<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <rdf:RDF xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/" xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:taxo="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/taxonomy/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:cc="http://web.resource.org/cc/" xmlns:syn="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:admin="http://webns.net/mvcb/">
  <channel rdf:about="http://pinboard.in">
    <title>Pinboard (dchas)</title>
    <link>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/public/</link>
    <description>recent bookmarks from dchas</description>
    <items>
      <rdf:Seq>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/07/texas-supreme-court-says-buyout-firms-not-liable-for-chemical-plant-explosion"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/13/officials-chemical-spill-at-cathcart-rail-in-lynchburg-no-health-risk-to-public/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/fire-burns-for-third-day-at-shell-texas-chemical-plant/100060617"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/EPA-cites-Chemours-exceeding-PFAS/101/web/2023/04"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/technology/north-american-rail-safety-pretty-bad-compared-to-europe/443295"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://people.com/human-interest/indiana-recycling-plant-fire-evacuation/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/marine-plastic-spill-xpress-pearl-nurdle/101/i3"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00568"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/3M-says-end-PFAS-production/100/web/2022/12"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/local/power-city/final-report-of-2019-tpc-plant-explosion-in-port-neches/502-438ff8a7-d8a3-43c8-96c5-c80e42131ca2"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.kplctv.com/2022/12/18/small-fire-westlake-polymers-overnight/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.powderbulksolids.com/industrial-fires-explosions/csb-releases-investigation-update-fatal-explosion-polymers-resin-plant"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/polymer-chemistry-poised-to-make-plastic-waste-traceable/4016518.article"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00223"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/materials/polymers/US-plastics-industry-under-fire/100/i34"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://spectrumnews1.com/ma/worcester/news/2022/08/19/mace-polymer-and-additives-fire-"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.timesnews.net/news/local-news/city-officials-strongly-urge-citizens-to-avoid-eastman-area/article_1dc61aac-09d0-11ed-a79a-87bda5f56fd6.html"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://globalnews.ca/news/9010144/1-dead-3-injured-montreal-chemical-research-lab-explosion/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/07/12/six-people-injured-after-explosion-boulder-city/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/US-EPA-confirms-risks-brominated/100/i24"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/environment/sustainability/chemical-industrys-new-green-deals/100/i23"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/toxicology/Microplastics-health-risk-toxicology-particle-characterization-nanomaterials/100/i19"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/six-dead-in-explosion-at-slovenian-chemicals-plant/4015686.article"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/scientists-call-for-global-cap-on-plastic-production/4015603.article"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://newsmeter.in/crime/fire-breaks-out-at-jn-pharma-city-in-anakapalle-no-casualties-reported-694635"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/230422/fire-breaks-out-at-pharma-unit-in-vizag-no-casualties-nor-injuries-re.html"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/discovery-of-microplastics-in-people-raises-difficult-questions-about-health-implications/4015516.article"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.wsaz.com/2022/04/13/fire-sparks-during-demolition-plant-haverhill/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.aiche.org/resources/publications/cep/2022/march/losing-your-heat-balance-insights-thermal-hazard-assessments"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/world-agrees-to-sign-up-to-a-treaty-to-control-plastic-and-chemical-pollution/4015327.article"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/treaty-controlling-plastic-coming/100/i9"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/progress-made-towards-a-global-plastics-treaty-covering-waste/4015242.article"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/09/cargo-ship-disasters-are-oil-spills-of-our-time-because-of-health-risk-from-plastic"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/safety/consumer-safety/US-FDA-urged-limit-bisphenol-A-in-food-packaging-again/100/web/2022/01"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/environment/recycling/Plastics-group-recommends-phaseout-materials/100/web/2022/01"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/earths-limits-pushed-by-chemical-pollution-as-un-environment-meeting-nears/4015137.article"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.npr.org/2022/01/15/1073314152/an-11-alarm-fire-from-a-chemical-plant-is-raging-through-passaic-new-jersey"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/safety/consumer-safety/New-York-bans-televisions-organohalogen/100/web/2022/01"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/deadly-incidents-at-indian-chemicals-plants/4014960.article"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/29/nurdles-plastic-pellets-environmental-ocean-spills-toxic-waste-not-classified-hazardous"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/fire-destroys-uk-plastics-factory/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.benningtonbanner.com/local-news/settlement-agreement-reached-in-bennington-pfoa-suit/article_7e1e13ca-42fa-11ec-8465-5faf0d99cc1b.html"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.wbiw.com/2021/09/28/bedford-utilities-reports-no-hazardous-substances-were-released-into-the-stormwater-system/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/Formosa-pay-285-milllion-penalties/99/i34"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/fire-at-leamington-spa-plastics-facility/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.woodtv.com/news/ottawa-county/crews-clean-up-chemical-spill-at-zeeland-plant/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chas.1c00041"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/chaos-uk-covid-super-lab-21426966"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://balkangreenenergynews.com/levels-of-dioxins-furans-air-from-vinca-landfill-fire-must-be-measured/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/leak-from-tractor-trailer-shuts-down-portion-of-i-78-for-hours/article_5085ba26-e0ee-11eb-bdc2-1fdefb423558.html"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chemical-upcycling/4013886.article"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/environment/Inventory-finds-10000-chemicals-used/99/i25"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.newsclick.in/X-press-pearl-dsaster-lessons-moving-chemicals-india-waterways"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Selkirk-plastics-plant-faces-nearly-41-000-fine-16199808.php"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://news.trust.org/item/20210510230821-m9wjo/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.powderbulksolids.com/chemical/adhesives-maker-pays-345k-epa-settlement"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://mynbc15.com/news/local/employees-evacuated-after-fire-at-mobile-plastic-manufacturer"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/baroda/villagers-shifted-after-fire-in-chemical-factory-7113905/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-13/fire-at-kilburn-plastics-factory-causes-million-dollar-damage/12880014"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/EPA-faces-TSCA-risk-evaluation/98/i35"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article245146670.html"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://wtov9.com/news/local/investigation-underway-after-bellaire-fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/residents-onlookers-share-concern-about-grand-prairie-fire-smoke-toxicity/2428876/"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/series-of-accidents-in-vizag-a-matter-of-great-concern-pawan-kalyan-1700650-2020-07-15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2020/jul/11/vizag-gas-leak-fire-department-reached-lg-polymers-16-minutes-late-states-high-power-committee-findings-2168262.html"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/safety/Dow-recovers-Midland-flooding/98/i21"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/taking-responsibility-for-waste/4011544.article"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200316173516.htm"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://cen.acs.org/policy/regulation/EU-moves-toward-strict-controls/98/web/2020/01"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/chemical-factory-gutted-near-mehsana/articleshow/73162964.cms"/>
      </rdf:Seq>
    </items>
  </channel><item rdf:about="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/07/texas-supreme-court-says-buyout-firms-not-liable-for-chemical-plant-explosion">
    <title>Texas Supreme Court says private equity firms not liable for chemical plant explosion</title>
    <dc:date>2023-07-08T11:24:10+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.axios.com/2023/07/07/texas-supreme-court-says-buyout-firms-not-liable-for-chemical-plant-explosion</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Photo: Steven Song/Xinhua via Getty Images.
When a chemical plant in Port Neches, Texas, exploded on Thanksgiving eve in 2019, multiple people were injured, tens of thousands were evacuated from their homes and off-site property damage costs topped $150 million.

What's new: The plant's ultimate owners, private equity firms First Reserve and SK Capital Partners, will not be held liable, per a recent ruling by the Texas Supreme Court.

Why it matters: This was a failed attempt to pierce the corporate veil that private equity funds use to protect themselves from portfolio company misdeeds.

Had it succeeded in Texas, the second-largest state for private equity investment, it could have opened the floodgates for future litigation.
What to know: The Port Neches facility was owned by TPC Group, which was taken private for $850 million in 2012 by First Reserve and SKCP.

It mostly produced butadiene, a petrochemical used in the production of synthetic rubber.
An investigation by federal authorities determined that the blast was caused by the buildup of a “popcorn polymer” inside of a pipe, and that TPC failed to identity what it should have known was a possible problem.
TPC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last summer, in a prepackaged deal that included money to compensate thousands of plaintiffs in lawsuits that had been consolidated into a state multidistrict case. Prior to the bankruptcy filing, TPC had already paid out $134.5 million to settle explosion-related claims.
Piercing the veil: Not all victims were satisfied with going after TPC. Some also wanted compensation from the company's private equity owners, who they believed had caused the company to cut safety corners in the pursuit of investment profits.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_TX industrial follow-up environmental petroleum plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:c559bafbaedc/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_TX"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:petroleum"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/13/officials-chemical-spill-at-cathcart-rail-in-lynchburg-no-health-risk-to-public/">
    <title>Officials: Chemical spill at Cathcart Rail in Lynchburg, no health risk to public</title>
    <dc:date>2023-05-14T10:36:05+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/13/officials-chemical-spill-at-cathcart-rail-in-lynchburg-no-health-risk-to-public/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Lynchburg Fire Marshal’s Office has been monitoring a release of a chemical from a holding tank at Cathcart Rail on Hydro Street that has been producing strong noxious odors in the area for the past several weeks, according to the Lynchburg Fire Department.
Officials said on April 3, LFD responded to a call for a chemical smell near downtown, which they tracked back to the business on 
A follow-up visit from the Fire Marshal this past week identified the source as a tank containing about 2200 gallons of ethyl acrylate which is used in the production of resins, plastics, and rubber materials, according to the department.
LFD said the tank has produced a very slow, leak, which is currently contained in the immediate area. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management was notified, as well as the Department of Environmental Quality.
Both are working with the company on the cleanup process which officials said is expected to get underway this week.
Officials said Ethyl acrylate is a flammable liquid with a particularly acrid odor, and while residents in the Rivermont and downtown areas may notice a strong chemical smell, there is no risk to public health from this leak.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_VA public release response flammables plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:ee6a9581e76f/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_VA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:release"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:flammables"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/fire-burns-for-third-day-at-shell-texas-chemical-plant/100060617">
    <title>Fire burns for third day at Shell Texas chemical plant, Auto News, ET Auto</title>
    <dc:date>2023-05-08T10:39:48+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/fire-burns-for-third-day-at-shell-texas-chemical-plant/100060617</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A fire burned for a third day on Sunday at Shell Plc's chemical plant in the Houston suburb of Deer Park, Texas, a company spokesperson said.

The fire initially ignited on Friday afternoon in an explosion in an olefins unit, used to make plastics and rubber.

The fire was extinguished for a few hours on Saturday morning before it reignited around 3 p.m. CDT (2000 GMT), said Shell spokesperson Curtis Smith.

No injuries were reported from the fire. Nine people were evaluated and released at local hospitals on Friday for possible chemical exposure.

Advt
Water is being sprayed onto the fire to keep it under control until the chemicals, which were being processed at the time of the explosion, burn away, Smith said.

Water may continue to be sprayed for up to 36 hours after the fire is extinguished to keep nearby equipment cool, he said.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_TX industrial fire response plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:0e5394452532/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_TX"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/EPA-cites-Chemours-exceeding-PFAS/101/web/2023/04">
    <title>EPA cites Chemours for exceeding PFAS limits in wastewater</title>
    <dc:date>2023-04-28T09:38:13+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/EPA-cites-Chemours-exceeding-PFAS/101/web/2023/04</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The US Environmental Protection Agency is going after Chemours to reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater regularly discharged into the Ohio River from the company’s Washington Works facility near Parkersburg, West Virginia. The agency claims the levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), a breakdown product of the PFOA replacement known as GenX, exceed those set in the facility’s discharge permit.

The action marks the first time the EPA has used its enforcement authority under the Clean Water Act to target PFAS in wastewater discharges.

Chemours produces fluoropolymers and other fluorinated organic chemicals at the Washington Works site. The company says those products are not harmful to human health. But the fluorinated surfactants used as processing aids to make the chemicals are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to humans and the environment.
Contamination from the former use of PFOA as a processing aid at the Washington Works facility still plagues Chemours, which was spun off from DuPont in 2015. The firm is also facing scrutiny over discharges of HFPO-DA resulting from the use of GenX.]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_WV public discovery environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:16e095bc019d/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_WV"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/technology/north-american-rail-safety-pretty-bad-compared-to-europe/443295">
    <title>North American rail safety ‘pretty bad’ compared to Europe</title>
    <dc:date>2023-04-20T10:42:26+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/technology/north-american-rail-safety-pretty-bad-compared-to-europe/443295</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[North American freight rail companies aren’t interested in improving safety because it costs too much, according to one American-born expert now teaching in Denmark. “Rail safety in North America is pretty bad, to be honest,” says Steve Harrod, “it's very bad by European standards and it has been really bad for a long time.”

