Worker injured after gas line rupture and explosion at home construction site in West Virginia

By Jeff Jenkins in News

August 17, 2015 at 4:19PM

WINFIELD, W.Va. — 

A worker was burned when a natural gas line exploded at a house construction site in Putnam County near Winfield Monday afternoon.

The explosion and fire occurred after a contractor struck the four-inch line while working on the new home’s driveway. The gas company contacted Joe Tolley Contracting to go to the scene to repair the leak. Not long after arriving the explosion occurred, Joey Tolley told MetroNews.

“It was blowing very loudly, you couldn’t hear anything. So we were in there trying to figure out exactly what we needed to do to get it shutdown and repaired and in the midst of that it ignited somehow and one our guys got burnt,” Tolley said.

The worker was taken to Cabell Huntington Hospital by ambulance. He appeared to have burn injuries to his arms. He was walking around, Tolley said.

Fire crews from Winfield were able to put out the blaze. There was no indication late Monday afternoon what may have sparked the gas.

A backhoe-type piece of equipment was destroyed in the fire. Tolley said he’s thankful there weren’t more serious injuries. It could have much worse, he said.

The house is located near the intersection of Rocky Step Road and Harmon Branch Road.

Construction worker killed after falling 60 feet from site in downtown Madison, Wisconsin

Posted: August 17, 2015
By Caissa Casarez
 
MADISON, WISCONSIN (WKOW) – 

Madison police say a construction worker died after falling almost 60 feet near a building site downtown Monday morning.

Officers and the Madison Fire Department responded to a call of the fall on the 10 block of N. Webster St. just after 11 a.m.

The man in his 20's was taken to the hospital where he later died.

Officials with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) know about the incident and will investigate it.

Police say the Dane County Medical Examiner will release the man's name, but there's no word on when that will happen.

Fuel truck crashes, spills 3,500 gallons of gasoline on Rt. 287 ramp in New Jersey. Driver injured.

(Photo: Photos: Morris County Office of Emergency Management)

 

William Westhoven, @WWesthoven

 

 August 17, 2015

 

HANOVER, NEW JERSEY

About 3,500 gallons of leaked gasoline are still “unaccounted for” following the crash of a fuel truck Sunday morning on the ramp from Route 24 to southbound Route 287, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The truck overturned while negotiating the flyover ramp at about 9 a.m., according to the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, which responded to the scene along with the Morris County Hazardous Materials Response Team, NJ DEP, the New Jersey Department of Transportation and local agencies including the Parsippany District 5 Fire Department.

The truck was carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline, according to a State Police report. DEP spokesperson Larry Hajna said Monday that it had recovered 5,000 gallons, with 3,500 gallons remaining “unaccounted for.”

Part of the recovery process will include excavation of soil where the fuel seeped, Hajna said. The area does not appear to be environmentally-sensitive, according to Hajna, but the department is still determining if any groundwater was impacted.

A contractor for NJDEP, identified as Ken’s Marine Service, was working on the cleanup Monday until cleanup responsibilities were transitioned to “the responsible party,” according Hajna. He identified the party as Reliable Carriers Inc. of Secaucus, which operated the truck.

Fuel-truck operators are required to have a cleanup contractor on call, Hajna said, but if they cannot respond in a timely manner, NJDEP steps in, bringing in its own contractors and tapping into a state “fuel fund” that will be reimbursed by Reliable Carriers.

The name of the truck driver was not available. State Police Sgt. Jeffrey Flynn said the driver was taken to Morristown Medical Center with minor injuries.
NJDOT reported that the right lane and shoulder of Route 287 south would remain closed until 3:30 p.m. as the cleanup crews continued their work.

Westbound traffic on Route 24 was detoured to Columbia Turnpike during the initial closure on Sunday. Two right southbound lanes on 287 also were closed during the response, causing significant traffic backups.

The fuel trucks will rollover like puppies if the driver is not careful in taking the turn.  The sloshing fluid will make the truck very unstable, able to accommodate only a fraction of g force.   

