ATV driver dies after being pinned under combine harvester in Minnesota

By Herald Staff Report   



AUGUST 14, 2015

BADGER, Minn. -- 

A rural Badger man has been killed in an ATV accident. 

The Roseau County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at approximately 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news release. Deputies found George Patrick Walsh, 77, pinned under a combine while on an ATV.



Walsh had been repairing an ATV in his machine shed while seated on the ATV, according to the release. The ATV apparently had started up and went in reverse, striking the combine that was located in the shed.

He was transported to the Lifecare Medical Center in Roseau, Minn., where he was pronounced dead.

The Badger Fire Department and Roseau Ambulance also responded to the scene, the location of which was not disclosed in the release. The accident is under investigation.

Via Rail sues City of Ottawa for $4M in latest bus-train crash claim

More than a dozen lawsuits launched in relation worst bus crash in Ottawa's history

CBC News Posted: Aug 13, 2015

Six people died after a crash between a Via Rail train bound for Toronto and a double-decker bus in south Ottawa on Sept. 18, 2013. Thirty people were injured. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Via Rail is suing the City of Ottawa and the estate of OC Transpo bus driver Dave Woodard for $4 million in damages for "negligence" in the latest lawsuit following the fatal bus-train crash nearly two years ago.

The Crown corporation is also claiming damages of more than $200,000 on behalf of two train engineers who have not returned to work since the crash.
Woodard and five passengers died after the bus he was driving crashed into Via Rail passenger train No. 51 on the morning of Sept. 18, 2013.

More than a dozen lawsuits totalling nearly $15 million have been filed against the city and Woodard's estate, including by family members of passengers who died in the crash and passengers who survived the crash. Via Rail is a defendant in some of those lawsuits, as well.
In June, the City of Ottawa accused Via Rail of "negligence" in statements of defence filed in response to lawsuits from two victims' families, and further defended Woodard as a "competent, trained and experienced driver."
Via Rail was not named as a defendant in those two cases.
The Transportation Safety Board has not released its final report on the crash but a preliminary version named the speed of the bus and distracted driving as possible factors.

 'We don't know what happened'

Via Rail has now filed its own statement of claim, listing 21 reason why it believes the city's negligence contributed to the crash, including failing to properly maintain the bus, train the driver and ensure there was an advanced warning sign on the transitway to signal an approaching train.

It also listed 16 reasons why it believes Woodard was negligent, including careless driving and speeding.

Stéphane Émard-Chabot, a former Ottawa city councillor and lawyer specializing in municipal issues, said it's "quite typical" for all the parties involved to sue each other — detailing each possible point of error.

"At this point, we don't know what happened. Was it Via's fault? Was it the driver's fault? Was there a mechanical error with the bus or did the signals malfunction?" Émard-Chabot said.

"The rules for civil lawsuits are pretty clear: you have to set out all the possibilities that you may rely on in your initial documents and if you don't do that it is much tougher to add those later on."

Via Rail claims its lights and bells were "fully activated" at the Woodroffe Avenue crossing and adjacent OC Transpo crossing on the transitway at the time of the crash.

It says damage to the train, railway tracks and crossing and the railway business in general total $4 million.

The City of Ottawa and Via Rail both refused to comment on the latest lawsuit on Thursday because it remains before the courts.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Old female driver killed in I-440 crash in Raleigh, NC

The westbound lanes of I-440 were closed for hours at Exit 2, near Western Boulevard, after the accident.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

RALEIGH (WTVD) --

Police say an elderly woman was killed in a crash that blocked the westbound lanes of Interstate 440 at Exit 2, near Western Boulevard, in Raleigh Tuesday morning.

Alice Bernice Barrett, 84, of Holly Springs, was the driver of one of the vehicles involved in the crash.

Police said Barrett veered into the path of a truck as she tried to exit the roadway. Her car then careened down an embankment.

The wreck was first reported about 10:15 a.m. The highway reopened just after 1:30 p.m.

32-foot camper flips on I-95 South, causes major delays near Rocky Mount, NC

A wreck involving an SUV and camping trailer closed all lanes on I-95 S near Rocky Mount for several hours

Friday, August 14, 2015 04:37PM

NASH COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) --

All lanes of I-95 South were closed Thursday afternoon near Rocky Mount after an SUV towing a 32-foot camper lost its trailer.

The lanes have since reopened. Traffic was down to one lane for several hours so motorists could crawl by the wreck.

Troopers said the Ford Excursion lost the trailer. The trailer swayed, lost control and flipped, landing on its side. The Ford flipped completely upside down.

There were no serious injuries, according to troopers. No charges have been filed

Dramatic car fire forces family from Durham, NC home

A woman and child had to leave a house when the car caught fire in the driveway

Friday, August 14, 2015 04:06PM

DURHAM, NC (WTVD) --

A dramatic car fire forced a family from a Durham home Friday afternoon.

It happened on Yancey Street.

Flames were shooting from the Volvo parked in the driveway - forcing a woman and child to leave the house.

Tobacco worker killed in farm accident near Benson, North Carolina

Deputies investigate after a man was caught in a tobacco harvester.



Updated 2 hrs 49 mins ago

BENSON, NC (WTVD) --

A man was killed Friday afternoon when he reportedly got caught in tobacco farming machinery in a field outside Benson.

The area is near South Johnston High School off Hwy 301.

The man's name has not been released.

