From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (14 articles)
Date: Mon, 6 May 2019 07:38:16 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 86A25E62-859E-4DC2-B44B-83CA29AA81FD**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, May 6, 2019 at 7:38:00 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)

BREMER COUNTY POSTS ABOUT ANHYDROUS AMMONIA TANK SPILL
Tags: us_IA, industrial, release, response, ammonia

NO EXPLOSION: POOR LAB VENTILATION LED TO 13 STUDENTS INHALING IODINE GAS
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, release, injury, iodine

FUEL TRAVELS NEARLY ONE MILE FROM SITE OF SPILL IN LAKESIDE NEIGHBORHOOD
Tags: us_VA, public, release, response, petroleum

SAN JACINTO BATTLEGROUND TO REOPEN 6 WEEKS AFTER ITC FIRE
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental

OECD CHEMICAL SAFETY AND BIOSAFETY PROGRESS REPORT INCLUDES UPDATE ON WORK REGARDING MANUFACTURED NANOMATERIALS
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, nanoparticles

TRACER ROUNDS CREATE POTENTIAL HAZMAT FIRE AT FIRING RANGE
Tags: us_ga, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

HAZMAT SITUATION IN SOUTH NASHVILLE CAUSES EVACUATION
Tags: us_tn, transportation, discovery, response, peroxides

FIRE EXTINGUISHED AT WACKER PLANT IN CHARLESTON, TENNESSEE
Tags: us_tn, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

1 CONFIRMED DEAD, 3 MISSING IN CHICAGO-AREA CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION
Tags: us_il, explosion, industrial, death, unknown_chemical

PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT MAKERS FOLLOW THE GREEN GOLD RUSH OF CANNABIS
Tags: us, pubic, discovery, environmental, cannabis

LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL FOUND IN HOUSE THAT BELONGED TO DECEASED SLAC SCIENTIST
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, radiation

8 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER RADIOACTIVE HAZMAT BREACH IN SEATTLE
Tags: us_WA, public, release, injury, radiation

MAINE IS THE FIRST STATE TO BAN STYROFOAM
Tags: us_ME, public, discovery, environmental

API REVISES STANDARD TO REDUCE WORKER FATIGUE IN REFINERIES, CHEMICAL PLANTS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, discovery, environmental, petroleum


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BREMER COUNTY POSTS ABOUT ANHYDROUS AMMONIA TANK SPILL
https://kwwl.com/news/2019/05/05/bremer-county-posts-about-anhydrous-ammonia-tank-spill/
Tags: us_IA, industrial, release, response, ammonia

BREMER COUNTY, Iowa ‰?? The Bremer County Emergency Management says this weekend a farmer had a tank drain out of control. It was filled with anhydrous ammonia.

They say anhydrous ammonia can be very beneficial to the agricultural community when it is used as intended. But, it can be very dangerous when accidents happen.

Emergency Management says luckily the farmer called 911; the Waverly Fire Department, Bremer County Sheriff‰??s Department, Waverly Health Center EMS and Bremer County Emergency Management responded.

A cloud grew and moved with the wind, which caused some nearby residents to evacuate. The good news is a few hours later, the situation was resolved and no one was hurt. This all happened overnight, from Friday into Saturday.

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NO EXPLOSION: POOR LAB VENTILATION LED TO 13 STUDENTS INHALING IODINE GAS
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/05/06/no-explosion-poor-lab-ventilation-led-to-13-students-inhaling-iodine-gas/
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, release, injury, iodine

BALIK PULAU: Thirteen students ‰?? 11 females and two males ‰?? were affected after inhaling iodine gas during a science experiment in the school‰??s laboratory in Bayan Lepas, Penang.

An earlier report on the incident said there was an explosion, but this turned out to be inaccurate.

A spokesman from the Fire and Rescue Department said all the students were in a stable condition, with only one sent to Penang Hospital to receive treatment.

State Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh added that the Form Four students were conducting an experiment which involved iodine.

‰??Iodine was heated during the experiment to test its chemical reaction.

‰??As there was insufficient ventilation in the laboratory, around 20 students who were in class experienced breathing difficulties and started coughing,‰?? he said, adding that no explosion occurred during the experiment.

