Health and environment officials have collected water samples from the Mekong River at Khut Khu rapids in Chiang Kan district of Loei province for testing, after sulfuric acid leaked into the river from a truck which overturned in Luang Prabang yesterday. Laotian officials had issued an announcement, warning Lao people living along the river near the scene of the accident against swimming in or catching fish from the river.  On the Thai side of the border, Loei Deputy Governor Kittikhun Butkhun has instructed health and environment officials to test water in the river to ensure safety for people and vendors selling food at Nang Khoi beach in Ban Hat Hae, Pak Tom sub-district.  The truck was carrying about 30 tonnes of sulfuric acid when it was involved in an accident and overturned, causing the highly corrosive chemical to leak into the environment. Many dead fish have been found in the river.

A crash in Polk County on Tuesday sent two people to the hospital and shut down a major road for several hours. Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) was called out to SR-60 and Turner Road near Willow Oak at 9:44 p.m.  Firefighters found two people “heavily entrapped” in a tanker truck and another vehicle. Both occupants were taken to the hospital as trauma alerts, with one having to be air-lifted.  The truck overturned and spilled molten sulfur onto the roadway. The chemical is highly flammable and is used in sulfuric acid production, petroleum refining, and pulp and paper manufacturing, according to NOAA.  Both lanes of SR-60 were shut down and reopened just before 4 a.m., after the leak was contained. PCFR urged residents to avoid the area if possible.  The cause of the crash is under investigation. The incident has been reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

A tanker carrying a large quantity of sulfuric acid rolled over on U.S. 23 Tuesday morning, causing major traffic backups in the Fenton area for most of the day.

The crash happened around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday on the northbound lanes of U.S. 23 near Center Road in Livingston County's Tyrone Township. That is located a couple miles south of the Fenton city limits.  Michigan State Police say the tanker was loaded with about 3,500 gallons of sulfuric acid, but none spilled. However, authorities ordered several nearby residents to evacuate as a precaution when crews turned the truck upright around 3:30 p.m. The evacuations affected several residences along Runyan Lake Road. Livingston County Emergency Management contacted all affected residents with the reverse 911 system if they are covered by the order. Both directions of U.S. 23, Old U.S. 23 and Runyan Lake Road also were closed near Center Road at 3:30 p.m. while crews tipped the truck back on its wheels.  U.S. 23 reopened and residents were allowed back into their homes around 7 p.m. after the tanker was removed safely.

Both directions of U.S. 23, Old U.S. 23 and Runyan Lake Road also were closed near Center Road at 3:30 p.m. while crews tipped the truck back on its wheels.  U.S. 23 reopened and residents were allowed back into their homes around 7 p.m. after the tanker was removed safely.

The collapse of a railroad bridge near Reed Point at 6 a.m. Saturday morning put 10 rail cars in the Yellowstone River and launched state and national attention as officials continue to evaluate the scene and repeatedly confirm that the asphalt and molten sulfur that leaked into the river will not be catastrophic.  On Sunday, Montana Rail Link said that preliminary water quality sampling being performed by a contractor on behalf of Montana Rail Link — and with oversight by Montana Department of Environmental Quality and EPA are showing no “petroleum hydrocarbons or sulfur impacts to water quality.”  That means that at this time, there are no known risks to public drinking water, according to MRL.  Water quality testing will continue until the cleanup is complete.  MRL also said it was aware of “globs of asphalt” appearing downriver that “may be associated with the derailment” and that is being investigated.  The two substances that did leak into the water basically coagulate when they come into contact with colder conditions — such as air and water — and have not moved very far away from the site of the collapse, said Columbus Fire Chief Rich Cowger.  A total of 17 rail cars were involved — 10 of which are in the Yellowstone River. Six contained asphalt, three contained molten sulfur and one car was transporting rock.  Two cars did contain the material sodium hydrosulfate — but thankfully, neither of those cars went in the water nor are they breached or leaking. On Sunday, one of those cars (which was the closest one to the river) was successfully “re-railed” and moved to a secure location, according to MRL.  The balance of the 17 rail cars are on the tracks, but on the east side of the bridge, said Columbus Fire Chief Rich Cowger.  Water users downstream in Laurel, Billings and Lockwood were notified of the collapse and substances in the water in order to prepare for any problems as quickly as possible.  “So far, what we are finding is very little impact,” said Cowger.  Air and water monitoring is being conducted at the site and downstream and DEQ is conducting water sampling at water intakes, according to information released Stillwater County Department of Emergency Services Chief David Stamey.  A Sprint fiber optic line was severed in the collapse, leaving three counties without e911 services. Crews are working to repair that line now as Cowger said restoring e911 service “is a priority.”  Governor Greg Gianforte was on site Sunday afternoon for a briefing, as were members of Senator Steve Daines’ staff.  The following information was released from MRL through the incident command system late Saturday afternoon:  “Initial assessment indicates compromised rail cars contained molten sulfur and asphalt. Both substances solidify rapidly when exposed to cooler temperatures. Two cars carrying sodium hydro sulfate are also (involved). Neither of these cars have entered the water and initial air quality assessments have been performed and confirmed that there is no release event associated with those two cars. The present focus of operations is safely responding to the emergency, controlling all releases and mitigating impacts. Throughout the response MRL will work with local, state and federal partners to assess impacts to natural resources and to develop appropriate cleanup, removal and restoration efforts.”  No injuries were reported and the cause of the collapse remains under investigation by MRL and Federal Railroad Administration. National Transportation Safety Board officials arrived Sunday.  The Montana Department of Transportation shut down Twin Bridges Road at Reed Point until further notice, according to Stamey.  Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks closed down parts of the Yellowstone and Stillwater rivers have been at the request of Stillwater County authorities. Those included the Stillwater River from White Bird Fishing Access to the confluence of the Yellowstone, the Yellowstone River from Pelican Fishing Access to Buffalo Mirage Fishing access.  Responding to the scene first were Columbus Fire Rescue, Stillwater County Department of Emergency Services and Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office.  On Saturday U.S. Senator Jon Tester called upon DOT, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency to work with local agencies to assess the impact and get train service restored.  U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale issued a press release Saturday evening in which he said his priorities are to determine if there will be any impact to the environment and then to get the “line up and running again.”

A new train full of sulfuric acid has derailed in Illinois, according to the local newspaper, the Edwardsville Intelligencer.  According to the same newspaper, it stated that there was no leakage resulting from the derailment of 3 carriages on the train, stressing that these carriages did not overturn and remained on the track, and there were no reports of injuries.  It indicated that the three carriages are part of a northbound train carrying more than 20 carriages loaded with sulfuric acid.  It is noteworthy that this accident is not the first of its kind. In June 2021, 4 vehicles carrying sulfuric acid derailed, and air quality monitoring was imposed for several days.

A tanker truck carrying 3,000 gallons of sulfuric acid overturned Wednesday morning in Stanley, according to police.  Evacuations were done and traffic was rerouted around the spill site on Industrial Park Road, west of Highway H, stated a Facebook post from the Stanley Police Department.  "We ask that everyone avoid the west industrial park area so personnel can direct their time and resources to scene management and proper restoration in the matter of public safety," the post stated.  A local hazardous materials team was responding to the incident Wednesday morning to manage the cleanup process.  By 4:15 p.m. the road was reopened to traffic.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office announced that the leak has been cleared up. 

"Everything is cleared up, and the highway and affected roads are open for travel. Thank you for your understanding," the CCSO's updated release states. 

UPDATE 6:55 p.m.: Tina Owens, a public information officer at the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, said the chemical leaking at Albermarle was sulfur dioxide.  

“Right now, we just know it was a release from a tank car staging area at the facility,” Owens said.  Owens said she did not know whether the chemical was still leaking or not as of 6:50 p.m. Wednesday. She said the situation at Albermarle was “ongoing.” No injuries, fires or evacuations have been reported as resulting from the leak, she said.

Emergency management coordinators are at Albermarle considering how to remediate – remedy – the situation.  “Normally the companies in the area will determine their own remediation teams. (Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality) has been notified, but I don’t know how they’ll play a part in (remediation),” Owens said.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, short-term exposure to sulfur dioxide "can harm the human respiratory system and make breathing difficult." At high concentrations, gaseous sulfur oxides "can harm trees and plants by damaging foliage and decreasing growth" and "can contribute to acid rain."

UPDATE 6:45 p.m.: Columbia County Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Larry Taylor said his office was on the scene.   "Albemarle has the fine details right now but, we have a few deputies and OEM coordinators over there but right now we are waiting to hear more from the plant and see if we can give an all clear soon," Taylor said. 

A security officer at Albermarle declined to share any details about the chemical leak. She said local residents should contact Taylor or the Columbia County Sheriff's Office for information about the leak.

Traffic has been shut down on Highway 79 due to a chemical release at the Albermarle - South Plant, according to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.

The CCSO reported that the chemical is moving north. The chemical can cause skin irritation or rash, and possibly blindness. Residents in the area should exercise caution. 

A team is coming to address the leak, according to the CCSO. 

"All motor vehicle drivers must apply safe driving techniques (not just heavy freight vehicles). Some roads are not in as good a condition as they used to be, and general driving behaviour has deteriorated," he explained.  "The recent incidents involving dangerous goods must be subjected to an independent incident reconstruction investigation so that the causes can be identified and the chance of such incidents prevented from recurring in the future," Kelly added.  News24 reached out to the Infinite Transport Group several times for comment. Their comment will be added once it’s received.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ycF2HseYg

A tanker truck detached in the westbound lane of U.S. 22 near the Carollton/Wintersville exit on Friday morning.  Officials say the truck was carrying sulfuric acid.  Though no leaks were detected, the road will be closed westbound until the tank can be offloaded into another tank.  Traffic is being rerouted off the Lovers Lane exit moving westbound.

The Graham County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an early Sunday morning rollover of a semi-truck reportedly hauling sulfuric acid to Freeport McMoRan’s Safford Operations mine.  According to Graham County Dispatch notes, the rollover occurred in the area of Norton Road and Reay Lane. The Sheriff’s Office was contacted about the crash at about 3:33 a.m.  Semi-trucks often loaded with sulphuric acid frequently utilize Norton Road – which has a residential neighborhood – as a bit of a shortcut from their trip from the Miami, Arizona area east to the Safford site. Truckers advise the turn onto Norton Road from Highway 70 is an easier one to make, however, there is a traffic light at the intersection of Highway 70 and Reay Lane and not one at the Norton Road intersection.  The crash is still under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, but preliminary notes from County Dispatch advised that no sulfuric acid leaked. However, diesel fuel from the truck is believed to have leaked onto a cotton farm where the truck landed. The Thatcher Fire Department also responded to the scene.  The road was closed for a time period as a heavy wrecker and crane uprighted the truck and towed it from the area. The roadway was then cleared by 10:06 a.m.  

A sulfuric acid leak has closed several roads from United Refining in the City of Warren to the New York state line, according to Warren County officials Thursday.  City of Warren Police are asking drivers to avoid Lexington Ave. from Carver to Conewango, Market St. from Pennsylvania to Second and multiple areas on Market St./Route 62 to the state line.  People are asked not to touch or drive through any of the chemicals on the roadway.  The sulfuriAll resources available to the county are being deployed to clean up the spill, according to a post from Warren County government.c acid reportedly came from a truck traveling north on Route 62.

A Zambia-bound truck that was carrying 35 tonnes of sulphur overturned and caught fire at the 311km peg along the Harare-Chirundu Highway, near Tsetse checkpoint in Hurungwe District, triggering land and air pollution.  The horse and first trailer belonging to Top Hisheen Company were burnt to shells in the incident.  Preliminary investigations by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) indicate that the truck was travelling outside the stipulated times, and failed to report the incident.  According to EMA, transporters of potentially hazardous substances or minerals that can pollute the environment should travel between 4 am and 8 pm.  Noone was killed in the accident but besides the fire which engulfed the scene, plumes of toxic smoke containing sulphur compounds travelled as far as Chirundu Border Post. EMA said:  The Environmental Management Agency is working closely with the transporter (Top Hisheen) to extinguish the fire and commence the spillage clean-up exercise.  Section 73 of the Environmental Management Act prohibits the discharge of hazardous substances into the environment and places the responsibility of rehabilitating and restoring the affected area on the polluter.  Our preliminary investigations indicate that the truck was travelling outside the stipulated times, and failed to report the incident to the Agency within the shortest period of time as required.  Timely reporting of spillages ensures swift response to minimise environmental pollution as well as start rescue efforts

A faulty piece of equipment on a storage tank caused a 2,000-gallon chemical spill at Shell’s Beaver County ethane cracker over the weekend, the company said.  The spill was discovered Saturday morning at 9:30 during a routine inspection, and all chemicals spilled were contained on site. Shell said in a statement the tank was part of the facility’s waste water treatment plant, and contained a mixture of water and sulfuric acid. The company said the chemicals were captured within a built-in secondary containment area.  The company said the spill appears to have been caused by a faulty flange – a collared mechanical fitting often used to join two pieces of equipment together.  “Maintaining environmental compliance and timely reporting of potential incidents are top priorities for Shell,” spokesman Curtis Thomas said in a statement. “We will continue to keep the environmental authorities apprised as we continue our investigation of this matter.”  According to the CDC, sulfuric acid is a corrosive substance that can cause damage to skin, eyes, teeth and lungs, and can harm workers if exposure is high enough. The company said no workers were harmed.  The company uses sulfuric acid as an additive to control pH in the plant’s waste water, Thomas said.  The incident was reported to the National Response Center, local emergency officials and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.  DEP air quality monitors in nearby Brighton Township did not record any exceedances of pollutant levels, including sulfur dioxide, said agency spokesman Jamar Thrasher.  But Jamie Quigley, who lives nearby, said she detected a sulfurous “rotten egg” smell as early as Friday afternoon from her work in nearby Beaver, and continued to smell it throughout the weekend from her home in Brighton Township, which is not far from the plant.  “Friday, when I walked out of work, it smelled like rotten eggs,” Quigley said. “And it lasted like that all weekend. It was gross.”  Construction at the plant – built with $1.6 billion dollars in state tax credits – is nearing completion. It’s scheduled to come online later this year. 

