THE CORRUPT AND/OR CROOKED POLICE OFFICERS OF NEW JERSEY: Michael J. Coppola, a police chief with the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police department, has resigned after he was arrested on drug charges and other corrupt activities

THE DIRTY ITALIAN POLICE OFFICERS OF NEW JERSEY ARE THE WORST OF THE WORST

Sunday, August 19, 2018 01:54PM
HACKENSACK, New Jersey (WABC) --

A police chief with the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police department has resigned after he was arrested on drug charges.

This arrest happened in early August when Michael J. Coppola was accused of buying cocaine and shipping it to his post office box.

Detectives placed a package containing imitation cocaine in his box, and after Coppola retrieved the package, believing it contained cocaine, he was arrested during a motor vehicle stop in Ridgefield Park.

Coppola is charged with attempting to possess cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He's scheduled to make a court appearance Wednesday.

The 43-year-old was already under suspension for 90 days for allegedly offering financial incentives to his officers to write out more tickets.



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


New Jersey police chief allegedly gave incentives to officers who wrote more tickets


Friday, July 13, 2018

ALPINE, New Jersey (WABC) -- A New Jersey police chief has been suspended after it was discovered he allegedly offered incentives to officers who wrote more tickets and made more arrests.

Chief Michael Coppola of the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department has been suspended for 90 days while officials oversee critical changes to the department, the Bergen County Prosecutors Office said Thursday.

A probe uncovered a program that gave awards and incentives to officers with the highest summons and arrest activity each month.

Investigators say those officers received favorable parking spaces, newer police vehicles and a meal allowance of $200.

Some of the tickets involved dangerous high speed chases, including one that ended in death.

Investigators reviewing police pursuits between January 2014 to August 2017 found officers violated pursuit guidelines in 36 of 41 cases.

In 23 of 36 pursuits, police speeds exceeded 100 mph. In 13 cases, police speeds exceeded 120 mph.

Investigators also found the chief owned a company which provided IT services to the department.

While they say he did not charge for or directly profit from services, investigators cited conflict of interest violations.

The Palisades Interstate Park Commission has not commented on the prosecutor's findings.

Perhaps this corrupt cop is related to Michael "Mikey Cigars" Coppola, the notorious mobster.

Michael "Mikey Cigars" Coppola on trial 2009

Michael J. Coppola (born in May 18, 1946), also known as "Mikey Cigars", is an American mobster in the Genovese crime family. It is unknown if he is related to Michael "Trigger Mike" Coppola, who was also a member of the Genovese crime family. He has been a key figure in the Genovese crime family New Jersey faction. He made national headlines when he went on the lam for 11 years to avoid a possible murder conviction. 

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

PASSAIC COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICER LUCAS LIED DURING HIS GRAND JURY TESTIMONY WHEN HE CLAIMED THAT HE INJURED HIS LEFT SHOULDER DURING A FALL AT A PROPERTY ON JUNE 28, 2011

Lying Lucas is #41

As part of an investigation we have been performing, we discovered that Ronald A. Lucas, a former Passaic County sheriff officer with the Civil Division lied about his on-the-job shoulder injury.  Lucas claimed that he fell on the job on June 28, 2011 at 687 Indian Road, Wayne, NJ and that he injured his left shoulder requiring several pins.  He then filed a disability claim with the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits (Police and Firemen Retirement System).  He was granted disability for one year with subsequent review.  After he retired with claimed disability, he obtained a job as part-time security guard at the Pequannock High School.

Bombshell evidence contradicting Lying Lucas’ injury claims: We have obtained a report by Lt. Nick Mango who stated that nobody was injured at the scene.  The report by Lucas also states that he stumbled and not fell.

We discovered that Mr. Lucas suffered shoulder injuries while playing football and lifting heavy weights over his lifetime.  He was a linebacker with the Pompton Lakes Cardinals (he played at position #41), using his shoulder to hit and tackle his opponents during practice and during football games.  He also lifted very heavy weights to do body building.  Lucas has fallen on his shoulder probably thousand times during his athletic and training career.

Everybody knows that linebackers hit and tackle their opponents using their shoulders.  These athletes also lift heavy weights and they end-up injuries their shoulders.   He (Lucas) even made the All County Team in 1980, showing how hard he was working out.  Based on our investigation, we found that weight lifting athletes do suffer shoulder injuries of the type claimed by Lucas.

He also trained his two sons (Dean Lucas and Ronnie Lucas) into playing TE and DE positions also with the Cardinals football team.  In fact, linebackers suffer at least 13.5 percent of all football injuries and at least 65 percent of the linebackers end up undergoing surgery.

Lt. Nick Mango wrote in his June 28, 2011 report that “nobody was hurt”.  Also, Lucas never wrote in his June 28, 2018 report that he was injured.  He specifically wrote:  “As I entered the woods I stumbled”.  He never wrote that he was injured.  However, during this grand jury testimony, he provided a diametrically different picture:

Lucas claimed that he fell on his elbow and shoulder, but was able to regain his balance, and he ran into a wooded area to seek cover behind a large boulder.   Lucas claimed that he tore his biceps and had surgery on his shoulder, and “ended up having a pretty severe injury” in his shoulder, requiring “five pins.”  Of course we now know that this guy was a football player and body builder and suffered these injuries over his many years of lifting heavy weights and hitting his opponents with his shoulder (he was a linebacker with the Pompton Lakes Cardinals at #41).  This guy then defrauded the Police and Firemen Retirement Fund by claiming disability and started the double dipping.

