Thanks for sending these Ralph. This service is terrific. I frequently share these stories with other safety activists.

Today I was especially struck by the story on the KMCO layoffs in the wake of an explosion and fire last month. The explosion killed one employee and injured several others. And now 35 others are hit with the loss of their jobs, even though the plant apparently remains open and in production. ‰??This decision was painful but necessary to achieve our long-term strategic goals,‰?? said a company spokesperson. ‰??The company is grateful for the contributions made by each of the affected employees and we wish them the best in their future endeavors.‰?? Talk about adding insult to injury!

My union doesn't represent these workers. But we've seen these stories many times before. In fighting for safer conditions we've often heard the argument that the controls are too expensive, and will threaten jobs. But exactly the opposite is true, and this proves the point. I've never seen a plant close because it was too safe. I've seen plenty close because they were too dangerous.

Mike

Michael J. Wright
Director of Health, Safety and Environment
United Steelworkers
å
412-562-2580 office
412-370-0105 cell

‰??My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we‰??ll change the world.‰??
Jack Layton

å

-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of DCHAS Membership Chair
Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2019 5:46 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (22 articles)

I realized that I forgot to send out the headlines digest yesterday...

- Ralph

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 5:45:37 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 (22 articles)

HASH OIL LAB DISCOVERED AFTER EXPLOSION AT EL CAJON WAREHOUSE
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, injury, clandestine_lab

CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE CLOSES PORTION OF PULASKI SKYWAY, RESIDENTS ASKED TO REMAIN INDOORS
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, fire, response, chlorine

INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS EVACUATED FOLLOWING CHEMICAL SPILL IN SHELTON
Tags: us_CT, industrial, explosion, injury, hydrofluoric_acid

COMMENT: TEST METHODS AND IP: DO WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY FROM THE ADMINISTRATORS?
Tags: public, discovery, environmental

FIRE AT CHESTER CHEMICAL PLANT PROMPTS HAZMAT SITUATION ‰?? CBS PHILLY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

ATLANTA: NEWS, WEATHER AND TRAFFIC
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, pool_chemicals

MOSMORRAN CHEMICAL PLANT: FIFE COUNCILLORS DEMAND COMPENSATION FOR LOCALS
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum

BATTERY SPILL TEMPORARILY CLOSES TURNPIKE EXIT
Tags: us_OH, transportation, release, response, batteries

SMOKING LIQUID IN SONOMA COUNTY STREET ID'D AS ACID
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

ACID SPILL FORCES EVACUATION AT PRECISION CASTPARTS IN MILWAUKIE
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, response, acids

LAB WORKERS EMPLOY EMERGENCY MEASURES TO DESTROY ‰??UNSTABLE‰?? WASTE
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, discovery, response, peroxide

GAS LEAK FIRE KILLS MOTHER, TWO DAUGHTERS IN UPPER EGYPT
Tags: Egypt, public, fire, death, natural_gas

MAN INJURED BY CAUSTIC CHEMICAL AT DOVER CHEMICAL ON TUESDAY
Tags: us_OH, industrial, release, injury, other_chemical

HAMPTON VA MEDICAL CENTER BUILDING EVACUATED FOR CHEMICAL ODOR FROM URINE SAMPLE
Tags: us_VA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

CANCUN RESTAURANT KITCHEN EXPLODES FROM GAS ACCUMULATION
Tags: Mexico, public, explosion, injury, natural_gas

KMCO LAYS OFF DOZENS OF EMPLOYEES AFTER DEADLY CHEMICAL EXPLOSION IN CROSBY
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental

HOT SPOT SMOLDERING AT SITE OF WAUKEGAN PLANT EXPLOSION
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical

DIRECTORATE GETS TOUGH ON PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN JAMMU
Tags: India, laboratory, discovery, environmental

CREWS CLEAN UP HAZMAT SPILL ON I-30 IN BOWIE COUNTY, TEXAS
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, hydrogen_peroxide

SMALL FLASH FIRE REPORTED AT ITC FACILITY IN DEER PARK
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, benzene

FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE CHEMICAL FIRE AT A LEBANON WALMART SUPERSTORE
Tags: us_OR, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical

'BROKEN SYSTEM' PUTS UNIVERSITY OF UTAH LAB WORKERS AT RISK, AUDIT SAYS
Tags: us_UT, laboratory, discovery, environmental

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HASH OIL LAB DISCOVERED AFTER EXPLOSION AT EL CAJON WAREHOUSE
https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/hash-oil-lab-discovered-after-fire-at-el-cajon-business
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, injury, clandestine_lab

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Two hash oil extraction labs were discovered in two San Diego County cities, with one of them found inside an El Cajon warehouse after a fire.

