1 Wahoo Ziplines’ employees fell 25 feet from a platform, he then rolled another 50 feet down a sloped hill

 
AUGUST 4, 2015

SEVIERVILLE (WATE) – 

A Sevierville zip line company said an employee rushed to the hospital Monday morning did not fall from a zip line. Instead, they say he fell from a landing platform.

Wahoo Ziplines said Jeremi E. Blair, 35, fell from the platform on the first zip line on the course at approximately 11:00 a.m. Monday. Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals said Blair fell approximately fifty feet from a zip line. However, the Sevierville zip-line company said he actually fell only 25 feet onto a sloped hill, then rolled another 50 feet.

“One of Wahoo Ziplines’ guides, Jeremi Blair, fell from a platform while performing a routine stop of one of our guests at the end of a line,” said Wahoo Zip lines in a statement. “He currently is being treated for minor injuries and is expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow.”

Sheriff Seals said Blair had to be carried out of the woods by fire and emergency personnel. He was taken to UT Medical Center by helicopter with serious injuries, however Wahoo Zip Lines said Blair is only being treated for minor injuries and is expected to be released from the hospital Tuesday.


At Wahoo Ziplines, the safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority. In addition to our own daily, internal safety checks, we are inspected by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) annually. Our most recent inspection was approximately one month ago in July, 2015. We passed inspection with no issues, as we have every year of operation.

The Tennessee Division of Workplace Regulations and Compliance said they have required Wahoo Ziplines to cease operation until a qualified third-party inspector can look over the course and report to their office that the zip line is safe for public use. The department temporarily suspended Wahoo Ziplines annual permit.

Wahoo Ziplines said the cause of the fall is still unknown and the accident is still under investigation.

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WahooZipLines (Courtesy: Facebook)

WATE 6 On Your Side Staff  

Published: August 4, 2015

SEVIERVILLE, TN (WATE) – 

A zip line attraction employee was rushed to the hospital Monday morning after he fell around 50 feet from a zip line into the woods below.

The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office says the accident occurred around 11 a.m. at Wahoo Zip Lines, 1200 Matthews Hollow Road.

The employee, Jeremy Blair, 35, had to be carried out of the woods by fire and emergency personnel. He was taken to UT Medical Center by helicopter with serious injuries.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Pipeline worker of Price Gregory Int., Inc. killed at Energy Transfer Partners pipeline site after a bulldozer rolled over multiple times on rough terrain on Bradford-Tioga line

 

 

 

Pipeline worker killed on Bradford-Tioga line

Brendan Gibbons, Staff Writer

Published: August 4, 2015

TIOGA COUNTY, PA

The coroner was called Tuesday to an accident at a natural gas pipeline project of

Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) (“ETP”) in the northern part of Pennsylvania.

It happened in Tioga County, just a few miles from the Bradford County line.

Neighbors in this area say the work going on is part of a pipeline that’s being put in about 40 miles north of Williamsport.

We saw workers and emergency responders behind a home on Ladder Hill Road, off Joe Hill Road in Union Township, which is southwest of Canton.

The Tioga County coroner confirmed that Ricky L. Dettman of Falls City, Nebraska was killed. The coroner says he was working on the construction of a new pipeline when he died.

Dettman was operating the bulldozer at 11:48 a.m. on a steep grade, around one mile east of Joe Hill Road in Union Township, about 44 miles southwest of Elmira, when it rolled down the hill, turning numerous times before coming to rest in an upright position, police said.

He was in the cab of an excavator that overturned at least five times while working on a pipeline route off of Joe Hill Road in Union Township, said James Wilson, M.D. 

Dettman died of a traumatic head injury, Wilson said. An autopsy is scheduled.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration received a dispatch about the incident from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency at 12:44 p.m., U.S. Department of Labor spokeswoman Lenore Uddyback-Fortson said. 

Dettmann worked for Houston-based pipeline contractor Price Gregory, Uddyback-Fortson said. OSHA is investigating the incident and had an inspector en route Tuesday afternoon, she said. By law, OSHA has six months to issue any citation and penalty that may be associated with the incident. 

A person who answered the phone at Price Gregory's Houston office said no one was available to comment Tuesday.

Dettman was part of a construction crew working on a 36-inch natural gas pipeline for Energy Transfer Partners. A spokeswoman for the company says the pipeline will take natural gas from the Utica Shale and deliver it throughout the country.

Dettman was a Regency Energy Partners worker, which is a company based out of Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Energy Transfer Partners, which recently merged with Regency Energy, issued a statement through its spokeperson, Vicki Granado: “Sadly, there was an accident today that resulted in the death of an employee of the contractor that is building a natural gas pipeline for Energy Transfer Partners. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who knew him.”

