MEC&F Expert Engineers : 06/27/16

Monday, June 27, 2016

Male driver charged with driving drunk in crash that injured MassDOT worker




By Miguel Otarola and Dylan McGuinness Globe Correspondents June 27, 2016

A 59-year-old Boston man is being held on $25,000 bail after he allegedly drove, while drunk, into a state transportation worker at a Ted Williams Tunnel construction site early Monday morning, according to State Police and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

The worker was on foot doing maintenance work when the crash happened about 12:55 a.m. Carlos Gonzalez was allegedly behind the wheel of the 2009 Honda Civic that hit the man. The injuries suffered by the 60-year-old worker are not considered life-threatening, police said.

Gonzalez was arrested after a brief pursuit by deputy sheriffs from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, State Police said.

Gonzalez was arraigned Monday in Boston Municipal Court. A prosecutor said Gonzalez had been drinking while watching the Copa America soccer game before he set out on the road.

According to a police report, surveillance video from the tunnel showed Gonzalez’s vehicle driving into a construction zone, toppling several traffic cones, and then hitting the worker before clipping a state vehicle. The Ted Williams Tunnel is part of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

After Gonzalez was stopped, he allegedly told police that he had two beers while watching the soccer game.

Once Gonzalez was in custody, State Police said, he spent an hour in a cell banging on a door and yelling at troopers. He allegedly called them “chickens,” insulted their intelligence, referred to them as “Nazis,” and used a racial epithet.

“I did nothing wrong,” Gonzalez said, according to the report. “Your wife looks like a toilet.”

Gonzalez’s next court date is July 22.

Gonzalez faced charges that included negligent operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor causing serious injury, operating under the influence of liquor causing serious injury, and leaving the scene of a personal injury crash, officials said.

Fort Collins, CO worker burned by an acidic substance in a bag while working at the City Park


Hazmat crews respond to worker injured at City Park
Cassa Niedringhaus, cniedringhaus@coloradoan.com 7:10 p.m. MDT June 27, 2016



(Photo: Cassa Niedringhaus)

The west side of City Park was was put under an emergency notification Monday afternoon after a city of Fort Collins worker complained of being burned by a substance in a bag while working at the park.

According to scanner reports, hazmat emergency crews responded to the park worker after he complained of the burning sensation while working at 413 S. Bryan Ave., which is between city-owned City Park Nine Golf Course and Sheldon Lake and the office for the city's parks maintenance and forestry divisions. The call came in at 12:49 p.m. The seriousness of the injuries to the worker is unknown.

The emergency notification, sent out around 2 p.m., included the 1700 block of Taft Hill north to Laporte Avenue, east to Bryan Avenue and south to Mulberry Road.

Responders found a black plastic bag containing the substance in a truck behind the building. It was among a load of garbage that was collected from Lee Martinez Farm.

They then gathered a sample of the substance in a vial and tested it with an infrared monitor. Early indications showed a strong acid. They neutralized the substance and sent another sample to a third-party laboratory for additional testing. Results will be available in the next 5-10 days.

Crews monitored the air in the area and determined it to be safe, both during the response and later in the evening. At no point was there a threat to public health.


There was a second hazardous material call to Poudre Fire Authority at West County Road 54G and Overland Trail in northwest Fort Collins at 2:21 p.m. It is unknown if those two incidents were related.

Poudre Fire Authority cautioned residents to call authorities rather than investigate themselves if they come across a suspicious or unknown substance. Residents wishing to receive emergency notifications via text like the one sent out in this incident can register with the Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority at leta911.org.

Hazmat crews work to determine the substance that caused injuries to a worker at City Park on Monday. (Photo: Cassa Niedringhaus/The Coloradoan)

Car Wash Worker Dies After Being Struck By Car in Northeast Philadelphia


Car Wash Worker Dies After Being Struck in Northeast Philadelphia

By
Morgan Zalot




Joseph Kaczmarek
Investigators gather at the Krewsin Klean Car Wash in the Krewstown section of Philadelphia on Monday June 27, 2016 after police say an employee was struck and killed by a car.

An employee of a Northeast Philadelphia car wash died Monday morning after police say two cars going through the wash struck him.

Police said the incident happened shortly before noon at the Krewsin Klean Car Wash on Krewstown Road near Surrey when the 22-year-old worker was drying a gray Dodge Durango's rear windows. The truck somehow struck the worker, police said, before a red Honda Accord exited the car wash and struck him again.

Medics pronounced the man dead of his injuries at 11:59 a.m. at the car wash. Police are investigating the incident.

Canadian Natural Resources fined for two separate incidents of hydrogen sulphide leaks from its Horizon oil sands


CNR fined for environmental violations




Horizon: CNR to pay up for hydrogen sulphide leaks at facility

By Tonya Zelinsky

27 June 2016 18:00 GMT

Canadian Natural Resources has been fined C$500,000 ($381,811) related to two separate incidents of hydrogen sulphide leaks from its Horizon oil sands mining operation in Northern Alberta.



In both incidents, Alberta Environment found CNR guilty of violating the province's Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act in 2010 and 2012 when Horizon's sulphur recovery unit failed.

The first incident occurred 28 May 2010 and caused gas to leak from the unit at both the ground level and through a flare stack, resulting in several onsite workers being treated at the facility's medical centre.

The company immediately reported the incident to the province's Occupational Health and Safety at the time but refrained from informing Alberta Environment for six days. It was fined C$350,000.

The sulphur recovery unit failed again 2 August 2012 when an unknown quantity failed to combust and escaped through a flare stack. CNR was fined C$150,000 ($114,390) in relation to this offence.

