Leaking propane gas caused the explosion at a house west of Laramie that burned two people, Kimberly Brizuela and Scott Tiernan, 67, and later resulting in Scott Tiernan's death.

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) -


Authorities say propane gas caused the explosion at a house west of Laramie that burned two people, later resulting in a man's death.

The Laramie Boomerang reports the Albany County Sheriff's Office has completed its investigation into the explosion and subsequent fire at the home near Sheep Mountain in late July.

The explosion injured Kimberly Brizuela and Scott Tiernan, who later died at a Greely hospital.

Undersheriff Josh DeBree says propane gas was responsible, but additional findings will be up to the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office. He says there was no evidence indicating a methamphetamine lab at the site, which was rumored by area residents. The state investigation is ongoing.

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

William Scott Tiernan, who grew up in Delray Beach, died July 27 in Laramie, Wyo. He was 67.
Mr. Tiernan — who went by “Grand Dude” when with his grandchildren and by “Wild Bill” when on his Wyoming ranch — was born in West Orange, N.J., on May 18, 1951. The second of four kids, he grew up on the ocean in Delray Beach and spent his childhood summers surfing on Cape Cod and in East Hampton. 

He attended high school at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut, where he lettered in football, wrestling and lacrosse. After graduation, he served on the school’s board and donated a wrestling room in honor of his late father, John W. Tiernan.

After a series of adventures and surf trips around the world, Mr. Tiernan moved to Gulf Stream — just down the road from the home he grew up in — where he became a partner in the real estate brokerage firm Allmon, Tiernan & Ely. He also served on the board of his family’s company, Mark, Fore & Strike. After his retirement, he bought a property just outside Laramie, where he built a ranch and enjoyed making huge metal sculptures — much to his kids’ and grandkids’ delight. 

A massive methane gas explosion Thursday at the sludge concentration building of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago caused part of the roof of the plant to collapse, injuring 10 people

 The roof of the plant rests on the ground after Thursday's collapse.

 Part of the roof of the plant collapsed Thursday morning.

First responders search through rubble after an explosion at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago.


Chicago water plant collapses after methane gas explosion, injuring 10
A buildup of methane gas is suspected of causing an explosion at Cook County's oldest water treatment plant on the Far South Side Thursday morning, collapsing a roof and seriously injuring 10 workers, two of them trapped under steal beams and rubble.

By Amanda Watts and Eric Levenson, CNN

Thursday, August 30, 2018

(CNN) A methane gas explosion Thursday at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago caused part of the plant to collapse, injuring 10 people there, according to Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MRWD) of Greater Chicago. 

"There has been an explosion in the sludge concentration building at the Calumet water reclamation plant," the full statement from agency says. "There are injuries. Emergency crews are on the scene. We have no additional informational at this time."

The roof of the sludge concentration building collapsed at 11 a.m., MRWD said. Two people were trapped and were excavated from the building, and a total of 10 people were injured and transported to local hospitals. The cause of the collapse is under investigation.

Aerial video of the scene shows that the roof collapsed in one section of the building, and first responders on the scene were digging through the rubble.

A tweet from Chicago Fire says they are responding to an incident at the plant. The plant is located in Riverside, south of Chicago.


The roof of the plant rests on the ground after Thursday's collapse.

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



A buildup of methane gas is suspected of causing an explosion at Cook County's oldest water treatment plant on the Far South Side Thursday morning, collapsing a roof and seriously injuring 10 workers, two of them trapped under steal beams and rubble.

One of the trapped workers was rescued about 20 minutes after the blast ripped through a sludge concentration building at the Calumet Water Treatment Plant at 400 E. 130th Street around 11 a.m., according to Chicago fire officials.


The second worker was "buried and entombed" by fallen debris, and it took firefighters two hours to free him, Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago told reporters. Specially trained firefighters tunneled underneath the rubble to reach the worker, who remained conscious.

"Companies had to dig six feet down and then tunnel their way across 20 feet to the victim," said Santiago, whose last day on the job was Thursday.

Firefighters removed a metal beam from the worker's legs while paramedics worked to keep the worker from going into shock, the commissioner said. The emergency crews made sure to relieve pressure on the worker's arms and legs so he would not face amputation.

The worker was airlifted to the University of Chicago Medical Center with leg injuries and a broken jaw. He was listed in critical condition but was described as alert.

"Took a lot of training, a lot of exercise," said William Vogt, in charge of fire operations at the scene. "They went to work on this guy and they did a phenomenal job. It was a very dangerous situation but they made sure they had everything stored properly."

All of the other injured were listed in serious-to-critical condition as they were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, University of Chicago Medical Center, Stroger Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The plant is the oldest of seven MWRD water treatment facilities, according to the agency's website. It began operations in 1922 and serves more than 1 million people in a 300 square-mile area in the southern portion of Cook County. There was no immediate word from the district how the explosion will affect operations.

Methane is a byproduct of the treatment process, and officials said they were investigating whether a buildup of the gas caused the explosion in the one-story brick building.

Lamar Herron said he was visiting a friend at the Altgeld Gardens housing project when he heard a massive boom.

As he and the friend started toward the source of the noise, Herron said. "You could see the big black smoke that was over there," he said.

Herron said he and the friend got in a car and followed first responders to the scene and watched as the relatives of some workers tried to get inside.

One of them was Gina Ruiz, who had received a call from her husband Bill, a pipefitter who had been working inside the building under contract with the MWRD. In a garbled message, her husband said there had been an explosion there and that numerous co-workers, including his partner, were trapped inside.

She left her job in south suburban Matteson and cried as her mother drove her to the scene across from the Altgeld Gardens housing complex. Soon after arriving, Ruiz learned her husband had been battered by falling pieces of the roof but was OK.