Harrod is an associate professor at Technical University of Denmark in the DTU Engineering Technology department. He focuses on transportation management, science, and analysis with a specialization in railway management and technology.

“The fundamental technology of North American freight trains needs to be changed,” explains Harrod. “It's a really tough statement to make, because one of the great successes of North American freight transport is the very low price, the very economical movement of freight by rail in North America.”

That economical advantage can’t be understated according to Harrod, who notes how much more profitable rail companies are in North America compared to Europe. He says typically a North American rail company generates $1 of profit for every $2 in revenue which is “incomprehensible” for European companies to have that level of profit, “it just doesn’t exist.”

Harrod highlights three distinct differences between Europe’s freight rail system and North America’s that make Europe safer: Train length, coupling systems, and approach to hazardous materials.

Hazardous materials

The dangers of hazardous materials transported by rail are on the minds of many American lawmakers after the fiery derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train on February 3. Earlier this week, the company’s CEO, Alan Shaw, apologized to Ohio lawmakers for the accident that saw toxic chemicals spill and burn in East Palestine, Ohio. The chemicals included vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate and isobutylene. Shaw expressed support for some newly proposed safety measures, while resisting others.

Harrod says accidents involving toxic chemicals and other hazardous materials are very rare in Europe because they are typically transported by sea and not rail. But in North America there is “a lot of over the land shipment of hazardous material,” says Harrod.

“In America you are shipping petroleum from North Dakota to New Jersey and to New Orleans. And then you're shipping it to the chemical coast…then you're making chlorine and plastics and all kinds of crazy stuff. And then you're shipping it from Texas and New Orleans to Ohio and to New York and Pennsylvania.”

]]></description>
<dc:subject>transportation discovery environmental chlorine petroleum plastics toxics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:103556e4c282/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:transportation"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:chlorine"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:petroleum"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:toxics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://people.com/human-interest/indiana-recycling-plant-fire-evacuation/">
    <title>Indiana Recycling Plant Fire Forces Thousands to Evacuate</title>
    <dc:date>2023-04-13T10:48:06+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://people.com/human-interest/indiana-recycling-plant-fire-evacuation/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their small town on Tuesday after a large fire engulfed a Richmond, Indiana recycling plant. Officials say the fire could burn for days.

The fire department arrived to find a semi-trailer full of "unknown type of plastics" on fire, according to Richmond Fire Chief Tim Brown. Soon the fire spread to other trailers and then the building.

The fire is emitting a large plume of black smoke which forced an evacuation for all residents living within a half mile of the plant, according to a statement from the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency.

The smoke is "definitely toxic," Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones said in a news briefing on Tuesday.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_IN industrial fire response plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:6e4b12d7828f/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_IN"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/marine-plastic-spill-xpress-pearl-nurdle/101/i3">
    <title>Grappling with the biggest marine plastic spill in history</title>
    <dc:date>2023-01-23T11:13:07+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/marine-plastic-spill-xpress-pearl-nurdle/101/i3</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[On May 20, 2021, a fire started on a cargo ship off the coast of Colombo, Sri Lanka. At home under COVID-19 lockdown, the country’s environmentalists and scientists watched media reports showing the ship spewing yellow and black fumes, and they worried that the X-Press Pearl would spill its oil into the sea.
But a few days after the ship caught fire, it became clear that the X-Press Pearl disaster was bigger than an oil spill. The ship was carrying more chemicals than its 348 metric tons (t) of bunker oil. Of the 1,486 containers on board, 81 held dangerous goods. The cargo included caustic soda, nitric acid, and fertilizer. The ship was also transporting polymers, including 1,680 t of plastic pellets, about 70 billion of them, each about 5 mm wide. These pellets, also called nurdles, are the raw materials that are melted and molded to make many plastic products.
On May 25, explosions were heard on the ship, and containers began falling into the ocean. Piles of plastic pellets meters deep engulfed the nearby Sarakkuwa beach. There was so much plastic that “you could not see the sand,” says Muditha Katuwawala, founder of the environmental organization the Pearl Protectors. “It was really scary.”
The accident is the worst ecological disaster Sri Lanka has ever faced and the worst marine polymer fire and spill in history. The largest previous pellet spill released 150 t into the waters of Hong Kong in 2012. In the wake of the X-Press Pearl accident, thousands of dead animals, including turtles, lionfish, and dolphins, were beached on the shores. Fishers lost their income, compounding the economic challenges of the pandemic. Meanwhile, the environmental and health risks posed by the chemical and polymer spill are still uncertain.
“This was an extreme incident, but it’s not an isolated one,” says Therese Karlsson, a science and technical adviser at the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN).
Plastic pollution is ubiquitous. Nurdles and other plastic pollution can be found on just about every beach in the world. But little is understood about the chemistry, movement, and evolution of plastic pollution over time—crucial details for chemists who want to untangle its environmental impact. The X-Press Pearl spill offers a chance for chemists to learn more about this common contamination.
The Sri Lankan government has until June 2 of this year, 2 years after the ship sank, to file a claim in international court for damages against the ship’s insurance company. And the disaster is still unfolding, with consequences that may not be seen for years, scientists say. “There’s an acute phase and a chronic phase, the visible damage and the invisible,” says Meththika Vithanage, an environmental scientist at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>Sri_Lanka transportation follow-up environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:cb39f0ac3ee5/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Sri_Lanka"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:transportation"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00568">
    <title>Advanced Technique-Based Combination of Innovation Education and Safety Education in Higher Education</title>
    <dc:date>2023-01-06T14:05:59+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00568</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The essence of higher education is to cultivate innovative talents for the society. Hence, higher education institutions (HEIs), on the one hand, need to respond to social needs and government policies. On the other hand, they need to keep pace with the times and improve the details of teaching to improve the effectiveness of education. In this paper, several combination education examples in HEIs about safety education and innovation education are shown to encourage students to realize innovations in technique during their laboratory experiments on electrospinning. To obtain professional knowledge and traditional professional skills, students are taught to implement electrospinning, an advanced technique for treating polymers, in the research laboratory. Safety education is also taught, during which the students are encouraged to play their subjective roles and ponder on how to apply innovations for safe, effective, and innovative implementation. The students apply a series of small technological innovations for the spinneret, which is the most innovative part of an electrospinning system. They can modify the spinneret for safer, more energy-saving, and more convenient operations of the single-fluid blending, coaxial, triaxial, and side-by-side electrospinning processes. Moreover, the innovations can deepen their professional knowledge of electrospinning and stimulate their enjoyment of innovations. Safety education on electrospinning can be a powerful tool for promoting technological innovations in students and increasing their awareness of related safety issues. The reported protocols in this paper show a new way for conducting combined education in HEIs on advanced techniques.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>China laboratory discovery environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:98aa4ab18c1e/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:China"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:laboratory"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/3M-says-end-PFAS-production/100/web/2022/12">
    <title>3M says it will end PFAS production by 2025</title>
    <dc:date>2022-12-22T11:36:05+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/3M-says-end-PFAS-production/100/web/2022/12</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Under mounting regulatory and financial pressure, 3M says it will end the manufacture of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and discontinue their use in its products by the end of 2025.
The move means that the conglomerate will cease producing all fluoropolymers, fluorinated fluids, and PFAS-based additives. Such products include polymers sold under the Dyneon name like polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and fluoroelastomers.
Overall, 3M generates about $1.3 billion in sales and earns about $200 million annually from the sale of PFAS products. However, the business represents a relatively small part of its annual sales, which were $35.4 billion in 2021. With the exit, the company expects to accrue financial charges of $2.3 billion.
“While PFAS can be safely made and used, we also see an opportunity to lead in a rapidly evolving external regulatory and business landscape,” 3M CEO Mike Roman says in a statement.
PFAS are known to persist in the environment and have been linked to human health effects, including cancer. As a result, they are subject to increasingly stringent regulations, which 3M cites as a consideration for exiting the business. It notes that PFAS could be restricted in Europe by 2025. And the US Environmental Protection Agency may place limits on PFAS in drinking water.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>industrial discovery environmental other_chemical plastics polyvinylidene_fluoride</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:91a361e22d28/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:other_chemical"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:polyvinylidene_fluoride"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/local/power-city/final-report-of-2019-tpc-plant-explosion-in-port-neches/502-438ff8a7-d8a3-43c8-96c5-c80e42131ca2">
    <title>Final report of 2019 TPC plant explosion in Port Neches</title>
    <dc:date>2022-12-21T11:02:45+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/local/power-city/final-report-of-2019-tpc-plant-explosion-in-port-neches/502-438ff8a7-d8a3-43c8-96c5-c80e42131ca2</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[PORT NECHES, Texas — More than three years after an explosion rocked the city of Port Neches, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final report on the 2019 explosions and fires at the TPC Group Port Neches Operations facility Chemical Plant.
The initial explosion happened on November 27, 2019 just before 1 a.m.
Officials with the CSB said the incident occurred when a “piping section ruptured, releasing highly flammable butadiene that quickly ignited,” according to a CSB release. The pressure wave that resulted from it destroyed parts of the facility and injured two TPC employees and a security contractor.
The resulting blast was felt up to 30 miles away and damaged nearby homes and buildings. Process fluid that continued to leak from damaged equipment fueled fire that burned for more than a month.
“The incident at TPC was the result of a known safety hazard – popcorn polymer – that was poorly managed and controlled at the facility,” Steve Owners, chairperson for CSB said. “The result was a catastrophic incident that caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to the facility and nearby homes and businesses and resulted in a mandatory evacuation being ordered for everyone within a four-mile radius of the facility.”
]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_TX industrial follow-up injury flammables plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:ea1a73f31793/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_TX"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:injury"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:flammables"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.kplctv.com/2022/12/18/small-fire-westlake-polymers-overnight/">
    <title>Small fire at Westlake Polymers overnight</title>
    <dc:date>2022-12-19T11:17:20+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.kplctv.com/2022/12/18/small-fire-westlake-polymers-overnight/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - There was a small fire at Westlake Polymers overnight.

Authorities said there was a small release with the fire, but no offsite impact.

No injuries were reported.

Several viewers reported hearing the explosion.]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_LA industrial explosion response plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:0c3edd3dc8f0/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_LA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:explosion"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.powderbulksolids.com/industrial-fires-explosions/csb-releases-investigation-update-fatal-explosion-polymers-resin-plant">
    <title>CSB Releases Update Into Fatal Explosion at Polymers Resin Plant</title>
    <dc:date>2022-12-16T12:18:10+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.powderbulksolids.com/industrial-fires-explosions/csb-releases-investigation-update-fatal-explosion-polymers-resin-plant</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released an update into its ongoing investigation of a fire and explosion at the Yenkin-Majestic OPC Polymers resin plant in Columbus, OH on April 8, 2021.

The update provides a detailed incident description, background information on the facility and production, as well as a history of the equipment. The large explosion and fire led to one fatality and injured eight others.

“This was a very serious incident which led to a fatality, several injuries, and serious damage to the facility and the surrounding community,” said CSB interim executive Steve Owens. “This update provides important information about the events leading up to this incident while our investigation is ongoing.”

The CSB update provides details of the events on the night of the incident. Chemical reactions occurred when a process in a unit referred to as kettle 3 was nearly complete. The CSB determined that during the addition of a solvent to kettle 3, an agitator (stirring mechanism) had not been running for more than an hour. When a worker realized that the agitator had shut down, he turned it on and the product inside the kettle began to quickly vaporize. This increased pressure inside the kettle, which continued to rise until a mixture of resin liquid and flammable solvent vapor released from kettle 3’s manway into the enclosed room where the kettle was located.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_OH industrial follow-up death plastics solvent</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:a6b7b89f4cc5/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_OH"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:death"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:solvent"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/polymer-chemistry-poised-to-make-plastic-waste-traceable/4016518.article">
    <title>Polymer chemistry poised to make plastic waste traceable</title>
    <dc:date>2022-11-10T11:27:30+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/polymer-chemistry-poised-to-make-plastic-waste-traceable/4016518.article</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Earlier this year, over 190 nations agreed to negotiate a legally binding treaty to address plastic pollution, energising efforts by governments, industry and international institutions to improve plastic recycling rates. The lack of a recognised system for tracing the origin of plastic products is part of the challenge of managing plastic waste. Now, researchers across social and chemical sciences have collaborated to highlight technologies that can associate plastic with its original manufacturer and how such technologies will reach their full potential when incorporated in governance frameworks for combatting plastic pollution.

