From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (8 articles)
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2019 08:03:28 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 53E14CB6-174F-42CA-AA26-E1B6449F5F6E**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, July 1, 2019 at 8:03:05 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)

AT THE CHEMICAL PLANT IN CHINA, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED
Tags: China, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

EXPLOSION HEARD DAY BEFORE POLICE RAID METH SUPER LAB ON MCLAREN FALLS RD
Tags: New_Zealand, public, explosion, injury, clandestine_lab

BIRMINGHAM AL FIREFIGHTER TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER LYE TRUCK OVERTURNS
Tags: us_AL, transportation, release, response, sodium_hydroxide

UNITED FARM WORKERS HOLD DEMONSTRATION AFTER RECENT HAZMAT INCIDENTS INVOLVING OVER 130 WORKERS
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems

HAZMAT SITUATION: WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG TO CLEAN UP?
Tags: us_AL, transportation, release, environmental, unknown_chemical

CHEMICAL SPILL AT PARSIPPANY SEWER PLANT
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, release, injury, other_chemical

CHEMICAL MIXING INCIDENT AT OHIO PLANT INJURES WORKER
Tags: us_OH, industrial, fire, injury, dust

CSB SAYS POLICIES WILL BE RE-EXAMINED AFTER RECENT INCIDENT REPORTS OMIT NAMES OF WORKERS WHO DIED
Tags: us_DC, public, follow-up, environmental


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AT THE CHEMICAL PLANT IN CHINA, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED
https://galpost.com/at-the-chemical-plant-in-china-an-explosion-occurred/23530/
Tags: China, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

n China, an explosion occurred at a chemical plant Anhui Maiqi Chemical Co. As a result of incident two persons were lost, nine more were injured, reports RIA ‰??Novosti‰?? with reference to local media.

The explosion occurred during cleaning in one of the reservoirs for storage of substances. The deceased worker was cleaning the tank and couldn‰??t get out. Also killed one firefighter.

A similar case occurred in China on March 21. Then the Chinese factory ‰??Jiangsu Tarczay‰?? also blew up a storage tank for chemicals. Killed at least 64 people, injured about 600. Three thousand homes that were nearby, were damaged.

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EXPLOSION HEARD DAY BEFORE POLICE RAID METH SUPER LAB ON MCLAREN FALLS RD
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=12244854
Tags: New_Zealand, public, explosion, injury, clandestine_lab

"It was like a bomb went off, it was so loud. It shook our whole house."

These are the words of a Kaimai Range resident who heard an "explosion" in his usually quiet rural neighbourhood on Wednesday - two days before today's announcement that a large methamphetamine laboratory had been found nearby.

The next morning, Thursday, McLaren Falls Rd was a hive of police activity as a helicopter landed and unmarked police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and police dogs swarmed the neighbourhood while residents wondered what was going on.

The mystery was solved today when police announced a methamphetamine "super lab" had been discovered and arrests had been made.

The lab, in the bush on the rural property, was described by police as a "significant clandestine laboratory" capable of producing several kilograms of methamphetamine each week.

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BIRMINGHAM AL FIREFIGHTER TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER LYE TRUCK OVERTURNS
https://www.firehouse.com/rescue/hazardous-materials/news/21086747/birmingham-al-firefighter-taken-to-hospital-after-lye-truck-overturns
Tags: us_AL, transportation, release, response, sodium_hydroxide

A hazmat spill Thursday night has closed all lanes of I-65 in both directions in Birmingham, according to fire and transportation officials, and the northbound lanes were reopened by early Friday.

An 18-wheeler containing lye overturned on the highway near the Green Springs Avenue exit on I-65 southbound around 6 p.m., said Birmingham Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Sebastian Carillo.

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UNITED FARM WORKERS HOLD DEMONSTRATION AFTER RECENT HAZMAT INCIDENTS INVOLVING OVER 130 WORKERS
https://abc30.com/united-farm-workers-hold-demonstration-following-hazmat-incidents/5370367/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Two dozen UFW members marched outside of the Fresno County Ag Commissioner's Office. They claim local ag commissioners aren't doing enough to investigate two incidents where farm laborers were exposed to pesticides.

"The ag commissioner has a responsibility, but we believe they have an inherent bias," said UFW Secretary-Treasurer Armando Elenes. "An inherent bias because not only are they charged with promoting agriculture but here they are supposedly investigating pesticide incidents so who are they really representing?"

Fresno County Assistant Ag Commissioner Rusty Lantsberger says worker protection goes hand in hand with enforcing pesticide laws.

"We're one family. We are a regulatory agency," he said. "We have a robust pesticide enforcement program and we are out and we are looking for violations and we are also making sure that the protocols and regulations are followed."

