MEC&F Expert Engineers : 09/10/16

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Underground explosion sends manhole cover flying in South Philadelphia






An underground explosion rattled a block in South Philadelphia. (WPVI)

Saturday, September 10, 2016 03:44PM
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- An underground explosion rattled a block in South Philadelphia.

It happened at 1 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of South 16th and McKean streets.

Police and fire crews responded to the scene after reports of a loud noise and smoke pouring from a manhole.









PICTURES: Underground explosion sends manhole cover flying in South Philadelphia

Apparently the force of the blast sent the manhole cover flying.

Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the power never went out.

PECO is investigating.

Flash-flooding raises water well-contamination concerns in La Paz, Indiana



LaPaz sees heavy flooding Saturday. // Courtesy Patrick Justice


Flooding raises water well-contamination concerns in La Paz, Indiana
By WSBT 22 Saturday, September 10th 2016

 
LA PAZ, INDIANA — Marshall County was hit hard by flooding Friday and into Saturday. Emergency management officials are warning about well contamination.


 The La Paz fire chief was encouraging residents to not use their water until it can be tested for contamination. Or if La Paz residents do need to use water, they should boil it first. 

The local fire department is hoping to make testing kits and chlorination tablets available to residents by tomorrow morning

Yarenit Liliana Malihan, 39, was arrested for DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter after killing a 3-year-old boy in San Ramon, CA




Emergency crews responded to an accident on I-680 in San Ramon, Calif. near Bollinger Canyon Road on Friday, September 9, 2016. (KGO-TV)

California Highway Patrol officers arrested a 39-year-old driver in connection with a car crash that killed a 3-year-old boy Friday evening in San Ramon.

Pleasanton resident Yarenit Liliana Malihan, 39, was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter, according to the CHP.

The crash occurred around 6:20 p.m. on northbound Interstate Highway 680 near Bollinger Canyon Road, CHP officials said.

A disabled black 2007 Toyota Camry with three children and their mother inside had parked on the shoulder of the highway. Three-year-old Elijah Dunn was killed in the crash.

A white 2008 Toyota Sequoia, driven by Malihan, then crashed into the back of the Camry, according to the CHP.

All three children - including a 1-year-old girl, a 3-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy - were transported to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. The 3-year-old later died at the hospital, CHP officials said.

The mother of the children, who the CHP identified as Crystal Manoiki, suffered major injuries. She was taken to John Muir Medical Center, according to the CHP.

Malihan was taken to San Ramon Valley Hospital and treated for minor injuries. She was later arrested and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

Investigators concluded the small children in the Camry were secured to a child safety seat and all the victims were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash, CHP officials said.


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Police: Deputy's wife kills 3-year-old in DUI crash







Elijah, 3, was killed when a deputy's wife allegedly smashed into the side of his family's car (KTRK)

Updated 1 hr 8 mins ago
SAN RAMON, CA (KTRK) -- A 3-year-old boy is dead and his mother is fighting for her life after a crash involving an alleged drunk driver.

Charles Manoiki, Jr., says his daughter Crystal ran out of gas after leaving her parent's Sunnyvale home Friday night with her three children, KPIX-TV reports.

They were on the side of the highway and that is when police say Yarinet Malihan crashed into the side of the family's car, killing 3-year-old Elijah.

Crystal was severely injured with a fractured back and six broken ribs.

Her family holds on to hope as she recovers. She is in critical but stable condition.

Meantime, the family must now plan a funeral for little Elijah.

The two other children who were with their mother are out of the hospital and are expected to be okay.

Malihan, meanwhile, is in jail charged with DUI and vehicular manslaughter. Detectives say she is the wife of a Alameda County deputy.


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Wife Of Alameda Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested After Alleged DUI Crash That Killed 3-Year-Old Boy 


September 10, 2016 6:59 PM
 


SAN RAMON (KPIX 5) — The wife of a local Sheriff’s Deputy has been arrested for an alleged DUI after a deadly crash Friday night that left a little boy dead and his mom hospitalized.

The accident happened in San Ramon near the Bollinger Canyon exit on Interstate 680. A family had just pulled their stalled vehicle onto the shoulder of the freeway when a car slammed into them. The impact crushed the car and killed 3-year-old Elijah Dunn.

His grandparents Charles Manoiki Jr. and wife Tina were trying to stay strong for their family on Saturday, but the loss of their grandson has devastated the family.

