From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (11 articles)
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2019 07:44:34 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 7AAF466C-A94C-4C87-BDD8-210090B8E332**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at 7:44:14 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 (11 articles)

IOWA AMMONIA LINK CONTIANED
Tags: us_ia, industrial, release, response, ammonia

MULCH FIRE CREATES BURNING QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPOSTING AND GREEN WASTE MANAGEMENT
Tags: australia, industrial, fire, response, compost

OTIS CAFE FIRE CAUSED BY ‰??SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION,‰?? INVESTIGATOR SAYS
Tags: us_or, fire, public, response, combustibles

FIREFIGHTERS CONTAIN LIQUID ASPHALT LEAK IN SANTA MARIA
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, asphalt

NOTRE-DAME AREA SEALED OFF IN PARIS AS WORKERS PREPARE TO REMOVE TOXIC LEAD
Tags: France, public, follow-up, response, lead

US ECOLOGY RELEASES INVESTIGATION REPORT INTO DEADLY 2018 GRAND VIEW FACILITY EXPLOSION
Tags: us_ID, industrial, follow-up, death, magnesium, waste

PAINT DAMAGE FEARS FOR GATEWAY MOTORWAY DRIVERS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, corrosives

EPA, DHEC BEGIN PUTTING OUT FIRES AT GIANT JASPER COUNTY DEBRIS PILE
Tags: us_GA, industrial, fire, response, waste

CHEMICALS IN CAR IN LONG BEACH VA PARKING LOT PROMPT HAZMAT RESPONSE ‰?? PRESS TELEGRAM
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical

EPA EXCEEDED TRUMP‰??S DEREGULATORY EXPECTATIONS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental

CHEMICAL SPILL CAUSES SR 66 TO SHUTDOWN FOR SEVERAL HOURS
Tags: us_IN, transportation, release, injury, bleach, waste


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IOWA AMMONIA LINK CONTIANED
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2019/08/13/anhydrous-ammonia-leak-reported-collins/2000391001/
Tags: us_ia, industrial, release, response, ammonia

COLLINS, Ia. ‰?? Authorities in central Iowa say an anhydrous ammonia leak in Collins has been contained after crews were called to the scene Tuesday morning.

A hazardous materials team was called to Landus Cooperative, located at 324 Railway St., just before 11 a.m. on reports of a 30,000-gallon anhydrous ammonia tank leaking.

The Story County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that first responders evacuated the area in the southeast corner of Collins.

The leak was stopped and the residual was contained at approximately 1:28 p.m., according to an updated release from the sheriff's office.

The evacuation order has since been lifted.

Responding agencies included the sheriff's office, nearby fire departments, Story County Emergency Management, and Des Moines Fire HazMat.

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MULCH FIRE CREATES BURNING QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPOSTING AND GREEN WASTE MANAGEMENT
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-14/mulch-fire-makes-green-waste-management-a-hot-topic/11410754
Tags: australia, industrial, fire, response, compost

We are all doing the right thing by putting food scraps and garden waste in our green bins, right?

Key points:
A mulch fire at Lismore's council-run tip has been smouldering for days
It appears the mulch self-combusted due to the heat generated by the composting process, combined with low humidity and strong winds
The fire prompted public health warnings to be issued due to the smoke


Up to 20,000 tonnes of mulch at the Lismore Recovery and Recycling Centre continue to smoulder, days after they self-combusted due to a combination of heat generated by the composting process, low humidity and strong winds.

The fire spread to a huge recyclables storage shed, sending plumes of acrid smoke across parts of Lismore and forcing the local Public Health Unit to issue an air pollution health alert.

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OTIS CAFE FIRE CAUSED BY ‰??SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION,‰?? INVESTIGATOR SAYS
https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2019/08/otis-cafe-fire-caused-by-spontaneous-combustion-investigator-says.html
Tags: us_or, fire, public, response, combustibles

Investigators said the Otis Cafe, a popular roadside restaurant just outside Lincoln City, burned down July 4th when improperly stored kitchen waste in a plastic bucket spontaneously combusted.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal released more information Tuesday on the blaze at the pit-stop on Oregon 18 a few miles northeast of Lincoln City.