So, from flip-flopping regarding the color of the gun; to whether the door was closed or open; to whether he knocked the door or not; to whether he suffered a major injury or not, Lying Lucas has some serious credibility issues; and all his lies were allowed to poison the grand jury deliberations.

We have obtained photos showing Mr. Lucas lifting weights, after his alleged job-ending disability.  See for example the attached image that is dated December 2013.

It is obvious to a reasonable and objective person that Lucas (in his mid-50s) took this incident on June 28, 2011 to claim on-the job-injury to be able to repair his previously injured shoulder at taxpayers’ expense and to retire and then blame Basilis Stephanatos for his injuries.  After he retired, he started the double dipping.  The finest of New Jersey at "work".

a 70-year-old male and a 72-year-old female boaters from Potter's Marine died in North Creek on the North side of Pamlico River in North Carolina

Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter file photo


Coast Guard ends search for couple who went missing in Pamlico River, NC
August 19th, 2018 

Potter's Marine·is a Recreational Boat Slips and Boat Storage, Boat ramp Bath House. Located in North Creek on the North side of Pamlico River just 6miles from the ICW. Well protected and peaceful area.

WILMINGTON, NC — 

The Coast Guard ended its search Sunday morning following the recovery of the bodies of a couple who went missing in the Pamlico River, Friday.

The couple was a 70-year-old male and a 72-year-old female who were last seen departing Potters Marine early Friday afternoon. Their 20-foot boat was later found unmanned and adrift in the Pamlico River. They were recovered in that same river near North Creek and Oyster Creek.

The Coast Guard launched multiple assets and worked alongside state and local agencies who assisted in searching approximately 954 square miles of water and land.

An Incident Command Post was also created with Beaufort County Emergency Management Agency to manage county response.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones today,” said Captain Bion Stewart, commander of Coast Guard Sector North Carolina. “We are deeply saddened by the outcome, and we will continue to pray for the families during this most difficult time. I also want to commend all of the crews, including our partner agencies and the volunteers who worked diligently to conduct the search.”

Coast Guard assets involved: 

• 2 MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters and a HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City
• Coast Guard Auxiliary fix-winged aircraft
• 45-foot Response Boat-Medium and 24-foot Special Purpose Craft-Shallow Water, vessel from Coast Guard Station Hobucken
• 24-foot Special Purpose Craft-Shallow Water, vessel from Coast Guard Station Elizabeth City

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

BEAUFORT COUNTY, NC (WITN) 

A couple who went missing in the Pamlico River were found dead early Sunday morning, the Coast Guard said.

Crews found the first victim at 7:53 a.m. Sunday floating in shallow water on the east shore of North Creek off the Pamlico River. The second victim was found shortly after in the same area, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard and the Beaufort County Emergency Management Agency had been looking for a 72-year-old woman and a 70-year-old man since Friday.

The couple was last seen leaving the Potters Marine early Friday afternoon, officials said.
Around 6:40 p.m. Friday a neighbor called to report that an unmanned, 20-foot boat was floating near the Pamlico River.

The Coast Guard then launched a helicopter aircrew, and two boats to start searching for the missing boaters.

Beaufort County set up an Incident Command Post and launched two shoreline search parties and nine marine assets.

Crews had worked throughout the days and overnights until the couple was found Sunday.
The names of the victims have not yet been released.

---

Previous Story 

  Crews from multiple agencies are searching by air, sea and land for a missing couple in the Pamlico River, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard and the Beaufort County Emergency Management Agency are looking for a 72-year-old woman and a 70-year-old man who were last seen departing the Potters Marine early Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard said.

Around 6:40 p.m. Friday a neighbor called to report that an unmanned, 20-foot boat was floating near the Pamlico River, officials said.

The Coast Guard then launched a helicopter aircrew, and two boats to start searching for the missing boaters. The search continued throughout Friday night into Saturday morning.
Beaufort County set up an Incident Command Post and launched two shoreline search parties and nine marine assets who worked throughout Friday night and Saturday morning, the Coast Guard said.

If anyone sees anything in the vicinity of the Pamlico River, it is requested that they contact the Coast Guard Sector North Carolina command center on VHF-FM channel 16, or at 910-362-4015.

---

Previous Story 

  A big search is underway following a report of two people missing in the Pamlico River.
The U.S. Coast Guard tells us there are unconfirmed reports of two boaters in the water in the Bath area of Beaufort County. 

The Coast Guard has a helicopter and a boat involved in the search.

They tell us a total of five state and federal agencies are involved. 

We'll continue to update the story as we get more information.

Fire crews contained an acid spill at the Del Norte Regional Recycling & Transfer Station in Oxnard, CA that forced about 250 people from the facility

Acid spill cleaned up at Oxnard garbage facility
Christian Martinez, Ventura County Star 

August 16, 2018


OXNARD, CA - 

Fire crews contained an acid spill at an Oxnard garbage and recycling site Thursday morning that forced about 250 people from the facility, officials said.

The incident was reported just before 11 a.m. at the Del Norte Regional Recycling & Transfer Station at 111 South Del Norte Blvd., authorities said.