Neighbors say there has been a lot of pipeline construction work in this area over the past few weeks.

One neighbor we talked to said he’s sad to hear the coroner was called out near the construction site.

“Very friendly guys,” said Matt Ward. “They wave, do what they can to help you out, so yeah, it’s too bad somebody got hurt.”

State police are investigating.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating, as it involves the death of a worker.

Sources:

(1) Elmira (NY) Star Gazette (Aug 4, 2015) – Pipeline worker killed in construction accident

(2) Towanda (PA) The Daily Review (Aug 5, 2015) – Pipeline worker dies in excavator accident

(3) AP/Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News (Aug 5, 2015) – Bulldozer rolls over, kills natural gas pipeline worker in Pa.

(4) Moosic (PA) WNEP Channel 16 (Aug 4, 2015) – Pipeline Worker Killed Near Construction Site

The Energy Transfer family of partnerships had at least another fatality in Pennsylvania in recent months. One contractor was killed in March 2015 at the former Sunoco refinery in Delaware County, PA.  See here for information about that fatality:

http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2015/03/safety-first-worker-dies-in-accident-at.html

SAFETY FIRST: CONTRACT WORKER (AN AECOM EMPLOYEE) DIES IN ACCIDENT (CRUSHED BY STEEL PILE DURING PILE-DRIVING OPERATIONS) AT THE FORMER SUNOCO’S MARCUS HOOK DELAWARE COUNTY REFINERY

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Energy Transfer Partners and Regency Energy Partners Announce Successful Completion of Merger

Merger Creates Second-Largest MLP with a Unique Diversified Platform DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 30, 2015-- Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) (“ETP”) and Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP) (“Regency”) today announced the completion of their previously announced merger of an indirect subsidiary of ETP, with and into Regency, with Regency surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of ETP.  Effective with the opening of the market today, Regency ceased to be a publicly traded partnership, and its common units discontinued trading on the NYSE. As part of the merger consideration, each Regency common unit and Class F unit will be converted into the right to receive 0.4124 ETP common units.  Based on the RGP units outstanding, ETP issued approximately 172.154 million ETP common units to RGP unitholders, including approximately 15.526 million units issued to ETP subsidiaries. The approximately 1.913 million outstanding Regency Series A preferred units were converted into corresponding new ETP Series A preferred units.  In connection with the transaction, Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE), which owns the general partner and 100% of the incentive distribution rights (IDRs) of ETP, will reduce the incentive distributions it receives from ETP by a total of $320 million over a five-year period. The IDR subsidy will be $80 million in the first year post-closing and $60 million per year for the following four years.  Further details of the merger will be discussed on ETP’s earnings call scheduled for May 7, 2015, at 8:00 a.m. Central Time. The conference call will be broadcast live via an internet web cast, which can be accessed through www.energytransfer.com. The call will also be available for replay on Energy Transfer’s website for a limited time.  Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) is a master limited partnership owning and operating one of the largest and most diversified portfolios of energy assets in the United States. ETP’s subsidiaries include Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company, LP (the successor of Southern Union Company) and Lone Star NGL LLC, which owns and operates natural gas liquids storage, fractionation and transportation assets. In total, ETP currently owns and operates more than 62,000 miles of natural gas and natural gas liquids pipelines.  ETP also owns the general partner, 100% of the incentive distribution rights, and approximately 67.1 million common units in Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (NYSE: SXL), which operates a geographically diverse portfolio of crude oil and refined products pipelines, terminalling and crude oil acquisition and marketing assets. ETP owns 100% of Sunoco, Inc. and 100% of Susser Holdings Corporation. Additionally, ETP owns the general partner, 100% of the incentive distribution rights and approximately 43% of the limited partner interests in Sunoco LP (formerly Susser Petroleum Partners LP) (NYSE: SUN), a wholesale fuel distributor and convenience store operator. ETP’s general partner is owned by ETE. For more information, visit the Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. website at www.energytransfer.com.  Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE) is a master limited partnership which owns the general partner and 100% of the incentive distribution rights (IDRs) of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP), approximately 23.5 million ETP common units, and approximately 82.6 million ETP Class H Units, which track 90% of the underlying economics of the general partner interest and IDRs of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (NYSE: SXL). On a consolidated basis, ETE’s family of companies owns and operates approximately 71,000 miles of natural gas, natural gas liquids, refined products, and crude oil pipelines. For more information, visit the Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. website at www.energytransfer.com.  Forward Looking Statements  This press release may include certain statements concerning expectations for the future that are forward-looking statements as defined by federal law. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond management’s control. An extensive list of factors that can affect future results, including risks related to the merger, are discussed in the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Partnership undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect new information or events. The information contained in this press release is available on ETP’s website at www.energytransfer.com. Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150430005846/en/ Source: Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. and Regency Energy Partners LP Investor Relations: Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. Brent Ratliff, 214-981-0700 Vice President, Investor Relations or Lyndsay Hannah, 214-840-5477 Director, Finance & Investor Relations or Media Relations: Granado Communications Group Vicki Granado, 214-599-8785 Cell: 214-498-9272

