TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline has been shut down after it leaked an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil in northeastern South Dakota

Keystone pipeline leak spills 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota




Last Updated Nov 16, 2017 9:13 PM EST


AMHERST, S.D. -- TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline has been shut down after it leaked an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil in northeastern South Dakota, the company and state regulators reported Thursday.

Crews shut down the pipeline Thursday morning and activated emergency response procedures after a drop in pressure was detected resulting from the leak south of a pump station in Marshall County, TransCanada said in a statement. The cause was being investigated.

Late Thursday evening, TransCanada tweeted a picture that apparently shows the "approximate release area" as seen from an aerial patrol of the company's initial response:


Officials don't believe the leak affected any surface water bodies or threatened any drinking water systems, said Brian Walsh, an environmental scientist manager at the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which has dispatched a staff member to the site.

"Ultimately, the cleanup responsibility lies with TransCanada, and they'll have to clean it up in compliance with our state regulations," Walsh said.

The pipeline transports crude from Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma, passing through the eastern Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. It can handle nearly 600,000 barrels, or about 23 million gallons, daily. TransCanada says on its website that the company has safely transported more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil, or about 63 billion gallons, through the system since operations began in 2010.

"We told you so," Daniel Sheehan, chief counsel of the Lakota People's Law Project, said in a statement. "It was just a matter of time. There have been over 200 significant leaks in these pipelines since the year 2000. This is the exact threat that the Lakota people were trying to protect their sole source of water from at Standing Rock."

The Project has been defending activists who oppose the Keystone XL pipeline, an extension of the Keystone project, because it passes close to tribal lands and could endanger their drinking supply.

TransCanada said in its statement that it expected the pipeline to remain shut down as the company responds to the leak. It did not offer a time estimate.

The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration didn't immediately return an email requesting additional information from The Associated Press.


A leak and spill in southeastern South Dakota in April 2016 prompted a weeklong shutdown of the pipeline. TransCanada estimated that just under 17,000 gallons of oil spilled onto private land during that leak. Federal regulators said an "anomaly" on a weld on the pipeline was to blame. No waterways or aquifers were affected.

TransCanada said at the time that the leak was the first detected on the pipeline since it began operating, though there had been leaks at pumping stations. One of those leaks happened in southeastern North Dakota in May 2011, when 14,000 gallons spilled after a valve failed at a pumping station near the South Dakota border.

The Keystone Pipeline is part of a 2,687-mile system that also is to include the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which has faced persistent opposition from environmental groups, American Indian tribes and some landowners.

President Trump issued a federal permit for the project in March even though it had been rejected by the Obama administration. The project has received needed approvals in states between Alberta, Canada, and Nebraska. Nebraska regulators plan to announce their decision next week. 

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November 16, 2017 15:28 ET

TransCanada responds to oil leak in Amherst, South Dakota

AMHERST, SOUTH DAKOTA--(Marketwired - Nov. 16, 2017) - 

News Release - TransCanada (TSX:TRP) (NYSE:TRP) crews safely shut down its Keystone pipeline at approximately 6 a.m. CST (5 a.m. MST) after a drop in pressure was detected in its operating system resulting from an oil leak that is under investigation. The estimated volume of the leak is approximately 5,000 barrels. The section of pipe along a right-of-way approximately 35 miles (56 kilometres) south of the Ludden pump station in Marshall County, South Dakota was completely isolated within 15 minutes and emergency response procedures were activated. 

Crews, including TransCanada specialists from emergency management, engineering, environmental management and safety as well as contracted, nationally recognized experts are assessing the situation. TransCanada is providing State and Federal regulators, including the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the National Response Center (NRC), with accurate and confirmed information on an ongoing basis.

TransCanada appreciates the collaborative support of local officials, emergency response personnel and commissioners in Marshall County, as well as the landowner who has given permission to access land for assessment, identification and clean-up activities.

We have been keeping our shippers and customers up to date and have communicated that the pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Cushing, Oklahoma and to Wood River/Patoka, Illinois is expected to remain shut down as we respond to this incident. This does not affect the Marketlink pipeline system, which uses the facilities of the southern leg of the Keystone system from Cushing to the Gulf Coast.

The safety of the public and environment are our top priorities and we will continue to provide updates as they become available. 