Elijah would have turned 4 in just two weeks. Now, instead of celebrating his birthday the family is planning his funeral.

“I just had him with me all day yesterday. I was babysitting my grandson. And an hour later, I find out they were in an accident. I’m numb, totally numb,” said Charles.

They said their daughter Crystal left their Sunnyvale home last night to drive back home to San Ramon with their 3 grandchildren in the car. They ran out of gas and parked on the shoulder.

The CHP says that’s when 39-year-old Yarinet Malihan of Pleasanton crashed into the parked car. CHP officers arrested her for driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter. She is the wife of an Alameda County Sheriff’s Deputy.

Meanwhile, Crystal is at John Muir hospital in stable condition. She suffered a broken bone in her back and 6 broken ribs. The two other children in the car had minor injuries and have since been released from Oakland Children’s Hospital.

Through his own grief, Manoiki says his heart goes out to the Sheriff’s Deputy. “One day I will forgive your wife, but right now I can’t,” he said.

A container of nitrous oxide (used as booster by street racers) exploded and started a fire inside a truck on Highway 90 in San Antonio, Texas







Truck explodes, burns during street race on West Side, say investigators
By News 4 San Antonio Thursday, September 8th 2016


Police say a container of nitrous oxide exploded and started a fire inside a truck on Highway 90 on Wednesday, September 7, 2016. (Photo: Sinclair Broadcast Group)

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - Investigators say street racers may be responsible for a truck explosion and fire along Highway 90 on the city's West Side.

According to the San Antonio Fire Department, they were called to put out a fire on Highway 90 inside Loop 410 at about 10 p.m. on Wednesday.

Police at the scene say they believe three vehicles were racing on the access road when one of the vehicles, a truck, suffered some type of explosion connected to a container of nitrous oxide.

The chemical is commonly used as a booster by street racers. The roof of the truck blew off in the incident.

No one was hurt, but the truck was destroyed.


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Overheated Nitrous Bottle Explodes In The Trunk Of A Mustang


 


Nitrous oxide is a power adder with several great qualities: it’s affordable, it’s relatively easy to setup, and perhaps it’s biggest selling point, it’s the only form of power adding you can just turn on or off depending on your mood. On the flipside, however, it’s incredibly volatile, requiring tedious care and attention to detail, because one wrong move or mistake can be devastating. And what you see here is the very definition of devastation, caused by the complete failure of a nitrous oxide bottle that was positioned in the hatch area of this Fox body Mustang.

According to the information posted with the image by the folks at CJ Pony Parts, and now confirmed today by News West 9 in Midland, Tex., the bottle was left in the car, closed up, on a hot summer day. A costly mistake, that was.

Nitrous bottles have specific temperature and internal pressure ratings, which are imposed to keep the bottle within a safe operating range. As the bottles heat up, their internal pressure rises (just as a tire would on a sunny day). It’s for this reason why you never want to leave your bottle heater on for too long a period of time, and certainly the reason why you never, ever want to use a torch to warm the bottle (even worse, this also weakens the structure of the bottle). But as you can imagine, on a 90-plus degree day in the sun, the temperature inside the car can reach well into the 100’s. With that ambient temperature inside and the sun beating down on the bottle through the glass, the recipe is there for disaster.

Fortunately, nitrous oxide companies are well ahead of the curve on situations like these, as any bottle produced today has a safety blow-off cap or disc installed that will safely release the pent-up pressure once it exceeds a specific psi rating before the bottle can explode. While we’d hate to speculate and falsely accuse the owner of the vehicle of any wrong-doing, tampering with or incorrectly installing the safety valves on a bottle can render these safety features useless. And in this case, the valves/discs clearly didn’t function as they were designed to.

As you can certainly surmise looking at the photo, nitrous oxide can be deadly. And we’re not talking kind-of deadly, but the kind of deadly that renders you unrecognizable. It completely destroyed this Mustang, peeling the steel fenders and the entire hatch away from the car. And according to the News West 9 report, the windshield of the car was found on the roof of the home, and parts and pieces were blown several houses away.

Nitrous oxide can be your best friend and your worst enemy, but heed the words of the safety manuals and care for it properly, and this won’t ever be you.

CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS –MORTAR BRIDGING AND MORTAR DROPPINGS STILL PLAGUE THE INDUSTRY




CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS –MORTAR BRIDGING AND MORTAR DROPPINGS STILL PLAGUE THE INDUSTRY https://sites.google.com/site/metropolitanenvironmental/construction-defects-mortar-bridging-and-mortar-droppings
Two very common construction defects that we encounter during our forensic investigations are the so-called mortar bridging and mortar droppings.  These defects have been known to the construction industry for many-many years, but despite the awareness, they continue to occur quite frequently.  The main reason for that is that it is a challenge even for a good mason to manage the mortar.   
 
Imagine what this means if a not-so-good mason builds the wall.  This blog deals with these mortar handling issues as they relate to the anchored masonry veneers that are so popular with homes built during the past twenty years.

This picture clearly displays a problem that we call mortar bridging and mortar dropping.  This occurs when sloppy workmanship results in mortar getting behind the brick. The problem is that this prevents water from freely draining out of the wall system.  In fact, it even bridges the gap between the brick and the framing, allowing water to wick into wood materials, causing lots of problems.

Anchored Masonry Veneer
Masonry (brick or stone) veneers cover areas of the exterior walls at many condominiums, single family houses, commercial buildings and other structures.  The brick or stone is nonstructural and is attached back to the structure with corrugated brick ties.  Openings in the brick are spanned with primed steel angles.  The brick wall typically bears on top of the post-tensioned slab and is installed between 1-inch and 2-inches from the exterior wood stud walls, depending on the design.
Properly detailed brick veneer functions like a rain screen.  The key is making sure there is an unobstructed path for water to flow out at the bottom of the wall.  This path starts with the airspace behind the brick. Water freely flows down through this space, gets collected by through-wall flashing at the bottom of the wall, and drains out through weep holes.


 

                                    Brick veneer rain-screen assembly

The purpose of the cavity weep system in an anchored brick veneer is to provide a means to drain and dry the air space between the brick and the weather-resistive barrier.  The cavity weep system (the 1-2 inch air space, flashings, drainage nets, and weeps) is critical to ensuring the durability of anchored brick veneers and the underlying building envelope components and framing.  The proper installation of a weep system is prescribed by building codes and is well documented in industry standards.


                                                Basic Cavity Wall Design

Unfortunately, many installed cavity weep systems for brick veneers do not comply with industry standards and the building code requirements for such systems.  This typically results in diminished capacity of the brick veneer to drain and dissipate absorbed moisture and incidental water penetration.
At one recent forensic inspection, we found that excessive mortar droppings were blocking the drainage path and weeps at the bottom of all walls and above all fenestrations that were subjected to our intrusive examinations.  To prevent mortar droppings, standard industry practices include either mortar dropping devices at the base of the brick walls or cleaning out the air space from the mortar droppings during construction on a daily basis.  Some typical specifications regarding daily cleaning are provided here:
Cleaning
The contractor shall carry out work in as clean manner as possible and shall remove excess materials and mortar droppings daily.
Where bricks walls and partitions are to receive plaster, excess materials and mortar dropping shall be removed and the surfaces shall be brushed clean.
During cleaning operations, adjacent work shall be protected and any damage resulting from improper protection shall be made good by the contractor at this own cost.
Cleanings
The contractor shall carry out the work in a clean manner and shall remove excess material mortar droppings excess materials mortar droppings shall be removed and the surfaces shall be brushed clean during cleaning operation adjacent work shall be protected and any damages shall be made good at the cost of the contractor resulting from improper protection.



Applicable Code and Industry Standard References
1403.2 Weather protection.
Exterior walls shall provide the building with a weather-resistant exterior wall envelope. The exterior wall envelope shall include flashing, as described in Section 1405.4. The exterior wall envelope shall be designed and constructed in such a manner as to prevent the accumulation of water within the wall assembly by providing a water-resistive barrier behind the exterior veneer, as described in Section 1404.2, and a means for draining water that enters the assembly to the exterior. Protection against condensation in the exterior wall assembly shall be provided in accordance with Section 1405.3.
Source: International Code Council (ICC), 2012 International Building Code (IBC), Chapter 21, Section 1403

