TUCSON - Investigators are working to determine the cause of a chemical spill at a plant on Tucson's south side.

Tucson Fire Captain Jeff Langejans says around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, an operator from Sasol North America's plant in the 7800 block of South Kolb Road, noticed that hydrochloric acid (HC1) was pooling in a spill containment area.

After investigating, workers determined that a 12,000 gallon HC1 above-ground storage tank was leaking at a rate of five gallons per minute. The chemical is 35% solution and is extremely corrosive.

Workers started off-loading the tank, which had approximately 9,000 gallons. An estimated 4,000 gallons of the liquid had been spilled into the secondary containment area.

Tucson Fire crews responded around 5 a.m. as a precautionary measure. They remained on scene until the leaking tank was emptied into other storage tanks.

No employees or firefighters were injured.

A fire erupted yesterday (26 May) morning in a chemical storage unit at the Sri Jayawardanepura University, Fire Service Department sources told The Nation. An emergency call was placed at around 11.30 a.m. yesterday to the Fire Service Department regarding a fire at the university, the source confirmed. A dispatch unit from the Kotte station and two units from the Main Fire Station were dispatched immediately, to quell the fire, he explained. No casualties were incurred due to the fire, since Firefighters were quick to arrive at the scene to put it out, informed sources in the University pointed out to The Nation.

When inquired as to the causes for the breakout of fire in a chemical storage unit, with a university campus, Fire Services officials said that no conclusive reasons were identified for its onset. However, they stated that the storage unit was flooded due to the recent rains that had most of Colombo under water. University sources also confirmed that the storage unit became flooded due to the rains.
When asked why a hazardous materials site, such as the storage unit, did not have adequate preventive measures against such inevitabilities, Fire officials stated that it was a serious risk that must have been addressed by the university administration.However the university sources declined to comment.

Around 100 residents and workers were evacuated after fire broke out in a waste plant sparking a chemical alert.

The blaze in a number of large oil drums caused plumes of black smoke visible from miles around as it spread through Arrow Environmental Services in West Bromwich.

Acrid smoke shot into the air from the fire, which started at around 1.45pm in part of the premises used to recycle waste oil.

See more pictures in our gallery to your right
Staff at the firm in Kelvin Way faced a huge clean-up today as oil had flooded from the building onto land outside. The cause is not yet known but it is suspected the hot weather may be to blame. Workers at the scene described how the flames escalated in seconds and a series of bangs followed.



Around 35 firefighters tackled the blaze at its height and hazardous materials officers were drafted in. Firefighter Steve Husbands said crews faced a fight to stop the waste oil entering water courses. Also an oxygen cylinder exploded, causing a fireball, and about seven other cylinders had to be removed amid fears they would also blow up.

Arrow declined to comment.

There are lots of important things to consider when choosing an apartment, house or trailer: commute time, distance to retail centers, public schools -- but perhaps the most important thing of all is, "How do I get rid of that stagnant meth-lab odor?"
Well, thanks to companies like USA Decon, you too can make sure your new abode is suitably free of residues left behind by any former occupants who engaged in the fine art of meth manufacturing. Had we known this sorta thing existed years ago, we never would've agreed to live in that one trailer in the desert for six months. Here are some things USA Decon's CEO, John DiGulio, told us in an e-mail about former meth lab cleanin':

Waste byproducts: "The danger of chemical fires and explosions extends beyond methamphetamine manufacture. After producing the finished methamphetamine, clandestine lab workers are typically left with 5-6 pounds of hazardous waste for each pound of finished methamphetamine produce."

A mercury leak inside a century-old clock at Charlestown’s Boston National Historical Park prompted a Level 3 hazmat response by Boston firefighters today after one worker came in close contact with the toxic silver liquid, officials said.

The incident started when a museum specialist, while categorizing and photographing an early 20th century grandfather clock, noticed roughly “two tablespoons” of mercury oozing from the artifact and, as a precaution, called the fire department, said Sean Hennessey, spokesman for the Boston National Historical Park.

A hazmat crew responded to the Third Avenue warehouse around 11:39 a.m., and quickly downgraded their response once they realized the minor spill was under control and no evacuation was necessary, said Boston fire spokesman Steve MacDonald.


One worker who came in close contact self-decontaminated, MacDonald said, simply by thoroughly washing his hands.

Hennessey said the clock contained two small vials of mercury which help balance its swinging pendulum. At some point, one of the vials cracked, and when the specialist moved the clock to take another photo, he saw the leak, Hennessey said.

A small fire erupted at the Montana Refining Company in Great Falls after a chemical leak at the plant on Thursday.

An MRC official says that a small tube leak fire occurred inside the heater fire box.

Great Falls Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Steve Hester says a flammable chemical called naptha overfilled and fire started burning into one of the stacks.

Water doused the flames and Hester said refinery officials just worked to keep the stack cool, and said this type of event isn't out of the ordinary.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A chemical spill closed about a mile-long portion of Tidwell in northeast Houston for hours on Thursday.

Related Content
MORE: Got a story idea? Let us know!
The eastbound lanes of Tidwell Rd. between the Eastex Freeway and Lockwood were shut down due to a chemical spill.

According to the Houston Fire Department, it appeared to be some type of used oil product from a tanker truck. HFD responded to the report of a chemical spill in the 4100 block of Tidwell about 2:20pm Thursday.

An Oklahoma City business was evacuated Thursday and several workers were treated after a chemical solution started smoking and made people nauseous, firefighters said.
Fire Maj. Tammy McKinney said several workers at Macklanburg-Duncan, 4041 N Santa Fe Ave., were mixing a sodium hydroxide solution about 3 p.m. when the solution started smoking and three workers became nauseous.
The building was evacuated and the three workers were treated by emergency workers.
“We've given them oxygen and their symptoms have gotten better,” McKinney said.
Eight other employees were evaluated by paramedics, she said.
Fire Deputy Chief Marc Woodard said the mixing of mislabeled chemicals caused the situation. None of the workers were taken to the hospital, he said.
Macklanburg-Duncan manufactures building products such as weather stripping, flooring and decorative moldings.

Emergency services received a call at 11:47 BST on Thursday reporting a fire in a chemical lab in the David Keir building on Stranmillis Road.

Six fire engines, two "specialist appliances" and a mobile command unit went to the incident.

An investigation is under way to determine how the fire started.

In a statement, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue service said: "Fire crews dealt with a fire in a chemical storeroom of a laboratory on the third floor of the four-storey building.

"It was quite a challenging incident for firefighters to deal with due to the extensive size of the building and the nature of what was involved in the fire."

"Fire crews ventilated the building and the incident was dealt with at 16:10 BST. Early indications would suggest the fire was accidental."

No-one was injured during the alert. A spokesman for QUB said it was too early to say what caused the fire and that a storeroom had been extensively damaged.

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A government building that houses the Vermont governor's office had to be evacuated after some state workers starting feeling sick.

The employees at the Pavilion Building in Montpelier reported having headaches and watery eyes on Wednesday.