The cause of the accident was under investigation.



Burley tobacco farming is a labor-intensive, multiphase process exposing the farmer to various modes of injury. The cycle normally begins with growing tobacco plants in a greenhouse in large polystyrene trays. Before the trays can be packed with soil medium and seeded for germination, they are sanitized to prevent transmission of plant pathogens. This process is usually accomplished by fumigation with gases such as methyl bromide or by washing the trays in a 10% chlorine bleach solution, which exposes the farmer or farm worker to chemical burn risks. 





As an example, an employee Killed When Caught In Tobacco Harvester.  The employee was clearing a jam in the conveyor of a mechanical tobacco leaf harvester when he became caught in the conveyor and was killed. He did not turn off or lockout the machine before trying to clear the jam. 


After germination, the young tobacco plants are "set" or planted in the field via a setter, a manned piece of planting equipment attached to the back of a tractor. Workers ride on the setter, placing the plants into rotating clamps as they move over the field, exposing workers to pinching injuries on their hands and fingers and to muscular strain and repetitive movement joint injuries. Falls may occur when mounting the setter or as the equipment moves over rough or uneven terrain. The plants are then grown in the fields for several months. Crop maintenance involves "topping" or removing the bloom from the top of the tobacco plant, which may result in cutting/piercing injuries. Pesticides are sometimes used on the crop and can be inhaled by or spilled on the farmer, resulting in respiratory problems or chemical burns. A machine called a high boy is used to drive between the rows of tobacco and spray crops, exposing farmers to overturns, falls, and chemicals.

During crop maintenance and harvest, green tobacco sickness (GTS) -- nicotine poisoning caused by wet tobacco -- is a common problem for workers. The moisture on the tobacco carries nicotine, which is absorbed through the skin during contact with the plant. Saturated clothing can also pass along nicotine. Cases of GTS were excluded from this study because of their complex nature. The noninjury effects of nicotine poisoning have been described elsewhere.[9-15]

During tobacco harvest, farmers must stoop repetitively to cut the plants low at the stalk using a hatchet-like, long-handled knife, and then impale these stalks onto a tobacco "spear." The spear usually consists of a conical shaped metal cap that fits onto a sharpened wooden stick. The stick is typically oak, roughly squared, approximately 11/2 to 2 inches on each side and about 5 feet in length. The harvest is an especially dangerous period for farmers, with potential for cuts to the hands, feet, and shins when cutting the plant and lacerations and wounds to the hands, upper arms, legs, and head as the farmer tries to force the tough, pithy stalk over the spear and down the stick. The loaded sticks are lifted onto a wagon and transported to a barn where they are hung to dry evenly in tiers.

Barns designed for hanging tobacco have three to five levels of wooden rail framework usually beginning 6 feet above the floor and continuing to the top of the barn, reaching heights of 30 feet, thus allowing air to circulate around the tobacco, These rails are generally rough-sawn 3 x 4 inch boards approximately 8 feet long. To hang the tobacco, workers stand on the narrow rails one above the other to the top of the barn, balancing between rails in a splay-legged position. The loaded sticks of tobacco, consisting of six or more stalks and weighing 100 to 125 pounds, are handed upward from the workers on lower levels to workers on the uppermost level to be filled. This process is hazardous for several reasons: (1) the rails are often unsecured and can roll or slip under the workers; (2) rails can break; (3) falls generally result in multiple injuries due to impact with the lower rails or tier poles, equipment, and other workers; and (4) the demands of balancing and lifting can cause muscular strain.

After the tobacco is dry, it is taken down from the barn in a reverse process. The dry leaves are stripped from the pithy stalk, loaded into a tobacco press and compressed into bales. The bending, lifting, and carrying required to bring the sticks to the stripping room, as well as the repetitive motion of the stripping process itself, expose the worker to muscular strain or back injury. Workers using the tobacco press are exposed to possible entanglement, pinching, or crushing injuries. The finished bales of tobacco are loaded on wagons or pickup trucks and transported to warehouses to be sold.

In addition to these modes of injury, throughout the process, farmers face the hazards of uneven ground, snake and insect bites, heat exhaustion, eye irritation or abrasion, respiratory hazards, and other illnesses such as GTS.

Vehicle strikes hydrant on Route 17 in Paramus causing massive flooding

Updated 1 hr 17 mins ago

PARAMUS (WABC) --

New Jersey commuters experienced heavy delays Friday after a vehicle struck a hydrant in Paramus.

The accident happened near Ridgewood Ave on Route 17, and caused major flooding.

Cars were backed up for 8 miles, and lanes were closed during the height of the evening commute.

Con Ed on scene of multiple manhole fires in Hell's Kitchen, NYC

Josh Einiger is at the scene with the latest

Friday, August 14, 2015 06:20PM

NEW YORK (WABC) --

Crews are on the scene of at least two manhole explosions in Hell's Kitchen.

There are major traffic delays through the area.

One lane is closed on 9th Avenue between 46th Street and 44th Street, and traffic is backed up at least 14 blocks.

The force of one of the blasts shattered windows on a building five stories up, with glass falling to the street.

Con Edison is currently making repairs.

There are no reports of injuries.

The wastewater that contaminated the Animas and San Juan Rivers is an old problem. Local officials and the EPA have worked for years to try to reduce pollution

Contaminated water from Colorado mines an ongoing problem


By Ashley Fantz, CNN

Updated 1:09 PM ET, Thu August 13, 2015



Story highlights



(CNN)One week after an Environmental Protection Agency cleanup effort at a dormant mine turned into a disaster, the agency announced it is halting all EPA field work in mines.

