A
plume of smoke rises from the site of an explosion on the Colonial
Pipeline on Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Helena, Ala. (Brynn Anderson)
Authorities: At least 7 injured in Colonial Pipeline blast
Updated 40 mins ago
HELENA, Ala. -- An explosion along the Colonial Pipeline in rural Alabama injured at least seven workers Monday not far from where the line burst and leaked gasoline last month, authorities said.
The blast, which sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over the forest, happened about a mile west of where the pipeline ruptured in September, Gov. Robert Bentley said. That break led to gasoline shortages across the South.
"We'll just hope and pray for the best," Bentley said.
Plagued by a severe drought after weeks without rain, the section of the state where the explosion happened has been plagued by multiple wildfires in recent weeks, and crews tried to keep the blaze from spreading across the landscape.
Coleen Vansant, a spokeswoman with the Alabama Forestry Commission, said crews were attempting to build a 75-foot-long earthen dam to contain burning fuel, which will be allowed to burn itself out.
Two wildfires caused by the explosion burned 31 acres of land, she said.
Homes around the blast scene were evacuated, and Capt. Jeff Hartley of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said it wasn't clear when people might be able to return home.
"There's a large plume of smoke; there's a large fire. We're not sure exactly how it started or what caused it," he said.
Firetrucks were still arriving on the scene hours after the explosion, and ambulances were parked along a highway nearby.
"We're got first responders entering the area, and a lot of them," Hartley said.
The seven injured workers were taken to Birmingham hospitals by helicopter and ambulance, Bentley told WBRC-TV in a live interview. Their conditions weren't immediately known.
Bentley said the explosion seems to have been an accident, but no details were available about its potential cause.
Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline said in a brief statement that it had shut down its main pipeline in the area.
"Colonial's top priorities are the health and safety of the work crew on site and protection of the public," the company said.
The company's statement did not address how the explosion might affect the availability of gasoline and said more information would be released as it becomes available.
Several fire departments were sending crews to assist. The explosion happened in a remote area outside the town of Helena.
In September, the Colonial Pipeline leaked thousands of gallons of gasoline southwest of Birmingham near Helena and led to dry fuel pumps in several Southern states - for days, in some cases. There was no immediate indication Thursday whether or not Monday's explosion will lead to similar shortages.
Colonial Pipeline, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, transports more than 100 million gallons of products daily to markets between Houston and New York City, serving more than 50 million people, it says on its website. Those include petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel. Authorities have not said which type of fuel was involved in the explosion Monday.
EPA Settles with Shoreside Petroleum for Violating Federal Clean Air Rules at Fuel Terminals in Seward and Cordova, Alaska
10/31/2016
Contact Information:
Suzanne Skadowski (skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov)
206-553-2160
Shoreside Petroleum, Inc., based in Anchorage, has paid $89,000 in penalties for violating federal clean air rules designed to prevent toxic air pollution at the company’s fuel terminals in Seward and Cordova, Alaska. Shoreside Petroleum’s terminals receive gasoline from marine barge vessels and transport trucks, store gasoline in large fixed-roof tanks, and load gasoline into tank trucks for delivery to area customers.
In a settlement announced today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency alleges that Shoreside Petroleum violated multiple Clean Air Act rules at both of the company’s Seward and Cordova terminals. To resolve the violations and return to compliance, the company also spent approximately $402,000 to install and test pollution controls and began checking for leaks and reporting results to EPA. After installing the required controls, EPA estimates that the company’s air pollution emissions were reduced by approximately 30 tons per year in Seward and nine tons per year in Cordova.
According to Ed Kowalski, Director of EPA Region 10's Office of Compliance and Enforcement:
“To protect the health of their workers and the surrounding community, bulk gasoline terminals need to have pollution controls in place to prevent the release of harmful gas vapors, a known source of air toxics. Operating bulk gasoline terminals without the required pollution controls and monitoring for leaks are serious violations that we enforce aggressively.”
Shoreside Petroleum originally self-disclosed its violations to EPA in November 2014. The violations, some dating back to 2005, include: failing to install vapor capture and control systems on the Seward loading rack and on storage tanks at both terminals, failing to limit gas loading to vapor-tight tank trucks, and failing to check for leaks in the gasoline service equipment during loading. Because of its 2014 self-disclosure to EPA, the company qualified for EPA’s Self-Audit program which resulted in a significant penalty reduction. To take advantage of these incentives, facilities must voluntarily discover, promptly disclose to EPA, expeditiously correct, and prevent recurrence of future violations. EPA encourages companies to self-disclose violations discovered during routine environmental compliance audits: https://www.epa.gov/compliance/epas-audit-policy.
