MEC&F Expert Engineers : 07/04/16

Monday, July 4, 2016

2 wastewater treatment plant workers burned by hydrogen sulfide in Wichita Falls, Texas



Lauren Roberts/Times Record News Wichita Falls police block entrances to the River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant Saturday evening. Two city workers from the plant were transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas in critical condition after being exposed to a gas while making routine repairs in the facility's basement. Officials said the gas was never a threat to the public.


WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS
By John Ingle of the Times Record News

Investigators continue their work to determine what happened Saturday afternoon when two workers at River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant were exposed to hydrogen sulfide while working on a sludge pump.

The two employees were still at Parkland Memorial Hospital Sunday receiving treatment for chemical burns as a result of the incident. Authorities continue to piece together the events. The workers' conditions were not available Sunday afternoon.

Daniel Nix, utilities operations manager for Wichita Falls, said an employee with 18 years' experience another worker with more than a year at the plant were conducting routine maintenance on the pump when they were exposed to the dangerous gas. He said personnel at the plant who were performing a routine check on the workers found them down at about 5 p.m. and followed procedures for emergency response by the fire department and police department.

"The procedure is in extreme hazardous environment, they aren't to go in and rescue," he said, adding it would potentially add to the number of employees having to be rescued.

Nix said employees followed protocol and praised the fire and police departments for their response.

Working in utilities, whether at the River Road plant, one of the two water treatment plants or in the field is inherently dangerous work, Nix said. He said the last time an incident occurred was about 30 years ago. Saturday's incident was an unlikely event.

"It's one of those things the occasion for it to occur is there, but an incident actually happening is low," Nix said. "We work in a hazardous environment every day."

Nix said staff at the plant are understandably shaken up by the incident. He said they are a close-knit family and are concerned about the men's well-being.



Hydrogen sulfide
Chemical Compound
Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula H 2S. It is a colorless gas with the characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs; it is heavier than air, very poisonous, corrosive, flammable, and explosive. 
Formula: H2S
Molar mass: 34.0809 g/mol
Boiling point: -76°F (-60°C)
Melting point: -115.6°F (-82°C)
Density: 1.36 kg/m³
Classification: Sulfide, Sulfur compounds



OSHA Quick Card
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)

Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, flammable, extremely hazardous gas with a “rotten egg” smell. It occurs naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas, and can be produced by the breakdown of organic matter and human/ animal wastes (e.g., sewage). It is heavier than air and can collect in low-lying and enclosed, poorly ventilated areas such as basements, manholes, sewer lines and underground telephone/electrical vaults.

Detection by Smell
  • Can be smelled at low levels, but with continuous lowlevel exposure or at higher concentrations you lose your ability to smell the gas even though it is still present.
    • At high concentrations – your ability to smell the gas can be lost instantly.
  • DO NOT depend on your sense of smell for indicating the continuing presence of this gas or for warning of hazardous concentrations.
Health Effects

Health effects vary with how long, and at what level, you are exposed. Asthmatics may be at greater risk.
  • Low concentrations – irritation of eyes, nose, throat, or respiratory system; effects can be delayed.
  • Moderate concentrations – more severe eye and respiratory effects, headache, dizziness, nausea, coughing, vomiting and difficulty breathing.
  • High concentrations – shock, convulsions, unable to breathe, coma, death; effects can be extremely rapid (within a few breaths).
Before Entering Areas with Possible Hydrogen Sulfide
  • The air needs to be tested for the presence and concentration of hydrogen sulfide by a qualified person using test equipment. This individual also determines if fire/explosion precautions are necessary.
  • If gas is present, the space should be ventilated.
  • If the gas cannot be removed, use appropriate respiratory protection and any other necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), rescue and communication equipment. Atmospheres containing high concentrations (greater than 100 ppm) are considered immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) and a selfcontained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is required.

Nevada plans cleanup of PCE spill in Las Vegas neighborhood that affects more than 200 homes



By - Associated Press - Sunday, July 3, 2016

LAS VEGAS (AP) - State officials who monitor chemical contamination at 40 sites in southern Nevada are now preparing for a large-scale cleanup at one that stemmed from a spill at a dry-cleaning shop more than three decades ago.