The source appears to have been a waterproof sealant that was being applied to the outside bricks and wafting into the building.

Fayetteville Police said Thursday afternoon that a propane blast that injured four employees with the Fayetteville SwampDogs organization was caused by a leak in an LP gas line inside the building.

Four people were injured in the explosion at the J.P. Riddle Stadium on Legion Road.

An entire shift of firefighters has been replaced at a northeast D.C. station after falling ill.

All eight firefighters at Engine 10 Station in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE complained of possible symptoms of chemical exposure – like respiratory problems and burning eyes – Wednesday evening, News4’s Jackie Bensen reported.

D.C. Fire and EMS declared a mass casualty hazmat and took the firefighters to the police and fire clinic for observation.

The firefighters could be ill from a fire they fought about 11 a.m. in the 3700 block of Hayes Street NE, officials said. It’s possible it was a PCP lab.

Extra fire crews were called in to cover Engine 10 Station.

MIDLAND, Mich.—May 22, 2012—The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) and The Pennsylvania State University are expanding their strategic partnership by launching a pilot program to increase safety awareness and practices in the university’s Departments of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering. The program will leverage key elements of Dow’s best-in-class practices to help elevate university laboratory safety.

In April, Dow announced a similar safety partnership pilot program with the University of Minnesota. This new partnership with Penn State reinforces Dow’s commitment to stimulate collaborative innovation with U.S. universities. Dow announced in October 2011 it would invest $25 million per year for 10 years among 11 academic institutions, including Penn State, to strengthen research in scientific fields important to Dow and to the nation’s future.

“A core part of our mission at Dow is to support universities and help them continue the tradition of excellence in chemical engineering, chemistry, and materials science,” said Dr. William F. Banholzer, Ph.D., executive vice president and Dow’s chief technology officer. “Dow recognizes that laboratory safety is a continuing challenge for universities everywhere, and we have the expertise to be part of the solution. This pilot program leverages Dow’s strength in creating and sustaining a culture of safety in our labs — a culture that centers on driving behavior toward incident prevention, with a high level of employee engagement.”

to Lauderdale Lakes Middle School Wednesday after reports of several children breaking out in rashes.

The team did not find anything in the classroom that would have prompted the outbreak.

Four students were taken to the hospital as a precaution, according to Broward County school officials.

On May 16th a similar incident happened at McArthur High School, also in Broward County.

Where a dozen students and two teachers were taken to the hospital and released shortly afterward.

The mixture of chemicals in an optometrist's office at 1567 Lemoine Ave. on Tuesday afternoon resulted in a small fire that was quickly doused with a fire extinguisher. 

Fort Lee Fire Chief Keith Sabatino said that the building was evacuated, and because the fire was the result of an unknown chemical mixture, the Bergen County Hazardous Materials Response Team (HazMat) was called in to evaluate the proper response to the incident. 

Bergen HazMat determined that the chemicals used were alcohol-based and gave clearance for the fire department to proceed with ventilating the building before allowing anyone to return.  

A passing police officer heard the activated fire alarm and responded to the call. Both the police officer and a fireman who "took in smoke" were taken to an area hospital for precaution. 

"We're lucky that everyone was safe," Sabatino said. "The goal of every call is to get everyone home safe, and we did."

An explosion at Arens Controls Facility in northwest suburban Arlington Heights in Chicago, has left one person dead and ten injured.
Firefighters and police responded to Arens in the 3600 block of North Kennicott Avenue around 9 a.m. for what they considered at the time a chemical explosion. About 50 employees were evacuated and were left standing outside for more than three hours after the explosion this morning at the factory in Chicago.
Seven workers were injured and three police officers, two from Arlington Heig

hts and one from Buffalo Grove departments, were treated for respiratory problems.
The Arlington Heights Fire Department have reported the injuries were caused by a malfunctioning machine. Police have confirmed it was likely an industrial accident because there is no visible damage on the outside of the factory building.
Arlington Heights Fire Chief Glenn Erickson said in a statement, “The chemical they were using was a diluted form of potassium hydroxide. At this point in time we don’t know what role the chemical had in the accident, if it had any role at all.”
Firefighters and police are still investigating what exactly caused the explosion at the Arlington Heights Factory in Chicago.
Mary Capelli-Schellpfeffer, MD, medical director of occupational health at Loyola University Health System said, “After an industrial accident, even if someone can ‘walk away’ without visible injuries, it doesn’t mean there aren’t health concerns. Even after authorities have determined the cause of today’s explosion, the uncertainty and worry about the tragedy can continue for several weeks or months. It’s important during this time to help employees and neighbors to stay focused to limit additional injuries.”

The chemical that sent a dozen people to the hospital Tuesday following an explosion in an Arlington Heights factory demands caution when working with it, even in laboratory conditions, a chemistry professor said Wednesday.

Kristen Leckrone, an associate professor of chemistry at Roosevelt University, said people expecting to encounter the substance, potassium hydroxide, normally wear gloves, goggles, and sometimes even a respirator if there’s a possibility of it being released into the air.

“It can dissolve and damage lung tissue,” Leckrone said.

According to its material safety data sheet, potassium hydroxide has a fire hazard of 0 on a 4-point scale, Leckrone said. But it has a reactivity rating of 2 out of 4, and a health risk rating of 3 out of 4.

Though not flammable itself, it can react with metals or other substances to produce potentially explosive hydrogen gas, Leckrone said.

As with a strong acid, a strong base like potassium hydroxide can have a caustic effect on the skin and lungs. But what makes a base different from an acid is that it’s more readily absorbed by tissue and thus easier to neutralize than to wash off, Leckrone added.

A dilute solution of weak acids such as vinegar could be used to treat skin burned by potassium hydroxide. But the treatment of potassium hydroxide inhalation or ingestion would be more complicated, she said.

PRINCETON — A Princeton University researcher was treated for chemical burns to her face today when a glass container of acid shattered in a lab in the campus’ new chemistry building.
The female postdoctoral researcher was taken to University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro for minor burns, said Martin Mbugua, a Princeton spokesman. The university did not release her name.
A graduate student who was in the laboratory at the time was also hospitalized as a precaution, Mbugua said. A public safety officer responding to the scene was also taken to the hospital to determine if tingling he experienced in his arm was related to exposure to the acid.
The accident occurred around 1:19 p.m. in a lab in Frick Chemistry Building, campus officials said.
"Nitric acid had been mixed with a solvent in the container, causing a reaction that built up pressure," university officials said in a statement. "When the container broke, the impact forced open the cabinet door, which struck the researcher, bruising her right knee."
The researcher was wearing eye protection and rubber gloves, campus officials said.
About 300 people evacuated the building for about two hours while rescue crews and hazardous materials teams cleared the spill, Mbugua said. About 150 students taking a final exam were moved to another building.

While a researcher fractionally distilled the primary phosphine (C6F5)PH2, which was synthesized by the reduction of (C6F5)PCl2 with an excess of lithium aluminum hydride (LAH), the distillation apparatus containing the phosphine detonated. Fortunately, because the researcher was wearing appropriate personal protective equipment and working in front of a sliding blast shield, only minor injuries resulted from the explosion.