Federal officials said an explosion and subsequent fire was reported at a warehouse at 920 El Cajon Blvd. in El Cajon, and the incident sent one man to the hospital with extensive burn injuries Thursday night.

According to federal officials, ‰??DEA‰??s Narcotic Task Force responded to the scene and identified an active hash oil extraction laboratory. Marijuana, sophisticated laboratory equipment, and over a dozen 55-gallon drums containing hexane, a volatile solvent, were located inside the building where the fire occurred.‰??

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

CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE CLOSES PORTION OF PULASKI SKYWAY, RESIDENTS ASKED TO REMAIN INDOORS
https://www.nj.com/news/2019/05/fire-at-nj-chemical-plant-closes-portion-of-pulaski-skyway.html
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, fire, response, chlorine

A fire at a chlorine plant in Kearny Friday shut down a portion of the Pulaski Skyway in the area and caused officials to warn residents to remain indoors because of the smoke and fumes the blaze created..

The plant, known as Alden Leads, is located on Jacobus Avenue almost directly underneath the Pulaski Skyway.

Kearny residents were asked by local fire officials to stay indoors with their windows windows closed, because the smoke could cause ‰??severe respiratory distress.‰??

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

INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS EVACUATED FOLLOWING CHEMICAL SPILL IN SHELTON
https://dailyvoice.com/connecticut/shelton/police-fire/industrial-business-evacuated-following-chemical-spill-in-shelton/768415/
Tags: us_CT, industrial, explosion, injury, hydrofluoric_acid

First responders were called to the scene of what they thought was a call for an explosion, but instead found a hazardous material spill in an industrial building.

The incident took place in the early afternoon on Friday, May 17, at Milestone Inc., located at 25 Controls Drive in Shelton, said Shelton Police Det. Richard Bango.

According to Bango, the initial calls reported an explosion but after the fire department arrived it was determined that was not the case.

An investigation revealed a small hydrofluoric acid spill occurred and vapor from the chemical reached the ventilation system causing the building to be evacuated, he added.

There were no reported injuries.

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

COMMENT: TEST METHODS AND IP: DO WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY FROM THE ADMINISTRATORS?
https://chemicalwatch.com/77681/comment-test-methods-and-ip-do-we-need-more-transparency-from-the-administrators
Tags: public, discovery, environmental

This comment article is a sample and was originally published for Advance members of Chemical Watch. We hope you enjoy this exclusive taster. To find out more about the new Chemical Watch service and how you can access more articles like this one, please visit new.chemicalwatch.com.

Many readers may be unaware that many toxicity test methods for industrial chemicals are not free, and users have to pay to use them.

The reason they aren‰??t free is they contain elements that are protected by intellectual property (IP) rights.

It wasn‰??t always like this. Go back a couple of decades and you would have struggled to find any IP at all within the canon of standard methods.

In the intervening time, however, scientists have developed and validated many new methods and some of these contain so-called protected elements.

This could be because of the higher proportion of in vitro techniques in the newer methods: it might be easier to claim IP rights over a cell line than a mouse strain, for example.

In contrast, the older methods are predominantly in vivo and adapted from methods that were already at the time widely used for safety assessment of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and pesticides.

Whatever the reason, in terms of IP rights, we‰??re looking at a different situation today compared with 20 years ago. And this situation has important implications.

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

FIRE AT CHESTER CHEMICAL PLANT PROMPTS HAZMAT SITUATION ‰?? CBS PHILLY
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/05/17/fire-at-norquay-chester-chemical-plant-prompts-hazmat-situation/
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) ‰?? Paramedics in Delaware County transported 13 people, including ten firefighters, to area hospitals after a fire at a chemical plant in Chester. No one was hurt, but the ten firefighters and three Norquay Technology employees were taken to the hospitals as a precaution after they were decontaminated on scene for possible chemical exposure.