More than 200 homes sit atop a plume created years ago at a dry-cleaning operation, The Las Vegas Sun reported. The cancer-causing chemical bled into groundwater after the spill in 1982, and officials say the plume now stretches more than a mile long. In some areas, PCE evaporated and turned into a gas, seeping into the air inside of homes.

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection is working to begin extracting the perchloroethylene, or PCE, by spring of 2017. Recently, workers have installed mitigating systems to keep the chemical out of homes.

Donna Castaneda is one of several residents in the area who have been equipped with a system designed to funnel the chemicals accumulating underneath her home outside. In the corner of her bedroom closet, she has a tube that runs from the floor to the roof.

“This should have been taken care of,” said Castaneda, who moved to the area years before 1982.

Regulators are in the process of finalizing that plan with the former owners of the Maryland Square property, who were found responsible to pay for the cleanup.


A lawyer for the Herman Kishner Trust, which owned the shopping center at the time of the spill, controls the cleanup funds and represents the responsible parties, did not comment on how much each party or insurance plan will pay for cleanup.

Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, whose district includes Paradise Palms, said she understood the concerns about PCE in the neighborhood.

“I would say (concerns) are valid because there’s the ‘What if?’” she said. “But to date, my understanding, not being in the health business, is that they are safe.”

PCE frequently affects the central nervous system, but it can also cause damage to organs like the liver or kidneys after long-term exposure, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

8 people homeless after a 2-alarm fire damages 5 apartments in Salt Lake City, Utah


People forced from their homes by early morning apartment fire
Posted 6:57 am, July 4, 2016, by Ranae Bell, Updated at 07:29am, July 4, 2016



SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Fire investigators are trying to find out what caused a 2-alarm fire that forced people in 5 apartments out of their homes on Sunday.

It happened around 2 a.m. on the third floor of the Georgia Apartments at 2015 S. and 200 E. in Salt Lake City.

Spokesman for the Salt Lake City Fire Department Jasen Asay says they upgraded to a 2-alarm fire because they knew lots of people were outside.

“When our crews arrived they found heavy fire conditions in one of the apartment units, we evacuated a part of the building, the rest of the building the occupants were asked to shelter in place,” Asay said.

At one point, firefighters say a man jumped from the building.

“We had the report of one occupant jumping from a second-floor window,” Asay said. “Our medics evaluated and treated that occupant on scene and he was not transported to the hospital.”

When crews arrived they quickly contained the fire to one unit on the third floor.

Asay said the fire was under control within 20 minutes, and didn’t spread to other units because the building is made of non-combustible materials.

People on the north side of the building were told to shelter in place, since the fire wasn’t spreading, but people in 5 units on the south side of the building were forced out because of smoke and water damage.

A total of 8 people were forced out, and the three who didn’t have alternative housing are being assisted by the Utah Red Cross, according to Asay.

1 person died in a house fire in Pitt County, NC




Winterville Community VFD


Pitt County Sheriff's Office investigates fatal fire

Updated: Mon 12:26 AM, Jul 04, 2016


PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - The Pitt County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal overnight fire. 


 Investigators were called to 314 West Hanrahan Road around 3:00 a.m. Fire crews had been previously called to the scene for a fully involved house fire after 1 a.m.

The fire happened in the Grifton Fire Department district. They received aid from Ayden, Gardnerville, and Winterville Community Fire Departments. The Pitt County Fire Marshal's Office was also on scene.

The sheriff's office is working to identify the victim and the cause of the fire.

One person is dead and another is hurt after a boat crashed into a jet ski on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia




Boat hits jet ski in deadly crash on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia

  By Erin Brookshier - Virginia Today Traffic Reporter Published: July 4, 2016, 5:25 am Updated: July 4, 2016, 8:36 am

  
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA (WSLS10)– One person is dead and another is hurt after a boat crashed into a jet ski on Smith Mountain Lake Sunday night.

The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries confirms the accident happened Sunday night at 7:45 p.m. Investigators say the an 18-year-old from Martinsville, whose name has not been released, was driving a boat near the Anthony Ford Boat Launch. The driver pulled into a cove and quickly turned around. As the boat was pulling back out, it hit a jet ski.

The passenger of that jet ski, at 17-year-old girl, from Clemmons, NC, was killed in the crash. The driver, a 19-year-old from Danville, was hurt. He was taken to Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. No word on his condition at this point.

Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash. Crews will be back out at the scene Monday morning as the investigation continues.