About 200 gallons of sulfuric acid leaked outside Pepperidge Farm in Bloomfield Wednesday during a pre-dawn fire, officials said.  No one was injured, although some workers complained of an odor from the fumes. The bread-making plant at 1414 Blue Hills Ave. was evacuated as a precaution, said Willie Jones, chief of the Blue Hills Fire Department.  Jones said the fire burned in outdoor containers for about 90 minutes. Firefighters did not try to douse them with water because they were told they contained chemicals, and water can cause a reaction when it’s mixed with certain substances.  The contents of the containers leaked during the fire, he said. Workers from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection were called to determine the extent of the spill and how to mitigate it.  Four, 220-gallon containers, each with 50% sulfuric acid, leaked, as did two, 330-gallon containers holding 25% caustic soda, said Will Healey, the agency’s spokesman. The substances were diluted, and they were discharged into the parking lot.  “There does not appear to be any discharge off the site as the storm water system runs off into a dirt drainage swale along the edge of the parking lot,” Healey said.  Workers were in the plant at the time of the fire, and they left the building, but returned when they smelled the odor of burning chemicals, the fire chief said. They then were told to leave from a different exit, away from the fire.  “We did, as a precaution, evacuate the building, because we didn’t want the burning fumes to enter the HVAC system,” Jones said.  Sulfuric acid is used for wastewater treatment, Healey said.  “This treatment involves sulfuric acid as well as a caustic soda to adjust the wastewater PH,” he said.  A local health official was at the scene late Wednesday morning working to get the plant reopened, Healey said, and the fire marshal was investigating the cause of the fire.

Police in North Vancouver, B.C., say they do not yet know when a derailed train will be up and running again.  According to North Vancouver RCMP, the Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) train came off the track just after 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the Lower Lonsdale area.  A statement from CN Rail said at least two cars containing solid sulphur derailed upright. The mineral is used in a variety of household and industrial products.  Preliminary information indicates there was a leak of solid sulphur contained to CN's property but there were no fires, injuries, or danger to public safety.  First responders confirmed no one was injured and said there is no risk to the public.  "It may take some time to get these trains back up and onto the track," said Sgt. Peter DeVries.  DeVries said firefighters were on the scene immediately and that they had "no concerns about any leakages or contaminants."  The cause of the derailment is now being investigated by the Canadian National Police Service, a private railroad police force that helps protect CN Rail property, personnel and rail infrastructure.  "CN would like to apologize for the inconvenience caused by this incident and would like to thank first responders for their help and support," said the company in a statement.  DeVries said Monday morning the derailment has not caused any road closures.

The tanker carrying sulfuric acid was heading for Taloja.Its lid opened when it hit a speed-breaker and some liquid spilled out, the police officer said.Two of the injured pedestrians were given first aid at a hospital and allowed to go while another was undergoing treatment.  hree pedestrians were injured at Ulhasnagar in Thane district on Tuesday when acid from a tanker spilled on them, police said.  The incident took place at Sri Ram Chowk around 3 pm, said senior inspector Sanjay Gaikwad of Vitthalwadi police station. The tanker carrying sulfuric acid was heading for Taloja.  Its lid opened when it hit a speed-breaker and some liquid spilled out, the police officer said.  Two of the injured pedestrians were given first aid at a hospital and allowed to go while another was undergoing treatment. A two-wheeler parked nearby was also damaged as some acid fell on it, inspector Gaikwad said. The driver of the tanker was arrested for negligence.

A freight train derailed Monday near the Port Of Oakland, toppling over four tanker cars carrying sulfuric acid, but fortunately the dangerous chemical has not leaked onto the tracks, fire officials said.  Oakland Fire posted tweets around 12:30 p.m. reporting the derailment on the tracks at 1400 Middle Harbor Rd. near the Port of Oakland.  Six railcars derailed with four tanker cars toppling over on their side. Oakland Fire haz-mat teams were immediately dispatched to the scene.  There were no injuries reported in the derailment on the busy rail artery near Jack London Square.  Fire officials said the haz-mat teams preliminarily have not found any liquid leaking out of the toppled tanker cars and there was no immediate threat to the surrounding neighborhood.  “HazMat Teams from the train operator and #OFD are currently conducting reconnaissance to determine the extent of the damage to the derailed train cars and checking for any possible leaking material,” Oakland Fire tweeted at 2:09 p.m.  Officials followed with a 2:50 p.m. Twitter update from Oakland Fire Chief Reginald Freeman — ” #HazMat has confirmed that no hazmat leaks were found.”  “We got the result we were hopeful for,” Freeman added.  Union Pacific Railroad would have a crew on scene late Monday afternoon to upright the cars, Freeman said.  The train was coming into the railyard slowly and did not hit anything stationary, which may have been the reason nothing was leaking when hazardous materials crews evaluated the cars. The exact cause of the derailment remains under investigation.

A fire that broke out at a sulphur terminal in Metro Vancouver over the weekend is under investigation.  Fire crews were called to Pacific Coast Terminals in Port Moody late Sunday afternoon. In a statement, the company said the fire happened near the ship loader on one of its conveyors.  "Port Moody Fire Rescue responded quickly and no one was hurt in the incident. The fire has since been put out and the cause is currently being determined," Pacific Coast Terminals said in its statement.  "We sincerely apologize for any disturbance this caused and we are extremely thankful for the quick actions of the staff onsite and Port Moody Fire Rescue."  Few details have been provided by officials, but a ladder truck was used to douse the flames.  Fire crews haven't said what may have caused the fire. 

A chemical leak triggered a shelter-in-place for some Wood River residents.  Around 5 am, the Wood River Police Department announced that several agencies had been called in to assist in a Norfolk Southern Railway car accident. Railroad cars near the southwestern part of the Wood River are emitting spent sulfuric acid, officials said. Authorities use water curtains to keep the area safe.  Police issued Code Red as a precautionary measure south of Route 143, west of Route 111, north of West Third Street, and east of North Old Edwardsville Road. Residents of the affected areas are advised to turn off the air conditioning and heating equipment and close the windows.  The Madison County Crisis Management Agency Command Post also provides on-site assistance. In addition, South 6th Avenue from National Highway 143 to National Highway 111 is closed as a precautionary measure.

 The shelter in place order has expired in Wood River.  Wednesday afternoon Norfolk Southern Railroad was notified that a stationary rail car containing spent sulfuric acid was over pressurized and venting. The rail car was part of a group of five picked up from the Phillips 66 refinery and staged while awaiting pickup by KCS Railroad.  One worker was overcome by the venting fumes. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released.  Throughout the night, Norfolk Southern personnel, hazmat crews and local first responders were on scene monitoring and accessing the situation.

"As they're monitoring the air around the areas they started noticing some levels that they were concerned about," said Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells.  Two adjacent rail cars also began venting due to over pressurization. So, around 4 a.m. a shelter in place order was issued to residents in a neighborhood on the town's southwest side.

"So they called at 4:02 in the morning and said what was going on," said Jill Rosencrans.  The shelter in place order was for the area south of Route 143, west of Route 111, north of West Third Street and east of North Old Edwardsville Road.  Residents in the impacted area were advised to stay inside, turn off their HVAC and close windows. More than 430 homes and businesses awere e under the shelter in place order, which expired at 6 a.m. Friday.  Wood River firefighters sprayed water on the venting rail cars. The technique is known as a water curtain and it prevents the fumes from spreading to nearby neighborhoods. A fourth rail car began venting around 10 a.m. Thursday.  Norfolk Southern said the cars vented vapor as part of a safety mechanism to reduce built up pressure. Air quality readings have been conducted in the area and have returned to safe levels.

The incident occurred near Kapurai bridge on Saturday midnight Vadodara: A 38-year-old truck driver suffered burn injuries after a tanker containing sulphuric acid that he was driving overturned near Kapurai bridge on the national highway-48 on Saturday midnight. The acid leaked from the tanker.  According to police, the driver of the tanker, Miraj Gujjar, lost control over the vehicle after crossing the flyover bridge when a luxury bus driver overtook him and suddenly applied brakes. To avoid collision with the bus, Gujjar too applied brakes and changed the lane due to which the tanker overturned.  Immediately, the sulphuric acid started oozing out of the tanker and Gujjar suffered burn injuries on his right leg. He was taken in a 108 GVK-EMRI ambulance to SSG Hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment.  The police said that of the 50 tons of sulphuric acid, around four tons leaked. As a precautionary measure, fire fighters from Panigate fire station were rushed to the spot. “Our staff cordoned off the accident spot and remained deployed there until the tanker was moved,” said a fire officer. The traffic from south Gujarat going towards `Ahmedabad moved at a slow pace until the spot was cleared.  The sulphuric acid was being sent from a company in Dahej to a chemical company in Udaipur.

A TransNamib tanker carrying sulphuric acid derailed on 24 August, at approximately 00h30, between Kransburg and Usakos, the company announced in a statement.  ccording to Abigail Raubenheimer, the train, enroute from Tsumeb to Arandis, which was loaded with 22 sulphuric acid tankers, was involved in an accident in which only one sulphuric acid tanker derailed off the tracks between Kransburg and Usakos (KM220).  The derailed tanker leaked, and TransNamib’s emergency response plan was activated immediately and the spillage was contained.  Raubenheimer said fortunately no injuries occurred but a total of 4 metres of tracks have been damaged and is currently under repair.  “TransNamib expects the repairs to be finalised today and for operations to continue. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused,” she added.

A collision sent one man to the hospital late Wednesday night, spilled sulfuric acid on Highway 70 and resulted in a shutdown of the highway for about an hour.  A Toyota four-runner traveling west on Highway 70 crossed into the on- coming lane and collided with a semi-truck hauling sulfuric acid a mile west of Pima around 11:30 p.m., said Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper Kameron Lee.  The semi-truck came to rest on its side, partially blocking the westbound lane and losing the majority of its load, Lee said.  As of 8:30 a.m., Lee said the westbound lanes are still blocked and a heavy-duty tow truck has arrived to remove the semi.  The driver of the semi-truck, a 24-year-old Thatcher man, was not hurt. However, the driver of the Toyota, a 19-year-old man from Fort Thomas, suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to a Tucson hospital, Lee said.  “The roadway and surrounding areas have to be treated from the leak,” Lee said. “ADOT is working on that aspect of the cleanup.”  Sulfuric acid is used in metal mining and is regularly transported to Freeport-McMoRan mines in Graham and Greenlee counties.

All lanes of U.S. 67 in both directions have been reopened after a sulfuric acid spill Tuesday morning, Transportation Department spokeswoman Krista Sides said.  She said the road has been deemed safe for all travel.  Jacob Harper, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, said the department emergency response personnel found "minimal impact" from the acid to about a quarter of a mile of roadway, the shoulder and some standing water on the side of the road. He said the department did not observe any impact to a nearby waterway.  Southbound lanes of U.S. 67 in Lonoke County remained blocked Tuesday morning after a crash between a tanker and a passenger vehicle spilled roughly 2,600 gallons of sulfuric acid onto the highway.  State police spokesman Bill Sadler said the wreck occurred around 6:15 a.m. The tanker was carrying diluted sulfuric acid, which began to leak onto the road, he said.  Sadler said no injuries from the wreck have been reported, and the cause of the crash is not yet known.  Traffic in both directions on the highway was stopped for a time, but northbound lanes were reopened by 8:40 a.m., according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation.  All southbound lanes remained blocked near Austin at 10:30 a.m., with traffic being diverted at the Beebe-Conway exit.  Transportation Department spokeswoman Krista Sides said a remediation company is handling the acid cleanup. Sides estimated the effort would be finished around noon.  Once the spill has been cleaned, officials will need to determine whether the road will need repairs before being reopened, according to the spokeswoman. Sides said the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality was at the scene as well.

A tanker truck with a full load of molten sulfur overturned on eastbound State Road 60 in east Hillsborough County early Tuesday, closing traffic for several hours.  The crash took place at about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday on S.R. 60 west of Sydney Washer Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.  Albert C. Books, 38, of Riverview, was driving a 2014 Peterbilt tanker truck when he lost control, hit a sign and overturned. He suffered minor injuries and was cited for careless driving.  Traffic was shut down in both directions for several hours as crews worked to clean up the crash site and keep the tank from rupturing, troopers said.  One westbound lane of S.R. 60 was reopened at about 4 p.m. Officials announced at 5:47 p.m. that one eastbound lane was reopened.

According to WWL, the vessels crashed into each other around 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning near mile marker 123. One of the vessels sank to the bottom of the river and the other sustained considerable damages.  The Coast Guard sent out a response boat from the New Orleans Coast Guard Sector and a rescue helicopter from Air Station New Orleans.  One of the members of the vessel was rescued by a Samaritan. The search for the remaining three members is still ongoing.  One of the vessels was carrying two barges of sulfuric acid. One barge was damaged due to the collision and reportedly released an unknown amount of vapor into the air. A safety zone from mile marker 121 to 123 has been issued and traffic is closed to vessels in that area.  The Coast Guard is scheduled to hold a press conference about the incident on Sunday at 3:30 p.m., and will be held at St. Charles Parish Emergency Operations Center in Hahnville, LA. 

A worker was killed following an explosion in a sulphuric acid tank at a JMD battery manufacturing unit at Gagret late last evening. The deceased was identified as Vijay Kumar, a resident of Amb subdivision.  DSP, Amb, Manoj Jamwal said the victim was on night duty and working near the tank when the incident took place. Suddenly, the body of the tank burst open and the acid poured out.  His co-workers immediately called the 108 ambulance service. However, he died of severe acid burns at the Gagret Civil Hospital.  Local MLA Rajesh Thakur also reached the unit. He said the management of the unit had released a compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the victim’s wife. Besides, she would be given a monthly pension of Rs 5,000.  The DSP said a case had been registered and investigations had been initiated to ascertain the cause of the accident. The victim had joined the unit nearly eight months ago.

