3 INJURED FOLLOWING A CRASH ON HIGHWAY 33 and P BETWEEN A PICKUP TRUCK AND A SEMI FILLED WITH CHEESE. DIESEL FUEL; WAS SPILLED INTO THE NEARBY POND.

MARCH 19, 2015

TOWN OF HERMAN, DODGE COUNTY, WISCONSIN

 Three people were sent to the hospital following a crash between a pickup truck and a semi filled with cheese.

Bradley Strobel, 36, of Neosho, was towing a trailer behind his pickup truck on County Trunk P around 8:40 p.m. on March 18, when he stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Highway 33 in the town of Herman, according to a Dodge County Sheriff’s Office press release.

As Strobel pulled into the intersection, he was struck by an eastbound semi truck hauling 40,000 pounds of cheese. The semi left the roadway and overturned in a pond, spilling diesel fuel into the water.

The driver of the semi, John P. Wiseman, 53, of Bell Fountain, Ohio, suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in West Bend.

Strobel also sustained non life-threatening injuries and was transported to Hartford Hospital but was later transferred to Froedtert Memorial Hospital in Milwaukee where he was treated and released. Strobel’s passenger, David Strobel, 67, of Neosho, was flown from the scene by Flight for Life to Froedtert Hospital.

Patient condition reports for David Strobel and Wiseman were unavailable.

Highway 33 was closed for three hours while law enforcement investigated the crash. The cause remains under investigation.

Assisting at the scene were Dodge County Crash Investigation Team, Dodge County Emergency Response Team, Allenton and Theresa Fire Departments, Mayville, Allenton and Theresa EMS and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

There goes our cheese.  Be careful when you transport that valuable stuff, man.  We love Wisconsin cheese.  And the Packers, of course.

MIXTURE OF SPILLED PAINT THINNER AND GASOLINE PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN TRUMBULL, CONNECTICUT

MARCH 18, 2015

TRUMBULL, CONNECTICUT

Firefighters in Trumbull were called to a loading dock at Kennedy Industries on 39 Lindeman Drive on Wednesday afternoon after spilled paint thinner mixed with gasoline residue and created fumes, according to the fire department.

Officials with the Trumbull fire department said the fumes created a vapor that traveled into the ventilation system of the building at 39 Lindeman Drive. Firefighters responded to the scene around 1 p.m.

No one was hurt, and fire officials said crews ventilated the building within half an hour.

METHAMPHETAMINE PRODUCTION MAY BE ON DECLINE IN PIKE COUNTY OHIO DUE TO THE RESURGENCE OF HEROIN

MARCH 18, 2015

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO

Despite a pair of Tuesday arrests in Pike County connected to a suspected methamphetamine laboratory, meth activity across the area appears to be trending downward.

According to Cpt. Kevin Teeters, of the Chillicothe Police Department, the city has dealt with far fewer calls of suspicious chemical smells consistent with methamphetamine manufacturing than in recent years.

"Every once in a while, we get a report of places that smell like a meth lab," Teeters said. "But we just don't get the calls like we did years ago."

In October, during a discussion of a relatively new city law that holds property owners responsible to pay for the cost of cleanup of meth labs on their property, Chillicothe Fire Chief Jeff Creed pointed out that the city had not responded to any calls for meth lab cleanup over at least the previous six months.

The change is a classic good news, bad news situation. Teeters said the resurgence of heroin as the drug of choice locally has been a primary reason for the decrease in methamphetamine production.

With regard to the Pike County situation, two people were arrested on charges of operating a suspected methamphetamine laboratory Tuesday morning after Pike County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to a home in reference to a noise complaint.

According to the sheriff's office, as law enforcement officials approached the residence at 1022 Howard Road, one deputy noticed suspicious movement and a chemical odor coming from inside the garage. When backup arrived, several suspects inside the garage were detained and officials reported there was an active meth lab on site.

Once the scene was secured, the Pike County hazmat response team arrived to locate and collect items for disposal, including what was reported as a one-pot method meth lab.

Several other items commonly used for the production of meth were reported seized from the residence. James D. Jones, 38, of Piketon, and Danielle Whalen, 37, of Seaman, were taken into custody and will face charges that include illegal assembly of chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine and manufacturing of methamphetamine.

Additional charges may also follow when the case is presented to a Pike County grand jury.

Source: http://www.chillicothegazette.com

CHEMICAL REACTION TRIGGERS EVACUATION AT AKZONOBEL PLANT IN ROANOKE, VIRGINIA

MARCH 18, 2015

ROANOKE, VIRGINIA

Roanoke Fire-EMS officials are investigating a chemical reaction at the Roanoke AkzoNobel plant that prompted an evacuation Wednesday afternoon, officials said.  The plant address is 2837 Roanoke Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24015.

Roanoke Fire-EMS spokeswoman Tiffany Bradbury said in a news release that a chemical contained in a drum started smoking around 12:45 p.m. at an auxiliary building at 2837 Roanoke Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24015. The company manufactures wood coatings for kitchen and bath cabinets.

Three employees worked in that building, but the fire alarm triggered an evacuation for all production workers, said company site manager Russell Huff in an email. Huff said no one was injured and there were no reports of environmental releases.

Though residents near the business might have been able to smell fumes, Bradbury said the chemical is not toxic.

Huff said the drum contained material used to make coatings, and it exceeded optimum temperature. What exactly the chemical is hasn't been released.

A private contractor, the Roanoke Office of Emergency Management and the fire-EMS hazmat team are investigating what caused the chemical reaction.

The drum containing the chemical was removed from the building, as it was still reacting, Bradbury said.

Huff said production has been suspended until Thursday.

The extent of the damage is unknown at this time.

FORT ERIE, ONTARIO CHEMICAL CLEANUP WILL TAKE TWO MORE WEEKS TO COMPLETE

MARCH 18, 2015

FORT ERIE, ONTARIO

The private hazardous materials company hired by regional authorities will be working for about the next two weeks to clean up a chemical spill on Helena Street, Fort Erie Fire Chief Larry Coplen said Wednesday night.

Though the spill has forced the closing of Helena between Garrison Road and Albany Street, the basically rural nature of that part of the town has not caused great problems for the few nearby residents who have been allowed to remain in their homes and have no problem driving out of the area, officials said.

The acetone and toluene that spilled out of a building at 833 Helena Street, Fort Erie, Ontario L2A 4K2 over a week ago remained under investigation by town officials. The chemicals are not believed to pose any immediate health problems to residents but is not to be touched without protective clothing, officials said. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment is in charge of the cleanup operations.

Source: http://www.buffalonews.com