Oxnard and Ventura County fire crews responded to the incident. City officials who handle hazardous-material incidents also were called to investigate.


Todd Vazquez-Housley, manager for Oxnard’s Environmental Resources Division, said swimming pool chemicals had been spilled in the main area where trucks unload their waste.

Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Brian McGrath said about a gallon of the substance had spilled from one of eight containers.

The spill forced as many as 250 people to be evacuated from the recycling center, including 172 employees.

McGrath said one person was assessed, treated and released at the scene. Cleanup was completed by 1:11 p.m.

Investigators would be looking over surveillance video to find the source of the chemicals, Vazquez-Housley said.

As the cleanup took place, trucks queued up on the street outside, waiting to get into the facility.

In March 2017, Del Norte also had a hazardous-materials incident from a radiological substance. Two workers who were exposed were treated on scene.

Replacing methylene chloride in paint strippers: Questions remain about the safety and effectiveness of alternative solvents

Replacing methylene chloride in paint strippers
Questions remain about the safety and effectiveness of alternative solvents
by Britt E. Erickson



In early May, three mothers traveled to Washington, D.C., to urge members of Congress and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of methylene chloride in paint and coating removers. Each of the women had a son who died from exposure to methyl­ene chloride in paint-stripping products purchased at home improvement stores.


After meeting with the families, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the agency will finalize a rule to limit commercial sales of methylene chloride soon. But what exactly that means and when it will happen is anyone’s guess. If EPA does ban the use of methylene chloride in paint removers, then what alternatives are available to consumers? C&EN visited several home improvement stores to find out and test how well some of the alternatives perform. We also talked with experts about new formulations currently under development.

A ban of some uses of methylene chloride-based paint removers is likely. In 2014, EPA reported that workers exposed to such products have an increased risk of cancer, as well as neurological and liver problems. At the time, EPA also concluded that consumers who use methylene chloride-based strippers face an increased risk of short-term neurological effects.

EPA is likely to ban methylene chloride, CH2Cl2, in consumer paint strippers. See how products made with and without it perform on cabinet doors with many layers of assorted paint types.


EPA proposed a ban on methylene chloride in paint and coating removal products during the final days of the Obama administration in early 2017. The Obama-era proposal would have banned both methyl­ene chloride, also called dichloromethane, and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), a chemical widely used as an alternative to methylene chloride, in paint strippers. EPA declared in 2015 that NMP poses reproductive risks to pregnant women and women of childbearing age. But late last year the agency put bans of both chemicals on hold.


EPA’s recent announcement that it is moving forward with a methylene chloride rule doesn’t indicate whether the agency will also finalize the ban on NMP in paint strippers.


Myriad paint removers

Numerous stripping products are sold in U.S. home improvement stores. Here’s a sampling of what is inside some of those products and how a few of them performed during a test conducted by C&EN. Note: Not all products were tested by C&EN.

That leaves consumers wondering about their alternatives. Other than methylene chloride-based formulations, which are typically mixed with about 20% methanol, U.S. consumers can currently find paint removers that contain a mixture of NMP and benzyl alcohol, or NMP and dibasic esters such as dimethyl adipate or dimethyl glutarate. Stripping products are also available without NMP. Those products typically contain mixtures of dibasic esters and can include benzyl alcohol.


C&EN tested a few products on old wooden cabinet doors covered with multiple layers of paint, including lead-based paint, to find out how well the alternatives to methylene chloride perform. Each product was allowed to react with the paint for 30 minutes. A methylene chloride-based formulation was the only one that exposed any wood on the cabinet door, but it left a layer of lead-based paint behind. Mixtures of dibasic esters, both with and without NMP, removed several layers of paint but not as many as the methylene chloride-based product. A mixture of NMP and benzyl alcohol did not remove the top layer of paint within 30 minutes, although the product label recommended a longer reaction time.



This simple experiment confirms what experts are telling C&EN. “Paint removers with methylene chloride work really well, in 20 minutes or less, for most multilayer applications,” says Greg Morose, research manager of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Alternative paint removers that don’t contain methylene chloride, such as those with NMP, dibasic esters, and benzyl alcohol, “work much, much less effectively for multilayer applications,” Morose notes. It takes six to 12 hours for those products to work, he says.


Morose is managing a project at TURI that aims to commercialize alternative products that perform as well as methyl­ene chloride-based strippers without the safety risks. The team has developed two formulations that Morose says perform as well as methylene chloride as a general-purpose paint stripper. The formulations contain methyl acetate, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and either thiophene or 1,3-dioxolane.


Although the formulations are not yet commercially available, Morose says the team is in discussions with several manufacturers. They filed a patent application for the technology in 2016.


“The university can’t produce this on its own. We need industry partners that manufacture paint strippers to take this to market,” Morose says. He is optimistic that the formulations will be commercialized soon. Manufacturers are testing the products in their own labs and are confirming they are equivalent to methylene chloride-based strippers, he says.


To be effective at stripping multiple layers of paint, products need to be able to dissolve a wide variety of polymers. “Paint coatings are just different types of polymers,” Morose explains. Three intermolecular forces control a solvent’s ability to dissolve polymers—dispersion (van der Waals), polarity (dipole moment), and hydrogen bonding. A solvent’s so-called Hansen solubility parameter takes into account all three forces.