‘If plastics are traceable in a simple fashion, legislators will, in principle, be able to put responsibility back onto the initial producer or indeed any actor in the downstream usage chain,’ says Christopher Barner-Kowollik from Queensland University of Technology in Australia, who led the collaboration. ‘Placing responsibility on producers and other actors will allow legislators to make them responsible for the pollution their products cause, akin to other end-of-life take-back schemes.’

Barner-Kowollik and colleagues propose that regulating plastics with chemical labels based on sequence-defined polymers is one way to resolve the anonymity of plastics traceability. For example, sequence-defined polymers can identify the type of plastic, as well as additives used in its manufacturing process. Sequence-defined polymers can also document what percentage of recycled plastic was incorporated into a product. Regulators could therefore use such information to assess the effectiveness of design standards and to ensure those standards meet mandatory policies set out by legislators such as the EU.]]></description>
<dc:subject>Australia public discovery environmental plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:1a6130e7d9f8/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Australia"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00223">
    <title>How Can Socio-scientific Issues Help Develop Critical Thinking in Chemistry Education? A Reflection on the Problem of Plastics</title>
    <dc:date>2022-09-23T09:13:23+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00223</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Socio-scientific issues demonstrate the relationship between science, technology, and society by considering currently unresolved questions. The problem of plastics and their pollution is just one example with important implications for the planet. The aim of this paper is to revisit socio-scientific issues and see them as a way of developing citizens’ critical thinking skills through chemistry education. In light of the problems posed by plastics, we present evidence tested with Spanish grade-8 students of how critical thinking skills can be developed through chemistry education in terms of the vision of chemistry, understanding acquisition, a holistic approach to problems, critical analysis of information, argumentation, decision making, personal autonomy, and communication. This study also presents some examples of how progress in the development of critical thinking by students has been evaluated.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Spain education discovery environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:0468bd655cc2/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Spain"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:education"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/materials/polymers/US-plastics-industry-under-fire/100/i34">
    <title>US plastics industry under fire</title>
    <dc:date>2022-09-23T09:12:05+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/materials/polymers/US-plastics-industry-under-fire/100/i34</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The US plastics industry is facing unprecedented opposition to its planned expansion and to recycling methods that involve heat.
Billionaire philanthropist Michael R. Bloomberg on Sept. 21 unveiled an $85 million campaign to stop more than 120 petrochemical projects in Louisiana, Texas, and the Ohio River Valley. Bloomberg, who is the United Nations special envoy on climate ambition and solutions, says the effort—called Beyond Petrochemicals: People Over Pollution—will also seek stricter regulation of existing petrochemical plants to safeguard public health.
“Petrochemical plants poison our air and water—killing Americans and harming the health of entire communities,” Bloomberg says in a statement. “With many heavily-polluting new projects planned around the US, we’re at a critical moment for stopping them.”
The American Chemistry Council (ACC), which represents major petrochemical manufacturers, describes the campaign as “Bloomberg’s $85 million losing bet against industry.” In a statement, ACC president Chris Jahn encouraged environmental advocates to “join us in maximizing chemistry’s potential to solve the world’s sustainability challenges while continuing to safeguard the communities where we live, work, and play.”]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_LA public discovery environmental petroleum plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:b203c4fecfb9/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_LA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:petroleum"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://spectrumnews1.com/ma/worcester/news/2022/08/19/mace-polymer-and-additives-fire-">
    <title>Crews knock down chemical fire at Mace Polymer and Additives</title>
    <dc:date>2022-08-20T10:51:12+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://spectrumnews1.com/ma/worcester/news/2022/08/19/mace-polymer-and-additives-fire-</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[DUDLEY, Mass. - Crews were still working to wet down hot spots Friday morning after a fire broke out at Mace Polymer and Additives Thursday night. 

No one was in the warehouse the time the fire broke out. Dudley Fire Chief Dean Kochanowski said the main building is a total loss and knocking down this fire was difficult because it came with several challenges. 

Mace Polymers deals with harmful chemicals, so the site is considered a high hazard facility. When crews arrived on scene, flames were through the roof and chemical explosions were happening throughout building. 

The warehouse sits at the top of a hill, which made getting trucks and water to the scene a lot harder than normal. ​

"This part of town does not have municipal water so it's very difficult," said Kochanowski. "We had a very difficult time getting water on the fire. We need large volumes of water to put this type of fire out. Everybody went home safe. It turned out pretty good considering." ​

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_MA industrial explosion response plastics tear_gas</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:ec1c2180dff5/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_MA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:explosion"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:tear_gas"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.timesnews.net/news/local-news/city-officials-strongly-urge-citizens-to-avoid-eastman-area/article_1dc61aac-09d0-11ed-a79a-87bda5f56fd6.html">
    <title>Eastman power outage, shut down result in release into air, water</title>
    <dc:date>2022-07-23T11:06:14+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.timesnews.net/news/local-news/city-officials-strongly-urge-citizens-to-avoid-eastman-area/article_1dc61aac-09d0-11ed-a79a-87bda5f56fd6.html</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[KINGSPORT — Eastman Chemical Company released substances into the air and river on Friday amid a plant shutdown and power outage.

The Kingsport-based company experienced a power outage around 10 a.m. on Friday, after which the plant was shut down. The company is yet to cite the cause for the outage.

Following the shutdown, oil was released into the river. The company also said methyl iodide and iodine was released into the air and appeared as a “purple plume” rising from a “site flare” at Eastman.

Late Friday, Eastman spokeswoman Kristin Parker said that ethylene glycol had also been released into river and that the incident had been reported to the appropriate regulatory agencies and downstream users.

Ethylene glycol is used in the production of consumer products such as paints, plastics, and cosmetics.

Parker added that the company has confirmed that the oil released earlier was hydraulic oil.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_TN industrial release response ethylene_glycol hydraulic_fluid plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:5926f5e393b4/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_TN"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:release"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:ethylene_glycol"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:hydraulic_fluid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://globalnews.ca/news/9010144/1-dead-3-injured-montreal-chemical-research-lab-explosion/">
    <title>1 dead, 3 injured after explosion at chemical research lab in Montreal region</title>
    <dc:date>2022-07-23T11:05:39+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://globalnews.ca/news/9010144/1-dead-3-injured-montreal-chemical-research-lab-explosion/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A man in his 40s is dead and two other people were sent to hospital following a chemical lab explosion in Montreal’s Dorval suburb on Friday morning.


Authorities say they were called around 11:30 a.m. to Polymer Source research center on Avro Avenue.

The business markets itself as a chemical laboratory that supplies research grade polymers and biopolymers to scientists.

Officials say the death of the victim was pronounced at the scene by emergency services before they could get him to hospital.

Two other people were also sent to hospital to treat wounds from the blast, but authorities did not specify the severity of their injuries.]]></description>
<dc:subject>Canada laboratory explosion death plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:8ca0407d9789/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Canada"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:laboratory"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:explosion"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:death"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/07/12/six-people-injured-after-explosion-boulder-city/">
    <title>6 people injured after explosion at Boulder City manufacturing facility</title>
    <dc:date>2022-07-12T11:13:35+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/07/12/six-people-injured-after-explosion-boulder-city/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - An explosion happened near the southbound US 95 freeway in Boulder City just before 9:30 a.m. on July 11.

It happened at polymer concrete business Armorock.

Hazmat and the Henderson fire department were on the scene, as well as local law enforcement

“Initially we didn’t go in,” said Deputy fire chief for Boulder City fire department Greg Chesser. “We just surveyed until we had enough personal here. Once we did, we had a hazmat team go in, They were able to size up the situation and then from there, We were able to go into a side door and knock the fire down.”

Chesser said 6 people were injured.

One of those six suffered from significant burns due to the explosion and only two people were transported to the hospital.

“The initial had some burns,” said Chesser. “Another victim had some minor chemical burn on their arm. everyone else was really minor just from the concussion.”

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_NV industrial explosion injury plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:1a130ef296fa/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_NV"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:explosion"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:injury"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/US-EPA-confirms-risks-brominated/100/i24">
    <title>US EPA confirms risks of brominated flame retardants</title>
    <dc:date>2022-07-01T09:27:42+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/US-EPA-confirms-risks-brominated/100/i24</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and similar cyclic brominated flame retardants pose unreasonable risks to human health and the environment, the US Environmental Protection Agency concludes in a revised risk assessment released June 29. HBCD is one of the first 10 chemicals the agency is evaluating under the 2016 revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The EPA first finalized the evaluation for HBCD in September 2020, finding risks to workers and the environment. But the agency revamped its process for evaluating the risks of chemicals last year. One of the changes involves determining the risks of a chemical overall—what the agency calls a whole chemical approach—rather than of each particular use. The agency also now assesses exposure to chemicals in air and water, as well as from land disposal, all of which it previously ignored. In addition, the EPA no longer assumes that workers wear personal protective equipment. HBCD has multiple uses, including in building insulation, solder paste, recycled plastics, and automobile parts, according to the EPA. The chemical is persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic, and it has irreversible health effects, the agency says. The EPA is now moving ahead to manage the risks for specific uses of HBCD.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>public discovery environmental plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:f3ea5ac17661/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/environment/sustainability/chemical-industrys-new-green-deals/100/i23">
    <title>The chemical industry’s new green deals</title>
    <dc:date>2022-06-27T09:35:20+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/environment/sustainability/chemical-industrys-new-green-deals/100/i23</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[When the petrochemical maker LyondellBasell Industries announced in April that it would close its century-old refinery in Houston by the end of 2023, the news was hardly a surprise. The facility, which processes heavy imported crude oil to make fuels and aromatics, had lost money for the past 3 years. LyondellBasell had been looking to sell it since September to no avail.
What was unusual about the announcement was then–interim CEO Ken Lane’s declaration in a press release that shutting the unit “advances the Company’s decarbonization goals.” The refinery accounts for nearly 15% of LyondellBasell’s emissions from industrial processes and purchased energy.
In a conference call later that month, Lane added that the 300-hectare site would be ideal for Lyondell to repurpose for sustainability initiatives. The company has been piloting a pyrolysis process that breaks down postconsumer plastics into petrochemical feedstocks, and the Houston refinery has hydrotreaters that can aid the process. The site, Lane told analysts, “could be very synergistic with our circular ambition.”
]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_TX industrial discovery environmental petroleum plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:7e30ffb47d9d/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_TX"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:petroleum"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/toxicology/Microplastics-health-risk-toxicology-particle-characterization-nanomaterials/100/i19">
    <title>Getting a grip on microplastics’ risks</title>
    <dc:date>2022-05-28T11:08:41+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/toxicology/Microplastics-health-risk-toxicology-particle-characterization-nanomaterials/100/i19</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Tiny plastic particles less than 5 mm in diameter are popping up nearly everywhere scientists look. They are in water, food, and air, as well as in human blood, lung tissue, and stool. But it is unclear whether micro- and nanosized plastics pose any risks to human health or the environment. Researchers are starting to investigate sources of microplastics. They are also exploring how the particles affect human cells in test systems that mimic digestion and inhalation. But microplastics are complex mixtures with different shapes, sizes, and chemistries, making them difficult to study. Because of limited exposure data, regulators are struggling to understand the risks. The situation is reminiscent of the challenges faced by researchers studying the toxicology of engineered nanomaterials more than a decade ago. Lessons learned from nanotoxicology could help pave a better path to assess the risks of microplastics.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>laboratory discovery environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:8568e2f4d647/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:laboratory"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/six-dead-in-explosion-at-slovenian-chemicals-plant/4015686.article">
    <title>Six dead in explosion at Slovenian chemicals plant</title>
    <dc:date>2022-05-18T10:53:04+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/six-dead-in-explosion-at-slovenian-chemicals-plant/4015686.article</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[An explosion and subsequent fire has killed six people and injured a further five at a chemical facility in Kocevje, Slovenia.

The blast occurred on the morning of 12 May at a site operated by Melamin, which makes melamine-based polymers, resins and additives for a range of industries. The resultant fire was put out less than 90 minutes later, according to local news reports.