The bulk of the fines will be directed toward the research of the toxicological effects of chemical measures in the air around the First Nation of Fort McKay, north of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

E-cigarettes could increase the risk of oral disease, according to a new study released by UCLA


E-cigarettes could increase oral disease risk, UCLA study finds



In this July 16, 2015 file photo, Bruce Schillin exhales vapor from an e-cigarette at the Vapor Spot. (Rich Pedroncelli, File)




By ABC7.com staff
Updated 2 hrs 2 mins ago
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- E-cigarettes could increase the risk of oral disease, according to a new study released by UCLA on Monday.

Researchers said e-cigarette vapor contains toxic substances and nanoparticles that could kill the top layer of skin cells in the oral cavity.

That can significantly weaken the oral cavity's natural defense mechanism, the study stated.

The research was conducted on cultured cells, but scientists believed similar results would happen in a human study.

The study concluded that e-cigarettes may not be significantly safer than tobacco cigarettes.

The findings were published online in the journal PLOS One and also suggested that health care providers do more to raise public awareness of the products' health risks.

People involved in West Virginia flood cleanup should ensure safety and health of workers involved in cleanup efforts

June 27, 2016

OSHA deploying assets to flood impacted West Virginia counties to ensure
safety and health of workers, general public involved in cleanup efforts
Agency warns of hazards - both seen and unseen - after a disaster

PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is deploying assets to flood-impacted West Virginia counties to ensure employers, workers and others engaged in cleanup efforts avoid potential hazards and take steps to protect themselves.

OSHA compliance assistance officers will provide initial assistance in the three hardest hit counties of Kanawha, Greenbrier and Nicholas - which the President today declared as federal disaster areas.

"We want to ensure that employers do not put their workers at risk, and workers and the general public are aware of the hazards involved in flood cleanup work. Personal protective equipment and other precautions are necessary to prevent serious injury, illness and even death," said Richard Mendelson, OSHA's regional administrator in Philadelphia.

Before entering buildings or structures after a flood, an assessment of the potential hazards and exposure must be done. Using that information, an employer must ensure - at a minimum - they educate workers on the potential hazards facing them. Employers should also ensure that workers are given proper equipment and know how to use the gear to protect themselves.

The nature of cleanups varies by location. While a flooded residential home may not present the obvious hazards that a commercial property with stored hazardous chemicals would, each situation has its own challenges. Homeowners should be aware that damaged structures may be at risk of collapse, and the onset of mold may have already begun.

Workplaces may encounter these same dangers, in addition to many other serious safety threats, including chemical exposure. Employers should evaluate chemical workplace hazards and create a chemical inventory, which is part of a workplace hazard communication program.

In either situation, homeowners and employers should request the assistance of a safety and health professional.

People involved in flood cleanup should take the following precautions:
  • Wear a hard hat, safety glasses, reflective vest, gloves and steel-toed work boots.
  • In wet environments, stay dry with waterproof gloves and boots.
  • Use respiratory protection, especially where dust and mold exists.
  • Avoid dangerous falls and use fall protection when working more than 6 feet off the ground.
  • Protect your hearing. In loud and noisy environments, hearing protection is important.
  • Work cleanly. Stop the spread of contaminants and disease with proper hygiene and sanitation.
  • Wash your hands regularly. Where suitable facilities are absent, use hand sanitizer.
OSHA's Hazard Exposure and Risk Assessment Matrix provides information on tasks and operations associated with disaster response and recovery, and common and significant hazards that response and recovery workers might encounter. The matrix can help employers make decisions during risk assessment that will protect their employees working in hurricane-impacted areas.

The following organizations provide additional resources:

After numerous crashes this weekend, with the longer Fourth of July weekend coming up, the Coast Guard stresses the importance of boating safe and sober


Great Lakes Coast Guard has busy weekend, stresses boating safety
Jun 27th, 2016 

CLEVELAND – Coast Guard crews across the Great lakes had a busy Operation Dry Water weekend, responding to more than 100 cases of mariners in distress, rescuing seven, assisting 133 and removing from the water 6 operators who were boating under the influence.

With the longer Fourth of July weekend coming up, the Coast Guard stresses the importance of boating safe and sober.

“Along with alcohol use, three of the other top five contributing factors in recreational boating deaths are operator inattention, improper lookout and inexperience of the operator,” said Mike Baron, the U.S. Coast Guard 9th District recreational boating safety specialist. “Boat operators are not only responsible for their own boats, but also for the safety of their passengers and the other boats around them.”

The Coast Guard offers the following safety tips: 


  • Wear a life jacket
  • Historically, about 75 percent of the people who die in boating accidents drown. Of those who drown, about 80 percent were not wearing life jackets.
  • If you do find yourself in trouble and in the water, stay with your vessel for as long as possible, even if it capsizes. Do not try to swim for shore.
  • Have a marine band radio and visual distress signals. While many boaters rely on cell phones for emergency communications on the water, VHF-FM radios are much more reliable in the marine environment and work in areas where cell phones sometimes don’t.
  • Also, have a personal locator beacon. A PLB is a compact device that is clipped to a boater, normally on the life jacket he or she is wearing. Once activated in a distress situation, the PLB transmits a signal to the International Cospas-Sarsat Satellite System, which provides distress alert and location data for search and rescue operations around the world.
  • Do not boat under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances
  • Always file a float plan
  • Keep children informed of water safety
  • The Coast Guard encourages the boating public to educate children about water safety. There are kid-friendly resources ready for the task!
  • Always check the weather before venturing out

The following synopses are just a few of the responses the Coast Guard was involved in during the weekend.