 

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CORPORATE OVERVIEW

Energy Transfer is a Texas-based company that began in 1995 as a small intrastate natural gas pipeline operator and is now one of the largest and most diversified investment grade master limited partnerships in the United States. Growing from roughly 200 miles of natural gas pipelines in 2002 to approximately 71,000 miles of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), refined products, and crude oil pipelines today, the Energy Transfer family of partnerships remains dedicated to providing exceptional service to its customers and attractive returns to its investors. 

Through several transformative transactions, we have expanded our scope of services. While we remain committed to the natural gas industry, we enhanced our diversified portfolio of assets by making a strategic entrance into the NGL business through the acquisition of Louis Dreyfus’ NGL storage, fractionation and transportation operations in 2011. In 2012, we acquired Southern Union Company, a leading diversified natural gas company, which expanded our national footprint and added more than 20,000 miles of gathering and transportation pipelines to our portfolio. We made a strong entrance into the crude oil and refined products business by acquiring Sunoco, Inc. in 2012, including its interest in Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (NYSE: SXL). We expanded our reach in the refined products and convenience store business with the acquisition of Susser Holdings Corporation, including its interest in Susser Petroleum Partners LP, (now Sunoco LP - NYSE: SUN). These acquisitions, together with our already robust asset base, have enabled Energy Transfer to become a premier provider of services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil, and refined products.

Today, there are Four publicly traded partnerships in the Energy Transfer family.

• Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE:ETP) is a master limited partnership owning and operating one of the largest and most diversified portfolios of energy assets in the United States. ETP's subsidiaries include Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company, LP (the successor of Southern Union Company) and Lone Star NGL LLC, which owns and operates natural gas liquids storage, fractionation and transportation assets. In total, ETP currently owns and operates more than 62,000 miles of natural gas and natural gas liquids pipelines. ETP also owns the general partner, 100% of the incentive distribution rights, and approximately 67.1 million common units in Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (NYSE:SXL), which operates a geographically diverse portfolio of crude oil and refined products pipelines, terminalling and crude oil acquisition and marketing assets. ETP owns 100% of Sunoco, Inc. and 100% of Susser Holdings Corporation. Additionally, ETP owns the general partner, 100% of the incentive distribution rights and approximately 44% of the limited partner interests in Sunoco LP (formerly Susser Petroleum Partners LP) (NYSE:SUN), a wholesale fuel distributor and convenience store operator. ETP's general partner is owned by Energy Transfer Equity (NYSE:ETE).
• Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE:ETE) is a master limited partnership which owns the general partner and 100% of the incentive distribution rights (IDRs) of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE:ETP), approximately 23.6 million ETP common units, and approximately 81.0 million ETP Class H Units, which track 90% of the underlying economics of the general partner interest and IDRs of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (NYSE:SXL). On a consolidated basis, ETE's family of companies owns and operates approximately 71,000 miles of natural gas, natural gas liquids, refined products, and crude oil pipelines.
• Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (NYSE:SXL), headquartered in Philadelphia, is a master limited partnership that owns and operates a logistics business consisting of a geographically diverse portfolio of complementary crude oil, refined products, and natural gas liquids pipeline, terminalling and acquisition and marketing assets which are used to facilitate the purchase and sale of crude oil, refined products, and natural gas liquids. SXL’s general partner is a consolidated subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP). For more information, visit the Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. web site at www.sunocologistics.com.
• Sunoco LP (NYSE:SUN) is a master limited partnership (MLP) that primarily distributes motor fuel to convenience stores, independent dealers, commercial customers and distributors. SUN also operates more than 150 convenience stores and retail fuel sites. SUN conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries, as well as through its 31.58 percent interest in Sunoco, LLC, in partnership with an affiliate of its parent company, Energy Transfer Partners. While primarily engaged in natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil and refined products transportation, ETP also operates a retail and fuel distribution business through its interest in Sunoco, LLC, as well as wholly owned subsidiaries, Sunoco, Inc. and Stripes LLC that operate approximately 1,100 convenience stores and retail fuel sites. For more information, visit the Sunoco LP website at www.SunocoLP.com.