“We did a lot of testing to find out the optimal Hansen solubility parameters” to dissolve multiple layers of paint and coatings, Morose says. “If you took any one of the solvents and tried to use it to remove paint, it would be ineffective because the Hansen solubility parameter is not optimized,” he notes. But if you combine solvents in a certain ratio, you can get a more desirable Hansen solubility parameter, he says.


The performance of paint strippers also depends on the ability of the solvents to penetrate through multiple layers. If you can get the solvent down to the substrate, all the layers are removed at once, Morose says. Alternatives to methylene chloride in paint strippers, such as NMP, benzyl alcohol, and dibasic esters, all have large molecular volumes that prevent them from getting through multiple layers, he notes. Those products work one layer at a time. That is why it takes them so long, he says.


Other experts say they would like to see more testing of the formulations developed by TURI. “It is hard to know whether they are effective,” says Katy Wolf, director of the Institute for Research & Technical Assistance, which promotes alternatives to toxic solvents. Wolf also worries about the toxicity of DMSO, which is known to mobilize other chemicals, allowing them to go through skin. The toxicity of thiophene is unknown, she adds.


For most applications, you don’t need a chemical-based paint stripper, Wolf says. Other technologies, such as abrasion, laser stripping, heat treatment, and dry ice paired with crushed recycled glass blasting, can be effective for removing paint from many surfaces, including aircraft panels and boat hulls, she says. Removing paint from wood surfaces, particularly antique furniture, however, is more challenging because you can’t use abrasion, she acknowledges. Wolf recommends using a benzyl alcohol-based stripper for such applications. It takes longer than methylene chloride, but it is less toxic and noncarcinogenic, she notes.



EPA is expected to soon finalize its rule regarding methylene chloride in paint-removing products. It is unclear, however, what will be in that final rule. Small businesses that refinish furniture are likely to be exempt from the rule, as is the Department of Defense.


In the meantime, consumer advocacy and environmental groups are pushing retailers to stop selling paint-removal products that contain methyl­ene chloride. That pressure appears to be working. In late May, home improvement retailer Lowe’s announced it would stop selling paint strippers with methylene chloride and NMP by the end of the year.


“We care deeply about the health and safety of our customers, and great progress is being made in the development of safer and more effective alternatives,” said Mike McDermott, Lowe’s chief customer officer. “As a home improvement leader, we recognize the need for viable paint removal products and remain committed to working closely with suppliers to further innovate in this category.”


The Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3), a coalition of stakeholders that aims to commercialize green chemistry approaches and more sustainable options, welcomes the opportunity to work with Lowe’s and other members on alternatives to methylene chloride in paint strippers.


“Lowe’s announcement provides an important stimulus for green chemistry solutions,” GC3 Director Joel Tickner says.


Environmentalists are encouraged by EPA’s plan to finalize the methylene chloride rule, but they remain skeptical that the agency will follow through with a ban.


At least four people have died from exposure to methyl­ene chloride in paint strippers since January 2017, when EPA proposed to ban such products, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. “Lowe’s is showing leadership as the first major U.S. retailer to eliminate methylene chloride paint strippers from its stores,” Sujatha Jahagirdar, a policy specialist at NRDC, said in a press release. “It underscores the failure of this EPA to do its job to protect the American public from dangerous toxic chemicals.”

Health and environmental groups want the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban children’s items, including high chairs, containing organohalogen flame retardants that can migrate out of polymers.

U.S. agency struggling with organohalogen flame retardants in consumer products
CPSC seeks National Academies’ advice on regulating chemicals as a class
by Cheryl Hogue

August 17, 2018

Health and environmental groups want the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban children’s items, including high chairs, containing organohalogen flame retardants that can migrate out of polymers.


From laptop computers to babies’ high chairs, hundreds of everyday household goods contain chemicals intentionally added to prevent or slow the items from igniting. These compounds can end up in a home’s dust and ingested by children and adults. Federal biomonitoring data show that most U.S. residents have measurable quantities of flame retardant metabolites in their blood. This finding raises red flags because many commonly used flame retardants are linked to health concerns including endocrine disruption, reproductive problems, cancer, and harmful developmental effects.

 Flame retardant manufacturers phased down use of decabromodiphenyl ether because of health concerns and substituted decabromodiphenyl ethane, which has similar physical and chemical traits and potentially similar toxicity.


To protect consumers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is struggling with potentially banning an entire class of these substances: organohalogen flame retardants. CPSC, a federal agency with less than 600 employees, has never before considered regulating an entire category of chemicals. Meanwhile, flame retardant manufacturers and electronics makers are dead set against a ban affecting the dozens of organohalogens used in consumer products.


Now, CPSC is turning to the National Academies of Science (NAS). The agency wants help determining whether and how to implement a scientifically sound ban on products containing organohalogen flame retardants, a group of chemicals that includes brominated or chlorinated phosphate esters.


The gears of CPSC regulation started rolling last September after a 3-2 vote by the agency’s commissioners, who are appointed by the president to seven-year terms to direct the agency’s actions. That vote granted a petition seeking a CPSC ban of four types of household goods containing organohalogen flame retardants. Those consumer items are children’s products, except car seats; residential furniture; mattresses and mattress pads; and casings that surround electronics such as home computers.