The researcher was following a literature prep for the synthesis of (C6F5)PH2 (Z. Naturforschg.1966, 21b, 920), wherein (C6F5)PCl2 was reduced with an excess (2.1 M equiv based on Li) of LAH. After the reaction was completed, the slurry was filtered and ether was evaporated from the filtrate, yielding an oil and some LAH. This mixture was then extracted into hexanes to remove the remaining LAH, and the resulting phosphine/hexanes mixture was fractionally distilled under N2. After the hexanes were fractionally distilled away and the distillation apparatus was at approximately 50 °C, the apparatus detonated.

The source of the incident is being investigated. Work with this molecule and similar compounds should be conducted carefully until the exact cause of this incident is determined and reported.

PLAQUEMINE, La. — Four Georgia Gulf contract employees are recovering after being exposed to chlorine at work.

WAFB TV reports (http://bit.ly/KnT0FD ) the accident happened at the chemical and vinyls plant in Plaquemine around 9 p.m. Tuesday.

A Georgia Gulf spokesman said the four were near a railcar when the chlorine was being offloaded, but they were not the ones handling it.

Parish officials said there was no need for road closures or evacuations.

Spill occurs at BP processing facility
The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A state agency says thousands of gallons of crude oil and oily water have spilled at a BP processing facility on the North Slope.

The Anchorage Daily News says a tank at Prudhoe Bay overflowed on Monday, spilling about 4,200 gallons of crude oil and oily water into a containment area. The overflow was stopped and the Department of Environmental Conservation says the liquids did not leach out onto the tundra.

Officials say instruments and valves used to control the level of fluids in the tank malfunctioned.

BP spokesman Steve Rinehart says an alarm went off. A BP worker checking on the alarm discovered the spill at the processing facility where oil, natural gas and water are separated.

MUSCATINE — A Sweetland Ag Tech truck on its way to apply fertilizer sprang a leak Tuesday.

The Muscatine Fire Department’s hazardous materials team was called to a spill on Iowa 22, off of Sweetland Road, around 9:30 a.m.

According to Ryan Stouder, an environmental specialist for the Department of Natural Resources, as the truck was traveling, 96 gallons of liquid fertilizer from its 1,400-gallon tank began leaking at the city limits and continued for about 21/2 miles.

Stouder said a Muscatine County Sheriff’s deputy pulled the driver of a “fertilizer applicator vehicle” over to notify him he was leaking fertilizer on the road.

SOUTHBRIDGE —  A chlorine gas scare in a building in the former American Optical complex triggered a hazmat response shortly after 8 yesterday morning.

Acting Fire Chief Mark W. DiFronzo said workers from three companies in a Southbridge Business Center building at 15 Wells St. were evacuated for several hours when an employee at the Schott North America mistakenly mixed hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite, which produced a small amount of chlorine gas.

“When the employee noticed the reaction, he immediately stopped what he was doing, donned a respirator and evacuated employees from the building,” acting Chief DiFronzo said.

He said workers in the building implemented an emergency response plan, evacuating about 100 people from Schott and other businesses in the building; they were allowed to return after about four hours.

“There were no injuries and the public was never in any danger,” he said.

A nine-mile stretch of the interstate in northern Gwinnett,  Barrow and Jackson counties was shut down in both directions around 3:40 a.m. Tuesday after the tractor-trailer, which officials said was hauling possibly hazardous chemicals, caught fire near Ga. 211.

Braselton police Assistant Chief Lou Solis said the right rear brakes on the Old Dominion Freight Lines truck caught fire around 3:30 a.m., and the fire spread into the trailer.

“He had twin trailers, and in the rear trailer, he was transporting hazardous liquids,” Solis told the AJC.

When Barrow fire crews arrived and saw placards on the truck indicating that it was hauling corrosives, “they looked it up on their emergency response books and it said you need hazmat suit,” Solis said. ”Barrow County doesn’t have hazmat suits, so they called Gwinnett fire out here.”

Gwinnett fire crews suited up and doused the fire, Solis said, but not before some 200 to 300 gallons of the hazardous liquid spilled from the trailer.

Solis said shortly after 7 a.m. that officials were waiting on a private hazmat cleanup crew to arrive “and determine what can be moved and what cannot be moved.”

DRACUT — More than 50 employees were evacuated from Con-way Freight yesterday morning after employees smelled a chemical odor in a trailer that just arrived at the facility, police and fire officials said.

Three Con-way employees were taken to Saints Medical Center in Lowell for evaluation and possible decontamination as a precaution, said Dracut police Sgt. Gregg Byam. Fire officials said they were released yesterday afternoon and returned to work.

The Con-way Freight building at 22 McGrath Road, at the Methuen line, was evacuated while the state hazmat team investigated a chemical smell released from several boxes in one of the trailers outside the main building, Dracut police said.

Deputy Fire Chief Mike Ralls of Dracut said that there were two chemicals in three boxes that were of concern because they are very hazardous. One was phenyl mercaptan, a chemical described by the Centers for Disease Control as a clear, water-like substance that has a strong, garlic-like odor. It is used in pesticides and to give odor to natural gas, among other uses.

The other was chromium trioxde, a red solid that is used in chrome plating.

Hazmat checked the air of the trailer, which had arrived from New York at about 9:30 a.m., and when they found nothing they went inside and observed a powder on the floor next to the boxes.

After analyzing the powder, the determined it was fumaric acid, a nontoxic substance.

"It's not even a hazardous material," Ralls said.

After a science class fire at Maple Grove Junior High last year left several students injured, Osseo School District did an audit on its teacher-led science classroom demonstrations.

A May 17, 2012 memo from Osseo School District Assistant Superintendent Keith Jacobus to Superintendent Kate Maguire outlined the audit process as well as the results. The demonstration reportedly used in the ninth-grade science class at Maple Grove Junior High on Dec. 1, 2011 was suspended immediately in the district following the accident.

Two workers were injured and at least three vehicles were gutted in a major fire that broke out at Chandigarh distilleries and bottling plant in Banur on Monday. Fire tenders from Mohali, Rajpura, Dera Bassi, Mandi Gobindgarh and Chandigarh took nearly three hours to control the blaze.

The fire started with a blast while spirit was being siphoned into a tanker on the factory premises at around 3.15pm. Within seconds, the fire engulfed two other tankers and a truck holding liquor. The blaze also engulfed an office in the nearby building and a chemical lab.

Sources said around 150 workers were on duty at the time of the incident, who got frightened and some even jumped from the first floor of the building to save their lives.

Reports said supervisor Karamchand of Shakti Nagar in Dera Bassi, who was standing on the tanker to supervise siphoning of spirit, suffered severe burns. A worker Golu fractured his leg as he jumped from the first floor.

The Massachusetts state hazmat team suits up after a sulfuric acid spill at a Goddard Memorial Drive business.

