MEC&F Expert Engineers : 08/20/16

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Close call: Diver's air supply pinned by barge at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia



 




By Jesse Varner Published: August 20, 2016, 5:09 pm Updated: August 20, 2016, 8:14 pm 


 PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Emergency crews were on the scene for an industrial accident that happened at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Saturday afternoon.

Naval Shipyard Spokesperson Terri Davis says the emergency call came in at 3:20 p.m. A diver was working on a barge when it pinned his air house. The barge had sunk earlier in the week at Pier 5 where a new pier is being built. The diver was working on recovery of the barge. Another diver was able to free the diver.

The diver did not need to go to the hospital.

The Navy does not know at this time why the barge sunk.

Two utility workers with Eversource Energy were electrocuted while working on high voltage power lines off in Wallingford, CT





2 utility workers injured in Wallingford




 August 19, 2016 05:15PM
Lauren Sievert Record-Journal staff

 
WALLINGFORD, CT — Two utility workers were injured Friday afternoon while working on power lines off Highland Avenue.

Shortly after 3 p.m., emergency crews responded to 300 Highland Ave. for a report of an injured utility worker.  Mitch Gross, spokesman for Eversource Energy, said two workers were burned while working on high voltage lines in the area. Both were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital. Gross said the workers are alert and responsive.

It’s unclear how the workers were burned. Gross said the incident is under investigation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified, he said.

1 killed, 2 injured after a pickup truck returning from a police academy graduation in Concord, NH drifted off the road and into the center median, where it hit a cluster of trees






By Kristen Carosa

Firefighter dies in Canterbury crash Friday evening
Dispatcher, police officer injured in crash
UPDATED 7:16 PM EDT Aug 20, 2016


CANTERBURY, N.H. —Canterbury police are investigating a crash that left a Lincoln firefighter dead on I-93 Friday evening.

Steven Bomba, 25, of Lincoln, was also a dispatcher for Grafton County.

He and Greg Collins, 41, of Piermont, were passengers in a pickup truck being driven by Michael Weden, 29, of North Woodstock, police said.

Weden is also a dispatcher for Grafton County.

Collins is a Haverhill police officer.

Weden's truck drifted off the road and into the center median, where it hit a cluster of trees, police said.

Weden was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Collins was transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for serious injuries.

Bomba was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was a firefighter for 8 years and gave all he could everyday to keep his community safe, according to Lincoln Fire Chief Ronald Beard.

"This isn't an easy thing to go through, we have seen it in the news multiple times this year and it really hits home when it happens to one of your own," Beard said.

Beard was part of the group of people who notified Bomba's family. He said, "that was probably on of the toughest things."

Beard said the three were coming back from the police academy graduation in Concord.

He said Bomba had been a volunteer firefighter since 2008 and was currently a captain.

"He cared about his community, felt the need to keep his community safe in which his family lived," said Beard. "He would on a daily basis check in with his parents and say 'Everything good? Need anything?' didn't matter if he had been up for 24 hours, he always checked in with his family."

Bomba leaves behind a mother, father, three brothers and a sister.

Funeral arrangements are still being planned.

Police ask anyone with information related to the crash to please call state police at 603-223-8699.




The driver was most likely drunk as they were coming from an academy graduation.

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



A Grafton County dispatcher is dead, one is injured, and a Haverhill Police officer is injured after a car accident that took place on Friday evening on Interstate 93 just north of exit 17 in the town of Canterbury, New Hampshire.

New Hampshire State Police report that Lincoln Police Department dispatcher Michael S. Weden, 29, of North Woodstock, New Hampshire was driving a red 2013 Ford F150 northbound on I-93 when the car drifted off the roadway into the center median where it struck a cluster of trees.

As a result of the crash, passenger Lincoln Police Department dispatcher Steve M. Bomba, 25, of Lincoln, New Hampshire suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger, Officer Greg Collins, 41, of Piermont, New Hampshire suffered serious injuries. He was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Weden suffered non-life threatening injures and is being treated at an area hospital.

New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan provided the following statement regarding the accident:

“Dispatcher Steven Bomba was a dedicated public servant, not only through his service to his community as a dispatcher, but also through his bravery and commitment to public safety as a firefighter in Lincoln. His heroic commitment to public service strengthened our communities and our state, and I join all Granite Staters in mourning his loss and wishing Officer Collins and Dispatcher Weden swift recoveries.

New Hampshire’s public safety officials put their lives on the line every day to protect their fellow citizens and keep our communities and our state safe. Now more than ever, it is our responsibility as Granite Staters to come together to support the families, loved ones and colleagues of Dispatcher Bomba, Officer Collins and Dispatcher Weden during this difficult time.”

Weden and Bomba were also volunteer firefighters at the Lincoln Fire Department. All three men were coming back from the New Hampshire Police academy graduation ceremony.

The cause of the accident is unknown at this time. Anyone with more information about this accident is asked to call (603) 223-8699.




Tour boat, King Eider taking on water at the rate of 5 gallons per minute with 34 people aboard off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts.






Coast Guard responds to harbor cruise boat with 34 people aboard taking on water near Gloucester, Mass.
August 20th, 2016 


47-foot motor life boat crewmember from station Gloucester observes as the the Coast Guard tows the 37-foot Cape Ann Harbor Tour boat, King Eider to the Gloucester Harbor Master pier following the report of the vessel taking on water near Gloucester Harbor, August 20, 2016. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st class Devan Smith.

BOSTON — The Coast Guard and partner agencies responded to a 37-foot Cape Ann Harbor Cruise vessel taking on water, in the vicinity of Brace Cove, outside of Gloucester Harbor, Saturday.

At 4:34 p.m. Saturday, watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector Boston command center received a mayday call from the captain of the 37-foot Cape Ann Harbor Tour boat, King Eider. The captain reported King Eider was taking on water at the rate of 5 gallons per minute with 34 people aboard.

Watchstanders immediately sent an urgent marine broadcast for boats in the vicinity of Brace Cove to respond and render aid. The 40-foot charter fishing vessel, Lisa & Jake, was the first on scene at 4:40 p.m. Simultaneously, a Coast Guard 47-foot motor life boat crew from from Coast Guard Station Gloucester was diverted, and two Gloucester Harbor Master boats were dispatched. Both arrived on scene at approximately 4:57 p.m. A Massachusetts State Police Boat and a Gloucester Police Department boat also responded to render assistance.