An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway, but the plant’s general manager, Srecko Stefanic, indicated to local press that the most likely cause was human error.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Slovenia industrial explosion death plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:25184e84fd1a/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Slovenia"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:explosion"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:death"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/scientists-call-for-global-cap-on-plastic-production/4015603.article">
    <title>Scientists call for global cap on plastic production</title>
    <dc:date>2022-04-30T11:51:31+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/scientists-call-for-global-cap-on-plastic-production/4015603.article</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Following the United Nations’ decision last month to adopt a global and legally-binding treaty by 2024 to end plastic pollution, and with governmental negotiations on the agreement slated to begin soon, an international group of scientific experts is arguing that such a treaty must cap production of new plastics from fresh feedstocks, and phase them out in the long-term.

‘Even when applying all political and technological solutions available today, including substitution, improved recycling, waste management, and circularity, annual plastic emissions to the environment can only be cut by 79% over 20 years,’ the scientists from the UK, US, Canada, Germany, India, Norway, Sweden and Turkey wrote in a letter in Science magazine.

After 2040, they note, 17.3 million tons of plastic waste will continue to be released to the environment every year. ‘To fully prevent plastic pollution, the path forward must include a phaseout of virgin plastic production by 2040,’ the experts conclude. One unrelated benefit, they say, is that this would increase the value of recycled plastics.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Canada public discovery environmental plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:9916f198276c/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Canada"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://newsmeter.in/crime/fire-breaks-out-at-jn-pharma-city-in-anakapalle-no-casualties-reported-694635">
    <title>Fire breaks out at JN Pharma City in Anakapalle; no casualties reported</title>
    <dc:date>2022-04-25T10:33:02+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://newsmeter.in/crime/fire-breaks-out-at-jn-pharma-city-in-anakapalle-no-casualties-reported-694635</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Anakapalle: A fire broke out at the ENT Plant of SNF (India) Private Limited in JN Pharma City at Parawada in Anakapalle district on Saturday afternoon. The fire mishap has led to fear among the workers. The police said that the fire broke out in the waste chemical storage tank. No casualties or injuries have been reported in the incident.

The company is specializing exclusively in the preparation of water-soluble polymers and water and waste-water treatment and is the only leading polymer producer.

Two fire tenders were rushed to the incident site to douse the flames. The situation is almost under control and nothing to worry about, the police added.

The initial investigation into the incident revealed that a chemical reaction allegedly due to the overflow of the waste chemical from the storage tank might have been the reason for the fire-mishap. The officials from the Revenue, Police, Fire-Service personnel, and a few other departments visited the incident site.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>India industrial fire response plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:65bd6e4d746a/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:India"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/230422/fire-breaks-out-at-pharma-unit-in-vizag-no-casualties-nor-injuries-re.html">
    <title>Fire breaks out at pharma unit in Vizag, no casualties nor injuries reported</title>
    <dc:date>2022-04-24T11:29:22+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/230422/fire-breaks-out-at-pharma-unit-in-vizag-no-casualties-nor-injuries-re.html</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[VISAKHAPATNAM: A fire broke out at the ENT plant of SNF (India) Private Limited in JN Pharma City of Parawada in Anakapalle district on Saturday afternoon. Plant employees and residents living nearby ran for their lives on witnessing the fire.

Two fire tenders rushed to the site and doused the flames. The situation is under control, police said.
 
Police and fire-service personnel have registered a case and investigation is on.

The fire broke out in a waste chemical storage tank. There have been no injuries in the incident.

The company, a leading polymer producer, specialises in preparation of water-soluble polymers and water and waste-water treatment.

According to preliminary reports, a chemical reaction broke out due to overflow of waste chemical from the storage tank that led to the fire. Officials from revenue, police, fire service and few other departments have visited the site.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>India industrial fire response plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:0731b5c3f36f/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:India"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/discovery-of-microplastics-in-people-raises-difficult-questions-about-health-implications/4015516.article">
    <title>Discovery of microplastics in people raises difficult questions about health implications</title>
    <dc:date>2022-04-20T10:30:00+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/discovery-of-microplastics-in-people-raises-difficult-questions-about-health-implications/4015516.article</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Microplastics have been detected in living people’s lungs for the first time. The lung tissue samples were taken from 11 individuals who had surgery at a hospital in Hull, UK.

The discovery adds to concerns about microplastic contaminants in the environment, but it was not a surprise to researchers in the field. In 2021, Brazilian pathologists found polymeric particles and fibres in lung tissue from 13 of 20 adults undergoing autopsy in São Paulo. And in February, researchers in the Netherlands reported plastic pollutants in the blood of healthy volunteers.

Microplastics form from the fragmentation and disintegration of plastics in furniture, packaging, clothing, disposable items, electronics and more. Usually defined as particles below 5mm, these can be inhaled and potentially cause harm. The most frequently detected polymers in the Brazilian study were polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

In 11 of the 13 UK patients, microparticles – 39 in total – were detected using infrared spectroscopy. Twelve polymer types were recorded, with PP, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and resin most abundant.]]></description>
<dc:subject>United_Kingdom public discovery environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:45a0403a2b5b/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:United_Kingdom"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.wsaz.com/2022/04/13/fire-sparks-during-demolition-plant-haverhill/">
    <title>Fire sparks during demolition at plant in Haverhill</title>
    <dc:date>2022-04-14T10:47:35+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.wsaz.com/2022/04/13/fire-sparks-during-demolition-plant-haverhill/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[HAVERHILL, Ohio (WSAZ) - Demolition work sparked a fire Wednesday at the ALTIVIA Petrochemical Plant plant in Haverhill, Ohio.

The fire happened as a former Bisphenol A (BPA) production facility was being torn down around 10:35 a.m., according to Scioto County Emergency Management.

As the 200 foot tall steel structure was being toppled a fire ignited at the top of the structure as it hit the ground, officials report.

A statement released from Altivia says “the cause of the fire is believed to be due to residual organic solid dust igniting as the structure was being brought down.”

Bisphenol A is a chemical compound primarily used in the manufacture of various plastics.

The Plant Emergency Response Team (ERT) on standby at the time, started to extinguish the fire with plant resources.

Altivia says no materials were released during the fire.

There were no injuries, no hazmat situation, and no danger to the public even though the smoke from the fire drifted over US 52 for a short time, Scioto County Emergency Management says.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_OH industrial fire response dust plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:4b9d8f3d9e51/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_OH"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:dust"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.aiche.org/resources/publications/cep/2022/march/losing-your-heat-balance-insights-thermal-hazard-assessments">
    <title>Losing Your Heat Balance: Insights into Thermal Hazard Assessments</title>
    <dc:date>2022-03-05T12:22:13+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.aiche.org/resources/publications/cep/2022/march/losing-your-heat-balance-insights-thermal-hazard-assessments</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[On a cold day in Seal Sands, Teesside (U.K.) in January 1976, a road tanker exploded and released glacial acrylic acid (GAA), injuring five workers. Prior to the explosion, workers filled the truck with 14,500 lbs of GAA and fed a steam-water mixture into the coil at the bottom of the truck to prevent the monomer from freezing. The explosion occurred soon thereafter. It may surprise some readers that a simple act of filling a tanker with monomer and then warming it could have led to an incident (1, 2). What went wrong?

It was later determined that when GAA was first pumped into the truck, the material that first contacted the very cold bottom of the trailer froze (GAA freezing point is 15°C). As it froze, the inhibitor that keeps the GAA monomer stable migrated to the bulk liquid GAA, leaving the frozen portion uninhibited. When this frozen GAA, now depleted in inhibitor and in direct contact with the heating coils, was warmed by the 60°C steam/water mixture in the coils, it polymerized exothermically, which was accompanied by vigorous heat release. The rate at which heat was released from the polymerizing GAA far exceeded the rate at which heat could be dissipated from the tank’s surface, leading to a rise in bulk temperature and subsequent polymerization of the entire GAA mass in the tank. The rising temperature led to the tank over-pressurizing and exploding.

The tank of GAA experienced what is known as a thermal runaway. Figure 1 depicts the self-sustaining chain of events that typically lead to thermal runaway situations.]]></description>
<dc:subject>United_Kingdom transportation follow-up injury plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:7ecce7978896/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:United_Kingdom"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:transportation"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:injury"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/world-agrees-to-sign-up-to-a-treaty-to-control-plastic-and-chemical-pollution/4015327.article">
    <title>World agrees to sign up to a treaty to control plastic and chemical pollution</title>
    <dc:date>2022-03-05T12:14:05+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/world-agrees-to-sign-up-to-a-treaty-to-control-plastic-and-chemical-pollution/4015327.article</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Over 190 nations have agreed to negotiate a legally binding treaty to tackle plastic pollution on land and sea, and one that will focus on the entire value chain to create a circular plastics economy. Agreement was also reached on creating a intergovernmental science policy panel to advise on chemical pollution and waste.

‘We still have a lot of homework ahead of us….. but the bottom line is we will eliminate plastic pollution from our environment,’ said Inger Anderson, executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Work will begin later this year, with the aim of agreeing a treaty by the end of 2024.

The new chemical and waste advisory panel was inspired by international panels on climate change and biodiversity, and will tackle what’s been described as the third planetary crisis. Negotiators also resolved to step up efforts on the environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste – a target originally set for 2020 and not met, develop recommendations to reduce the environmental impact of mineral extraction and manage nitrogen waste, primarily from agricultural run-off.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>public discovery environmental plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:de7485ddba7a/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/treaty-controlling-plastic-coming/100/i9">
    <title>A treaty controlling plastic is coming</title>
    <dc:date>2022-03-03T11:42:35+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/treaty-controlling-plastic-coming/100/i9</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Countries from around the world agreed March 2 to negotiate a global treaty aimed at controlling plastic, from production to disposal.
“Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic,” says Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s minister for climate and the environment. But with the backing for a treaty, from 175 countries, “we are officially on track for a cure,” he says in a statement. Eide presided at a meeting in Nairobi of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), the UN’s top decision-making body on environmental issues, where governments endorsed creation of the plastic pact.
The planned accord, expected to be completed by the end of 2024, is to cover the lifecycle of plastics, fostering design of reusable and recyclable products and materials, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The agreement also would call for international collaboration to help developing countries access technology as well as promote scientific and technical cooperation.
The global chemical industry, producers of the world’s plastic, backs the plan for a treaty. In a statement, the International Council of Chemical Associations says UNEA’s mandate for the accord “provides governments with the flexibility to identify binding and voluntary measures across the full lifecycle of plastics, while recognizing there is no single approach to solving this global challenge.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>Kenya public discovery environmental plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:52c31c635ac7/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Kenya"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/progress-made-towards-a-global-plastics-treaty-covering-waste/4015242.article">
    <title>Progress made towards a global plastics treaty covering waste</title>
    <dc:date>2022-02-17T11:18:55+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/progress-made-towards-a-global-plastics-treaty-covering-waste/4015242.article</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The US and France are calling for an international treaty to address the global problem of plastic pollution. A joint statement by the two countries says they are committed to protecting the environment for future generations. An estimated 8.8 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the world’s ocean each year.

‘Recognising the transboundary aspects of plastic pollution and the importance of curbing it at its source, the United States and France support launching negotiations at the upcoming fifth UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) on a global agreement to address the full lifecycle of plastics and promote a circular economy,’ the two nations assert in the statement, which was released on the last day of an ocean summit on 11 February in France.

National delegations will begin work on the new treaty at the UNEA meeting, which will take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 28 February to 2 March. The final agreement, expected to be patterned after the Paris climate accord of 2015 and focused on limiting the amount of pollution in the world’s oceans, is anticipated in 2024. The US and France are in agreement that the resultant global plastics treaty should include ‘binding and non-binding commitments’ and ‘call on countries to develop and implement ambitious national action plans’.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>France public follow-up environmental plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:aa8bf3645fc9/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:France"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/09/cargo-ship-disasters-are-oil-spills-of-our-time-because-of-health-risk-from-plastic">
    <title>‘Oil spills of our time’: experts sound alarm about plastic lost in cargo ship disasters</title>
    <dc:date>2022-02-10T11:31:07+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/09/cargo-ship-disasters-are-oil-spills-of-our-time-because-of-health-risk-from-plastic</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Container ship accidents at sea should be considered the “oil spills of our time”, warned environmental organisations that found a toxic mix of metals, carcinogenic and other harmful chemicals on plastic washed up on Sri Lanka’s beaches after a cargo ship fire.

