TX, transportation, fire, response, petroleum
ACCIDENTS CONTRIBUTE TO LOSS OF CONTRACT FOR LANL OPERATOR
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, follow-up, response, radiation, waste
FIVE INJURED IN NEWARK CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION
Tags: us_OH, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
CHLORINE LEAK CREATES MASSIVE HAZMAT RESPONSE AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL IN GOLD COAST
Tags: us_IL, public, explosion, response, chlorine
OSSINING HAZMAT INCIDENT DELAYED EVENING COMMUTE
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
HAZMAT SCARE CLEARS JASMINE PLAZA
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, cleaners, pce
SUBSTANCE THAT SICKENED AT LEAST 12 AT SECAUCUS KOHL'S STILL A MYSTERY: POLICE
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
---------------------------------------------
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER KILLED IN FIRE AT TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
Tags: China, laboratory, follow-up, death, hydrogen
A postdoctoral researcher at Tsinghua University was killed in a Dec. 18 fire in a chemistry laboratory on the Beijing campus, according to a university statement on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo.
Local media report that the deceased researcher is Xiangjian Meng, 32. He received a Ph.D. from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore in 2014.
As of C&EN press time, Tsinghua University had not released any details about the incident and chemistry department chair Xi Zhang did not respond to an e-mail request for information.
The Beijing work safety authority said that the incident happened during an experiment involving hydrogen, reported Xinhua, China‰??s official news agency, in a Dec. 19 story. Earlier reports that the incident involved tert-butyllithium were incorrect, according to a post from a relative of Meng on Weibo.
Exterior photos and video of Tsinghua‰??s Ho Tim building taken during the fire and posted online at on.cc show broken windows and heavy black smoke. An interior photo of the lab taken by a Beijing News reporter indicates heavy damage to the lab.
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ROANOKE CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION COMPANY PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL HAZARDOUS WASTE CHARGES
Tags: us_VA, public, follow-up, environmental, illegal, waste
Roanoke, Va -
A Roanoke chemical distribution company pleaded guilty to federal hazardous waste charges Tuesday.
Chemsolv agreed to pay a $1,00,00,000 fine and $250,000 to fund environmental community service projects under a plea agreement.
The company also agreed to serve five years' probation.
Chemsolv also agreed to pay 250 thousand dollars under a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
---------------------------------------------
KANSAS CHEMICAL COMPANY FINED $1M FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE DUMPS
Tags: us_KS, industrial, follow-up, environmental, corrosives, illegal, waste
WICHITA, Kan. ‰?¢ A Kansas chemical manufacturing company was fined $1 million Tuesday after admitting it illegally dumped hazardous wastes down a saltwater disposal well.
JACAM Manufacturing LLC of Sterling, Kansas, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Wichita to one count of violating the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and one count of violating the Resource Conservation Recovery Act, and was immediately sentenced following the plea.
Its president, Jason West, entered the plea on his company's behalf after striking a deal with prosecutors that spared its shareholders, officers, employees, contractors and others from additional charges. The binding plea agreement, which was accepted by U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren, imposed the maximum fines for those charges.
West declined to comment after the hearing, saying the company would issue a news release later.
JACAM's website touts its environmental policy: "Zero spills, zero releases, zero incidents and zero excuses. Leave the Earth better than we found it."
The company makes and sells specialty chemicals used in the oil and gas production and industrial markets. The waste it generates, due to their volatility and corrosiveness, is characterized by the Environmental Protection Agency as hazardous wastes.
---------------------------------------------
EASTON HIGH SCHOOL ALL CLEAR AFTER CHEMICAL SCARE
Tags: us_PA, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
The Palmer Township Municipal Fire Dept. was dispatched to Easton Area High School just before 5 p.m. Monday for a reported odor investigation with a victim inside the building, according to a news release from Fire Marshal Jim Alercia.
Firefighters evacuated custodial personnel and students participating in sporting events from the school at 2601 William Penn Highway. Crews found a custodian in a classroom in the building's H300 wing, who was overcome by the fumes and needed to be helped from the building, according to Alercia.
The woman experienced chest pain, weakness and severe vomiting. Paramedics with Suburban EMS treated her, and a family member later took her to Easton Hospital in Wilson for further treatment.
Fire officials determined there were no hazardous chemical readings in the classroom or school. The classroom contained arts and crafts materials, and authorities determined the custodian had an allergic reaction to a glue substance.
The school was cleared ahead of a holiday concert Monday night, and the school day will not be affected Tuesday.
