Dominion Virginia Resources to dye-test runoff into wildlife refuge near airport

Dominion to dye-test runoff into wildlife refuge near airport



By Patricia Sullivan June 15 at 11:57 AM

The waters of a wildlife refuge near Reagan National Airport may turn a bright peach color Thursday as Dominion Virginia Resources attempts to figure out how mineral oil leaked from its Arlington substation into the Potomac River in January.

A dye-tracer test, ordered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, will use nontoxic dye like that used to color the Chicago River each year on St. Patrick’s Day, Dominion spokesman Charles Penn said.

The test, planned for Thursday morning, may result in visible dye between the Crystal City substation, at 18th and Fern streets, and Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary, where the county’s storm water drains run off. The sanctuary is connected to the Potomac via a small outlet under George Washington Memorial Parkway.

[Potomac oil came from Dominion, utility admits]

A Jan. 24 transformer failure resulted in the leak of 13,500 gallons of mineral oil. An unknown amount spread into the sanctuary, which is overseen by the National Park Service, and the river, which is under the control of the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment. The sheen of oil spread as far south as the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, south of the Beltway’s Woodrow Wilson Bridge, before dissipating about two weeks later.



Twenty-one birds, mostly Canada geese, died after the oil coated their feathers. The dye that will be used Thursday does not threaten animal or aquatic life, Dominion said, and is approved for this use by state and federal environmental agencies. The dye may be present for up to a year in soils and groundwater, but it breaks down in sunlight.

Niger Delta Avengers blow up NNPC pipeline as peace talks fail to begin; police refutes the claim, stating that the explosion was an accident

Niger Delta violence: Avengers blow up NNPC pipeline as peace talks fail to begin


Niger Delta Avengers Did not Blow Up Any Pipeline in Akwa Ibom – Police 
 
By Ludovica Iaccino June 16, 2016 09:44 BST


Nigeria: President Muhammadu Buhari plans talks with Delta leaders amid increasing pipeline attacks IBTimes UK

A militant group in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region has claimed responsibility for an attack at an oil pipeline owned by the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) took to Twitter to confirm it blew up an NNPC-owned pipeline in Oruk Anam Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State.


The attack in the early hours of Thursday (16 June) was carried out days after the group agreed to start a dialogue with the government to find a solution to renewed violence in the area.

The motive behind the latest attack is not yet clear. However, the group said the federal government must meet its demands before a "genuine" dialogue can take place.

Among other things, NDA urged the military to leave the restive south-east and the federal government "to commit member states of the multinational Oil Corporations to commit independent mediators to this proposed dialogue".

Earlier in June, Nigeria announced it would scale back its military presence in the Niger Delta in order to foster dialogue with militants. However, on Wednesday 15 June, the Ijaw People Development Initiative (IPDI) group, based in Delta State, alleged the government was not serious about a dialogue as soldiers kept "invading communities".

Attacks blamed on NDA forced Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell to close two plants, with the group vowing to bring the country's oil production down "to zero".

Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, has already been negatively affected by renewed violence in the area as oil production has dropped to 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), from 2.2 million bpd. Fighters of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (Mend) prepare for an operation against the Nigerian army in Niger Delta in September 2008Getty

The birth of militant groups in Niger Delta

NDA is the latest militant organisation to wage war against Nigeria due to perceived marginalisation in the Niger Delta.

On 12 June, former militant Government Ekpemupolo, or "Tompolo" as he is also known, urged NDA to engage in talks with the government. However, Tompolo, chief commander of the Movement For The Emancipation Of The Niger Delta (Mend), is suspected of being behind NDA, which some analysts believe is simply Mend with a new name.

Militant groups in the oil-rich Niger Delta region took hold in the early 2000s following the deterioration of people's living conditions blamed on the increase of oil-related activities by foreign exploration corporations. Tensions flared up in the local communities as some ethnic groups felt they were being exploited and did not benefit from the crude oil on their land.

The repeated oil spills that considerably damaged the environment and affected people's health further deepened the communities' frustrations. After being elected in 2015, Buhari extended a 2009 amnesty granted to 30,000 former militants in the area.





