From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (9 articles)
Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2018 06:33:44 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 6CA93E7A-20CF-47F7-99CB-C647137EDAE0**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, July 9, 2018 at 6:32:48 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 (9 articles)

JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO HAZMAT SCARE
Tags: us_MD, public, release, injury, other_chemical

HAZMAT SPILL CLOSES INTERSTATE 29 NORTH OF MISSOURI VALLEY
Tags: us_IA, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical

EXPLOSION ROCKS EAST BOSTON APARTMENT; MAN ARRESTED
Tags: us_MA, public, explosion, injury, bomb, explosives, illegal

MANILA EXECS URGED TO STOP SALE OF MERCURY-LACED WHITENING PRODUCTS
Tags: Philippines, public, discovery, environmental, illegal, mercury

DRUG LAB AT FATAL FIRE
Tags: Canada, public, explosion, death, clandestine_lab

UPDATE: POOL REOPENED FOLLOWING HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, chlorine

FIRE CREWS RESPOND TO FIRE AT PLASTICS FACILITY FOR THE SECOND NIGHT IN A ROW
Tags: us_GA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

TDEC RELEASES FINAL REPORT ON EXPLOSION AT WACKER CHEMIE
Tags: us_TN, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

POLICE INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE EXPLOSION IN ATCHISON
Tags: us_KS, public, explosion, response, unknown_chemical


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JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO HAZMAT SCARE
http://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/johns-hopkins-hospital-launches-investigation-into-hazmat-scare
Tags: us_MD, public, release, injury, other_chemical

BALTIMORE -- WBFF -- Johns Hopkins Hospital is launching an investigation and says it will retrain staff if necessary, following Thursday's hazmat scare that shut down part of the hospital for hours.
Thursday, a few drops of frozen tuberculosis escaped from a tube while it was being moved on a pedestrian walkway.
A hospital spokesman calls it an isolated incident and says those on campus were never at risk.

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HAZMAT SPILL CLOSES INTERSTATE 29 NORTH OF MISSOURI VALLEY
http://www.enterprisepub.com/movalley/news/hazmat-spill-closes-interstate-north-of-missouri-valley/article_1f5cb96a-832a-11e8-9a01-cf6fd9dcb9b0.html
Tags: us_IA, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical

At approximately 12:30 p.m., a semi hauling hazardous material was flagged down by a motorist that witnessed a liquid coming from the trailer at the 86 mile marker of Interstate 29, north of Modale.

According to an Iowa Department of Public Safety Press release issued at approximately 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Iowa State Patrol troopers arrived at the scene and assessed the situation. The liquid material was deemed hazardous and both northbound and southband lanes of the interstate were shut down.

Northbound traffic was being diverted at Interstate 29 Exit 75 at Missouri Valley, and southbound traffic diverted at Interstate 29 Exit 112 at Onawa to Nebraska.

Tri-County Hazmat and Council Bluffs Fire Hazmat teams were on location monitoring the spill and assessing the situation on Sunday afternoon and evening. It is expected this will be an extended closure at this time.

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EXPLOSION ROCKS EAST BOSTON APARTMENT; MAN ARRESTED
https://patch.com/massachusetts/boston/explosion-rocks-east-boston-apartment-man-arrested
Tags: us_MA, public, explosion, injury, bomb, explosives, illegal

BOSTON, MA ‰?? An East Boston man is facing charges after allegedly causing an explosion early Sunday morning that police said was not related to terrorism. Tomas Mikula, 28, was arrested after an explosion at 88 Webster Street caused "major internal and structural damage. Mikula lives on the second floor of that building.

Mikula was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Before being hospitalized, police said he told them the explosion started in his apartment, where police allegedly later found firearms and ammunition.

A bomb squad sweep of his apartment found materials that are usually connected to explosive devices. A search warrant sweep ended in the seizure of PVC tubing and chemical compounds, materials commonly used for homemade explosives.

Police said they also found two handguns, a rifle, and over 100 rounds of ammunition.

Mikula is charged with unlawful possession of explosives, unlawful possession of an incendiary device, willful ignition/discharge of a destructive or incendiary device, two counts unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawful possession of a high capacity firearm.

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MANILA EXECS URGED TO STOP SALE OF MERCURY-LACED WHITENING PRODUCTS
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/09/manila-execs-urged-to-stop-sale-of-mercury-laced-whitening-products/
Tags: Philippines, public, discovery, environmental, illegal, mercury

The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental watch group, is urging the city government of Manila to ‰??take action‰?? against retailers of banned mercury-laced skin whitening products in the capital city.