1404.4 Masonry.
Exterior walls of masonry construction shall be designed and constructed in accordance with this section and
Chapter 21. Masonry units, mortar and metal accessories used in anchored and adhered veneer shall meet the physical requirements of Chapter 21. The backing of anchored and adhered veneer shall be of concrete, masonry, steel framing or wood framing.
Source: International Code Council (ICC), 2012 International Building Code (IBC), Chapter 14, Section 1404

6.2.2.6.3 Maintain a maximum distance between the inside face of the veneer and outside face of the solid sheathing of 1 in. (25.4 mm) when corrugated sheet metal anchors are used. Maintain a maximum distance between the inside face of the veneer and the wood stud or wood framing of 41/2 in. (114 mm) when other anchors are used. Maintain a 1-in. (25.4-mm) minimum air space.
Source: Masonry Standards Joint Committee, BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR MASONRY STRUCTURES, 2006


                                           Example of mortar bridging

Defects Associated with Thru-Wall Flashings installed at the Base of the Masonry Veneer Wall
Through-wall flashings are one of the components of the cavity wall system where we also see very significant defects. The first step to detailing the base of a brick-veneer wall is to install a through-wall flashing, which extends down the sheathing and out across the support ledge (often a concrete extension of the foundation, but may also be formed with angle-iron).
Through-wall flashing can be made with metal, but is usually formed with a flexible rubber-based membrane, such as the one shown in the photo below.


                                       Flexible rubber through-wall flashing

1.    Weather-resistive barrier. Next, a weather-resistive barrier, such as building paper, must be applied over the framed wall assembly. The courses of the weather-resistive barrier must be applied "shingle fashion," with the lowest course applied first, overlapping the vertical leg of the through-wall flashing. The upper courses are installed afterwards, overlapping each lower course.
2.    Air space. The brick must be installed with a 1-inch air space behind it to allow water that seeps into the brick to freely drain. The illustration above shows a mortar mesh installed in the air space at the base of wall. This helps to stop mortar droppings from clogging the weep holes.
3.    Weep holes. Water that collects on the through-wall flashing must be able to drain out through weep holes, which are formed by an "open" head joint (as shown in the illustration above), or with rope inserted into the  mortar joint (as shown in the photo below). In this illustration the open head joints have been filled with an open-weave mesh. This is a good idea for keeping mud wasps from building their nests in the weep holes, and to prevent other obstructions from blocking the free flow of water.

Weep holes: Rope inserted in the head joist between bricks will allow water to weep out of the base of the wall assembly


As far as installation construction defects, many installers do not understand how to install flashings around windows and doors so that when water runs downhill (as it surely will).  The moisture should be guided down and out, instead of into the wall cavity.  When installers install flashing by “reverse lapping” at the sill flashing paper (which is often done) water is drawn into the walls instead of out of walls.  See figure below.

Water stained sheathing and rusted fasteners below window shown in photo above.  Note that the weather resistive barrier is reverse lapped with window sill flashing, allowing the moisture from the flashing to impact the sheathing.



Installers also often rely on caulking to create a weather-resistant joint, instead of proper flashing. Caulking will deteriorate with age and weather, and is subject to proper installation to provide the water resistance; proper flashing can last considerably longer and is not subject to deterioration from most climatic stressors (wind and rain).

Installation construction defects also relate to the interconnection of windows and doors to the building structure relative to the vapor retention barrier and wall insulation. The vapor retention barrier is typically initially installed in continuous sheets, and then cut out for window and door openings. Construction defects occur when the “X” cut typically made at these openings extend beyond the opening size required for the windows and doors, thus creating locations where water will pass through the envelope, unimpeded; moisture will condense in this area. Moisture also infiltrates the wall cavity if insulation is not uniformly installed in all areas around windows and doors.

Management of the Mortar
Cavity bridging can be found in any cavity built building, from residential housings to infill walls to high rise buildings.  Bridging materials found in contemporary buildings are generally of mortar and brick debris discarded during construction.  In older buildings built with lime mortar, the bridging materials generally found are a build up of decayed mortar within the cavity.