Six mixed-freight Union Pacific rail cars derailed inside the company’s Spokane Yard on Tuesday night, according to UP spokesperson Tim McMahan.  The Federal Railroad Administration said they're aware of this derailment. But at this point, no investigation is planned.  McMahan said the train derailed near Havana Street and Sprague Avenue at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday. No one was injured and that the main line was not affected.  Of the six rail cars that derailed, two were tipped over, officials said.  Oil cars were not involved in the derailment. Instead, they were carrying molten sulfur, the spokesperson said.  Leaks were not detected following the derailment, McMahan added. Some lumber was spilled and damaged. 

A railcar spill outside Thatcher chemical on the west side of Salt Lake City has sickened dozens of people and sent two to the hospital.  An estimated 300 to 400 pounds of sulfur dioxide leaked before the spill count be contained, a tweet from the Salt Lake City Fire Department says.  “Total of 56 potentially exposed patients treated by Fire Dept. Members, two transported to local hospital for treatment,” a Salt Lake City Fire Department tweet says. “Hazmat crews still on scene to support operations.”  The main symptom has been respiratory problems, SLCFD spokesman Ryan Meller said at the scene, at 1910 W. 1230 South. That address falls between Redwood Road and Interstate 215, just north of California Avenue.  “About 8:41 (a.m.), calls came in from several people in the area, from multiple places,” Mellor said. “People were saying they started to smell an odd smell. We sent our crews outhere and were able to trace it down to Thatcher chemical, where there were initial reports about a thousand pounds of a product were spilled from a railcar.”  “That spill has been contained. It is no longer leaking, however the product is on the ground, and containment efforts are underway to make sure this product can be taken care of.”  Mellor suggested people try to avoid the area. A HazMat cleanup company would handle removing the spilled product, he said.  Fire and police officials’ priorities, at that time, were to help the injured, to make sure no one else was hurt, and to make sure no additional chemical spilled from the railcar.

Thousands of gallons of sulfuric acid en route to a mine spilled into a tributary of Nevada’s Humboldt River on Wednesday after a truck hauling the hazardous chemical crashed over an embankment.  The crash happened at about 2:15 p.m. on State Route 766 north of Carlin.  According to the Eureka County Sheriff’s Department, the driver failed to negotiate a curve, sending the truck and two tanker trailers filled with sulfuric acid down an embankment toward Maggie Creek.  The larger of the two tanks punctured, spilling an estimated 3,000 gallons of the chemical, a known carcinogen that can cause burns and lung damage.  At the time of the spill the acid was en route to Barrick Gold Corp.’s Gold Strike Mine where’s it’s used in ore processing.  Workers specializing in mine rescue and hazardous materials handling from Barrick and Newmont’s nearby Gold Quarry mine joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at the site.  The spill and efforts to recover the tankers from the creek prompted the Nevada Department of Transportation to close the highway overnight and into Thursday afternoon.  It also prompted concerns among local residents who wondered whether there was any danger to people or animals on the creek or the Humboldt River.  “I’m not sure what diluted sulfuric acid does to cows, but it can’t be real good,” said Jon Griggs, manager of Maggie Creek Ranch.  

Motorists approaching the John Pandeni Research Station south of Grootfontein are cautioned not to stop at an accident scene.  This warning was issued by Otjozondjupa Police spokesperson, inspector Maureen Mbeha.  Mbeha says a truck carrying sulphuric acid, en route to Zambia from the Erongo Region, overturned there at around 09h00 on Tuesday.  Emergency teams made up of police officers and mining experts are on the scene.  Motorists are urged not to open their windows as the acid is highly dangerous and can cause blindness.  The truck driver, whose identity has not yet been confirmed, has been transported to Grootfontein State Hospital for medical examination.  Mbeha says he is in a stable condition.

A ZAMBIA-bound haulage truck transporting 30 000 litres of sulphuric acid was involved in an accident spilling the hazardous liquid near Northlea High School in Bulawayo’s Richmond suburb.  The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) cordoned off the accident scene due to the dangers associated with sulphuric acid.  Bulawayo deputy police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the accident occurred on Sunday after the truck driver failed to recognise a T-junction connecting the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road to Masotsha Road resulting in his truck overturning.  Mr Ndlovu said the city was lucky not to receive rains when the accident occurred as the acid could have swept into storm drains contaminating water which could have spelt doom for the environment and its surroundings.  He said the company which was transporting the sulphuric acid has as per the law, agreed to foot the bill to clean up and disinfect the affected area.

A tractor-trailer that slid off a road last Friday in Oregon Basin leaked a minor amount of molten sulfur but no toxic gases.  The Park County Sheriff’s Office responded to the accident along with the Cody Volunteer Fire Department and Cody Regional Health ambulance.  At 10:14 a.m. dispatch received a report of a tractor-trailer combination that slid off the road and was on its side in Oregon Basin at 238 Road 3EM. The caller said the trailer contained molten sulfur and it was possibly leaking.  The road conditions were hard-packed snow that had turned to ice. The truck driver appeared to have tried to veer right around a slight curve in the road while going down a slight grade and lost control going straight instead, according to the sheriff’s office. Once it left the roadway, it turned on its side with the trailer containing the sulfur nearly upside down.  A Marathon Oil employee certified to check chemical spills donned his hazardous material suit and went down to the truck to check for traces of toxic gases. He returned and said there was none present, but there was in fact a minor leak of the molten sulfur coming from the trailer.

https://trib.com

 A truck transporting acid to a mine owned by Glencore in the Congo has killed around 20 people after colliding with two minivans.  The truck carrying sulphuric acid crashed with the vehicles around 31 miles from the Mutanda copper and cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo at 6pm on Wednesday evening, a spokesperson for Glencore said.  The truck belonged to a logistics company contracted by the mine, the company said.  “The acid was sprayed over people and vehicles,” Jean-Marie Tshizainga, mines minister for the Lualaba province told Bloomberg.  “Our condolences go to the families and friends of those that have been impacted by this devastating event. [Mutanda Mining] will continue to work with the logistics company and relevant government agencies, including the emergency services to provide support to them and to the local communities” Glencore said.

RCMP say the debris has been cleared and traffic is moving again on a busy northern Alberta highway after a semi-trailer truck carrying molten sulphur rolled, resulting in a cargo leak.  The single-vehicle accident happened Monday on Highway 63, east of the community of Grassland.  Police say no one was hurt when the truck ended up in a ditch.  Detours were set up and officials expected it would take quite some time before the area was cleared.  There was no immediate word on how much sulphur leaked.  Grassland is about 180 kilometres north of Edmonton. www.ctvnews.ca

A recent fire at Port Moody's Pacific Coast Terminals that sent four workers to hospital has the union representing employees raising concerns over the company's safety protocols.  Jerry Yamamoto, a member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union executive, said PCT is not following federal regulations when it comes to workplace safety and incident reporting.  "Upon initial investigation, we found immediately they're not compliant in many areas," he told The Tri-City News this week.

Port Moody Fire Department confirmed a blaze occurred Jan. 9 while contractors were doing welding work inside the sulphur train dumper.  According to Local 500, four people were taken to hospital and one has not been able to return to work.

Yamamoto said when the incident occurred, there was no emergency callout to workers, staff or the fire department until one of the affected workers dialled 911.  Even more concerning, he said, is that he has since learned of two other fires on the waterfront site that were not reported to the union's safety committee. The lack of transparency is problematic, he added, because assessing incidents, even if they are minor, helps ensure that they do not occur again.  "That is the whole purpose for the language behind occupational safety," he said. "Those documents are all meant to be preventative measures."  Yamamoto said he has concerns over how large the fire could have grown if a worker hadn't dialled 911.  "The potential there isn't being taken seriously," he said, noting sulphur dust is rated as a combustible material. "What were to happen if no one was in the dumper itself and we had a fire? At what point would we have notification? How severe a level?"  Last month, PCT celebrated having the best safety record of all terminals in Port Metro Vancouver. According to the company, it has not had a lost-time accident for 1,519 days (more than four years) in the company's maintenance division and it has been more than six years since employee time was lost due to a safety incident.

"We are proud to celebrate the professionalism and commitment of our staff in ensuring the safest and healthiest workplace," former vice-president and general manager Ken Catton said in a news release at the time.  But Yamamoto said lost-time incidents are the wrong statistic to be using for basing safety recognition.  In a statement to The Tri-City News, PCT said during last month's fire the company halted operations and evacuated personnel immediately. The company wrote in a statement that the fire was extinguished within an hour and the workers were sent to hospital "as a precautionary measure" and discharged within 24 hours.  "These types of incidents are very unfortunate and we're deeply concerned when any of our personnel are affected," the statement said. "We have a strong culture of safety at PCT, including extensive procedures and specialized equipment that help us to prevent and respond to incidents."  The company said it would be reviewing the Jan. 9 incident with the joint safety committee, which includes representatives from Local 500.  But in a response to follow up questions, Andre Olivier, PCT's vice-president and general manager, acknowledged that another fire occurred in the sulphur train dumper last August that was not brought to the union's attention.

He said while workers were unloading a train, "smoke was observed in the sulphur dumper for approximately 20 seconds. Work was halted and water was applied and when no further smoke was observed operations resumed."  Because the incident was deemed minor, it was "not discussed at the joint safety committee, as there was not assessed risk to worker safety stemming from that incident."  Port Moody Fire Department told The Tri-City News it has protocols in place for dealing with emergencies at PCT. Deputy Fire Chief Jason Harper said firefighters have worked with the company to ensure fires are extinguished on the site quickly.  "Our department has worked very closely with PCT and understanding the hazards of their site and how our best approach is when we have different kinds of emergency incidents," he said. "Our response to fire incidents are similar with all industry as we have to ensure the safety of our personnel before we can actively commit to fighting any fire."

Two people were killed on Monday evening when a truck transporting sulphuric acid crashed and burst into flames on the Eldoret-Webuye road at the Kaburengo interchange.  The driver and his turnboy were burnt beyond recognition, despite attempts by the emergency services including St John Ambulance responders and firefighters to put out the flames. The incident adds to 16 the total number of people who have died at the blackspot since last month.  On December 21 last year, 12 people died on the same spot after a fuel tanker crashed into a matatu and burst into flames.  Over the weekend, two other people were burnt beyond recognition in an explosion which involved four vehicles, including a fuel tanker.

A 54-year-old man had to be extricated from the semi-tractor trailer he was driving after his tanker crashed at the intersection of Highway 674 and Highway 37 on Tuesday night.  According to Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports, Kenneth Nickles of 605 Rosier Road in Brandon was driving a 2015 Kenworth semi-tractor, hauling a tanker full of molten sulfur, east on Highway 674 near Bradley around 10 p.m. when he failed to slow down enough as he approached Highway 37.  The truck and tanker rolled over, but no hazardous materials leaked from the tanker, the PCSO said.  Nickles was airlifted to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center with severe injuries to his arms, legs, heart and lungs, according to the Sheriff’s Office, and is listed in critical condition.  The roadway remained closed for about four hours during the cleanup.  www.theledger.com

The A1 near Stamford was closed for nearly 12 hours on Friday after a tanker carrying more than 20 tonnes of sulphuric acid overturned.  The incident happened just after 5am.  Police said the lorry was found on its side, but luckily no acid leaked onto the road.  Specialist teams spent much of the day trying to move the vehicle, and the road eventually reopened in both directions shortly before 5pm.  “There are no injuries to the driver as far as I am aware," Mark Gee from Lincolnshire Police said.  "The driver was trapped initially but managed to get himself out."

Norfolk Southern is reporting 6,000 to 8,000 gallons of molten sulfur leaked in Tuesday's train derailment in Blounts Creek.  Initially, Norfolk Southern told 9 On Your Side 1,000 gallons spilled, before updating to the higher number shortly after.   In an emailed statement, Norfolk Southern's public relations director Susan Terpay said: "twelve rail cars carrying molten sulfur derailed when a CSX train derailed early (Tuesday) morning. The 97- car CSX train was operating over Norfolk Southern tracks. An estimated 6,000 to 8,000 gallons of molten sulfur were released. Molten sulfur is transported as a liquid but cools rapidly and solidifies. Norfolk Southern will complete environmental remediation operations, which will involve removing the hardened sulfur from the soil and replacing with new soil. The product in the remaining cars will be transferred to other rail cars."  Norfolk Southern said the hardened substance, elemental sulfur, does not post the same risk as when it is in molten form.   The company is coordinating with the North Carolina Department of Environment Quality to remove the damaged tank cars.   On Wednesday, 9 On Your Side captured crews repairing the tracks and spoke with a resident who lives on Stilley Station Road.   "I really don't have any concerns," said Olive Jones. "We've even rode our bicycles about two miles down the road, and we really haven't smelled anything. I know they are doing their best."  Norfolk Southern said its emergency response contractor monitored the site for the release of hydrogen sulfide but didn't find any.