1 killed after a truck slams into a wrecker in Bellaire in Houston, Texas


59 NB reopens at Bellaire after deadly crash
3 vehicles involved in wreck
By Click2Houston.com Staff Updated: 6:31 AM, July 04, 2016


A deadly crash shut down the northbound lanes of the Southwest Freeway at Bellaire for a brief time Monday morning.

The crash happened around 1 a.m. Monday morning. According to Houston TranStar, three vehicles were involved. We're told the incident involved two separate crashes.



In the first crash, a car was stalled on the freeway when a small SUV hit it from behind. As a wrecker was working to clear that accident, a man driving a truck slammed into the wrecker. His truck rolled, he was thrown from the truck and died at the scene.

His identity has not been released. Investigators are now looking into whether or not alcohol played a role in this crash.

A Van's RV-7 experimental plane crashed in Broward County, FL. The pilot died in the crash.


Typical RV-7 planes.


One dead in small plane crash in western Broward






Rescue units gather along U.S. 27, several miles north of Alligator Alley (Randy Vazquez/Sun)

Kate JacobsonContact ReporterSun Sentinel

One person was found dead Monday after a small plane crashed off of U.S. 27 in western Broward

One person has been confirmed dead after the wreckage of a small "experimental" plane was located in western Broward County, officials said.

The Florida Civil Air Patrol was alerted just before 12:30 a.m. Monday that the pilot of an RV-7 experimental airplane had not checked in with family members.


Shortly before 7 a.m., the wreckage was found just east of U.S. 27, about seven miles north of Alligator Alley by the Broward Sheriff's office Aviation Unit and the Civil Air Patrol.

Fire rescue and a Marine Unit from the sheriff's office arrived at the crash site and confirmed that one person was found dead, according to the Sheriff's Office.

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


Date:

04-JUL-2016
Time: 00:30 a.m.
Type:
Van's RV-7
Owner/operator: Private
Registration:

C/n / msn:

Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Broward County, north of Weston, Florida - United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature: Private
Departure airport:

Destination airport:

Narrative:
The experimental plane crashed under unknown circumstances. The pilot died in the crash.
Sources:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-west-broward-fatal-plane-crash-20160704-story.html
http://www.wptv.com/news/state/pilot-killed-in-broward-county-single-engine-plane-crash

Drunk driver sideswiped a police car at a traffic stop in northeast Louisiana, killing one officer and injuring two others


Police: Drunk Driver Kills Local Officer at Traffic Stop

By The Associated PressSTERLINGTON, La. — Jul 3, 2016, 8:13 PM ET



A 44-year-old man is accused of driving drunk and sideswiping a police car at a traffic stop in northeast Louisiana, killing one officer and injuring two others early Sunday, authorities said.

The wreck occurred on Interstate 55 in Sterlington, about 220 miles northwest of New Orleans, as city police Officer David Elahi stood next to a patrol car, talking to a woman who had been stopped, Sterlington Police Chief Barry Bonner said.

He said a pickup truck hit Elahi and took off the police car doors.

The other two officers had minor injuries, Trooper Michael Reichardt, a state police spokesman, said in an email.

He said Tracy Govan, 44, of Monroe, was arrested on charges including vehicular homicide and vehicular negligent injury — killing or injuring someone by driving while drunk. He did not know whether Govan has an attorney.

Bonner said the woman stopped for a traffic violation escaped injury. She was waiting in the patrol car's rear seat for a friend to come and drive her home, since police learned after she had been stopped that she was driving with a suspended license, Bonner said.

He said Elahi was in his late 20s, had worked for him about four years, and was engaged to the mother of his toddler-age daughter.

His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at North Monroe Baptist Church, Bonner said.

"David was probably the hardest-working individual I've ever met," Bonner said. He said Elahi had two part-time businesses — real estate and renting inflatable "bounce houses" — and had planned to go to part-time police work at the end of July so he could work full-time at real estate.

He was devoted to his daughter and to his parents, Bonner said.

"His father has some health issues, and David's always been there for him."

He said he can't remember ever seeing Elahi in a bad mood.

"He was a beautiful, beautiful young man."

An ATM was targeted by thives with explosive in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia




An ATM was targeted with some kind of explosive early Monday in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia. (WPVI)





Monday, July 04, 2016 07:32AM
STRAWBERRY MANSION (WPVI) -- An automated teller machine (ATM) appears to have been targeted with an explosive in Strawberry Mansion.