TransCanada operates a network of natural gas pipelines that extends more than 91,500 kilometres (56,900 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is the continent's leading provider of gas storage and related services with 653 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A large independent power producer, TransCanada currently owns or has interests in approximately 6,200 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is also the developer and operator of one of North America's leading liquids pipeline systems that extends over 4,800 kilometres (3,000 miles), connecting growing continental oil supplies to key markets and refineries. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. Visit TransCanada.com to learn more, or connect with us on social media and 3BL Media.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

This publication contains certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements are usually accompanied by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "intend" or other similar words). Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide TransCanada security holders and potential investors with information regarding TransCanada and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of TransCanada's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. All forward-looking statements reflect TransCanada's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this news release, and not to use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. TransCanada undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by law. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated results, refer to the Quarterly Report to Shareholders dated November 8, 2017 and 2016 Annual Report filed under TransCanada's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Contact Information

TransCanada Media Enquiries:
Terry Cunha/Matt John
403.920.7859 or 800.608.7859

TransCanada Investor & Analyst Enquiries:
David Moneta/Stuart Kampel
403.920.7911 or 800.361.6522 ============================

Latest update - 2:28 p.m. CST, November 16, 2017

At approximately 6 a.m. CST (5 a.m. MST) today, we safely shut down the Keystone pipeline after we detected a pressure drop in our operating system resulting from an oil leak that is under investigation.

The estimated volume of the leak is approximately 5,000 barrels. The section of pipe along a right-of-way approximately 35 miles (56 kilometres) south of the Ludden pump station in Marshall County, South Dakota was completely isolated within 15 minutes and emergency response procedures were activated.

The safety of the public and environment are our top priorities and we will continue to provide updates as they become available.





More details:

Crews, including TransCanada specialists from emergency management, engineering, environmental management and safety as well as contracted, nationally recognized experts, are assessing the situation. TransCanada is providing State and Federal regulators, including the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the National Response Center (NRC), with accurate and confirmed information on an ongoing basis.

TransCanada appreciates the collaborative support of local officials, emergency response personnel and commissioners in Marshall County, as well as the landowner who has given permission to access land for assessment, identification and clean-up activities.

We have been keeping our shippers and customers up to date and have communicated that the pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Cushing, Oklahoma and to Wood River/Patoka, Illinois is expected to remain shut down as we respond to this incident. This does not affect the Marketlink pipeline system, which uses the facilities of the southern leg of the Keystone system from Cushing to the Gulf Coast.


More information

TransCanada takes all incidents related to our business and communities seriously. When we activate our emergency response plan, we work immediately with communities and emergency responders to mitigate all risks as quickly and professionally as possible.

For more information about our emergency response and preparedness, click here.

For media inquiries, please call 1.800.608.7859 toll-free.

Convicted felon Michael Llamas, 33, burned to death and passenger Stephanie Rivera Camarena, 27, killed, as he was driving 2016 Lamborghini Aventador roadster at incredibly high speeds through downtown San Diego and apparently lost control of the vehicle, the car struck a palm tree and burst into flames

Driver of speeding Lamborghini dead after fiery crash Downtown Posted: Nov 05, 2017 6:21 PM EST Updated: Nov 15, 2017 6:21 PM EST



SAN DIEGO, CA (KUSI) — A pre-dawn crash involving a luxury sports car left a man dead and a woman injured Sunday.

It happened about 2 a.m., when the driver of a Lamborghini was traveling at a high speed northbound on North Harbor Drive and apparently lost control of the vehicle, according to San Diego Harbor Police. The car struck a palm tree and burst into flames, police said.

A Harbor Police officer patrolling the area was at the scene of the crash -- just south of Broadway and North Harbor Drive -- within moments, police said.

During a search of the area, police said they found a woman who appeared to be ejected from the vehicle in the collision. She was taken to a local hospital, with serious injuries

The driver of the Lamborghini was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Nearby streets were closed for several hours after the crash.




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SAN DIEGO – A driver was killed and a female passenger injured after a high-speed crash early Saturday morning in downtown San Diego.

According to Harbor Police, at about 2 a.m. the driver of a vehicle, described by witnesses as a Lamborghini, was speeding north near the 900 block of North Harbor Drive when the car left the roadway, hit a palm tree and became engulfed in flames. A female passenger was ejected into the street.

A witness who did not want to show his face on camera told FOX 5 he made eye contact with the driver at a stop light just moments before he sped away and then burst into flames. Arial Batara said he’s shaken after witnessing that Lamborghini slam into a palm tree and burst into flames.

“Last person to see him alive because we had eye contact at the stoplight… when we stopped and it’s the only time he stopped,” said Batara. “A lime green Lamborghini flying 180, 200 miles an hour right by you and it’s like pretty much nothing you can do. You see somebody burning alive and moving and you can’t do anything. Just basically you’re just watching just basically die slowly it’s like a candle melting you can’t do a darn thing about it.”



A Harbor Police officer who was near the scene at the time of the crash assisted the injured passenger until an ambulance arrived and transported her to a hospital. Her condition is not known.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

An attorney and a number of friends of the victim and driver of the car stopped by the crash scene and identified him as medical marijuana business man 33-year-old Mike Llamas of San Diego.

“Never take life for granted man, that’s all. Life is short,” said Batara.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.



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A Mexican beauty queen who was thrown from a high-speed Lamborghini crash in downtown San Diego that killed the driver—a wealthy medical marijuana entrepreneur who was scheduled to be sentenced in a $10 million mortgage fraud case next month—has also died from her injuries, according to Fox 5 San Diego.

According to witnesses, 33-year-old Michael Llamas was driving the lime green 2016 Lamborghini Aventador roadster at incredibly high speeds through downtown San Diego early Sunday morning when he lost control of the car at over 100 mph and struck a decorative roadside anchor and palm tree. His passenger, 26-year-old Stephanie Rivera Camarena, was thrown from the flaming wreck and severely injured; Llamas was trapped in the driver's seat and reportedly burned to death.

Facebook | Miss Baja California


Stephanie Rivera Camarena - a really fine piece of ass, sadly died in the crash.  This is what happens when you mix with the wrong person.

Camarena, a Mexican national and a former Miss Earth Baja California in 2015, was in a coma for several days before succumbing to her injuries and passing away on Wednesday. The international Miss Earth pageant seeks to highlight environmental and social issues, and director Joaquin Meza told the Los Angeles Times that Camarena was a champion of several causes, including breast cancer.  A Facebook post on the Baja pageant's page called her "a queen in every sense of the word."

Michael Llamas rocketed to relative fame and fortune when he founded Medical Marijuana, Inc. in 2009, which bills itself as the first publicly-traded company to sell medicinal products derived from cannabis and hemp oil. Though the company still exists, Llamas was forced out as CEO in 2012 after he was indicted for his involvement in a $10 million mortgage fraud scheme. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud last August, and was scheduled to be sentenced on December 5. He faced up to six years in prison.

Llamas' attorney Michael Pancer told NBC 7 that his client "never appeared depressed or suicidal about his upcoming sentencing," and authorities still aren't sure whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash



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Driver in Fiery Lamborghini Crash Was Awaiting Sentence on Fraud Charges
Michael Llamas was also a defendant in at least four civil cases involving the medical marijuana business

By Paul Krueger



A controversial medical marijuana businessman who died in the explosive crash of his late model Lamborghini was awaiting sentencing on fraud charges.

The county Medical Examiner confirmed that Michael Llamas died at the wheel of his speeding sports car on North Harbor Drive not far from San Diego International Airport.


Llamas’s 2016 Lamborghini hit a curb, a palm tree, and an ornamental anchor, before bursting into flames just before 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5.

A female passenger was thrown from the car and injured.

Court documents obtained by NBC 7 confirm that Llamas pleaded guilty to wire fraud and another felony, and was due to be sentenced December 5, in federal court in Sacramento.

That case involved the filing of falsified documents and financial misdealings in a real estate sale.

Court records confirm that Llamas was also a defendant in at least four civil cases involving the medical marijuana business.

Llamas’s attorney in the federal fraud case told NBC 7 that Llamas “accomplished a number business successes relating to the hemp industry and medical uses of hemp and oil derived from hemp products.” Attorney Michael Pancer said that while preparing for Llamas’ sentencing hearing, his firm gathered numerous testimonials from persons who believe the products he has distributed were lifesaving and greatly reduced symptoms from many pain-causing and debilitating diseases and injuries.”


Pancer said he had hoped Llamas would get probation, instead of up to six years in federal prison, at his December 5th sentencing.