Man seriously burned in East Naples, Florida flash fire while he was working on a boat

  Posted: August 04, 2015
By Sophie Nielsen-Kolding, Collier County reporter


EAST NAPLES, FL -

A man was seriously injured in a flash fire at an East Naples warehouse Tuesday morning.

Greater Naples Fire Rescue says the man was working on a boat in the warehouse when flames shot up from the area he was focusing on.


"The patient has been transported up to Lee County Memorial... it appears he has first and second-degree burns over 20-percent of his body," said Chief Kingman Schuldt.

The fire chief says a flash fire like that is usually indicative of a vapor or gas that has built up in the engine.

There was no damage to the structure. The State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the incident.

The victim, who is reportedly about 20-years-old, is being transferred to the Burn Unit at Tampa General Hospital.

Fire damages Sapa Extrusions, an aluminum products business in Yankton, South Dakota

AUGUST 4, 2015

YANKTON, S.D. 

Fire prompted the evacuation of an aluminum products business in Yankton, but no one was hurt.

Deputy Fire Chief Larry Nickles tells the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan that the Monday afternoon fire started in a paint room at Sapa Extrusions. The cause was not immediately determined.

A damage estimate was not immediately available. Company officials were working late Monday to clean up and get the business operating again.

Nickles says the fire presents a unique problem for the department — paint that got on some firefighting gear and equipment will be difficult to remove. He says some items might not be salvageable. -- Associated Press

Names released of 2 young women killed when car flipped on Route 3 in Clifton, New Jersey

Tuesday, August 04, 2015 07:38PM

CLIFTON, N.J. (WABC) --

Authorities have identified the two women who were killed when a car overturned into a pole on westbound Route 3 in Clifton last week.

The victims were 21-year old Tashanique Hawkins of Elizabeth, and 21-year old Carlene Maynard of East Orange.

There were five people in a 2007 Toyota Camry at the time of the accident at 3:10 a.m. on July 31st.

The vehicle, operated by a 20-year-old from East Orange, N.J., flipped at the Valley Road exit ramp, ejecting two people onto the highway.

The driver and two others were taken to St Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson with non-life threatening injuries.

Wires were down in the area.

All westbound lanes were closed between Grove Street and Valley Road for about four hours.

The Passaic County prosecutor's Office and Clifton Police are investigating.

1 dead in dump truck and car collision on New Jersey Turnpike in Linden

Toni Yates and Shannon Sohn have the latest




By Toni Yates
Updated 12 mins ago

LINDEN (WABC) -- One person was killed and traffic was tied up for miles after a dump truck struck an overpass Tuesday morning on the New Jersey Turnpike.

The NJ Turnpike is now opening all lanes to traffic. Repairs to the wiring under the overpass is complete ahead of estimates.

State police confirmed the fatality, believed to be the dump truck driver, after rescuers were able to get into the truck which overturned and caught fire following the crash in Linden.

The accident happened on the southbound outer roadway just north of Interchange 12 - Carteret-Rahway, between exits 12 and 13A, around 10:45 a.m.

State police described the accident as very serious and said the driver was trapped in the tractor trailer-sized dump truck, which they believe struck the overpass before bursting into flames.

Traffic stretched back for miles before state troopers blocking the road removed barriers so vehicles could turn around.








Traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike was backed up for miles in both directions after a dump truck overturned and caught fire.
By late afternoon huge backups remained, with traffic on the Turnpike bumper to bumper for least five miles and surrounding roadways gridlocked as drivers tried to avoid the area.

Some motorists got out of their cars after sitting in traffic for several hours, talking with other stranded travelers. Some tossed a football around, while others pulled out beach chairs and sat in the sun.

Linden police were advised by the state police to shut down the South Wood Avenue Bridge that goes over the highway until it could be deemed safe. Electrical wires in the South Wood Avenue overpass had to be removed by PSE&G crews.

Elizabethtown Gas Spokesperson Duane Bourne confirmed there was no damage to their gas line that runs along the bridge, and inspectors determined the overpasses were not seriously damaged. Traffic began using them again in the mid afternoon.

(First video courtesy Rob Long)

Traffic is flowing across the damaged overpass, after engineers determined it was still sturdy enough for trucks headed to a warehouse on the other side. It had been shut down for hours after the crash due to serious concerns over the power lines that were then dangling underneath.

"On top of the bridge itself there's a fence and also metal rails, so if the power lines were compromised there was a chance that they could have been electrified," said Linden Police Capt. James Sarnicki. "So we were advised almost immediately to have everybody get off the bridge."

New Jersey Transit trains were honoring bus passes after the accident delayed bus passengers.