So, are there any ways of managing the mortar droppings and bridging?  There are two major issues when it comes to managing mortar within the wall cavity: the need to ensure weep hole function and the need to address mortar bridges throughout the entire height of the airspace.
As stated earlier, mortar droppings are excess mortar that fall to the flashings. Mortar droppings that obstruct a properly detailed and constructed flashing system are blocking the weeps and they are preventing the drainage system of the wall from functioning as was designed.  An initial means of protecting weeps from mortar droppings was to place pea gravel in the cavity.  We quickly learned that this did not resolve our issues — we merely raised the location of the solid ledge of mortar to the top of the pea gravel.
A huge improvement over pea gravel came when commercially available drainage materials were introduced to the marketplace.  These products come in various configurations, all of which break up mortar droppings in one manner or another to reduce the opportunity of creating a solid obstruction above the weeps.  See figure below showing the installation of one of these types of drainage materials.


                                              Installing a drainage net

The second issue is mortar bridging when mortar makes contact with the backup.  (see photo). A mortar bridge will impede the flow of moisture to the flashing level, and it will make it harder for air to flow within airspace.  Moisture can pond on top of mortar bridges.   
 
If moisture is collecting at locations where insulation joints are not properly sealed, moisture will have the opportunity to get behind the insulation and cause the rotting of the sheathing, wood framing and so on.  Due to these construction defects, mold has been surfacing as the number one concern in all building envelopes. 
 
                                            Mortar bridging in cavity walls

Practices to prevent mortar bridges have included the use of pull-boards and back parging.  Pull-boards are a hassle, and this practice can disturb bricks.  Back parging can increase the amount of mortar droppings.  
 
Another method that has been developed is to add-head joint type weeps at the bottom and the top of the wall, sometimes with plastic or mesh inserts.  This practice greatly improves cavity ventilation, yet cannot compensate for a severely obstructed cavity.   Some practices to avoid are shown in the figure below.


Responding to this challenge, several companies now manufacture products that are installed throughout the full height of the airspace to assure a clean cavity. By installing a full-height drainage material that does not allow mortar to make contact with the backup, a continuous drainage area is the result. 

Additionally, these products make smaller cavities possible, which allow increased insulation or overall wall thickness reduction. Even though these products have quite different physical properties, the concept is still the same: full-height airspace maintenance that prevents both mortar droppings and mortar bridging.


Clogged weep tube.  The tube is also located much higher above the flashing than is allowed.  This home had moisture intrusion problems in that area.

Weep holes are essential for the good health of your building.  Because brick is not waterproof and is actually porous it allows as a reservoir for water and also allows the movement of water through the wall. This means that when it gets wet a masonry wall can absorb and store significant amount of water.  The weep hole is designed to ensure that that stored water can escape and allow for air to enter behind the wall to assist in keeping the structure dry.  Unfortunately, this opening is also a convenient entry point for unwanted pests such as mice, roaches, snakes, spiders and other unwanted critters.
A big problem we see is that the specifications do not dictate what drainage product to use to keep the cavity free from mortar droppings.  Many specs we reviewed classify pea gravel placement the same as mortar net, for example.  Since this is a cost issue for the mason, he will of course use pea gravel which is not as effective in keeping the cavity area open from mortar droppings.

                                                   Weep drain clogged with organic growth

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A firefighter is dead, and two others injured after their fire truck clipped a bridge, ran off the road and rolled over in Meridian, MS










By Andrea Williams |
Posted: Fri 12:16 PM, Sep 09, 2016 |
Updated: Sat 1:36 AM, Sep 10, 2016


MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - UPDATE: The city of Meridian has released the identity of the firefighter who was killed in the accident involving a fire truck.



Meridian city officials say the deceased firefighter has been identified as Eric Gustafson.

Earlier story:

One Meridian firefighter was killed, and two others seriously injured while responding to a call Friday morning.

"It's been a bad...bad morning. It's a bad...bad day," is what Meridian Fire Chief Anthony Clayton told Newscenter 11 as he left the scene of the one-vehicle wreck.

It happened around 9 Friday when the three firefighters, who were on duty from Fire Station Number 3 on Highway 11 on Airport Boulevard, responded to a routine call. According to Mayor Percy Bland, two fire truck units were responding to that call when one of them left the road and crashed. This happened about a half mile from the entrance of the Jaycee Soccer Field Complex off Old Highway 80.

"They're going to review everything that happened from the street here to see exactly what happened and when the firetruck went off the road," says Bland. "We don't have all of that information right now."


The Meridian Police Department is handling the investigation, along with the Mississippi Highway Patrol which has conducted a reenactment to try and determine exactly what caused the wreck.

In the wake of the accident, Chief Clayton says his entire department is in mourning. However, he's assuring citizens that coverage is continuing to be provided through all Meridian fire stations.