Pumps were engaged onboard King Eider and able to keep pace with the water flooding the vessel. As a preventative measure the Coast Guard crew also placed a high capacity pump aboard. The passengers remained aboard King Eider, and Lisa & Jake towed the Cape Ann Harbor Cruise vessel into Gloucester Harbor. Lisa & Jake and King Eider were escorted by the Station Gloucester 47-foot motor life boat crew, the Gloucester Harbor Master boats, Massachusetts State Police Boats and a Gloucester Police Department boat. Inside the harbor, the Coast Guard 47-foot motor life boat crew relieved Lisa & Jake and continued to tow King Eider to land.

King Eider moored at the Gloucester Harbor Master pier at 6 p.m. and all passengers are safely ashore. No injuries were reported and the cause of the flooding is undetermined at this time. “The immediate response of Lisa & Jake to the urgent marine broadcast message was key to the success of this rescue and is a testament to the respect and responsibility among mariners in this area,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Devan Smith, the coxswain of the responding 47-foot motor life boat crew. Smith also credited the teamwork and seamless communication between local agencies and the King Eider for the successful rescue response that assured the passengers of the harbor tour boat made it safely ashore

Medical examiner: Goodyear employee William “Billy” Scheier was killed at the Danville plant by blunt injuries to the chest and mechanical asphyxiation




File photo


Posted: Thursday, August 18, 2016 1:37 pm

Danville Register & Bee

Goodyear employee William “Billy” Scheier was killed at the Danville plant last Friday by blunt injuries to the chest and mechanical asphyxiation, according to the medical examiner’s office in Roanoke.

Tracie Cooper, district administrator with the office, declined to elaborate .


Scheier’s death was the fourth to occur at the Goodyear plant in the past year. The incident remains under investigation.


Scheier, 47, lived in Halifax County and had worked as an electrician at the Goodyear plant.



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


















Matt Bell/Register & Bee

The Goodyear plant in Danville



Posted: Friday, August 12, 2016 10:57 am

Danville Register & Bee


Another worker has died at Goodyear’s plant in Danville.

"We regret to report that early this morning, a death occurred in the Goodyear-Danville manufacturing facility," Goodyear spokeswoman Laura Singleton said in a statement Friday morning.


Goodyear's on-site emergency response team and local emergency personnel responded immediately and all parties are cooperating in the investigation into the cause of the incident, Singleton said.


The company has reported the incident to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and will cooperate with the organization, Singleton said.


"Our hearts go out to the family, friends and co-workers of the employee during this very difficult time," Singleton said.


Singleton did not release the name of the employee who died, but it marked the fourth worker death at Danville’s largest private employer in a year.


On April 12, Greg Cooper, 52, a maintenance mechanic at the plant died on the job. He had worked at Goodyear for 18 years.


On March 31, Kevin Edmonds, 54, of Penhook, died during his work shift.


And in August 2015, Jeanie Lynne Strader, 56, of Chatham, died in an accident at the plant.


Danville’s Goodyear plant also had a fatality in 2007. 




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


Cause of death released for Danville Goodyear employee

By Colter Anstaett - Reporter Published: April 15, 2016, 11:46 am Updated: April 15, 2016, 6:07 pm



DANVILLE (WSLS 10) – The Medical Examiner’s Office in Roanoke has released the cause of death for the man who died earlier this week at the Goodyear plant in Danville.

He died as a result of drowning and thermal injuries. Greg Cooper died while working at the plant Tuesday morning and is the second person to die on the job in two weeks.

The Goodyear plant in Danville opened on Friday for the first time after the death. As the investigation into what happened continues, United Steelworkers, the union that represents the workers at the plant, wants some answers.

USW Director of Health, Safety & Environment Michael Wright said it is standard for them to assist the plant and OSHA in the investigation.

Wright said given that three people have died there in the last eight months, union representatives will be extra thorough with their investigation and plan to talk with representatives from the plant and Goodyear.

“When we understand the root causes, we would talk to the company through a negotiating process and say ‘these are things that need to be addressed’ and we would hopefully work with them to do that,” said Wright.

The plant voluntarily closed on Tuesday after Cooper’s death in order to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.

Goodyear says that at the start of each shift, plant associates participated in a two-hour safety meeting where they were given the opportunity to ask questions and share any comments they may have.

Counselors will also continue to be provided on-site throughout the week, according to Goodyear.

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


Goodyear, USW continue investigation of death at plant
By Mike McNulty Follow Author
 

A Goodyear worker inspects truck tires at the plant in Danville, Va.

DANVILLE, Va.—At least three investigations into the death of a worker, the second in two weeks and the third in eight months, are being conducted at the Danville tire production plant.

Goodyear and the United Steelworkers union are conducting one probe while the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health agency and local police officials are conducting their own investigations.

The latest death occurred on April 12 when Greg Cooper, who had worked at the factory for 18 years, died from burns and drowning, according to the office of the chief medical examiner in Roanoke, Va.

A maintenance mechanic, Cooper was 52 years old, a company spokeswoman said.

In a prepared statement issued shortly after the latest accident, Goodyear said the plant's “on-site emergency response team, as well as local emergency personnel responded immediately, and all parties are cooperating in the investigation into the root cause of the incident.”

It said the company “is taking this matter very seriously” and reported the death to OSHA, which in turn launched its inspection of the facility.
Goodyear response

Goodyear temporarily closed the Danville plant to complete a full evaluation of the factory and thoroughly investigate the incident, it said. The shutdown occurred April 12, and the plant reopened on April 15.

“Our hearts go out to the family, friends and co-workers of the employee during this very difficult time,” the company said.

In a second statement, plant Manufacturing Director Greg Kerr said the company's “immediate priority is to provide support and assistance to Greg's family, as well as the entire team of associates in the Danville plant as we cope with the loss of a teammate.”

On the day the factory resumed normal operations, Goodyear issued another statement in which it noted that the investigations are ongoing.

“As associates return to their jobs,” the tire maker said in the statement, “the plant team will be keeping the safety and well-being of our associates as the highest priority.

“At the start of each shift, plant associates participated in a two-hour safety meeting where they were given the opportunity to ask questions and share any comments they may have.”

Goodyear also continued to provide counselors onsite throughout the following week.

The Goodyear spokeswoman said the company will not provide further comment on the active investigations or the first accident at the factory in August 2015.

Mike Wright, director of health, safety and environment for the United Steelworkers, said the union was conducting a joint investigation with the tire maker into what caused the latest fatality and the accident that led to the death of another plant employee—54-year-old Kevin Edmonds—March 31 in an industrial accident.