More than 3 million of gallons of wastewater from the Gold King Mine spilled into the nearby Animas River, turning it an alarming mustard hue.

The photos of the yellow-orange river were widely shared and have brought attention to a longstanding challenge that many were unaware of: how to regulate, treat and pay for the upkeep of abandoned and dormant mines in Colorado and across the country.

Here are some key points to understanding the issue:

How many mines exist in the United States that are similar to the Gold King Mine?

The Gold King Mine hasn't operated since 1923.

The EPA has been overseeing abandoned mine lands -- which can include bodies of water and surrounding watershed -- for many years. The mines can pose "serious threats to human health and the environment," the EPA says on its website, so the agency initiates and supervises the examination of these sites and tries to maintain or clean them up. The agency lists more than 15 case studies it has conducted of abandoned mines across the country, mostly in the West in states such as Colorado, Montana and California, but also in Vermont and Tennessee.

Earthworks is a Washington-based nonprofit environmental group that works with communities near mines. The scientists and activists who work for the group have been concerned since the 1990s about contamination leaking from old, inactive or abandoned mines.

The group wrote a report in 1993 which said that there were more than half a million abandoned hardrock mines in 32 states.

How dangerous could these mines be?

Those half a million mines, Earthworks says, have produced 50 billion tons of untreated, unreclaimed mining wastes on public and private land. The report notes that wastes can include arsenic, asbestos, cadmium, copper, cyanide, iron, lead, mercury and sulfur, among other material, and produce airborne pollutants.

In Colorado this week, leading toxicologists say there could be health effects for many years from heavy metals such as mercury and lead that spilled into the water of the Animas River. Exposure to high levels of these metals can cause many health problems, including cancer and kidney disease, and also lead to developmental problems in children.

"Oh my God! Look at the lead!" said Joseph Landolph, a toxicologist at the University of Southern California, after looking at the amount of lead in the Animas River, which was nearly 12,000 times higher than the acceptable level set by the EPA.

"This is a major, major problem," said Jonathan Freedman, a toxicologist at the University of Louisville.

River toxic spill: 'This is a real mess'

In its latest statement, however, the EPA predicted the water would not have harmful effects on the health of people or animals.

"Based on the data we have seen so far, (the EPA doesn't) anticipate adverse health effects from exposure to the metals detected in the river water samples from skin contact or incidental (unintentional) ingestion," the agency said. "Similarly, the risk of adverse effects to livestock that may have been exposed to metals detected in river water samples from ingestion or skin contact is low."

How did the leak happen and how did the EPA initially respond?

On August 5, Environmental Protection Agency workers were trying to place a pipe into the opening of the mine to collect wastewater and prevent it from polluting Cement Creek and the Animas River. Before the spill, water carrying "metals pollution" was flowing into a holding area outside the mine.

Though it's unclear still exactly how the mistake was made, the EPA said the spill occurred when one of its teams was using heavy equipment to enter the mine near Durango, Colorado.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy apologized Tuesday for the spill and said, "I don't have a complete understanding of anything that went on in there. If there is something that went wrong, we want to make sure it never goes wrong again."






Health official: Animas River safe after toxic spill 01:56

The amount of polluted water spilled was triple what the EPA originally estimated. The EPA first said 1 million gallons had rushed out. The U.S. Geological Survey then reported the size of the spill to be more than 3 million gallons. Blue water turned mustard-yellow and coursed into New Mexico within days. The EPA said this week it is helping provide water delivery to areas where water sources are contaminated.

How concerning was the Gold King Mine before the leak?

Earthworks' policy director Lauren Pagel, who gave congressional testimony about abandoned mines in 2013, told CNN that the Gold King Mine had been leaking acid mine drainage for years.

Acid drainage into water "often will make it too acidic for aquatic life to exist," she said.

But the Gold King Mine is not the only mine that is leaking.

Meeting minutes of the Animas River Stakeholders Group show monthly discussions over wastewater leaks, pollution levels and efforts to address the problem.

The pollution from the mines has generally decreased since the 1990s and 2000s, according to reports, but has gotten worse in some areas.

Opinion: The real culprit in the Animas River spill

How are locals reacting?

Several political leaders have expressed outrage at the EPA spill and declared states of emergency, but the Navajo Nation was the first to say it would take legal action against the federal government.

"They are not going to get away with this," Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said. "The EPA was right in the middle of the disaster, and we intend to make sure the Navajo Nation recovers every dollar it spends cleaning up this mess and every dollar it loses as a result of injuries to our precious Navajo natural resources."

Begaye also instructed the Navajo Nation Department of Justice to take action against the EPA.

In a release from the New Mexico Environment Department, state engineer Tom Blaine pulled no punches, saying, "Despite the fact that EPA did not notify New Mexico directly and took no action to alert New Mexicans to the potential danger, we took steps to ensure the protection of our water users in the area."

The attorneys general for Colorado, Utah and New Mexico said they might sue the federal government individually or collectively, though Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman said, "It is too early to know if litigation is necessary or appropriate."

In a statement, the Utah attorney general's office said that all three states support an independent review of the mishap in addition to the EPA's review.

Can a state or individuals sue the EPA?