Emergency responders from Soda Springs to Pocatello are dealing with numerous sulfuric acid spills left by a lawn service truck on Thursday evening.  The sulfuric acid leaking from the vehicle injured the man driving the truck and authorities are urging area residents to use extreme caution if they encounter the highly dangerous liquid. Police are advising any motorists who have driven through the puddles of sulfuric acid on area roads to immediately wash their vehicles with soap and water. Sulfuric acid can cause serious burns on people but it can also severely damage cars, especially their tires.  If you get any sulfuric acid on your skin, please seek immediate medical attention at the nearest hospital, police said.  Authorities said the lawn service truck began leaking sulfuric acid in Soda Springs and continued doing so as it traveled on Highway 30 to Lava Hot Springs. The vehicle stopped at the Sinclair convenience store in Lava Hot Springs, leaving behind a very hazardous puddle of the liquid acid.  The truck continued leaking the acid as it traveled on Highway 30 to McCammon and then onto Old Highway 91 to Inkom and then Pocatello.  The driver, whose name hasn't yet been released, noticed that his truck was leaking the acid at Old Highway 91 and Fort Hall Mine Road but he continued to travel into Pocatello nonetheless, authorities said.  His route through the city went from Fort Hall Mine Road to Portneuf Road, Bannock Highway, Main Street, Gould Street and then McKinley Avenue.  At this point Pocatello police began receiving reports about the leaking truck and an officer caught up with the vehicle in the 700 block of McKinley around 7:15 p.m. Thursday.  Police said the driver was trying to stop the leak, suffering burns in the process, when approached by the officer.  Police said the driver was not hospitalized for his burns but was treated at a local doctor's office.  Authorities said emergency responders including the Pocatello Fire Department expect to have all of the acid spills cleaned up before the Friday morning rush hour.  It's estimated that several dozen gallons of the acid leaked from the truck onto area roads. But police said they doubt if the acid seriously damaged any of the thoroughfares.  Police said their bigger concern is the acid's potential to injure people and damage vehicles.  Authorities said there are not enough police and firefighters to close down the roads impacted by the acid spills but emergency personnel are stationed on many of the impacted roads warning motorists about the situation.  When asked if there will be any repercussions for the lawn service truck's driver because of the acid spills, Pocatello police said the entire incident remains under investigation. 

Two haulage trucks caught fire and one of them spilled an unknown amount of sulphuric acid when they were involved in a head-on collision in Dinde area outside Hwange town on Monday night.  The acid tanker was driving towards Hwange while the other one which was going towards Bulawayo was carrying coal and both their hoses were reduced to shells.  Police confirmed the accident which left drivers of both trucks injured while the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) quickly moved in and cordoned off the area to prevent a possible health hazard as the acid can cause harm to humans, wildlife, vegetation as well as aquatic life.  The Officer Commanding Hwange district, Chief Superintendent Newton Mutomba, said investigations are in progress.  "It was a head-on collision after one of the trucks encroached onto the lane of the other and both vehicles caught fire," said Chief Supt Mutomba.  On approaching a curve at the 305km peg, one of the trucks encroached into the lane of the other resulting in the head-on collision.  Both trucks caught fire immediately and the drivers, Mr Abdiwahid who is Zambian and Mr Darlington Machadu, a Zimbabwean, were injured in the process, police said.  The drivers were rushed to Hwange Colliery Hospital where they were admitted.  One truck is Zambian registered while the other has a local registration.  Yesterday morning firefighters were still trying to put out the fire from the coal.  EMA officers were collecting acid which was still spilling from the tank. They dug a trench so it could not flow downstream and affect plant life and contaminate water bodies.  EMA Matabeleland North manager, Mrs Chipo Mpofu-Zuze, said precautions were being taken to make sure the acid does not damage the environment.  She said the scene had been cordoned off while all the contaminated soil will be removed.  "The first step will be unhooking the trailer and then digging trenches so that none of the acid will flow away. Then the rehabilitation process will start whereby we will dig up the affected area and take the soil which will be put somewhere where it will be de-toxicated and tested to make sure it's no longer acidic," Mrs Mpofu-Zuze said.  She said EMA officers will guard the scene until the rehabilitation process, which will involve bringing in fresh soil from elsewhere, is completed.  Mrs Mpofu-Zuze said said the acid may be dangerous to plant and animals including water life.  Last year, a Zambian registered haulage truck spilt 34 000 litres of sulphuric acid near the same spot after the driver lost control at a curve and the truck landed on its side resulting in the lid of the tank bursting and the contents spilling.  Some villagers reportedly used containers to collect the liquid thinking it was oil.

Part of the A14 is closed due to an enormous acid spillage between junctions 15 and 17.  Cambridgeshire police were called to the scene shortly before 7am to reports of a lorry leaking sulphuric acid.  A spokesman for Fire and Rescue reports around 800 litres of the chemical substance was spilled onto the carriageway.  All lanes have no reopened, but some delays are still expected.  A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: "We were called at 6.57am by the fire service to reports of a lorry leaking sulphuric acid on the A14, Catworth, EBC."  "The fire service are at the scene dealing with the spillage and the Environment Agency have been informed. It is unclear at this time if the road is damaged."  A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue said: "At 6.50am crews were called to an incident on the A14.  "Crews from St Neots, Stanground, Huntingdon and Kettering in Northamptonshire attended the scene.  "Firefighters arrived to find a lorry containing around 1,000 litres of a chemical substance in a layby on the eastbound carriageway near Catworth.  "The tank containing the chemical was leaking, with around 800 litres of the chemical having spilled onto the carriageway.  "Working with the environment agency, the crews diluted the chemical substance using water and cleared it from the road.  The crews have now left the scene of the incident. The layby and one lane is currently closed."

After a second sulphuric acid spill in Trail in the past six weeks, Westcan Bulk Transport has been suspended as a carrier for Teck Trail Operations, the company confirmed Thursday.  “IRM is the owner of the product (sulphuric acid) and is responsible for safe transport once it leaves Trail Operations,” Teck’s Catherine Adair told the Times. “Westcan is one of the carriers that IRM retains to ship product.”  Teck is working closely with IRM to review their transportation arrangements given these recent incidents, Adair said. “A full investigation is underway, and the transportation of the product using Westcan as a carrier is suspended until Teck is satisfied it can be transported safely.”  Three firefighters from Station 374 Trail were called to a Hazmat scene near Shavers Bench Wednesday night.  A truck hauling sulphuric acid had “some spills” along Highway 3B, Captain Grant Tyson reported.  “Starting at Highway 3B and Rossland Avenue and continuing to the west entrance of Glenmerry where the truck came to a stop,” he explained.  “Teck’s Emergency Response team along with the Teck Fire Department were on scene and dealt with the spilled acid.”  Tyson’s crew arrived to the site at 6 p.m. He reported the incident under control by about 8:30 p.m.  Zoe LeParque, communications manager for RTL-Westcan Group of Companies in Edmonton, replied to questions from the Trail Times.  “Initial findings indicate that the cause of the incident was a gasket failure on the trailer unit and was unrelated to the release that occurred on April 10. As the incident is still under investigation, we will not be speculating or providing any additional comment at this time.”

The Zalawi truck toppled over at about 5am, spilling its content over the road.

According to Mr Sydney Sachse from GTR,most of the road surface is covered with sulphur and oil and cleanup will still take a long time.

Busy Capitol Avenue has finally reopened after being shut down Wednesday for a chemical leak.  Deputy Chief Brian Foley said the incident happened at 490 Capitol Ave. on Wednesday morning.  According to fire officials, a tank containing sulfuric acid ruptured and spilled inside the building of Capital District Energy Center Cogeneration Associates.  "The tank ruptured at a certain level where the possibility of 200 to 300 gallons of sulfuric acid may have escaped the tank and outside retaining walls spilling onto the floor," said Deputy Chief Alvaro Cucuta, Hartford Fire Department.  The building was evacuated around 7:30 a.m. and roads in the area were closed.  The business itself was running on autopilot.  Capitol Avenue was closed between Putnam and Park Terrace for about 12 hours.  It finally reopened just before 8 p.m. on Wednesday.  Police said the scene was contained indoors, and firefighters said there was no cause for concern to public safety. No runoff and no drains were affected.  The road being closed was inconvenient for people who live nearby.   "Yeah I had someone pick me up in the morning bring me to the office and now I have to do more, but that's why I'm back," said Fernando Betancourt from Hartford.  The owner of a restaurant across the street said it's been bad for business.  "A little nervous because we are not sure how long this will take and we’re actually hoping it’ll clear up by the end of the day," said Jamilia Crawford, owner, Fire & Spice Vegan Restaurant.  They called the situation "ongoing."

A SOUTH African truck spilled 30 000 litres of hazardous sulphuric acid after the trailer caught fire in unclear circumstances.  The incident happened last Thursday evening and the driver escaped unhurt.  The truck, whose destination could not be established, belonged to MBS Carriers and was heading to Kazungula border post.  Police officer commanding Victoria Falls district, Chief superintendent Jairos Chiwona confirmed the accident.  “The truck was being driven by a Harare driver, Rangarirai Muchenisi, along Kazungula Road, approximately 20 kilometres from town. According to the statement he gave, he said it caught fire due to an electrical fault as he suspected,” he said.  “After realising that the trailer was alight, he disconnected the horse and that is why he managed to escape unharmed.”   Efforts to get a comment from Muchenisi were unfruitful, as his mobile phone went unanswered.  A massive decontamination exercise is in progress, with authorities ensuring that the dangerous chemical does not harm humans and wildlife.  Environmental Management Authority official, Chipo Zuze, said they were on the ground trying to mop up the acid.

The Savannah Fire Department, Savannah Chatham Metro Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a sulfuric acid spill on West Bay Street Sunday afternoon.  Savannah Fire Battalion Chief Elzie Kitchen said the department received a call about a Tidewater Transit Co., Inc. (TWT) truck leaking sulfuric acid on West Bay Street near Lissner Avenue. When fire crews arrived, SCMPD officers had already pulled the leaking commercial truck over.  Kitchen said firefighters loosened the lid on the tank to reduce the pressure inside to mitigate the situation, but some of the acid had already spilled onto the ground.  "We were able to contain that also," Kitchen said. "It was a little spill. It wasn't much. Even the area that we had pads on was probably a circumference of maybe 10 feet."  Kitchen said he isn't sure how much acid leaked out of the truck, but said the truck's tank can hold 4,000 pounds of liquid.  Sulfuric acid is colorless, oily liquid that's corrosive to metals and tissue, and "can result in adverse health effects from inhalation," according to the National Institutes of Health.  Kitchen said everyone in the area, including about 30 people in a nearby church, was asked to shelter in place while crews cleaned the spill, and one police officer was overcome by the fumes.  "If you come in contact with it, you can become overcome, lose your breath and [subsequently] pass out," Kitchen said. "So what we did was, for their safety, we had them shelter in place. By them being in that shelter, there should not be anything seeping in that building to hurt them. Had one officer that became overcome because he walked up to the vehicle. Had EMS to check him out. He's fine. I walked up to him. I talked to him after the EMS got through checking him out, and they said he was fine. He just, I guess he breathed in a little bit of the product, but he was fine, not enough to harm him."   Kitchen said fire crews have the ability to evacuate people in a situation like this should they need to, and said they would move people early on in the clean up.  Fire crews cleaned the spill in about 20 minutes, according to Kitchen, and wore protective hazmat gear to ensure they stayed safe.  "You look like little chickens actually," he said. "Have the orange feet and the yellow bodies, but those are protective suits for us for chemicals. They keep the chemicals form splashing on our skin, and we also put respiratory protection on. And one thing that we always do before we go to any incident is make sure we've got a way of cleaning the product off them in an emergency situation, and when they come out."  Kitchen said a third-party hazardous materials clean up company was called to remove the spilled acid from the ground.

A truck from Kansanshi Mines has overturned at Kifubwa Bridge spilling sulphuric-acid into the Kifubwa River in Solwezi District.  North-Western Water and Sewerage Company has since shut down six of its boreholes at Kifubwa well fields in order to assess the extent of the contamination.  The incident happened around 07:00 hours this morning as the truck was on its way to deliver the chemical to the mine but tried to overtake a Toyota Spacio car.  North Western water and sewerage company project Manager Mufalo Kabika has told ZNBC’s Patricia Banda at the accident scene that the shutdown will affect about sixty percent of its customers who get water from the boreholes.  And Kansanshi mine safety manager Baston Sichinsamba says the mine has with immediate effect engaged the Zambia News and Information Service (ZANIS) to sensitise people not to eat fish from Kifubwa River.  Mr. Sichinsamba says the other safety measure that will be put in place is to put lime around the accident scene and in the water to neutralise the chemical.  Meanwhile, Ministry of Water Development Permanent Secretary Bishop Ed Chomba says the sulphuric spillage incident is unfortunate adding that a comprehensive statement will be issued soon.  Bishop Chomba stated that polluting the environment is a serious offence under law.

Rail cars carrying gas and sulfur on a CSX Corp freight train skidded off the tracks and burst into flames on Wednesday in a small Pennsylvania town, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes as firefighters fought the blaze.  No injuries were reported after the crash in Hyndman, about 100 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. CSX warned customers service disruptions would last for a week over a nearly 80-mile stretch between Connellsville, Pennsylvania, and Cumberland, Maryland.  CSX said 32 cars derailed as the train moved through the town just before 5 a.m. There was no word on what caused the crash.  A freight car skidded into a garage that caught fire, and at least two train cars were still ablaze almost 12 hours later, said Bedford County emergency dispatcher Mike Steele.  CSX said one rail car containing liquefied petroleum gas and one car containing molten sulfur leaked and were on fire.  Authorities ordered the evacuation of residents in a one-mile radius, which encompasses most of the town, as emergency crews worried about the risk of an explosion, Steele said.  Among the residents driving out of town was 53-year-old Shannon Shoemaker, who said his whole family lives within 100 yards of the derailment site.  "They all got out safely, thank God for that," Shoemaker said.  This was the third derailment for a CSX train since last November. It came two days after CSX Corp CEO Hunter Harrison apologized to customers for service disruptions and said some railroad employees were resisting planned cost-cutting measures.  The train of five locomotives and 178 rail cars was traveling from Chicago to Selkirk, New York, CSX said. It said 128 cars carried mixed freight, including construction materials, paper and wood pulp.  John Risch, spokesman for the transportation division of the SMART Union, which represents CSX conductors, said it is incredibly difficult for a small crew to handle a train with 178 cars.  "It's hard to keep track of where the train is, especially as it snakes behind you for more than two miles," Risch said by phone. "I am not suggesting the length of the train caused the accident but it could have been a contributing factor."  On Monday, Harrison, the CSX chief executive officer, told customers in a memo that some employees were resisting aggressive cost-cutting measures at the No. 3 U.S. railroad.  Authorities closed roads and issued temporary restrictions on low-flying aircraft, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's office said, adding that Wolf was on scene in Hyndman. No public water supplies or waterways were affected, his office said.  The governor's office said about 1,000 people had to leave their homes. An emergency shelter was assembled at a local school, staffed by aid workers from the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, authorities said.  CSX said company hazardous substance experts were working with firefighters at the scene to contain leaks and minimize environmental damage.  Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration were in Hyndman, the agencies said.  In March, a CSX freight train containing sulfuric acid and other dangerous materials partially derailed near Newburgh, New York, though the dangerous substances did not leak. Last November, two CSX trains collided and derailed in central Florida, injuring two crew members.  The probes into those incidents were still under way, said Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Warren Flatau.  After the New York incident, the Times Herald-Record newspaper cited officials and witnesses as saying the train derailed after striking a forklift being driven across the tracks. 