The petition targets only organohalogens that are simply added to the material, not chemically bound within a product’s polymer structure. These so-called additive flame retardants can migrate from the products they are used in. This leads to human exposure, say the petitioners, who include the American Academy of Pediatrics and advocates for the environment, consumers, industrial workers, firefighters, and those with learning disabilities.


Organohalogen flame retardants are inherently toxic due to their physical, chemical, and biological properties, the petitioners say. At a CPSC hearing on the petition last year, Linda Birnbaum, the director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program agreed. “Every chemical tested in this class has adverse effects,” she said.


The petitioners argue that the chemicals’ toxicity means regulators should address them in one fell swoop. “It is imperative that CPSC’s regulation cover all organohalogen flame retardants as a class,” they say.


Selecting only some of these chemicals for regulation, they contend, won’t prevent manufacturers from switching to other organohalogen flame retardants with similar health effects. This practice happened in the past, they point out.


For example, concerns rose more than a decade ago about decabromodiphenyl ether because it persists in the environment and is linked to cancer and brain function impairment. The substance was widely used in the housing of televisions and personal computers. After negotiations with the U.S. EPA, makers of this flame retardant phased out sales of the substance at the end of 2013.


In its place, chemical makers substituted a structurally similar compound, decabromodiphenyl ethane.


These ether and ethane flame retardants have similar physical and chemical properties and could pose similar health concerns (Xenobiotica, 2017, DOI: 10.1080/00498254.2016.1250180).


As CPSC focuses on a possible ban of all organohalogen flame retardants, the agency is establishing what’s called a Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel to conduct a detailed review of scientific data on organohalogen toxicity and exposure. This group of outside scientific experts will report to the agency about the risks to consumers’ health and safety from organohalogen flame retardants in four kinds of items specified in the petition.


Meanwhile, CPSC is asking the NAS flame retardants committee to help the agency determine whether it is possible to characterize organohalogen flame retardants clearly enough to address them as a group—or what information the agency would need to do so. “We don’t know whether it’s is possible to consider these as a class,” CPSC Assistant General Counsel Patricia M. Pollitzer told the panel. “It is a new question for us.”


The agency is also seeking advice from the NAS panel on whether it should—or could—break organohalogen flame retardant into subclasses for possible regulation, said George Borlase, head of the CPSC’s Office of Hazard Identification & Reduction.


Manufacturers are arguing against CPSC regulating organohalogen flame retardants as a class. Due to their varying physiochemical properties and toxicity profiles, these chemicals can’t appropriately be lumped together for regulation, said Kimberly W. White, a senior director at the chemical industry group American Chemistry Council. She spoke to the NAS committee on behalf of the council’s North American Flame Retardant Alliance.


The hazard and risk of each organohalogen needs to be assessed individually, White argued. These compounds are not all interchangeable among applications, she added. Chris Cleet of the Information Technology Industry Council, an association that includes makers of computers, phones, and printers, backed White’s arguments against a ban of the compounds as a class.


The outcome of the work by the NAS committee and the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel will have broad repercussions, Eve C. Gartner, director of the toxics program at the environmental group Earthjustice, one of the petitioners, tells C&EN. For instance, the two scientific reports are likely to influence EPA’s ongoing assessments of several types of flame retardant chemicals under the federal law governing commercial chemicals, she says. In that effort, EPA is determining if these chemicals are safe for their specific uses or whether they need regulation to protect human health.


CPSC’s and NAS’s work could also have regulatory ramifications for a subset of organohalogen compounds making headlines this year—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), Gartner predicts. PFAS chemicals are commonly used as surfactants, grease repellents, and wetting agents. These substances, which include perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, are increasingly being detected at levels of health concern in public drinking water supplies across the U.S. and world. The NAS panel is expected to finalize its advice on organohalogen flame retardants to CPSC in the first half of 2019, says Ellen K. Mantus, NAS staff officer for the project.

A heavy machine operator was seriously injured on Friday after an explosion at a recycling yard in Puhi Metals in the island of Kauai, Hawaii

Machine operator injured in explosion at Kauai recycling yard
  (Image: Kauai Fire Department)

August 17th 2018, 9:32 pm EDT
By HNN Staff




 LIHUE, KAUAI (HawaiiNewsNow) -

A heavy machine operator was seriously injured on Friday after an explosion at a recycling yard in Puhi, according to the Kauai Fire Department.

The victim, a 38-year-old man, sustained severe burns to his arms and torso and was transported to the Wilcox Memorial Hospital.

A fire department spokesperson says the blast was first reported at around 8:30 a.m. The victim, an employee at Puhi Metals, was operating an excavator when a metal box ruptured and exploded.

Authorities say the man jumped off the excavator to say and remained conscious during the ordeal. Other employees at the facility used dry chemical extinguishers to bring the fire under control.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

a 5-gallon drum of hydrochloric acid spilled but was contained in the semi trailer that was hauling it in Baraboo, Wis.

BARABOO, WIS.

Baraboo firefighters and an ambulance crew responded at 1:46 p.m. Friday to a chemical spill in the 1200 block of Sauk Avenue.


Fire Chief Kevin Stieve said a 5-gallon drum of hydrochloric acid spilled but was contained in the semi trailer that was hauling it. Portage Fire Department’s hazardous materials team was called to mitigate and investigate.


The road was closed to traffic for more than two hours during the response and was reopened at 4:20 p.m. The area of Sauk Avenue affected includes several manufacturing companies.