---------------------------------------------
CHLORINE LEAK AT DOWNTOWN HOTEL SPURS HAZMAT RESPONSE
Tags: us_IL, public, release, response, chlorine
CHICAGO (STMW) - A hazardous materials response has been secured after chlorine leak at a hotel early Monday near the Magnificant Mile.
The Chicago Fire Department declared a level two HazMat and EMS Plan 1 response after a chlorine tank began to leak just before 3 a.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel at 120 E. Delaware place, according to Fire Media Affairs. The leak was contained to one room.
People around the hotel could be seen covering their faces. No injuries were reported, according to Fire Media Affairs.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAM CALLED IN TO CLEAN UP HERMITAGE GAS SPILL
Tags: us_TN, transportation, release, response, gasoline
HERMITAGE, Tenn. (WKRN) ‰?? An emergency shut-off at a Hermitage gas pump failed early Tuesday morning, causing HAZMAT crews to be called to clean up the spill.
It happened at the BP station on the corner of Andrew Jackson Parkway and Lebanon Road around 2:30 a.m.
Firefighters told News 2 a man filling up his truck had set the lever on the pump before going inside the store.
The mechanism that is supposed to shut off when the tank is full failed and more than 20 gallons spilled onto the parking lot.
HAZMAT crews with the Nashville Fire Department cleaned up the spill in about 15 minutes.
---------------------------------------------
AAAS SECTION REQUESTS PERMISSION TO RE-REVIEW THE ELECTION OF PATRICK HARRAN AS A FELLOW
Tags: laboratory, follow-up, response
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) today announced that its governing Council has been asked by the steering group of the AAAS Chemistry Section to allow reconsideration of the nomination of Patrick Harran as an elected Fellow.
The Chemistry Section‰??s request to the Council was made after it became apparent that an initial review of Dr. Harran‰??s nomination materials had not included all relevant information.
In a tradition dating to 1874, election as a Fellow of AAAS‰??the world‰??s largest general scientific society‰??is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers that recognizes efforts to advance science or its applications.
Under AAAS bylaws, Fellows are nominated either independently by three existing AAAS Fellows, as in Dr. Harran‰??s case, or by the elected leadership of topical membership Sections. Following review by the relevant topical sections, successful fellows are then ratified by elected members of the AAAS Council, without interference or influence by AAAS staff. Newly elected Fellows are then inducted at a ceremony during the AAAS Annual Meeting in February.
In November, AAAS had announced the election of 347 new Fellows, to be honored at a 13 February awards ceremony. Last week, members of the nomination reviewing committee became aware of a 2009 case involving the death of a technician in the UCLA laboratory of Dr. Harran.
---------------------------------------------
PETERBOROUGH COMPANY TO PAY FINE IN CONNECTION WITH 2014 EXPLOSION
Tags: us_NH, industrial, follow-up, injury, waste
PETERBOROUGH ‰?? A manufacturing plant in Peterborough has reached a $150,000 settlement with the state in connection with an explosion that seriously injured two employees last year.
N.H. Ball Bearings settled with the N.H. Department of Environmental Services and the N.H. Attorney General's Office, according to a news release Attorney General Joseph A. Foster released today.
The Feb. 10, 2014, blast was caused by a chemical reaction that occurred when "a tank containing acid used to treat precision ball bearings was emptied into a drum that may have contained an incompatible substance like isopropyl alcohol," according to the release. The reaction caused pressure to build up inside the sealed drum, which ultimately exploded.
In the days following the incident, company officials said 15 people were injured; however, in the weeks after they increased that total to 22, to account for those employees who sought medical treatment for minor injuries a day or two after the blast.
A total of $5,000 of the settlement will be used to help local first responders, and the remaining $145,000 will be included in a hazardous waste fund held by the state.
Foster wrote: "NHBB promptly resolved the compliance issues associated with this unfortunate accident. We anticipate that they will continue to be a responsible partner in protecting the safety of NHBB employees and the welfare of the community."
As of early March 2014, all but the two employees seriously injured in the explosion had returned to work, according to company spokesman Hans M. Baker. Those employees were hospitalized in Massachusetts, but later returned home.
N.H. Ball Bearings makes precision bearings and complex bearing assemblies for the aerospace, defense, medical, dental and high-technology markets.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL TANKER TRUCK BURSTS, SPEWS NAUSEOUS ORANGE FUMES NEAR PLAYGROUND (VIDEO) ‰?? RT NEWS
Tags: Ukraine, transportation, release, response, nitric_acid
A tanker truck carrying chemicals burst open in a peaceful neighborhood in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, covering the area with nauseous orange fumes. An estimated two tons of what appears to be nitric acid spilled out and evaporated.
