From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (12 articles)
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 08:02:44 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 5A55628D-EB35-477B-9B7A-A409338BB25E**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 8:02:22 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)

FDNY FINDS 4,000 TANKS OF FLAMMABLE GAS STORED AT WELDING BUSINESS NEAR CITI FIELD
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, response, acetylene, flammables, propane

FIREFIGHTERS CALLED TO TOXIC, CORROSIVE CHEMICAL SPILL IN SOUTH AUCKLAND
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, release, response, corrosives, toxics

LODI BUS RIDER, 69, INJURED BY CHEMICAL, AUTHORITIES SAY
Tags: us_NY, transportation, release, injury, cleaners

LAWYERS PUSH FOR PROGRESS ON SUITS OVER 2014 EXPLOSION NEAR SANTA PAULA
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, injury, waste

HOLMES IRON & METAL SCRAPYARD FIRE UNDER INVESTIGATION
Tags: us_NC, industrial, fire, response, waste

CALIFORNIA CHEMICAL FIRE: LARGE FIRE DESTROYS 2 TANKS AT REFINERY NEAR SAN FRANCISCO
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

FLORIDA WOMAN NEEDED SURGERY AFTER WAITER PUT LIQUID NITROGEN IN HER DRINK, LAWSUIT CLAIMS
Tags: us_FL, public, follow-up, injury, liquid_nitrogen

AUTHORITIES RESPOND TO HAZMAT SITUATION IN ST. PAUL
Tags: us_MN, public, release, response, uranium

UPSHUR COUNTY RESIDENT SAYS SUNDAY‰??S EXPLOSION SHOOK HIS HOUSE
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, response, hydrogen_sulfide

3 HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING SICKENED BY CHEMICAL REACTION AT FOX RIVER GROVE RESTAURANT
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, cleaners

FIRE MARSHALS INVESTIGATE BLAZE THAT ENGULFED AG CHEMICAL WAREHOUSE
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems

ECOLOGY DEPARTMENT WILL COLLECT AND INCINERATE TOXIC FIREFIGHTING FOAM
Tags: us_WA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical


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'ONE ERRANT SPARK, AND THAT‰??S ALL SHE WROTE‰??: FDNY FINDS 4,000 TANKS OF FLAMMABLE GAS STORED AT WELDING BUSINESS NEAR CITI FIELD
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-flammable-gas-tanks-citi-field-20191016-omxfsaihurd37hlmpoxn2smzae-story.html
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, response, acetylene, flammables, propane

FDNY fire inspectors averted a potentially lethal post-season blast near Citi Field, removing some 4,000 flammable gas tanks from a Queens welding company just two minutes away from the Mets‰?? home field.

The FDNY descended on the T & T Supply Co. on Willets Point Blvd. in Flushing after an Oct. 9 inspection by the Bureau of Fire Prevention Salvage Yard Task Force uncovered the plethora of tanks, most used to hold propane or acetylene, authorities said.


T & T Supply Co. on Willets Point Blvd. in Flushing. (Molly Crane-Newman/New York Daily News)
The business was immediately shuttered as the owners of the company were ordered to hire outside contractors for removal of row after row of the dangerous canisters.

‰??That‰??s a disaster waiting to happen,"said a retired city explosives expert with more than 30 years of experience. ‰??I really don‰??t believe it. Oh my God. How the hell did he get away with it? You know the shrapnel that would have been flying around if God forbid that was a fire? ... If it blew, the tanks would take off like friggin‰?? torpedoes."

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FIREFIGHTERS CALLED TO TOXIC, CORROSIVE CHEMICAL SPILL IN SOUTH AUCKLAND
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116643748/firefighters-called-to-toxic-corrosive-chemical-spill-in-south-auckland
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, release, response, corrosives, toxics

Firefighters have been called to a toxic chemical spill at a industrial site in south Auckland on Wednesday night.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) spokesman told Stuff emergency services were alerted to the spill at the Verissimo Drive about 9pm.

He described the substance as a toxic, corrosive chemical, however it was not clear exactly what it was.

At least 100 litres of the liquid had spilled, the spokesman added.

Seven fire crews, including two specialist hazmat units, had been called to the Mangere property.

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LODI BUS RIDER, 69, INJURED BY CHEMICAL, AUTHORITIES SAY
https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/garfield/police-fire/lodi-bus-rider-69-injured-by-chemical-authorities-say/777546/
Tags: us_NY, transportation, release, injury, cleaners

bus passenger in Lodi had to hospitalized after she sat on what responders said was drain cleaner.