It happened at 4 a.m. Monday in the 2500 block of Lehigh Avenue.

Action News is told officers responded to the sound of a loud explosion.

They arrived to find the ATM outside the Hair After barber shop heavily damaged.

The blast was so strong police found parts of the ATM scattered on Lehigh Avenue.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

It was unclear if any cash was stolen from the machine.

An investigation is underway.

Suicidal pedestrian struck and killed by tractor-trailer on I-295 in N.J.







A pedestrian was struck and killed by a tractor trailer on I-295 in Burlington County, N.J. (WPVI)





Monday, July 04, 2016 06:22AM
MT. LAUREL, N.J. (WPVI) -- A pedestrian was struck and killed by a tractor trailer on I-295 in Burlington County, N.J.

It happened at 4 a.m. Monday in the northbound lanes near Route 38 (exit 40) in Mt. Laurel.

There was no immediate word what the victim was doing on the highway when the incident happened.  He either was drunk or he wanted to die by truck.  RIP.  He will not do that again.

All northbound lanes of the I-295 were closed for about two hours as police investigated.

12 apartments destroyed by massive fire in SW Houston, Texas














Fire leaves several people homeless in southwest Houston.





By Courtney Fischer
Updated 1 hr 27 mins ago
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston firefighters worked for hours overnight, putting out a two-story apartment fire in southwest Houston.

Twelve units were destroyed at the two-story complex located on the corner of Bissonnet Street and Rampart.


No one was hurt and all residents were evacuated from the building. Those whose homes were not affected by the fire have since been allowed to go back inside.

Investigators are working to figure how the fire started.

The Red Cross is assisting several families who were displaced.

1,000 gallons of corrosive sodium hydroxide spilled after 5 Schlumberger train cars derail outside San Antonio, injuring 2












Updated 1 hr 45 mins ago
SAN ANTONIO, TX -- Authorities say five train cars overturned outside of San Antonio, spilling about 1,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide and prompting a temporary evacuation.

Bexar County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Monica Ramos tells the San Antonio Express News (http://bit.ly/29azBba ) the derailment happened around 4 p.m. Sunday in an industrial area southwest of the city.

Ramos says the sodium hydroxide didn't cause fumes or residue. She says sodium hydroxide is only dangerous if touched.

She says two men inside a tug car that overturned suffered minor injuries and were treated on scene before being released.

A nearby flea market was temporarily evacuated.
KENS-TV reports the rail line involved is privately owned by oilfield services company Schlumberger.

An environment group is cleaning up, and authorities are investigating the cause of the derailment.



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


BCSO responds to train derailment, chemical spill
Alicia Neaves and Kens5.com staff , KENS 6:10 AM. CDT July 04, 2016






(Photo: KENS)



BEXAR COUNTY, Texas -- The Bexar County Sheriff's Office responded to a train derailment along Fischer Road near Von Ormy around 4 p.m. Sunday.

Monica Ramos, a spokesperson for Bexar County, said one sand car and three tanker cars overturned.

She said a tug car also overturned with two men inside. The men reportedly suffered minor injuries, were treated on scene and then released.

The tanker cars involved were carrying sodium hydroxide, according to Ramos.



About 1,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide spilled, but this did not cause any fumes. Ramos said it is only dangerous if you actually touch it.

An environmental group was at the scene cleaning up the spill Sunday evening.

The rail line involved is also privately owned by Schlumberger, and the spill happened on the company's land.

There was an evacuation at Trader Village "out of an abundance of caution," according to the county.

However, the evacuation was canceled after officials said they determined the substance spilled did not pose a threat to the public.

1 killed in fiery crash in Orange County, CA after the car crashed into the wall and flew over the transition into the southbound side of the 57 Freeway







Firefighters work on a smoldering car after the driver crashed it on the southbound 57 Freeway near the 91 Freeway transition on Monday, July 4, 2016. (twitter.com/OCFA_PIO)




Updated 20 mins ago
FULLERTON, Calif. (KABC) -- One person died early Monday morning in a fiery car crash on the southbound 57 Freeway in Orange County.


The crash occurred around 2:23 a.m. According to the California Highway Patrol, a car crashed into a wall traveling from the eastbound 91 Freeway onto the northbound 57 Freeway.

