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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (12 articles)
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2019 07:36:50 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 9F631CE8-34AD-40C9-84C7-F2C721A2F539**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, September 9, 2019 at 7:36:34 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 (12 articles)
HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND AFTER STRONG ODOR AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
RAJENDRA NAGAR FOOTPATH EXPLOSION KILLS PEDESTRIAN
Tags: India, public, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
HUGE FIRE AT PATIALA CHEMICALS FACTORY CAUSES PANIC; SITUATION UNDER CONTROL
Tags: india, explosion, industrial, response, unknown_chemical
SULFURIC ACID LEAKS IN RURAL PASO ROBLES
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, sulfuric_acid
CHEMICAL SPILL SCARE PROMPTS CONCERNS OF HAZMAT PROTOCOLS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, peroxide
REPORT: PLASTICS BOOM IN HOUSTON POSES MAJOR AIR POLLUTION RISK
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, environmental, plastics
DOWNTOWN YMCA REMAINS CLOSED FOLLOWING REPORTED CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, chlorine
AIR BOARD KILLS REGULATION OF DANGEROUS ACID AT TWO REFINERIES
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrofluoric_acid
NEW HAMPSHIRE TO RESTRICT CHEMICALS IN FURNITURE, FIREFIGHTING FOAMS
Tags: us_NH, public, discovery, environmental
CREWS CONTINUE CLEANUP EFFORTS AFTER ROCHESTER CHLORINE GAS FIRE ‰?? CBS PITTSBURGH
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, response, chlorine
WAUKEGAN FIRE DEPARTMENT CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE OF AB SILICONES EXPLOSION, FIRE; OTHER INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical
UPDATE: EIGHT PEOPLE TAKEN TO NORTH SHORE HOSPITALS FOLLOWING CHEMICAL LEAK AT ROUTE 1 MARKET BASKET IN ROWLEY
Tags: us_MA, public, release, injury, hvac_chemicals
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HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND AFTER STRONG ODOR AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
https://6abc.com/hazmat-crews-respond-after-strong-odor-at-temple-school-of-pharmacy/5524818/
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
HILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Hazmat crews responded to the Temple University School of Pharmacy in the Hunting Park section of Philadelphia early Monday morning.
Crews were called around 3:30 a.m. to the 3300 block of North Broad Street, just north of the main campus.
Officials said there were reports of a strong odor and a haze of chemicals.
It is unclear what the hazmat teams found, but the scene was cleared shortly after 5 a.m.
There were no reports of injuries.
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RAJENDRA NAGAR FOOTPATH EXPLOSION KILLS PEDESTRIAN
https://english.sakshi.com/telangana/2019/09/08/rajendra-nagar-footpath-explosion-kills-pedestrian
Tags: India, public, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
Metro pillar no. 279 of PV Narasimha Rao flyover at Rajendra Nagar in Hyderabad on Sunday.
According to police, the explosion occurred when a person tried to open a small box which left him seriously injured. both his hands were badly damaged in the incident.
The police shifted the person to Osmania General Hospital but he died while being treated at the Hospital. The victim was identified as Ali.
On getting information, police reached the spot and took up the investigation. Police suspect the box might have contained some chemical substance which was discarded after the expiry
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HUGE FIRE AT PATIALA CHEMICALS FACTORY CAUSES PANIC; SITUATION UNDER CONTROL
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/huge-fire-at-patiala-chemicals-factory-causes-panic-situation-under-control/829351.html
Tags: india, explosion, industrial, response, unknown_chemical
A major fire at a chemical factory in Focal Pont on Saturday is believed to have caused lakhs worth of damage, although there has been no reported loss of life or injury.
The fire is believed to have broken out at 10 am, and is suspected to have caused by a short circuit.
Officials said it was put out by 4 pm.
Three fire engines from Patiala, as well as fire tenders from Samana, Nabha and Rajpura, fought to put out the fire. Furious chemical-fuelled flames and thick smoke rose into the sky, sending several people nearby running for safety.
The nature of the fire forced fire fighters to use foam and sand to control it. Senior Deputy Mayor Yoginder Singh Yogi was also believed to be part of the rescue operation.