"He just said there were a lot of guys trapped inside," she told reporters outside the building as she waited for his ambulance to take him to Northwestern.

Ruiz told his wife the explosion sounded as if it came from below ground, leading workers to speculate that it occurred in the sewer pipes underneath the building.

"He said (the explosion) blew the roof off and (it) came back down," she said.

Ruiz initially ran with the explosion, but tried to get back when he realized his partner was partially lodged under fallen concrete.

Special operations chief Timothy Walsh said two paramedics went into the hole tunneled by fire crews and began treatment on one of the trapped workers while emergency medical staff were in constant contact with University of Chicago doctors.

"We sent two paramedics down from the rescue teams who started treatment on him immediately," he said. "We started an IV on him. We were in (contact) with the University of Chicago. We medicated that patient because we were worried about a collapse injury."

The children of Jeanne Jasa have accused the city of Lincoln, Lancaster County and natural gas provider Black Hills Energy of negligently causing the wrongful death of the woman who was killed when her house exploded a year ago.

Jeanne Jasa, died in the blast

Children of woman killed in Lincoln house explosion accuse city, utility of negligence in blast

RILEY JOHNSON Lincoln Journal Star

August 28, 2018





The children of Jeanne Jasa have accused the city of Lincoln, Lancaster County and natural gas provider Black Hills Energy of negligently causing the wrongful death of the woman who was killed when her house exploded a year ago.

Lincoln police are still investigating the Aug. 14, 2017, blast and have not ruled out foul play. Earlier this month, Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister said his investigators need more time to follow up leads in the case.


But the attorney for Jasa's daughter, Amy Roche, and son, Matt Jasa, laid blame on the city, county and the utility in a tort claim seeking more than $4 million. The tort claim, filed shortly before the anniversary of the explosion, preserves the family's ability to file a civil lawsuit.


Jasa, 66, died Aug. 29, 2017, from burn injuries she sustained in the blast. Her husband, Jimmy Jasa, died from his injuries in hospice care May 2.


The natural gas explosion at 5601 S. 78th St. damaged 33 other homes and led to a prolonged police and fire investigation into its cause.


Investigators a day after the blast ruled out an external gas leak as the cause, and police concluded natural gas provider Black Hills Energy wasn't responsible.


The Jasas were the only people in the home at the time, and police weren't looking for anyone else in connection with the blast, the chief has said.


But the family, in its seven-page claim filed with the city, said Black Hills infrastructure and its safety and warning devices failed to regulate the natural gas in the home and allowed the house to fill with gas.


"But for the negligent acts of Black Hills, Jeanne would be alive today," attorney Brian Jorde said in the claim.


A spokeswoman for the utility declined to comment on the pending litigation.


Assistant City Attorney Elizabeth Elliott said she has not made a formal decision on the claim, and the pending police probe and review by the Lancaster County Attorney's Office is waiting on her assessment of the case.


"I prefer to have all of the information before I make a decision,” Elliott said.


Elliott said she believes she may have the information she needs in a couple of weeks to make a recommendation to the City Council, which would decide whether to pay or deny the claim.


A civil lawsuit can be filed only if six months have passed from the filing of a tort claim or if the political subdivision has ruled on it.


In an email, Jorde said he represents only the estate of Jeanne Jasa, and her family has not decided whether to file a lawsuit yet.


That decision will be made once the family has been able to review the available evidence, which is limited in part because a lot of evidence was destroyed in the fire, he said.


Asked whether Jeanne Jasa's children believe the fire was caused accidentally, Jorde said the absence of criminal charges against anyone in the case "leads us to believe the city/county does not believe this explosion was anything other than a terrible accident that never should have occurred."


The claim seeks at least $2 million in damages for Jeanne Jasa's pain and suffering, at least $2 million for her wrongful death and at least $75,000 for her medical bills.


The Jasas' children had not filed a similar tort claim on their father's behalf as of Tuesday.

Leak in a 23-year-old stove caused explosion, fire that destroyed Lincoln four-plex

Crews fight a blaze near 29th and N streets Wednesday morning. LAUREN WAGNER, For the Journal Star

Leak in 23-year-old stove stove caused explosion, fire that destroyed Lincoln four-plex, investigator says

Lincoln Journal Star

August 29, 2018

 

Tenants and a passer-by at a central Lincoln four-plex had smelled rotten eggs and suspected leaking natural gas in the days before an explosion and fire there but no one called 911, a fire investigator said Wednesday.

The fire Aug. 22 that destroyed the building at 2912 N St. and displaced the tenants was blamed on a 23-year-old stove, Lincoln fire investigators Don Gross said.

No one was in the basement apartment when the oven exploded just after 6 a.m., and other tenants in the building escaped unharmed, he said.

Gross believes the old stove had been leaking for quite a while and the oven's pilot light ultimately ignited the blaze, he said.

The fire rendered the two-story building a total loss. It was valued for tax purposes at $98,900.

Damage to the contents inside the four apartments was estimated at $25,000.

Gross said the leak could have been identified and stopped if any of the tenants or a dog-walker had reported the odd smell to a landlord or to fire officials.

A fireball of hydrogen gas erupted from a tank truck hauling 2,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen at Veridiam, damaging the tank truck and prompting evacuations at several businesses and homes in El Cajon Wednesday morning

Hydrogen gas flashed over and leaked from a truck's tank at an El Cajon business on Wednesday, prompting evacuations from other businesses, residences and schools for two blocks. (John Gibbins/ San Diego Union-Tribune) 



Hydrogen tank gas leak, flash-over fire prompts evacuations in El Cajon




Pauline Repard


A fireball of hydrogen gas erupted from a tank, damaging the tank truck and prompting evacuations at several businesses, schools and homes in El Cajon for a few hours Wednesday morning.