His attorneys told NBC 7 that Llamas never appeared depressed or suicidal about his upcoming sentencing, and was looking forward to life and business after serving what they predicted would be probation or a brief prison sentence.

Another lawyer who represented Llamas in the federal case said his client helped patients in need of pain relief around the world, often at his own expense.

"He was one person who was the complete opposite of selfish," said attorney Guadalupe Valencia, who knew Llamas for five years and considered him a friend.

"He always talked about helping other people. That’s a lot of what his life was about. Like any other person involved in a big business, there’s always going to be some types of lawsuits, but he was a really reformed, really good young man," Valencia said.

Lawsuit by Harris County against Crosby, Texas chemical plant Arkema claims that the plant's explosion after Hurricane Harvey caused negative health effects to residents nearby.

HOUSTON, TX (KTRK) -- Harris County officials made good on a promise to sue Crosby chemical plant Arkema Thursday.

The suit, first discussed in September, claims the plant's explosion after Harvey caused negative health effects to residents nearby.


"Companies should be on notice that we care when they pollute our air, our water, our environment," Ogg said. "We are looking into exactly what happened at the plant. We are gathering facts and we will apply the law. Arkema is under criminal investigation."


Thursday's suit alleges Arkema had unpermitted air releases, wastewater releases, violated the Clean Air Act and asks for reimbursement for costs incurred by the county during the enforcement of the 1.5-mile evacuation zone. It also asks for an "environmental audit" of the Arkema plant to find out what it will take to "bring the Facility into compliance."

Additionally, the county alleges that because the facility is in a floodplain, any buildings must have a permit under floodplain regulations. County records show Arkema doesn't have a permit for one or more of the structures on the property, the suit alleges.

"This was a very dangerous situation," County Attorney Vince Ryan said in an e-mailed statement. "Arkema must take responsibility for its inability to ensure the safety of the people of the Crosby community and those who protect them."

Wednesday, members of the Chemical Safety Board questioned Arkema's safety plans after building the plant in a flood zone and not having a disaster plan that included the possibility of significant flooding.

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First responders file suit against Arkema over 'serious bodily injuries' in Houston chemical plant fire after Hurricane Harvey



First responders filed a lawsuit in Harris Count court alleging Arkema failed to take adequate safety steps to secure dangerous chemicals ahead of Hurricane Harvey.

The lawsuit filed by seven police, fire and emergency service workers seeks at least $1 million Published 11:22 PM ET Thu, 7 Sept 2017 Reuters


Police and emergency workers filed suit on Thursday against French chemicals company Arkema SA, claiming they were injured after it failed to take adequate steps to avoid a fire at its Crosby, Texas, plant after Hurricane Harvey.


CNBC
Screengrab of a video taken of a fire at the Arkema plant in Crosby, Texas, September 1, 2017.


Seven police, fire and emergency medical technicians sued Arkema in Harris County District Court for at least $1 million, alleging negligence by the company and executives led flammable organic peroxides stored at the site to ignite after the plant lost power during the storm.

Arkema defended its efforts to secure the chemicals and plant, saying in a statement that it worked with police, fire and regulatory officials to protect the plant and local residents.

"We deeply regret that anyone suffered harm as a result of the havoc wreaked on our plant by Hurricane Harvey," it said in statement. It called the negligence suit "gravely mistaken" and said it will contest the allegations.

The seven emergency workers claim they received "serious bodily injuries" after breathing smoke released by the fire while manning an evacuation perimeter a mile and a half from the plant. The chemicals are used in the manufacture of plastics.

The company and its executives failed to protect the chemicals adequately and did not alert the emergency workers on Aug. 31, after some containers exploded, caught fire and released "toxic fumes," the suit said.




Texas chemical plant fire rages 6:47 PM ET Fri, 1 Sept 2017 | 00:31


Arkema's executives "repeatedly denied that the chemicals were toxic or harmful in any manner" and the seven emergency workers "relied on these representations and suffered serious bodily injuries as a result," the suit alleges.

In all, about 15 emergency workers outside the plant required care at the scene or were taken to a hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.

Floodwaters from Harvey cut electricity feeding refrigeration units used to keep the plant's tanks of volatile organic peroxide from warming and combusting.

Plant workers evacuated after moving the chemicals into nine trailers.

The federal Chemical Safety Board has launched an investigation of the incident, and the Environmental Protection Agency has been monitoring the site for pollutants.

