HazMat Crews Investigate 40,000 Pound Tanker Carbon Dioxide Plume At AirGas, Inc. in the Industrial Park In Santa Fe Springs , California

August 25, 2015 4:59 AM


SANTA FE SPRINGS (CBSLA.com) — 

HazMat crews responded to a gas leak on Tuesday located in an industrial area in Santa Fe Springs.

Shortly after 1:30 a.m., an employee alerted authorities of a 40,000 pound liquid carbon dioxide tanker that was leaking in the 9800 block of Jordan Circle near McCann Drive, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Upon their arrival to Airgas Dry Ice, Inc., firefighters located a low white cloud on the ground.

The Whittier Police Department was then called to assist at the scene, and a HazMat response subsequently occurred.

Paramedics transported one employee with non-life threatening injuries.

“The immediate concern was to secure the area and ensure the safety of our associates at the facility as well as the safety of our community,” explained Sarah Boxler, corporate communications manager for Airgas, Inc. “We evacuated our associates as a precaution and there is no impact to the surrounding community.”

A preliminary investigation revealed the leak occurred when the tanker truck was transferring the product to a connected storage tank.

Shortly after 4 a.m., crews were able to cap the leak and employees were let back into the building.

CBS2’s Jasmine Viel clarified that carbon dioxide is non-toxic chemical, however, it can kill a person if they are in a confined space.

The cause of the release remains under investigation.

A worker injured after he fell about 15 feet from a scaffolding on to the roof of a building in Carteret, N.J.

Worker Falls From Scaffolding In Carteret, NJ
August 25, 2015 3:23 PM

 



A man is treated after falling from a scaffolding in Carteret, NJ on Aug. 25, 2015. (credit: CBS2)


CARTERET, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – 

A worker fell about 15 feet from a scaffolding on to the roof of a building in Carteret, N.J. Tuesday afternoon.

Footage from the scene showed the worker placed on a back board and being treated by emergency responders on the roof of the building.

The incident took place at around 2:35 p.m. at 1300 Federal Boulevard.

Company fined after worker nearly killed at Canberra Hospital work site in Australia

Date August 24, 2015


Michael Inman
Courts reporter for The Canberra Times.

 
A Canberra worker was clinically dead for several minutes before he could be revived by medical staff after he received an electric shock at the Canberra Hospital redevelopment.

Industrial Magistrate Lorraine Walker fined Canberra project management firm, Iqon, $15,000 for failing to comply with a safety duty.

The ACT Industrial Court could not sentence a second company, Nexus Electrical, as it has gone into liquidation since the July 2011 accident.

Ms Walker entered a plea of not guilty on the behalf of Nexus Electrical to a charge of failing to comply with a safety duty, thereby causing harm to another in circumstances where it was negligent about whether the failure would cause serious harm.
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A quirk of legislation means the defunct company must be committed to the ACT Supreme Court as no there are no longer company representatives available to elect to have the matter discharged in the lower court.

Court documents said the accident happened during preliminary works – which included the refurbishment and upgrade of a numbers of hospital facilities - towards the construction of the new women's and children's hospital.

The territory hired Iqon to project manage the works, with its duties to include coordinating the activities of consultants and contractors.

The work required two fuel tanks - the largest 800 litres - to be removed from a basement, then decommissioned and replaced.

Court documents said electrical cables had been clearly visible on the walls and ceiling near the basement, and entered the concrete slab that formed the ceiling.

The court heard Iqon's foreman did not have certification to work in confined spaces.

The territory hired Nexus Electrical to remove the tanks, who then engaged the victim, through another company, as a mechanical fitter to work on the tanks and pipe work.

A safe work method form, submitted by Nexus Electrical, was rejected in February 2011 because it failed to identify how the tanks would be removed or associated risks.

But said a resubmitted form in June was virtually unchanged.

Nexus planned to drill holes in the concrete ceiling in order to lift the tanks out of position.

On July 1, about 8.30am, the victim drilled a hole in the ceiling and began to install a bolt when he received an electric shock.

Two other workers provided CPR until a hospital emergency team arrived and brought him back to life using a defibrillator.

The man had been dead for several minutes, and spent a number of days in intensive care in an induced coma.

The prosecution said Nexus and Iqon had breached its duty to ensure a safe workplace.

Court documents said Iqon had failed to adhere to risk management processes, and allowed workers on site who had not been signed in.

But the prosecution did not allege Iqon's breach caused the accident.

During sentencing submissions on Monday morning, Iqon's lawyer, Dan Shillington, asked the magistrate to not impose a conviction.

Mr Shillington argued Iqon did not have exclusive control of the worksite at the time of the accident, and had since had undertaken a restructure and introduced a director of safety.

He said these positive steps and a guilty plea showed remorse and a commitment to ensure there would be no repeats in the future.

The barrister said Iqon had committed to the substantial overhaul rather than go into liquidation to avoid prosecution, as other Canberra companies have done in the past.

"It's faced this prosecution head on," he said.

Mr Shillington said the Iqon culpability had been at the low end of seriousness.

Ms Walker fined Iqon $15,000, saying the sentence would acknowledge the harm done to the victim act as general deterrence to other companies.