The McFarlanes’ retail/manufacturing building evacuated after multiple employees felt ill in Sauk City, Wis.

Hazmat Incident Press release narrative:

At 11:08 hours on August 17th, 2018 the Sauk City Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched along with Sauk Prairie Ambulance to the 700 block of Carolina Street in the Village of Sauk City for a report of 6-7 employees feeling ill.

All emergency services responded to the northeast corner of the McFarlanes’ retail/manufacturing building, which a portion is currently leased to Quartz Insurance for office space. Upon arrival, responders were met by employees who started to evacuate the office area. It was determined by Command to evacuate the entire building. Police and Fire personnel completed the evacuation while Firefighters entered the office area with gas meters to evaluate air quality. During that time Sauk Prairie EMS started to assess 11 employees whose primary complaint were headaches. All were treated at the scene and no one was transported. Lamers Bus Service was contacted to supply a bus to the scene in the event of a prolonged incident. Sauk City was experiencing rain at the time.


Sauk City Firefighters were unable to find any level of carbon monoxide or other hazardous gases in the structure. The building remained evacuated until it was confirmed no air quality issues existed. All were able to return after approximately one half hour.
Sauk firefighters and other responders left the scene at 11:57 hours. There were no reported injuries.

Sauk City Fire was assisted by Sauk Prairie Ambulance, Sauk Prairie Police, Sauk County Sheriff and Lamers Bus Service.

Sauk City Fire Department Press Release
Incident Number: 18-118
Incident Type: Hazmat Investigation
Incident Date: 08/17/2018
Incident Time: 11:08 hours
Incident Commander: Sauk City Fire Department Lt. Jim Humbracht
Press Release Author: Sauk City Fire Department President Tom Wipperfurth
Press Release Subject: Hazmat Investigation with possible exposure to 7 employees
Location (Address): 700 block Carolina Street, Sauk City, Wisconsin
Structure Type: Large Commercial Structure
Cause of Fire: N/A
Fire Damage: N/A
Smoke Damage: N/A
Water Damage: N/A
Firefighter Injuries: none
Number of Firefighters: Sauk City 13
BACKFILL SAUK CITY FIREHOUSE: none
Number of Civilian Injuries Reported: none
Supporting Agencies: Sauk Prairie Ambulance, Sauk Prairie Police Department, Sauk County Sheriff's Office, Lamers Bus Lines
Units on Scene: Sauk City Engine 1, Car 8, Ladder 9
Sauk Prairie Ambulance 507, 508, 509

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

Sauk City, Wis. building evacuated after multiple employees felt ill


August 17, 2018




SAUK CITY, Wis. - 

Sauk City officials were called to the 700 block on Carolina Street Friday after receiving a report that multiple employees in a building there felt ill, according to a news release from the Volunteer Fire Department.

When firefighters arrived around 11 a.m., employees were already evacuating the building. Firefighters and fire personnel evaluated the air quality and did not find any level of carbon monoxide or other hazardous gases in the building.

Sauk Prairie EMS examined 11 employees who were complaining of headaches. All of the employees were treated at the scene. Employees were able to return to the building after about 30 minutes.

The fatal crash that took the life of the 2018 Volvo tanker truck driver Michael L. Kent, 53, was caused by a disabled Toyota Avalon blocking the right lane of I-495 northbound just south of the Philadelphia Pike at the dark of the night

The fatal crash that took the life of the 2018 Volvo tanker truck driver Michael L. Kent, 53, was caused by a disabled Toyota Avalon blocking the right lane of I-495 northbound just south of the Philadelphia Pike

Newark man dies in tanker truck crash on I-495

By Josh Shannon jshannon@chespub.com
August 13, 2018


A man from Newark died early Saturday when his tanker truck struck a disabled car on Interstate 495, police said.


The victim was identified as Michael L. Kent, 53, according to Master Cpl. Michael Austin, a spokesman for Delaware State Police.


The incident began when a 2014 Toyota Avalon broke down south of Philadelphia Pike in Claymont at around 3 a.m. and partially blocked the right lane of the interstate. The Toyota was struck by a 1998 Buick Le Sabre and then by a 2018 Volvo tanker truck driven by Kent.


The tanker truck, which was hauling molten sulfur, overturned onto its left side and slide across the highway, ultimately striking a guardrail. Kent died at the scene.


The driver of the Toyota, who had exited the car before the crash, was not hurt. Neither was the driver of the Buick.


I-495 was closed for 11 hours while police investigated and cleared the scene, though Austin said none of the molten sulfur leaked out of the tanker.

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

UPDATE: Delaware State Police have released details about what caused the fatal crash that closed northbound and southbound I-495 in Claymont for several hours Saturday

UPDATE Aug. 12, 11:53 a.m.:

The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating a fatal crash involving an overturned tractor trailer that happened at about 3:02 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 11 on I-495 northbound just south of the Philadelphia Pike in Claymont.

The initial investigation has determined that a 2014 Toyota Avalon had become disabled and was partially blocking the right lane of I-495 northbound, about a quarter-mile south of the Philadelphia Pike off-ramp.

A 1998 Buick Le Sabre, driven by a 27-year-old Philadelphia woman, was traveling north on I-495 in the right lane when she saw the disabled vehicle and swerved left to avoid a collision, but could not do so. The right side of the Buick struck the left side of the Toyota.