‰??We call upon the local government, health, and police authorities of the City of Manila to go after unscrupulous retailers of banned cosmetics contaminated with mercury, a chemical that is highly hazardous to health and the environment,‰?? said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

The group said that it recently conducted test-buys and were able to purchase Jiaoli Miraculous Cream and S‰??Zitang 10 Days Eliminating Freckle Day & Night Set from stalls selling beauty products and herbal food supplements at a shopping mall in Recto Avenue, Quiapo in Manila.

‰??With the help of a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer, the group detected 2,077 parts per million (ppm) in the day cream of the Jiaoli product and 311 ppm in its night cream,‰?? the group said.

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DRUG LAB AT FATAL FIRE
https://www.castanet.net/news/West-Kelowna/230753/Drug-lab-at-fatal-explosion
Tags: Canada, public, explosion, death, clandestine_lab

Social media posts appear to back up a police claim that a drug lab was in the home where an explosion and fire claimed the life of a young West Kelowna man.

The blaze hospitalized two residents and claimed the life of a third.

Facebook chatter from friends of victim David Hunt talks about "shatter" production at the home.

Shatter ‰?? also known as wax, sap, budder, and a number of other nicknames ‰?? is a type of cannabis concentrate that resembles honey or taffy. When smoked, it can produce a stronger high than marijuana buds.

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UPDATE: POOL REOPENED FOLLOWING HAZMAT INCIDENT
https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/hazmat-incident-closes-peanut-pool/
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, chlorine

The popular Peanut Pool has re-opened following a hazmat situation Friday morning.

‰??Earlier this morning, while staff were conducting routine maintenance at Lakeview Pool, the wrong product was inadvertently added to a container in the mechanical room and chlorine gas was released,‰?? the City of Vernon states in a release. ‰??Staff immediately followed proper safety procedures and cleared the pool of visitors.

‰??The fire department was called to the pool to assess the situation and temporarily closed the park for safety precautions. Senior aquatic staff were called to the site to oversee the facility and with the assistance of the fire department were able to dilute the chlorine mixture.‰??

The pool chemistry has now been rebalanced and the park has been re-opened and the pool re-opened at 3 p.m. this afternoon.

‰??The staff involved were wearing the required personal protective equipment and were taken to the hospital as a precaution and have since been discharged,‰?? the city continues.

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FIRE CREWS RESPOND TO FIRE AT PLASTICS FACILITY FOR THE SECOND NIGHT IN A ROW
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/fire-crews-respond-to-fire-at-plastics-facility-for-the-second-night-in-a-row/85-571485024
Tags: us_GA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

ATLANTA ‰?? For the second night in a row, officials are responding to an incident at a plastics facility. This time, it happened in DeKalb County.

According to crews on scene, firefighters responded around 7:50 p.m. to 4360 Northeast Expressway, just north of Spaghetti Junction.

When crews got to the scene, they found heavy smoke coming from the warehouse, called Magnolia Plastics, Inc. Right now, officials said the flames are out, and it appears the fire was contained to only one 55-gallon drum. However, officials said there is still a large amount of smoke inside the building.

'It felt like the Earth shook,' resident says after retaining wall falls, crashes on cars
According to the website, the facility specializes in adhesives, anti-ballistic materials, coatings, conductive materials, filament winding, fire retardant materials and more.

At this time, fire officials said they were unsure of the exact substance inside the drum, but they have been told it is a by-product of a mixing process. They believe something went wrong with that particular mixture to cause the fire. They are still not sure what caused the drum to ignite.

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TDEC RELEASES FINAL REPORT ON EXPLOSION AT WACKER CHEMIE
http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/38582310/tdec-releases-final-report-on-explosion-at-wacker-chemie
Tags: us_TN, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

The final report on the explosion at Wacker Chemie claims equipment failed and the explosion was unavoidable.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) says evidence shows the equipment failure happened on September 7 of last year just before 4:00 p.m.

The report claims it was unlikely that public health or the environment were impacted.

Since the environment and public health were not affected, the state recommended no penalties against Wacker.

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POLICE INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE EXPLOSION IN ATCHISON
http://www.kctv5.com/story/38587222/police-investigate-possible-explosion-in-atchison
Tags: us_KS, public, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

ATCHISON, KS (KCTV) -
An investigation is underway after a possible explosion in downtown Atchison, Kansas.

It damaged at least seven businesses and had those in the small town shaken up.

Police and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives swept the area to make sure there were no other explosives.

They are now focusing on a criminal investigation.

Police said that around 2:30 a.m., an alarm went off and an explosion was heard near 8th Street and Kansas Avenue.

When officers got there, they saw broken windows on nearby buildings and glass covering the street.

After investigating, they eliminated natural gas or a chemical explosion as the cause. They believe someone purposely put an explosive device near the barbershop.

No one has been taken into custody, but police said they have made progress as far as finding out what happened. They are hopeful it will lead them to the person or people responsible.

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