4-alarm fire at a school district building in Stockton, California

Fire Burns School Maintenance Building In Stockton 

July 14, 2016 4:51 PM


STOCKTON, CA (CBS13) – Firefighters in Stockton are responding to a 4-alarm fire at a school district building.

The fire is burning at the Lincoln Unified School District maintenance building at 3225 Deer Park Lane. A district employee says he was leaving work when he saw smoke coming out of a maintenance storage building.

The fire has been contained.

“Right now we’re calling it contained because there’s a lot of hidden and voided areas in this building. We’re going to make sure we stay here long enough to make sure it’s completely extinguished, that we spend through all aspects of this building, performing a very thorough search, and making sure there are no unknowns left when we leave here,” said Stockton Fire Department spokesperson Ken Johnson.

Firefighters are working to determine the cause of the fire.

One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.

A female driver has been charged with vehicular homicide and other offenses in connection with the death of a pedestrian, Gwinnett County, Georgia

3:38 p.m. Thursday, July 14, 2016
Tiffany Hayes (Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office)

Story Highlights
Tiffany Hayes crossed the road and struck the pedestrian, who died from her injuries, police said.


A Snellville woman has been charged with vehicular homicide and other offenses in connection with the death of a pedestrian, Gwinnett County police said Thursday.

Tiffany Hayes, 31, traveled over the double yellow line, traveled up the curb and and struck Georgette Stovall, who was walking her dog on the sidewalk on Bethany Church Road in June, police said.

Stovall, 51, was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville after the accident. She died from her injuries earlier this month. Her dog, which was missing for a while, has been found.

In addition to vehicular homicide, Hayes has been charged with reckless driving, failure to maintain a single lane, driving on the wrong side of the roadway, and tire tread, all misdemeanors, police spokeswoman Cpl. Michele Pihera said Thursday. The vehicular homicide charge is a felony.

Hayes was booked into the Gwinnett County jail Thursday afternoon, records show.

A worker, employed by Termel Industries Ltd, fell to his death at Neptune Bulk Terminals in Vancouver

Derek K. Miller / Flickr


Iron worker dies after falling on job site in North Vancouver
By Jill Slattery Online Producer Global News 
 
An iron worker died after falling on the job Wednesday morning in North Vancouver.

According to WorkSafeBC, an unknown man fell while working at Neptune Bulk Terminals around 7:45 a.m. on July 13.

Neptune Terminals says the worker was employed by Termel Industries Limited, a maintenance contractor for Neptune Bulk Terminals.

“We are deeply saddened by this incident. Our primary concern is for the family and friends of the individual, as well as employees of Neptune and our contractors who have been affected by this tragic incident. Counselling support is being offered to those impacted,” Neptune said in a statement Thursday.

The circumstances of the accident are currently unknown. Neptune, Termel Industries, and WorkSafeBC are investigating.


================================

Operating since 1970, Neptune Terminals handles Canadian potash and steelmaking coal for markets around the world and imported phosphate rock for the production of fertilizer.

Neptune Terminals plays an integral role in Canada’s economy by helping to move Canadian exports to global markets in Asia, South America and Europe. Located on Vancouver’s North Shore just west of the Iron Workers’ Memorial Bridge and part of Port Metro Vancouver, Neptune Terminals is one of the largest multi-product bulk terminals in North America.
Bulk shipping terminals handle commodities that are transported in large quantities without packaging or containerization. In our first year of business, our facility handled 3.2 million tonnes of product. Today, we are making improvements on our terminal to increase our capacity to handle 30 million tonnes – all on our same footprint.
Neptune Terminals is part of a highly efficient rail-based system linked from source to ship. Through this system Neptune contributes significantly to the prosperity of Western Canada, supporting local communities and economic growth.
As a proud member of the North Shore community, Neptune Terminals directly supports the community by:

• Providing jobs to Metro Vancouver residents;
• Supporting local community organizations and events;
• Helping to ensure the health and safety of our community and environment through industry best practices and standards.

Neptune Terminals is a private company owned by two bulk commodity shippers: Canpotex Bulk Terminals Limited, a Canpotex affiliate and Teck Resources Limited. Canpotex is the world’s largest exporter of potash. Teck is Canada’s largest diversified resource company, committed to responsible mining and mineral development.
Neptune Terminals is essential to the success of the Canadian export economy and strongly supports the federal and provincial Pacific Gateway initiatives. These initiatives aim to improve port infrastructure, ensuring Canada’s export commodity market remains strong, reliable and globally competitive.

At least 77 dead, including children, in Nice terrorist attack

French officials say at least 70 people have died and 100 have been injured in what appears to be a deliberate attack in Nice during Bastille Day celebrations. (WLS)

Updated 2 mins ago

NICE, France (WLS) -- French President Francois Hollande says at least 77 people, including children, have died and dozens are injured in a deliberate attack with a truck in the city of Nice during Bastille Day celebrations.

Shortly after 10:30 p.m. local time, a long white truck drove into a crowd that had gathered on the Promenade des Anglais to watch Bastille Day fireworks. Eyewitnesses told French television station BFMTV that they heard gunfire, and photos show the windshield of the truck involved in the crash is riddled with bullets.

The driver was shooting out the window as he rammed through the crowd, said Christian Estrosi, president of the regional government. Estrosi also said the attack appeared to be "completely premeditated behavior" and the truck was "loaded with arms, loaded with grenades."








(AP Photo/Christian Alminana)

The Deputy Prefect of the region says dozens were injured but a precise number has not yet been determined. The driver of the truck was killed by police.

Officials have stated the attack was deliberate but have not yet said whether it is a terrorist attack or whether it is linked to ISIS or other foreign terrorist organizations.

Jimmy Ghazal, 39, of Lebanon is visiting Nice with his family and was at the promenade with his wife and two children at the time of the attack. He told ABC News the Bastille Day celebration was ongoing but the fireworks were over when the truck plowed into the crowded pedestrian area. Ghazal said he heard loud noises, screams and shots fired, and that everyone around him started to run and take shelter.