The 69-year-old New York woman boarded the 164 bus near the corner of Essex Street and Maywood Avenue around 2:20 p.m. Sunday, sat down and immediately notified the driver of an injury, authorities said.

Apparently ‰??some type of liquid‰?? on the seat ‰??was causing a reaction on her leg,‰?? NJ Transit‰??s Jim Smith said.

A Bergen County Hazardous Materials unit determined that the substance was drain cleaner, responders said.

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LAWYERS PUSH FOR PROGRESS ON SUITS OVER 2014 EXPLOSION NEAR SANTA PAULA
https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/santa-paula/2019/10/15/lawyers-push-progress-suits-over-2014-explosion-near-santa-paula/3949115002/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, injury, waste

Attorneys on Tuesday petitioned a judge to lift an order halting progress of more than a dozen lawsuits against Santa Clara Waste Water Co. over a 2014 explosion at its facility near Santa Paula.

Now that the criminal case stemming from the incident is nearly closed, plaintiffs seeking to recover costs and damages want their day in court.

The Nov. 18, 2014, blast at the plant on Mission Rock Road injured dozens of first responders and employees. It also affected county entities, local businesses and insurance companies and resulted in numerous civil lawsuits being filed in the years after the incident.

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HOLMES IRON & METAL SCRAPYARD FIRE UNDER INVESTIGATION
https://www.salisburypost.com/2019/10/15/holmes-iron-metal-scrapyard-fire-under-investigation/
Tags: us_NC, industrial, fire, response, waste

EAST SPENCER ‰?? An early Monday fire at Holmes Iron & Metal, a scrapyard at 629 N. Long St., remains under investigation.

Multiple fire departments and a tanker task force were called to battle a blaze.

It was only 15 months ago that a massive fire started in a scrap pile at the business. Fire officials said Tuesday that the Monday fire, which began about 4:30 a.m., was not as extensive as the July 2018 fire.

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CALIFORNIA CHEMICAL FIRE: LARGE FIRE DESTROYS 2 TANKS AT REFINERY NEAR SAN FRANCISCO
https://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/california-chemical-fire-large-fire-destroys-2-tanks-at-refinery-near-san-francisco/997831426
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

CROCKET, Calif. - At least two storage tanks are burning at a NuStar Energy facility in northern California Tuesday afternoon, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

NBC Bay Area reports that the fire has sent a large plume of black smoke into the air that can be seen for miles. It has also spread to nearby brush, according to Cal Fire. About five acres of brush have burned.

People in the area reported an explosion before the fire began, but investigators have not confirmed the cause at this moment.

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake was recorded in the area last night, although it's unclear if or how the fire is related to that.

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FLORIDA WOMAN NEEDED SURGERY AFTER WAITER PUT LIQUID NITROGEN IN HER DRINK, LAWSUIT CLAIMS
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-woman-needed-surgery-after-waiter-put-liquid-nitrogen-her-n1065546
Tags: us_FL, public, follow-up, injury, liquid_nitrogen

A Tampa woman went to dinner for her birthday last year with one of her best friends at a hotel in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Instead of celebrating, she says she nearly died.

"There was an explosion in my chest," Stacey Wagers, 45, told NBC News. "I couldn't speak. I felt like I was dying."

In a lawsuit filed against the hotel on Friday, Wagers alleges that she became gravely ill "within seconds" after drinking water which contained liquid nitrogen.

The Don Cesar Hotel in St. Pete Beach, Fla.Google Maps
Wagers and her friend had just finished dinner at the Maritana Grille, on the premises of the Don CeSar Hotel, on Nov. 11, 2018, when the women saw their waiter pour a liquid on a nearby table's dessert that made it "smoke." Wagers' friend told the waiter the smoke effect looked cool, and the waiter then poured the liquid nitrogen into the women's glasses of water.

"Of course I didn‰??t think it was dangerous at all," Wagers said. "He had just poured it on a dessert."

The women drank from these glasses and Wagers became ill immediately, according to the lawsuit. An ambulance was called and Wagers was taken to the ICU, where she remained for days.

Because of the liquid nitrogen, Wagers had to have surgery to remove her gall bladder. Parts of her stomach were also removed where tissue had been burned by the extremely cold temperature of the chemical. Wagers has lost over 25 pounds from the incident and will have lifelong digestion issues, according to her attorney, Adam Brum.

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AUTHORITIES RESPOND TO HAZMAT SITUATION IN ST. PAUL
https://kstp.com/news/authorities-respond-to-hazmat-situation-in-st-paul-uranium-nitrate-october-14-2019-/5524251/
Tags: us_MN, public, release, response, uranium

Authorities responded to a hazmat situation in St. Paul Monday night.

