MEC&F Expert Engineers : 06/09/17

Friday, June 9, 2017

One school bus ran into another in Mahwah, New Jersey while heading to a field trip, sending 18 Passaic students to the hospital.





A look at damage to one of the buses in a crash in Mahwah, N.J. 

 
MAHWAH, New Jersey (WABC) -- One school bus ran into another in Mahwah Friday morning while heading to a field trip, sending 18 to the hospital.

Police say there were four buses carrying 179 third-grade students and 19 staff members from School No. 11 in Passaic to Museum Village in Monroe, New York.



The buses were on Route 17 in New Jersey when one encountered debris in the road, prompting the driver to stop short to avoid it. That apparently caused the bus behind it to rear-end the first bus just before 10 a.m.



Police and emergency medical teams from Mahwah and surrounding areas were immediately on the scene.

The two buses involved in the accident had 89 students and nine teachers and staff on board, and 17 students and one staff member were transported to Valley Hospital. They were said to have only minor injuries, and none were expected to be admitted.

The rest of the students were evaluated in the parking lot of a Burger King before being returned to School No. 11.

Passaic Mayor Hector Lora and school superintendent Pablo Munoz praised the efforts of all emergency personal and the Mahwah police for their efforts. They also thanked Burger King and its staff for allowing students to be gathered in their restaurant and away from the accident scene.

Fire at the Renewable Energy Group biodiesel building at 605 Basset St., formerly Sanimax, in DeForest, WI caused about $1 million worth of damage










DeFOREST, Wis. - A fire Thursday morning at a biodiesel facility in DeForest caused about $1 million worth of damage, fire officials said.

Dispatch said the DeForest Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at 9:16 a.m. at the Renewable Energy Group building at 605 Basset St., formerly Sanimax.

The DeForest Fire Department said crews arriving at the site saw smoke and flames. It took about an hour for crews to get the fire under control.

Dane County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said deputies also responded to the scene to assist DeForest crews.

The fire department said all employees were accounted for and no one was injured.

Officials said Thursday afternoon that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

SO MANY CRAZIES, DRUGGED AND/OR DRUNK ON THE ROADS: a white pickup truck traveling at a high rate of speed hit two bicycle patrol officers on duty and a traffic control aide on 18th Street in Northwest D.C.







WASHINGTON, DC - Authorities say two people have been arrested after two D.C. police officers and a District Department of Transportation employee were struck by a pickup truck Thursday night in Adams Morgan.

D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham says just before 9 p.m., a white pickup truck traveling at a high rate of speed hit two bicycle patrol officers on duty and a traffic control aide on 18th Street in Northwest D.C.

One of the officers is in very critical condition, according to Newsham. The other officer and the worker suffered serious injuries, but are believed to be non-life-threatening.

After striking the officers, the truck proceeded through the intersection and ended up hitting a large unoccupied dump truck parked on the roadway just past Columbia Road. Two people in the pickup truck were placed under arrest and taken to the hospital.


Chief Newsham said in a news conference that a weapon was recovered from the striking vehicle.

When asked if this incident may be terrorism-related, Newsham said, "We have to look at that very closely. We do not have a motive at this time."

Several FBI agents were seen arriving at the scene on 18th Street late Thursday night.

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Two Police Officers, DPW Employee Struck By Pick-Up Truck In Adams Morgan

by Rachel Sadon in News on Jun 8, 2017 10:47 pm







fullscreen
(Photos by Lauren Landau)



By Rachel Sadon and Lauren Landau

A D.C. police officer is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle in Adams Morgan. A second police officer and a traffic patrol aide were also hit, and they both have serious but non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of a white pick-up truck was traveling "at a high rate of speed" on 18th Street NW before striking two bike patrol officers and the Department of Public Works employee, according to D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham. After hitting the officers, the vehicle traveled further down the street before hitting a truck and coming to rest in the 1800 block of Adams Mill Road.

The driver and a second person in the vehicle were both arrested on the scene, and police recovered a weapon. MPD has not yet identified a motive and cannot rule out terrorism at this time, Newsham said at a press conference at Washington MedStar Hospital, where the officers are being treated.

"You got two of our officers doing exactly what we ask them to do in the Adams Morgan community," Newsham said. "Thankfully nobody else was injured, but I have two of my officers in there unnecessarily in the hospital. It's the last thing the chief of police wants to have to do is come to the hospital when one of their officers is critically injured."

D.C. Fire and EMS reported that a total of five people were transported to the hospital; three with critical injuries, one serious, and another with "lesser" injuries. Hazmat units were deployed to the scene to handle spilled fluids.

Witnesses said that the vehicle was barreling through the nightlife district, swerving into an oncoming lane of traffic.

"He zoomed around the bus... I guess he got tired of waiting, and drove into the lane of oncoming traffic," said Danielle Styles, who was in town from Atlanta, Georgia. Styles was with a friend, whose grandmother had just dropped them off after celebrating her 71st birthday. "She almost got hit."

Devon Wilson watched, horrified, as the second officer was struck. "He was airborne—he flew. He hit the ground and actually rolled several times before he came to a standstill," says Wilson, who is visiting from Tennessee for the weekend. "I really hope that he's okay, because he flew so far and got hit so hard."