The Toyota remained disabled in the right lane.

A 53-year-old Newark man was driving north in a 2018 Volvo tanker truck and couldn’t stop in time to avoid a collision with the disabled vehicle in the right lane. The front of his truck hit the rear of the Toyota, and the truck turned on its side and slid. The cab portion of the Volvo struck a guard rail before the truck stopped.

The driver of the Volvo tanker truck, who was properly restrained, was pronounced deceased at the scene, police said. Identification is pending next of kin notification.

The collision with the truck pushed the Toyota off the right side of the road where it struck a guardrail and then rolled down an embankment before stopping.

The driver of the Toyota, a 46-year-old Philadelphia man, had exited the car when it became disabled. He wasn’t injured.


The woman driving the Buick brought her car to a controlled stop and remained at the scene. She was properly restrained and wasn’t injured, police said.

The tanker truck was carrying molten sulfur. There was no leakage, but the road was closed for about 11 hours while the scene was investigated and cleared.

The investigation is continuing and police are asking anyone with information to call Cpl. Forester of the Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit at (302) 365-8485.

Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or on the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com

UPDATE Aug. 11, 2:38 p.m.:

Both northbound and southbound I-495 have reopened as of 2:38 p.m., according to Delaware State Police.

UPDATE Aug. 11, 12:50 p.m.:


Northbound I-495 has reopened in Claymont but southbound I-495 remains closed as of 12:50 p.m., according to Delaware State Police.

ORIGINAL REPORT Aug. 11:

Delaware State Police are investigating a fatal crash involving an overturned tractor trailer that occurred at 3:02 a.m. today, Saturday, Aug. 11, on I-495 northbound just south of Philadelphia Pike in Claymont.

As a result of the crash, I-495 northbound was closed between Edgemoor Road and Philadelphia Pike, and I-495 southbound was closed between Edgemoor Road and the Pennsylvania state line.

Police said they anticipate the road being closed for an extended period of time. There is no projected time for the re-opening at this point as the investigation and clean-up operation continue.

For updated road closure information click on the following link:

http://www.deldot.gov/Traffic/travel_advisory/index.shtml#advisories.

The investigation is in the early stages and more details will be released as they become available, police said.=====================================


CLAYMONT, DE (CBS) — 

Officials have revealed the cause of the fatal crash involving a tractor-trailer that shut down I-495 on Saturday.

According to the Delaware State Police, the crash was caused by a disabled vehicle blocking the right lane of I-495 northbound just south of the Philadelphia Pike.


The crash happened at approximately 3:02 shortly after an earlier crash caused by that same vehicle, a Toyota Avalon, blocking the right lane.

Police say that the first accident happened when a woman, 27, swerved to avoid a collision with the broken down car. Unfortunately, she failed to do so and the right side of her Buick hit the left side of the Toyota.

She had noticed the vehicle blocking the lane too late to avoid hitting it, said police. The woman, who was properly restrained when the accident occurred, remained unharmed.
The right lane remained blocked following this initial accident and it was at this time, the tractor-trailer came traveling up the right lane.

Failing to see the disabled Toyota, the 53-year-old truck driver hit the rear end of the car. That collision caused the tractor-trailer to overturn onto its left side where it began to slide, struck a guardrail, and then finally came to a stop. 

This second collision forced the Toyota off the right side of the roadway where it also struck a guardrail before rolling down an embankment. 

The driver of the disabled Toyota, a 46-year-old man from Philadelphia, had exited his vehicle when the car broke down and was also uninjured.


Unfortunately, although properly restrained, the driver of the tractor-trailer was pronounced dead at the scene. 

He has not yet been identified. 

Officials say that there was no leakage of the molten sulfur that the tractor-trailer was transporting; however, the roadway was closed for approximately 11 hours while the scene was investigated and cleared. 

The investigation is still ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Cpl. J. Forester of the Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit at 302-365-8485.

A fatal boating accident that killed Jeffrey A Krowchak, 57, of Ligonier in Gilpin, PA may have been caused by very high speeding in rough waters of the Allegheny River

Jeffrey A. Krowchak, 57, of Ligonier was killed when his watercraft crashed on the Allegheny River near Godfrey Landing in Gilpin just after 3 p.m.

Rough water, high speed may have combined in fatal Gilpin boat crash



Emily Balser | Monday, Aug. 6, 2018, 2:06 p.m.

Gilpin, Pa.

 
Investigators believe a fatal boating accident that happened Sunday in Gilpin may have been caused by rough waters.

Jeffrey A. Krowchak, 57, of Ligonier was killed when his watercraft crashed on the Allegheny River near Godfrey Landing in Gilpin just after 3 p.m.

Krowchak was transported to Allegheny Valley Hospital after being pulled from the water by other boaters who began CPR. He was pronounced dead just after 4:30 p.m.

The state Fish and Boat Commission is investigating the accident because it happened on the water.

“According to witnesses he lost control of the boat on rough water,” said Col. Corey Britcher with the commission’s law enforcement bureau.

Britcher said investigators don’t know the exact type of boat Krowchak was on because it sank, but witnesses described it as a “racing-type of watercraft.” He was the only person on board when the accident happened.

Britcher said they haven’t determined an official cause of the accident since it’s still under investigation.