Fire officials say a 250 gallon container of 50-percent sulfuric acid spilled Monday as workers were moving with a forklift and punctured it.

“It was punctured somewhere down about 6 inches from the bottom. A good deal spilled out and leaked on the asphalt,” says Deputy Chief John Sullivan.

The business, Pan-Glo New England, was evacuated.

(NECN) - Crews rushed to the scene of a tier three hazmat situation at an industrial complex in Southbridge, Mass.

The call came in around 7:40 a.m. on Monday, for 15 Wells St.

The Southbridge Fire Department confirms there was a chlorine gas leak at the Schott Fiber Optics.

The company produces fiber optic materials there.

The building was evacuated, but no injuries were reported.

ATLANTA — Barrels of chemicals dumped on the side of a road caused a northwest Atlanta intersection to be shut down early Monday morning.

Hazmat crews spent hours cleaning up the mess after several gallons of chemicals spilled onto the road.

Atlanta firefighters were called to the area near Johnson Road and Rockdale Street due to a suspicious odor.

“They were able to determine some barrels of unknown chemical,” Atlanta Fire Department Capt. Matt Lingquist said.

One barrel was leaking chemicals near an abandoned property.

“We believe it was possibly disposed of illegally,” Lingquist said.

Hazmat crews in protective gear quickly identified the chemical as hydrogen peroxide. The chemical is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent and is considered highly reactive

Residents who are on a private water system on Trout Lake are warned not to drink the water after a tanker truck overturned in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 63 north of Silver Lady Lane.

The crash at about 8:30 a.m. caused fuel and a load of formaldehyde the truck was carrying to spill directly into the lake.

The North Bay and District Public Health Unit released a statement saying the municipal drinking water supply is not in danger.

Anyone using a private water system must find another water source until further notice. The public is advised not to swim in Trout Lake or use the water for pets or livestocks.

WINDER, Ga. — A crash and fire involving a tractor-trailer -- and fears of a toxic chemical release -- shut down both lanes of a nine-mile stretch of Interstate 85 northeast of Atlanta for a time.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the truck caught fire early Tuesday morning near Georgia Highway 211, and authorities were concerned about possibly hazardous chemicals on the truck.

Barrow fire Lt. Scott Dakin tells WSB-TV that a rear tire on the truck caught fire, and the fire spread into the trailer. Barrow County fire officials said the blaze was under control by 5 a.m.

DOVER, Ohio - Authorities in Dover have reopened Interstate 77 and said it's safe for residents in the area to go outside following a chemical reaction at the Dover Chemical Corporation.

I-77 north and southbound, from Strasburg to New Philadelphia, reopened at 2 p.m. on Monday after being shutdown around 9:45 a.m.

Around 9:20 a.m., a reactor overheated inside the plant causing a vapor release that resulted in off-gassing of antifreeze.

Reverse 911 calls went out to about 100 residents shortly after the incident, advising them to stay inside and close their windows.

"No employees were injured. We are in the process of cooling the reactor, which appears to be working," said Dover Chemical Corporation President Dwain Colvin. This means there's no longer an explosion threat.

Two drivers along I-77 were taken to nearby hospitals after being overcome by the fumes, complaining of respiratory problems.

Chemical workers weren't affected by the plume because the off-gassing occurred outside the plant. An alarm sounded alerting them of the problem.

PORT ALLEN, LA (WAFB) -
One person was injured, families were evacuated and US 190 is shut down at Bueche Road between Port Allen and Erwinville due to a chemical fire.

Acetylene Fact Sheet
Acetylene is a colorless and odorless gas. Commercial grade Acetylene may have an Ether-like or garlic-like odor. It is used for welding, cutting, brazing and soldering, and in making other chemicals. Click here for more information.

The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) has activated its Crisis Action Team (CAT) because of the fire at the Air Liquide facility.

The fire is at the Air Liquide Specialty Gases plant. It happened around 10:30 a.m. Emergency officials, along with DEQ and a hazardous material team are on the scene to control the fire.

Late Monday afternoon, firemen, company officials and State Police technicians were able to enter the hot zone in order to inspect several cylinders, which were not damaged by the fire.  Several hundred tanks were still on fire.  State Police Air Support assisted technicians in inspecting the fire from the air before crews could enter the site.

One person was taken to the hospital with injuries to their eyes. That person's identity has not yet been released. The West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office says two tanks of acetylene exploded, however, the public relations office for Air Liquide in Houston says the tanks were empty and waiting to be filled with acetylene.

DALTON, GA. (WRCB)  --  More than two dozen Dalton employees were taken to a local hospital Monday for decontamination after an explosion occurred at the MFG Chemical plant on Callahan Dr.  

"I thought it was a pressure valve releasing," says International Coatings employee, Darrin Locke. "Heard a loud, very loud whistle."

International Coatings sits across the street from the MFG Chemical plant. Employees tell Channel 3 the explosion happened just before 9 Monday morning.

"We saw just some color in the sky. Of course we all made a mad dash for the backside of the building, not sure what was going to take place at that time," Locke says.  

"We have an over-pressured rupture of a reactor," says Dalton Fire Chief Bruce Satterfield.  

"It blew a hole in the roof of the building," adds Bruce Frazier, with the Dalton Police Department.  

The chemical that was being made during the time of the explosion is called coagulant 129. Its a substance used for water treatment and can cause skin irritation or respiratory problems. "Its not the nastiest stuff in the world but you wouldn't want it on your skin or anything," Frazier says.  

Nearly 50 employees from the surrounding area were taken to a local hospital for decontamination. Even a few from International Coatings came forward with symptoms after we talked to them.

"I've got a couple with some irritation to their throats, stuff like that," says Locke.  

All told, 47 people were brought to the Hamilton Medical Center for decontamination.

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. - The Osseo School District is making changes to its teacher-led science demonstrations after four students were injured in a classroom accident several months ago.

In the 71-page report, the methanol demonstration that burned the students back in December will not be allowed pending further review. It has not been used in the classroom since the accident.

It's called the "Whoosh - Flash Bottle" demonstration where someone drops a match into a jug of methanol.

The report also calls for a more stringent approval process for science demonstrations, a detailed list of approved demonstrations, and all secondary science teachers will now have to watch videos on science safety.

Chemical companies should always assess and, when possible, adopt inherently safer manufacturing processes that minimize or eliminate hazards, says a National Research Council (NRC) panel in a May 10 report. The committee says chemical manufacturers don’t always consider inherently safer processes and many lack a clear, consistent corporate policy to conduct an adequate analysis.
Inherently safer processes are a hierarchy of manufacturing practices—such as minimizing or finding substitutes for toxic materials—that lower the threat of plant hazards or accidents, which affect workers and community residents. The goal is to eliminate hazards, dangerous materials, or processes, rather than to manage and control them, explains Elsa Reichmanis, the NRC committee’s chair and a chemistry professor at Georgia Institute of Technology.

At least four workers at the toxic chemicals site in Mapua could have been made sick from working on the cleanup and they may suffer further work-related health problems, a report has revealed.