A tanker carrying 3,100 gallons of sulfuric acid overturned near the intersection of Rockland Road and Freehill Road in Hendersonville at 7 p.m. Tuesday night. According to Hendersonville Fire Chief Scotty Bush, around 500 gallons of sulfuric acid leaked onto the ground into a ditch. "Nothing got into the water system whatsoever," Bush said. "There were no injuries."  The Hendersonville Fire Department worked alongside Nashville Fire Department's HAZMAT Response team for over 11 hours to clear the area. 

The tanker was on its way for delivery at the White House Utility District.  According to Bush, firefighters off-loaded the 2,500 gallons of sulfuric acid that did not leak from the tanker before moving the vehicle.

"Sulfuric acid is flammable and water-resistant. It is very, very toxic," Bush said. "It is very dangerous to anybody that comes in contact."  Businesses along Rockland Road were evacuated Tuesday night to prevent any contact.   Bush informed that the operation is completed but authorities are on the scene inspecting for any hazardous leftovers in the ditch. "They are still digging the whole ditch line out," Bush said. "They will get all the sulfuric acid back to the ground and fill the ditch again."

A CSX freight train carrying hazardous materials has derailed in New York's Hudson Valley, spilling sulfuric acid.  The lead locomotive of the 77-car train ended up straddling both lanes of a two-lane road in Newburgh, 60 miles north of New York City. State police say two crew members suffered minor injuries. They say the train derailed after striking an equipment loader that was crossing the tracks Tuesday afternoon.  CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle says the train was carrying sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, cardboard, corn oil and glass products.

A chemical train has derailed in southern Illinois, releasing a small amount of sulfuric acid.

Seven of the Norfolk Southern train cars came off the track Thursday morning, Dec. 29, in Roxana, the Alton Telegraph reports. Two of the cars overturned.  Norfolk Southern spokesman David Pidgeon said about a gallon of waste sulfuric acid leaked, but was later contained. No injuries were reported.  Sulfuric acid is used by energy companies in the petroleum refining process. The tracks are owned by the railroad and serve the Wood River Refinery.  The newspaper reports that about two dozen firefighters from the refinery responded to the derailment and spill. Roxana is southwest of Springfield.

Australia

A damning report into a derailment at Julia Creek which caused thousands of litres of sulphuric acid to leak from damaged tankers has found failings by Queensland Rail and Aurizon.  The report released by The Australian Transport Safety Bureau into the derailment on December 27 last year, found the accident was caused by wet weather damage to the track.  ATSB concluded that QR and Aurizon had inadequate reporting procedures to identify and respond to potentially dangerous situations caused by wet weather.  No fault was found with the acid tankers or the manner of driving.  The report said the locomotive driver spotted the wet weather damage but couldn’t stop in time.  “The driver became aware of the washout only moments before the locomotive impacted and derailed, causing the locomotive to tip on its side,” the report stated.  It was also found that the Aurizon train crew had trouble getting out of the locomotive as floodwater started filling the cabin.  The crew tried unsuccessfully to use the emergency hammer to break through the front windscreen before eventually escaping by climbing out a side window.  One of the crew members then noticed an acid plume rising from the derailed tankers and as they had no breathing masks, decided to flee the accident scene.  As the crew’s radios had fallen into the floodwater, they also had no way of calling for help.  They managed to flag down a passing motorist who let them borrow a mobile phone.  As a result of the derailment QR now issues safety alerts to better manage wet weather hazards while staff have also received training in interpreting weather ­information.  Aurizon crews transporting acid are now supplied with respiratory protection masks and they are reviewing their emergency evacuation procedures. They are also reviewing their locomotive windscreen and communication options.  The ATSB report stated in the safety message that this incident showed the importance of managing risks to rail infrastructure.  “Rail infrastructure managers must implement adequate operational procedures and training programs to ensure the timely identification and management of a hazard and the integrity of their rail infrastructure, such as a weather event,” the report stated.  The Aurizon freight train was transporting more than 800,000 litres of sulphuric acid when it went off the tracks about 20km east of Julie Creek.  Thousands of litres of acid was spilt and the three crew on board received minor injuries.

Mulbery Fork, Alabama

American Proteins poultry rendering facility in Hanceville will have to pay a $50,000 fine for spilling 900 gallons of sulfuric acid into the Mulberry Fork in August.  The Alabama Department of Environmental Management investigated the mishap which killed an estimated 38,000 fish across a 1.55-mile stretch, according to its consent order with the company, released this month.  Residents were advised to avoid the river until the watershed could be cleaned up following the Aug. 17 spill. Since then, American Proteins has eliminated the use of sulfuric acid entirely at its facility, according to the ADEM order.  The company is also taking steps to ensure that this type of spill does not occur in the future,” General Manager Jason Spann said.  ADEM’s investigation revealed a pipe from a sulfuric acid tank ruptured and filled a containment berm. A clean-out valve on the self-containment tank had been left in the open position by a vendor who had filled up the tank earlier in the day, according to the order.  The acid drained from the containment berm, into a storm drain and into a storm water collection pit. There it mixed with stormwater and flowed into the Mulberry.  American Proteins immediately reported the spill to ADEM and began pumping storm water from the pit and covering storm drains behind the facility to prevent inflow of any storm water.  It also hired a third-party contractor to make repairs to prevent leaks, collected water samples and pH readings and altered its permitted discharge to reduce the effects of the accidental discharge, according to the order. The concrete where the leak occurred was also replaced.  American Proteins is the largest poultry rendering plant in the world. The facility in Hanceville is located on more 600 acres and employs around 230 employees. It averages processing 35 to 36 million pounds of “offal” per week. Offal is parts of the chicken consumers don’t eat.  The raw material is turned into nutrient-rich feed supplements for poultry, livestock and pet food industries around the globe. The Hanceville plant began operating in the 1960s, but was acquired by American Proteins in December of 1979.

The Tesoro Corp. has yet to determine the cause of the Aug. 26 sulfur tank breach at its Los Angeles Refinery.  The tank was being used to store molten sulfur. After the lid of the tank was breached, a plume of gases escaped from it. The tank’s insulation caught on fire.  Along with Tesoro, the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to the incident.  The fire was extinguished before the tank was significantly damaged. No injuries due to the tank breach were reported.  The sheriff’s department ordered businesses and residents within a quarter mile to “shelter in place,” while responders surveyed the damage due to the breach. This means buildings were to be sealed by closing doors and shutting windows, so that harmful gases could not easily enter.  Jesse Marquez, executive director of Coalition for a Safe Environment said that this technique is only effective if buildings are sealed immediately after an incident. If a building were to be sealed after gases already diffused inside, occupants could actually be harmed more than if the building were not sealed at all.  The South Coast Air Quality Monitoring District conducted air monitoring and sampling of the surrounding area. The district concluded that harmful levels of toxic chemicals were not present.  The refinery continued to operate while the tank was being inspected.  Marquez said that knowing the type of breach will help investigators focus on its cause. The two main types of tank breaches are cracks or ruptures. Both can be brought on by external and internal factors. However, cracks are more likely due to metal fatigue of the tank over time. Ruptures can be caused by something more immediate, such as a bolt hitting the tank.  Tesoro is coordinating with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health to determine the cause of the tank breach, as well as the exact type of breach.

A tractor-trailer hauling sulfuric acid drove off the roadway in Halsey on Thursday and ended up on its side in a field, spilling a small amount of the toxic substance, according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.  Sulfuric acid is a strong corrosive chemical that can cause burns. It is used in car batteries, fertilizers and some cleaning materials, among other products.  The truck was on American Drive near Powerline Road when the single-vehicle crash occurred for an unknown reason.  The driver of the truck, Dawn Loftis, 69, of Woodland, Wash., suffered minor injuries in the crash, authorities said.  A small amount of the acid leaked but did not pose a risk to the public, the sheriff’s office said.  A hazardous materials team responded, and another truck was called in to off-load the tanker’s acid haul, according to authorities.  The road was open and was not blocked, authorities said.

A tanker carrying chemicals has run aground in waters off the Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne.  The ship, the Hope Singapore, is believed to have hit a sandbar off the coast of Rosebud after its engine failed.  Port of Melbourne Corporation chief executive Nick Easy said authorities believed the ship would float clear of the sandbar at high tide.  Mr Easy said the ship did not pose an environmental risk.  "It has sulphuric acid on board but there's no pollution or damage that's led to any environmental incidents and there's no navigational safety risks as a result of this at this stage," he said.  The 115-metre-long small liquid bulk carrier was en route to Geelong when it ran aground early on Friday evening.  Mr Easy said early attempts to move the vessel out of the sand using a tug boat were unsuccessful.  No details of how many crew members were on board were available.  The Harbour Master, Water Police and other agencies were expected to investigate the incident.

Fire crews have been sent to a site in Perth's industrial south where a pile of sulfur is smouldering.  The Department of Environment and Regulation (DER) have also headed to Bis Industries on Port Road in Kwinana to test for environmental hazards.  Fire authorities said they were alerted just after 7:00pm and three HAZMAT alarms had gone off.  There was up to 70,000 tonnes of sulfur stored in a shed and at least part of it was "smouldering", a Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said.  More than 20 fire fighters were last night on the scene.

The sulfuric acid spill that closed down Interstate 81 Monday evening was successfully contained and was kept from harming the environment, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). “None of the material spilled made it into waterways or into the environment beyond the roadway,” John Repetz, spokesperson for the DEP, said.  The DEP’s emergency response unit went out to the incident to provide air monitoring and are sent out to spills on an as-needed basis depending on the nature of the incident, according to Repetz.  The spill, which occurred near mile marker 86.5, was the result of two leaking 275-gallon totes – cube-shaped, plastic containers meant for the bulk transport of fluids – that were being hauled inside of a tractor-trailer. There were a total of 12 such totes on the trailer, and when the driver noticed fluid leaking onto the roadway from the trailer, he immediately pulled over and called 9-1-1, according to Repetz.  Because of an existing traffic backlog on Interstate 81 due to a crash in Dauphin County, the driver found that he had to come to a quick stop as he entered the curve where Interstates 78 and 81 merge, according to information provided by David Beohm, public information officer with the Pennsylvania State Police.  The truck entered the curve, encountered the backlog and "slammed" his brakes on to avoid colliding with the stopped vehicles," Beohm said via email. "When he did, several of the totes of sulfuric acid broke from the skids they were secured to, fell over and spilled the contents."  The driver was initially unaware of the leaking totes and drove slowly in the backed up traffic until he looked back and saw something leaking from his trailer, according to the information Beohm provided.  “From the beginning, when the driver realized there was a problem, he took appropriate action,” Repetz said. “The trucking company had all the proper paperwork and was able to advise us on exactly what was in the totes.”  After the driver made the call at 5:22 p.m., the Lebanon County Hazardous Material Response Team leapt into action along with state police from Lickdale, fire crews from Ono, Jonestown, Fort Indiantown Gap, Green Point and Fredericksburg, fire police and the First Aid and Safety Patrol.  “Upon their arrival, crews took caution and closed down Interstate 81 in the area of the event due to the unknown size of the leak, and the weather conditions that were present at the time,” Gary Verna, chief of the Lebanon County Hazardous Material Response Team, said.  Verna, a former lieutenant with the First Aid and Safety Patrol, took over as chief of the HazMat team early in July.  The weather conditions Verna mentioned involved a strong thunderstorm that was moving through the area at the time.  “Of course, we had a severe thunderstorm that crossed our path during our response which made things a little tricky,” Verna said. “The storm delayed us a little bit in getting the leak stopped, but we were able to get the spill contained before the storm hit.”  When the storm hit, Verna called the crews away from the spill to let the storm – and its dangerous lightning – pass before going back to work.  “We had Lancaster County’s hazardous materials team dispatched after we found out that it was an active leak,” Verna said. “We closed down Interstate 81 in both directions because the acid started to fume, and those fumes were going across the roadway. We wanted to prevent any passing motorists from getting harmed by the fumes.”  Interstate 81 was closed both directions from the Grantville exit to the Lebanon exit for several hours.  “By 10 p.m., the northbound lanes were open, and by 10:30 p.m., the left southbound lane was open,” Verna said. “Shortly after midnight, the southbound lane was totally open.”  The initial sealing of the leak and containment of the spill did not take very long, according to Verna. It was the cleanup that followed that took the most time.  “Environmental Products & Services, based out of Vermont, was the company that was contracted to perform the cleanup,” Verna said. “Transportation companies typically have people they contract out for cleanup.”  Contracting the cleanup of a spill to an outside company is common practice, according to Repetz.  “There are companies that specialize in doing the cleanup after incidents like this,” Repetz said. “They have trained and qualified personnel that will come out and do the cleanup after a spill has been contained.”  The response to the spill by emergency services was very successful, according to Verna, and Repetz agreed.  “Anytime you prevent a hazardous materials spill from reaching a waterway or wildlife, you could say it was successfully dealt with,” Repetz said.