"I saw a big truck driving through. The truck drove through all the security," he told ABC News.

Ghazal said his family is okay and his children did not see anything.

"The kids thought it was part of the fireworks. We just told them it was part of the fireworks," he said.

Wassim Bouhlel, a Nice native who spoke to the Associated Press near Nice's Promenade du Paillon, said he saw a truck drive into the crowd and then witnessed the man emerge with a gun and start shooting.



The local government has implemented its protocol for a terrorist attack. French police are asking citizens not to leave the house and to stay calm.

Earlier Thursday, Hollande said France's state of emergency, which has been in place since the Paris terror attacks, would be lifted later in July. He is meeting with members of his cabinet at this time.

The American Embassy in France says it is working to determine if any U.S. citizens were killed or injured in the attack.

President Obama condemned what he says "appears to be a horrific terrorist attack" in Nice.

Obama says, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and other loved-ones of those killed."

Noting that the attack occurred on Bastille Day, Obama praised "the extraordinary resilience and democratic values that have made France an inspiration to the entire world."

Obama is offering French officials "any assistance that they may need to investigate this attack and bring those responsible to justice."

France's ambassador to the United States, Gerard Araud, characterized the events in Nice as a "terrorist attack."

"Our democracies - France, the United States, our other partners, we are besieged, we face a terrible threat," Araud said at a Bastille Day reception at the French Embassy in Washington late Thursday.

Donald Trump tweeted that in light of the attack, he will postpone his news conference scheduled for Friday to announce his vice presidential pick will be postponed.

NEWS OF ATTACK REACHES CHICAGO BASTILLE DAY CELEBRATION

News of the attack in Nice reached revelers at a Chicago Bastille Day Celebration as it began at Montrose Beach around 5:30 p.m. Those in attendance with family in France are reaching out to family and friends to ensure they're okay, but the celebration is set to continue.

Emilie Roman lives about 45 minutes away from Nice, and was at Montrose Beach when she found out about the attack. She has reached out to her friends and family, but is thinking of her entire country as reports continue to come in.

"This is devastation again. Like, worry not only for family and friends but also for the country that is so divided. You're scared, and you think of your loved ones first, and then you think of another attack, more of that for what?" she says.

The celebration at Montrose Beach will continue. There is no word if any programming will change in response to the attack.

Chicago police say they are monitoring the situation in France and are in contact with federal partners, but there is no homeland security threat. Chicago and Chicago police remain in an elevated security state due to the shooting in Dallas last week and the security measures put in place following that attack remain in place.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BP Exploration Alaska and Hilcorp Alaska settle with EPA and State of Alaska for North Slope oil spills

BP Exploration Alaska and Hilcorp Alaska settle with EPA and State of Alaska for North Slope oil spills
07/14/2016
Contact Information:
Mark MacIntyre (macintyre.mark@epa.gov)
206-553-7302

(Seattle) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled with petroleum exploration and development companies, BP Exploration Alaska and Hilcorp Alaska, for Clean Water Act violations following oil spills on Alaska’s North Slope. BP Exploration Alaska agreed to settle related violations with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation in a parallel agreement.

Under the settlement framework, Hilcorp Alaska will pay $100,000 in federal penalties to resolve their alleged violations, while BP will pay $100,000 in state penalties and $30,000 in federal penalties to the Oil Spill Prevention Liability Trust Fund.

According to Ed Kowalski, Director of EPA’s office of Compliance and Enforcement in Seattle, petroleum developers, producers and transporters have a special responsibility to protect Alaska’s North Slope tundra.

“Alaska’s North Slope tundra is one of the earth’s harshest, yet most delicate ecosystems,” said EPA’s Kowalski. “So petroleum developers must do everything in their power - year round - to prevent spills and avoid releasing toxic chemicals to fragile wetlands or other important wildlife habitat. Our enforcement efforts are aimed squarely at protecting Alaska and Alaskans from the effects of spills and accidental releases.”

The Clean Water Act prohibits oil or hazardous substance spills that may harm people’s health or the environment and requires concrete actions to prevent future spills. Oil spills can also harm animal and plant life, including contaminating food sources and nesting habitats. The BP Exploration Alaska and Hilcorp Alaska oil spills affected arctic tundra wetlands in an area inhabited by caribou and other native wildlife including snow buntings, ptarmigan, white-fronted geese, and gulls.

In April 2014, BP Exploration Alaska released approximately 700 gallons of natural gas, crude oil, and produced water onto 33 acres of arctic tundra and gravel pad. The spill was caused by a freezing rupture in the dead leg section of BP’s H Pad Well 8 three-phase flowline.

In February 2015, Hilcorp Alaska spilled nearly 10,000 gallons of crude oil and produced water onto 40,000 square feet of arctic tundra and gravel pad. The spill resulted from a leak in the bottom of a pipeline from Hilcorp’s Milne Point Tract 14 production line.

Learn more about EPA’s oil spills prevention and preparedness regulations at:

https://www.epa.gov/oil-spills-prevention-and-preparedness-regulations.

Clean Air Act Settlement Improves Chemical Safety at Rachael's Food, a Bloomfield, Conn. Meat Processor

07/14/2016

Contact Information: 

David Deegan (deegan.dave@epa.gov)

617-918-1017

 

BOSTON – A Bloomfield, Conn. company that runs an ammonia refrigeration system at its meat processing plant has agreed to pay $65,000 in civil penalties to resolve claims by the US Environmental Protection Agency that it violated federal clean air laws as well as the federal right-to-know law in its use of ammonia.

In an agreement with EPA's New England office, Rachael's Food of 76 Granby St., which produces sausages, hot dogs and cold cuts, faced three alleged violations of Clean Air Act requirements designed to prevent chemical accidents, and reporting requirements of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

This case stems from an Oct. 2014 inspection where EPA identified alleged violations of Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act due to potentially dangerous conditions relating to the ammonia refrigeration process. Inspectors also found that Rachael’s Food had not previously provided chemical inventory information to emergency responders that are required by the federal right-to-know law. This law ensures that emergency responders are aware of the presence and amount of ammonia at the facility.