Authorities said the car crashed into the wall and flew over the transition into the southbound side of the 57 Freeway. The car burst into flames.


It was unclear what caused the accident. The investigation was ongoing.At that time of the day, most likely a drunk driver and a speeding driver would have caused such type of crash.  RIP. You will not do this again.

OSHA issues 57 citations, fines Sunfield $3.4 million for safety violations for Hebron plant


 








 Kent Mallett, Reporter 7:43 p.m. EDT July 1, 2016

Story Highlights
On Jan. 6, a 22-year-old man suffered multiple lacerations and a fractured right elbow at Sunfield.
On Feb. 18, a Sunfield employee had his right arm amputated after its was crushed on a press line.


HEBRON, OHIO – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued 57 citations for safety violations and proposed $3.4 million in fines to Sunfield, Inc., a Japanese-owned auto manufacturer operating a plant in Hebron.

The fines are one of the largest OSHA penalties ever filed against a company in the automotive parts industry, according to OSHA. The agency issued Sunfield 118 citations addressing numerous machine hazards at the Hebron facility.

A telephone message left Friday for company spokesman Rudy Parr was not returned by presstime.

An employee's arm was crushed and amputated in February. An employee of a temporary staffing agency suffered a fractured elbow in January. A man's fingers were severed in 2011. A fire in 2007 forced the evacuation of 85 employees. An employee fractured his leg in 2000, after being pinned under a coil of rolled steel.

"Sunfield has shown a total disregard for its workers, the kind rarely seen since the darkest days of the past when callous industrialists ruled and put profits before human suffering and common decency," said David Michaels, the OSHA assistant secretary of labor. "This has to stop. We hope that today’s action brings an end to these conditions and convinces this employer that their behavior is intolerable."

The fines are in response to Sunfield's failure to disconnect machinery from a power supply, failure to prevent sudden movement before maintenance and service, and failure to train workers in operating machine presses safely.

"Sunfield made and broke countless promises to improve safety conditions and eliminate serious hazards on the factory floor," Michaels said. "The company also ignored its own corporate safety manuals and its safety manager's warnings that workers lacked the training to protect themselves. And still, the company risked the safety and well-being of its employees as they operated dangerous and powerful industrial machines."

Federal investigators inspected the Hebron plant after the the injuries earlier this year. The facility has an extensive history of federal safety violations, dating back 20 years, OSHA reported. The company has a high rate of employee turnover, investigators found.

The latest citations were for 46 egregious willful, two willful, one repeated and eight serious safety violations. The agency placed the company in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program, for failure to address the safety hazards. Most of the violations involve lack of machine safety procedures which expose workers to amputation, lacerations and other injuries.

"When companies prioritize production and profit over the health and safety of their workforce, too often it is the workers that pay the price," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez. "OSHA’s investigation found the company's leadership failed in its obligation to properly train workers for the jobs they were hired to do, and created a culture that routinely tolerated willful and serious safety violations."

On Jan. 6, a 22-year-old man employed by a staffing agency suffered multiple lacerations and a fractured right elbow while removing scrap from a blanking press, after machine parts caught his arm because safety light curtains were not operating correctly, according to OSHA.

OSHA’s investigation found a supervisor identified the safety issue two hours prior to the injury, and failed to place the equipment out of service. The injured worker had been on the job six months.

On Feb. 18, a full-time 58-year-old Sunfield employee had surgical amputation of his right arm above the elbow after his arm was crushed when he removed scrap on a robotic press line. Investigators found the machine’s danger zone did not have adequate safeguards to prevent employees from coming in contact with operating machine parts. He had been on the job for a year.

Since 1997, 16 of 20 inspections conducted found multiple violations. On July 21, 2000, an injury occurred while safety inspectors were visiting the company.

OSHA found that the company did not take the necessary steps to protect its workers from being injured by moving machine parts. The agency also found multiple electrical safety violations including lack of personal protective equipment, workers exposed to live electrical parts, and use of damaged equipment.

The company supplies parts for several major Japanese and domestic automakers. Sunfield, which began production here in June 1994, has a daily workforce of about 175. The Hebron site is the only U.S. plant. The parent company, Ikeda Manufacturing Company LTD. is headquartered in Ota-City, Gunma, Japan.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings.