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FUEL TRAVELS NEARLY ONE MILE FROM SITE OF SPILL IN LAKESIDE NEIGHBORHOOD
https://www.richmond.com/news/local/henrico/fuel-travels-nearly-one-mile-from-site-of-spill-in/article_522ca704-a510-58df-81c8-c57ed25cff34.html
Tags: us_VA, public, release, response, petroleum

Home heating fuel leaked from a house in the Lakeside neighborhood on Sunday and traveled nearly a mile along a ditch and into a stream, according to Henrico County fire officials.

Cricket Gerald, an assistant fire chief, said crews were summoned at 10:27 a.m. to a home near the intersection of Cedar Croft Street and Summit Court for a report of a fuel smell.

The home was undergoing renovation work, and Gerald said the county fire marshal‰??s office is working with the homeowner to identify the exact cause of the leak.

The fuel traveled about eight-tenths of a mile in a ditch and into a stream, Gerald said. But crews put chemical-absorbent booms in the water and mitigated the spill before the chemicals could reach a larger waterway near Club Road, he said.

Gerald added that a cleanup contractor is finishing up the work. The county also has notified the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality about the incident.

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SAN JACINTO BATTLEGROUND TO REOPEN 6 WEEKS AFTER ITC FIRE
https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/San-Jacinto-Battleground-to-reopen-6-weeks-after-13821233.php
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental

PASADENA ‰?? The San Jacinto Battleground state historic site and museum will reopen Wednesday, six weeks after a Deer Park chemical fire forced it to close at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars and more than 70,000 visitors.

‰??It‰??s been tough,‰?? said Justin Rhodes, executive director of State Parks, a division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. ‰??This happened in our busiest time of the year.‰??

The ongoing cleanup of a tank farm at Intercontinental Terminals Co. that caught fire March 17 led to the cancellation of the annual Battle of San Jacinto reenactment, which on average attracts 15,000 visitors, he said. The state park and museum also missed Spring Break and Easter weekend.

Based on last year‰??s data, Rhodes estimated that the department lost $200,000 in revenue, in addition to $320,000 lost by the San Jacinto Museum Association.

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OECD CHEMICAL SAFETY AND BIOSAFETY PROGRESS REPORT INCLUDES UPDATE ON WORK REGARDING MANUFACTURED NANOMATERIALS
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/oecd-chemical-safety-and-biosafety-progress-report-includes-update-work-regarding
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, nanoparticles

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development‰??s (OECD) April 2019 issue of its Chemical Safety and Biosafety Progress Report includes an update on OECD‰??s work to determine the safety of manufactured nanomaterials. The Report notes that the applicability of OECD Test Guidelines for nanomaterials continues to be a major concern of the work of the Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN). WPMN agreed to work on three new projects related to testing manufactured nanomaterials and addressing: (1) the determination of concentrations of nanoparticles in biological samples for (eco)toxicity studies; (2) the determination of dissolution rates of nanomaterials in environmental media (dynamic method); and (3) supplementary guidance for the use of Test Guidelines 201, 202, and 203 for the determination of the ecotoxicity of manufactured nanomaterials. Work will continue to complete the compilation of information on biopersistent/biodurable manufactured nano!
materials, as well as on the development of a project proposal to address the toxicokinetics of manufactured nanomaterials. In addition, the WPMN identified a number of issues relevant for the development of all the Test Guidelines for nanomaterials (i.e., updating the Guidance on Sample Preparation and Dosimetry and the section on nanomaterials in the Guidance on Grouping).

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

TRACER ROUNDS CREATE POTENTIAL HAZMAT FIRE AT FIRING RANGE
https://patch.com/georgia/lawrenceville-ga/tracer-rounds-create-potential-hazmat-fire-firing-range
Tags: us_ga, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA -- Tracer rounds have been blamed for a Gwinnett County firing range going up in flames Saturday. There were no reported injuries as fire personnel completed their rehab and returned to service.

At 10:18 a.m., firefighters responded to a report of a business fire on the 200 block of West Crogan Street SW in the historic business district of downtown Lawrenceville. The caller to 911 reported that fire was inside of the gun range.

As crews left their fire station they could see a heavy column of smoke rising towards the skyline. Upon their arrival, fire personnel found heavy brown smoke. The building had been safely evacuated prior to their arrival.