After agreeing to a Sept. 2015 order that required Rachael's Food to correct the Clean Air Act deficiencies, the company submitted a plan and schedule to correct the violations within three months and subsequently followed through on this plan.

"The company agreed to and has followed through on correcting these issues, so the neighborhoods surrounding the facility are better protected from the risk of harm from accidental ammonia releases," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator for EPA's New England office. "All facilities working with ammonia and hazardous chemicals are required to properly report their use, and to follow laws meant to protect the health of the community and our environment."

Among the alleged violations, Rachael's failed to do a required hazard analysis relating to its work with anhydrous ammonia; lacked critical information about the facility, like how much ammonia was in the refrigeration system; had inadequate ventilation; lacked necessary signs and labels; lacked basic safety practices including failing to prevent or repair damage to pipe insulation and rust on pipes, and inadequate access to and egress from the machinery room and the roof; and had inadequate emergency response measures, including inadequate ammonia detectors and alarms and a lack of eyewash and shower stations.

Rachael's Food, which bought this plant and its small ammonia refrigeration system in 2012 from Grote and Weigel, Inc., is located in a populated area across the street from a mall, bordered by homes and businesses and within a mile of schools, a nursing home, a university, a Boys and Girls club, playgrounds, and other recreation areas.

Anhydrous ammonia is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Exposure at high concentrations is immediately dangerous to life and health. Ammonia is flammable at certain concentrations in air and can explode if released in an enclosed space with a source of ignition present, or if a vessel containing anhydrous ammonia is exposed to fire.

Facilities operating systems with more than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia are subject to the Risk Management Plan regulations of the Clean Air Act, while smaller refrigeration systems are subject to the "General Duty Clause" of the Clean Air Act.
More information:

• General Duty Clause under the Clean Air Act Section 112(r)(1) (www.epa.gov/rmp/general-duty-clause-under-clean-air-act-section-112r1)
• Detailed information for facilities to help prevent ammonia releases from refrigeration systems (PDF document) (www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/accident_prevention_ammonia_refrigeration_5-20-15.pdf) (75 pp, 2.9 MB, About PDF)
• EPA enforcement alert regarding ammonia refrigeration systems (PDF document) (go.usa.gov/3CWQw)

US Labor Department recovers $431K for workers on Manhattan’s federally funded Peck Slip Project

US Labor Department recovers $431K for workers on Manhattan’s federally funded Peck Slip Project
Litigation alleged prevailing wage, overtime violations

NEW YORK – Thirty-one workers employed on the federally funded cobblestone reconstruction project on Manhattan’s Peck Slip will receive $431,715 in back wages and interest following an investigation and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division found that the workers did not receive the proper prevailing wages and fringe benefits required under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act.

Sam Schwartz Engineering, a first-tier subcontractor under prime contractor MFM Contracting Corp. employed the workers. Investigators found that the employees who worked as flaggers on the project were incorrectly classified. The division alleged that – between August 2011 and January 2014 – they were paid $15 to $25 per hour instead of the prevailing wage rate of $44.49 per hour. The investigation also found workers did not receive all the overtime they were due under CWHSSA when they worked more than 40 hours in a week, did not receive holiday pay and that they were not paid on a weekly basis, as required.

The department’s Office of the Solicitor filed an administrative proceeding in 2015 against MFM Contracting and Sam Schwartz Engineering. The case is now being resolved with a consent findings and order approved by the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges. Under the order, workers from the Peck Slip project will receive $431,715 in unpaid wages.

“Prevailing wage standards provide a safety net of fair wages to workers, their families and communities and level the playing field for local contractors and subcontractors to compete,” said Wage and Hour Division Regional Administrator Mark Watson.

“Federally funded construction projects are ultimately funded by the taxpayers. It’s imperative that employees working on these projects be properly compensated. When that doesn’t happen, the Labor Department will pursue appropriate legal remedies on the workers’ behalf,” said Regional Solicitor of Labor Jeffrey Rogoff. “Our investigation and actions show the department’s commitment to enforcing these laws to protect both employers and employees. We will continue to use all of the enforcement tools at our disposal to ensure that taxpayer dollars used to fund such contracts are properly spent.”

Read the Consent Findings and Order and the Final Order.

The Davis-Bacon and Related Acts require all contractors and subcontractors performing work on federal and certain federally funded projects to pay their laborers and mechanics the proper prevailing wage rates and fringe benefits, as determined by the secretary of labor. The Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act requires contractors and subcontractors on federal and federally assisted construction contracts over $100,000 to pay laborers and mechanics employed in the performance of the contracts one and one-half times their basic rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

The investigation was conducted by the Wage and Hour’s Division’s New York City District Office. Attorneys from the department’s Office of the Regional Solicitor in New York litigated the case for the division.

For additional information about these and other laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, call its toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available at http://www.dol.gov/whd/.

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OSHA finds lack of machine safety guarding after worker suffers fracture of three fingers at Materion Brush Inc., an Ohio metal alloy manufacturer

July 14, 2016

OSHA finds lack of machine safety guarding after worker suffers
fracture of three fingers at Materion Brush Inc., an Ohio metal alloy manufacturer

Employer name: Materion Brush Inc.
Elmore, Ohio

Citations issued: July 13, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued one willful safety violation to Materion Brush after a worker had three fingers fractured when his right hand became caught in a pinch point as he operated a metal coiler.

After investigating the March 2016 injury, OSHA cited the company for failing to ensure the machine had adequate safety guards.

Quote: "OSHA has specific guidelines to protect workers from dangerous machinery, chemicals and other hazards in the workplace," said Kim Nelson, OSHA's area director in Toledo. "Materion needs to re-evaluate its safety and health programs to ensure employees are being protected from job hazards."

Proposed Penalties: $70,000.

View Citations here.

Background: Materion Brush is a subsidiary of Materion Corp., a global manufacturer of advanced material solutions and services. The company serves customers in 50 countries and has operating, service centers and offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Materion Corp. has approximately 2,400 employees.