DELCORA, a Pennsylvania Water Utility, to Reduce Sewage Discharges to Delaware River and Local Creeks

Release Date: 08/17/2015

Contact Information: Julia P. Valentine (News media only), valentine.julia@epa.gov, (202) 564-2663, (202) 564-4355


WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) today announced a settlement with the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DELCORA) resolving alleged Clean Water Act violations involving combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to the Delaware River and its tributaries. In a proposed consent decree, DELCORA has agreed to develop and implement a plan to control and significantly reduce overflows from its sewer system, which will improve the water quality of the Delaware River, Chester Creek and Ridley Creek near Philadelphia, Pa.
Based on information submitted by DELCORA, EPA estimates that the Authority could spend as much as $200 million to implement an overflow control plan that complies with the terms of the Clean Water Act. Once the specific pollution control measures are selected and approved, the settlement requires DELCORA to implement the plan as quickly as possible, with a 20-year deadline from when the settlement is filed in court to complete the necessary controls. DELCORA must also pay a $1.375 million penalty for prior violations, which will be split between the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a co-plaintiff in this case.
“This settlement means cleaner water for communities in the greater Philadelphia area, including many that have historically been overburdened by water pollution,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “These communities have demonstrated how effective long-term planning and public participation can protect clean water in a way that’s achievable and cost effective.”
“This important agreement will protect residents from sewers that discharge raw sewage and other contaminants into local waterways,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “It is the latest in a series of settlements with municipalities across the country to address aging and inadequate sewer infrastructure, particularly in older communities where residents have had to deal with sewer overflows for generations. Agreements like this one are a victory for environmental justice.”
The settlement stands to address longstanding problems with DELCORA’s combined sewer system, which when inundated with stormwater, discharges raw sewage, industrial waste, nitrogen, phosphorus, and polluted stormwater into Chester Creek, Ridley Creek, and the Delaware River. According to DELCORA, the volume of combined sewage that overflows from the system is approximately 739 million gallons annually.
Exposure to raw sewage can cause a range of illnesses from stomach cramps and diarrhea to life-threatening ailments such as cholera, dysentery, infectious hepatitis, and severe gastroenteritis. Children, the elderly, people with weaker immune systems, and pregnant women face greater risks to the health impacts of exposure to sewage.
DELCORA’s wastewater facilities serve approximately 500,000 people in the greater Philadelphia area, including many low-income communities. Once fully implemented, the settlement will help reduce the direct exposure of low-income and minority populations in the service area to raw sewage. DELCORA must also seek input from the public on the long-term control plan, including from Chester and surrounding communities that have historically been overburdened by pollution.
The consent decree also requires DELCORA to notify the public of CSO discharges using a visual notification system, including warning lights and flags at CSO outfalls, where a sewer empties into local waterways.
Keeping raw sewage and contaminated storm water out of the waters of the United States is one of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives. EPA is working to reduce discharges from sewer overflows by securing commitments from cities to implement timely, affordable solutions.
The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval after it is published in the Federal Register.
For more information on this settlement or to read the proposed consent decree, go to: http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/delaware-county-regional-water-quality-control-authority-clean-water-act-settlement

1 injured after dump truck crash on I-95 in Delaware

An overturned dump truck slowed traffic on I-95 in Newport, Delaware.

Updated 2 hrs 47 mins ago

NEWPORT, Del. (WPVI) --

A crash involving a dump truck slowed traffic on I-95 in Delaware Monday morning.

It happened at 6:35 a.m. Monday in the southbound lanes near Churchmans Road in Newport, approaching exit 4A.

State police tell Action News a vehicle side-swiped a dump truck, causing the truck to crash and overturn, spilling its load of asphalt on the highway.

The driver of the dump truck was treated at the scene by paramedics before being transported to Christiana Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the dump truck is identified as Luis C. Aucay-Lluisupa. He was cited for Failure to Remain within a Single Lane of Travel and No Valid Operator's License.

I-95 southbound was closed for approximately three and a half hours while cleanup crews worked to clean up diesel fuel and asphalt that spilled in the crash.

All lanes were back open by 11:00 a.m.

Hundreds without water service after massive water main break in Jersey City, New Jersey

Anthony Johnson has the latest

Updated 23 mins ago

JERSEY CITY (WABC) --

Hundreds of people are without water service after a massive water main break in Jersey City.

United Water emergency crews responded to a broken 6-inch water main on Warren Street from Dudley Street until the end of Warren Street on Monday afternoon. United Water said they are currently making good progress to dig down to the main to make the repair.

Residents who are affected have been given bottled water.

It is not known when water service will return.

United Water released a statement saying,

"We appreciate our customers' patience and understanding while we work to complete the repairs as quickly and safely as possible."

1 killed, 2 seriously injured in ferocious crash on US-70 Business near I-40 in Garner, NC

A moving truck collided with three vehicles

Updated 9 mins ago

GARNER, NC (WTVD) --

The Garner Police Department is investigating a crash on US Hwy 70 Business near I-40 Monday morning that left one person dead and two more with serious injuries.