Citizens and others can sue any responsible party under the Clean Water Act citizen suit provision, said Pagel. The Clean Water Act and case law surrounding liability under that law is clear, but while the EPA team caused the disaster, the company that currently owns the mine site and any company associated with the pollution previously are also liable under the law, she said.

"It's sort of like suing yourself because any money the EPA pays out comes from us, the taxpayers," said Pagel.

U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter May Have Crashed After Hitting Crane on Deck of U.S. Ship off Okinawa

 

The damaged chopper is seen on the deck of a U.S. Navy ship on Wednesday. NHK
Japan Economic Newswire | Aug 14, 2015

The U.S. military helicopter that crashed while landing on a U.S. Navy ship off Japan's southern island of Okinawa on Wednesday may have hit a crane or other objects aboard the vessel before going down, Japanese government sources said Thursday.

As the U.S. forces in Japan continued investigating the cause of the crash, which they now say injured seven crew members rather than six as previously stated, local Japanese officials sought more information on the accident to address concerns of people living near U.S. bases in Okinawa.

A rally to protest against the heavy presence of U.S. military facilities in Okinawa was held at Okinawa International University, where a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter crashed 11 years ago Thursday and injured three crew members, but no students or other civilians on campus.

According to Japanese government sources, Wednesday's crash involving a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk occurred when the Army special operation forces were conducting a drill to retake a ship commandeered by an armed group. The helicopter was flying at a low altitude and is likely to have hit a crane or other objects on the ship's deck when trying to land.

Seventeen crew members were aboard the helicopter. Two of the seven injured were members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force specializing in responding to terrorism and guerilla attacks, the sources said.

In a statement, U.S. Forces, Japan said the exercise was conducted "as part of a demonstration of the range" of U.S. special operation forces' capabilities to members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.

Rarely does cooperation in special operations between the United States and the SDF become public, even partially.

In Washington, U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said Wednesday he is "not going to overreact to one incident," emphasizing the need for allies to work together.

"There are risks in the work that we do every single day, and ... we obviously want to prevent any of these risks, but sometimes, unfortunately, we have accidents," he told reporters.

Asked about any possible impact on the Japan-U.S. security relationship, Odierno declined to comment, saying, "I'm not going to predict what the issue will be within Japanese politics."

On Thursday in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, the prefectural government asked the central government to urge the U.S. military to investigate the crash and disclose information.

In a letter submitted to the Defense Ministry's Okinawa Defense Bureau, the Okinawa government said the accident will cause "great concern to prefectural residents who have been forced to live alongside U.S. bases."

Speaking to reporters, Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga stressed the need to revise a Japan-U.S. status of forces agreement given that the Japanese government is not receiving sufficient information about the latest incident from the U.S. military.

The agreement does not obligate the United States to report to Japan about accidents involving U.S. forces in the country.

"The Japanese side cannot intervene at all," Onaga said. "We must strongly insist on revising the agreement to ensure the safety of the people in the prefecture."

The accident came at a sensitive time as the central government has just started talks with Okinawa to break an impasse over a controversial plan to relocate the U.S. Marines' Air Station Futenma from a densely populated area in Ginowan to the less populated Henoko district of Nago, both within the prefecture.

Onaga, who became governor in December on an anti-base relocation platform, has demanded the Futenma base be moved outside the island prefecture. But the central government has been pushing the existing plan to remove the danger of keeping the air station at the center of a crowded residential area in Ginowan.

Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima told a press conference on Thursday that he wants the Futenma base site returned to Japan "as soon as possible," saying there could be "irreversible" damage if an accident occurs near the air base.

"The helicopter crash cannot help but remind me of (the accident at Okinawa International University in Ginowan) 11 years ago," Sakima said. "I have renewed my sense of risks" posed by the base, he said.

After a Marine helicopter went down on university premises, Japanese police had difficulty investigating the case as the status of forces agreement requires that Japan obtain U.S. consent for investigations on U.S. military property.

There have been a number of other crashes in Okinawa involving U.S. military helicopters and fighter aircraft, including a U.S. Air Force helicopter crash in August 2013 at the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Hansen that killed one crew member.

In the latest case, the helicopter crash-landed on the 62,000-ton U.S. Navy ship Red Cloud around 1:46 p.m. Wednesday in the Pacific Oceansome 14 kilometers southeast of Ikei Island, part of the city of Uruma, according to the Japan Coast Guard.

U.S. Forces, Japan had earlier said six people were injured, but it revised the number to seven on Thursday.

Forty students and four Ranger instructors in the swamp phase of Ranger School were struck by lightning Wednesday afternoon.

Lightning Strikes 44 Soldiers and Instructors at Army Ranger School

 

U.S. Army Soldiers participate in waterborne operations training during the Ranger Course on Camp Rudder on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 04, 2015. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Scott Brooks)
Aug 13, 2015 | by Matthew Cox

Forty students and four Ranger instructors in the swamp phase of Ranger School were struck by lightning Wednesday afternoon.

All 44 were evacuated to a local hospital, but many were discharged, according to a press release from Fort Benning, Georgia, home of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade. Eleven soldiers remained hospitalized Thursday evening, according to a news report.

“At the time of the incident, they were conducting lightning-protection protocols when lightning struck nearby,” the release states.

This is the same class that includes two female candidates who are participating in the third and final phase of Ranger School at Camp Rudder at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

All of the lightning-strike victims were males. The group was in day seven of the 10-day training cycle during the so-called “swamp phase.”