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 Toledo Area Office at 419-259-7542.

# # #

Bennett Heat Treating and Brazing Co. Inc. , a Newark metal treatment company, faces $87K penalty for exposing workers to fall, chemical, electrical, and compressed gas hazards

U.S. Department of Labor | July 14, 2016
Bennett Heat Treating and Brazing Co. Inc. , a Newark metal treatment company, faces $87K penalty for exposing workers to fall, chemical, electrical, and compressed gas hazards

Employer name: Bennett Heat Treating and Brazing Co. Inc.

Inspection site: 690 Ferry St., Newark, New Jersey

Citations issued: On July 8, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to Bennett Heat Treating and Brazing Co. Inc. for one other-than-serious and 29 serious safety and health violations.

Inspection findings: OSHA initiated an inspection on Jan. 8, 2016, as part of the agency's Health-High-Hazard Top 50 Local Emphasis Program. A follow-up inspection to address multiple safety violations noted during the first inspection took place on Feb. 23, 2016.

The agency cited the serious violations because the company exposed employees to approximately 9-foot falls, improperly stored compressed gases, multiple electrical hazards and used corrosive chemicals without a proper decontamination shower. Bennett also failed to properly label anhydrous ammonia and provide employees handling the gas with proper personal protective equipment, labeling, and emergency showers.

Quote: "Bennett Heat Treating and Brazing Co. failed to follow required safety and health standards intended to protect its employees by preventing serious work-related injuries, long-term illnesses or worse," said Brian Flynn, acting director at OSHA's Parsippany Area Office. "Falls are one of the leading causes of workplace deaths and the improper use of compressed gases and chemicals can lead to disaster if not addressed. This employer must immediately address the hazards we identified."

Proposed penalties: $87,500

The citations can be viewed at:
http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/BennettHeatTreatingandBrazingCo_1131611.pdf
http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/BennettHeatTreatingandBrazingCo_1121108.pdf

The employer has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings 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 Parsippany Area Office at 973-263-1003.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

# # #

Lt. Eric Kohlbauer with the Freeport Rural Fire Department in Illinois died while he prepared to train with pumper and tank equipment

Freeport Rural Fire lieutenant dies after medical event at training



By Susan Vela
Staff writer

Posted Jul. 13, 2016 at 2:39 PM
Updated Jul 13, 2016 at 7:16 PM


FREEPORT — Freeport Rural Fire Department Lt. Eric Kohlbauer died Tuesday after an apparent medical emergency arose while he prepared to train with pumper and tank equipment, Fire Chief Mike Wichman said.

Stephenson County Coroner Tom Leamon said an autopsy performed this morning confirmed Kohlbauer died of a heart-related medical problem. Tests are being conducted to determine whether prescription medication or other drugs were in his system.

Kohlbauer, 52, had volunteered 29 years for the rural fire department and was not known to suffer from any medical condition. Wichman said volunteers had set up a portable tank about 7:30 p.m. when Kohlbauer bent and collapsed. Those on site tried to help.

“His eyes were open, but he wasn’t communicating,” Wichman said.
An ambulance arrived within minutes and transported him to FHN Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead “within the hour,” Wichman said.
“Eric was a hardworking fireman,” Wichman said. “He was a wonderful friend. He was a friend to everybody and always was happy to do whatever he was asked. The guys are going through shock.”

Stephenson County Sheriff David Snyders said Kohlbauer had been a maintenance supervisor at the Stephenson County Courthouse since 2003.
“Once you met him, he was your friend — very likable, very hardworking, very dependable,” Snyders said. “I could always depend on Eric to get things done. Every day he came in early and often times he stayed late. If things happened at the courthouse on the weekends, he was there.”

He usually arrived about 90 minutes early for his eight-hour shifts that started at 7 a.m.

“If there was a blizzard, he’d be here clearing the snow,” Snyders said.





It is with great sorrow that we have to announce a Line of Duty Death.

Lieutenant Eric Kohlbauer passed away during training the evening of July 12. Eric was a 30 year member and Lieutenant at our Station 2 location. He will be forever missed by those on the department.

Please keep the Kohlbauer family in your thoughts and prayers.


End of Watch 7/12/16 - Rest easy Brother

Richard Zadorozny, a New Jersey firefighter's probable cause of death is listed as a heart attack from stress or overexertion.

Eatontown mourns former fire chief
Alex N. Gecan, @GeeksterTweets 3:59 p.m. EDT July 13, 2016


EATONTOWN - Just hours before his death early Monday morning, Richard Zadorozny was still rushing to emergency calls with his fellow firefighters. That came as no surprise to his colleagues at the Eatontown Fire Department, where he had fought fires for 48 of his 66 years.

"He was pretty much our driver," said Assistant Chief Tanner Shea. "His percentage was through the roof. He made close to 90 percent of all calls every year."

In an all-volunteer department, most of the firefighters make around half of all calls, said Shea.

On Sunday evening, Zadorozny and other firefighters responded to a report of a smell of natural gas on Wyckoff Road, according to Monmouth County Fire Marshal Kevin Stout. Hours later, around 2 a.m., emergency services responded to a call at Zadorozny's home, where he passed away.


Zadorozny's cause of death was not immediately available from county officials, though there is no criminal investigation or evidence of foul play. It is being investigated as a line-of-duty death.

A preliminary report available on the U.S. Fire Administration's website listed the probable cause of death as a heart attack from stress or overexertion.

"There's a national standard for line-of-duty deaths for any emergency service personnel, and in this case, for the fire service," said Stout. "Any fire member who has responded to a fire call and has passed away within 24 hours of that call, that application can be made ... for line-of-duty death benefits."

Zadorozny worked in Bound Brook for 30 years at Avaya Inc., a telecommunications company, according to his obituary. He was chief in Eatontown in 1983 and also worked on the Eatontown First Aid Squad.

At the time of his death he was the fire department's chief engineer with a reputation for knowing the equipment inside and out, and for passing on his knowledge to new firefighters.