No one was injured, and the large tank, used to haul 1,500 to 2,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen, did not explode, authorities said.

The blast of gas did make a large, explosive noise, officials and one witness said.

However, because of the danger of a blast while gas vented from the tank, employees quickly evacuated from Veridiam, an industrial business where the truck parked and off-loaded the hydrogen, Heartland Fire and Rescue spokesman Mark Casey said.

The truck was backed up to an even larger tank at Veridiam.

About 150 students at Idea Center High School, Chaparral High School and Merit Academy were evacuated to the gymnasium at Grossmont High School to be reunited with their parents, Grossmont Union High School District spokeswoman Catherine Martin said.

She said classes were cancelled for the rest of the day.

Heartland fire dispatchers got reports around 8:10 a.m. of an explosion and fire involving a hydrogen truck on West Bradley Avenue, just south of Gillespie Field. The correct location turned out to be next to Veridiam on Cuyamaca Street, Casey said.

Sheriff's deputies helped people leave businesses and residences within a two-block radius, and Cuyamaca was blocked between West Bradley and Billy Mitchell Drive. Several trolley lines were rerouted during the incident.

San Diego city and county hazmat teams were sent to the scene.

David Hunter, who works in the area, said he heard sound of the gas exploding out of the tank valve.

“It was a pretty good explosion that shook the lower buildings down here,” said Hunter, a maintenance supervisor at a 96-unit condominium complex. He said he though at first that the noise might have resulted from a big traffic collision.

He said he didn’t see smoke in the air when he walked outside. Within minutes, he saw firetrucks, hazmat teams and other emergency response vehicles flooding the area, many of them heading toward the nearby Idea Center.

Fire officials said the liquid hydrogen was being delivered to Veridiam and pumped from the truck’s tank to a tank alongside the business.


Veridiam’s website says it manufactures metal tubing and components used in medical, dental, nuclear and industrial parts. Veridiam is a customer of a chemical company known as Linde.

The truck drivers told fire officials that the gas was venting through a safety valve. A ball of flame damaged only the truck, Heartland Battalion Chief Chris Case said.

“Some malfunction caused the safety valve to release,” Case told reporters.

Crews shut one or more valves at the tank to stop the leak. The threat of danger had ended by 10:30 a.m.

Dozens of evacuated workers sought the shade of trees along Cuyamaca Street. Firefighters who had stopped by said they were trying to find local businesses that would allow them to use restrooms if needed.

Evacuations were lifted in stages.

Representatives from Veridiam and Linde said in an email that operations resumed Wednesday after the fire was contained. A spokeswoman from Linde said the company is cooperating fully with authorities as the investigation continues.

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






Tanker Filled With Liquid Hydrogen Catches Fire at El Cajon Business Park
The business is located south of Gillespie Field, east of Cuyamaca Street and north of Fletcher Parkway.

By R. Stickney

August 29, 2018



A tanker truck filled with liquid hydrogen caught fire Wednesday in an El Cajon business park, Heartland Fire & Rescue officials confirmed.



Firefighters were called to Veridiam, a manufacturing plant located at 1717 Cuyamaca Street just after 8 a.m. for a report of an explosion.

They found a tanker truck known to be carrying between 1,500 to 2,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen on fire.

"It felt like a really small earthquake," Kyle Feliberty said. He works at a business near Veridiam. "The walls kind of shook a little bit, loud crash, but it didn't last long like a normal earthquake would."

Schools Evacuated Due to Fire on Hydrogen-Filled Tanker

(Published Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018)

 

Hazmat crew members were making entry into the area just before 10 a.m.

“The product is being burnt off as it’s venting so there is no hazmat issue that residents should be concerned about. If you’re sheltered in place, you should be OK at this time,” said acting Battalion Chief Chris Case.

The venting process was part of an automatic safety feature on the truck, Case said. It began while crews were offloading the truck's product. 

Schools Evacuated Due to Fire on Hydrogen-Filled Tanker

The fire was contained to the truck and there did not appear to be evidence that the truck exploded, Case said.

Case said he was not told what started the fire. 

"The product is flammable and when it's exhausted from a vent there are a number of things could spark a flame," Case said.

3 Schools Evacuated After Fire in El Cajon

 

It was not clear what the liquid hydrogen was being used for at Veridian. The tanker was delivering it there.

Approximately 150 students from IDEA Center, Chaparral and Merit Academy were moved to Grossmont High School.

Busses pulled into one of the campuses to load the students for the drive to Grossmont HS located at 1100 Murray Drive. By 9:30 p.m., a district spokesperson said all students were removed from the area. 

Tanker Truck Filled With Liquid Hydrogen Caught Fire

NBC 7's Audra Stafford reports from Bradley and Cuyamaca in El Cajon where three schools were evacuated after the fire at a manufacturing business.

(Published Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018)

 

Fire officials warned nearby businesses and residents to avoid the area for four hours. 

El Cajon police officers were also called to help handle traffic. 

San Diego Metropolitan Systems said the Sycuan Green Line was rerouted at Arnele Station and the Orange Line was rerouted at El Cajon Transit Center. Commuters using these trolley lines should expect delays. 

The business park is located south of Gillespie Field, east of Cuyamaca Street and north of Fletcher Parkway. It is situated directly across the street from Idea Center High School and a block from Chaparral High School.

Road construction worker employed by Concrete and Materials Placement, Inc. died while operating a concrete truck on Pamplico Highway in Pamplico, SC

OSHA investigates after person dies on job site in Pamplico

By: Jessica Minch

August 29, 2018

 

PAMPLICO, SC (WBTW) - 

OSHA is investigating after a person died on a job site in Florence County.