"The Ranger students and instructors reacted and got everyone proper medical care quickly," Col. David Fivecoat, commander of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade, said in the release.

"Ranger students and instructors are tough; 31 students will return to training tonight and continue with increased medical monitoring as they try to earn their Ranger tab,” he added.

Coast Guard responds to plane crash 460 miles off Pt. Reyes

 

 AUGUST 14, 2015

ALAMEDA, Calif. — 

The Coast Guard is searching for the pilot of a plane that crashed into the Pacific Ocean approximately 460 miles off Pt. Reyes late Thursday night.

At 7:40 p.m. Thursday the 11th Coast Guard District received a report from the U.S. Northern Command that a civilian experimental type Lancair aircraft departed from Palmdale with one person aboard was not responding to communications, and was heading out to sea.

The 11th District issued a SafetyNet and an Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System alert to notify mariners of the situation and ask their assistance in locating the aircraft and its pilot. In coordination with NORTHCOM, the Coast Guard diverted an Air Force KC-135 and two F-16 aircrews along with a Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento aircrew in the search effort. The HC-130 aircrew observed the aircraft crash into the water at 10:39 p.m.

The F-16 crews were able to fly near the aircraft but could not get a response from the pilot. Later the HC-130 aircrew was approximately three mles behind the experimental aircraft when they observed it crash into the ocean at approximately 10:39 p.m.

The KC-135 dropped a sonar buoy, and the HC-130 aircrew dropped two self-locating data marking buoys and a life raft; however, all air crews have reported seeing no signs of the pilot.

The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Neptun responded to the AMVER alert and is currently assisting search efforts.

The Coast Guard is working closely with NORTHCOM and its AMVER partner vessels to locate the aircraft and its pilot.

The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident.

Coast Guard cites Portland protesters, initiates civil penalties

 


 
August 14th, 2015


WARRENTON, OREGON — 

Investigating officers from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, in Warrenton initiated civil penalties against seven individuals, Thursday, who interfered with the safe operation of the vessel Fennica on the Willamette River near Portland.

Elizabeth Mount, Benjamin Reynoso, Michael Luurtsema, Katharine Loncke, Mark Floegel, Caroline Hansley and Sharon Spencer were issued and will receive notices of violation for interfering with the safe operation of a vessel on July 30, in violation of the U.S. Code.

Coast Guard officials can seek a maximum civil penalty of $25,000 for interfering with the safe operation of a vessel. The final penalty will be determined by the Coast Guard Hearing Office in Arlington, Va. Hearing officers will be assigned and provide the individuals an opportunity to refute the charges or provide evidence on their behalf.

“While the Coast Guard supports peaceful protest activity on domestic waters, the actions of these individuals violated federal law,” said Capt. Daniel Travers, captain of the port and commander, Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. “We are holding these individuals accountable because interfering with the safe operation of a vessel creates an extremely dangerous situation and puts all waterway users at risk”

The Coast Guard also initiated civil penalties against 13 people who entered an established safety-zone around the Fennica in Portland July 31. These individuals were issued notice of violations for entry into or refusing to follow direction to leave the federally-regulated safety zone established around the Fennica.

The Coast Guard respects the First Amendment rights of people to safely and lawfully assemble on the water. To that end, the Coast Guard will enforce those laws and regulations to ensure the safety of the maritime public.

Coast Guard reminds boaters to stay safe during the Buoy 10 fishing season on the Columbia River

Norman Vielmette shows Corey Deck, Coast Guard Auxiliary, his life jackets during a vessel safety check prior to launching his boat at the Hammond Marina Boat Ramp in Hammond, Ore., Aug. 14, 2015. The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers free vessel safety checks to any boater that asks them to. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Levi Read)

August 14th, 2015
 
WARRENTON, Ore. — 

The Coast Guard would like to remind boaters to stay safe during the Columbia River’s Buoy 10 fishing season, which started August 1.

The Buoy 10 fishing season, named after the channel marker near the mouth of the Columbia River, brings thousands of fishermen from around the world each year to the Columbia River.

Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8 and 9, Coast Guard Sector Columbia River personnel responded to 19 cases, 12 of which where search-and-rescue cases on the Columbia River.

“This is a good time to remind boaters to check their safety equipment to ensure they are ready for all contingencies and emergencies,” said Cmdr. Rosemary Firestine, chief of response, Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. “It gets very busy out there, so we ask all mariners to abide by all federal and state regulations, follow the ‘navigational rules of the road,’ and help keep the waterways safe for all users.”

The navigational rules of the road are essential for safety on the water. Rules such as rule 9, which states that smaller vessels less than 20 meters in length are required to move out of the way of larger vessels that may be restricted to a narrow channel, are in place to help all mariners know how they should be safely maneuvering their vessel.

The Coast Guard reminds boaters that contracted passenger vessels should be outfitted with proper lifesaving and firefighting equipment,  emergency checklist, and passengers must receive a safety orientation from the master or crew upon departure from the dock. All members aboard a boat must have a life jacket readily available, and any children under the age of 13 are required by law to be wearing a life jacket while on the open decks of a vessel.

Additionally, boaters are recommended to maintain an awareness of changing weather conditions especially wind and tide conditions as they can quickly change the condition of the river.