The fire started in a second-floor office at the Norquay plant at 800 W. Front St. just before 2:45 a.m. Friday, prompting several fire companies and the Delaware County Hazmat Team to respond.

Chester Fire Commissioner William Rigby said the fire was put out quickly and didn‰??t spread very far. The damage to the building was minimal.

The company uses potentially hazardous chemicals to produce materials used in construction and household goods from cell phones to airplanes, so anyone who was in close proximity to the fire had to be decontaminated.

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

ATLANTA: NEWS, WEATHER AND TRAFFIC
https://www.wsbradio.com/news/local/pool-danger/yNDg5dZgukbNmyn8iQkElM/
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, pool_chemicals

More than 4500 people end up in the emergency room each year because of injuries from pool chemicals, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Inhaling chemicals was the most common injury. CDC examined data on emergency department visits due to pool chemical injuries during 2015- 2017. The top diagnosis was poisoning due to breathing in chemical fumes, vapors, or gases‰??for example, when opening chlorine containers.

Additional findings:

Over one-third of these preventable injuries were in children or teens (36%)
Over half of pool chemical injuries occurred at a home (56%)
About two-thirds of pool chemical injuries occurred during the summer swim season (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day) (65%)
Safety starts with pool owners and operating pool chemicals, like chlorine, protect swimmers from the spread of germs and prevent outbreaks linked to pools and water playgrounds. If you own a pool or operate a public pool (for example, at a hotel, waterpark, or community center), take the following steps to prevent pool chemical injuries:

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

MOSMORRAN CHEMICAL PLANT: FIFE COUNCILLORS DEMAND COMPENSATION FOR LOCALS
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17645962.mosmorran-chemical-plant-fife-councillors-demand-compensation-for-locals/
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum

RESIDENTS blighted by air pollution and noise from a petrochemical plant are set for payouts from an oil giant after councillors backed a motion seeking compensation.

In a debate in Fife Council on the future of the Fife Ethylene Plant at Mossmorran, run by ExxonMobil, councillors from all parties condemned the six-day spate of unplanned flaring at the chemical works, beginning on Easter Sunday.

Read more: Oil giants under fire for safety failings at Fife plant

The incident triggered a record number of complaints to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) as local people raised the alarm over huge plumes of black smoke, chemical-smelling fumes and a rumbling noise emanating from the site.

ExxonMobil has insisted the flare posed no danger to the public and blamed the problem on a faulty section of cable.

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

BATTERY SPILL TEMPORARILY CLOSES TURNPIKE EXIT
http://www.chroniclet.com/Local-News/2019/05/15/Battery-spill-temporarily-closes-Turnpike-exit.html
Tags: us_OH, transportation, release, response, batteries

About a dozen car batteries dumped over onto the road near the Ohio Turnpike on Tuesday night, spilling acid near exit 151.

The North Ridgeville Fire Department handled the scene, with assistance from the Elyria Fire Department. The spill was just before the gate to get onto the Turnpike near state Route 10.

Hazmat oil dry buckets were sent over to collect the batteries and clean the spill. The Ohio Department of Transportation directed traffic around the spill.

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

SMOKING LIQUID IN SONOMA COUNTY STREET ID'D AS ACID
https://patch.com/california/sonomavalley/smoking-liquid-sonoma-county-street-idd-acid
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

SONOMA COUNTY, CA -- Firefighters responding to a report of a smoking liquid in the middle of a street in Sonoma County recently say that the liquid turned out to be spilled acid.

At 7 AM on Tuesday, May 14, Santa Rosa Fire Dept. firefighters responded to a report of a smoking liquid on Cross Creek Rd near Skyfarm Drive and Riebli Road.

The liquid was identified as muriatic acid, a colorless liquid with a pungent smell. Firefighters neutralized the liquid and worked with city public works department crews to clean up the street.