"We are doing what we can," says Clayton, "and we've had a lot of brother units from other cities and the air guard base, and the navy base that have also called to offer their assistance."

"We have a crisis management team from Weems communicating with our firemen," says Mayor Bland. "Some of the counselors were actually on the scene to see what we need to do as a city. I just ask this community to pray for those involved in this accident, and for our complete fire department today because this is a parent, a friend, a boss, another co-worker, a brother or sister."

Around noon Friday Chief Clayton confirmed that at least one of the two surviving firefighters was critically injured, and was transported to Jackson for treatment. City officials say the name of the fallen firefighter will be released after the next of kin has been notified.



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Meridian fire truck accident: 1 firefighter dead, 2 others injured

By Donesha Aldridge Published: September 9, 2016, 11:25 am Updated: September 9, 2016, 5:28 pm






MERIDIAN, Miss. (WJTV) — A firefighter is dead, and two others are fighting for their lives after their fire truck rolled over Friday morning in Meridian.

Authorities said the accident happened around 9 a.m on Old Eighth Street.

Eric Gustafson died from his injuries in the crash.

Officials tell WJTV that the the firefighters were responding to fire when the accident happened. The fire truck left the road and rolled over.

The two firefighters, David Carney and Capt. Jeffery Stewart were also in the truck. Carney is in stable condition at a hospital in Meridian. Capt. Stewart was flown to a hospital in Jackson immediately after the accident.




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Firefighter who died in Meridian fire truck crash identified 


Friday, September 9th 2016, 4:56 pm EDT

Posted by Mary Grace Brantley, Digital Content Director


MERIDIAN, MS (Mississippi News Now) -

A firefighter is dead after a firetruck carrying several Meridian firefighters wrecked near the Jaycee Soccer Complex Friday morning.

He has been identified by Meridian city officials as Eric Gustafson.

According to WTOK, Mayor Percy Bland was on scene, where he confirmed that one firefighter is dead and two firefighters are at the hospital with serious injuries. The firefighter's identity has not been released.

It's been confirmed the unit was sent out from Fire station 3 in response to a call and ran off the road. Meridian Police say an Air Vac helicopter is on standby in case it is needed.

Numerous city officials are currently on the scene near 65th Avenue and Old 8th Street Road, and the road is currently closed to traffic. Meridian's fire chief is expected to release more details soon.




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Meridian firefighter dies after truck flips, 2 injured
Sarah Fowler, The Clarion-Ledger 1:24 p.m. CDT September 9, 2016


A firetruck flipped on the way to a call Friday morning, killing one firefighter and injuring two others.

According to Lauderdale County Coroner Clay Cobler, firefighters with the Meridian Fire Department were responding to a call when their truck clipped a bridge, ran off the road and rolled over.

Lauderdale County Coroner Clayton Cobler said one of the firefighters, a 40-year-old male, was killed on impact. He was pronounced dead on scene at 9:09 a.m., Cobler said.

The name of the victims are not yet being released, pending family notification.

Two firefighters were transported from the scene. One was flown to Jackson, Cobler said. He was unsure where the other firefighter was transported.

According to Sergent Darreall Thompson with the Meridian Police Department, his officers responded to the call around 9 a.m. Friday.

Thompson referred all other questions to the Meridian Fire Department but said the accident was a "difficult time."

"It’s a difficult time for the whole city but especially or the families of the fire department," he said. "Fire, police, we’re all family because we serve this community."

Meridian Mayor Percy Blair said the city was in a state of mourning, calling the accident a "tragic situation."

"It’s not a good day for Meridian," Blair said. "You never want to get a call like what happened today. Our community is in prayer."

This is a developing story.  He was most likely driving too fast for the conditions and as he was making the slight turn, he hit the bridge and crashed.  RIP.

4,000 gallons of gasoline from a Peterbilt tank truck and trailer that overturned Wednesday in Southern Humboldt has leaked above the South Fork of the Eel River.






DHHS: No Evidence That Wednesday's 4,000-Gallon Gasoline Spill has Leaked Into the Eel River

Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services press release:





An estimated 4,000 gallons of gasoline from a petroleum tanker that overturned Wednesday in Southern Humboldt has leaked above the South Fork of the Eel River.