Coast Guard Auxiliary members are available to provide free safety examinations. They are also scheduled to be at major docks along the Columbia River, on weekends during the Buoy 10 season. If interested in receiving a free vessel examination, please contact your local Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla or visit http://www.cgaux.org/.

If you observe or have knowledge of a vessel operating out of compliance with the above requirements, please contact the Coast Guard Sector Columbia River command center at 503-861-6211 or on marine VHF-FM radio channel 16.Local law enforcement and the Coast Guard Auxiliary will be commencing safety patrols throughout the season.

FAA Proposes $380,600 Civil Penalty Against Leading Edge Aviation Services

For Immediate Release

August 14, 2015
Contact: Ian Gregor
Phone: 310-725-3580; Email: ian.gregor@faa.gov

---

SEATTLE, WA

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration proposes a $380,600 civil penalty against Leading Edge Aviation Services of Victorville, Calif., for allegedly violating federal drug and alcohol testing regulations.

The FAA alleges the aircraft repair station hired 29 people for safety-sensitive positions but did not include them in the company’s random drug and alcohol testing pools either for months after they were hired or during their entire periods of employment.

Additionally, the FAA alleges the company failed to ask 18 safety-sensitive employees -whether they had tested positive or refused to take a DOT pre?employment drug or alcohol test at other companies they had applied to for safety?sensitive transportation work during the previous two years.

The FAA further alleges Leading Edge hired six people for safety-sensitive positions before it received verified negative pre-employment drug tests for them. One of the six employees performed safety-sensitive work although Leading Edge never received a verified negative pre-employment drug test for him, the agency alleges.

Finally, the FAA alleges the company used DOT forms to document non-DOT drug tests for three employees and used a non-DOT form to document urine collection for another employee.

Leading Edge has been in communication with the FAA about the case.

A wildfire ignited by a plane crash that killed two people in a rugged area of northern Washington state was one of several that chased hundreds of people from their homes

Photos courtesy of Okanogan County Sheriff's Office 



By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press 

Published: Aug 14, 2015 

 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON (AP) - 

A wildfire ignited by a plane crash that killed two people in a rugged area of northern Washington state was one of several that chased hundreds of people from their homes Friday in the drought-stricken state, authorities said.

The blaze burned 10 to 12 buildings, including residences, threated about 660 homes and forced more than 400 people to evacuate as winds picked up in the dry land near Oroville, a small town near the Canadian border, officials said.

Bob and Helen Dickson said flames were jumping from tree to tree, sending billows of black smoke into the air when officials rushed up their driveway with red lights flashing and told them to leave. When they were able to return on Friday, and said "it looked like a nuclear bomb went off for miles and miles."

"Looks like moonscape. Black everywhere," Bob Dickson said in an email to The Associated Press. "Saw deer with their fawns walking aimlessly around, not knowing where to go. Three of our neighbors lost their homes and quite a few structures just vanished."

The wildfire near Oroville just east of the Cascade Range was one of many large wildfires burning across the West, including eight others in Washington state and others in Oregon, Idaho and California.

Hundreds of people were evacuated in Chelan in central Washington as crews fought lightning-caused blazes in and around the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on Friday. Flames and smoke were visible from downtown Chelan. Washington officials asked for help from the state National Guard.

The federal government said wildfires have been so bad this season that the Forest Service will exhaust its firefighting budget next week and will again have to tap into other programs for more money.

A Cessna 182 heading from Oroville to Spokane with two people aboard crashed and sparked the fire that spread to the Canadian border, officials said. Crews responding to the blaze discovered the wreckage Thursday and a body inside the aircraft. Investigators found a second body Friday.

Local authorities and officials with the Federal Aviation Administration went to investigate the crash, which was at an elevation of about 3,000 feet. The NTSB, which planned to get there by Saturday, knew the plane's registration number but was not immediately releasing it or the owner's name, spokesman Peter Knutson said.

The crash happened in the same remote north-central county as one that a teenager survived in July. It took the girl two days to hike to safety after the crash killed her step-grandparents.

Tory King, a customer service worker at the Princess Center grocery store in downtown Oroville, said smoke has filled the town.

"All we can see here is smoke," she said.

Bob Dickson said the area around their home at Nine Mile Ranch is still extremely smoky even after they were able to go back. There were many small fires still burning, he said.

"We feel blessed that the firefighters and air bombers saved our home" he said. "Fire retardant everywhere but amazingly still standing."

Officials expected high winds in the remote region to fan the flames, said Josie Williams, spokeswoman for the Washington Incident Management Team No. 2. Most of the state is under a red-flag warning, meaning the temperatures are high and the landscape is crispy dry, Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Janet Pierce said.

The 4.7-square-mile fire also posed a risk to roads, bridges, power and gas lines, and several private businesses in a state struggling with drought, which has made the parched terrain combustible. The Federal Emergency Management Agency planned to send funding to help combat the blaze.

An evacuation shelter has been set up at Oroville High School.

Pilot injured after a Zenith CH750 experimental aircraft crashes into Little Lehigh River in Allentown, Pennsylvania

A single engine plane crashed into the Little Lehigh River in Allentown on Friday morning.






Friday, August 14, 2015 04:36PM

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) -- A single engine plane crashed into the Little Lehigh River in Allentown on Friday morning.

The plane went down around 11 a.m. just west of the I-78 overpass.

The pilot is now out of the airplane and has been taken to a local hospital.









An aircraft crashed into the Little Lehigh River in Allentown on Friday morning.