"He never slowed down. He took many a young firefighter under his wing and taught them what the needed to know," the fire department posted to Facebook on Monday. He "had a calm demeanor and was our go-to guy when we needed answers."
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Shea, who is also a patrolman with the Red Bank Police Department, was at work when he got the news that Zadorozny had died.

"I literally just sat there, staring at my phone, thinking, 'How could this be?'" he said.

Firefighters know the dangers of the job from the get-go, Shea said, but news like this still hits home.

"We move on because we have to," Shea said, but "we still think about it, whether it's a day or a week later, it's still there."

He said that, if he could speak to Zadorozny, he would thank him - "for everything he's done for the town, the department, myself, fellow members, fellow firefighters. He taught everyone."

Visitation for Zadorozny begins at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Bongarzone Funeral Home at 2400 Shafto Road in Tinton Falls with a firemen's service at 7 p.m. and a funeral service at 10:30 a.m. Friday, according to his obituary, and "In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to: the Eatontown Fire Department, 47 Broad St., Eatontown."

Darren Annovi of Batavia, New York cooked cat alive in his apartment oven.

 
(Batavia police)

Police: man cooked cat alive in his apartment oven

  By Associated Press Published: July 14, 2016, 4:26 am 

 BATAVIA, NY (AP) — Authorities say a New York man has been charged with cruelty to animals after firefighters found a dead cat cooking in his oven.

Police say firefighters responded around 9 p.m. Monday to a public housing apartment in the city of Batavia, midway between Buffalo and Rochester. The apartment was filled with light smoke when firefighters arrived.

Firefighters were seeking the source of the smoke when they discovered the cat.

Batavia police say they believe the cat was alive when it was placed in the oven.

Police charged 42-year-old Darren Annovi with aggravated cruelty to animals.

He was being held in the Genesee County Jail without bail. Annovi was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning.

It was unclear if he has a lawyer.

His mug shot looks like that this monster is mentally ill.  We are glad that they set no bail for him.  He needs to be examined by a psychiatrist and hopefully he will never be released to this world again.

THE MONSTERS AMONG US: Timothy Cain, a Gloucester County, New Jersey man is accused of killing two kittens with a bow and arrow

Here is the mug shot of the monster among us.



Police: NJ man killed ex-girlfriend's kittens with bow and arrow

Updated 1 hr 56 mins ago
GREENWICH TWP., N.J. (WPVI) -- Timothy Cain, a Gloucester County, New Jersey man is accused of killing two kittens with a bow and arrow.

Police have charged 32-year-old Timothy Cain with animal cruelty, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and harassment.

Officers were called to a home on Adalisa Avenue in Greenwich Township on Wednesday.

According to police, Cain's ex-girlfriend said he killed two of her kittens using a bow and arrow.

Responding officers found one dead kitten in the backyard and a second in the refrigerator of the residence.

Bail was set at $7,500.  He should stay in prison for ever.  At least the cats can catch mice; but this guy is a total loss to our society.

Cigarette butt likely cause of deadly fire at Becker Manor, a senior citizen apartment community in Roanoke Rapids, NC

A woman is killed in a retirement home fire in Roanoke Rapids.


By Tim Pulliam
Updated 1 hr 4 mins ago
ROANOKE RAPIDS, NC (WTVD) -- Neighbors are grappling with the death of one of their own at Becker Manor, a senior citizen apartment community in Roanoke Rapids.

A boarded up window on the second floor represents a tragic ending.

Neighbor Carolyn Coburn had just returned home from shopping Wednesday night when she saw the chaos unfold.

"I felt sorry for the people," Coburn said.





It happened at an apartment building for the elderly and disabled. (image courtesy Roanoke Rapids Fire Department)

About 9 p.m., Roanoke Rapids firefighters and police responded to smoke and flames shooting from the second-floor apartment belonging to Evelyn Welch.

Firefighters say once they got the fire under control they found the 71-year-old's body and a cigarette near her bed.

They believe she had been smoking and caused the fire.

"Smoking in bed is very dangerous," Mike Clements, Deputy Fire Chief said. "Also this resident was on supplemental oxygen which could also fuel a fire in such an instance. Those two combined create a very deadly combination."

No other residents in this senior citizen apartment community were injured.

At least 60 of them took shelter at First Pentecostal Holiness Church next door.

Today they are remembering a neighbor -- lost in one of the worst ways.

"It's very tragic, very tragic. We don't see a lot of death in our community so when we do it hits home," Clements said.

Firefighters say smoking is the leading cause of structure fires. They urge people to dispose of cigarettes properly and avoid smoking in bed.

Neighbors who live at Becker Manor say smoking is allowed inside the apartment homes.

BNSF Train Failed To Stop Prior To Fiery Texas Panhandle Fatal Crash. The BNSF estimated damages of $16 million.

The train failed to slow at a yellow warning signal on June 28 and then continued past a red signal before striking an oncoming BNSF train.
Jose Jimenez | Posted on July 14, 2016, 2:14 PM (Last Updated: July 14, 2016, 2:51 PM)

Courtesy NTSB An aerial view of the site where two trains crashed near Amarillo, TX on June 28.

Federal inspectors say a preliminary investigation reveals that a train failed to heed a stop signal before it barreled head-on into another freight train in June near Amarillo in the Texas panhandle.

Three crew members died in the fiery crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says in the report released Thursday that an eastbound BNSF railway train failed to slow at a yellow warning signal on June 28 and then continued past a red signal before striking an oncoming BNSF train.

The report says the eastbound train, bound for Chicago, was supposed to stop and allow the Los Angeles-bound train to pass.

Each train was carrying two crew members. One jumped to safety, the other three died.

The eastbound train was traveling about 65 mph when it passed the red stop signal.

Activists in Houston who are concerned about transporting oil by train through urban areas have pointed to the crash in the panhandle as one reason for stricter regulation.

Below is the Executive Summary of the preliminary report

Executive Summary


The information in this report is preliminary and will be supplemented or corrected during the course of the investigation.