Nexus Electrical will appear in the Supreme Court later this week.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/company-fined-after-worker-electrocuted-at-canberra-hospital-work-site-20150824-gj6a4e.html#ixzz3jrzS7WXO
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3-vehicle crash causes box truck to overturn, block 4 lanes of southbound 5 near 91 freeway in California

3-vehicle crash causes box truck to overturn, block 4 lanes of southbound 5 near 91 freeway



Orange County Fire Authority firefighters and Caltrans crews seal off a leaking fuel line after a truck overturned during a 3-vehicle crash Tuesday on the southbound I-5 freeway in Buena Park.KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
BY ALYSSA DURANTY / STAFF WRITER
Aug. 25, 2015

Updated 2:32 p.m

A driver of a medium-sized box truck crashed around 11 a.m. Tuesday, causing the four right lanes to be blocked for an unknown time.

California Highway Patrol officials suspect two box trucks and a black Ford Explorer crashed, causing one of the trucks to overturn, but details on how the incident occurred were not immediately known.

The overturned box truck was laying across the four right-hand lanes when CHP officials issued a SigAlert at 11:10 a.m., CHP Officer Jon Latosquin said.

Orange County Fire Authority firefighters responded and found fuel was leaking onto the roadway, OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

Fire officials were able to stop and contain the leak with the help of Caltrans workers, who arrived at 11:30 a.m.

OCFA paramedics took one person to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana with minor injuries.

CHP, Caltrans and OCFA officials helped unload 96 boxes of frozen shumai, or Asian-style dumplings, from the back truck to the freeway shoulder after the crash.

Authorities planned to reload the boxes into the truck once it was placed back on its wheels.

CHP Officer Jose Perdomo said the food might spoil on the freeway due to the heat.

The carpool and two adjacent left lanes were open, but traffic was beginning to back up around 11:40 a.m.

Officials have asked drivers to avoid the area until at least 2 p.m. Tuesday.

OREGON FIRES: 125 guardsmen from the Oregon Army National Guard are expected to tackle mop-up work at the south end of the Canyon Creek complex

Oregon National Guard to Hit Fire Lines as Area Blaze Grows
 

Soldiers help extinguish a small fire while battling the Rocky Fire near Clear Lake, Calif., Aug. 12, 2015. The soldiers are California National Guardsmen. (California National Guard photo)
The Oregonian, Portland, Ore. | Aug 25, 2015 | by Les Zaitz


The first Oregon soldiers activated this season to wildfire duty are expected to take the field outside John Day Wednesday, helping on one of the state's most dangerous fires.

The 125 guardsmen from the Oregon Army National Guard are expected to tackle mop-up work at the south end of the Canyon Creek complex. That will free up fire crews to move to more active areas of the blaze on the Malheur National Forest and adjacent private range.

The fire, which by Monday morning covered 73,000 acres, grew more troublesome Sunday night. High winds and low humidity allowed the fire to burn north and threaten homes where evacuation alerts had been relaxed on Saturday.

And firefighters faced yet more trouble with the discovery Sunday night a new wildfire about 13 miles north of Prairie City on the south slope of Vinegar Hill. The fire was estimated at 15 acres.

A U.S. Forest Service spotter plane detected that fire less than an hour before police back in the John Day Valley had to initiate one more emergency evacuation.

They alerted about two dozen homeowners most threatened by the advancing Canyon Creek complex to evacuate. The fire got within 200 yards of some homes but didn't destroy any, according to Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer.

Officials earlier estimated there were about 120 homes in that area east of John Day. They evacuated only those closest to the fire along Upper Dog Creek and Upper Pine Creek.

The fire, started in two locations Aug. 12 by lightning, so far has destroyed 39 homes and about 50 barns, shops and other outbuildings. Officials said 300 homes remained under threat.

Fire commanders shifted resources from locations around the fire to check the new advance.

Morgan Warthin, public information officer with the complex staff, said strong winds Sunday afternoon pushed the fire north from the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness toward the populated area. She said the move came about three miles from where crews had been working to build additional fire line.

With 20 mph winds and a chance of thunderstorms forecast for Monday afternoon, "firefighters are going to be in a defensive posture today," Warthin said.

And fire commanders will have to make do without a strategic force -- the fire crews deployed from local departments from around Oregon under the Conflagration Act. Those 45 engines and crews were released over the weekend because the imminent threat appeared over and evacuation levels around the fire had been reduced.

The soldiers expected on Wednesday won't be used for home protection, officials said. Instead, they will be deployed for mop-up duties at the south end of the fire, where containment lines are most established. They will work to extinguish smoldering stumps, roots and logs and otherwise insure the fire doesn't take hold again in burned-over areas.

They were expected to complete their training in Salem Tuesday before heading out. Another 250 guardsmen will be behind them in training, but their fire assignments haven't yet been made.

A Carnival Glory passenger died after falling overboard near the Honduran coast

Overboard Passenger Dies

By MarEx 2015-08-25 10:38:46 

A Carnival Glory passenger died after falling overboard near the Honduran coast August 19. The ship was enroute to Grand Cayman when the incident occurred. Passengers told authorities twice that they witnessed the woman’s body in the water twice and notified the emergency services onboard the vessel.

The ship altered its course within 45 minutes after the incident was reported. The 65-year-old female victim was recovered the following day.

Other incidents in the cruise industry:

In March, a 54-year-old man fell off the Carnival Glory off the Mexican coast. He was safely recovered.  

Last week, two passengers fell off the Cunard QM2 and the MSC Magnifica.  

And, a Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas crewmember suffered first-degree burns after flames sparked near the engine and spread to the deck.

Road construction worker injured after he was struck by a car in a cone zone west of Denver

Construction worker hit, injured by car in cone zone
Posted August 25, 2015, by Carly Moore




DENVER, COLORADO

A construction worker was struck by a car in a cone zone west of Denver on Tuesday, according to CDOT officials.

The CDOT contractor was hit near County Road 58 and West 44th Avenue around noon.

The worker was taken to an area hospital alive, officials reported. There were no details on the severity of their injuries.

Colorado State Patrol was investigating the incident.

The Bermuda Islander Cargo ship safely secured after running aground on Delaware River

A cargo ship ran aground late Monday night near the mouth of the Salem River near Salem City, New Jersey.

 

Tuesday, August 25, 2015 11:22AM

 

A cargo ship that ran aground late Monday night on the Delaware River near Salem, New Jersey is safely in place.

The Bermuda Islander which travels between Bermuda and Salem County lost power and propulsion around 9:00 p.m. before running aground.

The U.S. Coast Guard says there were twelve people aboard when the ship hit shallow water and became stuck.

There were no reports of any injuries or pollution from the ship.

The Coast Guard waited until high tide at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and successfully re-floated the vessel that is now secure in Salem, New Jersey for further inspection.

8 firefighters hurt battling 4-alarm fire in the Bronx

A.J. Ross reporting

By A.J. Ross

Updated 22 mins ago

BRONX, N.Y. (WABC) --

A four-alarm fire tore through a house in the Bronx Tuesday, sending flames shooting through the room and smoke pouring into the sky.

The fire broke out on the second and third floors of the home on East 232nd Street in the Edenwald section just after 8:30 a.m.

Witnesses described it as a fast and furious blaze that quickly spread through the structure.

"I was on my way to work, and once I got to the train station, I got the phone call that the house was on fire," resident Francince Powell said.

Powell lives on the top floor with her family and says her 16-year-old son had just left the house before the fire broke out.

"My family is safe, and that's all that really matters," she said. "I'm scared, but I'm going to get through this, and we're together."

Fortunately, everyone else inside the building made it out safely before firefighters arrived.

"We have eight firefighters at Jacobi with minor injuries right now," FDNY Assistant Chief Ronald Spadafora said. "Firefighters stretched hose lines, it was very difficult."

The intense heat and humidity also took its toll on crews, with the blaze being upgraded to four alarms as mutual aid arrived.

"In this hot weather and all that, it's very burdensome in regards to the work that our people do," Spadafora said. "So they're being checked out for possibly minor burns to the neck to the lower extremities."

Fire officials believe the blaze originated in the basement or first floor and quickly spread, but the cause remains under investigation.

Construction worker dies after falling 4 stories down an elevator shaft at Manhattan work site

Eyewitness News

Updated 7 mins ago

 

A construction worker died after fall about four stories at a work site in Manhattan.

The accident happened at about 12:40 p.m. at a construction site on Ninth Avenue between West 41st and West 42nd streets in Hell's Kitchen.

Officials said the 30-year-old man was attempting to walk across a wooden beam when he fell approximately four stories down an elevator shaft.

He died a short time later at the hospital.

At least five lawsuits seeking class-action status have been filed over the hack of cheat-on-your-spouse website Ashley Madison

Ashley Madison Faces Multiple Suits Seeking More Than a Half-Billion Dollars

by M. Alex Johnson

AUGUST 25, 2015

At least five lawsuits seeking class-action status have been filed over the hack of cheat-on-your-spouse website Ashley Madison, seeking more than a half-billion dollars, according to North American court records.

Four federal suits had been filed in the United States as of Monday, all of them obtained by NBC News — two in California, one in Texas and one in Missouri. All allege breach of contract, negligence and violation of various state and privacy laws by Ashley Madison and Avid Life Media LLC., its Canadian parent company.

None of the suits has yet been certified as a class action covering the reported 37 million members of Ashley Madison, whom they characterize as having suffered humiliation and harassment over the reported publication of delicate personal information — including credit card data and, in some cases, photos and sexual fantasies — by hackers calling themselves Impact Team.


The data purportedly published by Impact Team has yet to be independently confirmed as authentic.

The plaintiffs are all anonymous, filing under the names John Doe or Jane Doe. As is common in the preliminary stages of prospective class-action litigation, none of them make specific requests for damages. But all say reasonable penalties would exceed $5 million.

The fifth case is different. Filed last week in Canadian federal court, it seeks $573 million and class-action status in behalf of a named plaintiff, identified as Eliot Shore.

In the suit, attorneys for Shore say their client briefly joined Ashley Madison after his wife died of breast cancer. It says Shore never met with any of the site's members and stresses that he never cheated on his late wife.  

Lawyers in one of the cases, filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Northern Texas District, specifically allege that Ashley Madison and Avid Life should have known about vulnerabilities in their computer systems — because they'd been warned about them.

The suit alleges an internal company file included in the hack lays out multiple "technical issues that could lead to a data breach occurring, as well the legal problems that may come with that."

According to the suit, the document specifically notes that customer data were at risk of being exposed by phishing — in which an employee is conned into revealing protected information — and by an attack called SQL injection, in which malicious requests are entered into a database to force it to dump its data.

The suit also says at least two other Ashley Madison employees filed similar memos warning of weaknesses "allowing hackers access to our user data."


The bad news doesn't end there. Earlier Monday, computer security journalist Brian Krebs, who broke the story of the original hack, reported that his review of materials published by Impact Team found emails appearing to be from the company's chief executive, which suggested that the company itself hacked a competing dating service run by sex website Nerve.com in 2012.

According to Krebs, Ashley Madison's chief technology officer at the time told his chief executive that he'd been able to gain access to "their entire user base."

"Also, I can turn any non-paying user into a paying user, vice versa, compose messages between users, check unread stats, etc.," the official wrote, according to Krebs.

Representatives of Ashley Madison and Avid Life didn't immediately return NBC News' requests for comment Monday night. Krebs said they declined to respond to him, too.

Passenger killed in a car accident on Highway 95 in Idaho after a deer went through the windshield.

Fruitland woman killed after deer crashed through windshield
By KBOI Web Staff 

Published: August 23, 2015




NEW MEADOWS, Idaho (KBOI) -- 

Police say a passenger died in a car accident on Highway 95 after a deer went through the windshield.

Idaho State Police say 39-year-old Kristen Blehm of Redding, Calif., was heading southbound on the highway near milepost 158 when she hit a deer with her 2014 Subaru Outback. The deer then hit Jeffrey Church, 44, of Fruitland, who was driving northbound.

The deer went through the windshield on the passenger side of Church's pickup truck.

Church and his rear passenger, 88-year-old Hilda Nuttman of Cottonwood, were taken to St. Luke's McCall Medical Center. The front passenger, Gail Church, 67, died on scene.

Blehm was not injured and everyone was wearing a seatbelt.

A big-rig exploded into flames on the 405 Freeway in California

‘I Barely Got Out,’ Says Truck Driver Who Escaped Dramatic Fire on 405 Freeway
Posted August 24, 2015, by Melissa Pamer


The driver of a big-rig that caught fire on the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass said he escaped just before flames consumed the vehicle on Monday afternoon.

The vehicle fire was reported about 12:45 p.m. on the southbound freeway at Mulholland Drive, between the Skirball Cultural Center and the Getty Center (map), according to the California Highway Patrol traffic incident log.


Raul Villagrana describes escaping a fire that engulfed his truck on Aug. 24, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

“I was just coming up the 405 and the truck started catching on fire, inside, real quick,” said truck driver Raul Villagrana, who spoke at the side of the freeway. “I just pulled over and got out the truck … it was too fast, too quick.”

He didn’t even have a chance to turn the vehicle off before jumping out of the cab in a hurry, he said.

“Thank God I did,” Villagrana said. “I barely got out.”


A big-rig exploded into flames on the 405 Freeway on Aug. 24, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

Responding Los Angeles firefighters rushed toward the truck, which was quickly engulfed in flames that towered some 25 feet, video from the scene showed. Smoke billowed above the blaze.

The truck was empty and tank was not full, Villagrana said.

The blaze prompted a SigAlert, with multiple lanes blocked for more than two hours. As of 3 p.m., southbound traffic was jammed from north of the 101 Freeway.

Coast Guard cautions mariners, public to prepare for tropical storm conditions in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico due to the anticipated passing of Tropical Storm Erika

Coast Guard cautions mariners, public to prepare for tropical storm conditions in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico
Aug 25th, 2015 


SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. Coast Guard cautions mariners, recreational boaters, swimmers, surfers and the general public in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Tuesday to exercise good judgment and prepare for tropical storm conditions due to the anticipated passing of Tropical Storm Erika.

“Recreational boaters and anyone conducting water related activities should avoid areas of high surf and stay away from shoreline rocks, levees and river beds until the tropical storm passes and weather and surf conditions normalize throughout the area,” said Capt. Robert Warren, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander and Captain of the Port. “Monitoring the weather and understanding the dangers associated with the high sea conditions and tropical storm force winds forecasted before, during, and after the storm could save your life and property.”

Vessels and facility operators, recreational boaters, swimmers and people conducting activities in the ocean, should pay close attention and monitor this situation through updated National Weather Service advisories and take appropriate action to minimize the risks associated with these predicted conditions. http://www.weather.gov/ and http://ift.tt/riqYHz.

Here are a few tips to help mariners protect themselves, their families and their vessels:

• Do not go out to sea in a recreational boat if you know a tropical storm is approaching.

• Contact local marinas to ask for advice about securing your vessel. Marina operators are knowledgeable and can advise you on the best methods for securing your boat.

• Take action now. The effects of a tropical storm can be felt well in advance of the storm itself and can prevent the safe completion of preparations.

A fiery collision involving a car and a motorcycle takes the life of the cyclist in Miamisburg, Ohio

A motorcyclist was taken to a hospital after this crash Monday afternoon, Aug. 24, 2015, on Dayton Cincinnati Pike near Benner Road in Miamisburg. The driver of the car was not injured. (Jim Noelker/Staff)

Breaking News Staff

MIAMISBURG, OHIO —


UPDATE @ 5:40 a.m. (Aug 25): Miamisburg police said a motorcyclist injured in a crash Monday afternoon on Dayton Cincinnati Pike has succumbed to his injuries.

Officers said the victim, identified as Sean King, died in the hospital Tuesday morning. His age and hometown were not immediately available.

UPDATE @ 6 p.m. (Aug 24): The motorcyclist injured in the collision with a car on Dayton Cincinnati Pike has been taken to Kettering Medical Center in serious condition, Miamisburg police said.

Dayton Cincinnati Pike will remain closed for up to three hours while police reconstruct the accident that occurred just before 4:30 p.m. Traffic headed north toward Dayton Cincinnati Pike is being detoured at Benner Road. Traffic headed south on Dayton Cincinnati Pike is being turned around by police at Vanguard Boulevard.

Police have confirmed that the motorcyclist is a male, but it has not been made immediately clear whether he was wearing a helmet. The driver of the car was not injured, according to police.

The driver of the car tells us he was not injured, that he was making a U-turn when his car was T-boned by the motorcycle. Police have not made statements about their investigation as of yet.

FIRST REPORT

Traffic on Dayton Cincinnati Pike is blocked in Miamisburg after a fiery crash involving a car and a motorcycle.

Police responded shortly before 4:30 p.m.

A car and a motorcycle appeared to be blackened from a fire after a crash.

Northbound traffic on Dayton Cincinnati is being diverted onto Benner Road and southbound traffic is being diverted onto Vanguard Boulevard.

We have a photographer on scene and will provide updates on this developing story. - See more at: http://www.whio.com/news/news/local/motorcyclist-killed-in-fiery-miamisburg-crash/nnQPj/#sthash.dt9oyMJE.dpuf

81-year-old male driver injured after his Ford pickup truck left the road and came to rest in trees on Main Road in Vineland, NJ

Man injured in Vineland truck crash
Deborah M. Marko 12:41 p.m. EDT August 25, 2015



(Photo: Deborah M. Marko/Staff photographer)


VINELAND, NJ

Police are investigating a single-vehicle crash Monday evening along South Main Road, just south of Butler Avenue.

At about 5 p.m., police and rescue crews were dispatched to the scene for a white Ford F150 pickup that ran off Main Road. The truck ran over landscaping in a front yard in the 3200 block of South Main Road and crashed into a cluster of trees.

The 81-year-old male driver was conscious when removed from the truck, police said. A helicopter was called.

Police noted the driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was wearing a seat belt.

Elderly drivers cause many accidents.  We need to force drivers to take driving refresher courses every 5 years or more often.  Drivers must also be tested for eye-sight, hearing, drugs, etc.  Many thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries would be prevented if we do so.  Please remember that a vehicle is a lethal weapon and only a regularly-trained, capable and fit person should operate it.

Construction worker dies after falling 30 feet from scaffolding in Fullerton, California

A construction worker looks down from the third story of a six story building under construction in the 100 block of West Santa Fe Avenue in Fullerton Monday morning. A construction worker was reported to have fallen from the scaffolding earlier. , SAM GANGWER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER 

BY ALYSSA DURANTY and LOUIS CASIANO JR. / STAFF WRITER


August 24, 2015
 FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA

A construction worker died Monday morning after falling 40 feet from scaffolding at a downtown work site, officials said.

Fullerton Fire Department officials responded shortly after 10 a.m. to a construction site in the 100 block of West Santa Fe Avenue.

A worker, who was described as in his mid-30s, fell 40 feet down from raised scaffolding where apartments are under construction, Fullerton fire Deputy Chief Julie Kunze said.

Officials said he was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he later died from his injuries.

It was not immediately known how the worker fell or what kind of injuries caused his death. Kunze said she did not know if the scaffold had guardrails or anything else to prevent falls.

One person is dead in Robeson County, NC and four others have been treated today for exposure to an unknown chemical at a beuty salon

Cindy Burnham
Beauty shop death

The intersection of Happy Hill and Turkey Branch roads near Fairmont is blocked by responders Monday, August 24, 2015




Posted: Monday, August 24, 2015

By Paige Rentz and Nancy McCleary

FAIRMONT, NC

One person is dead in Robeson County and four others have been treated today for exposure to an unknown chemical.

Patricia Dawn Hill was found dead at the beauty shop she ran behind her home at 1697 Happy Hill Road near Fairmont, said Maj. Anthony Thompson of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a call at 9:12 a.m. There was no confirmation if there had been a fire or explosion involved with chemicals.

The Sheriff’s Office did not say when Hill’s death occurred or how it happened. They also did not have information on any suspect or suspects.

The Regional Hazardous Materials team in Fayetteville was called to the scene because of a strong odor, Thompson said.

The scene had been cleared by 6 p.m. The investigation, Thompson said, was only just beginning once the HAZMAT team completed its work late in the afternoon.

Three sheriff’s officials and one civilian, none of whom was injured, were sent to Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton out of precaution, Thompson said. A spokeswoman for Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton said people were brought to the hospital and decontaminated.

The chemical is believed to have been used in a home beauty salon, the spokeswoman said.

Neighbors in this Eastside Park community said they noticed activity picking up about 10 a.m.

Fairmont police and firemen secured the area throughout the day, disrupting afternoon bus routes. At the corner of Turkey Branch and Happy Hill roads, not far from Oak Grove Baptist Church, nearby neighbors said Hill was a widow in her 70s who operated a beauty shop in a separate structure behind her home.

Happy Hill Road is a tree-lined country road. The area is rural. The houses are scattered and there are soybean fields in the area.

The site is a home near Old Stage Road, according to Robeson County tax records.

RUNWAY FIRE RETARDANTS: Blood tests showed the presence of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, one of a class of chemicals known as perflurochemicals, or PFCs drinking from contaminated well at Pease Tradeport, NH

Pease Tradeport concerns grow as blood tests show unregulated chemical
Tests given after chemical found in water well
UPDATED August 24, 2015



PORTSMOUTH, N.H. —Blood tests for people who may have been exposed to an unregulated contaminant in a well at Pease Tradeport have come back elevated, and many are wondering what to do now.


The well was shut down in May 2014 after a test showed the presence of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, one of a class of chemicals known as perflurochemicals, or PFCs.

Levels of the chemical were found to be 10 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's advisory level. Five hundred people opted to be tested to see if the chemical was present in their blood. One of 108 children to be tested was Alayna Davis' 5-year-old son.

"My heart sank," Davis said. "It's scary."

Andrea Amico's two children and her husband all have elevated levels.

"I'm very concerned," she said. "I want to know what this means about their future. I want to know what health effects they may be at risk for now."

The chemical is linked to fire retardants used on the runway when Pease belonged to the Air Force. Researchers said little is known about its health effects, but it builds up in the body.

"PFCs aren't good for anybody, but we've learned that pregnant women and children are the most at risk for health effects," Amico said.

"If there's not enough attention on it, could we be just swept under the rug?" said Jenn Horton, of Nottingham. "And then, 10 years from now, I find out my kids have cancer or leukemia or fertility issues. We don't know -- that's the problem."

Horton said her family got tested, but they haven't received the results yet.

Many are calling for a framework of communication for years to come. Some said the Air Force should take the lead.

"I would like to see that they're going to follow this through and not just pretend we're this small group of people and that we'll go away some day," Amico said.

The Air Force is holding a meeting Wednesday night to lay out its plans for cleaning up the wells at Pease. The state has opened up another round of testing for anyone who wants to opt for it.

A tractor-trailer tanker truck leaked diesel additive in Coraopolis, PA after the top latch became open

Chemical Spill Shuts Down Road, Sends Hazmat To Coraopolis
August 24, 2015 4:35 PM


Authorities have called Hazmat crew and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to respond to a chemical spill that has closed the 700-block of Fifth Avenue in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. The spill came from a tractor trailer truck that was leaking the liquid.

Coraopolis and Neville Island firemen were also called to help contain the spill of a red liquid that was reportedly used as an additive to diesel. Crew members who were called in shortly before 3:30 pm worked to clean up spill by spreading a material that would absorb the oil from the ground through the use of backhoes and brooms.

According to an officer who arrived at the scene, the load apparently shifted after the tanker was filled up with the chemical. The latch on top of truck, which wasn’t properly secured, came open when the truck hit bumps on the road. The driver had originally filled up the tanker at Pyramid Petroleum located just off Thorn Street

Motorists who were driving behind the truck called in the incident as the driver did not know that the liquid he was carrying had already spilled to the road. Although it was not yet clear if the driver would get a citation, officials said he was cooperating with the investigation.

The spill, which happened in front of Capri Glass, rerouted traffic to Fourth Avenue. The street normally has one-way traffic but because of the incident, it had to be used as a two-way street. The site of the spill was closed for much of the evening.


Additional personnel had to be called to redirect traffic. The spill occurred during rush hour so officers had to ensure that vehicles get moving.

Mayor Anthony Celeste used social media to inform the public about the spill. He wrote on Facebook, “5th Avenue is shut down from family video down. A tanker truck spilled a highly flammable chemical all down the road. They are calling in hazmat. Please be careful and take another route.”

Officials said the spill, which would stain the road for some time, covered two and a half blocks on Fifth Avenue. Since the fuel was flammable, the crew had to work well into the night to ensure that everything was removed.

There were no reports of anyone injured or evacuated because of the spill. The smell of fuel remains strong in the area. Authorities have still not provided figures on the extent of the spill.

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) —



A chemical spill created a big mess and shut down part of 5th Avenue in Coraopolis Monday.

The Hazmat team and EPA officials were called to the scene around 4 p.m.

Officials say a tractor-trailer started leaking fuel with a kerosene additive in the 700-block of 5th Avenue.

The road in that area was shut down for much of the evening.

Mayor Anthony Celeste wrote on Facebook:

“5th Avenue is shut down from family video down. A tanker truck spilled a highly flammable chemical all down the road. They are calling in hazmat. Please be careful and take another route.”

The fuel leak was contained.

No evacuations were reported either. The road has since been reopened

Sharonville contract workers in articulating manlift caught fire and seriously injured after contacting overhead power lines in Ohio

AUGUST 22, 2015

SHARONVILLE, OHIO

Two workers were hospitalized after a construction accident in Sharonville on Friday afternoon.


The incident happened in a cherry picker (an articulating manlift)  just off Main Street near Reading Road shortly before 2 p.m.

Witnesses described the incident as a loud noise, then a ball of fire.

"I was sitting at the front desk in our reception area and there was a big ball of fire. The fire went through down the pole. I don't know if it was a wire or what, but it was a pretty big ball of fire," witness Richard Villers said.

Sharonville police said both men were contract workers for the city and were stripping paint and power-washing a pole when something happened.


Police said that the men made contact with electricity from overhead power lines.

Villers said he ran out of his office after what he saw and the two workers were still in the bucket.

Villers called 911 and raced down to the fire department.

"One guy was able to still manage the bucket but the other guy was on the floor of the bucket," Villers said. "It didn't look like he was in very good shape."

Other 911 callers reported seeing one of the men in the cherry picker on fire.

911: "And what is on fire?
Caller 1: "A man."
911: "An actual person?"
Caller 1: "Yes."

911: "Is he injured at all?"
Caller 2: "It looks someone is not moving in the cherry picker, now he's moving a little bit, but he's burnt up really good."

Both men were taken to UC Medical Center for treatment. Police said they were both seriously hurt.


They have not released the men's names or the name of the company they work for.

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August 24, 2015

Sharonville, Ohio


A man using a boom lift caught fire on Friday after getting too close to overhead power lines in Sharonville, Ohio.

Two men were using an articulated boom lift – a JLG rented from Sunbelt Rentals – to strip and then power wash street lighting poles, prior to painting them, when a fireball erupted from overhead power lines, hitting one of the men in the platform before racing down the pole to earth.

The other man managed to lower the platform, while witnesses of the incident called the emergency services and reported that a man had just exploded. Both men were rushed to a hospital in Cincinnati where the one man was reported to be in critical condition.

HISPANICS EXPLOITING HISPANICS: Aroldo Castillo-Serrano, 33, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty to a labor trafficking conspiracy, one count of labor trafficking, one count of witness tampering and a related immigration offense.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Two Defendants Plead Guilty to Forced Labor Scheme that Exploited Guatemalan Migrants at Ohio Egg Farms


A leader of a human trafficking ring pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to charges that he lured Guatemalan minors and adults into the United States on false pretenses, then used threats of physical harm to compel their labor at egg farms in Ohio. The guilty plea was announced by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio.

Aroldo Castillo-Serrano, 33, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty to a labor trafficking conspiracy, one count of labor trafficking, one count of witness tampering and a related immigration offense. His co-conspirator, Conrado Salgado Soto, 52, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on Aug. 5 to participating in the same labor-trafficking conspiracy, as well as an immigration offense, the Justice Department also announced today. The guilty pleas are pending approval from a federal court judge and are not final until that approval is granted.

According to the indictment, which was unsealed on July 2, the defendants and their associates recruited workers from Guatemala, some as young as 14 or 15 years old, falsely promising them good jobs and a chance to attend school in the United States. The defendants then smuggled and transported the workers to a trailer park in Marion, Ohio, where they ordered them to live in dilapidated trailers and to work at physically demanding jobs at Trillium Farms for up to 12 hours a day for minimal amounts of money. The work included cleaning chicken coops, loading and unloading crates of chickens, de-beaking chickens and vaccinating chickens.

The defendants threatened workers with physical harm and withheld their paychecks in order to compel them to work. Castillo-Serrano also pleaded guilty to convincing a witness to lie to the FBI about the scheme. Eight minors, as young as 14, and two adults were identified in the indictment as victims of the forced labor scheme.

“These defendants exploited children who were poor, vulnerable and entirely at their mercy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. “We will pursue and prosecute such behavior with all of the tools at our disposal.”

“Our laws and a sense of common decency require that people not be treated like commodities,” said U.S. Attorney Dettelbach. “This defendant treated workers as if they were less important than the eggs that they would help produce. Now he is going to learn the hard way that in this nation, there is a big difference."

“The defendants forced adults and children to work and live in deplorable conditions in exchange for false promises,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI Cleveland Division. “These reprehensible actions are unacceptable and the FBI will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice those that engage in human trafficking.”

Charges are still pending against a third co-conspirator, Ana Angelica Pedro Juan, 21, of Guatemala. Pedro Juan is charged with labor trafficking and conspiracy to commit labor trafficking, as well as witness tampering and making false statements to law enforcement. Two other defendants, Conrado Salgado-Borbon and Bartolo Dominguez, have pleaded guilty to immigration offenses in connection with this case.