Warwickshire, UK

Drivers faced a nightmare Monday morning commute after a lorry spilled 1,400 litres of sulphuric acid – forcing the closure of the M6.  The motorway was shut southbound from junctions five to 4A, the M42 link , nearColeshill , when firefighters were told of the leaking lorry at 5.20 am.  Checks revealed it was carrying a total of almost 30,000 litres of the acid in 20 containers.  Warwickshire Fire and Rescue said one had split, forcing the closure.  Delays quickly grew as drivers found themselves stuck and others looked for alternative routes.  Traffic was taken off the M6 at Junction 4A and motorists diverted north onto the M42 at Junction 9 before they could rejoin the M42 south.  Firefighters wore protective suits as they checked the lorry and a ten-metre square contamination zone was put in place.  Delays of around half-an-hour were reported as the rush hour wore on, with drivers taking to social media to express their frustration.  One tweeted: “Ahhh stuck in traffic on the M6 again.”   Firefighters wore protective suits as they checked the lorry and a ten-metre square contamination zone was put in place.  Delays of around half-an-hour were reported as the rush hour wore on, with drivers taking to social media to express their frustration.  One tweeted: “Ahhh stuck in traffic on the M6 again.”

Loveland and Fort Collins fire crews responded to a sulfur dioxide leak Thursday morning at Cardinal CG, 999 N. Van Buren Ave.  The coated glass plant reported a 200-pound cylinder was leaking the potentially toxic gas at 8:36 a.m., according to Loveland fire Battalion Chief Jason Starck.  Two employees were exposed to the sulfur dioxide. They were treated by Thompson Valley EMS crews and released at the scene.  "Mainly (sulfur dioxide) is an irritant," Starck said. "But it can be toxic in high-enough doses. It can cause burning of the skin."  Carie Dann, Loveland deputy fire marshal, said the gas can also cause respiratory issues.  Loveland Fire Rescue Authority evacuated the rest of the building as a safety percaution, as crews were on scene were entering the building in hazmat suits to isolate and fix the leak, Starck said.  The sulfur dioxide is used in the company's process in treating glass.  Poudre Fire Authority crews responded as well — they brought extra personnel and additional monitoring equipment.  "Hazmat takes a long time," Dann said. "It's very labor intensive, that's why PFA is here. ... It's to help make sure the entry team is dressed properly — so, it takes a lot of folks to do that. Once we know it's a hazmat scene, everything slows down and we become very deliberate."  According to reports on the scanner, the leak was contained at 12:56 p.m.North Van Buren Avenue was closed from West Eighth Street to West 10th Street while crews worked.

The truck crashed on the southbound carriageway at the Umvoti Ultra City yesterday afternoon. Emergency services had to close the road for some time as crews attended to the scene.  IPSS Medical Rescue’s Paul Herbst says patients were immediately rushed to hospital.  "They were transported by IPSS emergency services and by private transport through to hospital for further care. The road was closed for quite a substantial amount of time," he said.   "The sound bound lane has been reopened, but the Ultra City still remains closed," Herbst said.

A leak of sulfur dioxide gas from a tanker truck on Thursday afternoon prompted the response of hazardous materials crews to an vacant lot near I-30 in Little Rock, a fire department spokesman said.  The driver of the truck first smelled the leak while getting gas from the Love's Travel Stop near the Outlets of Little Rock and drove the tanker to the lot about 1 mile away, Capt. Jacob Lear-Sabowsky of the Little Rock Fire Department said.  Lear-Sabowsky said the leak was reported about noon, and the scene was cleared by 3:30 p.m. No injuries were reported.  The leak was in gas form, and no liquid had spilled on the highway, he said.  Check back with Arkansas Online for updates on this developing story.

The fire briefly shut down traffic on U.S. 41 between Madison Avenue and Gibsonton Drive. One firefighter hurt her wrist tightening a tank valve, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said. No other injuries were reported.  The fire broke out about 3:30 p.m. inside the plant at 8814 S. U.S. Highway 41, and workers used steam to extinguish it.  The fire was contained inside the tank, officials said.  "It's no danger to the public," Mosaic spokesman Richard Gent said.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation.

An overturned 18-wheeler has shut down a Geismar road as hazardous materials crews respond to the scene.Jefferson Highway, also known as La. 73, is blocked between La. 30 and River Road, after a big rig incident about 11 a.m., said Louisiana State Police spokesman Trooper Bryan Lee.  The 18-wheeler tanker contained sulfuric acid and a small amount of it is leaking from a safety valve on the tanker, a parish homeland security official said. Rick Webre, director of Ascension Parish homeland security, said that the valve is actually performing as it should be and the acid poses no threat to traffic or the surrounding area. He said no evacuation has been ordered for the area or the traffic site.  He said a contractor is being called in to remove the sulfuric acid from the tanker.

A key thoroughfare was reopened late Thursday night after about 300 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled on State Road A1A earlier in the day and officials have begun calculating the cost of the cleanup.  At 9:38 a.m., a skid holding a large container slipped off a flatbed truck as it traveled on S.R. A1A just north of the State Road 100 intersection, spilling the 50 percent sulfuric acid solution.  A hazmat team from St. Johns County was called in to neutralize the solution and the state departments of Environmental Protection and Transportation were notified. Within three hours, the spill was neutralized with sodium bicarbonate, officials said.  Units from the Flagler Beach Fire Department, Flagler County Emergency Management, Flagler County Fire Rescue, Flagler Beach Police Department, Flagler Beach Fire Police and Palm Coast Fire Police also responded.  No injuries were reported.  SWS Environmental Services, a contractor for Dumont Chemical Co. of Apopka, which owns the truck, excavated neutralized sand along the roadway, according to a report from the county.  Flagler Beach Fire Department Capt. Bobby Pace said between 8 and 12 inches of the sand was excavated and about 36 yards of fill was brought in. In his conversation with the DEP, he didn't get any indication that there has been any long-term damage.  Florida DOT contractor TME Enterprises reopened the road at 11:15 p.m. Thursday after declaring it “fully operational,” according to Steve Garten, the county's emergency services director.  The city's Public Works Department still had the shoulder barricaded Friday morning.  “Hopefully, it will be business as usual by the weekend,” said Pace.  Flagler Beach Police Capt. Matthew Doughney said Thursday the truck driver had a valid license and was approved for transporting hazardous materials. Though the investigation was continuing, Doughney did not anticipate the driver would be charged in the incident.

Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom said the city is compiling an invoice to be sent to the shipper, Hawkins Inc. of Apopka. He indicated that the various agencies involved may be compiling their own invoices. He did not have a cost estimate for the cleanup as of Friday.  Hawkins formulates, manufactures, blends, distributes and sells chemicals to municipalities and businesses. Water treatment facilities are among the company's customers.  According to the company's manifest, the acid solution was bound for the Dunes Community Development District at 101 Jungle Hut Road, Palm Coast. The district is responsible for a host of water and wastewater issues at four private communities north of Flagler Beach: Hammock Dunes, Ocean Hammock, Hammock Beach and Yacht Harbor Village.

A faulty valve caused a leak of about 200 gallons of sulfuric acid inside a building at the Milton Regional Sewer Authority plant around midday today, a fire official said.  No one was hurt and Northridge Group Inc. Environmental Response, Winfield, was on the scene cleaning up the spill, said Lt. Brad Gaugler of the Milton Fire Department.  “They contained the spill and they’re going to clean it up,” Gaugler said.  The Milton Fire Department, William Cameron Engine Company, Lewisburg, and Northumberland County Emergency Management Agency responded to the 12:08 p.m. call along Route 405.  Gaugler said the sulfuric acid is used for odor control at the plant.  State Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Dan Spadoni said DEP was notified of the spill but not requested to respond. He said the spill was contained inside the building.  “Our Clean Water program will follow up,” Spadoni said. “Northridge remediated the spill.”

About 800 gallons of sulfuric acid leaked from a tanker Tuesday morning inside the TB Simon Power Plant on Michigan State University's campus, causing the majority of workers to be evacuated, officials said.  The chemical spill happened around 8:30 a.m., and Service Road between Harrison Road and Farm Lane was closed before reopening around 11 a.m., MSU police Capt. Doug Monette said. No injuries were reported.  The spill was largely contained to the room with the tanker, university spokesman Jason Cody said, but a small amount leaked into a basement aisle and into a storm sewer system. He added that the university contacted the East Lansing wastewater treatment plant.  Scott House, the city's director of public works, said the city has been in contact with the university and has been running tests throughout the day with no negative impacts.  Crews were still working Tuesday afternoon to clean up the spill, test the air and return the affected area to a safe condition for workers, university spokesman Jason Cody said. That process was expected to be completed Tuesday evening.  The leak occurred in a flange on an outside line that brings the acid to the tank, although the leak occurred inside the power plant, Cody said.  No disruption of power to the university was reported, Cody said. He added that while a majority of workers were evacuated from the building "out of an abundance of caution," the necessary control operations to keep the plant functioning weren't affected.  The power plant can be run by five employees, but at any given time about 40 people can be working at the plant, he said.  The power plant uses water, treated with sulfuric acid and other chemicals, in the power generating process, Cody said. The water in the power plant treated with chemicals isn't connected to the campus' other water systems, he said. The plant was not damaged, Cody said.  Monette said the East Lansing Fire Department and MSU's Environmental Health and Safety staff were notified of the spill, which is standard procedure. The university was bringing in an abatement company to assist with the cleanup, Cody said.

A hazardous materials response team was called to Chicago's Far South Side Sunday following a chemical spill.  The Chicago Fire Dept. said 500 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled at a building in the 12200-block of S. Carondolet.  Chicago firefighters were able to clean up the scene. There were no evacuations and no one was hurt.

February 18, 2015

The quick actions of the Pilot Chemical Co. response team, and a steady breeze were credited for reducing the risks associated with a potentially dangerous chemical spill Thursday morning.

Middletown Division of Fire Chief Paul Lolli said when his department was notified at 11:11 a.m. Thursday that sulfur trioxide had leaked from a tanker while the chemical was being transferred into the facility, the company’s response team had stopped the leak and contained it in a spill pit.

Plus, Lolli said, the 5 to 10 mph winds blowing from the east helped dilute and push the plume of smoke off to the west and out of the area. Sulfur trioxide can cause serious burns on both inhalation and ingestion because it is highly corrosive, Lolli said. He said it should be handled with extreme care since it reacts with water violently and produces highly corrosive sulfuric acid.

Lolli said if sulfur trioxide is breathed or comes in contact with skin it can cause “serious medical problems,” though no injuries were reported.

Two hours after the leak was reported at 3436 Yankee Road, most of the emergency personal from the Butler County Hazardous Material Team, Middletown and Monroe firefighters and police officers had left the scene. Yankee Road was closed for more than two hours.

Pilot officials said there were between 3,500 and 4,000 gallons of sulfur trioxide stored in the tanker. Lolli said “not a lot” spilled. When pressed on the amount by reporters, Lolli estimated less than 50 gallons escaped. He said one plume of smoke was visible after the sulfur trioxide exited the tanker.

It’s unclear how the chemical leaked, and Lolli said a team of investigators from Pilot and the fire department will try to determine a cause. He said the investigation would begin once the spill was cleaned up. He didn’t have a timetable when the investigation will be complete.

Middletown officials notified about 800 residents near Pilot Chemical about the potential dangers of the chemicals, and they were told to remain indoors.

The Middletown City Schools District issued a sheltering in place for students and staff at Amanda Elementary on Oxford State Road, though concerned parents were permitted to pick up their students. The school is located about one mile from the plant. School officials said about 30 students were picked up early by their parents.

Superintendent Sam Ison said all students were placed in the school’s cafeteria as a precaution. He said all windows at the school were closed and the HVAC system was turned off during the sheltering in place.

Pilot Chemical released the following statement regarding the spill: “We are aware that a chemical leak occurred shortly after 11 a.m. at our Middletown plant. Our team is actively working with city and fire department officials to ensure the safety of our employees, our neighbors and the community. We will share more details as we can. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation.”

An adverse reaction to a change in medication might have contributed to a semi driver hauling a tanker full of sulfuric acid driving into a ditch off Interstate 41 Tuesday in Washington County, the sheriff's office said. The driver began to feel dizzy and nauseous while traveling north in the left lane of the highway south of state Highway 60, according to a news release from the Washington County Sheriff's Office.  According to the release, the semi, driven by a 54-year-old Greenfield man, veered into the right lane before entering the ditch. There was never any danger of leakage from the tanker, according to the sheriff's office.  A recent change in prescribed medication for the operator is a possible contributing factor to the accident, according to the sheriff's office.  The driver was not transported from the scene and there was no damage to the semi.  The driver was given an inspection report and placed out of service until no longer ill, according to the release.

January 22, 2016 - A truck driver was lucky to escape serious injury when his rig, loaded with sulphur, caught fire at Dyraaba near Casino.  Newcastle Fire Communications shift supervisor Paul Randall said NSW Fire and Rescue Casino brigade was called to Sextonville Rd at 12.30pm today after reports a truck had caught fire.  When fire fighters arrived at the scene they found it was no ordinary truck fire, as the burning eight-tonne rig was carrying three-and-a-half tonnes of sulphur, Mr Randall said.  Reinforcements were called from across the Northern Rivers, with eight tankers called to the scene from Lismore, Goonellabah, Alstonville and Kyogle, and Hazmat units from Goonellabah and Tweed Heads.  “It was very fortunate that when fire fighters arrived the truck driver had managed to get out of the vehicle and to safety,” he said.  The Gavin Creighton’s Fertiliser Spreading truck spilled part of the sulphur, Mr Randall said, and burned for more than three hours as fire fighters battled the blaze and shifting wind conditions.  “One minute fire fighters were upwind from the truck and the next minute the wind would swing around and they had to move the tankers and personnel to the other side of the truck,” he said.  “Hazmat units monitored any run-off from the fire and also conducted atmospheric testing at the scene to make sure fumes weren’t affecting any nearby residents, because burning sulphur gives off very toxic fumes.