When the X-Press Pearl sank off nine nautical miles off Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, in May 2021, the most “significant harm” from the country’s worst maritime disaster initially came from the spillage of 1,680 tonnes of plastic pellets, or “nurdles”, into the Indian Ocean. They were found in dead dolphins, fish and on beaches – in some places 2 metres deep. A UN report called it the “single largest plastic spill” in history.

But a new study, from Sri Lanka’s Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a coalition of NGOs in 124 countries, said the nurdle spill was the “tip of the iceberg” of environmental harm from the accident.

Researchers analysed samples of nurdles and burnt lumps of plastic from four Sri Lankan beaches for heavy metals and various chemicals, including benzotriazole UV-stabilisers, which are used to prevent discoloration in plastics, bisphenols and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

They found heavy metals as well as chemicals that both cause cancer and are “endocrine-disrupting”, or interfering with hormones. Of particular concern, they said, were levels of PAHs found on the burnt lumps, which far exceeded safe limits for consumer products set by the EU. For some substances, no level of exposure is considered safe.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Sri_Lanka transportation follow-up environmental metals oils plastics various_chemicals</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:eaa26453c3fe/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Sri_Lanka"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:transportation"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:metals"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:oils"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:various_chemicals"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/safety/consumer-safety/US-FDA-urged-limit-bisphenol-A-in-food-packaging-again/100/web/2022/01">
    <title>US FDA urged to limit bisphenol A in food packaging again</title>
    <dc:date>2022-02-01T11:41:07+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/safety/consumer-safety/US-FDA-urged-limit-bisphenol-A-in-food-packaging-again/100/web/2022/01</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[coalition of environmental and public health groups is pushing the US Food and Drug Administration to tighten limits for bisphenol A (BPA) in plastics that contact food. In a Jan. 27 petition, the groups claim that BPA can be harmful at levels far below the amount to which most Americans are exposed. The groups urge the FDA to limit all food-packaging uses of BPA that may result in more than 0.5 ng BPA/kg food.
The petition was prompted by the European Food Safety Authority’s reevaluation of the risks of BPA in food. In December 2021, the EFSA’s Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids recommended a limit of 0.04 ng BPA/kg body weight per day. EFSA had established a temporary limit of 4 μg BPA/kg body weight per day in 2015. The panel identified an increase in a particular type of immune system cell involved in allergic lung inflammation as the most sensitive health outcome associated with BPA exposure. It also found reproductive and developmental effects associated with low levels of BPA. EFSA is accepting public comments on the draft opinion until Feb. 22.
EFSA’s process for reevaluating the safety of BPA is “transparent, thorough, and grounded in the science” and “a template for how FDA should be doing it for the hundreds of chemicals it approved decades ago,” Tom Neltner, the chemicals policy director at the Environmental Defense Fund, says in a statement. The EDF is one of the groups petitioning the FDA to restrict BPA in food packaging.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>public discovery environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:e42959c98ab0/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/environment/recycling/Plastics-group-recommends-phaseout-materials/100/web/2022/01">
    <title>Plastics group recommends phaseout of some materials</title>
    <dc:date>2022-01-29T12:49:26+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/environment/recycling/Plastics-group-recommends-phaseout-materials/100/web/2022/01</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The US Plastics Pact—a collaboration between plastic-industry participants, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies—has released a list of 11 items its members aim to eliminate from packaging by 2025. Reviews from industry and environmental groups were mixed.
The pact has more than 100 members, including consumer product companies such as Coca-Cola and Unilever, retailers like Walmart and Target, and the chemical maker Eastman Chemical. Member companies say they produced a third of the packaging used in the US in 2020.
The group says it is filling a needed role in the plastics debate. “In the US in particular, there is a void in terms of an organization that is truly putting forward the strategy of developing a circular economy for plastics,” Emily Tipaldo, executive director of the US Plastics Pact, said in a Jan. 26 in a webinar.
The Problematic and Unnecessary Materials list is one of the pact’s first initiatives. The group’s initial criterion for listing materials was whether they will be broadly reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025. The group then considered factors such as hazards to human health and hindering recyclability.
Making the list are the packaging polymers polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG). For instance, PETG contaminates the recycling of containers made of conventional PET bottles.
Also on the list are carbon black pigments that render plastic items difficult to process for recycling with optical sorters. Opaque and pigmented PET—other than transparent green or blue—is on the list because it contaminates clear recycled PET. The group also lists label designs that might complicate recycling.]]></description>
<dc:subject>public discovery environmental plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:f4abc8492803/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/earths-limits-pushed-by-chemical-pollution-as-un-environment-meeting-nears/4015137.article">
    <title>Earth’s limits pushed by chemical pollution as UN environment meeting nears</title>
    <dc:date>2022-01-28T11:26:17+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/earths-limits-pushed-by-chemical-pollution-as-un-environment-meeting-nears/4015137.article</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The UN Environment Assembly, which will begin in Nairobi on 28 February, will be working to develop a legally binding international treaty on plastic pollution. This comes as one study claims that the production of chemicals and plastics has already outpaced our ability to assess and monitor them, and in doing so threatens critical systems that we depend on.

The researchers behind the new study conclude that chemical pollution has crossed a planetary boundary. The idea of planetary boundaries which define a ‘safe operating space’ for humanity was proposed more than a decade ago. Nine were identified – including climate, biodiversity and ocean acidification. Breaching those thresholds would cause large scale or irreversible environmental change.

Unlike climate change, no-one’s established a quantitative boundary for pollutants like plastics – now labelled novel entities – as many of them did not previously exist on Earth.

‘We started but we’ve always stumbled – it’s like a mind-bending exercise, trying to think how would you assess 350,000 chemicals for their potential to disturb the Earth’s systems. How would you count that? Now we’ve realised you can’t have a number,’ says Cynthia de Wit at the department of environmental science and analytical chemistry at Stockholm University.

The international team of researchers that includes de Wit have instead proposed using a series of control variables, which could be combined to make a judgement. ‘Without control variables, you have no way of trying to push for policy or solutions,’ she suggests.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>public discovery environmental plastics kenya</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:fcd6409b982c/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:kenya"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.npr.org/2022/01/15/1073314152/an-11-alarm-fire-from-a-chemical-plant-is-raging-through-passaic-new-jersey">
    <title>Fire near a New Jersey chemical plant spreads thick smoke</title>
    <dc:date>2022-01-16T12:24:02+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.npr.org/2022/01/15/1073314152/an-11-alarm-fire-from-a-chemical-plant-is-raging-through-passaic-new-jersey</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[PASSAIC, N.J. — A dramatic fire near a chemical plant burned through the night and into Saturday in northern New Jersey but led to no evacuation orders or serious injuries — just heavy smoke that was seen and smelled in nearby New York City.

The fire at Majestic Industries and the Qualco chemical plant in Passaic was in buildings housing plastics, pallets and chlorine, officials said, but catastrophe was averted.

Crews battled pockets of the blaze into the morning, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said, but it was contained.

The fire was prevented from reaching the main chemical plant, which could have endangered the densely populated New York City suburbs of New Jersey, Lora said.

Nearby residents were advised to close their windows but were not required to evacuate, with officials saying air quality remained acceptable and would be monitored.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_NJ industrial fire response chlorine plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:c2e525a8cc10/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_NJ"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:chlorine"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/safety/consumer-safety/New-York-bans-televisions-organohalogen/100/web/2022/01">
    <title>New York bans televisions with organohalogen flame retardants</title>
    <dc:date>2022-01-06T11:37:42+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/safety/consumer-safety/New-York-bans-televisions-organohalogen/100/web/2022/01</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[new state law in New York bans the sale of televisions and other electronic displays that contain any intentionally added organohalogen flame retardant in their plastic enclosures or stands.
Scientific studies link exposure to organohalogen flame retardants to cancer, hormone disruption, and reproductive problems as well as to neurological injury in children.
New York’s law is the first in the US that in effect bans organohalogens from use in the cases of electronic consumer goods, health and environmental advocacy groups say. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2024. The state follows the lead of the European Union, which banned the sale of televisions and computers with plastic cases containing organohalogen flame retardants as of March 2021.
Dozens of organohalogen flame retardants are used in a wide variety of consumer goods They are often added to plastics and are not chemically bound within a polymer structure. The substances can migrate out of products and into dust, leading people to be exposed through breathing or via their skin. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found metabolites of these compounds in the blood of most people in the US.]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_NY public discovery environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:9607bdb09f99/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_NY"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/deadly-incidents-at-indian-chemicals-plants/4014960.article">
    <title>Deadly incidents at Indian chemicals plants</title>
    <dc:date>2021-12-21T11:17:19+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/deadly-incidents-at-indian-chemicals-plants/4014960.article</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Five dead and at least 15 injured by explosion and fire at Gujarat Fluorochemicals

Five people were killed and at least 15 others injured during an explosion and subsequent fire at a fluorochemicals plant in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat, India, on 16 December, according to local news reports. The cause of the fatal blast, which was apparently heard several kilometres away, remains undetermined.

Gujarat Fluorochemicals is owned by Indian conglomerate Inox group. It produces products like fluoropolymers and refrigerants.

An explosion and fire at RP industries in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, on 7 December killed one worker and hospitalised five others; while an incident fire in February at agrochemical maker UPL, also in Gujarat, killed two workers and injured more than two dozen others in February of this year.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>India industrial follow-up death hvac_chemicals plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:9f5affe036a2/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:India"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:death"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:hvac_chemicals"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/29/nurdles-plastic-pellets-environmental-ocean-spills-toxic-waste-not-classified-hazardous">
    <title>Nurdles: the worst toxic waste you’ve probably never heard of</title>
    <dc:date>2021-11-30T11:30:45+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/29/nurdles-plastic-pellets-environmental-ocean-spills-toxic-waste-not-classified-hazardous</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[hen the X-Press Pearl container ship caught fire and sank in the Indian Ocean in May, Sri Lanka was terrified that the vessel’s 350 tonnes of heavy fuel oil would spill into the ocean, causing an environmental disaster for the country’s pristine coral reefs and fishing industry.

Classified by the UN as Sri Lanka’s “worst maritime disaster”, the biggest impact was not caused by the heavy fuel oil. Nor was it the hazardous chemicals on board, which included nitric acid, caustic soda and methanol. The most “significant” harm, according to the UN, came from the spillage of 87 containers full of lentil-sized plastic pellets: nurdles.

I’ve seen some of the dolphins and they had plastic particles inside. There are 20,000 families who had to stop fishing
Hemantha Withanage, environmental campaigner
Since the disaster, nurdles have been washing up in their billions along hundreds of miles of the country’s coastline, and are expected to make landfall across Indian Ocean coastlines from Indonesia and Malaysia to Somalia. In some places they are up to 2 metres deep. They have been found in the bodies of dead dolphins and the mouths of fish. About 1,680 tonnes of nurdles were released into the ocean. It is the largest plastic spill in history, according to the UN report.

Nurdles, the colloquial term for “pre-production plastic pellets”, are the little-known building block for all our plastic products. The tiny beads can be made of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride and other plastics. Released into the environment from plastic plants or when shipped around the world as raw material to factories, they will sink or float, depending on the density of the pellets and if they are in freshwater or saltwater.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Sri_Lanka transportation follow-up environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:49f1597374cf/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Sri_Lanka"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:transportation"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/fire-destroys-uk-plastics-factory/">
    <title>Fire destroys UK plastics factory</title>
    <dc:date>2021-11-26T11:37:10+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/fire-destroys-uk-plastics-factory/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A PLASTICS factory near Hull in the UK has been destroyed by a fire.

Emergency services were alerted to the fire at 15:30 on 24 November, which sent a huge plume of smoke over the surrounding area. Local residents reported hearing explosions and some in the area were evacuated from their homes. The fire service issued a warning for people in areas affected by smoke to stay indoors, and keep their doors and windows closed. A spokesperson for Humberside Fire and Rescue said that 300 tonnes of plastic fuelled the blaze at Bridgewood UK plastic factory in Hessle, though it is still "too early to tell" what the main source of the fire was, the Hull Daily Mail reports. The newspaper reports that the factory has been completely destroyed, no was hurt in the incident and while there is no longer a plume of smoke billowing from the factory, firefighters continue to put out pockets of fire.