The forced labor counts and the witness tampering count each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charges involving immigration violations and false statements carry statutory maximum sentences of five years in prison.

The investigation is ongoing. The case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Office’s Mansfield Resident Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the Marion Police Department and the Marion County Sherriff’s Office. The case is being jointly prosecuted by Trial Attorney Dana Mulhauser of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Rice of the Northern District of Ohio.

Jason A. Halek, 41, of Southlake, Texas, a Former Saltwater Disposal Well Operator Indicted in North Dakota on Multiple Felony Charges

Monday, August 24, 2015 




Jason A. Halek, 41, of Southlake, Texas, was indicted in federal court in Bismarck, North Dakota, on 13 felony charges stemming from the operation of a saltwater disposal well near Dickinson, in Stark County, North Dakota, the Justice Department announced.

Halek was charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Safe Drinking Water Act and defraud the United States. He was also charged with four counts of violating the Safe Drinking Water Act, four counts of making false statements and four counts of obstructing grand jury proceedings.

The well, named the Halek 5-22, received “produced water” constituting “brine and other wastes” commonly and generically referred to as “saltwater.” “Saltwater” in this context covers a wide array of drilling waste fluids, including hydraulic fracturing fluid, which is water combined with chemical additives such as biocides, polymers and “weak acids.” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stressed that this water is often saltier than seawater and can “contain toxic metals and radioactive substances.”

Previously, on Sept. 26, 2014, Nathan Garber pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts relating to the well.

“Our nation’s energy independence and security is enhanced by the safe, responsible, and lawful extraction of domestic energy, but it is undermined when laws are abused in a race to profit,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The American people expect nothing less than legal behavior from those involved in oil and gas development and the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute those who do not honor this obligation.”

“Oil and gas production must be safe and legal every step of the way, including the treatment and disposal of drilling byproducts,” said Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “People who deliberately violate rules that protect drinking water from contamination put communities at risk. These charges show that EPA takes this very seriously and will hold violators accountable.”

According to the indictment, Halek conspired with others, including Garber, in a number of coordinated and illegal acts, including injecting saltwater into the well without first having the state of North Dakota witness a test of the well’s integrity and continuing to inject saltwater after failing a Feb. 2, 2012 pressure test. Halek is also charged under the Safe Drinking Water Act with injecting fluids down the “annulus” or “backside” of the well in violation of the well’s permit which required that fluids be injected through the tubing.

Further, Halek is charged with telling Garber to move a device called a “packer” up the wellbore in violation of the well’s permit, without first getting approval from the state. Then, Garber allegedly gave false information to a state inspector regarding the depth of the packer.

Halek is charged with making multiple false statements to the state of North Dakota, including false statements about the depth of the packer. In addition, Halek is charged with obstructing and impeding a grand jury investigation into the matter, by withholding responsive documents and making false statements.

The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. Significant cooperation was provided by the North Dakota Industrial Commission. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota and the Environmental Crimes Section of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Roger Rousseau, 73, of Miami; Doris Crabtree, 62, of Miami; Angela Salafia, 68, of Miami Beach, Florida; and Liliana Marks, 48, of Homestead, Florida, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit health care fraud

Tuesday, August 25, 2015 

Medical Director and Three Therapists Convicted in $63 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme


A federal jury in Miami late yesterday convicted the former medical director of, and three therapists employed by, a now-defunct health care provider of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and related charges for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare and Florida Medicaid more than $63 million.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office made the announcement.

Roger Rousseau, 73, of Miami; Doris Crabtree, 62, of Miami; Angela Salafia, 68, of Miami Beach, Florida; and Liliana Marks, 48, of Homestead, Florida, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. In addition, Rousseau was convicted of two counts of health care fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. of the Southern District of Florida.

Rousseau was the former medical director of Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN), a now-defunct partial hospitalization program (PHP) that purported to provide intensive treatment for mental illness. Crabtree, Salafia and Marks were therapists who worked for HCSN.

According to the evidence presented at trial, from approximately 2004 through 2011, HCSN billed Medicare and Medicaid for mental health services that were not medically necessary or never provided, and that HCSN paid kickbacks to assisted living facility owners and operators in Miami who, in exchange, referred beneficiaries to HCSN.

The trial evidence showed that Rousseau routinely signed what he knew to be fabricated and altered medical records without reviewing the substance of the records and, in most instances, without ever meeting with the patients. The evidence at trial also demonstrated that Crabtree, Salafia and Marks fabricated medical records to support HCSN’s false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement for PHP services.

In total, HCSN submitted approximately $63.7 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare and Medicaid paid approximately $28 million on those claims.

In November 2014, following a jury trial, co-defendants Blanca Ruiz and Alina Fonts were convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and Fonts also was convicted of health care fraud. In February 2015, both Ruiz and Fonts were sentenced to serve six years in prison.

The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Allan J. Medina, Lisa H. Miller and Bryan D. Fields of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged over 2,300 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for over $7 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.