Deadly 4-car crash killed one man and injured at least four other people in Dekalb County, GA


Deadly 4-car crash involves mail truck, pregnant woman


by: Tyisha Fernandes Updated: Jul 3, 2016 - 11:22 PM
 

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. —
Police are investigating a deadly crash that killed one man and injured at least four other people, including a pregnant woman.

Several witnesses to the crash said they watched first responders rescue the trapped victims.


People who live nearby told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes it's dangerous and they see accidents on South Hairston all the time.

One man died in this wreck, but according to witnesses, it was so bad, more lives could have been lost Sunday.

Witness Robert Jones was working on his car in his driveway when he saw a gold car speeding down South Hairston Road.

“He lost control and went across and hit these cars right here, just like a domino,” Jones said.

All of the witnesses Fernandes spoke to said the driver of the gold car, hit a silver van first, then hit the median, which took his back wheel off.

A pregnant woman was driving the silver van and a baby was in a car seat in the back.

Fernandes spoke to the pregnant woman's mother, who rushed to the accident scene when her daughter called.

She said her daughter saw the man speeding up behind her.

“She didn't want him to hit the side the baby was on so she slowed up and when he hit her,” the mother said, “I guess his car whatever rate of speed he was going, kinda lost control and that's when he went to the other side and hit the other cars.”

Witnesses said the driver of the gold car veered into oncoming traffic and hit a mail truck next.

“I seen the truck flip over,” Jones said. “They had to get the mail lady out the front window.”

The driver who witnesses say caused the accident died at the scene.

Everyone else involved was transported to the hospital.

A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer has been indicted on six felony charges related to insurance fraud, arson




Jeff Lynn Harper (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

By MAX MICHOR
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL


A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer has been indicted on six felony charges related to insurance fraud, the attorney general’s office said.

Officer Jeff Lynn Harper, 36, was indicted on charges of theft, third-degree arson, insurance fraud and burning property with the intent to defraud an insurer. The charges stem from a January recreational vehicle fire.

Investigators determined that Harper set the fire himself. He is to be arraigned July 21, before the 8th Judicial District Court.

General cargo vessel ANNA DESGAGNES ran aground in Varennes area, Saint Lawrence River, down Montreal


ANNA DESGAGNES grounding, bad news for Nunavut

July 4, 2016 at 01:30 by Mikhail Voytenko


General cargo vessel ANNA DESGAGNES ran aground on July 3 in Varennes area, Saint Lawrence River, down Montreal, while en route to Ile aux Coudres. Vessel suffered some damages, was refloated and taken on tow to be towed back to Montreal. As of 0100 UTC July 4 vessel was proceeding under tow of OCEAN ROSS GAUDRAULT tug, approaching Montreal Est. Vessel’s mishap is bad news for Nunavut community, vessel was supposed to arrive in Iqaluit by July 23. Many people in Nunavut communities are depending on the arrival of the ANNA DESGAGNES for various items, said CBC News.

PBF Energy takes over Torrance, Ca Exxon refinery after setbacks






Steam spews from a pipe after a fire broke out at a key gasoline-making unit at a PBF Energy Inc refinery in Delaware City, Delaware August 21, 2015.
Reuters/Charles Mostoller



HOUSTON | By Liz Hampton
U.S. refiner PBF Energy took ownership on Friday of a Los Angeles-area refinery purchased from Exxon Mobil Corp for $537.5 million, clearing the way for it to focus on further North American acquisitions.

The takeover of the Torrance, California facility makes PBF the fourth largest independent U.S. refiner and expands its footprint from coast to coast, a longtime goal of founder and former chairman Tom O'Malley, who retired at the end of June.

The deal also increases PBF's total throughput capacity to around 900,000 barrels per day.


PBF had aimed to complete the purchase of the refinery in the second quarter of 2016. However, operational upsets, including a crane accident less than two weeks before the acquisition was set to close, led to fears that the deal would be delayed.

The sale was announced seven months after a February 2015 blast at the gasoline-producing fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) at the plant. As a closing requirement, Exxon was required to demonstrate the refinery was fully functional for at least 15 days.

In early April, Exxon reached an agreement with state regulators to restart the crippled unit, which provides about 10 percent of the state's gasoline supply and had been offline since the explosion.

In an earlier quarterly earnings call, PBF had said it expected the unit would restart by mid-March.

PBF has also set up a trading desk in California and was active in the market in the weeks leading up to the sale, market participants said.