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HAZMAT SITUATION: WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG TO CLEAN UP?
https://www.wbrc.com/2019/06/29/hazmat-situation-why-did-it-take-so-long-cleanup/
Tags: us_AL, transportation, release, environmental, unknown_chemical

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - The normal Friday afternoon congestion on I-65 was welcomed, compared to what commuters were dealing with just 24 hours earlier.

A hazmat spill caused the interstate to shutdown until the early morning hours of Friday.

So why did the cleanup take so long?

"That's a very fair question. I would answer that as saying anytime that we have a hazardous material, as part of our response, our very first priority is always life safety," said Birmingham Fire Battalion Chief Sebastian Carrillo.

He went on to say that responding to a hazardous material spill is a lot different from responding to other emergencies.

"It takes time to pull that incident together. And do an incident action plan for the response. However, we are always working from the second we get on the scene. Determining, do we need to begin an evacuation? Taking care of those life safety issues and unfortunately people who are sitting on the interstate, don't see that plan taking place," said Carrillo.

Fire officials add that trucks carrying chemicals typically carry paperwork that show what is on board. Different steps have to be taken in each situation.

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CHEMICAL SPILL AT PARSIPPANY SEWER PLANT
https://parsippanyfocus.com/2019/06/28/chemical-spill-at-parsippany-sewer-plant/
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, release, injury, other_chemical

PARSIPPANY ‰?? Par-Troy EMS, Rockaway Neck First Aid Squad, Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Officers, Parsippany District #5 Fire Department, along with their Haz-Mat Team responded to the Parsippany Sewer Plant for a chemical spill.

It was determined that a valve broke on a 330 gallon storage container causing the product to drain from the container exposing one employee, along with an officer who responded to the incident, to Peroxyacetic Acid.

The Sewer Plant employee received minor chemical burns, and due to the proximity the officer came to the spill, he also reported symptoms consist with exposure to the chemical. Both individuals were decontaminated and transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment and later released. Clean up efforts, which were performed by a private company, continued into the evening.

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CHEMICAL MIXING INCIDENT AT OHIO PLANT INJURES WORKER
https://www.powderbulksolids.com/news/Chemical-Mixing-Incident-at-Ohio-Plant-Injures-Worker-06-28-2019
Tags: us_OH, industrial, fire, injury, dust

A chemical mixing reaction at Addipel resin pellets facility in Elyria, OH on Wednesday left a worker with injuries, several local news organizations reported.

Crews responded to the Keep Court plant at about 10 a.m., finding a large volume of smoke in the facility when they arrived, coverage by the Lorain Morning-Journal said. A worker had second-degree burns and was transported to an area hospital for treatment, an official interviewed by the newspaper stated.

The reaction occurred as workers were mixing vicron, cellcom-obsh, akawax-c powder, and crodamide, Elyria Fire Department Assistant Chief Joe Pronesti told the Elyria Chronicle. Chemicals involved in the incident did not pose a risk to the surrounding environment, according to Pronesti, and smoke in the facility was not hazardous.

Officials said the incident remains under investigation.

Headquartered in Avon Lake, OH, Addipel produces additive powdered blends and 100% active, non-dust blends for the plastics industry, according to information on the company‰??s website. The company is a part of Maroon Group LLC.

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CSB SAYS POLICIES WILL BE RE-EXAMINED AFTER RECENT INCIDENT REPORTS OMIT NAMES OF WORKERS WHO DIED
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/18626-csb-says-policies-will-be-re-examined-after-recent-incident-reports-omit-names-of-workers-who-died
Tags: us_DC, public, follow-up, environmental

Washington ‰?? The Chemical Safety Board will look into its recent decision to not include in its reports the names of workers who died in chemical incidents, the agency‰??s interim Executive Authority Kristen Kulinowski said during a June 25 public business meeting.

Kulinowski‰??s statement was made in response to two letters: One signed by a group of more than 50 advocates, including the executive directors of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, and another from United Support and Memorial for Workplace Fatalities.

‰??I understand the concerns expressed by these organizations,‰?? Kulinowski said. ‰??I have directed our general counsel to come back to the board with a recommended course of action informed by laws, regulations, other federal government agency‰??s policies where there‰??s an investigative component and public reporting, and other relevant information.‰??

The letter from the group including National COSH claims CSB has listed the names of deceased workers in its reports since 2014. That was not the case in the agency‰??s recent final report on the 2018 blowout of the Pryor Trust gas well in Oklahoma that killed five workers. A June 25 report on a 2014 methyl mercaptan release at a DuPont plant in La Porte, TX, also didn‰??t include the names of the four workers who died.

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