After striking the officers, the pick-up truck kept barreling down 18th Street. Wilson said it appeared to even speed up afterward. Eventually it struck a much larger truck and came to a stop.

JP Marsten was inside the Philz Coffee at the time, picking up the compost, and came out to find that the truck he'd purchased earlier the same day had been the white pick-up's final obstacle. "If this truck wasn't here, he would’ve gone through the glass," Marsten said. "He would’ve been in there or hit people on the sidewalk."

18th Street NW is currently closed to both vehicles and pedestrians between Columbia Road and California Street.

CONNECTICUT'S DETERIORATING FOUNDATIONS: Insurance companies cannot cancel or non-renew a homeowner's policy due to a deteriorating foundation. If you believe this has happened to you, you should file a complaint with the Connecticut Insurance Department.







About Concrete Foundations and our Investigation

BACKGROUND ON THE STATE’S INVESTIGATION

In August of 2015, Governor Malloy called on the Department of Consumer Protection (“DCP”) and the Office of the Attorney General (“OAG”) to conduct an investigation into deteriorating foundations. The scope of the investigation was to determine whether or not there was a claim under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (“CUTPA”). In July of 2016, the Office of the Attorney General issued this letter to Governor Malloy and DCP stating the low likelihood that a CUTPA claim would be possible.

Pursuant to Public Act 16-45, DCP submitted a final investigative report to the Connecticut General Assembly. A copy of that report can be found here .*

DCP’s investigation included, but was not limited to:
  • A scientific study where concrete expert from the University of Connecticut was retained to study core samples from affected homes;
  • Approximately 70 site visits to potentially affected homes;
  • Roughly 90 interviews with builders identified by consumer complaint forms;
  • 85 interviews with experts involved in residential construction and foundation installation;
  • Issuing 31 subpoenas to insurance companies under CUTPA;
  • Processing over 450 complaints from potentially affected homeowners.
Some highlights of the investigation’s findings are:
  • The mineral pyrrhotite must be present to result in the foundation to deteriorate in the way observed.
  • The minimum amount of pyrrhotite needed to trigger deterioration is not yet known.
  • Becker’s Quarry, the main source of concrete aggregate for JJ Mottes, includes more than trace amounts of pyrrhotite, and is located on a vein of rock that contains significant amounts of pyrrhotite.
As DCP and OAG worked on the CUTPA investigation, Lieutenant Governor Wyman led a group of elected officials, and government officials from the Insurance Department, Department of Banking, Housing Department, and Department of Administrative Services who discussed potential remedies for homeowners. This group will continue to work to find public and private sector remedies based on the results of the investigation.

PRESS RELEASES


FOR HOMEOWNERS

Homeowners may verify the licenses or registrations of home improvement professionals such as home improvement contractors and professional engineers at  www.elicense.ct.gov .

Throughout the investigation, DCP has released brochures meant to be helpful to homeowners going through the process of identifying a problem with their foundation, and beginning repair:
If you are selling your home, be sure to fill out the Residential Property Disclosure Form completely to the best of your knowledge. Homebuyers should also make sure to review this form during their purchase process.

DCP has issued multiple advisories to Home Inspectors to allow them to be as informed as possible in their work. You may find copies of the advisories here:
The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CROCG) has put together a qualified vendor list for those wishing to repair their home. You may find that list, and accompanying information here .

LEGISLATION

Public Act 16-45 was passed during the 2016 legislative session.

As of October 1st 2016, if you have an engineer’s report that says you have a deteriorating foundation, you can request that your town re-assess your home value and towns have 90 days to do so.

Public Act 16-45 assures that information of complainants will be protected for 7 years from the date of passage if they have already filed a complaint, or for 7 years from the date of their complaint if they have yet to file. This additional protection does not negate the obligation of a homeowner to disclose any condition they know about to any potential buyer of their home.

Public Act 16-45 makes it mandatory to record a concrete supplier and installer in the application process for new building permits.
 
A series of bills have been presented during the 2017 legislative session and are in the process of being considered by the legislature. Testimony from Commissioner Jonathan Harris can be found here .

INSURANCE ISSUES


The above notice informs insurance companies that they  cannot cancel or non-renew a homeowner's policy due to a deteriorating foundation.  If you believe this has happened to you, you should file a complaint with the Insurance Department.

The Insurance Department is also advising homeowners to read their policies, particularly the section titles "Duties After Loss." That section explains the process that a policy holder needs to follow when notifying his or her insurance company of any damage or a loss. The homeowner's policy also provides information on the timeframe a policyholder has to file a lawsuit against the company should he or she choose to do so.

Residents are encouraged to email individual insurance related questions to  cid.ca@ct.gov , or call the Insurance Department at 800-203-3447. 

TO FILE A COMPLAINT

If you have reason to believe your home's foundation is deteriorating due to potentially faulty concrete, you may wish to file a complaint with the Department of Consumer Protection by completing this form and returning this complaint form through mail or email.

When you fill out your complaint form, it's important to have as much information as possible about your home. You may also wish to include pictures, or other evidence from your foundation to show the issues you may have.

If you don't have answers to all questions on the form, fill out the form as completely as you can, and submit it. It's okay if you need to leave something blank.



*Appendices to DCP’s investigative report on deteriorating foundations can be found below.