On Tuesday, June 28, 2016, at 8:21 a.m. central daylight time, two BNSF Railway (BNSF) trains collided at milepost 525.4 on the BNSF’s Panhandle Subdivision. (See figure 1.) Each train was crewed by a locomotive engineer and a conductor. Eastbound train S-LACLPC1-26K consisted of 3 head-end locomotives, 2 distributive power units, and 56 loaded cars, and westbound train Q-CHISBD6-27L consisted of 5 head-end locomotives and 54 loaded cars. The signal system was lined to route the westbound train into the Panhandle control point siding at milepost 526.1 while holding the eastbound train on the main track before the east end of the siding. The collision,which caused the derailment of the locomotives and several cars from both trains, occurred about one-half mile east of the east switch (east end) of the Panhandle siding. The weather at the time of the accident was clear and 74°F. The collision and derailment resulted in a significant fire. Three crew members died in the accident—the engineer and conductor on the eastbound train and the conductor on the westbound train. The engineer of the westbound train jumped from the train before impact and survived with injuries. The BNSF estimated damages of $16 million.

Train movements in the area of the accident are governed by signal indications of a traffic control system. A positive train control system is scheduled to be implemented by the BNSF in this area by the end of 2016.

Preliminary review of signal event recorder data and tests of the signal system indicate the last signal the eastbound train passed before the collision was a stop (red) signal. The previous signal the eastbound train passed was an approach (yellow) signal. [1] A preliminary review of locomotive event recorder data revealed that the eastbound train was traveling about 62 mph when it went by the approach signal at the west end of the Panhandle siding and about 65 mph when it went by the stop signal at the east end of the Panhandle siding.

Investigators completed sight distance tests of the signal system for the operation of both trains into the collision point, and the results are being analyzed. Investigators also shipped event and video recorders to the NTSBrecorders laboratory in Washington, DC, for further analysis. The investigation is ongoing.

Parties to the investigation include the Federal Railroad Administration, BNSF Railway, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers.
[1] A red signal aspect requires a train to stop before any part of the train passes the signal; an approach signal indicated by a solid yellow aspect requires that a train reduce speed to a maximum of 40 mph and be preparedto stop at the next signal.


Probable Cause
The information in this report is preliminary and will be supplemented or corrected during the course of the investigation.

500 gallons of benzene spilled on the oil tanker Maritime Jingan and some of it got into the water in the Houston Ship Channel

 

Portion Of Houston Ship Channel Reopens Following Benzene Spill On Tanker

The Coast Guard closed the waterway between the Lynchburg Ferry Crossing and Carpenters Bayou just after noon.

Gail Delaughter

| Posted on July 14, 2016, 2:51 PM (Last Updated: July 14, 2016, 4:30 PM)

Update 3:06 p.m.: A portion of the Houston Ship Channel has reopened after a benzene spill.
The Coast Guard says it was notified around noon that about 500 gallons of benzene spilled on a tanker and some of it got into the water. Officials say the leak has been stopped and the cause is under investigation.
The waterway closed earlier this afternoon between the Lynchburg Ferry Crossing and Carpenters Bayou near Channelview.
PREVIOUSLY: A portion of the Houston Ship Channel is closed Thursday because of a benzene spill.
The Coast Guard says it was notified around noon that about 500 gallons of benzene was spilled on a tanker and some of it got into the water. Officials say the leak has been stopped and the cause is under investigation.
Meanwhile the Ship Channel is closed to marine traffic between the Lynchburg Ferry Crossing and Carpenters Bayou near Channelview.
There are no immediate reports of injuries. Below is the full statement released by the Coast Guard: 

Coast Guard and Harris County Hazardous Material Response Team are responding to about 500 gallons of benzene that released on the tanker Maritime Jingan while moored at Vopak Terminal Thursday afternoon.
The Vessel Traffic Service issued a closure of the Houston Ship Channel between the Lynchburg Ferry Crossing and Carpenters Bayou effective at 12:23 p.m.
At approximately 12 p.m., Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a call from Vopak Terminal personnel that benzene had been spilled on the Maritime Jingan and that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department had also been notified. 
The leak has been secured and the cause is under investigation, a small portion of the benzine entered the water.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

MARITIME JINGAN - Chemical/Oil Products Tanker

MARITIME JINGAN - IMO 9251523 - Details and current position

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MARITIME JINGAN, IMO 9251523

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What is the ship's current position? Where is the ship located? MARITIME JINGAN current position is 29.74952 N / 95.0958 W on Jul 14, 2016 at 21:33 UTC.

Vessel MARITIME JINGAN (IMO: 9251523, MMSI: 477277000) is a chemical/oil products tanker built in 2003 and currently sailing under the flag of Hong Kong. MARITIME JINGAN has 180m length overall and beam of 32m. Her gross tonnage is 29211 tons. Below you can find more technical information, photos, AIS data and last 5 port calls of MARITIME JINGAN detected by AIS.

BNSF train failed to heed a stop signal before it barreled head-on into another freight train last month in the Texas Panhandle, killing three.

JULY 14, 2016
AMARILLO, Texas -- A train failed to heed a stop signal before it barreled head-on into another freight train last month in the Texas Panhandle, killing three, say a preliminary investigation.


The National Transportation Safety Board says in the report released Thursday that an eastbound BNSF Railway train failed to slow at a yellow warning signal on June 28 and then continued past a red signal before striking an oncoming BNSF train.



The report says the eastbound train, bound for Chicago, was supposed to stop and allow the Los Angeles-bound train to pass.

Each train was carrying two crew members. One jumped to safety, the other three died.

The eastbound train was traveling about 65 mph when it passed the red stop signal.

A driver texting while driving was killed in a crash on U.S.1 in Miami with the cell phone in his hand

Texting While Driving Led To Deadly Crash On US1 July 14, 2016 9:11 AM

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A man texting while driving was killed in a crash on U.S.1 early Thursday morning.