Lake Erie:

A law enforcement boat crew from Coast Guard Station Toledo, Ohio, conducted a boarding of a 23-foot boat near Maumee Bay, Ohio, where the operator of the boat admitting to consuming seven beers within the last hour. The operator then failed all field sobriety tests given to him. The Coast Guard towed the vessel to safety and made sure the operator got a ride home with a sober friend. Additionally, the Coast Guard gave the operator a federal ticket for boating under the influence.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, conducted a medical transport of a 54-year-old man with a shoulder injury from Kelleys Island in Lake Erie back to the station, where emergency medical services were waiting to take the man to a local hospital.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Buffalo, New York, assisted four people aboard a 29-foot boat that had become disabled and was in danger of hitting the Buffalo Outer Harbor Breakwall.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cleveland Harbor rescued a man from a sinking 23-foot boat near Whiskey Island in Lake Erie. The crew used a dewatering pump to dewater the boat and then towed it to safety.

St. Clair River:

A law enforcement team from Coast Guard Station Port Huron, Michigan, conducted a boarding on a 20-foot boat with six people aboard. Of the six people aboard, five were under the age of 21. The boarding team found open beer cans throughout the boat and none of the passengers would submit to a chemical breath test or field sobriety tests. The crew towed the vessel to a local boat launch where the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office took custody of all the boaters. The operator was given a federal ticket for boating under the influence.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Port Huron assisted three people in the St. Clair River when the 30-foot boat they were on became disabled. They towed them to safety at a nearby boat ramp.

Lake Superior:

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Marquette, Michigan, assisted three adults and two children in Lake Superior when the 27-foot boat they were on became disabled. The crew towed the vessel to safety at a local marina.

Lake Ontario:

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Sodus Point, New York, rescued two people from Lake Ontario when the 18-foot boat they were on began sinking. The crew escorted them back to their private dock.

Lake Michigan:

A law enforcement team from Coast Guard Station Calumet Harbor, Illinois, conducting a patrol in Lake Michigan observed a boat navigating recklessly. Upon boarding the boat, the team found open alcohol containers on the deck. The operator failed six field sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol content level of .101 during the chemical breath test. The team towed the vessel to a private mooring and released the operator to safety after giving him a federal ticket for boating under the influence.

A law enforcement team from Coast Guard Station Milwaukee aboard a Milwaukee Police boat as part of Operation Dry Water boarded an 18-foot boat in Lake Michigan that was seen navigating recklessly. The operator had a blood alcohol content level of .166 during the chemical breath test. The man was taken into custody by the Milwaukee Police Department for boating under the influence and given a federal ticket for boating under the influence by the Coast Guard.

A law enforcement team from Coast Guard Station Calumet Harbor, in Chicago, conducting a patrol in Lake Michigan observed a vessel traveling at a high rate of speed and navigating recklessly and without navigation lights. The team conducted a boarding on the vessel and the operator failed three out of six field sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol content level of .142 during the chemical breath test. The boat was towed to a local marina and the operator was given a federal ticket for boating under the influence.

OSHA cites MMC Construction LLC, a Georgia masonry contractor, for exposing workers on scaffolding to dangerous fall risks



June 27, 2016

OSHA cites
MMC Construction LLC, a Georgia masonry contractor, for exposing workers on scaffolding to dangerous fall risks in 7 out of 7 inspections
MMC Construction fails latest safety inspection in Montgomery, faces $130K in fines

Employer name: MMC Construction LLC

Inspection site: 1470 Taylor Road, Montgomery, Alabama 36117

Citations issued: Citations were issued to the employer on June 24.

Investigation findings: Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to MMC Construction for two willful safety violations after seeing employees working on the second level of a scaffold without guardrails. This inspection fell under OSHA's Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction.

The agency issued the willful citations for the employer's failure to protect employees from fall hazards while working from heights up to 13 feet. MMC did not require the use of a ladder or other means of safe access to the scaffold and failed to ensure all open sides of the scaffold had guardrails.

Proposed penalties: $130,500

Quote: "MMC Construction's continued refusal to comply with OSHA safety standards is putting its employees in serious and potentially fatal danger," said Joseph Roesler, OSHA's area director in Mobile. "Falls are a leading cause of death in the construction industry. OSHA remains committed to holding employers accountable for ensuring all workers are protected."

The citations can be viewed at: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/MMCConstructionLLC_1118442.pdf

MMC has had six OSHA inspections in the last five years, and the agency as cited the company for violations of OSHA's construction scaffold standard in every inspection.

Based in Dacula, Georgia, MMC Construction is a residential and commercial masonry contractor. The company has 10 employees. It has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Mobile Area Office at 251-441-6131.

A motorcyclist from Holland, MI suffered critical head injuries after crashing into a van that failed to yield







Motorcyclist suffers critical head injury following crash
Posted 10:42 PM, June 26, 2016, by Tim Dickman

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP Mich. — A 43-year-old motorcyclist from Holland suffered critical head injuries after crashing into a van Sunday afternoon.

It happened around 2:15 p.m. at Quincy and 104th Avenue in Holland Township.

A 59-year-old Holland man failed to stop at the intersection likely causing the crash, according to a press release from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office. The driver of the van was not hurt, but the motorcyclist was taken to a Zeeland Hospital before being flown to a Grand Rapids hospital for treatment.

The motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet.

The crash remains under investigation.

4 seriously injured after car plunges 150 feet off cliff in Pennsylvania due to distracted driving











Published June 27, 2016
Associated Press

 

SMOCK, Pa. – Authorities say a woman and three children were seriously injured after they car they were in swerved off a Pennsylvania cliff and plunged 150 feet.

State police in Fayette County say the 58-year-old woman on a road in the village of Smock at about 10:45 a.m. Sunday with three girls aged 10, 12 and 13.

Police said she became "distracted" while going around a left bend and swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle. The vehicle plunged off the cliff, striking several trees before landing and flipping over.

Police said all four occupants sustained "major injuries." None were wearing seat belts. The woman was taken to UPMC Presbyterian, the oldest girl to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, and the other girls to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Permanent Injunction Against Sacramento Tofu Company and Senior Officers to Stop Distribution of Adulterated and Misbranded Products


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 27, 2016
District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against Sacramento Tofu Company and Senior Officers to Stop Distribution of Adulterated and Misbranded Products


The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against Wa Heng Dou-Fu & Soy Sauce Corporation doing business as Wa Heng Dou-Fu & Soy Sauce International Enterprises (Wa Heng) and the firm’s co-owners, Peng Xiang “Martin” Lin and Yuexiao “Opal” Lin, to prevent the distribution of adulterated and misbranded soy products, the Department of Justice announced today.

The Department filed a complaint in the Eastern District of California on June 17, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The complaint alleged that the defendants violated the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by causing food that is held for sale after shipment of one or more of its components in interstate commerce to become adulterated and misbranded. According to the complaint, the defendants have an extensive history of operating their food manufacturing facility under insanitary conditions, failing to follow current good manufacturing practice requirements and misbranding their food products.

“The American public deserves to be assured that companies and individuals preparing and distributing food subject to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act are complying with federal law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work aggressively with the FDA to ensure a safe food supply.”

As detailed in the complaint, the company receives, prepares, processes, manufactures, packs, labels, holds and distributes soy products including fried tofu, firm tofu, seasoned tofu and soy drinks. The complaint alleged that Martin Lin’s responsibilities include the firm’s daily operations, raw material purchases, facility and equipment maintenance and production schedule and that Opal Lin’s responsibilities include training employees and overseeing employee performance.

In conjunction with the filing of the complaint, the defendants agreed to settle the case and to be bound by a permanent injunction that requires Wa Heng to cease all food preparation, manufacturing and distribution. If the defendants seek to resume preparing, manufacturing and distributing food, they must implement remedial measures set forth in the injunction, notify FDA of the measures taken, and receive written notification from FDA that they appear to be in compliance with the remedial requirements set forth in the injunction and the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

According to the complaint, the defendants had a history of repeated violations. A 2015 inspection by FDA documented that the defendants failed to take reasonable precautions to ensure that production procedures do not contribute to contamination from any source. For example, as alleged in the complaint, FDA observed at least three employees spraying pressurized water from a water hose onto the production area floor, where FDA isolated Salmonella Havana, causing water to splash from the floor onto uncovered tofu and onto food contact surfaces, such as tofu presses and a filtration table. This was a repeat observation from the FDA’s 2012 inspection. In addition, FDA observed employees touching the bottoms of buckets and crates that had been on the floor and then touching tofu. The hand wash sink in the production room had no hot water because the valve had been turned off and the sink was inaccessible due to crates in front of it. This was also a repeat observation from the 2012 inspection.

According to the complaint, the most recent inspection also found that the defendants failed to maintain equipment and utensils in an acceptable fashion through appropriate cleaning and sanitizing. FDA observed spray hose nozzles, air valves, water valves and light switches that contained heavy residue, as well as a tofu cutting knife that was placed on top of a tofu press with greenish-brown buildup and then used to slice tofu.

Further, the complaint alleged that during the 2015 inspection, FDA conducted environmental sampling of the facility and five subsamples tested positive for pathogenic Salmonella Havana. According to the complaint, the positive samples were taken from, among other places, a floor drain near a cooking tank, a caster wheel on a cart carrying tofu and the floor between the packing and processing rooms. As noted in the complaint, FDA isolated a nearly identical strain of Salmonella Havana during its 2011 and 2012 inspections.

During the 2015 inspection, FDA also collected samples of the defendants’ product labeling. The complaint alleges that the defendants’ products are misbranded because, among other things, some of the firm’s soy products fail to include a label containing an accurate statement of the quantity of the contents in terms of weight, measure, or numerical count.

“Firms and individuals that violate federal food safety regulations pose a danger to public health,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert of the Eastern District of California. “The Department will not hesitate to hold companies and individuals accountable in order to protect the American people from adulterated food.”

The government is represented by Trial Attorney Raquel Toledo of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kennedy of the Eastern District of California and Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Charlotte Hinkle of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel’s Food and Drug Division.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca.

PEDESTRIANS CONTINUE TO DIE ON THE DEADLY U.S. ROADS: ANOTHER PEDESTRIAN KILLED IN EAST BALTIMORE, MD







Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.




Deadly pedestrian crash closes E. Monument Street in Baltimore
WMAR Staff
7:40 AM, Jun 27, 2016
5 hours ago

A man was struck and killed by a car Monday morning in east Baltimore.

Officers responded to the 4000 block of East Monument Street at approximately 5:42 a.m. to find a 53-year-old man had been hit. He was pronounced dead at the scene by medics.

Baltimore Police said the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene. The pedestrian hasn't been identified.

East Monument Street was shut down between Haven Street and Route 40 as police investigated.

DO NOT MESS WITH TEXAS: Bail denied for man accused of stopping traffic to play basketball on Gulf Fwy feeder


Bail denied for man accused of stopping traffic to play basketball on Gulf Fwy feeder





A man accused in a basketball stunt will remain in jail on a theft charge. Foti Kallergis reports. (KTRK)





Updated 17 mins ago
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A judge has denied bail for one of the two men accused of shutting down the Gulf Freeway feeder road so they could play a game of hoops.

Video of Roland Zepeda Jr. and his cousin Edward Gonzalez went viral, but the publicity seems to have backfired on them.

Zepeda was in court today on a theft charge, stemming directly from the posting of his hoops video.

Court documents allege Zepeda stole two GoPro cameras valued around $600 from a house in Pasadena and the crime was caught on camera.

One of the alleged theft victims told police they saw him on the news in the basketball stunt, and was able to identify him by his clothing and tattoos.

Bond was denied because this was Zepeda's third theft charge and second theft conviction.

Gonzalez was also set to appear today on a felony theft charge, and according to court documents, the charge stems from an incident where he is alleged to have stolen nearly $8,000 in Beats by Dr. Dre headphones from a west Houston retail Apple store.

1 teen was killed and 2 others were seriously injured when a speeding car crashed in Butler County, Ohio


Teen passenger killed, two others seriously injured in rollover crash
Deputies suspect driver was speeding


  WCPO Staff
1:17 PM, Jun 27, 2016







REILY TWP., Ohio – A teen was killed and two others were seriously injured when a car went off Hamilton-Scipio Road Sunday night, the Butler County Sheriff's Office said.

A passenger, Daniel Accorinti, 18, of Hamilton, died in the crash about 7:30 p.m.

Deputies suspect 18-year-old Travis Owens of Hamilton was speeding when he lost control. The 2010 Camaro rolled over several times before coming to rest in a field.

Owens was flown to University of Cincinnati Hospital Medical Center. Another passenger, a female juvenile, was transported to Fort Hamilton Hospital.

The investigation continues.

Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

2 firefighters suffered smoke inhalation after a shed storing pool chemicals caught fire in Eastport, Long Island, NY



TWO LONG ISLAND FIREFIGHTERS TRANSPORTED FOLLOWING SHED/HAZ MAT FIRE

June 25, 2016


Two firefighters were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation on Friday afternoon after a shed storing pool chemicals caught fire.

The fire at 97 East Moriches Boulevard was called in at 12:34 p.m. on Friday, according to Eastport Fire Department Public Information Officer John Dalen. Firefighters arrived on scene to find that the shed, including several pool chemicals and a large propane tank, aflame. The fire had also spread to a nearby small structure that was described as slightly larger than a storage shed. Both sheds were destroyed in the blaze.

The firefighters, who have not been identified, were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital via East Moriches Community Ambulance as a precaution. No other injuries were reported from the scene.

Both the East Moriches and the Westhampton Beach fire departments responded to the scene and had units on standby at the Eastport Firehouse. In total, there were approximately 45 firefighters on scene, which was cleared at roughly 2:30 p.m. Eastport Fire Chief Michael Tortice was in charge on scene.

The Brookhaven Town Fire Marshal was on the scene of the fire on Friday afternoon, though the cause of the fire is not yet known.

4 people were injured when their car collided with a fire truck from West Lanham Hills Fire Department in MD



APPARATUS CRASH IN PG CO MD

June 23, 2016



Four people were injured Tuesday night when the car they were traveling in collided with a fire truck from West Lanham Hills Fire Department.


The accident happened just after 7 p.m. in front of the Seabrook Station Shopping Center in the 9400 block of Lanham-Severn Road.

The fire truck was traveling eastbound on Lanham-Severn Road en route to a reported house fire in Old Town Bowie when the vehicle with four people cut in front of the fire truck, causing the fire truck to collide with the vehicle, a source at the scene said.

The vehicle then struck a sign pole, trapping the four passages. Firefighters quickly freed the victims from the vehicle.

“Two of the victims were transported to a nearby hospital suffering none life-threatening injuries,” said Mark Brady, spokesperson for the Prince George’s County Fire Department. “The other two were treated on the scene and refused to be transported to a hospital. There were no injuries to firefighters.

“The reported house fire in Old Town Bowie turned out to be someone cooking outside.”

Officials from the fire department, along with the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit, are investigating the accident.

AMBULANCE DESTROYED IN MICHIGAN COLLISION WITH CAR THAT RUN A STOP SIGN


AMBULANCE DESTROYED IN MICHIGAN COLLISION WITH CAR THAT RUN A STOP SIGN

June 24, 2016


Michigan State Police say a car ran a stop sign and crashed into a Twin EMS truck in Saginaw County.

The crash happened Thursday around 6:37 p.m. at Ferden and Bueche Road in Maplegrove Township

Lt. Kaiser said, “The accident scene looks horrible and the ambulance disintegrated. Despite this, the ambulance crew only had minor injuries.”

Kaiser said the driver, who ran the stop sign, was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.






2 FIREFIGHTERS INJURED AT 5 ALARM WAREHOUSE FIRE IN BOSTON


2 FIREFIGHTERS INJURED AT 5 ALARM WAREHOUSE FIRE IN BOSTON

June 26, 2016


Two firefighters were hurt battling a five-alarm warehouse fire in the Hyde Park section of Boston.

Shortly after 5:30 p.m., firefighters were called to the Hyde Park Masonry and Landscape Supplies building located at the corner of Grantley Street and Hyde Park Avenue.



The building is at least 100 feet long and 50 feet wide, fire officials say.



The blaze ripped through the roof of the cider block building and there was a partial collapse, investigators say.


Cause Remains Undetermined for Massive Warehouse Fire in Watervliet, NY








Watervliet Building Badly Damaged After Late-Night Fire
Updated 05/24/2016 07:10 PM
Watervliet Home Demolished After Damaged by Fire
Updated 05/06/2016 05:31 PM

By Jorja Roman
Updated Sunday, June 26, 2016 at 05:40 PM EDT

WATERVLIET, N.Y. -- Doug Schoonmaker, a longtime Watervliet resident, turned around to a sight never seen before in his backyard on Saturday night.

“I was in the middle of cleaning my pool and my wife was sitting at the table and I didn't hear a thing. And my wife just said, ‘Doug I think we have to get out of here,’” Schoonmaker said. “The smoke was just horrendous. It was just big puffs of black smoke.”

The warehouse that's always been behind his Watervliet home was engulfed in flames

“You could feel the heat. It was unbearable. The heat was just amazing,” said Schoonmaker.

That heat caused minor damage to some vinyl siding on Schoonmaker's home and he lost power through Sunday afternoon.

“It could have been a lot worse than it is,” Schoonmaker said.

He says the potential that flames would reach his home was his biggest fear.

“I thought it was going to actually. I come back here and my fence over in the corner was starting to catch fire,” said Schoonmaker.

However, thanks to the work of six fire departments and 40 firefighters, the fire was contained to the warehouse.

“When you have a fire of this magnitude you have to see where it's going. You have to try and get ahead of it and prevent it from extending to other structures and running down the block,” Watervliet fire chief Ron Conlen said.

The massive fire may have destroyed an entire warehouse and damaged nearby homes but it's nothing the Watervliet community can't overcome.

"A bunch of us neighbors helped with pulling hoses and keeping the traffic lines up and putting the tape out for the fireman and policeman because they had their hands full. It was just a crazy night, but it was nice the community came together,” Watervliet resident Bill Fisher said.

Massive Oklahoma City apartment complex was severely damaged during a fire leaving many families homeless





 





OKC Apartment Complex Decimated By Fire Posted: Jun 22, 2016 10:23 PM EST Updated: Jun 23, 2016 9:49 AM EST
By Matthew Nuttle, News9.com
 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -

An Oklahoma City apartment complex was severely damaged during a fire late Wednesday night.

Fire crews were called out to the Pheasant Run apartment complex, located in the 6100 block of N. Meridian Ave., just after 9 p.m. Once on scene firefighters reported seeing heavy smoke and flames pouring from the structure.

The severity of the three-alarm fire initially forced responding crews into a defensive position. As soon as the fire started to get under control, crews made their way inside to conduct searches. Luckily, all of the tenants managed to escape safely.

Officials say two firefighters were overcome by heat and needed to be transported to a local hospital for evaluation. One civilian was treated at the scene for a fall and possible leg injury.

The damage to the apartment complex was so extensive that no tenant was allowed to stay there overnight; 19 of 24 units were occupied at the time. Fire officials say 12 of the apartment units received some amount of fire damage.

Investigators say the fire caused $360,000 of damage to the building. Another $120,000 in damage was lost personal items. The cause of the fire could not be determined.


=================================



Massive Fire In NW OKC Leaves More Than A Dozen Families Homeless Posted: Jun 26, 2016 6:39 PM EST Updated: Jun 26, 2016 6:39 PM EST
By Deanne Stein, News 9





OKLAHOMA CITY -

A massive apartment fire in northwest Oklahoma City left more than a dozen families homeless.

The fire started Wednesday night inside one of the buildings at the Pheasant Run apartment complex located near NW 63 Street and Meridian Avenue.

Alma Garcia was home watching cartoons with her two young boys when she first heard it.

“We could hear just the crackling of the wood,” she remembers.

She thought someone was just cooking outside but the crackling sound got louder. Then she felt it.

“As I get close to the firewall that we have to divide the unit, it just sounded louder, and when I put my hand there, it was hot,” she said.

Her instincts told her to grab her two young boys and get out. That's when she saw the raging fire consuming her apartment building. Firefighters battled the three alarm blaze Wednesday night where flames were seen from the ground shooting up through the roof.


“It's hard when you're a single mom and you work two jobs to provide everything that you can for your kids and everything is gone in minutes,” Garcia said.

From the heavy flames to the charred remains, there’s nothing left of what was once home to 19 families.

“I know the rest of the stuff is materialistic that can be replaced but it's just hard going through this,” she said.

Garcia is now living at a nearby hotel with her two children, but she says donations from friends and strangers are helping her get by.

“People are pulling through hard helping me out and I’m very grateful for that,” she said.

The apartment complex is working to put all displaced families in new units. Garcia hopes to be in her new apartment sometime this week. Still no word on what caused the fire.

If you would like to leave donations for the families, you can bring them to the Pheasant Run rental office located at 6100 N. Meridian Avenue.

1 motorcyclist killed after he was hit by several cars and a truck in Interstate 287 in Franklin Township, NJ








At 3:43 a.m. Monday, the State Police responded to a report of an accident involving a motorcycle and several vehicles on I-287 south in Franklin Township, said Williams.

According to the initial investigation, Chaparro was riding a 2006 Honda Ruckus traveling south in the right lane when the bike tipped over and he fell off, said Williams.

Chaparro fell and slid into the center lane and was struck by a 2016 Mazda 6 driven by Diestival Ramirez, who was traveling in the center lane, said Williams. No further information on Ramirez was available.

The Mazda came to a stop in the middle of Interstate 287 southbound and Chaparro was hit by four additional vehicles. At 3:56 a.m., Chaparro was pronounced dead at the scene, said Williams.


Two separate accidents on Interstate 287 in Central Jersey caused significant delays on June 17, 2016.

The accident closed Interstate 287 south between exit 12 (Route 623) and exit 10 (Easton Avenue) for four hours, said Williams.

The accident remains under investigation, he said. The New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Investigation Unit, Crime Scene Investigation Unit and Accident Management Unit and the Essex County Medical Examiner's Office responded to the scene, said Williams.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation assisted in the closure of lanes, said Williams.

On June 17, two separate accidents caused delays on both sides of Interstate 287 in the same area.

One on the northbound side near exit 14 just before 9:30 a.m. involved two Honda Accords. Earlier the same day, two tractors-trailers - one hauling bread and the other deli meat - crashed on the southbound side in South Plainfield.


===================================

By Craig Turpin | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

on June 27, 2016 at 6:43 AM, updated June 27, 2016 at 12:19 PM




FRANKLIN, NJ - A fatal accident investigation closed southbound Interstate 287 between exit 12 (Route 623) and exit 10 (Easton Avenue) Monday morning, according to the state Department of Transportation.


An accident has closed the southbound lanes of Interstate 287 in Franklin Township on Monday, June 27, 2016. (courtesy state DOT)

All lanes reopened by 10 a.m., but there were delays of up to 6 miles before the accident on the southbound side and delays of up to 8 miles on the northbound side.

Traffic also slowed on routes 22 and 28 in Somerset County and Route 18 in Piscataway in Middlesex County. Many other roads in the area were clogged with vehicles attempting to get around around the detour.


The accident involving a motorcycle, several cars and a truck happened at approximately 4 a.m., according to reports. State Police confirmed that the motorcyclist was killed.

On June 17, two separate accidents caused delays on both sides of Interstate 287 in the same area. The accident was the second fatality on this stretch of expressway this year.

One on the northbound side near exit 14 just before 9:30 a.m. involved two Honda Accords. Earlier the same day, two tractors-trailers - one hauling bread and the other deli meat - crashed on the southbound side in South Plainfield.

A 13-year-old girl was killed, another injured after a drunk driver's boat crashed into a personal watercraft she was riding in Colorado River in Bullhead City, AZ



AP
Updated Jun 26, 2016
 

BULLHEAD CITY, AZ — Bullhead City police say 13-year-old girl was killed after a boat crashed into a personal watercraft she was riding.


Police say that the girl was on the personal watercraft near Davis Camp South beach about 12:37 p.m. Saturday when it was hit by a 20-foot boat driven by a 42-year-old man from Long Beach, California.

Investigators say the girl was riding the personal watercraft with an 8-year-old girl, and it was driven by a 42-year-old woman from Colton, California.

Police say the 13-year-old suffered head injuries and died after she was taken to Western Arizona Regional Medical Center, where she died. The driver of the personal watercraft suffered a collapsed lung and a broken arm and was taken to a hospital in Las Vegas. The 8-year-old girl had a large cut on her left arm, as well as a broken left hand, forearm and upper arm.

Police say the driver of the boat was charged with operating a watercraft while intoxicated.


We were there it was by the bridge were it switches from Laughlin to Bullhead Arizona. My cousin was there on our seadoo and him and his friend jump in to help the 13 year old girl because she was unconscious, face down in the water and he feared that if she was still alive she would drown since he didn't know the severity of the injuries. While the intoxicated man on the boat threw his alcoholic substances in the water. It's very sad and I send my sincere condolences to the family.

Nobody was injured when an Amtrak train carrying 236 passengers derailed Sunday afternoon in Tukwila, WA



Nobody injured when Amtrak train derails in Tukwila
By KOMO Staff Sunday, June 26th 2016


TUKWILA, Wash. -- Nobody was injured when an Amtrak train carrying 236 passengers derailed Sunday afternoon in Tukwila.

Marty Grishman with the Tukwila Fire Department said the train, which was going from Portland to Seattle, was going just 5 miles per hour when it somehow went off the rails in the area of SW Grady Way.

Emergency responders were initially worried about about a potential fuel spill, but once they assessed the damage they called off many of the initial responders.

"We launched a full deployment in the beginning. We had hazmat units responding," Grisham said.

The 236 passengers were loaded onto buses and taken to the King Street Station in Seattle to complete their journey.

Crews had the trail back on the tracks and moving by 5 p.m.

An investigation into the derailment is underway.

Canadair CL-215 firefighting aircraft was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing after one engine caught fire in Greece. Both pilots were not injured




Unharmed the two pilots of the CL-215 - 


The plane made "heavy landing" burning - 

In the 251 Aviation Hospital transferred the two pilot.

The CL-215 fire-fighting aircraft crashed shortly before burning and one kilometers north of the cement plant "Titan" in Attica-Viotia limits. The aircraft participated in the extinguishing operation in Dervenochoria. 

The pilots are safe, but one of them was slightly injured. The aircraft has not eject mechanism, which means that apparently the Canadair made heavy landing and so both pilots managed to get out. Reportedly, the two operators are in good health with the co-pilot has been injured in the hand and waist.