The Environment Ministry, as the main resource consent holders of the project, has accepted the report, and says it is taking steps to offer workers medical assessments.

The controversial $12 million cleanup finished five years ago and the four workers interviewed in the report have been waiting four years for acknowledgement of their health issues.

The Environment Ministry is also taking steps to contact others who worked at the site, previously considered New Zealand's most toxic, and offer them health checks. Thirty people are believed to have worked at the project.

A strong chemical odor inside the Leslie Pools store brought firefighters to air out the building after two employees evacuated the store shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday. A chemical fire started an hour later inside the front door.

Manteca Fire Battalion Chief David Marques held his men outside the building not knowing what caustic chemicals they were dealing with and called in the San Joaquin County Hazmat Team from Stockton.  Another hazmat specialist employed by the pool company was responding from Oakland.

Firefighters had placed an exhaust fan in the doorway to draw fumes out of the building. They then stood between their engines and waited for the arrival of the hazard materials specialists.

At about 10:30 a.m. one firefighter yelled “fire”. The firefighters scrambled toward the pool sales building.  An immediate call to the dispatcher alerted the call center that they now had a structure fire.  Another fire engine was sent to the scene not knowing what was going to develop once the chemicals started reacting with each other.

Fire Captain Rob Grycel and firefighter Brad Missouri were the first to make it to the front of the building. They grabbed the water line that had already been laid in front of the structure as a preventative measure.

A small blaze centered in and around buckets filled with calcium hypo chloride igniting nearby cardboard displays near the front window. Flames licked up the sides of the containers from the floor level.  Firemen were also concerned about putting water on the fire not knowing if it would cause a chemical reaction as well.

A terminal at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was closed for a time after an unknown chemical sent five people to the hospital with respiratory complaints.

Terminal 2 was evacuated for about two hours Friday as hazardous materials technicians investigated what caused several people to become ill.

The cause remains under investigation, though an airport spokesman says it appears an aerosol can discharged.

Broward County Sheriff Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles says three Transportation Security Administration agents and two passengers were affected by the irritant.

Investigators collected air samples and determined it was safe for people to re-enter. More than 1,000 passengers have been delayed and several inbound flights were diverted to other airports.

PUPILS had to be evacuated from a secondary school after a chemical alert.

Several fire crews and a hazardous material unit were sent to the school yesterday morning after reports of fumes.

The incident involved chemicals in a science preparation room at Brine Leas school in Nantwich.

The substances which sparked the alert were removed from the building and are now being disposed of by a specialist company.

A tanker conveying cylinders filled with inflammable chemical exploded on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in the Shango- Tedo area of Lagos Friday morning.

An eyewitness alleged that a woman might have been killed in the explosion.

The fire service appears to have been prompt on the scene but there is no confirmation on casualties even though eye-witnesses confirm deaths.

Traffic was at a standstill.

MIDDLETON, Mass.—A Massachusetts adhesive manufacturer will pay $600,000 in fines for numerous safety infractions after a March 2011 explosion that injured four workers.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration initially had sought fines in excess of $917,000 for Middleton, Mass.-based Bostik Inc. after a six-month investigation revealed several violations of the agency’s rules governing the treatment of hazardous chemicals.

In a statement released Thursday, OSHA officials said the agency ultimately reduced the fine amount, in part to expedite the implementation of improved safety practices at Bostik’s plant.

“This resolution speeds corrective action that might otherwise have been delayed through lengthy litigation,” Michael Felsen, regional solicitor for the U.S. Department of Labor in Boston, said in the agency’s statement.

According to the settlement, Bostik has agreed to certain corrective actions to address failures in its chemical safety protocols and to submit proof of those actions to OSHA.

In March 2011, an open valve resulted in the release of flammable acetone vapors, causing the explosion. Bostik since has stopped using acetone in its processing operations.

NEW CUMBERLAND - The small home at a rural crossroads in central Hancock County is where James Stanley lived and worked for many years. On Thursday, it's where he met a tragic death.

Stanley, who was in his 60s, was working on a project in his driveway with an acetylene torch Thursday afternoon when he was killed by an explosion, officials say.

"It was a bad accident - just one of those freak things that you don't see very often," Hancock County Sheriff Mike White said. "Very unfortunate."

The likely cause of death was trauma and burns from the explosion, according to the sheriff, but officials are still awaiting a ruling from the state medical examiner's office.

White said he knew Stanley as a retired man who still did work on the side with excavating equipment. Several small bulldozers and backhoes sit on his property at the remote intersection of Ballantyne and Shady Glen roads. A lone pine tree stands in his front yard.

Burn marks from the fire that claimed his life can be seen on the ground outside his garage. Police tape no longer surrounds the property, but the state fire marshal's office is continuing its investigation.

"We're not sure exactly what he was doing (with the torch)," White said. "He was cutting something."

Either flames or sparks from the torch ignited a 55-gallon drum that Stanley was standing over while he was working, White said. The drum was sealed and empty, but investigators are conducting tests to see whether vapors were the ignition source.

Research to be published in Science on May 18, 2012, sheds light on a hot-button political issue: the role and effectiveness of government regulation. Does it kill jobs or protect the public?

The new study, co-authored by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Toffel, Professor David Levine of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and Boston University doctoral student Matthew Johnson, examines workplace safety inspections conducted by California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA). The authors carried out the first evaluation of a "clinical trial" of the state's mandated randomized inspections to discern their effect on both worker safety and companies' bottom lines.

The results overturn conventional wisdom: Workplace inspections do reduce on-the-job injuries and their associated costs, and the researchers could not detect any harm to companies' performance or profits.

"The randomized inspections provided a perfect natural experiment that uses the power of randomization just like a medical clinical trial," Toffel said. "Because Cal/OSHA typically inspects facilities following complaints or recent accidents, you can't study those inspections to get an unbiased understanding of whether they make a difference. By studying the inspections Cal/OSHA conducted at workplaces selected at random, we were able to overcome this problem to learn the actual impact of inspections."

The study found that within high-hazard industries in California, inspected workplaces reduced their injury claims by 9.4 percent and saved 26 percent on workers' compensation costs in the four years following the inspection, compared to a similar set of uninspected workplaces. On average, inspected firms saved an estimated $355,000 in injury claims and compensation for paid lost work over that period. What's more, there was no discernible impact on the companies' profits.

Kutch, May 17 (PTI) One person was killed and two others injured when a fire broke out during unloading of chemical from a tanker at Kandla complex near the port, police said. "An inferno broke out when some chemical was being unloaded from a tanker at a terminal operated by a private firm Kesar Chemicals in Kandla complex near the port," they said. One person died and two others sustained injuries, officials said. Around ten fire fighters including those of Kandla port reached the site and brought fire under control, they said, adding the tanker and the terminal were damaged in the incident.

Beach rocks that caused a California woman's shorts to catch fire and severely burn her legs and hands appeared to be coated with phosphorus, but it was unclear how the flammable chemical got onto the stones found near a military base, authorities said Thursday.