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

ACID SPILL FORCES EVACUATION AT PRECISION CASTPARTS IN MILWAUKIE
https://www.kptv.com/news/acid-spill-forces-evacuation-at-precision-castparts-in-milwaukie/article_e19ba3f8-777e-11e9-a924-7b482d6cd27c.html
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, response, acids

MILWAUKIE, OR (KPTV) ‰?? Hundreds of Precision Castparts employees in Milwaukie were forced to evacuate Wednesday afternoon after a reported acid spill, according to fire officials.

Firefighters rushed to the scene off Johnson Creek Road where they say a 1,400-gallon truck carrying nitric acid and hydrochloric acid was leaking. A hazmat team also responded and remained on scene after the incident was recalled.

About 600 employees were evacuated from the Precision Castparts building, Clackamas Fire District #1 says. The evacuation was temporary and no injuries were reported.

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

LAB WORKERS EMPLOY EMERGENCY MEASURES TO DESTROY ‰??UNSTABLE‰?? WASTE
https://www.lamonitor.com/content/lab-workers-employ-emergency-measures-destroy-%E2%80%98unstable%E2%80%99-waste
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, discovery, response, peroxide

Lab workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory destroyed an ‰??unstable‰?? bottle of hazardous waste hours after its discovery May 2, according to letters between officials from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and New Mexico Environment Department that documented the incident.

LANL/Courtesy
Lab workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory destroyed an ‰??unstable‰?? bottle of hazardous waste hours after its discovery May 2.
The 3.5 ounce bottle of lithium borohydride in tetrahydrofuran was discovered in the SM40 Room at Tech Area 3, which is also known as the Physics Building. By 6:05 p.m. May 2, the waste was destroyed in a contained explosion, according to Enrique Torres, division leader of Triad National Security‰??s Environmental Protection and Compliance Division.

‰??The material was placed in a total containment vessel and wrapped in sheet explosives,‰?? Torres said in a letter to John Kieling of NMED‰??s Hazardous Waste Bureau. ‰??Sufficient quantity and configuration of explosives was utilized to ensure the complete consumption of material in question.‰??

The bottle of lithium borohydride was discovered during an inspection of the building. The bottle was determined to be 15 years old. It had crystallization around the cap, which prompted lab workers destroyed the bottle that day.

‰??The crystallization prohibited opening of the bottle for testing and any attempts to sample the visible crystallization may have caused an unintentional initiation of the suspected peroxide crystals,‰?? Torres also said in the same letter to Kieling. ‰??This condition posed an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health and the environment.‰??

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

GAS LEAK FIRE KILLS MOTHER, TWO DAUGHTERS IN UPPER EGYPT
https://egyptindependent.com/gas-leak-fire-kills-mother-two-daughters-in-upper-egypt/
Tags: Egypt, public, fire, death, natural_gas

A woman and her two young daughters died while another daughter was injured on Wednesday as a result of wounds they sustained from a fire in their apartment at Sohag governorate, Upper Egypt.

Examination of the scene revealed that the fire broke out in the apartment as a result of a gas leakage. The fire resulted in the death of mother Nahed, 39 and her two daughters Abrar, 11, and Afnan, 14, while her third daughter, Alaa, 19, was injured.

Sohag Second Police Department was notified about a fire in a residential apartment in Sohag‰??s al-Arqam area. Police and firefighters moved to the site of the accident immediately, where they managed to control and extinguish the fire.

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

MAN INJURED BY CAUSTIC CHEMICAL AT DOVER CHEMICAL ON TUESDAY
https://www.timesreporter.com/news/20190515/man-injured-by-caustic-chemical-at-dover-chemical-on-tuesday
Tags: us_OH, industrial, release, injury, other_chemical

DOVER TOWNSHIP A man suffered moderate injury after a caustic liquid splashed on his face Tuesday evening at Dover Chemical, 3676 Davis Road, according to the Dover Fire Department.

Fire Capt. Michael J. Mossor said the department was called at 8:50 p.m. to the site to find a man had methoxypropylamine on his face. Plant workers were caring for the patient and decontaminating him with water when paramedics arrived.

The patient was taken to Aultman Hospital in Canton.

Less than a gallon of material spilled, Mossor said.