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FIREFIGHTERS CONTAIN LIQUID ASPHALT LEAK IN SANTA MARIA
https://www.aggregateresearch.com/news/firefighters-contain-liquid-asphalt-leak-in-santa-maria/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, asphalt

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department contained a liquid asphalt leak in Santa Maria, California, says KEYT.

The report says between 40 to 50 barrels of liquid asphalt was released from a HazMat tank at the Greka Energy plant at 1660 Sinton Road.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the leak is being investigated.

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NOTRE-DAME AREA SEALED OFF IN PARIS AS WORKERS PREPARE TO REMOVE TOXIC LEAD
https://www.france24.com/en/20190813-notre-dame-cathedral-paris-workers-remove-toxic-lead
Tags: France, public, follow-up, response, lead

The area around Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was sealed off early on Tuesday as workers prepared to apply a special gel to absorb lead particles that seeped into the soil in the wake of the April 15 blaze.

Renovation work at the famed cathedral was halted last month over fears that workers could be exposed to lead poisoning after testing revealed dangerously high levels of contamination at the site and surrounding areas.

Hundreds of tonnes of lead in the roof and steeple melted during the fire that nearly destroyed the gothic masterpiece, with winds spreading the particles well beyond the church's grounds.

After weeks of denying any poisoning risks, authorities admitted in late July that anti-contamination measures were insufficient, and two schools near the church were closed after hazardous lead levels were detected.

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US ECOLOGY RELEASES INVESTIGATION REPORT INTO DEADLY 2018 GRAND VIEW FACILITY EXPLOSION
https://www.kivitv.com/news/us-ecology-releases-investigation-report-into-deadly-2018-grand-view-facility-explosion
Tags: us_ID, industrial, follow-up, death, magnesium, waste

GRAND VIEW, Idaho ‰?? Nearly nine months after an explosion at a US Ecology plant in Grand View, Idaho killed one person, the company is releasing a report of an investigation which utilized third-party investigators.

‰??This investigation confirms what we suspected early on, that we received a shipment of non-conforming waste that included material that was not supposed to be part of the approved waste stream,‰?? said Jeff Feeler, US Ecology Chairman, President and CEO. ‰??It is good to understand the root cause of the incident and we are focusing on steps we can take to eliminate any future incidents.‰??

Officials say Monte ‰??Alex‰?? Green of Grand View passed away after sustaining injuries during the explosion. Green was reported missing immediately following an explosion and was later located.

The report findings suggest that the explosion was "caused by a chemical reaction between water, magnesium, and the presence of non-conforming materials. It was determined that the catastrophic damage was caused by a steam explosion and was not the result of a flammable or combustible dust environment."

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PAINT DAMAGE FEARS FOR GATEWAY MOTORWAY DRIVERS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/paint-damage-fears-for-gateway-motorway-drivers-after-chemical-spill-20190813-p52ggz.html
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, corrosives

The Queensland Fire and Emergency Service has encouraged drivers to wash the underside of their cars if they drove through the area between 5.30pm and 9.30pm.

"Hi Brissy. There was a different type of delay on the Gateway Mwy near the Depot Rd exit this afternoon," QFES tweeted on Monday night.

"As a precaution, we are recommending anyone who drove nth through the incident to wash underneath their car. We know it's late, but we don't want paint jobs affected."

Firefighters were called to the scene just after 5.30pm after a truck with two 2500-kilogram containers spilt a corrosive liquid across the stretch of road.

The liquid, described by the fire service as "a bisulphite aqueous solution", can cause serious burns to skin and took four hours to clean up.