According to police, the incident occurred near West Minnehaha Avenue and Tatum Street.

Police said a man told his power of attorney that a vial of uranium nitrate had spilled in the kitchen.

A hazmat crew was called to clean up the spill.

Police say there is no high-level danger at this time.

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UPSHUR COUNTY RESIDENT SAYS SUNDAY‰??S EXPLOSION SHOOK HIS HOUSE
https://www.kltv.com/2019/10/14/upshur-county-resident-says-sundays-explosion-shook-his-house/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, response, hydrogen_sulfide

Upshur County, Texas (KLTV) - East Texans from Big Sandy to Longview reported hearing a loud explosion late Sunday afternoon.

According to the Gladewater Fire Department, it happened in the 2600 block of South Rodeo Street just west of Gladewater. And several residents were evacuated when first responders saw signs at the oil lease indicating the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas.

According to Gladewater Fire Chief Cory Crowell, firefighters weren‰??t sure what they were up against when they arrived at the scene.

‰??They found that there had been an explosion on a well site, and there was a gas release. And so they erred on the side of caution and started evacuating a few of the residents around there,‰?? Crowell said.

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3 HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING SICKENED BY CHEMICAL REACTION AT FOX RIVER GROVE RESTAURANT
https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2019/10/14/3-hospitalized-after-being-sickened-by-chemical-reaction-at-fox-river-grove-restaurant/
Tags: us_IL, public, release, injury, cleaners

A HazMat team responded and three people were hospitalized after cleaning chemicals were poured down a drain inside Brunch Cafe in Fox River Grove Monday afternoon.

The Fox River Grove Fire Protection District responded around 12:10 p.m. Monday to the Brunch Cafe, 935 Route 22, for a report of a hazardous conditions call.

Fox River Grove Deputy Fire Chief Eldee Jackson said that the restaurant was evacuated and patients were evaluated by paramedics.

Cleaning chemicals were poured down the bathroom drains, causing fumes in the building, Jackson said. Three people, believed to be employees of the restaurant, were having trouble breathing and ambulances transported them to a local hospital.

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FIRE MARSHALS INVESTIGATE BLAZE THAT ENGULFED AG CHEMICAL WAREHOUSE
https://www.wacotrib.com/news/local/fire-marshals-investigate-blaze-that-engulfed-ag-chemical-warehouse/article_e6c2db1f-0799-57ca-b363-086ef6de1567.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems

Fire officials are continuing to investigate the cause of a massive fire that leveled a wood-frame warehouse containing agricultural chemicals and sent a plume of smoke over downtown early Monday.

Flames leaped from the Langford Distribution building at 301 S. 17th St. shortly after 6:30 a.m., and the Waco Fire Department responded with nearly 40 firefighters, including the hazardous materials team.

‰??Historically, the building was a supply warehouse for a retailer that sold pesticides,‰?? Bergerson said. ‰??So out of an abundance of caution, we called out our Hazmat crews.‰??

The longtime agricultural chemical business closed several years ago, but fire marshals inspected it this year and found chemicals stored there, Waco Fire Marshal Kevin Vranich said. Companies that store hazardous chemicals are required by federal law to file a ‰??Tier II‰?? report with local authorities listing their inventory, but the fire department has no such report from Langford Distribution, Vranich said.

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ECOLOGY DEPARTMENT WILL COLLECT AND INCINERATE TOXIC FIREFIGHTING FOAM
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/oct/14/ecology-will-collect-and-incinerate-toxic-firefigh/
Tags: us_WA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

The Washington Department of Ecology announced Monday it will begin collecting and incinerating stockpiles of a toxic fire retardant foam that was used by fire departments for decades before the state restricted its use in 2018.

The same type of foam was long used at Fairchild Air Force Base and blamed for contaminating West Plains water supplies, including the city of Airway Heights‰?? tap water system.

Manufactured by chemical giants including 3M Co., the foam contains per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, which have been linked with an array of health problems.

The man-made compounds, also used in products such as Teflon and Scotchgard, are sometimes called ‰??forever chemicals‰?? because they degrade extremely slowly in the environment and in the human body.

The Legislature last year banned the use of firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals for training purposes, though it may still be used for fires involving flammable liquids.

Starting next July, it will be illegal to sell, distribute or manufacture the foam in Washington, with exceptions for the military, federally certified airports, petroleum refineries and some chemical plants.

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