Florence County Coroner Keith Von Lutcken said a person died on a job site on Tuesday morning on Pamplico Highway in Pamplico. The victim died while operating a concrete truck and an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.

Holly Beeson, with the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, said SC OSHA is investigating a workplace fatality that occurred around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Beeson also said the employer is Concrete and Materials Placement.

Investigations generally take at least eight weeks and SC OSHA looks for any violations that may have contributed to this incident, said Beeson.

CARBON MONOXIDE, THE SILENT KILLER: Traveling with a boat at slow speeds or idling in the water can cause carbon monoxide to build up in a boat’s cabin, cockpit, bridge, and aft deck, or in an open area

Workplace Medical Mystery Solved: Water Patrol Deputy Gets Sick Out on the Lake


Posted on August 30, 2018 by Stephanie Stevens, MA



Jim worked as a water patrol deputy for the county sheriff’s office. While working a 10-hour shift in the hot sun over a busy holiday weekend he began to feel sick. It started with a headache while he was working in a channel where hundreds of boaters congregate for a floating party. He then became dizzy and started to slur his speech. Jim’s patrol partner rushed him to the shore where medics took him to the hospital. Read more about his case here.

At first it seemed Jim may be suffering from heat exhaustion, however, his slurred speech indicated something more severe. While his symptoms were consistent with heat exhaustion, emergency department staff also tested a sample of Jim’s blood for carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), a marker of carbon monoxide exposure, after learning that he had been on a boat for most of the day. Test results indicated Jim was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning with a COHb concentration of 20%.

Carboxyhemoglobin is a substance made in your blood when hemoglobin, a part of red blood cells, binds with carbon monoxide instead of oxygen. Concentrations of COHb greater than 15% can be potentially toxic. Smoking tobacco increases the amount of CO in the blood so smokers are at greater risk of CO poisoning when exposed to another source of CO, such as potentially elevated CO levels in the channel that day, which may have been caused by excessive boat traffic. 
Photo by NIOSH

Jim was given 100% oxygen through a facemask placed over his nose and mouth and will make a full recovery.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that can poison or kill someone who breathes too much of it. It is produced any time a fossil fuel is burned. Gasoline-powered engines on boats, including onboard generators, produce CO. Traveling at slow speeds or idling in the water can cause CO to build up in a boat’s cabin, cockpit, bridge, and aft deck, or in an open area. The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. High levels of CO inhalation can cause death. If near water, such as on a boat, CO poisoning can also cause a person to pass out and fall into the water and drown.

Some steps that could be taken to reduce the health hazard for the water patrol unit employees in this fictional account include: 

• Determine what actions could be taken to reduce overall CO concentrations within an area where concentrations are found to be high, thus reducing the potential for employee over-exposure. Measures might include limiting the number of boats in certain areas or enforcing a “no idle” policy when boats are stationary.
• Employees assigned to duty on boats should receive training about the health effects of CO, how to recognize symptoms of CO poisoning in themselves and co-workers and work-practices that can reduce exposure to vehicle and boat exhaust.
• In areas where CO concentrations are determined to be elevated, until the CO concentrations can be reduced, employee assignments should be rotated periodically to areas where CO exposure does not occur.
• An employee exposure monitoring program can be developed to determine patterns of overexposure for employees (i.e., are they overexposed only on warm-weather holiday weekends, or at other times or during certain job tasks) and to ensure that control measures such as assignment rotation, or reduction of CO concentrations within an area with excessive CO concentrations, are effective.
• Employees should be encouraged to report symptoms of CO poisoning to designated health and safety personnel and should be provided with appropriate medical evaluation of symptoms.

Visit the NIOSH website for more information on how to prevent CO poisoning on boats.

Stephanie Stevens, MA, is a Health Communication Specialist in the NIOSH Office of the Director.



Workplace Medical Mysteries are fictional, however, they are loosely based on Health Hazard Evaluations (HHE) conducted by NIOSH or other reports by NIOSH and other sources, and any recommendations made herein were for the specific facility evaluated and may not be universally applicable. Any recommendations made are not to be considered as final statements of NIOSH policy or of any agency or individual involved. HHEs are publicly available at https://www2a.cdc.gov/hhe/search.asp, but the names of individuals and facilities mentioned in this series have been changed to protect their identities. For more information on the NIOSH HHE program, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/.


Sources:

McCleery, R.E., Tapp, L., McCammon, J., Dunn, K.L. (2004); Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2002-0393-2928. Retrieved from: www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2002-0393-2928.pdf.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2004, April 23). Carbon Monoxide Poisonings Resulting from Open Air Exposures to Operating Motorboats — Lake Havasu City, Arizona, 2003. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Retrieved from: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5315a3.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning on Your Boat.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

Mayo Clinic. (2018). Carbon monoxide poisoning. Quest Diagnostics. Carboxyhemoglobin, Blood.
===================================


Being on a motor boat on Long Island Sound or a Connecticut’s lake, it’s hard to imagine people being exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning. 

But it’s a real danger says the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
In fact, in the last two years 14 boaters have died and hundreds sickened, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. CO poisoning has been called the ‘silent killer” because the invisible gas is odorless and early symptoms are similar to being seasick.

And the growing popularity of wake surfing and other towed water sports - that keep the participants close to the exhaust ports of a boats - exposes them to even more danger.
On DEEP’s Boating in Connecticut’s Facebook page, it posted a photo of a boat cruising on the water.

“What’s wrong in this picture? If you have taken our Safe Boating class hopefully you’ll remember, nothing is ‘wrong’ in this picture. If you haven’t taken our class or need a refresher, look at the flag. Which way is it blowing? We use this picture to raise your awareness of a silent killer - Carbon monoxide.”