‰??No spilled material left the plant property,‰?? he said in a prepared statement. ‰??No spilled material left the plant property. There was no danger or damage from the spill to the environment or the community.‰??

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

HAMPTON VA MEDICAL CENTER BUILDING EVACUATED FOR CHEMICAL ODOR FROM URINE SAMPLE
https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-nws-va-hospital-evacuation-20190515-story.html
Tags: us_VA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

The behavioral health center at the Hampton VA Medical Center was evacuated Wednesday afternoon after staff members reported a strong chemical odor.

Spokesman John Rogers said staff members noticed around 2:30 p.m. the odor was becoming overwhelming on the first and second floors of the building. The building was evacuated and closed while Hampton police and fire investigated.

The source of the smell was a urine sample from a veteran, said Taquisa Simmons, interim medical center director.

The sample was taken to Richmond for more testing and results are expected in about a week, Simmons said.

The hazmat team reported there were no contaminates or hazardous materials in the building.

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

CANCUN RESTAURANT KITCHEN EXPLODES FROM GAS ACCUMULATION
https://www.riviera-maya-news.com/cancun-restaurant-kitchen-explodes-from-gas-accumulation/2019.html
Tags: Mexico, public, explosion, injury, natural_gas

Cancun, Q.R. ‰?? A gas explosion in a Cancun Hotel Zone restaurant kitchen left both workers and guests dazed and confused.

The explosion caused a fire inside the kitchen of Rosa Negra, a restaurant located at Kilometer 15 of the Cancun Hotel Zone. Emergency 911 responded to the call, sending police, firemen and ambulances to the restaurant.

According to Alejandro Beaven Maga̱a who was in charge at the time, the incident happened around 10:00 a.m. Tuesday. He says that the explosion was the result of gas accumulation.

Firemen were quick to control the fire, using chemical dust and extractors to ventilate the building. Beaven Maga̱a says that first investigations indicated a gas accumulation was responsible.

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

KMCO LAYS OFF DOZENS OF EMPLOYEES AFTER DEADLY CHEMICAL EXPLOSION IN CROSBY
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/kmco-lays-off-dozens-of-employees-after-deadly-chemical-explosion-in-crosby/285-18abf632-5016-413d-ae45-df81a74fd512
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental

CROSBY, Texas ‰?? KMCO chemical plant in Crosby has decided to eliminate 35 positions a month after the plant caught fire in an explosion.

The fire, that happened in April, killed one employee and hurt several others.

‰??This decision was painful but necessary to achieve our long-term strategic goals,‰?? said a company spokesperson. ‰??The company is grateful for the contributions made by each of the affected employees and we wish them the best in their future endeavors.‰??

The plume of smoke was reminiscent of the ITC fire in Deer Park that occurred weeks before.

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

HOT SPOT SMOLDERING AT SITE OF WAUKEGAN PLANT EXPLOSION
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Hot-spot-smoldering-at-site-of-Waukegan-plant-13847961.php
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) ‰?? Fire officials say a hot spot continues to smolder at the site of a northern Illinois silicone factory explosion that killed four workers earlier this month.

Waukegan Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi tells The (Waukegan) News-Sun on Wednesday that the hot spot "presents no immediate hazard." Lenzi says the spot contains chemical products that are still reacting. He says firefighters have put dry extinguisher on the spot but can't work on it yet because U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board investigators are concentrating on the area.

Four men died after the May 3 the explosion at AB Speciality Silcones.

Lenzi says members of the public have reported puffs of smoke "now and then." The newspaper reports crews will extinguish the area when investigators are done unless it burns out first.

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

DIRECTORATE GETS TOUGH ON PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN JAMMU
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/directorate-gets-tough-on-private-schools-in-jammu/773466.html
Tags: India, laboratory, discovery, environmental

Following criticism for being lax towards private schools in the Jammu province by granting them permission, recognition and extension without verification, the Directorate of School Education has finally started taking strict measures to streamline the process.
There are more than 5,000 private schools in the state and of them, 2,276 are in the Jammu division.