The pilot was conscious at the time, according to police.

There was no word on why the plane went down.

No other injuries have been reported.

The FAA said the plane is a Zenith CH750 experimental aircraft. 

 A Zenith CH750 plane similar to the one that crashed.

Date:	14-AUG-2015
Time:	11:00+
Type:	Zenith CH 750
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N1750Z
C/n / msn:	75-7859
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Airplane damage:	Substantial
Location:	Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport (KXLL), Allentown, PA -   United States of America
Phase:	Unknown
Nature:	Unknown
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
The aircraft, an experimental Siminski built CH 750, impacted trees and creek waters terrain west of Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport (KXLL), Allentown, Pennsylvania. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the pilot received undetermined injuries.
Sources: 
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=178643 http://news.yahoo.com/plane-crashes-little-lehigh-river-154734924.html?.gg_invalid=true
http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-lehighvalley/Small-plane-crashes-into-the-Little-Lehigh/34719096
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenith_STOL_CH_701


Manufacturer: Thomas A Siminski Model: Zenith Ch 750
Aircraft Category: Land
Type: Fixed wing single engine

Airworthiness: Experimental / Amateur Built

Engine Type: Reciprocating
Engines: 1
Seats: 2
Weight Class: Less Than 12,500 lbs
Builder Certification Code: Not Type Certificated
Year Manufactured: 2012
Age: 3

Engine Data

Engine Mfg: Corvair
Engine Model: GO-140
Engine Horsepower: 145

Registration Address

Siminski Thomas A
6578 Batman Rd Zionsville PA 18092

Siminski Thomas A 6578 Batman Rd Zionsville PA

Spate of oil field deaths prompts new study of workplace hazards

i

The oil boom in North Dakota and elsewhere has helped the U.S. become the world’s leading energy provider and has captured the attention of Hollywood producers. It also has claimed the lives of dozens of oil field workers.

By Jennifer Gollan / August 14, 2015

Now, that fallout from the boom is drawing renewed attention from government scientists.

In the largest study of its kind, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which investigates the causes of workplace health problems, said it intends to examine the factors that cause injuries and accidents in the oil fields in an effort to improve safety.

Scientists from the institute will distribute questionnaires starting next year to 500 oil field workers in North Dakota, Texas and one other state that will be determined in the coming months.

“This is a high-hazard industry, and different states have different levels of maturity when it comes to safety and health for this workforce,” said Kyla Retzer, a Denver-based epidemiologist with the institute’s oil and gas program, which will be administering the study.

A recent investigation by Reveal showed how major oil companies avoid accountability for workers’ deaths in the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota and Montana. On average, someone dies about every six weeks from an accident in the Bakken – at least 74 since 2006, according to the first comprehensive accounting of such deaths using data obtained from Canadian and U.S. regulators. The number of deaths is likely higher because federal regulators don’t have a systematic way to record oil- and gas-related deaths, and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn’t include certain fatalities.

In response to Reveal’s investigation, the federal agency pledged to step up enforcement against major oil companies and scrutinize speed bonuses in the Bakken, which some critics fear undermine safety.

As part of the new study, workers will be asked the hours they work and whether they wear protective gear as well as whether employers typically provide written safety policies and make their employees aware of their right to stop a job when they spot a potential safety hazard. Truck drivers in the industry will be asked whether they are paid by the hour or the load and whether their employers require that they drive in bad weather. The institute is collecting comments from the public on the forthcoming survey through Sept. 8.

Scientists plan to ask energy companies for permission to invite workers at man camps, which house laborers; trucking centers and other facilities to participate in the survey. The results of the study, which will be finished by early 2017, will be published in peer-reviewed health and safety journals. In addition, scientists intend to share their findings with federal OSHA officials and make specific recommendations on potential improvements at safety or oil and gas industry conferences.

“Sometimes, health and safety is not a top priority,” Retzer said. “We haven’t had a lot of opportunities to talk to workers directly. We want to better understand what their concerns are and how we can address them.”

Kari Cutting, vice president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, dismissed the institute’s focus on hazards in the oil fields.

“I do not have any facts that would lead me to the conclusion that there are major concerns,” said Cutting, whose council represents more than 550 companies in the oil and gas industry. “I think North Dakota is very much in line with other states as far as putting safety as priority one. Gathering that kind of (survey) information will go a long way to pointing out the fact that the industry has a robust safety culture.”

3 workers still in critical condition from chlorine gas exposure at the Pacific Steel and Recycling company in Spokane, Washington

Spokane firefighters gather in a decontamination area outside the Pacific Steel and Recycling building Wednesday after responding to a chemical leak. 
Dan Pelle photo




AUGUST 13, 2015
Rachel Alexander The Spokesman-Review 

 Three Pacific Steel and Recycling workers remain hospitalized in critical condition following an accidental release of chlorine gas at the company’s east Spokane recycling facility Wednesday morning.

Mike Tracy, a spokesman for the company, said Thursday that a fourth worker is still in the hospital.

Workers at the company’s facility at 1114 N. Ralph St. became sick after a cylinder containing chlorine gas was crushed, releasing the gas into the air just before 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Details about the source of the cylinder remained scarce Thursday as a cleanup crew worked inside the Pacific Steel building. Tracy said Clean Harbors, the company handling cleanup, expected to have test results today confirming which chemical was released, but he added the time frame could easily change.