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HAZMAT SITUATION IN SOUTH NASHVILLE CAUSES EVACUATION
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/hazmat-situation-in-south-nashville-causes-evacuation
Tags: us_tn, transportation, discovery, response, peroxides

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) ‰?? A problem with a truck carrying a chemical on Foster Avenue off Murfreesboro Road caused the road to be closed for a few hours Saturday afternoon.

According to the Nashville Fire Department the truck was carrying organic peroxide which can be dangerous if not stored at the proper temperature. Officials working the scene were worried about a possible explosion so they had to evacuate everyone within a half-mile radius.

No one was hurt during the clean up process and the evacuation order have since been lifted.

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

FIRE EXTINGUISHED AT WACKER PLANT IN CHARLESTON, TENNESSEE
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2019/may/04/fire-extinguished-wacker-plant-charleston-tennessee/494045/
Tags: us_tn, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

A fire reported at 1:20 a.m. Saturday in the waste water treatment building at the Wacker polysilicon manufacturing plant in Charleston, Tennessee, has been extinguished, according to the Bradley County Sheriff's Office.

Spokesman Adam Lewis said the fire on the fourth floor generated a cloud of smoke and water vapor, but air quality tests showed no chemical residue in the air.


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"At no time were chemicals involved" or released, Lewis said in a statement.

He said there was no danger to the public.

Lewis said firefighting personnel from Wacker, Cleveland and Bradley County responded to the incident, along with sheriff's office personnel.

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1 CONFIRMED DEAD, 3 MISSING IN CHICAGO-AREA CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION
https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/confirmed-dead-missing-in-chicago-area-chemical-plant-explosion/article_54c2d8a8-d8d7-5ae2-8ccd-571c151bca16.html
Tags: us_il, explosion, industrial, death, unknown_chemical

GURNEE, Ill. ‰?? One body has been recovered from a chemical plant that exploded Friday night in Waukegan, fire officials said Saturday morning.

Four employees of a Waukegan chemical plant were hospitalized and another three had been reported missing following the explosion late Friday at AB Specialty Silicones that caused more than $1 million in damage to both the plant and surrounding buildings, fire officials said.

‰??At this point, we were able to recover one of the three (employees) unaccounted for,‰?? Waukegan Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi told the Lake County News-Sun.

He said the body had been turned over to the Lake County coroner‰??s office. No identification had been made as of late-morning Saturday.

Authorities indicated Saturday morning that the three people previously reported missing likely did not survive the explosion and fire.

Lenzi said crews suspended their search for the three employees due to concerns about the stability of the structure.

‰??The structure is no longer safe for us to operate in,‰?? he said of firefighters‰?? efforts to recover the other two bodies authorities believe are still in what used to be the plant building.

The explosion at AB Specialty Silicones, at 3790 Sunset Ave. in Waukegan, was heard and felt across Lake County around 9:45 p.m. and was initially responded to by the Waukegan Fire Department.

The coroner was on scene Friday, and crews early on classified the search as a recovery, Lenzi said.

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PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT MAKERS FOLLOW THE GREEN GOLD RUSH OF CANNABIS
https://cen.acs.org/business/consumer-products/Personal-care-product-makers-follow/97/i18
Tags: us, pubic, discovery, environmental, cannabis

It‰??s natural, it‰??s been used since antiquity, and almost overnight, it‰??s become the ingredient to have in personal care products. Cannabis is the latest sensation showing up in creams, salves, massage oils, and hair care products. Some brands tout moisturizing effects, but many more suggest cannabinoids can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and treat acne and other skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema.

Call it marijuana or call it hemp, Cannabis sativa and its derivatives have taken off because of easing regulations globally. In the US, passage of the farm bill in December bestowed the federal government‰??s blessing on industrial varieties of cannabis with low levels of the psychotropic ingredient ‰??9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

The bill does not legalize marijuana, a term that designates cannabis varieties with THC levels in excess of 0.3%. However, it is paving the way for widespread use of the low-THC plant, known as hemp, in applications such as food, beverages, clothing, rope, plastics, and paper. Hemp seed oil and hemp derivatives such as the nonpsychotropic molecule cannabidiol (CBD) are increasingly showing up as ingredients in personal care products.

Feeling good
In 2017, personal care was the second- largest US consumer market for hemp derivatives.