More Information

How to prevent CO poisoning on boats

Install and maintain a working CO detector listed by Underwriters' Laboratories as appropriate for marine use inside the boat to alert people when dangerous levels of CO have built up inside the boat cabin.

Properly install and maintain all fuel-burning engines and appliances.

Educate all passengers about the signs and symptoms of CO poisoning.

Swim and play away from areas where engines vent their exhaust.

Watch children closely when they play on rear swim decks or water platforms.

Never block exhaust outlets. Blocking outlets can cause CO to build up in the cabin and cockpit areas-even when hatches, windows, portholes, and doors are closed.

Dock, beach, or anchor at least 20 feet away from the nearest boat that is running a generator or engine. Exhaust from a nearby vessel can send CO into the cabin and cockpit of a boat.

The flag was blowing in the opposite direction. The same direction that fumes from the boat’s exhaust were going.

“Many times the early symptoms resemble seasickness - headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas and in severe case of COP victims can die without any signs,” DEEP says, “so those affected may not receive the medical attention they need.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, larger boats, such as houseboats, sometimes have generators that vent toward the rear of the boat. This venting poses a danger of CO poisoning to people on the rear swim deck or water platform. On larger boats CO builds up above the water near the water platform. CO that builds up in the air space beneath the stern deck or on and near the swim deck can kill someone in seconds, the CDC says.

“Traveling at slow speeds or idling in the water can cause CO to build up in a boat’s cabin, cockpit, bridge, and aft deck, or in an open area,” the CDC says. “Wind from the aft section of the boat can increase this buildup of CO. Back drafting can cause CO to build up inside the cabin, cockpit, and bridge when a boat is operated at a high bow angle, is improperly or heavily loaded, or has an opening that draws in exhaust.”

The U.S. Coast Guard says sources on a boat may include engines, gas generators, cooking ranges, and space and water heaters.

While many new boats come already come with CO detectors, owners of older boats need to install them.

Only Minnesota has a state law requiring any motorcoat with an “enclosed accomodation area” to have CO detectors. It was named “Sofia’s Law” after the death of 7-year-old Sophia Baechler, who died in 2015 after carbon monoxcide leaked from a hole in a boat’s exhaust pipe.

The New York Assembly passed a similar bill in June, but needs a signature from Gov. Andrew Cuomo to become law

An 8000 gallon above ground gasoline tank at a local marina in Vermillion, Ohio developed a leak somewhere along its underground line connecting the fuel pumps along the dock.

Vermilion Gasoline/Asphalt Marina Discharge

Vermilion, OH | 2018-Aug-23

Initial Notification: 

On August 23, 2018, MSU Cleveland notified the NOAA SSC about an Incident that was discovered on Friday 17 August 2018. 

An 8000 gallon above ground gasoline tank at a local marina developed a leak somewhere along its underground line connecting the fuel pumps along the dock.

Approximately 829 gallons of gasoline is unaccounted. 

The majority of the product is believed to be saturated in the ground under the asphalt and slowly leaching out causing a rainbow sheen and deteriorated asphalt to enter the Vermilion River. 

USCG is requesting Resources at Risk.

Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) Chemical Release Incident Responses for July 2018

Incident Responses for July 2018

Posted Tue, 08/07/2018 - 16:53

Every month our Emergency Response Division provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard on everything from running oil spill trajectories to model where the spill may spread, to possible effects on wildlife and fisheries, and estimates on how long the oil may stay in the environment.

This month OR&R responded to 20 incidents, including oil discharges, sunken vessels, and hazardous material releases.

Here are some of July’s notable incidents:

Fuel Release on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska

On July 13, 2018 the U.S. Coast Guard received a report of a fuel spill in Gambell, Alaska. The amount releases was potentially 2,000 to 2,600 gallons of diesel or home heating oil. OR&R’s scientific support coordinator for the region was requested to discuss site characterization and potential spill response options.

Fishing Vessel Capsized in Nushagak Bay in Alaska

On July 25, 2018 the U.S. Coast Guard sector in Anchorage reported that a fishing vessel had capsized in Nushagak Bay, approximately 11 miles south of Dillingham, Alaska. The vessel, FV Pacific Knight, was reported to have 800 gallons of diesel and 300 gallons of hydraulic oil onboard at the time it went down. A sheen was observed on the water.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued an emergency fishing closure due to the 10 mile rainbow sheen that was observed during an overflight. Commercial fishing reopened on July 31.
A missing crew member has still not been located at this time. The cause of incident is still under investigation.

Fishing Vessel Sank in Alaska

On July 26, 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez reported that a fishing vessel sank near Cordova, Alaska. FV O’letta sank in 32 feet of water with an estimated 15,000 pounds of salmon on board. The vessel had an estimated 600 gallons of diesel on board. An oil sheen was observed and boom was deployed around the vessel.

The U.S. Coast Guard requested a report on the resources at risk in the area. The vessel was refloated and towed to Cordova. The majority of the oil and other fluids on board were recovered, and the sheen around the vessel was too thin to be skimmed.

On July 26, 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez reported that a fishing vessel sank near Cordova, Alaska. Image credit: Alaska Marine Refuge.

Here is the complete list of last month’s incidents, click on the links to find out more:

• Broken up vessel "Dickey Byrd"
• Abandon Building Discharge Port Huron, MI
• SEAPORT CANAVERAL NORTH CARGO PIER 1B
• F/V LEONA Sinking
• Grounded Longliner SEA GODDESS
• MAERSK SHANGHAI Marine Debris
• Vermillion Block 228 Discharge
• Hilcorp Pipeline Leak
• Gambell Fuel Release
• Sinking Fishing Vessel, LA
• Mystery Plume in Lake Michigan
• Subsea Ethylene Glycol release
• Romere Pass Crude Oil Spill
• Tug Sea Cypress Grounding
• Submerged Pipe Release, Huron, OH
• FV Pacific Knight
• FV O'letta
• Vessel MAKALII, Niihau, HI
• Fieldwood Energy Platform Mystery Sheen
• NESDIS Mystery Sheen GOM

Gas workers with United Steel Workers Locals 12003 and 12012 are raising new safety and cost concerns as National Grid’s lockout of 1,200 experienced employees enters its third month.