It happened just before 9 a.m. when police said a Two Men And A Truck moving van collided with a disabled Honda in the eastbound lanes.

Investigators on the scene of a crash on US 70 Business

The driver of the Honda, Lenae Mary Rebecca Dew, of Raleigh, died.

The Freightliner truck then crossed the median into the westbound lanes and hit two SUVs.

Three people in those vehicles were taken to the hospital. Two have serious injuries.

One car was destroyed in the crash.

Police said the crash remains under investigation and no charges have been filed.

Two Men And A Truck issued a statement Monday afternoon.

"The local franchise is working both internally and with local authorities during the ongoing accident investigation. Words cannot convey our sympathy for all those impacted by the accident and our thoughts and prayers are with them," it said.

Fire that destroyed home in Hillcrest, New York caused by BBQ in the backyard

(WhatsApp/First Responders)

Updated 1 hr 55 mins ago

 

HILLCREST, NEW YORK (WABC) -- 

 

The Ramapo Fire Department says a fire that fully engulfed a house Monday in Rockland County was caused by a BBQ in the backyard.

Multiple fire crews responded to the home on Union Road in Hillcrest. Residents of the home were able to safely leave without any injuries.

The fire was placed under control shortly before 3 p.m. Monday. The house is considered a total loss.

Police dog, Wix, dies at PGA Championship when air conditioner fails

Wix, a K-9 unit dog for Brown County Sheriff's Department, is seen in this undated photo. (Brown County Sheriff's Department/Facebook)

Sunday, August 16, 2015 09:20PM

 

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- 

 

Wisconsin authorities say a police dog assigned to the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits died after the air conditioner failed in his partner's squad car.

The K-9 named Wix was a 3-year-old male Belgian Malinois trained in explosives detection and tracking. Wix and his handler, Brown County Deputy Austin Lemberger, were assisting with security at the tournament Wednesday, and the dog was left in the squad car with the engine and air conditioner running.

The sheriff's office says Lemberger checked on Wix regularly Wednesday morning. But he found the dog unresponsive around 12:30 p.m. The air conditioner had failed and the car's K-9 heat alarm did not activate.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that Wix was the fifth police dog to die in a hot car across the country this summer.

Computers match truck drivers' faces to bust license fraud in NJ, NY

By Lexie Schapitl

Monday, August 17, 2015 02:01PM

NEW YORK (WABC) --

Some advanced technology helped nab three commercial drivers who allegedly held licenses in both New York and New Jersey.

The New York Department of Motor Vehicles and New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shared facial recognition technology to determine that the drivers possessed licenses in each state under different names, dates of birth and social security numbers. The New York DMV announced Monday that this marks the first time two states have used facial recognition technology to combat license fraud and identity theft across state lines.

The New York DMV said facial recognition allows the department to deter fraud, combat identify theft and enhance public safety, and that more arrests should be anticipated as a result of the inter-state program.

Each driver has been charged with filing false instruments and falsifying business records, both of which are felonies, according to the department.

Authorities found that Magdy H. Elsheimy, 60, of Ridgedale Park, New Jersey, also held a valid license in New York under the name Magdy Moustafa. He was allegedly splitting convictions and tickets between records.

Sidibe D. Sekou, 53, of the Bronx, had a valid commercial license in New Jersey under the name Sekoudit G. Sidibe while he also had a suspended license in New York, authorities said.

Jhon M. Gomez, of New York City had his license suspended in New Jersey after being convicted of a DWI, but obtained a license in New York without mentioning the suspension, authorities said.

According to data from the State University of New York's Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research, drivers with multiple licenses are far more likely to be involved in a crash, at a rate of 66.5 percent vs. 42.6 percent of all drivers. About 50 percent of drivers with multiple license records are reportedly suspended or revoked under at least one name.

Firefighters pull person from burning home in Chester County, Pennsylvania

The heat gave firefighters trouble in Chester County where a house caught fire this afternoon.

Updated 1 hr 8 mins ago

LONDON GROVE TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- 

 

One person was hospitalized after a house fire in Chester County Monday afternoon.

The fire was reported around 12:55 in the 100 block of Hannum Mill Road in London Grove Township.

One person had reportedly become trapped inside and needed to be extricated from the building by firefighters.

That person was taken to the hospital for treatment. There is no word on the severity of his injuries at this time.

Authorities are investigating to see what may have sparked the blaze.

Worker electrocuted and falls 30 feet from construction site in North Philadelphia

A construction worker is in the hospital after he was shocked, then fell three stories today at a work site.

Updated 1 hr 4 mins ago

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) --

First responders have converged on a work site in North Philadelphia after a worker was shocked.

It happened at 11:45 a.m. Monday near 16th and Oxford Street.

Officials tell Action News the worker fell three stories after suffering some kind of electrical shock.

The worker has been taken to Temple University Hospital.

There was no immediate word on his condition.

Stay with Action News and 6abc.com for more information as it becomes available.

Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania firefighter struck by car while responding to call

A firefighter was struck by a vehicle while responding to a call in Montgomery County on Monday.

Monday, August 17, 2015

 

GILBERTSVILLE, Pa. (WPVI) -- 

 

A firefighter was struck by a vehicle while responding to a call in Montgomery County on Monday.

It happened around 11:30 a.m. on the 1800 block of Swamp Pike in Gilbertsville.

Officials say the firefighter was responding to an elevator rescue when he was struck by a car.

The firefighter was transported by ground to Lehigh Valley Hospital.

His condition is not yet clear.

Images from Chopper 6 over the scene show a vehicle with front-end damage stopped at the scene.

Officials say the elevator rescue the firefighter was responding to was placed under control.

The probable cause of the collision between the offshore supply vessel Gloria May and the fishing vessel Capt Le was the failure of both vessels’ operators to maintain a proper lookout.

 

 

Collision of Offshore Supply Vessel Gloria May and Fishing Vessel Capt Le

Executive Summary

The offshore supply vessel  Gloria May collided with the uninspected fishing vessel Capt Le in the Gulf of Mexico about 2040 on the evening of August 24, 2014. As a result of the collision, the hull of the Capt Le was breached and the vessel flooded and sank; the bow of the Gloria May suffered minor damage. 

 

Three crewmembers from the Capt Le abandoned their sinking vessel into a liferaft and were recovered by the crew of the Gloria May. No injuries resulted from the accident. Total damage was estimated at $225,000.

Probable Cause

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the collision between the offshore supply vessel Gloria May and the fishing vessel Capt Le was the failure of both vessels’ operators to maintain a proper lookout.

1 crewmember of Curnard’s Queen Mary 2 cruise liner fell overboard and has not been found off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador

Search Abandoned After Queen Mary 2 Crew Member Falls Overboard

August 17, 2015 by Mike Schuler


QM2 file photo: Targn Pleiades / Shutterstock.com



A search was launched and later suspended this weekend for a crewmember of Curnard’s Queen Mary 2 cruise liner who fell overboard Saturday off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Canada’s Joint Task Force Atlantic confirmed Saturday that it received a report from the Queen Mary 2 reporting that 26-year-old male crew member had fallen overboard sometime after midnight Saturday roughly 780 km (484 miles) east of St. John’s, NL, prompting a search involving the cruise ship itself and the nearby containership Milan Express. Foggy conditions however prevented an aerial search.

The cruise ship reportedly retraced its course and solicited the help of its passengers to keep look for the man overboard, but the search turned up empty.

The search was called off later Saturday after careful consideration by the JTF Atlantic that any chance of survival in the North Atlantic was exhausted.

According to Canadian media reports, the Queen Mary 2, the flagship of Cunard Line, was traveling from Southampton to New York when the man fell overboard. The ship was due to stop in Halifax on Monday.

THE M/V OM EL-KHEIR SHIP BURSTS INTO FLAMES ON SUEZ CANAL

By MarEx 2015-08-17 11:39:51

In the first incident since the Suez Canal’s August 6th expansion inauguration, the M/V Om el-Kheir caught fire at berth at Port Tawfik, which is at the canal’s southern entrance.

The Suez Canal Port Authority (SCA) and Red Sea Ports Authority (RSPA) rescue teams extinguished the fire and rescued the cargo vessel’s 13 crewmembers. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. Traffic at the southern entrance was unaffected by the incident.

The Om el-Kheir was enroute to Cambodia.

President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi inaugurated the newly expanded parallel canal to facilitate and accelerate ship transits through the system.