An official cause of death of blunt impact injury to the head, neck and torso was released Monday by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. The manner of death is ruled as accidental.

Gilberto Medina, who lives in Florida, but vacations at Godfrey Landing in the summers, said he witnessed the entire accident from his deck.

He said there were several boats in the area creating wakes going in multiple directions and Krowchak had been traveling on the river at a high rate of speed.

“When he hit the convergence of those waves, which was just right about in front of me, his boat hit the water and went up in the air and then straight down backwards,” Medina said. “I could not believe I just saw that—almost like a rocket ship taking off.”

Medina said the other boaters on the water immediately came over to get Krowchak out of the water and called out to the people on land to call 911 because he was unresponsive.

“That boat sunk in three minutes, it went down in no time,” he said. “It was horrendous.”

Medina said he didn’t know Krowchak and it didn’t appear anyone else in the area knew him either.

Britcher cautioned other boaters who may be out on the water this summer.

“It’s very important that people know their craft and know their capabilities,” he said. “Pay attention to the water—the water’s very unforgiving, especially after all the rain we’ve had.” 

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

Other boaters pulled one of their own from the waters of the Allegheny River Sunday after the man's boat sunk. But it was too late.

According to TribLive.com, the distressed boater, identified as Jeffrey Krowchak, 57, of Ligonier, Pa., was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Gilpin, Pa., police Chief Lee Shumaker told TribLive.com Krowchak was the sole occupant of the watercraft, which sank near Godfrey Landing in Gilpin.

The boating accident was reported on the Allegheny just after 3 p.m. Sunday.

During the response to the accident, Armstrong County 911 dispatchers indicated the man was suffering from cardiac arrest and that CPR was in progress, TribLive.com reported.

There was no immediate word on why the boat sank.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is investigating.

 

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

KROWCHAK, JEFFREY A.


Age 57, of Ligonier, unexpectedly on Sunday, August 05, 2018 in a boat crash. 

Beloved husband of Tracy (Varlotta) Krowchak; treasured son of Carol Holick and the late Peter Krowchak; loving father of Peter, Nicolette (fiancé Brent), Alexis, Jacob, Lukas Krowchak and stepson Nicholas Legato; cherished grandfather of Alyona, Easton, and Bella; caring brother of Shelley Gialluca and the late Keith and Peter "Steve" Krowchak; also survived by many loving family members. 

Jeff and Tracy developed a strong friendship in high school and reconnected after 35 years, marrying last August. Their wedding gift was their dog, Shelby, who Jeff adored. 

He loved the water and boating and also was an avid hunter, fisherman, and car enthusiast. Jeff was skilled at converting resources such as wood and concrete and turning them into pieces of art. 

He was a member of LABORERS' LOCAL #373 of Pittsburgh. Friends received 4 - 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9:30 until time of 10:30 funeral service at MAURICE L. KNEE, LTD. FUNERAL HOME, 7663 Saltsburg Rd. (across from S & T Bank) Plum, PA 15239.

2 workers in critical condition after they were found unconscious - overcome by carbon monoxide and suffered chemical burns - inside Fresh Catch Seafood Market on Route 22 in North Plainfield, New Jersey

2 workers found unconscious - overcome by carbon monoxide and suffered chemical burns - inside Fresh Catch Seafood Market on RT 22 in North Plainfield at 5pm. Victims are in critical condition. Market is under renovation. 4 businesses in building evacuated. Market will be closed tomorrow; other businesses cleared to reopen.

Saturday, August 18, 2018


NORTH PLAINFIELD, New Jersey (WABC) --

Two people were found unconscious due to carbon monoxide poisoning at a seafood market in New Jersey.

The victims were discovered by two workers late Saturday afternoon at the Fresh Catch Seafood Market in North Plainfield late Saturday afternoon. The market is currently under renovation.

Officials say the victims were burned by some type of chemical.

It happened on Route 22 around 5 p.m. Saturday where there are four businesses - all of which were open and had to be evacuated. Dozens of first responders rushed to the scene.

"We unfortunately had a low amount of manpower due to other calls in town. So arriving here with two crucial patients trying to separate them, trying to get them the help that they needed, that was our biggest concern as well as evacuating the rest of the structure, making sure nobody else felt ill," said Lieutenant Tom McDonald of the North Plainfield Fire Department.

The other businesses in the strip mall have been cleared to re-open for business on Sunday. The seafood market will remain closed.

The cause of the carbon monoxide leak is still under investigation.



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


2 in critical condition from carbon monoxide poisoning
August 18, 2018





By Matt Gray

mgray@njadvancemedia.com

For NJ.com

Two patients are in critical condition after they were overcome by carbon monoxide inside a North Plainfield business on Saturday evening.

North Plainfield Fire Department personnel responded to the Fresh Catch Seafood Market on Route 22 just after 5 p.m. and found a man and a woman unresponsive and suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to fire Capt. James DiPaolo.

One of them was suffering from chemical burns, he added.

The business was closed for renovations and cleaning at the time, DiPaolo said, but it wasn't clear if the two victims, who have not been identified, were hired for renovations or were affiliated with the seafood market.

Officials also could not say what the pair were doing when they were overcome.

Carbon monoxide in the building was measured at 1,500 to 2,000 parts per million, which is a potentially fatal level, DiPaolo said.

Fire officials didn't know which hospital was treating the patients.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation.