Motorcyclist traveling at high rate of speed collides with a telephone pole and losing his life in Linden, New Jersey.

MAY 17, 2017

LINDEN, NEW JERSEY

A city man died on Sunday after crashing his motorcycle into a telephone pole on West Elizabeth Avenue, police said.

Linden police Lt. Michael Babulski said the man was traveling at a high rate of speed when he crashed on Sunday morning near Amici Ristorante.

The telephone pole suffered minor bruises and loss of wood.

Babulski would not yet release the man's name.

2 motorcyclists killed, 4 injured in head-on collision with car in Isanti County, Minnesota

MAY 17, 2015

ISANTI COUNTY, MINNESOTA (KMSP) 

 Two motorcyclists were killed in Isanti County in a head-on crash on Saturday night.

Just before 10 p.m., a Harley-Davidson was traveling south on Highway 47 at 253rd Avenue NW in Stanford Township when it crossed the center line and struck a northbound Ford Taurus head-on with 4 passengers from Cambridge, Minn. inside. 

Steven Gohr, 61, of Andover was driving the motorcycle with Anita Kemp, 47, of Andover was riding with him. 

Both motorcyclists were ejected and killed. 

It is unknown if alcohol was a factor in the crash. State Patrol officials did not say if they were wearing helmets.

The four people in the Taurus, Daniel, Karen, Emily and Abbie Higley, were all brought to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Person hit, killed by Caltrain in Atherton, California. This is the 11th Fatality of the Year for Caltrain

MAY 17, 2015

ATHERTON, CALIFORNIA

 

Caltrain has resumed normal service after a man was fatally struck on the tracks in Atherton on Sunday.

Authorities responded shortly before 1 p.m. to a report of a person struck by southbound train No. 802 in the Atherton Caltrain station,
according to Caltrain officials.

Approximately 1,200 people were onboard the train, which experienced 90-minute delays, Caltrain officials said.

At around 1:30 p.m., the northbound track reopened and trains were single tracking in the area.

As of around 5:30 p.m., Caltrain officials said the trains had resumed normal service.

The death is Caltrain's 11th fatality of the year, officials said. In 2014, 10 people died on Caltrain tracks, officials said.

WOMAN IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER TWO BOATS COLLIDE ON GEIST RESERVOIR IN INDIANA

MAY 17, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

Indiana conservation officers are investigating a boating crash on Geist Reservoir that sent one woman to the hospital in critical condition.

A runabout boat collided with a pontoon boat on the southern end of Geist Reservoir about 5:10 p.m. Sunday, according to a Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement news release.

The accident happened just east of East 86^th and Fall Creek Road.

The driver of the pontoon boat, a 52-year-old woman, was taken to St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital with critical injuries. A passenger, her 55-year-old husband, was thrown from the pontoon boat and was not injured, according to a news release from Capt. Rita Reith of the Indianapolis Fire Department.

The operator and occupants of the runabout, two adults and five children, were not injured, Reith said.

Witnesses said the Sea Doo Challenger 1800 was traveling about 50 mph.  The pontoon boat was traveling at about 15 miles per hour.  They said the fast-traveling runaround boat broadsided the driver's side of the pontoon boat and flew 15 feet in the air, over the pontoon boat, before landing back in the water, Reith said.

The impact critically injured the woman driving the pontoon boat, Reith said. No one on the Sea Doo was injured. The driver, a 38-year-old man, said he saw the pontoon boat and made an effort to avoid it but was not successful.

An accident reconstruction expert was assisting with the investigation, the DNR release said.

Multiple calls to 911 offered different addresses for the crash, which Reith said complicated the rescue effort.

CESSNA 150C HAS EMERGENCY LANDING ON COUNTY ROAD OVER THE ANIMAS VALLEY NORTH OF DURANGO, COLORADO

MAY 17, 2015

DURANGO, COLORADO

A Durango man flying a Cessna 150C over the Animas Valley north of Durango Sunday reported an engine failure at an elevation of 10,000 feet, then made an emergency landing on a country road near homes and survived.

The pilot, Baudy Barnes, was not injured, La Plata County Sheriff's Department spokesman Dan Bender said.

Deputies closed La Plata County Road 205 just north of Durango.

Road crews were waiting for an aircraft mechanic to help remove the wings from the damaged aircraft, Bender said, so it could be moved from the road and trucked away.

Barnes had taken off Sunday from the Animas Air Park south of Durango and was flying alone. It was unclear why the engine cut out, Bender said.

As Barnes spotted the two-lane, paved county road and descended, in a populated canyon within one mile of homes, the aircraft hit a power line. But he was able to guide it down safely, Bender said, and no injuries were reported.

FIERY PLANE CRASH NEAR LAUGHLIN, NEVADA HAS KILLED ONE PERSON AND INJURED THREE OTHERS.

MAY 17, 2015

LAUGHLIN, NEVADA

Metro Police say they are responding to a plane crash near Laughlin that has killed one person and injured three others.

Metro has confirmed the crash happened near Needles Highway and the Big Bend Field, just southwest of Laughlin around 6 p.m Sunday.

Metro, along with Clark County Fire Department and Bullhead City authorities, reported the plane was on fire when they arrived. 

Authorities said two people suffered burns to their bodies and were flown to a nearby hospital. One person was dead at the scene and another person is still trapped inside the plane.

Metro said crews are working to free the trapped passenger. Police said they are assisting with the rescue efforts.

The site of the crash is near the Colorado River.

Authorities have not released any other information at this time.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Coast Guard crew rescues 6 adults, 3 children near Cape Coral Bridge

May 17, 2015

 

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA

A Coast Guard crew rescued six adults and three children from a 25-foot recreational boat taking on water in the vicinity of the Cape Coral Bridge, Sunday.

A member of Seatow Fort Myers contacted Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach at 4:15 p.m., reporting the incident and stated the owner of the boat was requesting Coast Guard assistance.

A 29-foot Response Boat — Small II crew from the station arrived on scene, removed the people from the vessel, assisted the owner in dewatering the vessel and towed it to Everest Park Marina.

There were no injuries reported.

“Boating season is upon us, and when you’re on the water, anything can happen,” said Chief Warrant Officer Bob Swanson, a search and rescue coordinator at the sector. “We strongly recommend contacting your local Coast Guard Auxiliary for a free vessel safety check, file a float plan and wear your life jackets in case you find yourself in a deteriorating situation.

In addition, the Coast Guard unveiled a new smartphone app, CG Mobile, which provides mariners with boating safety information, including float plans, safety equipment, weather and safety checks. For more informations of CG Mobile please click here.

Coast Guard detains cargo vessel for safety violations in Astoria, Oregon

May 17, 2015

 

PORTLAND, OREGON

The Coast Guard detained the 600-foot motor vessel Ikan Sudip, after significant environmental and safety violations were found during an inspection in Astoria, Saturday.

Vessel inspectors from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit in Portland discovered the discrepancies during an inspection of the Panamanian-flagged motor vessel, which was built in 2004.

“The Ikan Sudip’s safety and environmental conditions posed an unacceptable threat to our waterways,” said Capt. Dan Travers, Coast Guard Sector Columbia River Commanding Officer and Captain of the Port for Oregon and Southern Washington. “We are focused on ensuring that all issues are corrected by fixing the discrepancies and removing the risks found on board the vessel.”

While inbound to U.S. waters, Monday, the vessel experienced two separate fuel related propulsion losses within 24 hours, which completely disabled the vessel at sea. After regaining minimal propulsion with temporary repairs, the captain of the port expelled the vessel from U.S. waters and prohibited its re-entry until the main engine’s fuel system was properly repaired. 

Vessel crewmembers and propulsion machinery technicians corrected the fuel system issues on Saturday, and the vessel was allowed to enter the Columbia River while under escort by the towing vessel Somer S. Vessel inspectors from the MSU boarded the vessel while anchored in Astoria and conducted a safety and security inspection where they identified multiple equipment discrepancies and environmental violations.

The violations found included a failure to use engineering procedures required by U.S. and international law, which guide the vessel’s crew through fuel management and vessel propulsion requirements. Other discrepancies were a lack of crew familiarity with emergency rescue drills, deficient structural fire boundary doors designed to prevent the spread of a fire and inoperable lifesaving equipment. Additionally, severe corrosion was found throughout the vessel’s machinery piping systems posing a significant threat to the vessel and crew.

Coast Guard vessel inspectors are working with the Ikan Sudip’s flag state and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, the vessel’s classification society responsible for certification of the vessel’s construction and engineering, Grace Hawk Shipping S.A. the vessel’s owner, EikoKisen Co. Ltd. the vessel’s managing company and the vessel’s crew to make the essential repairs. 

“Eliminating substandard vessels from U.S. waters is critical to ensuring our waterways are protected,” said Travers. “Only after the vessel crew corrects its deficient safety management system and critical vessel equipment will we allow it to return to commercial service.”

Ikan Sudip is a bulk carrier, which is scheduled to load potash in Portland and will depart for Brazil after the safety violations have been corrected.

2004 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Could Leak Another 100 Years

Published in Oil Industry News on Sunday, 17 May 2015

An oil leak that occurred when an offshore platform toppled during Hurricane Ivan in 2004 has continued to spill oil into the Gulf of Mexico – and could keep leaking for another 100 years, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The documents show that a century-long leak could occur if nothing is done to address the problem.

The platform owners, Taylor Energy Company, tried to work with Department of the Interior "to resolve financial obligations for the leak" worth hundreds of millions of dollars, which were set aside to pay for leak-related work.

However, the company has tried to cover up the extent of the damage to the ecology of the Gulf, and the government has been unwilling to renegotiate the costs to the Taylor. Instead, it ordered them to do more work on the matter.
"There is still more that can be done by Taylor to control and contain the oil that is discharged," said an Interior Department fact sheet obtained by AP.

It is suspected, by officials, that the leak is coming from at least one of 25 wells that were buried under mounds of sediment from an underwater mudslide that was triggered by waves during Hurricane Ivan. The company ordered new wells drilled in order to plug nine of the wells that were suspected could leak oil, but company officials cited experts to argue that the best course of action is do no further drilling because of risks.

In reviewing more than 2,300 Coast Guard pollution reports from 2008 onwards, the AP found that since September 1, 2014, the leaks have been getting greater. When they approached the Coast Guard about the uptick, reporters were provided with new estimates showing leaks 20 times greater than what the company claimed.

Taylor claimed the site was leaking 4 gallons per day, but revised Coast Guard estimates show "shines as large as 1.5 miles wide and 14 miles long." They also show daily oily discharges ranging from 42 gallons to as high as 2,300 gallons, with a daily average of 84 gallons.

AP said the company is now down to one full-time employee after its founder died, and it sold all its offshore leases and oil and gas interests in 2008.
A spokesman for the company declined to comment to AP on Friday.
Source: rt.com

'Paddle in Seattle' Arctic Oil Drilling Protest by Concerned Citizens

Published in Oil Industry News on Sunday, 17 May 2015
Hundreds of people in kayaks and small boats have staged a protest in the north-western US port city of Seattle against oil drilling in the Arctic by the Shell energy giant.

Paddle in Seattle was held by activists who said the firm's drilling would damage the environment.

It comes after the first of Shell's two massive oil rigs arrived at the port.
The firm wants to move them in the coming months to explore for oil off Alaska's northern coast.

Earlier this week, Shell won conditional approval from the US Department of Interior for oil exploration in the Arctic.  These are the same government "officials" who "oversaw" the BP drilling at the Deepwater Horizon.  We know how well that turned out to be.  So, breath a sigh or relief, with these clowns in charge, we and the environment are in good hands.

The Anglo-Dutch company still must obtain permits from the federal government and the state of Alaska to begin drilling.

It says Arctic resources could be vital for supplying future energy needs.


 

'The only safe place'

The flotilla of kayaks, canoes, sailboats and paddle boats gathered near the 400ft (122m) tall Polar Pioneer drilling rig.

A solar-powered barge - The People's Platform - joined the protesters, who chanted slogans and also sang songs.

"This weekend is another opportunity for the people to demand that their voices be heard," Alli Harvey, Alaska representative for the Sierra Club's Our Wild America campaign, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

"Science is as clear as day when it comes to drilling in the Arctic - the only safe place for these dirty fuels is in the ground.''

The protesters later gathered in formation and unveiled a big sign which read "Climate justice now".

They mostly stayed outside the official 100-yard (91m) buffer zone around the Polar Pioneer, the Seattle Times newspaper reports.

Police and coastguard monitored the flotilla, saying it was peaceful.

The demonstrators are now planning to hold a day of peaceful civil disobedience on Monday in an attempt to shut down Shell operations in the port, the newspaper adds.

The port's Terminal 5 has been at the centre of a stand-off between environmentalists and the city authorities after a decision earlier this year to allow Shell use the terminal as a home base for the company's vessels and oil rigs.

Shell stopped Arctic exploration more than two years ago after problems including an oil rig fire and safety failures.