Humberside Fire and Rescue declared a major incident and sent ten fire engines to the site as they fought to bring the fire under control.]]></description>
<dc:subject>United_Kingdom industrial explosion response plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:659b74462d94/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:United_Kingdom"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:explosion"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.benningtonbanner.com/local-news/settlement-agreement-reached-in-bennington-pfoa-suit/article_7e1e13ca-42fa-11ec-8465-5faf0d99cc1b.html">
    <title>Settlement agreement reached in Bennington PFOA suit</title>
    <dc:date>2021-11-11T19:54:29+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.benningtonbanner.com/local-news/settlement-agreement-reached-in-bennington-pfoa-suit/article_7e1e13ca-42fa-11ec-8465-5faf0d99cc1b.html</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[BENNINGTON — A $34.15 million agreement has been reached to settle a class-action suit in U.S. District Court over PFOA contamination in Bennington area wells and elevated levels in the blood of residents, the plaintiffs announced Thursday morning.

The proposed settlement calls for Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics to pay a total of $34.15 million to compensate property owners for PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) contamination, including providing up to $6 million for continued medical monitoring for those who have higher than normal background levels of PFOA in their blood.

Saint-Gobain was the last owner of two former ChemFab Corp. plants in town that are considered the source of the once commonly used industrial chemical, which spread through exhaust stacks over a wide area and worked over time into soil and groundwater.

Saint-Gobain closed the last ChemFab plant here in 2002 and shifted the fabric coating operations to a New Hampshire facility. Fiberglass and other fabric material was coated at the ChemFab sites with liquid Teflon and dried at high temperature.

The contamination in hundreds of Bennington wells was discovered in testing that began in 2016, after similar contamination was documented in nearby Hoosick Falls, N.Y.]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_VT industrial follow-up environmental paints plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:c58e9e849c53/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_VT"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:paints"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.wbiw.com/2021/09/28/bedford-utilities-reports-no-hazardous-substances-were-released-into-the-stormwater-system/">
    <title>Bedford Utilities reports no hazardous substances were released into the stormwater system</title>
    <dc:date>2021-09-29T10:37:28+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://www.wbiw.com/2021/09/28/bedford-utilities-reports-no-hazardous-substances-were-released-into-the-stormwater-system/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[BEDFORD – Local and state officials continue to investigate a report of the illegal dumping of chemicals at a local business in the 2700 block of John Williams Boulevard. The incident happened on Monday, September 20th at 10:37 a.m.

Bedford Utilities notified the Bedford Fire Department of a report of a possibly hazardous substance being released.


A chemical release at 2710 John Williams Blvd. did not leak into the stormwater drains
“There was no hazardous substances released into the stormwater system the day of the spill. We used a dye to track the spill, due to it was raining the day of the spill. None of the contents entered into the stormwater drains,” said Misty Adams Bedford Utilities Director.

According to Adams, two 55-gallon drums of polymers were spilled. The exact quantity of the material in each barrel was unknown. Adams could not be specific on the name of the chemical that was spilled.

Bedford Fire Department responded and used 5 bags of oil dry to absorb the chemical and used diking to prevent the spill from entering into the stormwater system.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_IN public release response dye illegal plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:1d50bc1bf055/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_IN"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:release"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:dye"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:illegal"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/Formosa-pay-285-milllion-penalties/99/i34">
    <title>Formosa to pay $2.85 milllion in penalties plus follow new safety requirements</title>
    <dc:date>2021-09-17T10:21:32+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/Formosa-pay-285-milllion-penalties/99/i34</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Formosa Plastics has agreed to pay $2.85 million in civil penalties and to correct alleged Clean Air Act violations at its petrochemical manufacturing facility in Point Comfort, Texas, the US Department of Justice announced Sept. 13.
The DOJ alleges 20 violations of the law, particularly risk management requirements that are designed to eliminate releases of hazardous air pollutants. A string of accidents from 2013 to 2016 injured some 40 workers, the DOJ notes. Their injuries included second- and third-degree burns and chlorine inhalation, requiring hospitalization. The incidents also caused property damage and release of extremely hazardous substances, such as hydrochloric acid.
Under the agreement, Formosa must update its accident response and personal protection plans to prevent employee injury, conduct a third-party audit of its risk management practices and perform recommended corrective actions, and develop performance indicators to evaluate future compliance. In addition, the company agreed to assess its equipment and implement a mechanical integrity reporting program. The DOJ estimates the cost of these improvements to be at least $1.4 million.
Formosa did not respond by C&EN’s deadline to a request for comment.
Several of the new provisions, particularly the third-party audit and corrective actions, would have been required by a bill passed late in Barack Obama’s administration but were rescinded by President Donald J. Trump. However, the risk management regulation was among several that President Joe Biden announced would be reviewed during his administration.
Formosa, a Taiwanese chemical manufacturer with several US facilities, has been responsible for US accidents stretching back to at least 2004, when the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board investigated the company after two incidents, one of which killed five workers at an Illinois plant.
Despite the problems, the company announced several years ago a plan to construct a $9.4 billion chemical complex in St. James Parish, Louisiana. This facility is opposed by many residents of the parish, which is a low-income, mostly Black community.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_TX industrial follow-up environmental petroleum plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:c6ed1dacfa6b/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_TX"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:petroleum"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/fire-at-leamington-spa-plastics-facility/">
    <title>Fire at Leamington Spa plastics facility</title>
    <dc:date>2021-09-01T10:49:45+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/fire-at-leamington-spa-plastics-facility/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A FIRE and subsequent explosions occurred at a plastics facility in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, UK on 27 August. One worker is still unaccounted for.

The fire started at around 10:30 local time at Leeson Polyurethanes facility in Tachbrook Park in Leamington Spa. The business park is surrounded by residential areas. Several explosions occurred as a result of the fire. No injuries were reported but one employee remains missing.

Local residents reported on social media groups that there was a strong chemical smell in the area and that some people were vomiting in the streets. A huge plume of black plume could be seen from at least 20 km away. A video from The Guardian shows the extent of the fire.]]></description>
<dc:subject>United_Kingdom industrial explosion response plastics urethane</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:0d933955fb83/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:United_Kingdom"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:explosion"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:urethane"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.woodtv.com/news/ottawa-county/crews-clean-up-chemical-spill-at-zeeland-plant/">
    <title>Crews slowly vacuum plastic powder near Zeeland plant</title>
    <dc:date>2021-09-01T10:49:14+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.woodtv.com/news/ottawa-county/crews-clean-up-chemical-spill-at-zeeland-plant/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[ZEELAND, Mich. (WOOD) — Crews painstakingly worked to clean up the release of a plastic powder outside a plant in Zeeland Tuesday.

The spill at the plant on Centennial Street north of E. Washington Avenue was reported shortly after 9 a.m. Ottawa County Emergency Management Director Lou Hunt told News 8 said the pulverized copolymer — essentially a fine plastic — was released when a valve blew and dispersed west and north of the plant.

Crews will need to vacuum the plastic up, a laborious process stretching into the evening.

“There’s multiple companies that are coming in, some local, even some out of the area. They will be coming in to take all of that chemical away,” Hunt said.

There was not any immediate threat to the public. People may notice a fine white powder on their car or property but a small amount is not dangerous.

“If there’s any risk, it would be to stir it up significantly and to breathe it in. All of it right now is on the ground, on roofs, on tops of cars,” Hunt said.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_MI industrial release environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:922045b7a298/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_MI"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:release"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chas.1c00041">
    <title>Use of 3-Dimensional Printers in Educational Settings: The Need for Awareness of the Effects of Printer Temperature and Filament Type on Contaminant Releases</title>
    <dc:date>2021-09-01T10:42:12+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chas.1c00041</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Material extrusion-type fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3-D printing is a valuable tool for education. During FFF 3-D printing, thermal degradation of the polymer releases small particles and chemicals, many of which are hazardous to human health. In this study, particle and chemical emissions from 10 different filaments made from virgin (never printed) and recycled polymers were used to print the same object at the polymer manufacturer’s recommended nozzle temperature (“normal”) and at a temperature higher than recommended (“hot”) to simulate the real-world scenarios of a person intentionally or unknowingly printing on a machine with a changed setting. Emissions were evaluated in a college teaching laboratory using standard sampling and analytical methods. From mobility sizer measurements, particle number-based emission rates were 81 times higher; the proportion of ultrafine particles (diameter <100 nm) were 4% higher, and median particle sizes were a factor of 2 smaller for hot-temperature prints compared with normal-temperature prints (all p-values <0.05). There was no difference in emission characteristics between recycled and virgin acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polylactic acid polymer filaments. Reducing contaminant release from FFF 3-D printers in educational settings can be achieved using the hierarchy of controls: (1) elimination/substitution (e.g., training students on principles of prevention-through-design, limiting the use of higher emitting polymer when possible); (2) engineering controls (e.g., using local exhaust ventilation to directly remove contaminants at the printer or isolating the printer from students); (3) administrative controls such as password protecting printer settings and establishing and enforcing adherence to a standard operating procedure based on a proper risk assessment for the setup and use (e.g., limiting the use of temperatures higher than those specified for the filaments used); and (4) maintenance of printers.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_PA laboratory discovery environmental acrylonitrile plastics styrene</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:fbe92a08b80e/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_PA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:laboratory"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:acrylonitrile"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:styrene"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/chaos-uk-covid-super-lab-21426966">
    <title>Chaos as UK Covid super-lab evacuated after Leamington fire</title>
    <dc:date>2021-08-29T11:25:38+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/chaos-uk-covid-super-lab-21426966</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[A UK Covid testing super-lab next to the plastics plant that went up in flames was evacuated after the blaze.

Virus samples have been sent to other facilities across the country after The Rosalind Franklin laboratory, located next to the Leeson Polyurethane Ltd plant, was evacuated as a result of the blaze yesterday (August 27) morning.

The super-lab, which is the first of its kind in the country and deals with thousands of tests daily, opened last month and is operated by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Read more: The moment in Leamington fireball erupted above burning chemical plant

It was evacuated yesterday and staff were sent home - and there is no word on when it will open for business again.

Along with a number of samples being moved from the site, some samples are also being assessed to see if they have been impacted or damaged as a result of the fire.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>United_Kingdom industrial fire response plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:bb714e7af4be/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:United_Kingdom"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://balkangreenenergynews.com/levels-of-dioxins-furans-air-from-vinca-landfill-fire-must-be-measured/">
    <title>Levels of dioxins and furans in air from Vinča landfill fire must be measured</title>
    <dc:date>2021-08-14T10:48:20+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://balkangreenenergynews.com/levels-of-dioxins-furans-air-from-vinca-landfill-fire-must-be-measured/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Gas expert from UNECE and chemical engineer by training Branko Milićević says the question is not whether dangerous dioxins and furans are in the air after a major fire erupted at the Vinča landfill in Belgrade but how much, as their levels aren’t measured. He warned the incident could get international significance.

The Vinča landfill is still smoldering while firefighters are trying to put out a fire that started last week and toxic smoke keeps spreading throughout Serbia’s capital Belgrade. Such events create favorable conditions for the synthesis of dioxins and furans – elevated pressures and temperatures, the presence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), PET plastic bottles, other aromatic polymers, salts, pesticides, chlorinated substances, according to Branko Milićević, Secretary of the Group of Experts on Gas in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

He told Balkan Green Energy News the two families of heterocyclic chemical compounds are dangerous and pointed to the grave consequences of a 1976 industrial accident in Italy. The question is not whether dioxins and furans were released but what the quantities are, as their levels aren’t measured, according to Milićević.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Serbia public fire response pesticides plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:7830dddebaf1/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Serbia"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:pesticides"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/leak-from-tractor-trailer-shuts-down-portion-of-i-78-for-hours/article_5085ba26-e0ee-11eb-bdc2-1fdefb423558.html">
    <title>Leak from tractor-trailer shuts down portion of I-78 for hours</title>
    <dc:date>2021-07-10T10:20:36+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/leak-from-tractor-trailer-shuts-down-portion-of-i-78-for-hours/article_5085ba26-e0ee-11eb-bdc2-1fdefb423558.html</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[SALISBURY TWP., Pa. - A white, milky substance spilled out of a double trailer FedEx truck and onto a portion of I-78 east Friday afternoon.

Crews from surrounding agencies responded dressed in hazmat suits, as officials say it was a highly dangerous corrosive material.

The incident caused major backups during rush hour.

"Basically all we did was we put some absorbent down to try to absorb it, however it was a little difficult to get off the ground. It seemed like it polymerized a little bit on the ground," said special ops coordinator Jonathan Al-Khal.