Gas Workers Raise New Safety and Cost Concerns as National Grid Lockout Enters Third Month


MEDIA CONTACT: Laura Wareck, lwareck@oneillandassoc.com, 978-660-9587

Gas workers with United Steel Workers Locals 12003 and 12012 are raising new safety and cost concerns as National Grid’s lockout of 1,200 experienced employees enters its third month.

National Grid’s decision to lock out workers rather than allow employees to continue doing their jobs while negotiations continue has become increasingly expensive. The company has already spent millions of dollars to cover a variety of costs, including a summer barbecue and housing for replacement workers and ongoing police details on worksites.

“It’s concerning that National Grid is wasting millions of dollars on a lockout that never needed to happen – particularly given the company’s history of trying to recoup those costs from Massachusetts’ ratepayers,” said John Buonopane, president of USW Local 12012. “This fall National Grid will be asking for $51 million from Massachusetts consumers in its upcoming rate case and is expecting to tack on another rate hike. National Grid says it cares about costs, but ultimately it’s ratepayers that will be on the hook for the company’s wasteful and reckless decisions.”

More than 50 potential safety violations by National Grid replacement contractors have been recorded and reported to the Department of Public Utilities since the lockout began. These violations, many of which have put workers and residents at risk, are a direct consequence of National Grid refusing to allow its most experienced and well-trained employees to enter job sites.

As a result, several major cities and more than a dozen local communities across Massachusetts have issued moratoriums or called for additional review of non-emergency National Grid projects, including Boston, Cambridge, Lowell, Somerville, Quincy, Revere, Abington, Arlington, Dracut, Braintree, Everett, Haverhill, Malden, Medford, Methuen, Milton, Stoneham and Weymouth.

“The reckless National Grid lockout is putting Massachusetts residents at risk and that’s why so many communities are taking action to halt non-emergency gas work,” said Joe Kirylo, President of USW Local 12003. “It makes no sense that National Grid continues to force its most knowledgeable and experienced workers to the sidelines, while inexperienced replacement workers are making mistakes on complicated and potentially dangerous jobs.”

Union leaders have also filed six lockout-related charges with the National Labor Relations Board, including at least one challenging the legality of the lockout. The lockout continues to take a toll on workers, who have been without paychecks and health insurance for over two months.

“Our workers have been scrambling to pay for essential medical care – not out of necessity, but because National Grid is using the paychecks and health insurance of workers and their families as leverage to strengthen its bargaining position,” added Buonopane. “We are continuing to negotiate, but so far National Grid has failed bring any serious proposals to the table that take into account public safety and the hard work of our members.”

National Grid’s refusal to negotiate a fair contract comes as the company’s profits soared 24 percent last year. The company also received a massive tax cut from the Trump Administration.

USW Locals 12003 and Local 12012 represent about 1,250 gas workers in more than 85 Massachusetts cities and towns.

For more information, please visit www.lockoutatnationalgrid.com

Union Pacific Railroad trains have been blocking access to homes on a Dodge County, NE lake for hours, causing some to worry about what would happen in an emergency

Residents say Union Pacific trains are blocking off lakeside neighborhood for hours

By Kevin Cole / World-Herald staff writer
August 24, 2018

Sitting at a railroad crossing for just a few minutes can test most any driver’s patience. Imagine waiting for hours for a train to move so you could get into or out of your neighborhood.


Union Pacific Railroad trains have been blocking access to homes on a Dodge County lake for hours, causing some to worry about what would happen in an emergency.


Incidents of trains blocking two county roads, preventing residents from getting into or out of Legge Lake, have occurred for several years, said Suzy Crabb, who has a home on the lake. The problem has escalated in the past week, Crabb said, with trains blocking both access roads to U.S. Highway 30 for four hours on Saturday, two to three hours on Sunday and more than six hours on Wednesday.


“My husband is a doctor, and one day last week he was two hours late because he couldn’t get out either of the access roads,” Crabb said. “We wonder what would happen if there were an emergency. One of our neighbors is elderly with a heart condition, and he’s very concerned.”


There’s no law against trains briefly blocking a crossing, but Nebraska Public Service Commission regulations require stopped trains to get moving within 10 minutes after a vehicle or pedestrian shows up. If a train can’t be moved down the track, the crew is supposed to separate enough cars to open the crossing.


Kristen South, a spokeswoman at U.P.’s Omaha headquarters, said a crew is working in the Legge Lake area, replacing concrete railroad ties. Weather-related problems also have contributed to congestion in the North Bend area, she said.


“Those issues have cleared, and the tie gang continues to work as quickly as possible,” South said. “We anticipate the gang to be in the area for another two weeks. We are doing everything possible to prevent extended blockages and leave at least one access point available to Legge Lake residents.”


Residents should call Union Pacific’s 24/7 Response Management Communications Center at 1-888-877-7267 in an emergency.



“Emergency protocols exist, and a train can be broken, if necessary,” she said.


Brad Schiermeyer, president of the Legge Lake Home Owners Association, said residents have complained to the railroad repeatedly without much result. He was among many residents who were unable to reach their homes Wednesday because a very long train blocked both country roads.


“Yesterday is the longest that I’ve ever had to wait,” said Schiermeyer, who has been at the lake for 30 years. “I came home to meet someone for work on my house and ended up turning around and going back to work in Fremont. Then I came home about 4 o’clock and the exact same train was still there until 6:15.”


