Safety Officials Investigate Explosion Outside A Kaiser Permanente Medical Office
The exact cause of Wednesday’s explosion remains unclear, but authorities have said it occurred when a truck driver was trying to deliver oxygen to an on-site tank.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Cal-OSHA Investigating Santa Rosa Tanker Explosion At Kaiser Medical Campus
Santa Rosa authorities and state workplace safety investigators continued their investigations Thursday into the explosion of a tanker truck outside a Kaiser Permanente medical office, the results of which won’t be known for weeks or months. The explosion, which occurred Wednesday as the truck was delivering liquid oxygen to a Kaiser office on Old Redwood Highway in north Santa Rosa, is under review by the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health, better known as Cal/OSHA. The agency has up to six months to issue citations for any violations of workplace safety and health regulations in the blast, which caused significant injuries to the driver and forced the evacuation of two medical offices located about a mile north of the main Kaiser hospital site in Santa Rosa. Highway 101 and Old Redwood Highway also were closed for about two hours. (Chavez and Morris, 7/19)
In other news from across the state —
CALmatters:
Fleeing War-Torn Homes For Crippling Rents — How California Housing Costs Are Creating A Harsh Reality For Refugees
The state’s skyrocketing housing costs have created a harsh new reality for refugees on the ground, many of which are going to extraordinary lengths just to afford rent. The cost of living has increased so much in recent years that refugee resettlement agencies working in California are rethinking their strategies for relocating clients — and whether the state is a good fit for some refugees in the first place. (Levin, 7/19)
Ventura County Star:
CURE Pharmaceutical Acquiring Assets Of Therapix Biosciences
CURE Pharmaceutical, an Oxnard-based drug delivery and development company, has signed a term sheet for proposed acquisition of the non-pain assets of Therapix Biosciences Ltd., a specialty, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing cannabinoid-based treatments. These assets include several clinical drug candidates as well as two pre-clinical drug candidates. CURE will issue shares of its common stock to Therapix in exchange for the assets, and Therapix will become a significant shareholder in CURE. Therapix CEO and Chairman Ascher Schmulewitz, MD PhD, will be appointed to CURE’s board of directors. As one of the conditions of the acquisition, CURE will be raising additional financing, some of which will be provided by Therapix. (7/19)
KQED:
Health Officials Warn Public To Stay Out Of Discovery Bay’s Toxic Waters
Contra Costa health officials are warning people to stay out of Discovery Bay after recent tests showed elevated levels of a toxin from blue-green algae. A routine sampling of the waters on June 27 by health officials found high concentrations of blue-green algae, which contains cyanotoxin. (Ahmed, 7/19)