“The Rural Fire Service had tankers at the scene relaying water to NSW Fire and Rescue.”  By 4.05pm, Mr Randall said fire fighters had the blaze extinguished and were moving the remaining sulphur around to ensure there were no remaining hotspots, while atmospheric testing continued.  Mr Randall said the cause of the fire was yet to be determined.  Owner of the truck, Jodie Creighton, said the insured truck was totally destroyed.  “My main concern was for our driver and fortunately he is safe and was unharmed,” she said.  Losing the truck will impact the business, Mrs Creighton said, but fortunately they had other trucks they could continue operating.  “At the end of the day we’re a small family business and we are down a truck so I don’t know what we will do,” she said.  “It has been a very stressful afternoon but the main thing is everyone is safe.”

January 20, 2016 - Three train cars carrying sulfuric acid have been placed back on the tracks under Interstate Highway 680 in Martinez and moved away from the area where they derailed Wednesday morning, according to firefighters.  Contra Costa County firefighters announced via Twitter that all the cars had been put back on the tracks and the scene had been turned back over to the railroad company at 7:48 p.m.  The tanker cars, which did not leak their contents, initially derailed under the highway near Marina Vista Avenue at about 7:30 a.m., Union Pacific Railroad spokesman Francisco Castillo Jr. said.  Castillo said a Union Pacific crew delivered another company’s 20 train cars on Monday from its tracks to an industry line used by a company called Eco Services.  According to county officials, the company removes certain substances from the acid.  When the train was being moved, three of its tanker cars came off the tracks, Castillo said. One of the cars tipped over at a roughly 45-degree angle. County hazmat crews that initially responded determined the tankers were not leaking their sulfuric acid contents.  Local activist Andrés Soto, a spokesman for Benicians for a Safe and Healthy Community, was at the scene this afternoon.  “The whole community dodged a bullet,” he said, given that the sulfuric acid didn’t leak out.  He called the incident a “near miss.”  Soto, whose group is against a proposal to deliver crude oil by rail to a Valero refinery in Benicia, said this represents a warning sign.  “Once again we learn transporting hazardous materials by railroads is a dangerous business,” he said.

January 27, 2016 - Contra Costa County hazardous materials officials said today there are troubling aspects to a company's initial account of the derailment of sulfuric acid-filled train cars last week in Martinez.  The three train tanker cars, which did not leak their contents, derailed near the Interstate Highway 680 overpass along Marina Vista Avenue at 6:45 a.m. on Jan. 20.  The cars were part of a group of 12 that were separated from a 20-car delivery to a company called Eco Services on an industry line off of Union Pacific's main line, Eco Services officials said in a report.  When the cars were separated on the tracks to be brought into the company's facility, they immediately started rolling south down a gradient.  According to the report, three of the 12 cars eventually came off  the tracks after striking a derail device that's meant to prevent a collision  about 50 feet west of the highway's overpass.  The report, which was filed Monday, was addressed to Contra Costa County's chief environmental health and hazardous materials officer, Randy Sawyer.  Sawyer said it should be seen as concerning that the account of the incident may imply that there were cars filled with hazardous materials that did not have a proper braking system applied.  Sawyer also pointed out, as the report itself does, that the company made no effort to contact his agency until shortly after 9:30 a.m., nearly three hours after the derailment.  He added that the company was not legally compelled to report the incident to county hazardous materials officials, given that there was no spill.  "Still, we would expect that they would notify us as quickly as they could, maybe within 15 minutes," Sawyer said.  Eco Services, a company that removes certain substances from sulfuric acid as part of the oil refining process, was not immediately available for comment.  According to the company's report, it alerted Union Pacific to the incident within around 15 minutes. All the cars were put back on the tracks without further issues by 7:35 p.m. that day.  But the derailment was something that environmental advocates, including Benicians for a Safe and Healthy Community and the local chapter of the Sierra Club, considered a "near miss."  The activist groups saw the incident as a reminder of the potential dangers of delivering crude oil products by rail.  "Every Bay Area resident needs to contact their local representatives and make sure they take a stand against extreme crude by rail," Ratha Lai of the Sierra Club's San Francisco Bay Chapter said in a statement last week.  Sawyer didn't go as far as calling it a near-miss, given the type of materials involved and the lack of a spill, but said he is following up with other agencies to learn more about why it occurred.  The California Public Utilities Commission is investigating the incident, commission officials confirmed today. The agency regulates privately owned rail transit, among other things.  CPUC officials said they are not releasing any information about the investigation at this time.  Officials at Pacific Union, which is also helping to conduct an investigation into the incident, were also unable to provide further details.

Authorities say a worker was killed at a Port Tampa Bay site when a giant pile of sulfur collapsed on his front-end loader.  Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokesman Larry McKinnon told local media outlets that the Gulf Coast Bulk Equipment employee was moving sulfur to a semitrailer at the Port Redwing site Friday morning when the 30-foot pile collapsed.  Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Nacole Revette said the man, who wasn't immediately named, likely died from inhaling the sulfur, but no official cause of death has been released. She said firefighters had to work carefully to remove the body so they wouldn't cause another collapse.  Revette says rain Friday morning kept the sulfur from forming a cloud and possibly endangering the surrounding area.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate.

When a 30-foot mound of sulfur fell in a yellow avalanche and engulfed Joe Lammlein as he was working in a front-end loader Friday, his own brother tried to dig him out.  Three responding deputies and other workers also dug, desperate to save the 45-year-old worker trapped in a sulfur pit at Port Tampa Bay. But they couldn't help him. Lammlein died trapped inside the buried front loader at Port Redwing off Wyandotte Road.  It took about four hours for rescuers to recover his body, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.  On Friday evening, Lamm­lein's family was in mourning. Two brothers worked there Friday. Oldest brother George Lammlein said middle brother Mike was working on the other side of the sulfur pile. It was shortly after 10 a.m. The pile toppled onto the youngest brother, Joe Lammlein, after he went to scoop up sulfur and move it into a semitrailer truck.  "It could have happened to either one of them," said George Lammlein, 54.  Joe Lammlein of Palmetto likely died from inhaling the sulfur, said Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Nacole Revette. She said sulfur that is inhaled sticks to the lungs. The investigation into the death is ongoing; no official cause of death had been made public.

"(It was) a freak accident at work," Revette said. "It's hard for the co-workers who have to sit there and watch everything."  Joe Lammlein was an employee with Gulf Coast Bulk Equipment for about five years, his oldest brother said. According to a Tampa Port Authority news release from March 2015, the Palmetto company signed a six-year lease with the port to handle prilled sulfur imports on a 5-acre parcel at Port Redwing.  Revette said rescuers were able to reach the driver's seat of the front loader to confirm the driver had died. She said crews had to work carefully to remove the front loader to prevent causing another collapse.  A representative for the company could not be reached for comment. The Lammlein family said the company has offered to pay for funeral costs.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the accident, said Tampa area director Les Grove. Investigators will determine if the work site was at fault in the accident, and if so it could be cited and fined, Grove said.

George Lammlein described brother Joe as kind, caring and a devoted worker.

"He would have done anything for anybody," he said.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority has confirmed 6000 litres of sulphuric acid entered the stormwater system draining into Lake Liddell following a pollution incident at Bayswater Power Station.  On Christmas Eve Fairfax Media reported AGL Macquarie had been issued two penalty notices in December totalling $30 thousand for breaches of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act.  AGL Macquarie Pty Limited operates Bayswater Power Station near Muswellbrook and uses Lake Liddell to provide cooling.  The environmental watchdog said in November the Authority was notified of a low pH reading in Tinkers Creek by AGL Macquarie.  It said further investigation revealed a failed isolating valve caused sulphuric acid to enter two stormwater drains, resulting in a discharge to Tinkers Creek.  One of the penalty notices has been issued for failing to maintain equipment in a proper and efficient manner.  The environmental authority imposed the second penalty notice because AGL Macquarie had breached the pH limits prescribed by its Environment Protection Licence, which authorises operations at the Bayswater Power Station.  It also issued official cautions to AGL Macquarie for polluting waters and for failing to carry out licensed activities in a competent manner.  Hunter Region Manager with the Environmental Protect Authority, Adam Gilligan, said it reacted promptly to the pollution incident.  “While Macquarie AGL did the right thing by notifying us as soon as they noticed the issue, pollution of waters is taken very seriously by the EPA,” he said.  "[That] is why two fines and official cautions were issued in this instance.  In August, AGL Macquarie was issued with a separate $15,000 penalty by the EPA.  On that occasion, the penalty notice related to an April incident where AGL Macquarie admitted responsibility for discharging between 50 and 100 litres of water contaminated with ammonia into Tinkers Creek.  The April incident occurred during a re-certification of a bulk ammonia tank.

The locomotive and all 26 carriages derailed at 10:20am about 20 kilometres east of the outback town.  Authorities declared an emergency under the Public Safety Preservation Act and placed a two-kilometre exclusion zone around the crash site. They said there was minor leakage of sulphuric acid and diesel fuel spillage at the crash site.  Aurizon said three drivers sustained minor injuries in the accident and attended the Julia Creek hospital.  "Two drivers have been released and the third is expected to be released later today," an Aurizon spokesperson said on Sunday.  "At this early stage, the cause of the incident is not known. Both Aurizon and Queensland Rail will investigate the incident and determine its cause.  "At this time the focus is on recovery of the incident site."  The Flinders Highway has been closed in both directions between Julia Creek and Richmond.  Queensland Rail said it was unclear how long the train line would remain closed.  Julia Creek Hotel publican David Wyld said the locomotive went into the bore drain after it rolled and ended up underwater.  "So that would've pulled off all the whole 26 carriages with sulphuric acid," he said.  Mr Wyld said the road was blocked by rail workers immediately after the accident.  "The police and all that couldn't get to it, blocked the whole road off straight away," he said.  "And you could smell the sulphuric acid where they actually blocked it off."  Queensland Rail works to access site.  A spokeswoman from Queensland Rail said wet weather had flooded local roads, so they had not been able to get anyone on site to assess the damage.  "We are looking at alternate ways to get Queensland Rail crews to site," she said.  "Passenger rail services have been cancelled. The Inlander has been cancelled today and tomorrow from Townsville to Mount Isa.  "Updates on passenger services will be made as soon as they are available."  Aurizon said interim arrangements had been put in place to maintain site safety until the status of the derailed wagons and any product spillage could be confirmed.

January 5, 2016 - Sulfuric acid may have leaked from a second wagon on a train that derailed in Queensland's northwest more than a week ago.  The train was carrying more than 800,000 litres of sulfuric acid when all 26 wagons derailed near Julia Creek on December 27.  It was initially estimated that 31,500 litres had spilled from one wagon, but it has become apparent a second wagon may also have a minor leak.  "Queensland Rail's Incident Rail Commander was yesterday (Tuesday) advised by Incitec Pivot that one additional wagon may also have a very minor leak, which is being treated on site," the company's chief executive Helen Gluer said.  Water testing around the crash site came back positive for the toxic chemical at Horse Creek, a small slow-flowing waterway, prompting authorities to neutralise the acid.  Ms Gluer said Queensland Rail had appointed a consulting company to undertake an environmental monitoring program and to provide expert advice about any environmental impacts.  The Mount Isa line remains closed, with the locomotive and 26 wagons on their side.  Wet conditions have hampered recovery efforts and the construction of a temporary track around the crash site.  Recovery crews are building access roads from a nearby highway to the railway so heavy machinery can access the site.  "Construction of the deviation has unfortunately been delayed due to wet ground conditions around the site. However, with water beginning to clear we expect to complete the deviation late next week," Ms Gluer said.  The Inlander service has been replaced by buses, while freight trains are only running between Mount Isa and Phosphate Hill.

January 8, 2016 - Construction has begun on a temporary track around the site of a derailed train in Queensland's northwest.  The train was carrying more than 800,000 litres of sulfuric acid, of which about 31,500 litres spilled, when all 26 of its wagons overturned near Julia Creek on December 27, closing the Mount Isa line.  The closure has created a backlog of freight services and forced the Inlander service to be replaced by buses.  Wet conditions have hampered the recovery but construction of the 800-metre bypass began overnight on Thursday.  Queensland Rail's Michael Mitchell said more than 50 staff would work around the clock building the track in a bid to re-open the line as soon as possible.  "Conditions permitting, we expect construction and certification of the rail deviation to be complete middle of next week," he said.  The sulfuric acid spillage has also caused environmental headaches.  Water testing around the crash site came back positive for the toxic chemical at Horse Creek, a small slow-flowing waterway, prompting authorities to neutralise the acid.  It was initially estimated that 31,500 litres had spilled from one wagon, but this week it became apparent that a second wagon may also have a minor leak.  Queensland Rail has appointed a consulting company to undertake an environmental monitoring program and to provide expert advice about any environmental impacts.

No other vehicles were involved in the incident and the driver was not injured, according to the RCMP.  Emergency personnel, including hazmat teams, have been dispatched to the scene. One crew was reported to have come from Kings County to assist in the cleanup.  Provincial RCMP spokesperson Craig Burnett said the section of highway would be closed for several hours as the spill is cleaned up, well into this evening. The RCMP had originally said that the tractor trailer tipped and some barrels containing the sulphuric acid were punctured, and tweets that were sent out by the RCMP referred to a "crash" having occured.  Later on Twitter the RCMP said an investigation had determined that a crash did not occur, but that the "Tractor trailer driver noticed issue with load and parked." The RCMP later said the spill occurred from a leaking barrell that was in an enclosed trailor. It had come loose. The truck was carrying several barrells of sulphuric acid.  There was no official media release about the incident issued by the RCMP on Monday.  The highway was closed betweens Exits 30 near Barrington and Exit 32 near Argyle from Monday afternoon until late Monday night.  While the section of highway was closed traffic was being rerouted to Route 3.