Accumulation risks – when a single event causes an exceptionally large group of related losses – such as the Tianjin Port explosions, are continuing to grow

Tianjin Explosion Highlights Growth of Accumulation Risks

Posted by Eric Haun
Monday, August 17, 2015

The recent catastrophe at the port of Tianjin in China resulted in the loss of more than 120 lives and many more people are still missing.  It is far too early to speculate on the cause (although it appears to be fire-caused explosions of accumulated chemicals/explosives), but the explosions left extensive physical damage as well as the appalling loss of life.
Accumulation risks – when a single event causes an exceptionally large group of related losses – such as this, are continuing to grow, according to the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI).

IUMI President, Dieter Berg said, “This extremely sad and regrettable incident demonstrates the persistent growth of accumulation of values in port and storage areas, particularly in highly industrialized regions. Recent examples include the floods in Thailand in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast of the United States in 2012 that caused the biggest marine cat loss ever.”

In the marine sector, the continuous growth of this type of large-scale risk is being driven by the trend for bigger containerships and the construction of extensive freight handling and storage facilities.

Berg continued, “Although we are focusing on losses caused by natural hazards such as flooding or hail, it is human error that is often to blame, particularly around industrial facilities. Manmade losses or damage caused by explosions are hard to model but they are comparable with acts of terrorism. To evaluate worst case scenarios we need to fully understand the value of the goods in the port and all potential exposures before we can calculate adequate premiums. This is becoming more of a challenge as these facilities continue to expand.”

Early reports from Lloyd’s Agency Network state that more than 10,000 motor vehicles were destroyed at Tianjin.

Nick Derrick, Chairman of IUMI’s Cargo Committee said, “With average retail values of $30,000 this could result in a loss of $300 million for vehicles alone. Container losses are likely to be spread among many marine cargo insurers but motor vehicle insurance is a specialist sector and so that market is likely to be hit hard.”

Coast Guard rescues disabled fishing boat 70 miles from Nantucket, Massachusetts

Coast Guard crews aboard cutters Escanaba and Hammerhead safely brought the disabled fishing vessel Challenge to shore Aug. 16, 2014. 

August 17th, 2015

 

BOSTON, MASS.

Coast Guard crews aboard the cutters Escanaba and Hammerhead brought a disabled fishing vessel safely to shore early Monday.

Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England Command Center, in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, received a phone call from the captain of the vessel Challenger Sunday morning, stating a line had fouled their propeller, and they were disabled and adrift 70 miles southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Search and rescue coordinators from the Sector Southeastern New England command center diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba and Hammerhead to assist.

The crew of the Escanaba arrived on scene and took the vessel, loaded with 650 pounds of scallops, in a stern tow at 9:30 a.m., Sunday. Later, at about 1 p.m. the crew of the Hammerhead relieved the Escanaba and continued to bring the fishing vessel toward shore.

At around 7:30 a.m., Monday, the crew of the Hammerhead handed off tow to a commercial tow company and the Challenge was successfully brought to harbor in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

“We had a few different crews working together with the Challenge’s crew to complete two different towing evolutions,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Brian Richardson, the operations unit coordinator at Sector Southeastern New England. “Everyone worked very well together to get the crew and the catch back to port safely.”

Pipe insulator and staffing agency Rock Wool cited for exposing workers to amputation hazards in Houston. OSHA cites Rock Wool Manufacturing Co. and C & C Personnel LLC; fines total $85,950

Aug. 17, 2015

Pipe insulator and staffing agency Rock Wool cited for exposing workers to amputation hazards in Houston.
OSHA cites Rock Wool Manufacturing Co. and C & C Personnel LLC; fines total $85,950

Employers' names: Rock Wool Manufacturing Co. and C & C Personnel LLC in Houston, Texas

Citations issued: Aug. 17, 2015

Investigation findings: Rock Wool was cited for seven serious and two repeat violations for exposing workers to a variety of workplace hazards, chief among them struck by and amputation hazards* for failing to protect workers from dangerous machinery. C & C Personnel was cited for four serious violations including failing to establish an energy control program to disable potentially hazardous machinery. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated the March 2015 inspection after receiving a complaint. C & C Personnel LLC provided Rock Wood Manufacturing Co. with 53 temporary workers on a daily basis and Rock Wool supervised and assigned these workers their duties.

Proposed Penalties: Rock Wood Manufacturing Co. was fined $64,350, and C & C. Personnel LLC was fined $21,600.

Quote: "Any time a worker is exposed to machinery without proper guarding is one more time that worker is in jeopardy of losing a limb or even a life. Failing to adhere to this commonsense safety requirement will not be tolerated," said Joann Figueroa, OSHA's area director in the Houston North office. "It is the employer's responsibility to find and fix hazards in the workplace."