The spectacular leak happened last week in a residential area just meters from a children's playground. A video filmed by a local resident showed the tanker, its driver nowhere to be seen, producing clouds of orange-brown fumes, which were blown towards nearby houses. The smell of the chemical fumes was reportedly felt kilometers away.
A fire brigade arrived on the scene and washed out the chemicals remaining in the tank. Local authorities assured the population the leak did not pose any danger to public health or the environment, but couldn't immediately confirm the extent of the damage. No evacuation was ordered.
---------------------------------------------
WATER USED ON NASHUA GREASE FIRE INJURES TWO
Tags: us_NH, public, fire, response, grease
NASHUA ‰?? Fire officials say Sunday‰??s blaze on Cedar Street, which was initially a small stove-top grease fire, quickly spread when a resident used water in an attempt to extinguish it.
‰??He did everything they tell you not to do,‰?? Deputy Kevin Kerrigan said of the resident, who sustained facial burns as a result of the incident.
Firefighters responded around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday to a multi-unit building at 18 Cedar St. for a reported cooking fire. There was heavy fire on the first floor of the building when they arrived, which was beginning to extend to the second level of the three-story structure.
The two-alarm blaze quickly spread because of the old design and age of the building, according to Kerrigan.
‰??The crews did an exceptional job of getting that fire contained. There was a lot of work for them to open up the walls and get ahead of it,‰?? said Kerrigan.
Although the fire extended to all three floors, Kerrigan said the building is not a total loss, and most likely can be restored.
---------------------------------------------
2 CHARGED IN ELLERBE METH LAB FIRE
Tags: us_NC, public, fire, response, meth_lab
ELLERBE ‰?? A man and woman are facing multiple meth charges following a Sunday morning mobile home fire just outside the town limits.
David Matthew Boroughs, 32, and Ashley Nicole Boroughs, 24, are accused of cooking meth inside a Crawford Road home that caught fire, bringing out the Ellerbe and Mountain Creek fire departments.
Two firemen told a Richmond County sheriff‰??s deputy they had seen meth precursors inside the home while extinguishing the blaze, which spurred an investigation.
Chief Deputy Mark Gulledge said investigators believe the pair were in the process of making a batch of meth when some kind of chemical reaction caused a flash fire, which subsequently caught the trailer on fire.
Deputies say they found several meth ingredients at the scene, including pseudoephedrine, lithium batteries and sodium nitrate.
....
Richmond County moved from having the seventh-highest number of meth labs ‰?? tied with Stanly County with 17 ‰?? in 2014 to the second-highest earlier this year, but has since dropped to third. Johnston County leads the state with 39 labs, and Gaston County has the second-highest with 38.
Statistics show Gaston County had the highest number (83) in 2014, followed by Johnston (46) and Onslow (25).
The SBI responded to 25 meth labs in Richmond County from 2001-13 and more than 80 in neighboring Anson County since 2010.
---------------------------------------------
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL REOPENED AFTER CHEMICAL TANKER FIRE LEADS TO 3 HOUR SHUTDOWN
Tags: us_TX, transportation, fire, response, petroleum
The Houston Ship Channel was re-opened after a burning tanker prompted a nearly three-hour shutdown of a 2 mile long (3.2 km) section of the largest petrochemical port in the United States, as per Reuters. The fire was extinguished nearly 90 minutes after it started, but the channel remained closed for nearly another 90 minutes as firefighters monitored the air to ensure no toxic fumes lingered, Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Kendrick said.
---------------------------------------------
ACCIDENTS CONTRIBUTE TO LOSS OF CONTRACT FOR LANL OPERATOR
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, follow-up, response, radiation, waste
SANTA FE ‰?? Among the accidents that contributed to Los Alamos National Laboratory‰??s private operator losing out on a contract extension were an electrical fire in which a lab worker suffered severe burns and incidents at a Nevada nuclear site run by LANL in which workers were exposed to potential contamination, as well as continuing problems with waste cleanup.
Last week, the National Nuclear Safety Administration informed Congress that it would not be extending the contract with Los Alamos National Security LLC to run the lab beyond the contract term that ends at the conclusion of the 2016-2017 budget year, after the lab failed to get a high enough ranking in its latest NNSA annual evaluation.
That means the $2.2 billion contract will go out for bids, although lab director Charlie McMillan told employees last week that NNSA is offering some kind of temporary contract extension, possibly to allow more time for preparing and completing a contract competition.