"We have never been aware of anything like this before," said Denise Fennessy, assistant director of Orange County's environmental health division.

Field tests indicated the phosphorus was found on two rocks from San Onofre State Beach that will be submitted to a state-certified laboratory for verification, Fennessy said.

A naturally occurring mineral, phosphorus is found in oxidized form in rocks, but in its pure elemental form can burn when exposed to air. Phosphorous compounds are used in everything from flares to fertilizer.

Coast Guard and fire officials, however, said they never heard of local beach rocks igniting.

A chemical fire in Bristol, Pennsylvania led several residents to contact police Wednesday complaining about a sulfur odor in the air, according to officials.

   In a press release Wednesday, police said that the odor reported by residents could be traced to a chemical fire overnight at a Dow Chemical facility in Pennsylvania.The odor was reported in several central and southern New Jersey communities, according to the company.

   In a statement, the company said that two holding tanks at the Rohm and Hass Bristol Plant containing two different materials, ethyl acrylate and butyl acrylate, were struck by lightning at 3:35 a.m. and ignited.

   The chemicals involved are used in the manufacturing of paint, according to the company.

BOSTON — The Labor Department says it has reached a $600,000 settlement with adhesives manufacturer Bostik, Inc., over workplace safety citations related to a March 2011 explosion at its plant north of Boston.

Four workers had nonlife-threatening injuries. Investigators said a valve had accidentally been left open, causing acetone vapors to fill the building and ignite. The explosion rattled a surrounding neighborhood, and damaged two buildings at the plant complex in Middleton.

An explosion at the North Central West Virginia Airport burned one man so bad that he was flown to West Penn Hospital Wednesday morning.
 
Bridgeport Police say that two KCI Aviation employees were servicing an oxygen tank on a personal aircraft around 8:45 a.m. when something malfunctioned and caused a chemical explosion.

(Medina)- The Medina Fire Department along with three other area fire departments battled a blaze behind the Medina Steakhouse on W. Liberty Street.

Fire Chief Bob Painter says the fire started around 10:30am Wednesday at an unoccupied warehouse used by the company Free Oil. The building housed chemical solvents. Forty-five firefighters worked to put out the fire.



No one was injured but the building is a total loss. The walls collapsed and even melted some of the siding at the steakhouse and a nearby home.

It's not known yet what caused the blaze.

FRONT ROYAL -- An early Wednesday morning fire in Front Royal destroyed a house, injured two firefighters and sent all four family members jumping through first floor bedroom windows to safety outside.
...

Warren County Fire Marshal Gerry R. Maiatico said he would issue an official finding on the cause of the fire later today. Maiatico said the leading theory is that a polyurethane wood finisher mixed with sawdust started the fire through a heated chemical reaction.

Martocci said he was using polyurethane wood finisher while installing hardwood floors in his home and stored the residual sawdust and wood finisher in a bag.

The fire is the second since Saturday in which wood finisher mixing with

Painesville Township Fire Department and Lubrizol Corp. emergency personnel responded to the release of a chemical compound Wednesday at the company's Painesville Township plant.

According to a Lubrizol news release:

About 8 a.m., the fitting on top of a tank truck was damaged while positioning the truck for unloading. As a result, a small amount of hydrazine vapor was released.

Emergency personnel responded immediately and implemented existing emergency procedures, including activation of a water deluge safety system.

The incident was under control by 8:54 a.m. Representatives from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Public Utilities Commission of Ohio inspected the site and were satisfied with response and management of the incident.

There were no reported injuries and there was no evidence of any vapors leaving the plant property.

Members of Lincoln Fire and Rescue's Hazardous Materials Team responded Wednesday night to a chemical spill at Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center.
Monitoring equipment mounted in the hospital’s lab detected a small amount of ethylene oxide, which is used to sterilize equipment, at 9:52 p.m., Lincoln Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief Pat Borer said.
The amount detected was below the guidelines for permissible levels set by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, he said.
Borer said the staff was calibrating equipment when the chemical was detected. While the lab was evacuated, the rest of the hospital continued to operate  normally.
Hazmat team members entered the room to monitor for the chemical but did not detect any. They allowed  the room to be reoccupied and left the scene after 45 minutes, Borer said.

Barwani (MP), May 16 (PTI) Two persons were killed and 11 others were injured today in an explosion in a truck carrying chemicals at Balsamund Check Post, police said. The truck was on its way to Indore from Mumbai. The explosion took place as the driver had parked it at the post and gone out for clearing paper work. Thirteen persons, standing around the truck, were injured seriously. Deepak Pancholi and one Pal died. The rest were admitted to Barwani hospital, police said adding that cause of the fire was not yet known.

QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) - Fire investigators return to the scene Wednesday of a five-alarm fire at the Doyle Manufacturing complex at 40th and Broadway in Quincy.
...
A Doyle spokesman says the fire was in a building where they paint fertilizer equipment.

Tipton says that building contained flammable materials like aerosol cans, which led to several explosions inside.

"It's always a dangerous situation when you come on a manufacturing facility because you don't know what's inside at first and the first moments are a little bit anxious when you first start," said Tipton.

Tipton says the metal roof on that building collapsed on top of the fire, making it difficult to fight the flames. 

BOARDMAN, Ore. - Morrow County Sheriff's Deputies say an ammonia leak at a food processing plant in Boardman, Oregon sent seven people to the hospital overnight. The seven people were working at frozen food processor Lamb Weston/Con Agra on Columbia Avenue around 9:45 Tuesday night when the leak was reported. All seven were taken to Good Shepard Hospital in Hermiston. They were treated for respiratory distress and nausea and were released after a few hours. Crews had the leak contained and clean up complete around midnight. No word on a cause or if the processing plant will be open Wednesday.

LORTON, Va. (WUSA) -- The Fairfax County Fire Department has brought a fire under control that injured three people at a business in the Lorton area of the county. The injuries were described as minor.

Firefighters got the call about 10:45 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a fire and explosion at 10440 Furnace Road. A spokesperson says the fire broke out at a chemical lab. The site houses several businesses including a Five Guys, Stuart Kitchens and American Systems Corp.

Renee Stilwell with Fairfax County Fires says there was a malfunction in an air-handling unit at the lab  and no chemical was involved. The business however, does handle what was described as a "petroleum based product" so a hazmat unit was dispatched to the scene.

NIXON, Texas (AP) - Emergency officials say a fiery explosion at an energy company site in South Texas has left two workers with burns.

The Gonzales County Sheriff's Office says the explosion happened early Wednesday at a Vann Energy location near Nixon.

A sheriff's dispatcher says the workers were hurt during the fracturing process known as fracking. Chemically treated water is used to crack shale and release natural gas.

The dispatcher says both men suffered second-degree burns and have been airlifted to a San Antonio hospital. Their names and further details on their conditions weren't immediately available.

The cause of the accident has not been determined. Some nearby homes were evacuated for about two hours, as a precaution.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) -- No injuries are reported in an explosion at a biodiesel plant in Mason City.