Four people were injured, 1 seriously, in an apparent boiler explosion at a home in Newark , New Jersey

NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) --

Four people were injured in an apparent boiler explosion at a home in Newark Thursday morning.

The victims were hurt in the explosion and fire on Cedar Avenue just before 8 a.m.

All are believed to be members of the same family who lived in the three-story home.

Neighbors said they heard the blast, and saw the people inside the home come out -- one woman appeared to be burned.

Two good Samaritans came running to help. One was driving by in a car, and the other lives in the neighborhood.

They broke through the door to see if anyone was inside -- but all just gotten out on their own.

"I did what I did. God must have put me here for a reason," the good Samaritan who lives in the neighborhood said.

The people injured were taken to burn unit at a hospital in Livingston. One of the victims, an adult, had serious burns.

The others, including children, were less seriously injured.

The photo above shows the windows are all blown out, the front door was blown off and other damage to the building.

The blast left two families out of their home.



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NEWARK (CBSNewYork) – 

A possible explosion rocked a Newark neighborhood Thursday morning.

Firefighters are trying to determine if a boiler explosion caused the fire at a two-family house on Cedar Avenue.

“Just a big boom. The whole house shook,” said Marlene Philidor.

The exact cause is still under investigation.

Five people were taken to St. Barnabas Medical Center, including two children.

Witnesses said one woman appeared to have burns on her body.

“I saw the lady pushing her way out of the garage at first, and once she came out you just noticed that her whole back was burned up and she started screaming. Then I saw everybody else coming out of the house,” Philidor said.

None of the injuries are said to be life-threatening. 



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One person is being rushed to St. Barnabus Burn Center in Livingston after a boiler exploded and caused severe injuries to the victim in a Newark West Ward house.

Emergency responders and rescue crews rushed to the teens block of Cedar Avenue at shortly before 8 a.m. after several of an explosion with injuries was reported.

Firefighters arrived to find one person suffering serious burns and at least three others sustaining non-life threatening injuries.

Residents on the block told RLS Metro that they heard a loud bang then screams from victims before firefighters arrived.

Crews were able to extinguish the blaze that extended and destroyed the house swiftly.


The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

We are awaiting an official report from The Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

UPDATE 8:25 a.m. The address is 16 Cedar Avenue

UPDATE 8:43 a.m. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office are on the scene.

Chad Harding, owner of Gatens-Harding Funeral Home will face 3 to 30 years in prison and up to $30,000 in fines for defrauding an insurance company after he cashed in pre-need funeral arrangements for more than 100 people who had not died.

WVMetronewsGatens-Harding Funeral Home Poca, W.Va.


 Funeral director pleads to insurance fraud



By Chris Lawrence in News 

November 14, 2017 at 1:11PM

WINFIELD,W.Va. — A Putnam County funeral home director will face 3 to 30 years in prison and up to $30,000 in fines for defrauding an insurance company.

Chad Harding, owner of Gatens-Harding Funeral Home, entered the plea agreement with the Putnam County Prosecutor’s office on Monday to settle criminal charges. Harding cashed in pre-need funeral arrangements for more than 100 people who had not died.





“He sent messages to the insurance company saying people died when they didn’t and he got the money for the funeral,” said Putnam County Prosecutor Mark Sorsaia. “That was the fraud part.”

The case came to Sorsaia’s office after an investigation by the state Insurance Commission. Harding enter the plea to avoid a trial and possibly stiffer penalties. The plea comes after a judgement was reached in a lawsuit over the case from earlier this year–a judgement against Harding which was sold to a third party. According to Sorsaia it has created difficulty in determining restitution in the case.

“It’s a very complicated deal,” said Sorsaia. “It was in the 900 thousands they got a judgement. Somebody bought the judgement so the insurance company got money and then the insurance company had a fraud policy and got money from another company. We’ve just got to sort out whose entitled to what.”

One group that will not be left holding the bag are those who bought a pre-need funeral arrangement. The company, Homesteaders Insurance, agreed to honor all of the policies even though they have already paid on many of them.

Part of the plea also called for Harding to aid in ongoing investigations related and unrelated to his particular case.

“He’s involved in some other activities we’re looking at which I really can’t comment on,” said Sorsaia. “Part of the agreement is he’s going to cooperate with state and federal authorities for us to look into those matters more thoroughly.”