Dodge County Attorney Oliver Glass said he was alerted to the access problems Thursday and contacted the Sheriff’s Office.


“I’m concerned about the Legge Lake residents and their ability to freely move about,” Glass said. “State law appears to show we could cite the railroad for a misdemeanor offense punishable by a $500 fine, but I am hoping that the situation can be resolved through open communication with the residents and the railroad.”

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VERIFY: How long can a train legally block a crossing?
A 13News Now viewer wants to know if there are mandates on the maximum length of freight trains allowed to pass through city limits and if there's a legal time limit that train may block a crossing.


Author: Ashley Smith

May 14, 2018


NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- 

Your ride around town is smooth as silk... and then, you see it up ahead.

The lights flash, the arms go down, and traffic comes to a halt. With no way to turn around, you throw the car in park and stretch your neck to see just how far back this freight train really goes... but there's no end in sight. Then, after a few minutes of twiddling your thumbs, it happens: the train stops moving, right in front of you. And there's no way of telling how long the road will be blocked.

Yes, that freight train is busy at work transporting goods, but the blockage is still inconvenient.

13News Now viewer Kathy Orebaugh emailed us and said she has noticed a steady increase in the frequency of Norfolk Southern freight trains passing through the Wards Corner area of Norfolk, where she's lived for 40 years. She also said she noticed those trains seem to be getting longer and slower, sometimes coming to a complete stop on the tracks.

Kathy tells us that on more than one occasion in March, she encountered trains stopped on the tracks and has been delayed up to 25 to 30 minutes.


So, she wants to know if there are mandates on the maximum length of freight trains allowed to pass through city limits and if there's a legal time limit that train may block a crossing.

To address the question of trains blocking the road, we reached out to 13News Now legal analyst Ed Booth, who cited Chapter 13 of the Virginia Code of Law on Railroad Corporations, section 56-412.1.

It states, in part, "It shall be unlawful for any railroad company, or any receiver or trustee operating a railroad, to obstruct for a longer period than five minutes the free passage on any street or road by standing cars or trains across the same."

The rule goes on to say that these companies could face up to $500 per violation. However, the law does not apply to trains stopped due to "breakdown, mechanical failure or emergency."

"Well, it's pretty straight-forward," Booth says. "Freight trains aren't supposed to stop and block intersections. The law on the books says that unless there's a mechanical failure or some other emergency, trains are supposed to pass on through the intersection and not stop. Now that isn't always what happens, but that's what the law says."

So, who enforces this rule? We spoke with Ken Schrad, the Director of the Division of Information Resources at the State Corporation Commission. In an email he tells us, "Yes, the SCC's Division of Utility & Railroad Safety can review instances in which a train is blocking a crossing. The division will receive complaints and review the facts associated with the complaint."

However, he also points out that "the train must be completely stopped with insufficient cause" and "any movement that begins within five minutes of stoppage is not considered 'blocking.'"

Norfolk Southern Public Relations Director Susan Terpay explains why trains may have to block a crossing. In an email, she says freight trains can be as long as a mile-and-a-half, but crossings are often spaced closer together than that. And if a train needs to stop for a valid reason, this can result in a blocked crossing.

However, she also says Norfolk Southern tries not to "block road crossings and to comply with state and local laws regarding the amount of time that trains block road crossings."

She also tells us that, "railroads are regulated by the federal government (Federal Railroad Administration), and while we realize states sometimes want to regulate in this area, federal law preempts state and local laws."

Desiree French, Public Affairs Specialist with the Federal Railroad Administration, confirms this. In an email, she says, "Currently, there is no Federal regulation on the amount of time an idle train may block a public highway-rail grade crossing, although states and localities are not precluded from enacting and enforcing their own applicable laws. Some courts, however, have found state blocked crossing laws and regulations to be preempted by federal requirements because... compliance with the state law negatively affects the railroad's ability to comply with Federal regulations."

French also tells us that the FRA has general authority to exercise jurisdiction over every area of railroad safety. And when blockages are widespread or recurring, the FRA is willing to work with local officials, railroads, and communities to resolve the issues.

So, we can VERIFY that Norfolk Southern freight trains can be up to 1.5 miles long, and there is a state law against trains blocking the road for longer than five minutes.

However, the rule only applies if the train has insufficient cause to block a crossing, and state law can be preempted by federal regulations.

​​​​​​If you encounter a crossing blocked by a train and feel it is in violation of state and/or federal regulations or stopped with insufficient cause, you can file a complaint with the SCC by calling 804-371-9980, toll-free within Virginia at 1-800-552-7945, or mailing the SCC's Division of Utility and Railroad Safety at P.O. Box 1197, Richmond, VA 23218.

You can also file a complaint with the FRA at https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0001. Click on the 'File An Alleged Violation" tab under the "How Do I...?" section. The FRA's regional offices will also take your call. You can find that number by clicking "Contact The Right Office?" under the same section. On the "Contact Us" page, click on "Regional Safety Offices" in the right column.

Norfolk Southern also takes complaints. Contact their Police Communications Center at 1-800-453-2530.

MASSIVE CORRUPTION EXPOSED. HOW THE NEW JERSEY JUDICIARY BLACKMAIL THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO PAY UP THE EXCESSIVE PROPERTY TAXES: Former corrupt judge Margaret McVeigh steals property valued at $475,000 for $20,000 in undue taxes in Wayne Township, New Jersey.