Crews spent several hours cleaning up the liquid from the Cedar Crest exit.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_PA transportation release response corrosives plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:6cdbb8d6348c/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_PA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:transportation"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:release"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:corrosives"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chemical-upcycling/4013886.article">
    <title>Chemical upcycling</title>
    <dc:date>2021-07-07T11:14:23+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chemical-upcycling/4013886.article</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Economics is central to invigorating the transition to a circular economy for plastic

Gary Anderson designed the recycling mobius loop logo in response to a competition held in 1970 by the Container Corporation of America. Contestants were asked to design a simple symbol for recycled paper. These days that symbol is everywhere. And these days, our domestic recycling bin is nearly always full – yet I find it hard to believe that it was only in July 2009 that my hometown expanded its kerbside recycling collection service to include cans and plastic bottles. Putting plastic in your recycling bin, however, does not guarantee that it gets recycled effectively.

Sorting mixed streams of plastic waste efficiently and accurately is an onerous but essential step for most recycling methods. The technology employed to sort this mish-mash of household refuse has now become surprisingly sophisticated. Hayley Bennett’s recent feature on ferrofluids revealed how a company in the Netherlands is using magnetic nanoparticles suspended in ferrofluids as part of a density-based sorting process. Sorting matters, because the higher the homogeneity of the waste stream the higher the chance of the polymers retaining their value when they are recycled.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Netherlands public follow-up environmental plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:c53c7aa61029/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Netherlands"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/environment/Inventory-finds-10000-chemicals-used/99/i25">
    <title>Inventory finds more than 10,000 chemicals used in plastics manufacture</title>
    <dc:date>2021-07-07T11:12:15+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/environment/Inventory-finds-10000-chemicals-used/99/i25</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[More than 10,000 additives, processing aids, and monomers are used to make plastics, with about 2,400 identified as potentially hazardous, according to the results of a comprehensive study cataloging publicly known chemicals used in plastics manufacture (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2021 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c00976). The findings point to a long, tough road to close gaps in chemical regulations and improve plastic waste management, the study authors say.
Plastics are perhaps the most diverse class of synthetic materials, coming in every color, level of transparency, and stiffness. This range of properties is thanks to the sheer number of ingredients, such as pigments, fillers, or plasticizers, that can be combined with polymers.
While researching plastics recycling as part of her graduate studies, Helene Wiesinger of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, realized that the large number of substances that go into plastics—and the little that is known about them—poses a big problem for plastic waste management. For instance, hazardous additives appropriate for one type of product, such as flame retardants in electronic casings, may wind up inside recycled material and eventually in products where they become inappropriate, such as toys. A report on the problems with plastics recycling and incineration published last week by International Pellet Watch, a program monitoring marine plastic pollution, and the International Pollutants Elimination Network, a global coalition of health and environmental advocacy groups, shared some of Wiesinger’s concerns.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>Europe laboratory discovery environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:b3362ce8f810/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Europe"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:laboratory"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.newsclick.in/X-press-pearl-dsaster-lessons-moving-chemicals-india-waterways">
    <title>X-Press Pearl Disaster Offers Lessons for Moving Chemicals on India’s Waterways</title>
    <dc:date>2021-06-13T11:08:44+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.newsclick.in/X-press-pearl-dsaster-lessons-moving-chemicals-india-waterways</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[MV X-Press Pearl, the blazing cargo ship stranded in the Laccadive Sea off the coast of western Sri Lanka, is sinking. Authorities had been trying to tow the ship further into the sea to prevent pollution near the coast, but the damage is already done – both at the coast and in the sea.

With dead animals washing ashore and fish consuming the micro-plastics, the scale of the disaster and its ramifications for the environment, human health and livelihoods dependent on fishing are set to be widespread

The ship, laden with 25 metric tonnes of Nitric acid, was on its way to Singapore from Hazira port in Gujarat when it caught fire. A possible explanation is that there was an acid leak which caught fire when it rained since the chemical reacts with water. Nitric acid is also toxic when it burns. So, there are fears of air pollution too.

Other cargo included chemicals like ethanol, caustic soda, plastic pellets and about 300 tonnes of oil. All such items now litter Sri Lanka’s beaches and manifest as pollution in the Indian Ocean.

“Initially, the assessment was that the disaster could be contained. But there was an explosion and our beaches started getting polluted,” said Muditha Katuwawala, Coordinator, The Pearl Protectors, a youth-led marine conservation organisation based in Sri Lanka. Katuwawala also noted that people who touched the debris and who went into the polluted waters have developed skin rashes.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>India transportation follow-up environmental ethanol nitric_acid plastics sodium_hydroxide</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:022ea9a45115/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:India"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:transportation"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:ethanol"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:nitric_acid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:sodium_hydroxide"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Selkirk-plastics-plant-faces-nearly-41-000-fine-16199808.php">
    <title>Selkirk plastics plant faces $41K fine over September chemical leak</title>
    <dc:date>2021-05-25T10:10:44+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Selkirk-plastics-plant-faces-nearly-41-000-fine-16199808.php</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[SELKIRK — SABIC Innovative Chemicals is facing a nearly $41,000 fine from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding last September’s leak of styrene gas from a rail car at the plastics factory. The leak resulted in a shutdown of local roads with orders for people within a half mile to shelter in place until it was contained by fire crews, who spent hours hosing down the car until a faulty valve was sealed.

Prior to the incident, SABIC "did not develop written operating procedures with clear instructions for movement and storage of styrene monomer railcars ... exposing employees to toxic, fire, and explosion hazards,” reads part of the citation, which falls under OSHA’s category of “serious” violations.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_NY transportation follow-up response plastics styrene</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:57e6a359f1db/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_NY"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:transportation"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:styrene"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://news.trust.org/item/20210510230821-m9wjo/">
    <title>Explosion at Sakai Chemical plant in Japan injures at least ...</title>
    <dc:date>2021-05-11T10:50:59+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://news.trust.org/item/20210510230821-m9wjo/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[TOKYO, May 11 (Reuters) - An explosion at a Sakai Chemical Industry plant in Fukushima prefecture in northeast Japan has injured at least four people, public broadcaster NHK reported.

An image published online by NHK showed a plume of smoke rising from the plant. The company manufactures chemicals used in paints, printer ink, plastics and other products.

Police and fire service officials are investigating the cause of the incident, NHK said. ]]></description>
<dc:subject>Japan industrial explosion injury paints plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:06465d2f4b93/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Japan"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:explosion"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:injury"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:paints"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.powderbulksolids.com/chemical/adhesives-maker-pays-345k-epa-settlement">
    <title>Adhesives Maker Pays $345K in EPA Settlement</title>
    <dc:date>2021-04-10T10:39:12+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.powderbulksolids.com/chemical/adhesives-maker-pays-345k-epa-settlement</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this week that adhesives manufacturer ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc. (ITW) corrected several alleged violations of chemical safety regulations and will pay a fine of $345,000 to settle claims that chemical accident prevention laws were violated at the firm’s Rockland, MA facility.

ITW, a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc., is alleged to have failed to comply with chemical accident prevention requirements under the federal Clean Air Act, the agency said in a release Thursday. The company stores highly flammable and toxic chemical substances in large outdoor storage tanks, and then transports the chemicals through piping into the facility’s buildings to manufacture adhesives and sealants. EPA said many of the violations stemmed from failing to properly inspect and maintain the outdoor chemical storage tanks and piping.

“EPA enforcement action, and ITW’s subsequent actions in response to it, have resulted in a safer facility and helped protect human health and the environment,” EPA New England Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Szaro said in a statement. “This settlement demonstrates that the Clean Air Act’s chemical accident prevention requirements are in place for a reason and shows EPA’s dedication to working with facilities to ensure chemical safety compliance.”

During an EPA inspection of the Rockland site, investigators found that the outdoor tanks and piping were not properly inspected or maintained, which resulted in “many potential” violations of the Clean Air Act General Duty Clause (GDC) and Risk Management Plant (RMP) regulations, according to the agency.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_MA industrial follow-up environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:2d41a3dba8e4/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_MA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://mynbc15.com/news/local/employees-evacuated-after-fire-at-mobile-plastic-manufacturer">
    <title>Employees evacuated after fire at Mobile plastic manufacturer</title>
    <dc:date>2021-02-10T10:52:32+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://mynbc15.com/news/local/employees-evacuated-after-fire-at-mobile-plastic-manufacturer</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — Employees have been evacuated out of RPS Composites, a plastic manufacturing company on Ziegler Boulevard in Mobile. There have been no reports of any injuries as workers return to work inside.

Fire-Rescue spokesperson Steven Milhouse tells NBC 15 heavy smoke and flames were showing upon arrival. The fire appeared to have started in a chemical locker, a large metal container used to store chemicals at the plastics company.

The danger to firefighters was that they were unsure what the chemicals were. They're working with the company to identify the chemicals and have allowed employees to return to work.]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_AL industrial fire response plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:e47c45a0398f/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_AL"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/baroda/villagers-shifted-after-fire-in-chemical-factory-7113905/">
    <title>Gujarat: Villagers shifted after fire in chemical factory in Panchmahal</title>
    <dc:date>2020-12-22T11:18:16+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/baroda/villagers-shifted-after-fire-in-chemical-factory-7113905/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Nearly 700 residents of Nandarkha village in Kalol taluka of Panchmahals district were shifted to a primary school after a fire broke out at a chemical factory located in the periphery of the village on Monday afternoon.

The fire broke out in the polymers manufacturing section of the plant, leading to thick black smoke due to carbon dioxide emission. However, no casualties were reported, authorities said.

Panchmahals District Collector Amit Arora told The Indian Express that 23 people were in the polymer plant when fire broke out. As nine fire tenders rushed to the spot to bring the blaze under control, close to 700 villagers from the Nandarkha village, located about 800 metres away from the site were shifted to a safer location.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>India industrial fire response plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:279944280f0e/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:India"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-13/fire-at-kilburn-plastics-factory-causes-million-dollar-damage/12880014">
    <title>Kilburn plastic recycling factory goes up in smoke, causing $1 million damage</title>
    <dc:date>2020-11-13T11:26:40+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-13/fire-at-kilburn-plastics-factory-causes-million-dollar-damage/12880014</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Residents living near a large plastics recycling factory in Adelaide's inner north, where a fire broke out last night, say they are worried about the health impacts of fumes being emitted from the facility.

Key points:
The fire broke out at the factory about 7:00pm on Thursday
The damage bill is expected to exceed $1 million
Residents have expressed concerns about toxic smells
The fire broke out at the Kilburn factory and caused toxic smoke to drift across the area — which is also home to residential streets, including many with new housing developments.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>Australia industrial fire response plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:f65c4c4b6e07/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Australia"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/EPA-faces-TSCA-risk-evaluation/98/i35">
    <title>EPA faces TSCA risk evaluation overload</title>
    <dc:date>2020-09-11T11:34:28+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/EPA-faces-TSCA-risk-evaluation/98/i35</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The US Environmental Protection Agency is moving ahead with risk evaluations for 20 high-priority chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), even though the agency has yet to complete several evaluations already in progress. The EPA finalized the scope of the next 20 evaluations Sept. 4, along with a list of companies responsible for paying for the reviews.

NEXT 20 HIGH-PRIORITY CHEMICALS
▸ 7 chlorinated solvents
▸ 6 phthalates
▸ 4 flame retardants
▸ Formaldehyde
▸ 1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[g]-2-benzopyran (HHCB), a fragrance additive
▸ 1,3-Butadiene, used in manufacturing polymers.

The EPA has been struggling to meet its deadlines under amendments to TSCA enacted in 2016. The agency missed a June deadline to complete the first 10 chemical risk evaluations under the revised law. So far, the agency has completed assessments for just 2 of the chemicals—methylene chloride and 1-bromopropane. The EPA is now scrambling to complete the remaining 8 evaluations before the end of the year.

The 20 new assessments are also behind schedule. The EPA was over 2 months late in releasing the scoping documents. The timer started ticking when the agency identified the 20 chemicals in December 2019. It is supposed to complete the 20 assessments by December 2022, although TSCA allows for a 6-month extension. The 20 chemicals include chlorinated solvents, phthalates, flame retardants, formaldehyde, a fragrance additive, and a substance used in polymers.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>public discovery environmental formaldehyde methylene_chloride plastics solvent</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:918c9585d01f/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:formaldehyde"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:methylene_chloride"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:solvent"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article245146670.html">
    <title>Pollution is still a risk after Grand Prairie fire, experts say</title>
    <dc:date>2020-08-22T11:54:54+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article245146670.html</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[By Wednesday night, firefighters had extinguished the massive fire at the Grand Prairie Poly-America plastics plant that had begun nearly 20 hours before. While some hot spots remained through Thursday, the sky was clear of the black smoke plumes that drew so many onlookers to the area. Environmental officials said there was no longer a need to monitor air quality and packed up by Thursday afternoon.