In June, PBF announced it would purchase the Chalmette refinery near New Orleans, Louisiana, jointly owned by Exxon Mobil Corp and Petroleos de Venezuela, marking its first facility on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

PBF also has refineries in Paulsboro, New Jersey, Delaware City, Delaware and Toledo, Ohio.

The handover of the Torrance refinery comes just after an investigation by California Attorney General Kamala Harris into possible retail gasoline market manipulation since 2014 was first reported in the news media.

(Reporting by Liz Hampton; additional reporting by Jessica Resnick-Ault in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)

2 people killed in a high speed collision of SUV with concrete barrier on Highway 151, Loop 1604 in San Antonio, TX


2 people, both in their 80s, killed in accident at Highway 151, Loop 1604
All lanes of 1604 closed while police investigate crash
By Chris Shadrock Reporter  10:20 PM, July 03, 2016

 
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - Two people, both in their 80s, were killed in a single-car accident at Highway 151 and Loop 1604 on the city’s far West Side.

The crash occurred just before 7 p.m. Sunday.


Police said the driver of a green SUV was traveling from westbound 151 onto northbound 1604 when he crossed all four lanes of the loop and crashed into the concrete barrier of the southbound lanes.

One person on a motorcycle was clipped by debris and treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Witnesses told police the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and did not appear to slowdown before the accident.

The north and southbound lanes of 1604 were shutdown for several hours while police investigated the accident.

Police do not believe alcohol was involved.

Construction is taking place in the area as TxDOT adds direct connector lanes between the two roads.

The identity of the victims was not released, but police said the driver was a man and his passenger was a woman.

1 killed in Speedway, IN crash


Kaitlin L Lange, IndyStar 9:15 p.m. EDT July 3, 2016



(Photo: Matt_Kryger/Indy_Star)

A 72-year-old man died after a driver lost control of his car, flipped over a median and landed on a Chevrolet Silverado on in Speedway around 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon, one-and-a-half miles west of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The driver of a Dodge Durango SUV was traveling west in the 5600 block of Crawfordsville Road when he lost control of his vehicle, Speedway police said. While the driver of the Dodge did not have any life-threatening injuries, the driver of the Silverado died on scene.

The police are still investigating why the driver of the Dodge lost control, but they suspect he was speeding. At this time, do they do not believe drugs or alcohol caused the accident.


Speedway police are investigating a serious vehicle crash leaving one person dead in the 5600 block of Crawfordsville Road Sunday, July 3, 2016, afternoon in Speedway. (Photo: Matt_Kryger/Indy_Star)

A portion of the road was closed while police investigated the cause of the accident. Neither driver has been identified.

Two killed (father and son) in small plane crash at airport near Frankenmuth, MI during learning to fly




By Mark Tower | mtower@mlive.com
 
on July 03, 2016 at 10:53 PM, updated July 04, 2016 at 12:08 AM




FRANKENMUTH, MI — A man and child were killed Sunday, July 3, after a plane crashed near the end of a landing strip at a small airport near Frankenmuth, according to police.

Police, firefighters and paramedics responded at about 5:22 p.m. Sunday to William "Tiny" Zehnder Field for the report of a plane crash, according to a press release from Frankenmuth Police Department.

First responders located the wreckage of a plane near the east end of the airport's runway, the release states.

Police Chief Don Mawer said investigators have confirmed that two people died in the crash, a man and a child. Police have not yet released the identities of the two victims, pending notification of family members.

"This is a hugely traumatic experience for them," Mawer said.

The chief said the plane was reportedly conducting a series of "touch and go" maneuvers at the time of the crash. The maneuver, common when learning to fly a fixed-wing aircraft, involves landing and taking off again without coming to a full stop.

Mawer said witnesses to the crash called 911 and reported the plane was not on fire before it struck the ground.

"It actually ignited after it hit the ground," he said.






Police: Two killed in plane crash at airport near Frankenmuth

Two people were killed in a plane crash Sunday, July 3, at an airport near Frankenmuth, according to Police Chief Don Mawer.

Police report that the plane involved in the crash was registered to a hanger located at the airfield, located on South Block Road south of Curtis Road in Frankenmuth Township.

Mawer said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

He said family members reported there were no known medical issues with the pilot, but beyond that it is too soon to speculate.

"It could be a whole host of things," Mawer said.