An autopsy revealed that the cause of Edmonds death was asphyxiation.

The USW sent an investigator to the Danville plant immediately after it learned about the accident, he said.

“We look at root causes and other contributing factors,” Wright said. OSHA, on the other hand, is primarily looking at violations of standards.

“There are lots of issues that must be reviewed,” he said, adding that he could not supply further specifics about the probe at this point. The investigation, while not complete, will be thorough, he added. He did not have a timetable on when he thought the probe would be complete.
Continuous inspection

Jennifer L. Rose, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health safety compliance director with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, said after VOSH was notified of the death at the Danville factory, it too initiated another inspection at the facility.

The agency was already in the midst of conducting an inspection of the plant following the March 31 death of Edmonds. That investigation has not been closed.

“I cannot comment on the status of any open inspections, such as this one,” Rose said. Once the investigation has been closed, VOSH will post any citations issued on the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration web page.

She said the agency has up to six months from the opening of the inspection to issue any citations.

On Aug. 31, 2015, the Danville facility suffered the first of the three deaths when 56-year-old Jeanie Strader, a 15-year veteran of the company, was killed after being caught in machine rollers, according to an OSHA document. She was employed at Goodyear as a windup operator and roll changer.

Goodyear recently was fined $16,975 by OSHA for three serious violations at the Danville factory following an inspection after Strader's death.

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

Traumatic asphyxia due to blunt chest trauma: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Introduction

Crush asphyxia is different from positional asphyxia, as respiratory compromise in the latter is caused by splinting of the chest and/or diaphragm, thus preventing normal chest expansion. There are only a few cases or small case series of crush asphyxia in the literature, reporting usually poor outcomes.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 44-year-old Caucasian man who developed traumatic asphyxia with severe thoracic injury and mild brain edema after being crushed under heavy auto vehicle mechanical parts. He remained unconscious for an unknown time. The treatment included oropharyngeal intubation and mechanical ventilation, bilateral chest tube thoracostomies, treatment of brain edema and other supportive measures. Our patient’s outcome was good. Traumatic asphyxia is generally under-reported and most authors apply supportive measures, while the final outcome seems to be dependent on the length of time of the chest compression and on the associated injuries.

Conclusion

Treatment for traumatic asphyxia is mainly supportive with special attention to the re-establishment of adequate oxygenation and perfusion; treatment of the concomitant injuries might also affect the final outcome.

Introduction

Asphyxia is defined as any condition that leads to tissue oxygen deprivation [1]. Traumatic asphyxia is a type of mechanical asphyxia, where respiration is prevented by external pressure on the body, at the same time inhibiting respiratory movements and compromising venous return from the head. Conditions like compression of the chest and/or abdomen under a heavy weight and wedging of the body within a narrow space or large crowds have been reported [2]. A Valsalva maneuver is necessary before thoracic compression for development of the syndrome [3]. Usual autopsy findings include intense purple facial congestion and swelling with hemorrhagic petechiae of the face, the neck and upper chest, craniocervical cyanosis and subconjunctival hemorrhage.

Case presentation

A 44-year-old Caucasian man was working under a car when the vehicle’s transmission system fell on his chest, squeezing his torso between the heavy item and the ground. After an unknown time, he was found in an unconscious state by a relative, who called for medical aid. It was estimated that at least one hour elapsed before our patient received medical care.
On arrival to our emergency department, our patient had a gasping breath without foreign bodies in his oronasal cavities, palpable regular pulses with a rate of 130 beats per minute and an arterial pressure of 80/40mmHg. On pulse oxymetry he had a saturation of 80% on room air. His Glasgow Coma Scale score was 8 (absent eye opening, unintelligible voice responses and limp withdrawal to painful stimuli), his papillae were isochoric and light reflexes were bilaterally present. Because of his altered consciousness and impending respiratory failure, our patient was urgently intubated and put under controlled mechanical ventilation.
The rest of the physical examination revealed that his face, the front part of his neck and the upper part of his chest were congested, edematous and covered with numerous petechiae, especially on the conjunctivae and the periorbital skin. In a later bedside ophthalmologic examination, mild bilateral periorbital swelling, severe bilateral subconjunctival hemorrhages, chemosis, mild exophthalmos and mild optic disc edema were observed. Ecchymotic bruises were also noted on the back part of his neck and the upper part of both shoulders. His tympanic membranes were clear and there were no mucosal hemorrhages of his upper airways.
Absence of breathing sounds over both lung apices in combination with palpable subcutaneous emphysema over his neck pointed towards the existence of bilateral pneumothorax. Moreover, bloody fluid was drained through the endotracheal tube, indicating possible lung contusions. The physical examination of his heart and abdomen was unremarkable and electrocardiogram was normal. Thoracic X-ray examination revealed bilateral pneumothorax and multiple rib fractures (Figure 1). In this respect, bilateral tube thoracostomies were inserted, draining air and blood and eliciting major improvement in his hemodynamic parameters. In subsequent X-rays, bilateral lung opacities were evident, which were consistent with the clinical suspicion of lung contusions. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was not performed due to the bilateral pneumothorax. Subsequently, our patient was transferred to our intensive care unit (ICU). Arterial blood gases on admission to our ICU were: pH 7.246; partial pressure of carbon dioxide: 58.3mmHg; partial pressure of oxygen: 441mmHg; bicarbonate: 21.9mEq/L; oxygen saturation: 99.9%; and lactate: 1.1mmol/L while our patient was ventilated with a frequency of 15 breaths/min; tidal volume: 700mL; positive end-expiratory pressure: 5cmH2O; and fraction of inspired oxygen: 100%. His Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 14, while his past medical history was noted to be non-significant.
Figure 1
Chest X-ray taken after tube thoracostomies were inserted. Note multiple rib fractures, subcutaneous emphysema, multiple lung opacities, particularly on the right, corresponding to sites of lung contusion and residual pneumothorax on the left side.
Further work-up included radiological evaluation of his spine and limbs, which was unremarkable, a normal echocardiography, and head, neck, chest and abdomen computed tomography (CT). On the CT scan, a mild brain edema without signs of hemorrhage was observed, while CT of his chest revealed bilateral hemopneumothorax and sizeable bilateral lung contusions, particularly on his right lung (Figure 2).
Figure 2
Computed tomography scan of the chest showing bilateral hemopneumothorax and multiple lung contusions, especially on the right.
Serum biochemistry included elevated levels (ten times above the upper limits of normal) of creatine phosphokinase, lactic dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. A urine analysis was normal (Table 1).
Table 1
Laboratory parameters of the patient during his stay in the intensive care unit
In the ICU, our patient was ventilated with volume-control mode, with a tidal volume of 7mL/kg, frequency 10 to 12 per minute, positive end-expiratory pressure not exceeding 5cmH2O and a gas mixture that was quickly tapered to a fraction of inspired oxygen of 40%. The unimpeded ventilation, the swift restoration of hypercapnia, hypoxia and hemodynamics, the spontaneous containment of the tracheobronchial hemorrhage, the rapid radiographic improvement in the following days (disappearance of the opacities) and the quick recovery, simply by placing thoracostomies tubes, made the event of a potential rupture of major bronchial or arterial branch less plausible. Therefore, we did not proceed to further invasive diagnostic procedures, such as bronchoscopy, which would have added no more information towards the appropriate management of our patient and would even pose some risks.
Fluid resuscitation with crystalloids was copious, in order to prevent renal complications of a potential traumatic rhabdomyolysis. Special care for the brain edema was taken with mannitol administration and frequent neurologic assessments. Regarding his respiratory function, our patient improved swiftly, resulting in an uneventful extubation on the second day of ICU hospitalization. However, his neurologic status lagged behind, as he remained disoriented and agitated until the fourth day. Facial and thoracic petechiae gradually faded within the next three days. Serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine phosphokinase and lactic dehydrogenase levels decreased to normal on the seventh day and our patient was discharged from the ICU and transferred to the thoracic surgical ward.