The situation is “moment-to-moment and day-to-day until we get the all-clear from the company,” he said.

Once Pacific Steel has lab tests confirming that the chemical released was chlorine gas and the company can re-enter the building, Tracy said, it will work to find the vendor who sold the recycling company the cylinder.

“There’s too many unknowns” to proceed with an investigation now, he said.

Chlorine is a common industrial chemical used to decontaminate drinking water, manufacture plastics and make cleaning products. Elemental chlorine is a gas at room temperature, though it’s often stored as a pressurized liquid.

Jeff Millhollin, president and CEO of Pacific Steel and Recycling, said Wednesday the company rarely handles chlorine cylinders, and those cylinders are usually completely empty when they arrive.

Chlorine gas is corrosive and can become hydrochloric acid when inhaled, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Due to its toxicity, it’s been used as a weapon in several wars, including an Islamic State attack in Duluiyah, Iraq, last fall.

In Washington, any facility storing more than 100 pounds of chlorine is required to report it to the Department of Ecology. In 2014, only 29 facilities reported storing chlorine gas statewide, according to Andrew Wineke, a Department of Ecology spokesman.

Chlorine gas releases have been rare in Washington, with just 17 since 2003. None of those were in Spokane County.

City workers at a nearby street department building were evacuated Wednesday after the cloud of gas blew west and entered the building. Several reported headaches and other minor symptoms, but none were hospitalized. That building was back open Thursday.

Deaconess Hospital reported Thursday that it had one patient from the chlorine gas incident who remains a patient. That person is in critical condition.

A Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center spokeswoman said she could not update conditions on the four patients from the incident who were admitted or say if any were released.

The Ontario Energy Board says the environmental risks of the $12-billion Energy East pipeline project outweigh the potential benefits, and warns it will drive up natural gas prices.

Ontario fears spill from Energy East pipeline


TORONTO - The Ontario Energy Board says the environmental risks of the $12-billion Energy East pipeline project outweigh the potential benefits, and warns it will drive up natural gas prices.

"What we have found is there is an imbalance between the economic and environmental risks of the project and the expected benefits for Ontarians," said OEB vice-president Peter Fraser as he released a report on Energy East.

TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) is planning to build the pipeline to bring Alberta crude to refineries in Quebec and to a refinery and marine terminal in Saint John, N.B. For two-thirds of the way, it plans to convert a natural gas pipeline for oil and then build all new pipe through Quebec and New Brunswick.

After 15 months of consultations with people in communities along the Ontario route of the pipeline, the energy board found residents are worried about leaks.

"The top concern expressed was the risk of an oil spill as the pipeline runs near or across many waterways," said Fraser. "Our advice is that for the existing pipeline, when it is too close to environmentally sensitive areas, it should be rerouted unless it can be justified by TransCanada as necessary."

The OEB report also said residents are rightly concerned the project could drive up natural gas prices. Its technical experts found there will be higher natural gas prices as a result of Energy East because there will be less supply.

"They estimated that on average, over a 20-year period, in the winter time, natural gas prices in eastern Ontario will be 11.9 per cent higher than if Energy East did not go ahead," said Fraser.

Union Gas Limited, a natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario, said it reached the same conclusion.

"We want assurance that Ontario natural gas customers will not bear the costs and risks related to the Energy East oil pipeline, and we continue to be open to finding a satisfactory resolution of these issues with TransCanada," said Union Gas president Steve Baker.

TransCanada pointed out the benefits of delivering Alberta crude to the Maritimes, saying eastern Canada imports more than 600,000 barrels of oil a day that could be replaced "from a secure supply right here in Canada in the safest possible way, by pipeline." The company said it wants to address the concerns raised in the OEB report.

"Our team will continue to work closely with the Ontario government to ensure the project meets proven safety standards and environmental protection while delivering important economic benefits," said TransCanada's Energy East president Francois Poirier.

New Brunswick Energy Minister Donald Arseneault doesn't think the Ontario report will be a setback for Energy East, which he calls a "tremendous" project.

"There are other reports such as the Conference Board of Canada which really sees the economic benefits of the Energy East pipeline," said Arseneault.

The Ontario Energy Board said the benefits of the pipeline to the province would include a $12-billion to $19-billion impact on gross domestic product and a full-time equivalent job impact of up to 114,000 positions.

"These kinds of analyses tend to focus on just the benefits of all the spending and not on the other kinds of costs associated with the project in Ontario...for example costs related to additional emergency preparedness and other infrastructure upgrades that might be needed," said Fraser.

The board's report will form the basis of Ontario's position when the National Energy Board holds hearings on Energy East, expected in 2016.

"I can assure you that Ontario plans to be an active intervener in the National Energy Board approval process, and our participation will reflect the concerns of the Ontario public to the federal regulator," said Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli.

Environmental Defence said the OEB's report shows the environmental risks of Energy East are simply too great. "Public input made it clear that the risky project does not have the support of communities along the pipeline route in Ontario," said spokesman Adam Scott.

Greenpeace welcomed the OEB's conclusion that the risks of the pipeline project outweigh the benefits.

"Given the new realities of low oil prices and a global push for action on climate change, this project is high risk and low reward for the entire country and not just Ontario," said Greenpeace spokesman Keith Stewart.

The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters said several Ontario groups have joined together to support Energy East, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities and the construction sector.

"We are in agreement that Energy East is a true nation-building infrastructure project that will help Canada achieve energy independence."