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EPA, DHEC BEGIN PUTTING OUT FIRES AT GIANT JASPER COUNTY DEBRIS PILE
https://www.wsav.com/news/epa-dhec-begin-putting-out-fires-at-giant-jasper-county-debris-pile/
Tags: us_GA, industrial, fire, response, waste

Weeks after we first reported it and years after the trouble began, Federal and State authorities are now working together to put out the giant debris pile on fire in Jasper County.

Late Monday afternoon, crews contracted by the EPA and DHEC began digging into the giant Jasper County trash pile.

Excavators began pulling out burned rubble as they shot water on the smoldering holes left behind.

The EPA is now in charge of the entire situation after signs of the toxic chemical Acrolein was found in air quality tests.

Acrolein can be toxic to people who breathe it in or if it gets into their skin. Small particles can be inhaled and get into the lungs.

The air tests did show no asbestos signs coming off the pile.

The EPA has already put out 8 different air quality monitors in the area as the excavation and firefighting continues.

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CHEMICALS IN CAR IN LONG BEACH VA PARKING LOT PROMPT HAZMAT RESPONSE ‰?? PRESS TELEGRAM
https://www.presstelegram.com/2019/08/12/possible-chemical-spill-at-long-beach-va-parking-lot-prompts-hazmat-response/
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical

A patient told staff that caustic chemicals were stored in his vehicle parked at 5901 E. 7th St., the Long Beach VA‰??s director of public relations, Richard Beam, said. He said it was not immediately clear what substances were involved, but if mixed, they had the potential to contaminate several hundred yards surrounding the car.

ADVERTISING

Security guards notified authorities about 2:46 p.m., Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Matt Dobberpuhl said. A hazardous materials team made entry to the vehicle, and secured the chemicals inside, Beam said.

The incident prompted officials at adjacent Cal State Long Beach to warn people near the VA lot to shelter in place. People inside International House, Los Cerritos Hall, the Student Health Center, as well as the Family & Consumer Sciences and Nursing buildings were instructed to remain where they were until further notice.

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EPA EXCEEDED TRUMP‰??S DEREGULATORY EXPECTATIONS
https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/08/epa-exceeded-trumps-deregulatory-expectations/159114/
Tags: public, discovery, environmental

The Environmental Protection Agency has surpassed the Trump administration‰??s goals for rolling back regulations, however in doing so the agency bypassed important management controls, EPA‰??s inspector general found.

Shortly after Inauguration Day in 2017, Trump issued two executive orders to fulfill his campaign promise of reducing the regulatory burden many conservatives believe has been an impediment to economic growth. Executive Order 13771 required agencies to cut two regulations for every new regulation they introduced and Executive Order 13777 mandated that agencies establish a task force and designate an officer to implement the first executive order. EPA‰??s inspector general on Aug. 9 released a report that found the agency surpassed requirements for deregulation and savings goals in 2017 and 2018. However, the IG found that EPA‰??s deregulatory process lacked guidance, or management controls, and was not sufficiently transparent in its decision making.

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CHEMICAL SPILL CAUSES SR 66 TO SHUTDOWN FOR SEVERAL HOURS
https://www.14news.com/2019/08/12/hazmat-crew-checking-out-leaking-tanker-warrick-co-dispatch-says/
Tags: us_IN, transportation, release, injury, bleach, waste

WARRICK CO., Ind. (WFIE) - We‰??re learning the liquid that spilled, blocking traffic for several hours on SR 66 was not classified as hazardous waste, according to ORG Chemical Group.

ORG officials said the spilled material was residue from chemical processing with a similar risk as household bleach. The chemical had a high p-h value and had to be washed off to avoid reddening of the skin

ORG said the tanker trailer was over-pressurized and a safety device released six gallons of material.

All lanes of SR 66 between Epworth and Grimm Road are now open.

The spill sent four people to the hospital.

State police say several drivers pulled over after noticing a substance that spilled on their vehicles. They tried to remove it from their windshields. A state trooper responded and then fire crews before discovering the bleach-like substance could be harmful to those who came in contact with it.

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