LANS ‰?? a consortium including Bechtel and the University of California ‰?? needed to win a series of one-year term extension awards to keep the contract going. By missing a term award for fiscal 2015, LANS‰??s window to meet that requirement closed.
---------------------------------------------
FIVE INJURED IN NEWARK CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION
Tags: us_OH, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
NEWARK, Ohio - Five people were injured after an explosion at a Newark chemical plant Monday.
The blast after a containment vessel exploded at the Arboris Plant on Tamarack Road around 1:45 p.m.
Firefighters rushed to the industrial area to battle flames that shot as high as 40 feet in the air.
Crews had to use water and foam to knock down the fire.
Newark Fire Department Chief Patrick Connor said crews have to be careful when dealing with chemical fires because they aren‰??t sure what components they‰??re dealing with.
"This specific company deals with a lot of different chemicals and makes a lot of different things. So sometimes the chemicals that they have on site we don't know exactly what they are all the time so it's really tough for us to get here, determine what chemicals are involved, what the danger is, get people evacuated and move forward safely," he said.
Only one of the five workers injured was taken to a local hospital. There is no word on that person‰??s current condition.
---------------------------------------------
CHLORINE LEAK CREATES MASSIVE HAZMAT RESPONSE AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL IN GOLD COAST
Tags: us_IL, public, explosion, response, chlorine
A chlorine leak at an upscale hotel in Chicago‰??s Gold Coast neighborhood sparked a Level II HazMat response Monday morning, temporarily forcing several guests out in the cold.
Around 3 a.m., emergency responders were called to the Four Seasons Hotel in the 120 block of East Delaware Place to investigate reports of a chlorine leak sparked from a small explosion.
Mother of Man Arrested for Meth Lab: He Was Making Wine
Fire officials said the leak was contained to one room inside the hotel, which was later found to be the room where the pool is located on the hotel‰??s seventh floor.
Workers were reported to have been mixing chemicals for the pool when the mixture unexpectedly created a small explosion, causing the leak that triggered the hazmat situation.
---------------------------------------------
OSSINING HAZMAT INCIDENT DELAYED EVENING COMMUTE
Tags: us_NY, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
OSSINING - Trains were skipping the Ossining Metro-North stop at the height of the evening rush hour due to a hazardous materials situation near the station.
Railroad officials said the situation was at an industrial facility near the station and that, until it was resolved, trains would be bypassing the station and Ossining-Haverstraw ferry service would be suspended with alternative service arranged from the Tarrytown station.
By 8:30 p.m., service resumed on both the tracks and water.
Consolidated Edison spokesman Bob McGee said a chemical tank had overheated and that Con Edison crews were on hand in case electricity to the building needed to be cut off.
Service was suspended earlier between the Ossining and Philipse Manor train stations as the incident began to unfold.
Officials from the Ossining Fire Department called it a "dangerous hazmat situation," but refused to give out details.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT SCARE CLEARS JASMINE PLAZA
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, cleaners, pce
Workers and patrons at the Jasmine Plaza on Route 114 had a bit of a scare Friday when a hazmat crew showed up.
Friday morning at just before 9 a.m., people in the plaza smelled a peculiar odor and called the North Andover Fire Department. The plaza was evacuated for about four hours while firefighters examined the scene and cleared out the air.
The smell turned out to be a broken dry cleaning machine at Silver Cleaners that was leaking tetrachloroethylene, a chemical used in dry cleaning fluid that, if breathed in for an extended time, can cause illness. At Silver Cleaners, the chemical leaked out of the machine and gathered on the floor beneath it.
"In large quantities, you wouldn't want to be breathing that in," North Andover Deputy Fire Chief Bill McCarthy said. "It causes dizziness, light-headedness, and in larger quantities it can be much more harmful."
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SUBSTANCE THAT SICKENED AT LEAST 12 AT SECAUCUS KOHL'S STILL A MYSTERY: POLICE
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
SECAUCUS -- The Kohl's at Mill Creek Mall was evacuated last night when more than a dozen shoppers fell ill from an unknown airborne substance, police said.
The store was evacuated just after 9 p.m. after shoppers began complaining of sore throats and nausea, Secaucus Detective Sergeant Mike Torres said.
About 14 people total fell ill, requiring at least two people to be hospitalized, Torres said. Everyone else was treated at the scene.
The Jersey City Fire and Hazmat unit was called to the scene, but the cause of the respiratory problems was not found. Investigators found "nothing toxic in the air," Torres said.
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