 - The railway officials would assess the damage to the bridge after the barge was disengaged from the bridge. Senior officials of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), FACT officials and officials of the company that operates the ferry service inspected the site. The barge hit the base of a column which remained submerged as the crew tried to maneuver under the railway bridge and got stuck there. KOCHI: A barge ferrying sulfur to FACT rammed into a column of Kaniampuzha railway bridge in the early hours on Saturday and got trapped, forcing the Railway officials to impose speed restriction in the Ernakulam-Kottayam route. In the wake of the accident, a speed restriction of 30 km per hour on trains in the route were imposed by the Railway officials.  KOCHI: A barge ferrying sulfur to FACT rammed into a column of Kaniampuzha railway bridge in the early hours on Saturday and got trapped, forcing the Railway officials to impose speed restriction in the Ernakulam-Kottayam route. Consequently, many trains passing through this stretch got considerably delayed. The barge hit the base of a column which remained submerged as the crew tried to maneuver under the railway bridge and got stuck there. Efforts continued on Saturday night to free the barge. The officials hope that the attempts would be successful during high tide as earlier efforts to extricate the barge using other vessels failed. In the wake of the accident, a speed restriction of 30 km per hour on trains in the route were imposed by the Railway officials.  According to officials the trains were delayed over 10 minutes during peak hours. Senior officials of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), FACT officials and officials of the company that operates the ferry service inspected the site. The railway officials would assess the damage to the bridge after the barge was disengaged from the bridge.. 

Atmore firefighters spent more than five hours battling a chemical fire at Sunbelt Chemicals on Saturday.  AFD Chief Ronald Peebles said the fire department arrived on scene at 8:50 a.m. and finished up at 2:30 p.m.  Peebles said the fire started when a side grinder caused a spark to catch some sulfur dust on fire.  “With that sulfur dust, it’s funny to deal with,” Peebles said. “You can put it out in one spot, and then it’ll pop up in another.”  Peebles said sulfur dust is fine dust that can spread easily, and when burning produces a chemical gas that is bad for breathing.  “It sporadically can jump from place to place,” he said.  The fire was inside of an office building inside of a larger building, Peebles said.  Peebles said the fire turned into a hazmat situation pretty fast. “It had to be treated delicately and slowly,” he said. “Then, we spent a lot of time making sure we had everything possible out so we didn’t have a rekindle on it.  “It could’ve turned into one nasty monster,” he said. “The guys did a heck-of-a job handling the fire.”  Because breathing became an issue, the AFD used 44 bottles of air to quench the fire, Peebles said.  “On a normal house fire, we may go through five,” he said.  Peebles said there was one person injured, adding that he had an allergic reaction to the sulfur.  “He was sent to the hospital, and he’s going to be fine,” he said.  Peebles said the condition of the structure is alright, and the fire more or less burned the insulation on top of the complex and messed up one of the A/C systems.  “It could’ve been an ugly situation if they couldn’t have handled the fire the way they did,” he said.

It never rains but pours for the national railway carrier of Namibia, TransNamib as earlier this week Train 2703 with two Class 34 locomotives carrying a load of 20 sulphuric acid tankers set for Rio Tinto's Rössing Uranium mine derailed at point 176 en-route from Walvis Bay to Arandis.

According to TransNamib's executive spokesperson, Struggle Ihuhua no injuries were recorded but as a result of the incident, normal passenger and freight rail traffic from Walvis Bay to both Windhoek and the north will be affected and further information as per development on the scene will become available later."Emergency response and accident investigation teams are on the scene to assess the cause of the accident, to assess the losses suffered and to speedily restore operations to normal," he added.Meanwhile, Rössing Uranium mine spokesperson Botha Ellis in a statement said the incident was managed promptly according to set emergency procedures and practices by all relevant parties.

"Our team of experts was also on the scene to give support and assistance, ensuring that all was done in a safe manner. We are told that the rail will be repaired this week," he added.The Rössing Uranium mine, about five months ago experienced a snag after incurring damage from fire on its Final Product Recovery (FPR) plant.On this week's accident, Botha said, "the current incident does not impact our production as we have adequate amounts of sulphuric acid stored on site to continue with normal operations. Sulphuric acid is used in Rössing's extraction process to produce uranium oxide."Rössing's Uranium is made up of the following shareholders. The British-Australian mining conglomerate, Rio Tinto Group holds a 69%, the Iranian government 15% while the Namibian government holds 3%.

The derailment of two TransNamib locomotives and a tanker carrying about 25 000 litres of sulphuric acid behind the dunes near Walvis Bay last week was caused by the presence of “sand on the tracks due to the strong east wind”.

This was the explanation given in a response from the parastatal to The Namibian.  The derailment also resulted in a limited spill of the acid used in the leeching of uranium ore.  The train was pulling 20 tankers carrying about 460 000 litres of sulphuric acid to Rio Tinto's Rössing Uranium mine near Arandis. “This was an unfortunate incident which we had no control of. However, the spill was minor and was handled in accordance with the regulations by Rössing Uranium's hazard team,” read the response from TransNamib's senior spokesman Struggle Ihuhua.  Fortunately no one was injured in the accident, although unverifiable damage to infrastructure included “cosmetic to serious damage” to the two locomotives and to about 300 metres of track.  “Our business has been affected. We lost three nights of transporting, because no trains moved out of Walvis Bay and all our customers were affected,” he concluded.  The port of Walvis Bay is a logistics hub through which most of the bulk imports and exports pass.  Inquiries to Rössing Uranium were redirected to TransNamib.  In December 2012 two locomotives and 17 wagons carrying manganese derailed on the line near the site of the latest derailment. That accident cost TransNamib over N$65 million. The accident was said to have been caused by a section of track that was damaged by a truck that got stuck while crossing the railway line.  Little or no strong easterly winds were recorded during the time of the accident although strong south westerly winds, which could have carried dune sand over the tracks prevailed.

A Chinese national suffered severe burns all over his body after he was splashed with sulfuric acid, following a tank explosion at a fertiliser factory in Port Klang.  Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations director Mohd Sani Harul said the 40-year-old man was working near the tank which was in operation at the time, at about 4pm Saturday, when it suddenly exploded and spewed acid all over.  The man was covered in the corrosive acid from the neck down and suffered severe burns.  “Our officers rushed there to clean the acid off him with a water hose. He was half conscious at the time and is in very critical condition,” Mohd Sani said.  The man was rushed to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital. The Fire Department is trying to contact the factory supervisor to ascertain what could have caused the explosion.

Hundreds are briefly told to stay indoors after a sulfuric acid leak in Anne Arundel County.  It happened around 9 a.m. Saturday in the 3500 block of Whiskey Bottom Road in Maryland City.  Police say a hazmat team was called after a 45-foot trailer delivering totes of sulfuric acid leaked.

The leak was contained to the property, authorities said.  More than 500 residents were briefly told to shelter-in-place as a precaution.  The order was lifted around 10:30 a.m

A bulk carrier loaded with a cargo of sulfur ran aground offshore Port Arthur, Texas, on Wednesday.  Jian Qiang (46,807 dwt, built 1996), owned by China’s Cosco, was outward bound from Neches Industrial park in Beaumont, Texas, when it ran hard aground.  US Coast Guard (USCG) responded to a call at approximately 1.30pm and were quickly on the scene. They were co-ordinating with the ship’s owners, the Texas General Land Office and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to find a way to release the vessel.  The 615-foot ship was still stuck as of late Wednesday night but there were no significant reports of damage, injury or pollution.  USCG are investigating the cause of the accident.

More than 300 gallons of sulphuric acid were spilled in an accident at a power plant in Montgomery County on Wednesday, injuring one worker.  County fire and rescue service spokesman Pete Piringer said that the worker was not seriously injured and had been decontaminated after the acid splashed onto him.  Piringer said that workers were moving a container of the acid at a loading dock at an energy substation on Martinsburg Road in Dickerson. They accidentally spilled the caustic substance, he said.

About 22 homes were evacuated from a north Birmingham neighborhood while crews moved a semi-truck carrying hazardous material that got stuck around midnight.  The semi-truck, which was carrying 3,000 gallons of sulfuric acie, was trying to navigate through a neighborhood when it hit a curve and jackknifed on a narrow street around midnight, according to EMA officials.  Police blocked off the area and evacuated people in the Fairmont community on 40th Avenue North near Lewisburg Road, off of Daniel Payne Drive and near Carver High School.  Birmingham police told residents that if the sulfuric acid mixed with water, it could possibly blow up.  A hazmat crew with Birmingham Fire Department responded to the scene as a precaution.  None of the sulfuric acid has spilled from the truck, according to Jody Hodge with the Jefferson County EMA. He says the truck driver is also OK and no one was injured.  The truck was turned upright and moved from the area where it got stuck by 8 a.m.  Residents who were evacuated say this isn't the first time a semi-truck has been stuck in their neighborhood.  “No it's not, it's happened before, we didn't have to be evacuated, they were able to get the truck up, but semis come through here all the time and turn over,” Sophia Holloway said.  “We've gone to talk to different people about getting some assistance with stopping these trucks from coming through here. We don't want this to happen. We don't want this neighborhood to blow up because of this type situation,” Holloway added.  Holloway explained that the semi-trucks often miss their exit off 41st Avenue and go to Fultondale to turn around, and the GPS routes the trucks through her neighborhood.  “Once they turn around, they come through the neighborhoods and there's really no room for them to maneuver in there,” she said.  Hodge said he believed the truck driver was trying to get to a truck stop in the area and the GPS took him a roundabout way. He said the driver turned on a narrow street and jackknifed.  “Some of these streets are very narrow, have sharp curves, and you know, with an 18-wheeler, it just happened," Hodge said.  He said about 10 families chose to not evacuate and shelter in place.

The Red Cross had a shelter on standby, but it was never opened.  Police will determine when residents are allowed to return to their homes.

At the Tihoretsk station of the North Caucasus Railway in Krasnodar Territory, sulfuric acid has leaked from a holding tank, the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Measures of the Russian Federation in the region reported.  The leak occurred last night about 21:20 Moscow time in the park "B" of Tikhoretsk station, Interfax cites the report.

Days after leakage of sulphur dioxide caused suffocation to workers and people residing in the area, Tamil Nadu Chemical Products Ltd, a factory manufacturing dyeing substance, in Kovilur was today ordered to be closed down by the state pollution control board.  Three school children had fainted upon inhaling sulphur dioxide from the factory on February 12. The leak also caused suffocation to factory workers and people living around.  On inspection of the 35-year-old factory, officials of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board found that main units had not been maintained properly leading to the gas leakage.  The chairman of the board ordered closure of the factory, the officials said.

Crews were busy cleaning up a sulfur pellet spill Tuesday morning.  It happened in the area of Suntide and Up River Road.  A private contractor was taking prilled sulfur from the Flint Hills West Plant to the bulk terminal, when a portion of the load spilled from the truck onto the roadway.  According to a spokeswoman from Flint Hills, clean-up crews were called in to sweep up the material.  Because the sulphur was in pellet form, it was not hazardous and no streets had to be closed.  The chemical is commonly stored outdoors and is used in fertilizer.

PEOPLE who depend on Chililabombwe’s Lubengele stream for water have been left stranded after a tanker delivering sulphuric acid to KCM overturned on Friday, spilling its contents into the stream. Chililabombwe Municipal Council health inspectors confirmed the development. “Lubengele Stream is important because many families get their water from there. This is a serious threat and something must be done before the whole stream is contaminated,” the officers warned. The inspectors said Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company obtained water samples to determine the amount of acid in the stream. They said immediate measures had been put in place to stop the spillage but that the council and Mulonga Water would carry out further investigations. And Abrahman Yessus, the owner of the tanker, explained that the driver failed to control the vehicle which fell on the road, causing the spillage. “Around 06:00 hours, I received a call that my tanker carrying sulphuric acid for delivery at KCM had an accident. What happened was that the driver lost control because he was going uphill and the tanker fell on the road. There are no injuries and with the help of KCM, we have managed to control the sulphuric acid by putting lime,” said Yessus.

A train derailment in Richmond Hill has closed Elgin Mills East Road between Yonge Street and Newkirk Road.  Two cars on a southbound CN Rail train partially derailed at around noon on Saturday according to CN and York Regional Police.  One was carrying steel, the other was carrying sulphuric acid. No one was injured and no material leaked, officials said.  The cause is under investigation. 

A truck has spilled 500 litres of toxic acid near Feilding today.  The truck lost its load of sulfuric acid on Awahuri-Feilding road about 12.15pm, and roadblocks were put up while the chemical was cleared.  Greg Bevin, Horizons team leader consent monitoring, said the acid was at 70 per cent concentration.  It was contained in a dry roadside drain and there was no threat to waterways or public safety, he said.  A Horizon's environmental protection officer was assisting the Fire Service.

A tanker carrying 48,000 gallons of sulfuric acid overturned on Interstate 24 near mile marker 23 on the eastbound side, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The accident happened at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday.  One eastbound lane has been reopened, according to dispatch. Westbound traffic remains unaffected. The Tennessee Department of Transportation doesn't expect the wreck to be cleared until 5 p.m.  The driver has been identified as Calvin L. Morgan, 67, of Turtletown. He was injured in the wreck, but was not taken to the hospital, according to the preliminary THP report.  Morgan was driving eastbound on I-24 when his truck's left front tire exited the roadway into the median. He overcorrected and lost control of the vehicle. The trailer disconnected from the truck and came to rest in the median. The truck crossed both lanes of eastbound traffic and crashed into several trees along the right shoulder, according to the report.  Hazmat crews were dispatched to the scene when the call came in, dispatch confirmed.  None of the acid was spilled in the accident, according to THP.  Morgan was charged with having an expired medical card and other charges are pending, authorities say.