Discussion

Crush asphyxia is caused by a sudden compressive trauma to the thoracoabdominal region and presents with facial cyanosis and edema, hyposphagmata and petechial hemorrhages of the face, neck and upper chest [4]. It is typically associated with transient ischemic neurological deficits and injuries to the thorax, abdomen and limbs.
Traumatic asphyxia was first described over 170 years ago, by Ollivier in his observations on the cadavers of people trampled upon during crowd upheavals in Paris on Bastille day [1]. Later, Perthes added some other characteristics, such as mental dullness, hyperpyrexia, hemoptysis, tachypnea and ‘contusion pneumonia’ to the initial description [1]. Other terms for this condition are Ollivier’s syndrome, Perthes’ symptom complex, compression cyanosis, traumatic cyanosis, cervicofacial static cyanosis and cervicofacial cutaneous asphyxia.
A review of the literature indicates that traumatic asphyxia is a rare condition, since it might go unrecognized or not be even reported. Laird and Borman found only seven cases out of 107,000 hospital and clinic patients in a 30-month period, of whom 75,000 had been involved in major accidents [5]. Dwek reported only one case out of a total of 18,500 accident victims in an area with heavy military traffic [6].
Our patient suffered from traumatic asphyxia due to prolonged compression between the ground and a sizeable heavy object, a mechanism quite common in similar published reports. In particular, cases of crush asphyxia are mainly a consequence of motor vehicle crashes, crushing among other bodies in a panicked crowd, entrapment beneath vehicles or falling down in a narrow space [7]. Other causes include injuries from machines and furniture, blast injury, a python tightened around the thorax and, rarely, deep-sea diving, weightlifting, epileptic seizures, difficult obstetric delivery and asthmatic attack. The typical range of the duration of compression is between two and five minutes [8]. The duration and the amount of pressure affect the outcome after traumatic asphyxia. Significant weight can be tolerated for a short time, whereas a relatively modest weight applied for a longer period may result in death [8]. In our case, the duration of compression could not be confirmed, but it is estimated as fairly long, although this is loosely consistent with the rapid and full recovery of the patient.
The diagnosis is reached from the physical appearance, clinical examination, history and trauma mechanism [3]. Superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction and basilar skull fracture have features that closely resemble the appearance of traumatic asphyxia. Yet, the history of traumatic injury should rule out SVC obstruction, while skull fractures are rare in traumatic asphyxia, unless the force of compression is applied to the head [7]. Our patient had no head injury, as verified by the imaging studies.
The exact pathophysiologic mechanism of traumatic asphyxia remains controversial. It is generally considered that a compressive force to the thoracoabdominal region together with the ‘fear response’ (deep breath and closing of the glottis) cause a huge increase in the central venous pressure. This induces reversal of venous blood flow from the heart through the SVC into the innominate and jugular veins of the head and neck. The back transmission of the elevated central venous pressure to the head and neck venules and capillaries, while arterial flow is continued, results into capillary stasis and rupture, producing the characteristic upper body petechial and subconjunctival hemorrhages [1]. These features are often more prominent on the eyelids, nose and lips [4]. The lack of petechiae in the lower body may be due to the compressive obstruction of the inferior vena cava in the chest or abdomen. Furthermore, the fact that the lower part of the body is protected from back transmission of venous pressure by a series of valves could be another mechanism, since the SVC, innominate and jugular veins have no valves [4].
Associated injuries, such as pulmonary, cardiac, neurologic, ophthalmic, abdominal and orthopedic trauma, were not apparent in our patient. As has been concluded from Rosato et al., cardiac injuries during traumatic asphyxia are extremely rare. Only two cases of cardiac contusion and one of ventricular rupture have been reported so far, within the last three years [9]. A normal electrocardiogram does not rule out blunt cardiac injury. Another rare consequence of traumatic asphyxia is delayed myocardial infarction due to coronary artery contusion [1]. Myoglobinuria, rhabdomyolysis and acute renal tubular necrosis (crush syndrome) present only in cases of associated injury and ischemia of large muscle groups [3].
After awakening and despite the normal findings on brain imaging, our patient was in a state of agitation and confusion that lasted for four days. According to Perthes, neurological injury in traumatic asphyxia includes cerebral hypoxia or anoxia, ischemia, venous hypertension, cerebral vascular congestion, rupture of small vessels, petechial hemorrhages and hydrostatic edema [2]. However, the rapid full recovery discouraged us from requesting further brain imaging studies, such as magnetic resonance imaging, that were not expected to influence the treatment plan. The vision may be affected with the same mechanism: retinal hemorrhage, retrobulbar hemorrhage and vitreous exudates (Purtscher’s retinopathy) [10]. A hearing deficit can be caused by edema of the Eustachian tubes, or a hemotympanum. Other neurologic manifestations of the syndrome are loss of consciousness, prolonged but self-limiting confusion, disorientation, agitation, restlessness, seizures, visual disturbances, blurred vision, papillary changes, optic nerve atrophy, exophthalmos, diplopia and hearing loss [10]. Often, the neurologic status improves during transfer to the emergency room [8]. The suggested mechanism for loss of consciousness and prolonged confusion associated with traumatic asphyxia includes cerebral hypoxia, ischemia and venous hypertension, which lead to cortical dysfunction. This dysfunction resolves within the following 24 to 48 hours. Intracranial hemorrhage has seldom ever been evident in a patient [8]. CT scans of the brain are usually normal, whereas in fatal cases, autopsy shows only petechiae and congestion, suggesting brain injury at the cellular level [1].
Despite the dramatic appearance of the ‘ecchymotic mask’, mortality in crush asphyxia is low. However, it may be influenced by the severity, nature and duration of the compressive force and the presence of concomitant injuries, which can be useful markers of the severity of compression [2]. The proposed algorithm for the management of all trauma patients on arrival and during the initial phases of treatment is the ABCDE (Airway, Breath, Circulation, Disability, Environment) algorithm, described in the Advanced Trauma Life Support guidelines by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. The outcome is improved by airway control and cervical spine protection, rapid restoration of ventilation, oxygenation and circulation by thoracic decompression, fluid resuscitation and prevention of renal complications secondary to rhabdomyolysis and other secondary causes [1]. Management of these patients may be complicated by severe upper airway edema, and the possibility of a difficult intubation should thus be considered early. The prognosis is good if the patient survives the initial few hours following injury, although a prolonged thoracic compression could lead to cerebral anoxia and permanent neurological sequelae [3].