Sources said a majority of the schools affiliated with the J&K Board of School Education lacked safety certificates such as the fire safety certificate, building safety certificate and the chemical safety certificate.
The school safety certificate is to be issued by the public works department while the fire safety certificate has to be issued by the fire and emergency services department. The chemical laboratory safety certificate is to be issued by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

The sources said the school directorate had tightened the noose and made it mandatory for all private schools to get all necessary certificates from the authorities. Without the certificates, their cases will not be considered.

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

CREWS CLEAN UP HAZMAT SPILL ON I-30 IN BOWIE COUNTY, TEXAS
https://www.ktbs.com/news/texarkana/crews-clean-up-hazmat-spill-on-i--in-bowie/article_1ef922ee-767a-11e9-a0bd-e3b4c476978b.html
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, hydrogen_peroxide

NEW BOSTON, Texas - Crews spent Tuesday containing a chemical spill off Interstate 30 in Bowie County, Texas.

It happened around 5:30 a.m. east of New Boston.

The Texas Highway Patrol said the driver of an 18-wheeler hit the brakes to keep from hitting a car that swerve in front of him.

When the driver tapped the brakes, all of cargo shifted forward and three containers inside the trailer broke open.

Officials said about 1,000 gallons of hydrogen peroxide spilled onto the ground.

"It's not a danger to the public. It's a small percentage, 5 percent peroxide. The worse it will do is irritate your skin. It's a light corrosive," explained Scottie Taylor, Bowie County Deputy Fire Marshal.

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

SMALL FLASH FIRE REPORTED AT ITC FACILITY IN DEER PARK
https://abc13.com/small-flash-fire-reported-at-itc-facility-in-deer-park-/5299884/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, benzene

DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) -- A small flash fire was reported at Intercontinental Terminals Company's Deer Park facility on Tuesday.

This incident comes nearly two months after a huge fire erupted at the facility on March 17.

Officials said the flash fire happened while crews were working to deconstruct tank 80-15, which was one of the tanks that burned during the March fire.

Officials released a statement saying that pre-staged firefighters extinguished the fire immediately.

Air monitoring during the incident did not identify any elevated benzene levels during the time of the fire, officials said.

There were no reported injuries.

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

FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE CHEMICAL FIRE AT A LEBANON WALMART SUPERSTORE
https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2019/05/14/firefighters-battle-fire-walmart-superstore-lebanon/3674313002/
Tags: us_OR, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical

Firefighters and a HazMat team responded to a two-alarm chemical fire Tuesday afternoon at a Lebanon Walmart Superstore.

The Lebanon Fire District responded to the fire around 1 p.m. after there were reports of smoke coming from the building and customers were being evacuated, according to a release from the fire district.

Authorities said the fire originated in an aisle where several types of chemicals were stored, causing the entire store to become saturated with chemical-filled smoke.

The sprinkler system in the store kept the fire from expanding, but crews had to use a thermal imagining camera to locate the fire because of the large amount of smoke, according to the release.

Crews used a hose line to extinguish the flames.

Fire officials are still investigating the cause. No injuries were reported.

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

'BROKEN SYSTEM' PUTS UNIVERSITY OF UTAH LAB WORKERS AT RISK, AUDIT SAYS
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900070696/broken-system-puts-university-of-utah-lab-workers-at-risk-audit-says.html
Tags: us_UT, laboratory, discovery, environmental

SALT LAKE CITY ‰?? Two University of Utah students suffered chemical burns in College of Engineering labs the past two years despite safety inspections that identified major deficiencies just before the incidents.

Not correcting the problems is reminiscent of inaction at other universities that led to severe injuries over the past decade, including a death at UCLA, according to a Utah legislative audit released Tuesday.

The Office of the Legislative Auditor General says the problems identified in the 64-page report show a "broken system" that puts lab workers at risk. The audit focused on the occupational hazards in U. academic labs.

"Though the university has not had a fatality, it has experienced serious accidents. Safety deficiencies need to be addressed to ensure future accidents are minimized," according to the audit.

Sen. Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City, said she has seen many audits, but "I've never seen one that says broken. This is a broken system."

Mayne, who requested the lab safety audit, said the problems have not gone on for years but for decades. She said when she asked U. officials five years ago if the school was compliant with Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, she was assured it was.

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

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