The driver of a Ford Explorer was heading south when investigators said he drifted to the left near Douglas Road, hit a curb and two palm trees.

The impact sent the SUV into the northbound lanes where it flipped on top of a car.

The driver of the SUV, 25-year old Maynor De Jesus Portobanco, was killed in the crash. The driver of the car received minor injuries.

Witnesses told police Portobanco was texting at the time of the accident. He died with his cell phone in his hand.

Investigators believe Portobanco was a construction worker and may have been heading home at the time of the accident.

The town of Barnstable has filed a lawsuit against Barnstable County after at least three Hyannis wells were found to contain high levels of perfluorooctane sulfate, or PFOS

Barnstable County, Mass.
 
Barnstable officials contend fire training academy polluted drinking wells

The town of Barnstable has filed a lawsuit against Barnstable County seeking nearly $2 million in damages for the contamination of several Hyannis wells.

In 2014 and 2015, at least three Hyannis wells were found to contain levels of perfluorooctane sulfate, or PFOS, that exceeded federal guidelines, according to the complaint filed Tuesday in Barnstable Superior Court. An earlier report by the nonprofit Silent Spring Institute in 2010 concluded the water system was contaminated with PFOS. The contaminants came from the Barnstable County Fire and Rescue Training Academy where foams containing the hazardous chemical were being used for training activities, according to the complaint.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has warned that exposure to PFOS over certain levels can cause adverse health effects and can be particularly harmful to fetuses or newborn infants.

The contamination has cost the town at least $1.9 million to design, build and install treatment systems, as well as to pay legal expenses, consultant costs and personnel time, said Charles McLaughlin, Barnstable assistant town attorney. The town also paid about $216,000 to connect to Yarmouth’s water system in case the treatment of the wells was unreliable, according to the complaint.

In late May, the EPA issued new guidelines for PFOS and another perflourinated compound of emerging concern — PFOA. As a result of the new thresholds, a well in Barnstable was found to exceed the limits, prompting officials to take it offline, issue a health advisory and offer bottled water to residents while the well was offline.

The health advisory stated the most likely source of PFOS and PFOA in the Mary Dunn wellfield is from the use of firefighting foams at the county’s training academy on South Flint Rock Road north of Barnstable Municipal Airport.

“In addition to PFOS, other hazardous materials have been released from the academy since the 1980s, including petroleum and perchlorate,” according to the complaint. “These releases also have migrated to and contaminated the Mary Dunn Wells.”

The town wants the county not only to pay for past expenses, but to be held liable for all future expenses connected to the contamination, including future claims, according to the complaint.

In the fall, the town asked the county to post a $3 million bond to ensure money would always be available to cover future costs, McLaughlin said.

The county so far hasn’t complied with that request, he said. That request isn’t included in the complaint filed Tuesday, he said.

County Administrator Jack Yunits said that while he couldn’t comment on the pending litigation, the county has been making progress cleaning up the contaminated land.

“We’ve had a good solid year in terms of improvements,” he said. “We’re in the process of removing a lot of the contaminated soils and we’re cleaning on site as much as we can.”

The county spent more than its appropriated budget of $232,000 on cleanup over the past year, he said, and county officials have appropriated an additional $232,000 to continue cleanup efforts.

According to the complaint, the Hyannis Water Board asked the county to relocate the training academy to a less densely populated area away from drinking wells in 2007 and repeated the request in 2012, but the county refused to do so.

“Although the county has admitted to causing or contributing to the contamination, in part due to mismanagement and lack of oversight at the academy, it has failed to agree to contribute to any of the town’s response costs, and continues to host fire training activities at the academy that exacerbate the contamination,” the complaint says.

Last year, Barnstable County Commissioners voted to limit training at the academy to classroom sessions and activities using water after a foamy substance found at the property tested positive for PFOS.

The town’s next step is to wait for the county to file an answer to the complaint, McLaughlin said. The county plans to file a response within 20 days, Yunits said.


Source: http://www.capecodtimes.com, July 13, 2016
By: Madeleine List 

PFOA found in groundwater at GlobalFoundries, Champlain Cable plants

Chittenden County, VT
 
State officials announced Wednesday that two new sites in Chittenden County have tested positive for groundwater pollution with an industrial chemical known as perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA.

The chemical was found in the ground water at the IBM plant in Essex Junction, and the former Hercules Incorporated manufacturing facility now owned by Champlain Cable in Colchester. State officials have tested 11 sites this summer where companies manufactured semiconductors or wire and cable coatings. Both manufacturing processes involve perfluorinated compounds such as PFOA.

Tests showed PFOA levels of up to 7,200 parts per trillion at Champlain Cable — 360 times the 20 parts per trillion maximum concentration allowed by state law.

The Department of Environmental Conservation has been testing wells and water supplies near industrial facilities for PFOA contamination. The toxic chemical has been found in nearly 200 residential wells in North Bennington, a municipal water supply in Pownal, an underground storage tank at the Pittsford Fire Academy and a groundwater collection trench at the Air National Guard Base in South Burlington.

Alyssa Schuren, the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, said that there is little risk of exposure to homeowners in Essex and Colchester. Unlike those in North Bennington, where residents likely drank water from contaminated wells for years, homeowners near the former IBM plant in Essex use a municipal drinking water system. In Colchester, there are fewer than 10 wells within a mile of the former Hercules plant, and six are used for manufacturing, rather than for drinking water.

The state is still awaiting results from the former Harbour Industries property in Shelburne, but drinking water wells nearby returned test results in June that showed no PFOA contamination.

The former IBM plant site returned tests results showing PFOA concentrations between 8 and 190 parts per trillion in eight monitoring wells out of 15 tested. Testing downstream of the plant indicated that the contamination remains confined to the IBM property, officials said.

All 12 of the wells sampled at the Hercules site contained PFOA, in concentrations between 77 and 7,200 parts per trillion. A single monitoring well outside the Hercules facility’s property boundary returned negative results.

Chuck Schwer, director of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s waste management division, said the state will ask IBM and Kentucky-based Ashland Inc. to pay for cleanup costs. Ashland purchased Hercules in 2008 for $3.3 billion.