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Militancy: Niger Delta Avengers Did not Blow Up Any Pipeline in Akwa Ibom – Police

16.06.2016 at 4:15 pm By NAN


Militants

The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Murtala Mani, on Thursday refuted an alleged explosion of pipelines at Ikot Osutek, Oruk-Anam Local Government Area of the state by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

The NDA in a tweet said that they had blown up the NNPC Pipeline at about 4AM on Thursday.

Mani told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo that the alleged vandalism was an accident caused by a leakage in the gas pipelines.

He said that it was a technical problem and that some engineers from Port Harcourt were working to rectify the leakage.

Mani said that the state was safe from the activities of the militant group.

NAN reports that the gas pipelines are owned by Seven Energy Company, the operator of Ibom Gas Power Plant, Uquo in Esit-Eket Local Government Area of the state.

Ikot Osutek community, the location of the gas pipelines, is along Ikot Abasi-Ogoni-Port Harcourt axis of the East-West Road in Akwa Ibom.

NAN further reports that many residents of the state were disturbed by the alleged attack, due to the revelation that the militant group had vandalised 23 gas pipelines since February 14 when it started attacks.

Chemical Spill at El Segundo Water Treatment Plant

 
A chemical spill was reported Tuesday afternoon at the water treatment plant across from the Chevron refinery






Manhattan Beach, CA

By Alexander Nguyen (Patch Staff) - June 15, 2016 2:22 am ET


EL SEGUNDO, CA — A chemical spill was reported Tuesday afternoon at the West Basin water treatment plant across from the Chevron refinery.

The spill was reported at around 1 p.m, West Basin Water District Assistant General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh said.

"Early today, we have a chemical that was put into the wrong chemical tank," he said. "We're still investigating why that happened."

The chemical created a "minor heat increase" and the plant contacted the El Segundo Fire Department out of "an abundance of caution," he said.

The fire department evacuated a nearby building and shutdown a portion of El Segundo Boulevard near Sepulveda Boulevard.


No one was hurt in the incident and nothing serious was affected in the treatment system, Deshmukh said.

The plant treats recycled waste water for use in the Chevron refinery cooling towers.

The accident happened within the chemical tank and nothing was released into the air, Deshmukh said.

The fire department has since cleared the scene, he said.

A gas buildup inside the Gehl Foods plant in Germantown, WI caused a chemical spill that sent five to the hospital

Chemical spill at Gehl Foods plant leaves five with minor injuries


The Gehl Foods plant in Germantown, WI is located on Main Street. The plant was evacuated June 7 after a chemical spill.


By Madeline Heim

June 14, 2016
 

 Germantown, WI

A gas buildup inside the Gehl Foods plant in Germantown on June 7 caused a chemical spill that sent five to the hospital with minor respiratory issues.

According to a press release from the Germantown Fire Department, a contractor had accidentally mixed two materials that created chlorine and sulfur dioxide, which eventually caused a pressure breach that released product and gas inside the facility.

All employees at the plant were evacuated, with five sent to Community Memorial Hospital after complaining of respiratory distress.

Responders on the scene determined the product could be flushed and diluted to a safe point. According to the release, the Washington County Hazmat Team monitored the situation in and around the building.

The area was released back to Gehl Foods after air monitoring was completed and the pH at the scene was neutral.

A fire burned a wooden pool shed to the ground and caused a propane tank to explode in Pembroke, Mass.

Fire, explosion destroy pool shed in Pembroke


Posted Jun. 14, 2016 at 8:39 AM
Updated Jun 14, 2016 at 8:40 AM


PEMBROKE, MASS. – A fire burned a wooden pool shed to the ground and caused a propane tank to explode at a Thompson Street home Monday afternoon. 

Firefighters were called to 13 Thompson Street at about 4:10 p.m. for a report of an explosion, Fire Chief Michael Hill said. The wooden 10-foot-by-12-foot pool shed and its contents were engulfed in flames. 

Firefighters were at the scene for about two hours dousing the fire, which spread to some brush and dry leaves. 

No firefighters or residents were injured. 

Hill said investigators believe that the fire may have started because of either an electrical problem or a chemical reaction from items stored in the shed. The fire likely caused a 20-pound propane cylinder to explode. 

“There was nothing left of the shed so it’s kind of hard to pinpoint a point of origin,” Hill said.