Source: New Frontier Data consumer sales estimates. a Includes a small amount of cannabidiol-containing personal care products. b Mostly hemp seed oil.
Start-up ingredient producers such as Lilu‰??s Garden and Folium Biosciences are rushing to meet the demand for hemp derivatives. They are capitalizing on ingredients that are shedding their counterculture image and becoming part of the mainstream.

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LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL FOUND IN HOUSE THAT BELONGED TO DECEASED SLAC SCIENTIST
https://padailypost.com/2019/05/02/low-level-radioactive-material-found-in-house-that-belonged-to-deceased-slac-scientist/
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, radiation

Low-level radioactive materials were found today (May 2) in a San Carlos home near Burton Park. The discovery caused authorities to close the park and a nearby youth center.

The materials belonged to a SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory scientist who died earlier this year.

At about noon today, the San Mateo County Department of Environmental Health got a call from the family of Ronald Seefred. They found some containers at Seefred‰??s house at 1054 Cedar St. contained radioactive materials.

Seefred, who died on Jan. 1 at age 82, retired in 2003 after 40 years at SLAC in Menlo Park, where he co-authored six radiation physics articles and served as a crew member of the High Energy Electronics Pool Lab, according to the Northern California chapter of the Health and Physics Society.

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8 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER RADIOACTIVE HAZMAT BREACH IN SEATTLE
https://www.khq.com/news/people-hospitalized-after-radioactive-hazmat-breach-in-seattle/article_77914a2e-6d94-11e9-9008-eb6432630dff.html
Tags: us_WA, public, release, injury, radiation

Eight people were hospitalized after a radioactive hazmat situation in Seattle.

Fire officials say contract workers were removing cesium chloride salt from Harborview Hall when the breach happened. Teams worked quickly to contain the breach.

The Seattle Fire Department says 13 people tested positive for exposure to radioactive materials. All 13 underwent decontamination and were asymptomatic.

Eight of those affected were transported to Harvorview Medical Center.

Firefighters say there is no threat to the general public and the breach has been contained.

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

MAINE IS THE FIRST STATE TO BAN STYROFOAM
https://psmag.com/news/maine-is-the-first-state-to-ban-styrofoam
Tags: us_ME, public, discovery, environmental

In a major victory for environmentalists, Maine has become the the first state to ban Styrofoam containers for food and beverages. The ban, signed by Democratic Governor Janet Mills on Tuesday, will take effect on January 1st, 2021.

The ban will make it illegal for restaurants to sell or distribute the containers (such as bowls, plates, cups, trays, and cartons), with penalties of up to $100 in fines. In addition, grocery stores and other businesses will be prohibited from using the containers. There are some exceptions: Hospitals, seafood shippers, and state-funded meals-on-wheels programs will still be allowed to use Styrofoam.

According to the Natural Resources Council of Maine, these containers are some of the most commonly littered items in the United States, with the state of Maine using 256 million Styrofoam items every year.

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API REVISES STANDARD TO REDUCE WORKER FATIGUE IN REFINERIES, CHEMICAL PLANTS
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-labor-refineries-fatigue/api-revises-standard-to-reduce-worker-fatigue-in-refineries-chemical-plants-idUSKCN1S82CH
Tags: us_TX, industrial, discovery, environmental, petroleum

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The American Petroleum Institute issued on Thursday a revised standard aimed at reducing fatigue among workers in the nation‰??s refineries and chemical plants, the trade group said.

The fatigue standard, officially called Recommended Practice (RP) 755, was first issued in 2010, based on the U.S. Chemical Safety Board‰??s finding that worker fatigue was one of the factors in the 2005 explosion at BP Plc‰??s refinery in Texas City, Texas, which killed 15 workers and injured 180 others.

The revised RP 755 is intended to further tighten the limits on the number of consecutive hours and days work may be required including during malfunctions and shutdowns.

‰??The second edition of RP 755 advances unified and condensed requirements to avoid fatigue for all workers involved in safety sensitive processes,‰?? said Debra Phillips, vice president of API‰??s Global Industry Services division in a statement issued on Thursday.

The United Steelworkers union (USW), which represents 30,000 workers in the oil industry did not reply to a request for comment on Thursday.

USW officials have in the past criticized the standard for being too easy for refinery and chemical plant managers to bypass or abuse.

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