While the state could name both Global Foundries and Champlain Cable as responsible parties, Schwer said the department has “no intention right now of going after Champlain Cable or Global Foundries, because we have two responsible parties.”

The current occupant of the former Hercules factory, Champlain Cable, did not cause the contamination, Schuren said. Champlain Cable, a wire and cable manufacturer founded in 1955, won recognition last year from the Vermont Chamber of Commerce as the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Vermont Business of the Year.

Global Foundries acquired the IBM plant last year, but only owns the structures on the site. IBM retained ownership of the land, according to Jim Keller, Global Foundries’ communications director for the Essex Junction facility.

Keller said the site had a long history, and said he doesn’t know precisely where the PFOA contamination came from. Global Foundries has not used the chemical in manufacturing processes.

A permeable barrier beneath the contaminated soil at the Global Foundries site is designed to funnel water through a reactive substrate that binds contaminants. The barrier is designed to prevent hazardous materials from reaching the groundwater. Schwer said more tests will be conducted to determine if PFOA has leached through the barrier.

State officials say IBM transported chemicals through a network of underground pipelines, some of which leaked. A chemical spill in the 1980s led the state to declare it a hazardous waste cleanup site. There have been additional spills since, Schwer said. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has listed IBM as the state’s top polluter.

The Champlain Cable factory sits on one of the oldest hazardous waste sites in the state, Schwer said. The location where PFOA was discovered in the greatest concentrations sits “right next to” what Schuren described as “a pit,” where state investigators are now focusing their attention, she said.

“We’re investigating whether chemicals were disposed of historically in that pit,” Schuren said.

The state is asking anyone with a private drinking well within a one-mile radius of either site to contact the Department of Environmental Conservation at (802) 828-1138. The former Hercules plant is located at 175 Hercules Drive in Colchester, and the IBM site is at 1000 River Street in Essex Junction.



Source: https://vtdigger.org, July 14, 2016
By: Mike Polhamus 

California Announces Major Regulatory Proposal to Improve Worker Safety at Oil Refineries

California Announces Major Regulatory Proposal to Improve Worker Safety at Oil Refineries

Sacramento—The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) today announced a landmark set of regulations to strengthen workplace and environmental safety at oil refineries across the state.

The regulatory proposals are intended to make California refineries safer both for workers and surrounding communities. The two regulations implement key recommendations of the Governor’s Interagency Working Group on Refinery Safety, and are the result of a multi-year effort, including extensive consultation with workers, industry, NGOs, and communities, following a serious chemical release and fire at Chevron’s Richmond oil refinery in August 2012.

“The proposed regulations will put into place new strategies to prevent major incidents at refineries, and to protect refinery workers and surrounding communities from exposure to health and safety risks,” said David M. Lanier, Secretary of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

The proposal includes two complementary regulations – one overhauling Cal/OSHA worker safety regulations as they apply to refineries and another strengthening the California Accidental Release Prevention program (CalARP) regulations designed to prevent the accidental release of hazardous substances that could harm public health and the environment. DIR, Cal OES, and CalEPA have collaborated to ensure that the two regulations are aligned. 

“These regulations will make refineries safer neighbors and employers. Refinery workers, community and environmental organizations, and industry leaders worked with us to develop requirements that are practical and effective,” said Matthew Rodriquez, California Secretary for Environmental Protection.

The proposed regulations incorporate the most advanced principles of safer engineering and management, as well as attention to the human and organizational elements of safety. Key features of the proposed regulations include:

·         Increased employer accountability for the mechanical integrity of refinery equipment;

·         Requirements to adopt inherently safer designs and systems, to the greatest extent feasible;

·         Increased employee involvement in all aspects of the safety and prevention program;

·         Periodic workplace safety culture assessments to evaluate whether management is appropriately emphasizing safety over production pressures;

·         Authority for refinery personnel to shut down a unit if needed in the event of an unsafe condition or emergency and provisions for anonymous reporting of safety hazards;

·         Requirements for investigations to determine root causes of any incidents that do occur and develop interim and permanent corrective measures in response; and

·         Annual public reporting of refinery safety metrics.

Major incidents at oil and gas refineries pose a significant risk to refinery workers and nearby communities while costing Californians an average of $800 million a year in disruption to fuel supplies.

“The proposed amendments to the California Process Safety Management program and Accidental Release Prevention program are significant improvements that will strengthen protections for workers, communities and the environment, based on lessons learned and best practices,” said Vanessa Allen Sutherland, Chairperson of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. “We look forward to seeing the final regulations implemented, and we hope that they prove to be a model for refinery worker protection and public safety for the rest of the country.”

Cal OES and DIR’s Occupational Standards Board will provide a minimum of 45 days to solicit comment on the proposed regulations. A public hearing on the Process Safety Management regulation will be held in Sacramento on September 15;  a public hearing on the CalARP regulation has not yet been scheduled.

Following a serious chemical release and fire at Chevron’s Richmond oil refinery in August 2012, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. called for an Interagency Working Group to examine ways to improve public and worker safety through enhanced oversight of refineries, and to strengthen emergency preparedness in anticipation of any future incident. The Working Group consisted of participants from 13 agencies and departments, as well as the Governor’s office.

Over an eight-month period, the Working Group met with industry, labor, community, environmental, academic, local emergency response and other stakeholders. It also worked closely with the Contra Costa County Health Services Hazardous Materials Division, which implements an industrial safety ordinance that served as a model for the proposed refinery safety regulations. In February 2014 the Working Group issued a final report with recommendations to improve safety practices at refineries and develop more reliable and effective emergency response plans. The proposed regulations implement one of four key recommendations of the final report.

California now has an Interagency Refinery Task Force, headed by CalEPA with participation from DIR, its division Cal/OSHA, and 11 other federal, state, and local agencies and departments. The task force works collaboratively to achieve the highest possible level of safety for refinery workers and local communities, and prepare for and effectively respond to emergencies if they occur.

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