Eyewitnesses to the blaze said some explosions were also heard from inside the factory, where barrels of chemicals were stored. The explosions caused a portion of the structure‰?? including part of the roof‰??to collapse.
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SULFURIC ACID LEAKS IN RURAL PASO ROBLES
https://calcoasttimes.com/2019/09/06/sulfuric-acid-leaks-in-rural-paso-robles/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, sulfuric_acid
A hazardous substance leaked in rural Paso Robles Thursday, resulting in a spill of sulfuric acid and the San Luis Obispo Regional Hazmat Team coming out to the area.
Approximately 1,500 gallons of an unidentified product leaked along Estrella Road near Airport Road. The incident was isolated and did not pose a threat to the public, according to Cal Fire.
The Tribune reported about 1,500 gallons of sulfuric acid leaked from an irrigation-type tank. The tank was in the middle of vineyards with dirt road access, Cal Fire spokesman Adan Orozco said.
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CHEMICAL SPILL SCARE PROMPTS CONCERNS OF HAZMAT PROTOCOLS
https://www.kgns.tv/content/news/Chemical-spill-scare-prompts-concerns-of--559578181.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, response, peroxide
LAREDO, TX (KGNS) - A chemical spill near an elementary school on Tuesday is raising concerns within the community about the dangers of possible spills happening close to residential areas.
The spill happened at Investment Avenue which is less than half a mile from Muller Elementary School.
When the Laredo Fire Department arrived at the scene, hazmat crews determined that the spill was made up of 35 percent peroxide mixed with water, which all came from a punctured container.
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REPORT: PLASTICS BOOM IN HOUSTON POSES MAJOR AIR POLLUTION RISK
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/report-plastics-boom-houston-poses-major-air-pollution-risk
Tags: us_TX, industrial, release, environmental, plastics
The rapid expansion of the plastics industry in the Houston area, fed by the shale gas boom, is prompting environmental and community groups to push for tougher enforcement of air pollution laws.
In a Sept. 5 report, "Plastics Pollution on the Rise," the Environmental Integrity Project and several other groups outlined what they said was lax enforcement of both federal air pollution regulations and disaster management planning.
EIP said that 57 of the 90 plastics factories in the Houston and Port Arthur region violated air pollution limits over the last five years, and 19 of the 90 were cited by the Environmental Protection Agency for not following federal disaster planning requirements.
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DOWNTOWN YMCA REMAINS CLOSED FOLLOWING REPORTED CHEMICAL SPILL
https://chatnewstoday.ca/2019/09/06/downtown-ymca-remains-closed-following-reported-chemical-spill/
Tags: Canada, public, release, injury, chlorine
MEDICINE HAT, AB ‰?? Medicine Hat Firefighters are asking the public to avoid the Downtown YMCA following a reported chemical spill at the building.
According to the Medicine Hat Fire Service, a maintenance worker at the YMCA was working on the pool‰??s water, when he mixed two chemicals together, which had an unexpected reaction and produced chlorine gas.
The maintenance worker was taken to hospital as a precaution. An immediate update on his condition was not known.
The building has been evacuated to ensure safety of the workers. Firefighters are working to remove the chemical from the building, and will ventilate the building later in the evening.
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AIR BOARD KILLS REGULATION OF DANGEROUS ACID AT TWO REFINERIES
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-09-06/oil-refinery-acid-pollution-regulation
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrofluoric_acid
Air quality regulators on Friday killed a years-long push for stronger regulation of a dangerous acid used at two South Bay refineries that has frightened many neighbors, voting instead to accept a voluntary, oil industry pledge to enhance safety measures.
The decision by the South Coast Air Quality Management District governing board came just one week after the two refineries, in Torrance and Wilmington, offered a way to avoid tougher restrictions. They sent letters offering to install improved safety systems in the coming years if regulators ended their pursuit of a rule or agreement to reduce the risk of a catastrophic release of modified hydrofluoric acid, also referred to as MHF.
The board adopted the refineries‰?? plan on an 8-3 vote, handing a major victory to labor and industry groups, which have fought community groups and regulators‰?? attempts to restrict the highly toxic chemical following a 2015 explosion at the Torrance refinery.