The incident occurred just south of the Salmon Creek exit from northbound U.S. Highway 101.

There is currently no evidence that fuel has entered the water. Assessment of the area continues today, with cleanup efforts expected to begin Tuesday.

The fuel truck overturned with an estimated 7,000 gallons on board. Some of the fuel was recovered in what’s called a “hot stinger operation,” which involves drilling the top of the overturned tank and inserting a pipe to remove the fuel. Recovery efforts, however, were complicated by the position of the truck and its location on the hill.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation is the lead agency for the spill and the recovery. Staff from the Division of Environmental Health (DEH) remain on site and continue to monitor these efforts.

“We don’t believe at this time that the spill presents a threat to public health,” said Susan Buckley, director of the Public Health Branch of the Department of Health & Human Services. “But in keeping with Proposition 65 notification requirements and out of an abundance of caution, we’re making this announcement over the weekend to make sure area residents are informed.” ======
Large Fuel Spill in State Park Amid Crash Cleanup Effort
Posted By Thadeus Greenson @ThadeusGreenson on Sat, Sep 10, 2016 at 8:24 AM
 
Facebook
Caltrans reported the overturned truck's tanks were intact with minimal leaking observed on Thursday.  Approximately 4,000 gallons of fuel spilled into state park soil as crews tried to clear the wreckage of a tanker truck that overturned alongside U.S. Highway 101 near Salmon Creek Bridge.

Information is sparse at this point, but State Parks sent out the below press release last night stating that cleanup efforts are underway and noting that about 4,000 gallons of the tanker's 7,000-gallon load "was released." The crash occurred Wednesday night near Miranda and its cause remains under investigation.

According to Caltrans, the plan had been to transfer the 7,000 gallons of gasoline to another truck before using a hoist to pull the tanker back onto the roadway. The truck's tanks stayed intact in the crash, with minimal observed leakage, according to Caltrans.

We'll update this post with additional information as we get it.


Humboldt County, Calif — Recovery and clean-up efforts of an overturned semi-truck carrying up to 7,000 gallons of fuel continued today near north bound US-101 out hot Salmon Creek Road in Humboldt County. The Peterbilt tank truck and trailer that collided with a guard rail and overturned on state park property on September 7 has been removed. Approximately 4,000 gallons of fuel was released.

Planning efforts to remove contaminated soil are underway and environmental monitoring will be ongoing throughout the entire clean-up process The park is open to the public. Park hours and services have not been impacted.

It is anticipated that traffic will be restored to normal conditions this evening, though traffic may be restricted in the near future to aid in clean-up efforts.

The collision remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. For further information, please contact Superintendent Tom Gunther (707) 946-1812. 


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Tanker Truck Carrying 7,000 Gallons of Gasoline Rolls on Highway 101 in SoHum; Traffic Reduced to One Lane

California Highway Patrol press release:




On 09/07/2016 at 1630 hours, a 2013 Peterbilt tank truck pulling a tank trailer, driven by C. Allan Veach of Ukiah, CA, was traveling northbound on US-101 south of Salmon Creek Road in the number two lane. The Peterbilt and trailer was transporting approximately 7,000 gallons of gasoline. For reasons still under investigation, Veach turned to the right and collided with the guardrail east of the roadway. The Peterbilt and trailer continued over the guardrail and overturned as it traveled down an embankment. The Peterbilt came to rest on its roof while the trailer came to rest on its left side approximately 150 feet east of US-101. During the investigation, officers did not observe a serious or noticeable breach of either of the tanks containing the gasoline. Due to its position of rest and the volatile contents of the tanks, the Peterbilt and tank trailer were unable to be promptly recovered. The recovery and clean-up efforts have been scheduled for the morning of 09/08/2016 and it is anticipated that traffic on US-101 will be restricted to one lane in each direction for an unknown duration.

A unified incident command was established on scene and was comprised of the following agencies; California State Parks, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cal Trans, Cal Fire, Humboldt County Department of Environmental Health, and the California Highway Patrol.

State Parks officers remained on scene with Cal Fire throughout the night and monitored the Peterbilt and tank trailer.

This collision remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. Alcohol/drug impairment does not appear to be a factor in the cause of this collision.  Perhaps the driver fell asleep and veered to the right.  That's all it takes for these tanker truck trailer trucks to overturn.  They can withstand a g force of less than 0.2 g.