Although the immediate danger is gone, scientists, politicians and activists say that their concerns about the fire’s impact on the environment, particularly on air quality and water sources, have not diminished.

On Thursday evening, state Reps. Jessica González and Chris Turner, whose districts include portions of Grand Prairie, said they shared the concerns of their constituents and asked the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to clarify its findings and monitoring techniques at the plant.

“(The) fire and other incidents raise several questions regarding the safety of this facility and the environmental effects on the surrounding community,” the pair said in a joint statement. “We will be pursuing answers about this incident and what actions have and will be taken by the company, as well as the state and federal agencies charged with oversight to ensure that our constituents remain safe.”

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_TX industrial follow-up environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:807da02432c3/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_TX"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://wtov9.com/news/local/investigation-underway-after-bellaire-fire">
    <title>Investigation underway after Bellaire fire</title>
    <dc:date>2020-08-20T11:08:09+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://wtov9.com/news/local/investigation-underway-after-bellaire-fire</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio — Bricks and debris scattered all across the ground make up all the remains of a property where a fire broke out in Bellaire on Tuesday afternoon.

Caution tape surrounds the property and a portion of the road is closed.

The state fire marshal and the Ohio EPA were on scene Wednesday to investigate and determine a cause.

They met with Bellaire police and fire department members who were on scene all night.

"We may have a hazmat clean-up at this time,” Assistant Fire Chief Tim Bell said. “We're trying to figure out what we got, what we had in the building."

Bell says the air was not safe to breathe in Tuesday as plastics were on fire, but Wednesday it was safe.

The siding of a neighboring home was damaged by the heat.

No one was injured in the blaze.]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_OH public fire response plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:4fff3c5d39bb/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_OH"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/residents-onlookers-share-concern-about-grand-prairie-fire-smoke-toxicity/2428876/">
    <title>Residents, Onlookers Share Concern About Grand Prairie Fire, Smoke Toxicity – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth</title>
    <dc:date>2020-08-20T11:06:00+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/residents-onlookers-share-concern-about-grand-prairie-fire-smoke-toxicity/2428876/</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Families who live near the site of a large fire burning at a plastic manufacturing facility in Grand Prairie Wednesday were concerned about flames and potentially toxic smoke blowing into their neighborhood.

No injuries have been reported and no evacuations have been ordered but the fire still presented a threat to those living in and around the area.

"It's a health risk," said Alexandria Davey.

Davey lives in a neighborhood north of the plastics plant and watched large plumes of smoke from the fire with concern.

"You've got COVID-19 and now you have the fire. All those chemicals are floating right over this neighborhood," said Davey.

Environmental groups raised alarms that the public does not know what chemicals were in the huge plumes of smoke.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_TX industrial fire response plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:904b70d2764c/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_TX"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/series-of-accidents-in-vizag-a-matter-of-great-concern-pawan-kalyan-1700650-2020-07-15">
    <title>Series of accidents in Vizag a matter of great concern: Pawan Kalyan</title>
    <dc:date>2020-07-15T12:19:34+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/series-of-accidents-in-vizag-a-matter-of-great-concern-pawan-kalyan-1700650-2020-07-15</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan expressed concern over "series of accidents" that are taking place in the industrial areas spread across Gajuwaka and Parawada centres in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam.

Pawan Kalyan also pointed out the recent accidents at LG Polymers and Sainor Pharma plants that left several people dead and questioned the third accident that took place on Monday in the district.

One person died after a series of explosions triggered a massive fire at a chemical plant in Visakhapatnam on Monday. The fire accident at Ramky CETP Solvent’s building in Pharma City had already led to several injuries after an explosion was heard late on Monday night.

‘’Why are these series of accidents happening? Why are they not following security norms? Why is the government showing indifference? What are the people’s representatives doing? These questions are being raised in every individual’s mind. Shouldn't there be strong security measures when they are storing dangerous and potentially explosive oils and chemicals? The government will need to explain to the people why the explosion took place when there are full-proof security arrangements," Pawan Kalyan said.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>India industrial explosion death oils plastics solvent</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:e4a2a34ac484/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:India"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:explosion"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:death"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:oils"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:solvent"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2020/jul/11/vizag-gas-leak-fire-department-reached-lg-polymers-16-minutes-late-states-high-power-committee-findings-2168262.html">
    <title>Vizag gas leak: Fire Department reached LG Polymers 16 minutes late, states High-Power Committee fin- The New Indian Express</title>
    <dc:date>2020-07-12T10:23:17+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2020/jul/11/vizag-gas-leak-fire-department-reached-lg-polymers-16-minutes-late-states-high-power-committee-findings-2168262.html</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[VISAKHAPATNAM: On the fateful day of the Vizag gas leak, the Fire Department took 21 minutes to respond to the emergency call, instead of five minutes, as stipulated by the Standing Fire Advisory Council (SFAC). Besides, the available strength of the AP State Disaster Response and Fire Service Department in Visakhapatnam is highly inadequate. These were some of the findings of the High-Power Committee (HPC) that probed the gas leak that left 15 people dead and hundreds hospitalised.

The HPC said the Fire Department received its first call about the mishap at 3.30 am on May 7, and the fire tender from Marripalem reached the LG Polymers plant — four km away — at 3.51 am, as per a report from the Fire Department. SFAC norms stipulate a response time of five minutes in urban areas and 20 minutes in rural areas, with a 10 km area to be covered in urban areas and 50 sq km in rural areas.

The HPC advised the state government to take steps to equip the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) for all types of calamities and accidents by providing the necessary infrastructure. It recommended that the SDRF become an integral part of on-site and off-site mock drills and implementation of emergency plans of all hazardous industries. It should be a member of the state, district and local crisis group, the panel said.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>India industrial follow-up environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:e8b054d7abdf/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:India"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:follow-up"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/safety/Dow-recovers-Midland-flooding/98/i21">
    <title>Dow recovers from Midland flooding</title>
    <dc:date>2020-05-28T11:42:17+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/safety/Dow-recovers-Midland-flooding/98/i21</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[ow has begun cleanup and recovery at its Midland, Michigan, chemical complex, following flooding from rain and dam failures.

On May 19, heavy rains caused the Tittabawassee River to crest above flood stage. That evening, two dams ruptured, contributing to flooding in the region. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Midland County, and more than 10,000 residents evacuated.

Dow’s manufacturing facility sits on the eastern bank of the Tittabawassee. The facility once made many Dow products, but due to restructuring and divestitures over the years, the company only makes silicones there now.

Other firms operate several former Dow plants on the site. For example, Corteva makes agrochemicals there, DuPont has a methylcellulose plant, Trinseo has latex and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene units, and SK Saran produces specialty plastics.

Dow began shutting down operations at the facility even before the breach of the two dams. The day after the flooding, Dow acknowledged that “there were flood waters commingling with on-site containment ponds.” Its headquarters, at a separate Midland location, wasn’t impacted by the event, the company says.

In a May 22 appearance on the business news channel CNBC, Dow CEO Jim Fitterling said the containment ponds hold brine that the site uses for groundwater remediation and pose no chemical hazards. “To our knowledge, there’s nothing that’s been released,” he said.]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_MI industrial discovery environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:74eb8512b016/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_MI"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/taking-responsibility-for-waste/4011544.article">
    <title>Taking responsibility for waste</title>
    <dc:date>2020-04-28T12:38:31+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/taking-responsibility-for-waste/4011544.article</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[How well are companies that produce and use plastics living up to their duty?

In the 2017 documentary series Blue Planet II, naturalist David Attenborough issues the world a stark challenge. ‘Industrial pollution and the discarding of plastic waste must be tackled for the sake of all life in the ocean,’ he says. In directing our attention to the plastic problem, the series focused close attention on companies originating the materials. There is no denying that plastic brings valuable benefits, like keeping food edible for longer. Yet waste is clearly a flaw that it appears producers and users had previously failed to take adequate responsibility for. Blue Planet II has seemingly started an industry transformation, as companies strive to show they are now living up to that responsibility.

Industry has a role in tackling waste already in the environment, as well as preventing further pollution being released

Tom Zoete from environmental organisation Recycling Netwerk in Utrecht, the Netherlands, argues that corporate responsibility’s importance often hasn’t been stressed enough. Instead Zoete suggests industry often deflects responsibility onto individuals. ‘As a consumer, it’s very hard to avoid all this single-use plastic packaging,’ he says. By contrast, if a company reduces the weight of its product by a few grams, tonnes of material might never reach the market. ‘That’s enormous,’ Zoete says. ‘Compared to that, each individual consumer’s choice has a very limited scope.’

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Netherlands public discovery environmental plastics waste</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:854009f9cae2/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Netherlands"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:waste"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200316173516.htm">
    <title>Microplastic fibers linked to respiratory, reproductive changes in fish: Exposure to microplastics causes cellular changes in fish and may disrupt endocrine systems -- ScienceDaily</title>
    <dc:date>2020-03-17T11:45:31+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200316173516.htm</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Chronic exposure to microplastic fibers causes aneurysms, erosion of surface layers and other serious damage to fish gills, and increases egg production in female fish, a sign that chemicals in the fibers may be acting as endocrine disruptors, a new study by U.S. and Chinese scientists finds.

The minuscule fibers, which are made of polyester, polypropylene and other types of plastics, are shed or washed off of synthetic textiles used in clothing and other consumer and industrial products. Once shed, they enter wastewater and accumulate in oceans, rivers and lakes worldwide, accounting for more than 90% of microplastic pollution in some areas.

"Past field studies have shown that many fish eat large quantities of the fibers every day but have protective mechanisms within the gut that seem to be preventing damage," said David E. Hinton, Nicholas Distinguished Professor of Environmental Quality at Duke University. "But when you extend your study down to the tissue and cellular levels, as we did, harmful changes are observed."

]]></description>
<dc:subject>us_NC laboratory discovery environmental plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:3ade2227f9d3/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:us_NC"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:laboratory"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://cen.acs.org/policy/regulation/EU-moves-toward-strict-controls/98/web/2020/01">
    <title>EU moves toward strict controls on 3 plastics chemicals and PFBS</title>
    <dc:date>2020-01-19T11:55:46+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://cen.acs.org/policy/regulation/EU-moves-toward-strict-controls/98/web/2020/01</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The European Union is taking aim at two chemicals used in polymer production, a phthalate, and a perfluorinated compound and its salts. All are now on a list of substances that are candidates for strict regulation.


If the chemicals on the list are selected for further controls, companies would only be allowed to use them if the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) authorizes specific uses.


ECHA says it added three of the substances to the list on Jan. 16 because they are reproductive toxics. Two of these are used in the manufacture of polymers: 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-4′-morpholinobutyrophenone and 2-methyl-1-(4-methylthiophenyl)-2-morpholinopropan-1-one. The third is diisohexyl phthalate, a chemical that is not registered for production or use in the EU. Regulators want to ensure that diisohexyl phthalate is not used as a substitute for other phthalates that are queued up for tight regulation in the EU.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Belgium public discovery environmental plastics toxics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:a2b293982c7d/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:Belgium"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:public"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:discovery"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:environmental"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:toxics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/chemical-factory-gutted-near-mehsana/articleshow/73162964.cms">
    <title>Chemical factory gutted near Mehsana</title>
    <dc:date>2020-01-09T12:54:46+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/chemical-factory-gutted-near-mehsana/articleshow/73162964.cms</link>
    <dc:creator>dchas</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[PALANPUR: A chemical factory was gutted in fire at GIDC industrial estate near Dediyasan village of Mehsana on Wednesday afternoon. No person was injured in the incident that triggered panic among workers of neighbouring units. No person was injured in the incident.
At least four fire fighting teams were pressed into service to douse the fire that broke out at Linsol Polymer in plot 295 of Dediyasan GIDC. It took fire fighters from local municipality and ONGC over three hours to bring the blaze under control.
According to fire inspector Haresh Patel of Mehsana municipality said that the reason for the fire was not immediately known. The fire broke out at about 2.30pm had was brought under control at about 5.30pm, said Patel.]]></description>
<dc:subject>India industrial fire response plastics</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/b:b4b4cab71c59/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:India"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:industrial"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:fire"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:response"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:dchas/t:plastics"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
</rdf:RDF>