=======================================================




Status:

Preliminary
Date: Sunday 26 June 2016
Time: 11:09
Type:
Canadair CL-215-1A10
Operator: Elleniki Polemikí Aeroporía
Registration: 1111
C/n / msn: 1111
First flight:

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-2800-83AM
Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Airplane damage: Substantial
Location: near Dervenochoria ( Greece)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature: Fire fighting
Departure airport: Volos-Néa Anchialos Airport (VOL/LGBL), Greece
Destination airport: Volos-Néa Anchialos Airport (VOL/LGBL), Greece
Narrative:
The Canadair CL-215 firefighting aircraft was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing accident. Both pilots were not injured,
The No.1 engine caught fire while the plane was on a firefighting mission in the area of Dervenochoria, Greece. The crew carried out a forced landing and the aircraft was reportedly destroyed by the ensuing fire.

The City of Iowa City, Iowa, has reached an administrative civil settlement with EPA over alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its sanitary landfill


City of Iowa City, Iowa, and EPA Settle Clean Air Act Violations
06/27/2016
Contact Information:
David Bryan (bryan.david@epa.gov)
913-551-7433

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., June 27, 2016) - The City of Iowa City, Iowa, has reached an administrative civil settlement with EPA over alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its sanitary landfill. The settlement includes an $8,225 civil penalty, a Supplemental Environmental Project estimated at $109,000, and other improvements estimated at $2 million to ensure continued compliance.

This enforcement action is part of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiative to cut hazardous air pollutants. One of the most common sources of these pollutants is municipal solid waste landfills. Landfill standards impose important controls on emissions of landfill gas, as well as monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements – all to help insure that landfill gas emissions are minimized.

A July 15, 2014, facility inspection and additional investigation by EPA Region 7 showed that Iowa City had failed to comply with certain requirements of the New Source Performance Standards for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills. Specific violations noted in the inspection included failing to conduct appropriate monitoring and expand the gas collection well system when the wells had exceeded the standards for oxygen content, methane concentration and pressure; and failing to conduct proper surface emission monitoring and landfill cover integrity monitoring.

Under terms of this settlement filed by EPA in Lenexa, Kan., Iowa City has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $8,225. The city has also agreed to implement several other measures at a cost of almost $2 million to ensure its continued compliance with the landfill regulations and benefit the communities surrounding the landfill.

Iowa City will develop and implement detailed Standard Operating Procedures that its employees will follow in conducting monthly monitoring of the landfill’s gas collection wells. The city will allow an independent third party to complete an audit of the landfill’s gas collection system, and has agreed to implement corrective actions recommended by an auditor. The city will provide access to a web-based “electronic portal” so that EPA can easily check the landfill’s monitoring data. Iowa City will also provide timely notice to neighboring communities if it anticipates conditions at the landfill that might lead to off-site odors.

Additionally, Iowa City has agreed to spend more than $109,000 on a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) that has two related components. Iowa City will purchase and install four thermal cameras at the landfill. These cameras will monitor the surface and subsurface portions of the landfill site. If temperatures reach levels indicative of a potential landfill fire, the cameras will automatically trigger an early warning system to notify designated landfill staff and local emergency responders.

Iowa City will also create and implement a landfill fire risk management plan. This plan will provide training to landfill staff, the fire department, police department, and county Emergency Management Agency on emergency planning and coordination in the event of a landfill fire. Depending on the type of solid waste that is burning, a prolonged fire could lead to an increase in emissions of potentially hazardous pollutants, such as particulate matter, benzene, carbon monoxide and dioxins and furans. Not only will this project reduce the potential for a landfill fire, but it will also put procedures in place to respond rapidly and effectively if a fire should occur.

“This settlement is the result of cooperative and productive discussions with Iowa City,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Mark Hague. “As part of the settlement, the city will implement important, progressive measures that will minimize risks to the local community and improve public access to information about conditions at the site.”

Controlling these emissions is vital as those releases can cause, or contribute significantly to, air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare. Landfill gas, which is created by the decomposition of organic materials in solid waste, consists primarily of methane and carbon dioxide as well as less than 1 percent of many different “nonmethane” organic gases. Adverse effects of landfill gas include ground-level ozone formation, cancer and noncancer health effects, fire hazard potential (caused by methane migration), and odor nuisance. Methane emissions are a significant source of greenhouse gases and reducing those releases is a key element of the Administration’s plan to address climate change.

Oil spill in Ontario Lake was caused by the Fitzpatrick nuclear plant







(Photo: Provided photo)


Sean Lahman, @seanlahman 


11:38 a.m. EDT June 27, 2016
 
A discoloration of the water near the FitzPatrick nuclear plant was identified as an oil spill, according to a spokesperson for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The Fitzpatrick plant is in Scriba, New York, approximately 10 miles northeast of Oswego.

Entergy Corporation, which operates the plant, found the source of the oil on the roof of a turbine building, said Neil Sheehan, a public affairs officer for the NRC. The oil was coming from the vent for the hydrogen seal system.

"It appears about 20 to 30 gallons that leaked were then drained through the plant’s discharge drain system to the lake," said NRC public affairs officer Neil Sheehan. "The company has placed oil-absorbent pads on the turbine building roof and has also stopped all circulating water pumps to eliminate any further discharges."

The oil has not adversely impacted plant operations, he said.

Coast Guard officials established a temporary safe zone Sunday in the waters of Lake Ontario near the plant after observing a sheen, or discoloration of the surface of the water.

The sheen was discovered Sunday by a Coast Guard Auxiliary air crew.

A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Oswego launched to take samples of the sheen and enforce a safety zone extending two miles to the north and two miles to the east and west.

Representatives from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation were also on scene.