Conclusion

Optimal management of traumatic asphyxia must focus on early recognition of this entity based upon the classic physical signs and the mechanism of injury. Resuscitation efforts should include rapid administration of oxygen with effective ventilation and fluid resuscitation, and must focus on reversing hypoxia and prevent further tissue damage.

Consent

Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Authors’ contributions

ES, GK and VT managed the patient, reviewed the literature and contributed to the preparation of the manuscript; VP and IP reviewed the manuscript and contributed to its final form. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Authors’ information

Eleni Sertaridou, MD is a Surgeon-Intensivist at the ICU University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece. Vasilios Papaioannou, MD, MSc, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Critical Care Medicine at the ICU University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece. Georgios Kouliatsis, MD is a Pulmonologist-Intensivist at the ICU University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece. Vasiliki Theodorou, MD is an Anaethesiologist-Intensivist at the ICU University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece. Ioannis Pneumatikos, MD, PhD, FCCP is a Professor of Critical Care Medicine at the Democritus University of Thrace and Head of ICU, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece.

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  • Choi JY, Lee JS, Kim JH, Yim JH. Bilateral retrobulbar hemorrhage and visual loss following traumatic asphyxia. Korean J Opthalmol. 2010;24:380–383. doi: 10.3341/kjo.2010.24.6.380. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Cross Ref]

Fatal Silver Spring, Maryland explosion/fire was the result of a natural gas explosion that occurred in the meter room of Building 8701












Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials stated that the explosion and fire which killed seven people at a Maryland apartment complex was caused by natural gas explosion in the apartment's meter room. The ATF and the National Transportation Safety Board have begun investigating what ignited the gas. Three of the seven victims were also identified by Montgomery County police. Photo by ATF HQ/Twitter

 
Seventh Body Found at Site of Massive Apartment Explosion in Silver Spring

ATF: Natural gas explosion caused Maryland apartment fire
By Daniel Uria | Aug. 20, 2016 at 1:30 PM  


 
SILVER SPRING , Md., Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Natural gas was the cause of an explosion and fire that killed seven people in a Maryland apartment complex on Aug. 10.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives shared a photo of the aftermath and said a natural gas explosion in the apartment's meter room caused the deadly blast and and . They also stated there was no sign of a criminal act.
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"This tragedy was the result of a natural gas explosion that occurred in the meter room of Building 8701," ATF Special Agent in Charge Daniel Board said, according to NBC Washington. "Subsequent to that explosion was a natural gas-fed fire that consumed the apartments directly above and adjacent to the source of the fire."

Montgomery County Assistant Police Chief Russ Hamill said bodies of three of the seven victims were also identified as Augusto Jimenez, Sr., 62; Maria Auxiliadorai Castellon-Martinez, 53, and Saul Paniagua, 65.

The ATF conducted more than 100 witness interviews, reviewed surveillance video, reconstructed gas meter lines and dug through debris by hand to determine what ignited the gas leak.

"From the site of the explosion itself, we're trying to find out what ignited or caused or started that explosion, as in the specific incident or specific item from inside that room," Board told WTOP.

Residents reported having smelled gas prior to the explosion and Montgomery County fire officials confirmed a call about a natural gas odor near the apartment on July 25.

Acting Fire Chief Alan Hinde said the fire department surveyed the building with a meter but found no positive results.

The National Transportation Safety Board began its own investigation into the blast on Thursday and aim to complete it within a year.


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Seventh Body Found at Site of Massive Apartment Explosion in Silver Spring
By Chris Gordon






Senator Ben Cardin and Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett got a firsthand look at the destruction caused by a blast at a Silver Spring apartment building. They also met with residents affected by the explosion. News4's Chris Gordon reports. (Published Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016)


A seventh body was found Tuesday at the site of a massive explosion and fire at a Silver Spring, Maryland, apartment complex last week.

The news of the seventh body was released Tuesday evening.

Six other bodies have been recovered. The victims have yet to be positively identified, but authorities believe the victims are Saeda Ibrahim, 41; Augusto Jimenez Sr., age 62; Maria Auxiliadorai Castellon-Martinez, age 53; Aseged Mekonen, age 34; Deibi “David” Samir Lainez Morales, age 8; Fernando Josue Hernandez Orellana, age 3; and Saul Paniagua, age 65.

Meanwhile, almost a week after the blast, residents who have been allowed to return say they are living in fear.

"They were sleeping in the car for a while," said one resident in Spanish. "Now they've returned to the apartments, but they're afraid to turn the gas stove on. They're afraid to cook."

A massive explosion tore through a building at the Flower Branch Apartments in the 8700 block of Arliss Street at about 11:50 p.m. August 10.


Another 31 people were injured, and scores of families were displaced or traumatized. Some of the families are asking for psychological help.

"One hundred percent of the families don't sleep, because everybody is scared," said a resident of a nearby building.

The cause of the blast has not been determined, but some residents have said they smelled gas before the explosion.

At a meeting with officials Tuesday in the community center, residents received reassurances that Washington Gas has checked out the surrounding buildings.

"The residents of the adjacent buildings should not experience a problem with their gas. If they do, they should certainly contact us," said Earl Stoddard of Montgomery County Emergency Services.

But the fear remains.

"We can't do regular things," said Christy Canjura, a young resident. "We simply can't go through our day without ever thinking of that traumatic experience that we all had that night."

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin told the community that he and other officials understand the trauma, and are working on getting the help that's needed.

"You look at this and this is about as bad as you can find of a tragedy. I just cannot imagine what went through the thoughts of people who were trapped in these buildings," Cardin said, after touring the scene.

"There are certainly mental issues that are gonna have to be need to be dealt with. There is going to be fear," Cardin said. "One of the services we are looking at providing is how we can meet those needs."

And the families will get other help, too. Two of the elementary schools that serve the area are already having discussions about how they will support young students headed back to school.

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett said the community was immediately concerned about housing. "The challenge that we heard today is most immediately that of trying to find provisional housing and permanent housing for people," he said. "And we'll be able to do so."

Cardin emphasized that people should feel comfortable asking for help no matter what their immigration status. The apartments are in an area where many immigrants live, some documented, some not.

"There's a concern in immigrant communities about whether they can trust governmental services. I wanted them to know that ... this is all about providing help," Cardin said.

Meanwhile, fire investigtors say they are getting closer to announcing the cause of the blast. They said they hoped to have something finalized by the end of this week.

Woman dies after running stop sign in Fresno County, Calinfernio and T-boned by an SUV






Investigators said the 50-year-old driver of a Honda was killed after running a stop sign at Fowler and American Avenues and was hit by an SUV. (KFSN)

Friday, August 19, 2016 08:20PM
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Authorities are investigating a deadly accident in Fresno County Friday.

The accident happened just after 2 p.m. in the area of Fowler and American Avenues.

Investigators said the driver of a Honda was killed after running a stop sign and was hit by an SUV.

The woman killed in this accident has only been identified as a 50-year-old woman.

No word on the condition of the driver of the SUV.

A 5-year-old child died in a five-vehicle wreck Saturday morning on the Bayonne Extension after a Chevy pick-up truck rear-ended a Saturn in New Jersey


Bayonne wreck leaves 5-year-old boy dead











Eyewitness News
Updated 2 hrs 26 mins ago
BAYONNE, New Jersey (WABC) -- A 5-year-old child died in a five-vehicle wreck Saturday morning on the Bayonne Extension.

Around 7:20 a.m., a Chevy pick-up truck rear-ended a Saturn that was carrying two children and an adult.

A 5-year-old boy in a car seat in the Saturn died later at Jersey City Medical Center.

The other child and an adult in the Saturn were taken to Jersey City Medical Center in stable condition.

Three other people were injured from the other cars involved.

The driver of the Chevy pick-up failed to stop. No charges have been filed.

The incident is under investigation.

When comes to algae problems in Florida, politicians kick the can down the road; until it will be too late









Robert Barstow shows his son Michael Barstow the awful smelling algae hugging the shoreline of the St. Lucie River on July 11, 2016 in Stuart, Florida. The algae which is thought to be coming from from Lake Okeechobee as water is released has fouled coastal waterways, created angry communities, closed beaches and has had an economic impact as tourists and others are driven away by the smell and inability to enjoy some of the waterways. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

JENNY STALETOVICHAssociated Press

Pollution in South Florida evident in algae blooms, scientists conclude no improvement has been made

For all the things that change in South Florida — the skyline, the swelling population, sea level — one thing has remained remarkably constant: pollution in Lake Okeechobee.

In 1985, 500 metric tons of phosphorus flowed into the lake. Last year, the total was 450 tons. In the years between, amounts of the damaging nutrient went up and down but nearly always remained three to four times higher than a target the state set in 2000. At a meeting in March, just before another algae bloom slimed the Treasure Coast following massive releases of polluted lake water, the state's own scientists concluded that there had been no improvement at all.

Despite decades of planning and promises, Florida lawmakers, governors and agencies have never gotten close to cleaning up the largest lake in the Southeast U.S. — the "liquid heart" of South Florida's water supply system. The reasons are many, but they come down to one thing, said Paul Gray, Audubon Florida's Lake Okeechobee science director.

"It's really easy to explain," he said. "They didn't do enough to fix it."


Florida — under the pressure of a landmark federal lawsuit — has made slow but significant strides in reducing pollution from sugar fields south of the lake. But to the north, with no judge monitoring things, there has been little progress.



Caption Algae problems hurt local businesses





Palm Beach County commissioner calls for emergency meeting on algae bloom

A 2000 law promising to spend $175 million to help farmers and ranchers control phosphorus doled out just $3 million. Seven years later a plan that would have created about a million acre-feet of storage north of the lake got swallowed in the recession and abandoned by a new governor. Critics say state laws favor "best management" goals for many agricultural operations instead of enforceable standards, and include loopholes like one allowing largely unregulated use of treated sewage sludge, high in nutrients, on farm fields. Meanwhile, suburbs that produce even more phosphorus than farms continue to expand around booming Orlando.

And this year, after failing to meet the law's 2015 deadline to get phosphorus loads into the lake down to 140 tons, state lawmakers simply set a new deadline — 20 years from now.

Rep. Matt Caldwell, a North Fort Myers real estate appraiser who sponsored the law, told the Miami Herald at the time that the blown deadline was never meant for fixing the lake, just coming up with a plan. "That would be a ridiculous presumption," he said, given the lake's complexity.

But Estus Whitfield, who served under governors Bob Graham, Bob Martinez and Lawton Chiles on Everglades clean-up, said lawmakers are engaging in revisionist history. The goal was always to cap lake pollution, he said. "That was pretty clear."

The state is now scrambling to play catch-up, expediting two vast reservoirs for coastal estuaries and giving emergency approval in July to $2.6 million for improvements. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also launched a planning effort to increase storage north of the lake last month. But solutions won't be quick. Planning alone will take three years, news that drew groans from both farmers and environmentalists at a crowded meeting in Okeechobee last month.

This week, incoming Senate President Joe Negron, a Republican from Stuart whose district has been repeatedly hammered by lake-triggered algae blooms, also stepped in with a $2.4 billion proposal to buy 60,000 acres of sugar farms to build reservoirs that could reduce dumps to the two coasts. The proposal, which calls for splitting the cost with the federal government, will face considerable political opposition.

Phosphorus, a naturally occurring element that is also a key nutrient in fertilizer, has always existed in the lake. It's the stuff that helped create the rich muck to the south that built a $677 million-a-year sugar industry. The problem is when too much piles up.

Historically, water flowed south from the Kissimmee River basin, collecting phosphorus from the surrounding wetlands. It streamed into a lake a third larger than it is now and regularly overflowed into an Everglades that was twice as big. But when the Kissimmee River was straightened in the 1960s, water flowed much faster, sending too much phosphorus too fast, like a giant sewer pipe.

A 30-foot high dike, built to protect communities and fields, also stopped excess water from spilling south into the Glades. So now when the lake rises higher than the dike or lake aquatic life can handle, water managers flush water to the coasts.

Then things get worse.

The releases send huge amounts of freshwater into coastal saltwater estuaries that mix with local run-off rich in nitrogen and local phosphorus. The results: putrid blue-green algae. So much phosphorus has concentrated in the lake's mucky bottom over the decades that even if no more were added, scientists say it could take another 50 years to reach water quality targets.

South of the lake, Florida already has a working model of how to reduce phosphorus pollution.

To settle a federal lawsuit, the state agreed to stem the flow of fertilizer runoff that for decades has poisoned the Everglades. The biggest investment came from South Florida taxpayers, who have largely bankrolled a $2 billion-plus series of massive artificial marshes that scrub nutrients from farm runoff. But the sugar industry also has tweaked its practices.

Over the last 20 years, concentrations of phosphorus in water near fields has dropped from a high in 1986 of about 500 parts per billion to 94 parts per billion. The artificial marshes knock the phosphorus level down further. It's still two to three times higher than the 10 parts per billion considered healthy for a pristine Everglades, but that's significant improvement from two decades ago. A practice called "back-pumping" — sending runoff north into the lake — is now only used in emergency conditions.

For many critics, politically powerful Big Sugar remains the main stumbling block in ending the nasty cycle of coastal algae blooms. But between 2011 and 2015, South Florida Water Management District numbers show the sugar industry accounted for just three percent of the phosphorus pumped into the lake.

Altogether, sugar farmers have spent about $260 million on clean up, largely by keeping water on farms, cleaning out ditches where phosphorus-rich soil settles and calculating more carefully the amount of fertilizer needed to grow crops, said U.S. Sugar spokeswoman Judy Sanchez .


"The results are undeniably good news," Sanchez wrote in an email. "The partnership between the (Everglades Agricultural Area) farmers and landowners and the South Florida Water Management District should serve as a model for other areas to ensure that each region takes responsibility for its water issues."

But what works to the south — an area dominated by a single crop and a single industry — may not be so simple to carry out to the north, where a vastly different set of problems and variables exist. To the north, water flows from sod and dairy farms, mobile home parks, vegetables fields and ranches through canals, ponds, creeks, rivers and sloughs into the lake faster than it can flow out. The watershed covers about 5,400 square miles, stretching from just south of Orlando to the lake.

"Some of the estuary people have been told, you're one lawsuit too late," Gray said.

In the 1980s, the state tried to manage the problem by targeting dairy farms, which produced more phosphorus than any other land use. New regulations tightly controlled how much could leave the farms, eventually leading dairy farmers to completely reinvent operations, said Woody Larson, a second-generation Florida dairyman who with his two sons now manages the family's two Okeechobee farms.

"Our farm, instead of having cows scattered all around it, is now a farm for recycling water," Larson said.

Like other dairy farmers above the lake, Larson's operates a closed-loop system, meaning cows are housed in free stalls under sprinklers and cooling fans with all their waste tightly controlled. Pastures where they once grazed are instead used to grow grass irrigated with the cow's own treated wastewater from the barns. The grass is then cut, stored in a silo and fed to the cows.

But the expensive fixes came at a steep cost. Of the more than 50 dairies in the 1980s, the number today is down to 19, Larson said. The number of cows dropped from about 50,000 to 25,000.

"The politics were clearly ahead of the science at that point," Larson said, describing the frustration felt by farmers. "We were issued this edict but at the same time we didn't know how to solve it."

Wes Williamson, a third generation rancher in Okeechobee — where seven of the nation's 15 top-producing cattle ranches sit within 80 miles of each other — keeps a phosphorus budget. He knows exactly how much comes onto his ranch, in fertilizer and rainfall, and how much goes out — mostly in cattle sales — and tries to control it by changing operations, like planting more trees so cattle don't cool off in ponds that might drain into creeks or other water bodies.

In 2005, he said, the World Wildlife Fund worked with eight ranches in pilot projects, paying them to store water.

"It's been a good thing. The problem is there hasn't been (enough) funding for it," Williamson said. "If a cattle ranch can't make a little bit of money, sooner or later it will be turned into what my father calls the final crop. Land goes into housing, but it never comes back."

So if farmers and ranchers have changed operations, where is the phosphorus coming from? Over the years, scientists have repeatedly tried to map out the sources.

In 2010, the South Florida Water Management District hired the University of Florida and a team of engineers led by Del Bottcher, president of Gainesville-based Soil and Water Engineering Technology, Inc. They found that over the previous decade, the watershed was actually producing slightly more phosphorus overall — some 1,792 tons — even as farmland was being rapidly converted into houses.

Gary Roderick, a former Martin County and DEP environmental manager, points to multiple problems, including widespread "best management" farming practices that are largely voluntary and monitored by an understaffed state agriculture department. Loopholes in state law also encourage what he called one of the worst practices — enriching soils with treated sludge from municipal sewage plants. The nutrient-packed sludge isn't formally classified as a fertilizer.

About 37 percent of the sludge from across the state is used on land as a fertilizer, according to the DEP. Another 29 percent is marketed and sold commercially.

"You cannot control — it is impossible to control — nutrients in surface waters without making a serious attempt @ source control on agricultural lands. Period," Roderick said.

Strip away the sludge, and the farming practices, while not perfect, managed to reduce phosphorus by 22 percent, Roderick and Bottcher say.

Over the years, blame and finger-pointing for phosphorus has largely targeted the ag industry. But farmers and ranchers say that while their fields and cattle have dwindled in the watershed draining south, one thing has not: people. The number between 1980 and 2015 more than doubled, from just over a million to about 2.6 million.

They have a point: Bottcher found that while urban areas made up just 12 percent of the watershed, they generated 29 percent of the total phosphorus.

Bottcher, who is building a model for the water management district, said he is looking to pinpoint the best "bang for the buck" approaches to control so many different sources of pollution .

"Where do you spend your money to get the biggest phosphate reduction?" he asked. "You can get 10 to 35 percent reduction with reasonable expenditures. But the (best management practices program) is asking for 80 percent, so how do you get the rest?"

Then there is that legacy phosphorus, the stuff already in the ground on dairy farms, pastures, tree crops and neighborhoods and in the lake. Over the years, multiple ways to remove it from the lake bottom muck — treating it with chemicals, dredging it out and burying it, even converting the lake into a kind of phosphate mine — have been considered and rejected. No one has come up with a realistic solution, affordable or otherwise.

"Nothing has ever been done at a scale at even a tenth of the size," of Lake Okeechobee, said UF aquatic ecologist Karl Havens.

For now, Gov. Rick Scott and water managers continues to grapple with the algae crisis — and spin it politically.

Scott declared a state of emergency and tried to blame the Obama administration for the foul water, saying the federal government had not moved quickly enough to repair the aging Herbert Hoover dike around Lake Okeechobee.

At ground level, Scott offered low-interest loans to damaged businesses and ordered the water management district to start holding more water to the north while releasing more water to the southeast and south into massive water conservation areas in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

The water district also stepped up its public relations campaign, issuing regular "Get the Facts" press releases to tout work, mostly south of the lake. On its list of accomplishments: $880 million Scott approved to settle a federal lawsuit and build another 6,500 acres in storage and treatment. A spreader canal has also been completed to keep additional water now being moved south from leaking out of Everglades National Park into farm fields in South Miami-Dade. The district also began construction on fixes to increase the amount of water in Taylor Slough by 6.5 billion gallons a year. To the north, the restoration of the Kissimmee River, a project split 50-50 between the state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, should be done by 2019, which could slow the phosphorus spigot.

But big bold fixes for north of the lake — Negron's proposal is for more southern storage — and the estuaries of the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers remain uncertain and far off.

And, as if conditions weren't bad enough, there is increasing evidence that climate change could fuel more toxic algae blooms. In a 2015 study that looked at warming trends, changes in rainfall and an increase in blooms, Havens and a team of researchers concluded that phosphorus levels in water would likely need to be adjusted and more focus put on better farming practices.

"When you think about it, the problem is now twice as bad as when we started," Gray said. "And this is not just an Okeechobee problem. It's worldwide. Everywhere we farm, humans have always concentrated nutrients. That's what we do."

___

Information from: The Miami Herald, http://www.herald.com






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'A Government-Sponsored Disaster': Florida Asks For Federal Help With Toxic Algae
Greg Allen 






The blue-green algae is called cyanobacteria. It can release toxins that affect the liver and nervous system. Greg Allen/NPR

About a hundred miles north of Miami on the Atlantic Coast, the town of Stuart is a picturesque waterfront community — with homes, restaurants and parks overlooking the St. Lucie Estuary. But in many areas now, when you approach the water, the first thing you notice is the smell.

"There's no way to describe it," says John Skinner, a boat salesman in Stuart.

But he still tries. "I would say hundreds of dead animals that have been baking in the sun for weeks."

The cause of the foul smell is a massive algae bloom that has affected beaches and fishing in communities along the St. Lucie River. The blue-green algae is especially worrisome because it can be toxic and harmful to people and animals that come into contact with it.

In Stuart, Skinner says a thick layer of the blue-green algae began accumulating on the water in the marina last month. It's now a couple of inches thick in some areas — a greenish muck that coats the docks and the boats. He says the muck is hurting his sales.

"I have people that have bought boats and don't want to put it in the water," Skinner says. "And people who don't want to buy a boat because it's disgusting in there. They don't want to put it in. It stains the boats, it smells horrible and it's toxic."

 



"It stains the boats, it smells horrible and it's toxic," says the boat salesman John Skinner. Greg Allen/NPR

It's called blue-green algae, but it's actually a type of bacteria called cyanobacteria. It typically thrives in freshwater. Under certain conditions, the bacteria can release a wide variety of toxins that affect the liver and nervous system.

And blue-green algae occurs naturally. But Mike Conner of the environmental advocacy group Bullsugar.org says there's little natural about this case. "This is a man-made — this is a government-sponsored disaster," he says.

In Ed Fielding's view, this is a natural disaster, but one that also involves politics. "We watched the algae come down the locks into the St. Lucie," he says.

Fielding is a member of the Martin County Commission, which includes Stuart and surrounding communities. The bloom of blue-green algae first showed up months ago in Lake Okeechobee, which occupies part of the county. It's the second-largest natural freshwater lake in the lower 48 states and a catch basin for central and South Florida.

Fearful that the algae bloom could spread, Fielding says the commission asked the Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agency that controls the lake, not to release lake water east into the St. Lucie River. Citing public safety, the Corps decided to release the water anyway.

"We are one of the exit valves, the safety valves for when the lake builds up to high levels," Fielding explains. "It was an enormously unusual wet year. The lake can build up six times faster that we're able to release."





Florida Gov. Rick Scott has asked President Obama to declare a federal emergency and make federal emergency funds available to deal with the algae bloom. Greg Allen/NPR

The Corps is keeping the water level low in Lake Okeechobee to prevent a possible breach of the 80-year-old earthen dike that surrounds the lake — a breach that could be catastrophic and lead to flooding in nearby communities.

Because of the massive algae bloom, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has asked President Obama to declare a federal emergency and make federal emergency funds available. The White House rejected the request, saying Florida has the resources to handle the problem itself. Scott is appealing the decision.

Mark Perry is the executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society, an environmental education and research center in Stuart. He agrees that the Obama administration and federal agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be involved in managing the algae crisis.

But the long-term solution, he says, is to restore the region's natural flow — and send water from Lake Okeechobee south through lands farmed by some of the nation's largest sugar producers.

Florida signed a deal to buy some of those sugar lands eight years ago. Gov. Scott has turned his back of the deal, Perry says, essentially ignoring the problem.

In 2014, voters approved an amendment that set aside money to acquire the land.

"The state is not taking the leadership and saying the citizens have spoke," Perry says. He thinks Gov. Scott needs to do more. "We need to uphold their interests and do the right thing — and that is, buy the land and send the water south."

While officials, environmentalists, and business interests point fingers over who's to blame, they all agree that with warm weather and continued releases of water from Lake Okeechobee, the bloom of toxic algae in the St. Lucie Estuary is likely to persist for the foreseeable future.