The company has spent about $6bn (£3.85bn) on exploration in the Arctic - a region estimated to have about 20% of the world's undiscovered oil and gas.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk

USGS: Kilauea lava lake levels remain high in Halema'uma'u Crater

May 3, 2015

Kīlauea, Hawaii

A portion of the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater wall collapsed at 1:20 pm Sunday, impacting the lava lake and triggering a small explosion of spatter and a robust particle-laden plume. Fist-size clasts were deposited around the closed Halemaʻumaʻu visitor overlook.

PHOTOS: Kilauea lava lake reaches record level

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A rockfall at the Halemaumau Crater triggered an explosion on Tuesday morning (Image source: USGS)

 

 
April 29 (Image source: USGS)

 

 
April 26, Kilauea (Image source: USGS)

KILAUEA VOLCANO, BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow)

The lava lake is rising in Halema'uma'u Crater and it's putting on quite the show for visitors who have been able to see spattering above the crater rim and the loud popping of rocks as the crater walls expand with heat.


USGS geologists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say the Kilauea summit lava lake level has been at or near the rim of the Overlook Crater -- the smaller crater within the Halema'uma'u Crater -- since Tuesday. At 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, the lava briefly overflowed onto the floor of the Halema'uma'u Crater. It then overflowed again at 2 a.m. and then at 8 a.m. Wednesday. 

Since then, the flows have been brief and slowing down as the lava lake level fell and lava subsided back into the Overlook Crater. No change in lava spattering or surface circulation patterns have been seen.  



The recent overflows have built up the rim of the Overlook Crater roughly 4 yards above the floor of the Halema'uma'u Crater, geologists said. On Friday morning, the lava level was slightly higher and very close to the rim of the Overlook Crater.

The USGS said based on similar lava lake activity at Halema'uma'u in the 1800s and early 1900s, the current overflows are likely to continue intermittently.

A rockfall from the wall of the Halema'uma'u Crater Tuesday morning also triggered an explosion of spatter and smaller particles. HVO geologists said the explosion deposited a large amount of spatter around the closed visitor overlook.

"There was a lot of spattering that visitors are able to see from the Jaggar Museum observation deck and also a lot of rumbling sounds as the crater walls heat up and the rocks fall into that roiling lava lake below. After the sun sets and the darkness starts to come in, that dramatic glow from the lava lake casting it's reflection on the clouds and on the plume of gas and ash coming out of there -- it is just super dramatic and beautiful. Everybody is just super happy to see this. The action isn't always like this so the people who are lucky enough to be here right now are really in for a treat this evening," said Jessica Ferracane, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spokesperson.

Dozens, many of them local residents gathered at the Jaggar Museum overlook for the past couple of evenings to catch the breathtaking show. National Park Services said Monday visitors waited up to 30 minutes or longer just to park. In response, park rangers will be directing vehicles to park at the Kilauea Military Camp ball field. From there, visitors can hike to the Jaggar Museum observation deck, the closest and best vantage point to see the lava lake.

“Visitors should come prepared to ensure a safe and enjoyable park experience,” said Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “We encourage people to avoid peak hours, and arrive after 10 p.m. and before 4 a.m. if possible, or they will likely wait in line for parking. The park remains open 24 hours a day,” she said.

Tips for an optimal viewing experience:

• Be prepared to hike one mile each way between Kilauea Military Camp ball field and the Jaggar Museum observation deck on Crater Rim Trail. 
• Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes, bring rain gear, water, binoculars, a flashlight, and extra batteries. 
• Carpool if possible to reduce the number of vehicles in the parking areas. As a courtesy to other visitors, no “tailgating” in the Jaggar Museum or Kilauea Overlook parking lots. 
• Choose another picnic location so others have a chance to view the eruption.
• To observe viewing and weather conditions, monitor the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory webcams. The KI camera provides a panoramic view of Halema‘uma‘u Crater from HVO.
• High levels of dangerous sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas and volcanic ash can be blown over Jaggar Museum by southerly winds. These gases are a danger to everyone, particularly to people with heart or respiratory problems, young children and pregnant women. 

HVO scientists say it's unclear whether the lake will continue to rise. They say it cycles through filling and falling.


In the meantime, Kilauea Volcano's East Rift Zone lava flow continues to feed widespread breakouts northeast of Pu'u 'O'o. The front of the breakout that is farthest downslope is about five miles from the vent and doesn't pose any immediate threat to any area communities.