The crash scene will soon be turned over to officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, he said.

Frankenmuth Police Department will secure the scene of the crash until the federal investigators arrive, Mawer said.

"We have to be here until they arrive," he said. "Then in the morning we'll hand the ball over to them."






Emergency crews respond to plane crash near Frankenmuth

Police responded to a plane crash at an airport near Frankenmuth on Sunday, July 3.

Witness statements and the fact that the plane was a two-seater have led police to conclude the man and child were the only occupants in the plane.

But Mawer said officials are continuing a search of the crash scene "just to make sure."

Assisting the police department at the scene were Frankenmuth firefighters, the Michigan State Police, Bridgeport Township crews and paramedics from Mobile Medical Response.

The William "Tiny" Zehnder Field is a privately-owned airport run by Frankenmuth Airport Inc. that features a 2530-foot-long turf runway marked by yellow cones, according to pilot resource website AirNav.com.

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(Courtesy | Bruce Ward) A photo taken from a plane leaving William "Tiny" Zehnder Field near Frankenmuth shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday, July 3, 2016, shows the site of a plane crash that left two people dead, according to police.

By Mark Tower | mtower@mlive.com

on July 03, 2016 at 7:05 PM, updated July 03, 2016 at 10:59 PM


FRANKENMUTH, MI — Two people were killed in a plane crash Sunday, July 3, at an airport near Frankenmuth, according to Police Chief Don Mawer.

Mawer said police received the report of a plane crash near William "Tiny" Zehnder Field southeast of Frankenmuth after 5 p.m. Sunday.

The chief said officers at the scene have confirmed two people died in the crash, though the victims have yet to be identified.

Police are also searching the site to see if there are any additional victims of the crash, Mawer said.

He said the plane that crashed was registered to a hanger at the airport, located along South Block Road.

"So we're thinking that it's local to the area or at least this portion of the county," Mawer said.

Police remained at the small Saginaw County airport after 7 p.m. Sunday.

No further information about the crash is available at this time. Check back for updates.
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Date:


03-JUL-2016
Time:17:00+
Type:Airplane
Owner/operator:
Registration:
C/n / msn:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Airplane damage: Unknown
Location:Wm 'Tiny' Zehnder Field Airport (66G), Frankenmuth, MI -   United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Narrative:
The aircraft impacted the terrain at Wm 'Tiny' Zehnder Field Airport (66G), Frankenmuth, Michigan. The airplane sustained unreported damage and the two occupants onboard received fatal injuries.
Sources: http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2016/07/police_two_killed_in_plane_cra.html

2 cyclists dead in motorcycle head-on collision with SUV in Primrose, WI




TOWN OF PRIMROSE, Wis. -

Published On: Jul 03 2016 

Two people are dead following a motorcycle crash Sunday in the town of Primrose.


According to the Dane County Sheriff's Office, the driver of a motorcycle was traveling northbound on County Road G near Rettenmund Road, crossed the center line and hit an SUV driving southbound just before 2:26 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Deputies said the 53-year-old Janesville man and a 26-year-old Mineral Point woman were thrown from the motorcycle and neither had a pulse when first responders arrived.

Medics attempted to revive the two and UW Med Flight responded to the scene, but efforts were unsuccessful and the two were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the SUV, a 66-year-old Mt. Horeb woman, had no signs of visible injury but was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Deputies said she was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

The crash closed County Road G while emergency crews investigated the crash.

Deputies were unable to confirm who was driving the motorcycle at the time of the crash as of Sunday evening. The names of the victims have not been released, pending notification of their families by the Dane County Medical Examiner's Office.

Eugene couple killed in fiery crash on Highway 99W in Benton County, OR



Two dead in Benton County crash (Photo courtesy Benton County Sheriff's Office)


Eugene couple killed in fiery crash on Highway 99W
By KATU.com Staff 
 Sunday, July 3rd 2016
BENTON COUNTY, Ore. — Officials say a couple from Eugene died in a fiery crash four miles south of Corvallis Saturday night.

The crash was reported just before 9 p.m. on Highway 99 W near milepost 91. Deputies say the driver of an SUV left the road for unknown reasons, crashed into a ditch and caught fire.

Edward Giebisch, 71, and Patricia Giebisch, 68, were killed.

The cause of the crash remains unknown, but deputies do not believe alcohol or speed were factors.