Hydrofluoric acid can form a deadly, ground-hugging cloud that could drift into the densely populated communities surrounding the two refineries, and could cause mass casualties in a major leak. About 400,000 people live within three miles of either the Torrance or Valero Wilmington refineries.
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NEW HAMPSHIRE TO RESTRICT CHEMICALS IN FURNITURE, FIREFIGHTING FOAMS
https://chemicalwatch.com/81714/new-hampshire-to-restrict-chemicals-in-furniture-firefighting-foams
Tags: us_NH, public, discovery, environmental
New Hampshire‰??s governor Chris Sununu has signed into law legislation prohibiting the sale of upholstered furniture containing flame retardant (FR) chemicals and limiting the use of firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).
The first, SB 193, will ban the sale, manufacture and distribution of upholstered furniture containing in its covering or cushioning material an FR or FR mixture of over 1%. The legislation defines FR as any chemical with a functional use to resist or inhibit the spread of fire, including halogenated, phosphorus-based, nitrogen-based and nanoscale substances.
Exceptions to the ban include for used furniture, furniture purchased for public use, and mattresses. New furniture manufactured before 2020, as well as products imported or purchased by a retailer or wholesaler before 2021, are also exempted.
The law will also authorise the state‰??s attorney general to require furniture manufacturers to provide a certificate of compliance, and includes a provision indemnifying retailers. It took effect on 3 September.
New Hampshire follows both Maine and California in taking action to ban FRs in upholstered furniture in recent years. The class of substances has remained in the spotlight in both Europe and the US due to concerns about their environmental and health effects.
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CREWS CONTINUE CLEANUP EFFORTS AFTER ROCHESTER CHLORINE GAS FIRE ‰?? CBS PITTSBURGH
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2019/09/05/chlorine-gas-fire-cleanup/
Tags: us_PA, industrial, follow-up, response, chlorine
BEAVER COUNTY(KDKA) ‰?? Potential hazards remain at the site of a Beaver County fire that led to a cloud of chlorine gas being released.
Progress on the site is proving to be expensive for the Pennsylvania Departmentment of Environmental Protection.
Workers were at the former Pool Doctor-Beaver Alkali Products site in Rochester early Thursday morning, wearing white jumpsuits and face masks.
Some workers wore construction hats.
(Photo Credit: KDKA)
As recently as Tuesday, contractors with the DEP removed, neutralized and disposed of most of the chemicals and debris from the building that ignited.
The building was demolished to completely remove the chemicals stored inside.
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WAUKEGAN FIRE DEPARTMENT CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE OF AB SILICONES EXPLOSION, FIRE; OTHER INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/investigators-unable-determine-cause-fatal-ab-silicones-explosion-fire
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical
Investigators with the Waukegan (Ill.) Fire Department say they cannot determine what caused an explosion and fire May 3 at AB Specialty Silicones headquarters in Waukegan, that killed four employees, including two owners.
Private investigators, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, and Region 5 of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration will continue their probes of the incident.
The Waukegan Fire Department's investigation was hampered because the key witnesses died in the explosion, according to Waukegan Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi.
However, all the government agencies are required by law to share their findings with each other, Lenzi said.
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UPDATE: EIGHT PEOPLE TAKEN TO NORTH SHORE HOSPITALS FOLLOWING CHEMICAL LEAK AT ROUTE 1 MARKET BASKET IN ROWLEY
https://middleton.wickedlocal.com/news/20190905/update-eight-people-taken-to-north-shore-hospitals-following-chemical-leak-at-route-1-market-basket-in-rowley
Tags: us_MA, public, release, injury, hvac_chemicals
First responders are still on the scene of a level 1 hazmat incident at the Market Basket on Route 1 in Rowley, where 25 people were evaluated and eight transported to local medical facilities, four to Beverly Hospital and four to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport.
Rowley Fire Chief James Broderick said officials from the state hazmat unit believe there was a refrigerant leak from a cooler in an unspecified location inside the building. He added he believed the people taken to the hospital had nothing life threatening and would probably be treated and released.
The plaza where the store is located has been closed indefinitely.
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