The Clean Air Act requires bulk gasoline terminals to capture and control vapors from tanker truck loading racks and storage tanks. The rules also require that all fuel loading must be limited to vapor-tight gasoline tank trucks. In addition, the vapor collection and processing systems, and loading racks handling gasoline, must be inspected monthly to check for fuel or vapor leaks. Gasoline vapors contain air toxics such as benzene and toluene, which can cause cancer or other serious health effects including respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and reproductive effects or birth defects.
Clean Air Act rules for gasoline terminals: https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/gasoline-distribution-mact-and-gact-national-emission-standards#additional-resources.
October 31, 2016
OSHA investigation of two serious employee injuries finds global filtration
manufacturer failed to protect workers from safety and health hazards
Agency identifies 21 serious violations at PECOFacet; company faces $224K in fines
MINERAL WELLS, Texas - While investigating one serious employee injury in May 2016, at PECOFacet - a global manufacturer of filtration and containment products - inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found themselves investigating a second incident in which another employee was hurt seriously three days after they arrived.
The agency opened its initial investigation on May 3, 2016, after an employee suffered a finger amputation on April 26, 2016, when a part of metal plate being fabricated fell on the worker's finger while the employee was still in training. On May 6, 2016, a 1,300-pound metal product being fabricated fell on an employee's feet causing serious injuries.
OSHA's investigation of both incidents found workers operating machinery without point of operation and safety guards and emergency stop switches. The agency issued citations and proposed fines of $224,477. In addition to lacking machine guards and stop switches inspectors found 21 serious violations for:
- Allowing equipment to operate without safety latches.
- Permitting the use of non-compliant crane equipment.
- Failing to address electrical hazards.
- Not having guard rails on elevated surfaces.
- Failing to mark emergency exits.
- Ladders not meeting specification requirements and not maintained.
- Lock out/tag out procedures not developed or implemented.
- Horizontal belts and shafts not guarded.
"No worker should suffer amputation or be struck-by product at a large manufacturer such as PECOFacet. The number of violations at this facility is astounding," said Jack Rector, OSHA's Fort Worth Area Director. "This employer is responsible for the protection and safety of its workers from these types of life-altering injuries."
To view the citations, visit: here.
Headquartered in Mineral Wells, PECOFacet manufactures filter housings, filter cartridges, water separator systems, sewage water treatments, and has on-site testing facilities. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report 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 Fort Worth Area Office at 817-581-7303.
# # #
October 27, 2016
OSHA cites Coilplus Illinois following fatality investigation at Plainfield facility.
50-year-old dies after being pulled into scrap metal baller
PLAINFIELD, Ill. - A federal investigation prompted by the death of a 50-year-old worker at the Coilplus Illinois Inc. Plainfield steel processing facility has resulted in a half-dozen safety and health violations.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued six serious safety and health violations to Coilplus Illinois Inc., for violations its inspector found after the June 23, 2016, death.
Agency investigators determined the worker was standing on a pneumatic platform removing metal scrap from the scrap pit, when a piece of the metal scrap allegedly snagged the pneumatic line, causing it to disconnect and for the platform to return to a vertical position. When it did, the employee fell into the scrap pit where the metal trim entangled the man until the baller below pulled him through, resulting in his death.
The agency also found Coilplus failed to:
- Evaluate for permit required confined spaces including posting danger signs.
- Install handrails on stairways.
- Conduct periodic inspections of machine safety procedures.
- Affix lockout devices to isolate energy prior to allow employees to enter machine hazard areas.
- Lacked guarding around machines to prevent workers for entering hazard areas.
- Did not have adequate guardrails around the scrap pit area, exposing workers to a 9-foot fall.
"A man died tragically and his family, friends and co-workers are left to suffer an overwhelming loss," said Kathy Webb, OSHA's area director in Calumet City. "Coilplus needs to make immediate changes to its safety and health programs to ensure workers are guarded from machine hazards at its facilities nationwide."
OSHA has proposed penalties of $53,628. View current safety and health citations.
Coilplus Illinois is one of nine U.S. facilities operated by Rosemont-based Coilplus, which also has plants in Canada and Mexico. Coilplus is an operating subsidiary of Metal One Holdings America, also based in Rosemont. Metal One Holdings America, Inc. operates as a joint venture between Mitsubishi Corporation and Sojitz Corporation.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal 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 Calumet City Area Office at 708-891-3800.
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.
# # #