Link to the citations: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/CandCPersonnelLLC_1047081.pdf*
http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/RockWoolManufacturing_1057336.pdf*
http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/RockWoolManufacturing_1047033.pdf*
http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/CandCPersonnelLLC_1064742.pdf*

Information: Rock Wool Manufacturing, headquartered in Leeds, Alabama, has facilities in Leeds and Houston; and C & C Personnel is headquartered in Texas. Both companies have 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Houston North office at 936-760-3800. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

Explosions, fire at the DrillChem chemical plant near Houston, Texas

Posted 1:22 am, August 16, 2015, by CNN Wire

CONROE, TEXAS

A massive fire broke out Friday at a Texas chemical plant, producing numerous explosions and huge plumes of smoke.

Mike Legoudes, fire marshal for the city of Conroe, said it appears nobody was inside the DrillChem plant and that nobody was injured. Conroe is about 40 miles north of Houston.

DrillChem makes products for the oil and gas industry. Legoudes said hazmat crews didn’t find anything dangerous but are trying to contain runoff as a precautionary measure.

Legoudes said the fire department received the call at 4:45 p.m. CT and arrived a few minutes later to find two 10,000-square-foot buildings engulfed in flames. The last employee is thought to have left at 4 p.m., he said.

The cause of the fire has not been determined.

On Facebook, the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office reported the explosions from what it characterized as a “multiple-alarm commercial fire.”

BSEE Approves Updated Permit for Exploration Activities in Arctic Waters Under Rigorous Safety Requirements

AUGUST 17, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC

After extensive review and under a robust array of safety requirements, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Director Brian Salerno today announced that Shell has received approval of one Application for Permit to Modify (APM) to conduct exploratory drilling activities into potential oil-bearing zones offshore Alaska at one of the wells at the Burger Prospect, Burger J. The company remains limited to the top section of the Burger V well.

Shell submitted an APM on August 6 to modify the Burger J Application for Permit to Drill (APD), which previously restricted Shell from drilling into oil-bearing zones since a capping stack was not on hand and deployable within 24 hours, as required by BSEE. A capping stack is a critical piece of emergency response equipment designed to shut in a well in the unlikely event of a loss of well control. The capping stack, staged on the vessel M/V Fennica, is now in the region and capable of being deployed within 24 hours.

“Activities conducted offshore Alaska are being held to the highest safety, environmental protection, and emergency response standards,” said Salerno. “Now that the required well control system is in place and can be deployed, Shell will be allowed to explore into oil-bearing zones for Burger J. We will continue to monitor their work around the clock to ensure the utmost safety and environmental stewardship.”

Shell is still prohibited from simultaneous drilling at Burger J and V, in accordance with the approved APDs, which define limitations related to marine mammal protection consistent with requirements established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Consistent with regulatory requirements, a USFWS Letter of Authorization (LOA) issued on June 30 requires Shell to maintain a minimum spacing of 15 miles between active drill rigs during exploration activities to avoid significant effects on walruses in the region.

Under the LOA, Shell is also required to have trained wildlife observers on all drilling units and support vessels to minimize impacts to protected species. Shell must stay within explicitly outlined vessel operating speeds and report daily regarding all vessel transits.

To ensure compliance with this and other conditions, BSEE safety inspectors have been present on the drilling units Noble Discoverer and Transocean Polar Pioneer 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide continuous oversight and monitoring of all approved activities. The inspectors are authorized to take immediate action to ensure compliance and safety, including cessation of all drilling activities, if necessary. BSEE experts have been engaged in thorough inspections of both drilling units and Shell’s response equipment.

The Burger Prospect is located in about 140 feet of water, 70 miles northwest of the village of Wainwright.

BSEE’s close oversight of drilling operations in the Chukchi Sea this year is consistent with its continuing efforts over the past five years to upgrade safety standards to improve the safety of offshore oil and gas development. In addition, building on the lessons learned from Shell’s 2012 drilling operations in the offshore Arctic and incorporating the recommendations of a Departmental review of those activities, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on May 11, 2015, provided conditional approval of Shell’s Exploration Plan, which established numerous additional stringent safety requirements: 

All phases of an offshore Arctic program – preparations, drilling, maritime and emergency response operations – must be integrated and subject to strong operator management and government oversight, as detailed in Shell’s Integrated Operations Plan;
A shortened drilling season to allow time for open-water emergency response and relief rig operations late in the drilling season before projected ice encroachment;
Capping stack must be pre-staged and available for use within 24 hours;
A tested subsea containment system must be deployable within eight days;
The capability to drill a same season relief well;
A robust suite of measures to avoid and minimize adverse impacts to marine mammals and their habitat, impacts to Native subsistence activities, and other environmental impacts; and

Drilling units and their supporting vessels must depart the Chukchi Sea at the conclusion of each exploration drilling season.

The Department has also published proposed regulations to ensure that future exploratory drilling activities on the U.S. Arctic Outer Continental Shelf are done safely and responsibly, subject to strong and proven operational standards and Shell’s Chukchi Sea operations are being held to many of standards in the proposed regulations.

The APM and decision letter can be found here.

BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT APPROVED THE PERMIT TO ROYAL DUTCH SHELL TO DRILL BELOW THE OCEAN FLOOR IN ARCTIC OCEAN OFF ALASKA

By Dan Joling, Associated Press

AUGUST 17, 2015


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) –

The federal government on Monday gave Royal Dutch Shell the final permit it needs to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska's northwest coast for the first time in more than two decades.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement announced that it approved the permit to drill below the ocean floor after the oil giant brought in a required piece of equipment to stop a possible well blowout.

The agency previously allowed Shell to begin drilling only the top sections of two wells in the Chukchi Sea because the key equipment, called a capping stack, was stuck on a vessel that needed repair in Portland, Oregon.

Because the vessel arrived last week, Shell is free to drill into oil-bearing rock, estimated at 8,000 feet below the ocean floor, for the first time since its last exploratory well was drilled in 1991.

"Activities conducted offshore Alaska are being held to the highest safety, environmental protection, and emergency response standards," agency Director Brian Salerno said in a statement Monday. "We will continue to monitor their work around the clock to ensure the utmost safety and environmental stewardship."

The Polar Pioneer, a semi-submersible drilling unit that Shell leases from Transocean Ltd., began work July 30 at Shell's Burger J site. It completed what's called a mud-line cellar, a 20-by-40-foot hole at the top of the well that will hold a blowout preventer, and continued drilling into rock above the petroleum-bearing zone.

"It's possible we will complete a well this summer but we're not attaching a timeline to the number of feet drilled," Smith said.

Safe operations will determine progress, he said.

Environmental groups oppose Arctic offshore drilling, saying industrial activity will harm polar bears, Pacific walrus, ice seals and threatened whales already vulnerable from climate warming and shrinking summer sea ice. They say oil companies have not demonstrated that they can clean up a spill in water choked by ice.

Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune said in a statement that President Obama's decision to grant Shell the final drilling permits goes against science, the will of the people and common sense.

"Granting Shell the permit to drill in the Arctic was the wrong decision, and this fight is far from over," he said. "The people will continue to call on President Obama to protect the Arctic and our environment."

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that U.S. Arctic waters hold 26 billion barrels of recoverable oil, and Shell is eager to explore in a basin that company officials say could be a game-changer for domestic production.

Shell bid $2.1 billion on Chukchi Sea leases in 2008 and has spent upward of $7 billion on exploration there and in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast.

Shell hopes to drill two exploration wells during the short 2015 open-water season. It has until late September, when all work must stop. It has two drill vessels and about 28 support vessels in the Chukchi Sea.

The permit to drill deep into the ocean hinged on the arrival of a capping stack, which is a roughly 30-foot device that can be lowered over a wellhead to act like a spigot to stop a blowout. The government requires Shell to have the device ready to use within 24 hours of a blowout.

The capping stack sits on a 380-foot icebreaker that suffered hull damage July 3 as it left Dutch Harbor, a port in the Aleutian Islands. The vessel named the Fennica was repaired in Portland, Oregon, and briefly delayed from leaving July 30 by Greenpeace protesters in climbing gear hanging from a bridge over the Willamette River.

The Fennica reached the drill site 70 miles off Alaska's northwest coast on Aug. 11.

85 FIREFIGHTERS STILL MISSING IN CHINA TIANJIN PORT EXPLOSION AND FIRES

Sunday, August 16, 2015 

Reports this morning are that 85 Firefighters in China are still missing after those explosions that hit Tianjin, near Beijing. 

This is IN ADDITION to the 21 bodies of Firefighters killed in the Line of Duty that have been recovered. 

The latest death toll has risen to 112 today (Sunday) while 95 others including 85 Firefighters were still missing. There were 56 explosion hit patients in critical conditions besides nearly 700 others with less injuries.

PROTESTS:
Tianjin saw several protests from people affected by the blasts. Relatives of dead and missing people are protesting against what they consider the government's refusal to disclose what chemicals were stored and how the accident took place.

The site was also witness to demonstrators demanding that the government should buy new homes for them because the explosions had destroyed their apartments. Questions are being asked why residential buildings were allowed to be built just 1000-2000 meters from the chemical warehouse where the explosions occurred.

Videos emerging from the affected site showed vehicles traveling over a bridge and nearby roads at the time of the accident were smashed and charred. This has raised questions about the fate of the people in the vehicles with many residents speculating that the number of death might be a lot more.

HERE ARE SOME RELATED VIDEOS INCLUDING THIS UNIQUE COMPLILATION:
http://youtu.be/dgurTdK0PTA


http://youtu.be/DDgZ5RkivEg
KTIYP's.

NORTH CAROLINA FIRE CHIEF DIES WHILE ON DUTY STANDBY AT A DIRT TRACK CAR RACE

Monday, August 17, 2015 

We regret to pass on to you that Fire Chief JD Robinson of the Brasstown Volunteer Fire Department, Clay County, North Carolina, has died while on duty. 

Chief Robinson had a medical emergency during standby at a dirt track car race. 

Chief Robinson was a Fire Chief, Fire Instructor at Tri County Community, a wildland fire fighter for North Carolina Forest Service and an accomplished musician. 

Chief Robinson had a 30 plus year career with the fire service and was deeply loved. 

More details to follow HERE: http://www.ncfff.org

Our condolences to all affected.





CHIEF ROBINSON SHOWN AT THE WHITEHOUSE
SEVERAL YEARS AGO

National Guard mobilizes to fight fires in Washington state

(Photo: National Guard)


The Associated Press 3:12 p.m. EDT August 16, 2015
CHELAN, Wash. — 

Fire officials are hoping calmer winds Sunday will aid fire crews using air tankers, helicopters and bulldozers to attack several large fires burning in the Chelan area that have destroyed more than 50 structures.

Fire incident spokesman Wayne Patterson said Sunday that more fire crews, including from the Washington National Guard, are being mobilized to fight six fires burning in the area.

Together, the Reach, Wolverine and other blazes in the area have scorched more than 155 square miles, forced about 1,500 residents to flee their homes and caused power outages.

Dave Helvey of the Chelan County Sheriff's Office told The Seattle Times that more than 50 structures had been destroyed. The number is likely to be higher as officials get a more accurate count. Patterson said several businesses have been lost.

Patterson said air tankers have established lines to keep the flames from reaching downtown Chelan, a popular central Washington resort town. Helicopters have been dipping into Lake Chelan to pull up water to battle blazes north of the lake.

"There were literally people on the beaches near that lake in their swim wear out on the lake right near it," Patterson told The Associated Press.

Lighter winds Sunday will help the more than 700 people battling the complex of fires.

"We're able to start taking the battle to the fire rather than playing defense," Patterson said.

The Chelan Public Utility District said more than 9,000 customers were without power Saturday after the fire destroyed more than 30 poles supporting transmission lines. Crews were working to replace them in areas where it was safe to do so, the utility said.

The hospital in Chelan evacuated some of its patients to a hospital in Wenatchee, 50 miles south, but the emergency room remained open, Chelan County Emergency Management officials said. Several nursing homes and assisted-living centers also chose to evacuate, officials said.

As crews hoped to make progress Sunday, people dealt with the scope of the damage.

Terri Raffetto was at a community center that had been converted into a shelter in Entiat, about 20 miles south of Chelan.

She said she fled her trailer Sunday with her two dogs as flames approached.

"Completely destroyed," Raffetto said.

THANK YOU! National Guard called in to help fight Washington wildfires

National Guard Blackhawk helicopters arrived in Washington over the weekend.

 Posted: AugUST 16, 2015
 
KHQ.com -

As the season’s worst fire conditions continue in eastern Washington , the Washington State Department of Natural Resources has requested assistance from the Washington National Guard.

Two National Guard Blackhawk helicopters arrived Saturday, and five 20-person hand crews are set to arrive Sunday evening to join 350 firefighters battling one of the state’s most active fires, Cougar Creek, on the southeastern slopes of Mount Adams. The Guard crews recently completed wildland fire training in Yakima.

“The Guard’s help now is vital,” said Mary Verner, DNR’s deputy for wildfire said in a release. “This partnership is essential to our ability to fight wildfire aggressively and effectively under very challenging conditions.”