Free Republic

A HAZMAT team responded to Harvill and Old Oleander avenues after a large plume from railcar was reported just before 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Cal Fire Division Chief John Crater said during a news conference Friday morning. Wind gusts helped spread the initial plume until it covered a two-mile area over the city of Perris, Crater said. The leaking chemical in the railcar tank was identified to be styrene, which is used to make foam products for commercial purposes. Crater consulted with experts who told him that heat building in the railcar could still cause a release. “Meaning some sort of...

Toxic chemicals used in everyday products such as household cleaners, clothing and furniture have been linked to serious illnesses, including cancer, infertility, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Under current law, only a small fraction of chemicals used in these products have been reviewed for safety. A bill that Congress sent President Barack Obama on Tuesday would set new safety standards for asbestos and other dangerous chemicals, including formaldehyde, styrene and BPA, that have gone unregulated for decades. The bill would update the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate new and existing chemicals against...

A chemical released into the air from an industrial plant Friday sent 23 people to the hospital and closed some roads, officials said. The release of the chemical at Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex was visible around a railroad tanker car parked on the plant site, state police spokesman Cpl. Jeffrey Whitmarsh said. The rail car contained styrene, which is potentially flammable and can cause irritation if inhaled, Whitmarsh said. Pam Chase told The (Wilmington) News Journal that she could see a "mist across the ground" and a "steam or fog along the tracks." "It was a real strong smell of...