The Globe Gazette in Mason City says the explosion happened late Tuesday afternoon at the Soy Energy plant on the city's southwest side. The newspaper says fire trucks and firefighters are on the west side of the plant, but no damage or smoke was visible. The explosion was reported about 6 p.m.

The fire department had no immediate details on what happened. Soy Energy produces biodiesel from soybeans and corn stillage.

Things I Won't Work With: Selenophenol
Posted by Derek
This fine reagent was mentioned here (disparagingly) in the comments the other day, and I knew that it was time to add it to the list. I've had some other selenium entries before, and they're all here for the same reason: their unsupportable stenches. Everyone, even people who've never had a chemistry class in their lives, knows that sulfur compounds are stinky, of course, but it's a problem that continues as you move down Group XVI of the periodic table.

HARMFUL chemicals including hydrochloric and sulphuric acid were left in an Ammanford factory — creating a high risk for people living nearby.

The Environment Agency Wales (EAW) removed some 500 containers and five chemical lagoons at the former electroplating facility, the exact location of which has not been disclosed.

Kimberley Ekin-Wood, from the EAW, said: "This site posed a high risk to both the local environment and people living in the area so removing the chemicals had to be a priority."

The factory has been empty for several years.

The EAW, alerted by the fire service found the previous landowners had left it full of waste chemicals. These included hydrochloric acid, chromic acid, sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide.

LSB Industries said its El Dorado chemical facility in Arkansas suffered significant damage to the DSN concentrated nitric acid plant and surrounding equipment when a reactor exploded Tuesday morning.

There were no injuries to employees or anyone in the El Dorado community, the company said, adding that it believes there was no environmental release.

LSB is investigating the cause of the event and the extent of the damages, it said.

LSB said it does not have an estimate on the extent of the damages or the repair time. However, the El Dorado facility is out of operation at the present time due to the damage.

Lightning appparently ignited a fuel tank at Dow Chemical Co. in Croydon early this morning, touching off a three-alarm blaze that sent a large orange ball of flame into the predawn sky.

Firefighters from around the area rushed to the large plant at Routes 413 and State Road in Bucks County, less than a mile from the Burlington-Bristol bridge. The county's hazardous waste material team was also called to the scene,

The fire erupted at about 4 a.m. A large black plume of smoke extended high into the sky above the orange flames. Firefighters battled the blaze not only with water, but with foam.

Robert Miller, 49, of Linden Street in Bristol, said he was awoken by a large noise and was not sure if it was thunder or something else.

"The minute it stopped" he said, referring to the thunder or explosion, "the fire alarm went off immediately. The sirens went off like crazy - like I've never heard them before."

HOLLYWOOD — A four-block stretch of A1A in Hollywood reopened Monday night after being closed much of the day while HazMat units and the bomb squad tried to remove a chemical-filled 55-gallon drum that washed ashore over the weekend.

The day-long effort to remove the drum became complicated in the afternoon when the drum broke apart and appeared to detonate, spewing white smoke, Hollywood fire department officials said. The Broward Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad was called.

The mysterious drum was finally carted away for proper disposal before 9 p.m. and the roadway reopened.

What chemical the drum contained is unknown pending test results.

"People drop off a little homemade explosive device in the front yard, yeah it's kind of scary ," she said, flipping through pictures on her camera.

Patsy Brown and her husband woke up to find the remnants of a bottle bomb outside their front door on Mother's Day.

"As you can see here, the water bottle just exploded, and the foil exploded in about a 15-20 foot radius," she said, showing us a melted bottle and foil pellets.

The bomb consists of a plastic bottle filled with an unknown chemical liquid and aluminum foil. The concoction is commonly known as a Works Bomb. It exploded while the family was away from home on Saturday night.

GUANGZHOU, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- A large explosion ripped through a steel plant in southern China on Monday afternoon, killing nine people and injuring several others, state-run media reported.

The explosion occurred at around 3:48 p.m. local time at a plant operated by Shaoguan Steel Co. Ltd. in the municipality of Shaoguan in China's southern province of Guangdong. It happened as workers from China MCC5 Group Corp. were installing facilities at the location.

The state-run Xinhua news agency cited local government officials as saying that eight people died at the scene, while a ninth victim died late on Monday evening. Six workers were injured, including one person who remains seriously injured.

The cause of the explosion remains unknown, but investigations have already been launched.

The rapid economic growth in China, in combination with poor safety measures, frequently result in deadly industrial accidents. In late February, thirteen people were killed and 43 others were injured when a blast ripped through a chemical plant in China's northern Hebei province.

UNION TOWNSHIP | Authorities said a home in the Shorewood Forest subdivision was damaged Saturday after two household chemical bombs exploded on the lawn.

A 56-year-old woman told Porter County Sheriff's Department investigators that she and her husband were awoken by a "thud" outside their home about 12:30 a.m. in the 400 block of Westchester Circle.

About an hour later, they heard another noise they thought was possibly their cat knocking something off a table. The woman said they looked around the house, didn't see anything abnormal and went back to bed.

That morning, though, they discovered a window facing the front yard was shattered and areas of their lawn had burn marks next to two plastic bottles.

Authorities said they believe one of the bottles was thrown at the window and and it appears both bottles were used to create a bomb-like device using household cleaners.

Officers said the family initially wondered if they had been targeted because of their Muslim faith. On Monday, Sgt. Larry LaFlower, public information officer with the sheriff's department, said investigators found nothing leading them to believe the vandalism was a possible hate crime.

FORT COLLINS - A PhD student was injured in an explosion at a lab in the CSU chemistry building this morning while working with fluorine potassium chloride and water, according to Colorado State University spokesman Mike Hooker.

A vial of liquid exploded, and the student was taken to Medical Center of the Rockies for treatment.

"He was cut by the glass from that vial," Hooker said, adding that he hasn't yet confirmed other injuries. 

The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m., and the scene was deemed to be safe enough not to stage an evacuation. CSU Environmental Health Services cleaned up the chemicals.

Hooker said he didn't yet know what occurred with the compounds to cause the explosion.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A fire with flames 100 to 200 feet high erupted Friday at an oil well east of Cheyenne owned by SM Energy.

The fire at 1781 County Road 136 started in an oil treater containing 20 to 250 gallons of an oil and water mixture, Laramie County Fire District 2 spokesman Lew Simpson said. The treater overflowed and was ignited.

An oil treater removes sediment and water from crude oil before it is transported to refineries.

"It ignited, and it was threatening about 42,000 gallons of other oil fuel stored nearby," Simpson said. "We managed to control it — we shut off the fuel to the fire."

About 60 firefighters responded to the scene from several agencies, including six Laramie County fire districts, the Torrington Fire Department and F.E. Warren Air Force Base. Firefighters from the local Frontier Oil refinery also helped out.

The fire was extinguished in about an hour. No injuries were reported.

A chemical leak on board a container ship at Sydney's Port Botany has now been made safe.

The German-registered 34,600-tonne California Senator docked on Monday morning from Fremantle with a 1000-litre storage drum leaking nitric acid in the hold.

The ship's captain had called ahead on Sunday to warn authorities.

Firefighters scrambled aboard about 1am (AEST) to decant the contents of the drum and contain the leak.

"The container of nitric acid has now been made safe," Superintendent Ian Krimmer, from Fire and Rescue NSW, said on Monday afternoon.

"One ruptured container inside was located.

"Contents have all been emptied, all the contaminated products have been removed by a contractor.

Two serious accidents occurred within two days at the Map Ta Phut petrochemical production zone in eastern Thailand.
An explosion on May 5 at a synthetic rubber plant owned by Bangkok Synthetics killed 12 people and injured more than 140 at Map Ta Phut. The next day, a chlorine leak at a hydrochloric acid plant operated by Aditya Birla Chemicals led to the hospitalization of 13 people, according to the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT).
The back-to-back accidents have revived tensions between the facilities in the industrial zone and nearby residents who blame the petrochemical industry for causing pollution and posing a safety risk.
Bangkok Synthetics said in a statement that the explosion occurred when the plant was shut down and undergoing maintenance. During a storm, a fire broke out in a toluene vessel that had just been cleaned, the company said.

LINCOLN, NEB. –  A collision involving two large trucks has spilled a hazardous chemical into Nebraska Highway 2 in Lincoln.

Lincoln fire captain Eric Jones told the Journal Star that a semi carrying 16 250-gallon tanks of boiler cleaner rear-ended a large flatbed truck Saturday afternoon. One of the tanks of cleaner ruptured and the chemical spilled onto highway.

The westbound lanes of the highway were closed Saturday afternoon as crews worked to contain the spill.

A MAN has been charged on suspicion of possessing an explosive which led to the prolonged evacuation of around 50 houses in Sheffield.

Police said the 34-year-old man is facing charges on two counts of possessing an explosive, after chemicals were found at a property on Ridgehill Avenue, Intake.

They said the substances, discovered on Thursday, were consistent with those used in the production of class A drugs and explosives.

The suspect, who lives on Ridgehill Avenue, has been remanded in custody.

A second man in his 60s arrested in relation to the incident was released on police bail until June, pending further enquiries.

BOSTON (CBS) – The state Department Of Transportation has decided to ban trucks carrying hazardous materials, including gasoline and heating oil, from traveling through Boston between 6 a.m and 8 p.m.

Mayor Menino has been fighting for several years for a ban on hazmat trucks from city streets.

He calls the decision a victory for the people of Boston.

“Vehicles carrying hazardous materials through the City pose a significant public safety threat to residents of our effected neighborhoods, as well as to commuters and other daily visitors to Downtown Boston,” Menino’s statement said.

Trucks delivering to or picking up from Boston will still be allowed on the roads.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) will be prohibiting international shipments of devices containing lithium ion batteries starting May 16th. After coming to grips with serious financial problems last year, USPS has now decided that lithium batteries pose too great of a risk to be shipped overseas. Devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets will fall under this ban, but domestic shipment of these products will be unaffected.

USPS has revised its Domestic Mail Manual — an official document outlining shipment policies — after evaluating recent discussions by the International Civil Aviation Organiza­tion and the Universal Postal Union. Meanwhile, UPS and FedEx are not changing their stance on the matter, which isn't surprising considering how much money is involved. The international shipment of electronic goods is a multi-billion dollar industry, and the added risk associated with transporting devices with lithium batteries is a gamble these companies are willing to take. The only problem is that neither of these couriers will deliver to APO, FPO, or DPO addresses overseas, meaning that troops abroad will not be able to receive Kindles and iPads to fill the downtime between combat.

An outright ban on air-shipping lithium batteries may seem like an exaggerated response to this ambiguous problem, but there have been several plane crashes directly attributed to exploding lithium batteries in the last few years. There are two reasons why a lithium battery might experience a runaway thermal expansion, or explosion. The first reason lies with the battery's chemistry, and the second is contingent on physical or environmental stress.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The chemical industry needs guidance in choosing alternative processing methods to reduce or eliminate hazards, a national panel said in a report released Friday.

U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations require chemical companies to follow certain procedures to ensure manufacturing processes are safe. But the report by the National Research Council said the industry lacks common practice protocols and understanding to identify safer processes.

It recommends that the U.S. Chemical Safety Board or other entity develop a plan to help chemical plant managers choose alternative processes to reduce or eliminate hazards.

One method, known as an "inherently safer process" assessment, aims to minimize or eliminate a hazard. But the assessment does not always provide clear guidance. The report said switching to a non-flammable solvent in a process would remove a fire hazard. But if the solvent is toxic, a new hazard is created.

Use of inherently safer process strategies would reduce the number of vulnerable areas around a company's facilities, which would decrease the scope of emergency preparedness programs. But it potentially could narrow the focus too much and overlook certain outcomes, the report said.

VISTA, Calif. -- An explosion at a spa manufacturing factory blew a 20x20 foot hole in the roof of a Vista business around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.
The explosion occurred inside a container at Watkins Manufacturing Inc., located at 1280 Park Center Drive.
According to 10News, investigators aren't sure what caused the explosion, but the 8,000 gallon container filled with chemicals was cleaned early Thursday and it was that container that exploded late Thursday night.
When Carlsbad and Vista fire units arrived, they had toxic smoke wafting from the remains of the building, as well as water running from the building to a storm drain at 100 gallons per minute.
Fire officials called Camp Pendleton HAZMAT, as well as San Diego County Health, and then pulled their units across the street to a safe distance fearing another explosion.
No one was inside the building at the time and no injuries were reported.

Pressure from a failed drip vessel started a fire which in turn caused the April 30 explosion at a natural gas plant southeast of Canadian, said Todd Johnson, Eagle Rock Energy Partners vice president of environmental health and safety.

The blast occurred at Houston-based Eagle Rock Energy Partners’ Phoenix-Arrington Ranch processing plant in Hemphill County, and no one was hurt, spokesman Craig Brown said.

A drip vessel is a small tank that collects liquid from a gas field, which is required to process the gas, Johnson said. The vessel failed to release pressure, causing it to rupture and starting a fire that led to the explosion.

“There are some lessons that we are learning, and we are going to incorporate those lessons into our design standards and our safety procedures,” Johnson said.

DALLAS TWP. — The state Department of Environmental Protection is investigating a second release of drilling mud from natural gas pipeline installation.

The spill occurred at Lower Demunds Road and Goodleigh Road.

Chief Gathering LLC, recently bought out by PVR Partners, hired contractors to install a pipeline to connect natural gas wells in Susquehanna County to the Transco interstate pipeline in Dallas Township.

Chief’s Vice President of Industry Affairs Kristi Gittins said the mud release is not new. She said release of mud at pipeline boring sites are not uncommon and “we plan for them and we deal with them.”

DEP has been to the site and approved remediation plans, Gittins said.

The first spill, of approximately 200 gallons of water containing a small amount of bentonite clay, occurred on May 2 as contractors were boring about 30 feet beneath Leonards Creek on Kunkle-Alderson Road.