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS:  ABUSE OF LAWS AND VIOLATION OF CITIZENS' CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

Former corrupt judge Margaret McVeigh steals property valued at $475,000 for $20,000 in undue taxes in Wayne Township, New Jersey.  She was forced to resign in 2016 after complaints regarding her criminal acts

Dear Legislators:

I have been reading about abuse of laws and violation of citizens' constitutional rights by municipal and superior court judges as a way of shaking them up.  In one case reported to the media, former Chancery judge Margaret McVeigh in Passaic County stole homestead property valued at $475,000 for $20,000 in undue taxes in Wayne Township, New Jersey.  Could you please comment on this story?

Sincerely,

Camila Jones

JUDICIAL CORRUPTION AND ABUSE OF LAWS IN NEW JERSEY

I have been reading your stories regarding local courts that must stop shaking N.J. residents down for cash.

I must inform you that these practices are not limited to the municipal courts.  They are widespread in the superior courts, the Chancery (or general equity) divisions that handle tax sale foreclosures.  They threaten people with forfeiting their homes and with eviction if they fail to pay taxes that may not even owe.

In my case, they stole my homestead property and place of business that was valued at $475,000 for a property tax of $20,000.  The property was over-assessed by more than 40 percent in violation of N.J.S.A. 54:4-23 and the Uniformity Clause of the NJ Constitution (Article VIII, Section 1, paragraph 1(a)), and they knew it, but they confiscated my home, anyway.  Tragic, tragic, situation.  

The corrupt former Chancery judge Margaret McVeigh never issued an application of the law to the facts in violation of court Rule 1:7-4(a).  Furthermore, court rule R. 4:64-6 states that in foreclosure of tax sale certificates, if the defendant's answer sets up the defense of the invalidity of the tax or other lien, or the invalidity of the proceedings to sell, or the invalidity of the sale, those questions shall be tried in the action.  However, here there is neither fact finding nor a trial on any of the issues raised by Dr. Stephanatos.  The corrupt former Chancery judge Margaret McVeigh failed to consider the equities that were in favor of Dr. Stephanatos or that a windfall will result. See M&D Assocs. v. Mandara, 366 N.J. Super. 341 (App. Div.) certif. denied, 180 N.J. 151 (2004) for its rationale that chancery courts "in such foreclosure cases should be alerted . . . that a significant windfall might result if adequate scrutiny . . . is not undertaken[,] In view of our decision, the operation of the tax sale law requires that the entire judgment must be vacated as void based upon equitable considerations.”

Dr. Stephanatos was also targeted by the government due to the filing of several lawsuits, both federal and state; he was penalized by the judges for that.  What the government did was unlawful, unfair and unreasonable. 

The Passaic County sheriff then filed criminal charges against me for refusing to leave my home and they claimed they were assaulted.  The criminal case is pending for 7 years and 1 month now.  It has not gone to trial because of the massive corruption in the judicial system and because the sheriff employees (Ronald A. Lucas and Vincent D'Agostino) committed perjury, i.e. they lied that they were assaulted.  Although an assault case must be brought to trial within 1 to 2 years, it has been more than 7 years now.  A defendant has a fundamental constitutional right to a speedy trial.  U.S. Const., amend.VI; N.J. Const. Art. I, ¶ 10.  But the state judiciary violated that right. 

They also violated my constitutional rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment and Article I, par. 20 of the state constitution that prohibit private takings;  no state court had jurisdiction or authority to take a $475,000 homestead property belonging in full to Dr. Stephanatos and deliver it to a third party (American Tax Funding, LLC).  But these corrupt judges did it anyway. 

What has really shocked our conscience is that ATF, LLC/Wayne Township knowingly charged unlawful and/excessive taxes in violation of the Uniformity Clause (Article VIII, Section 1, paragraph 1(a)).  They also charged him 18 percent interest and 6 percent penalties on top of these excessive and illegal taxes.  Thus, a tax dispute of less than $20K (the over-assessment amount) became $60K.  We found that Dr. Stephanatos offered to pay the $20K overassessment amount, but refused to pay the $60K amount.  Then the antitrust conspirators (See the U.S. District Court in Newark Antitrust Litigation that found that ATF, LLC conspired to defraud homeowners of their properties and money) confiscated his residential real estate property, along with his business, Metropolitan Environmental Services. 

PRIVATE TAKINGS ARE PROHIBITED BY BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE CONSTITUTIONS; AS A RESULT, THE CHANCERY COURT EXCEEDED ITS CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY AND ITS JUDGMENT WAS VOID AB INITIO 

We provide the following two precedential New Jersey cases where the courts have ruled that an act of the legislature cannot confer any right upon an individual to deprive persons of the ordinary enjoyment of their property without just compensation.  Here are the two seminal cases:

An act of the legislature cannot confer any right upon an individual to deprive persons of the ordinary enjoyment of their property without just compensation. Oechsle v. Ruhl, 140 N.J. Eq. 355, 54 A.2d 462 (Ch.1947). Constitutional Law.

An act of the legislature cannot confer upon individuals or private corporations, acting primarily for their own profit, although for public benefit as well, any right to deprive persons of the ordinary enjoyment of their property, except upon condition that just compensation be first made to the owners. Pennsylvania R. Co. v. Angel, 41 N.J. Eq. 316, 7 A. 432, 56 Am.Rep. 1 (1886).

See also the following federal law, prohibiting private takings:

The Public Use Clause provides that “one person's property may not be taken for the benefit of another private person without a justifying public purpose, even though compensation is paid.” Hawaii Hous. Auth. v. Midkiff, 467 U.S. 229, 241 (1984) (quoting Thompson v. Consol. Gas Corp., 300 U.S. 55, 80 (1937). Because a private taking cannot be constitutional even if compensated, “[a] plaintiff that proves that a government entity has taken its property for a private, not a public, use is entitled to an injunction against the unconstitutional taking, not simply compensation.” Carole Media LLC v. N.J. Transit Corp., 550 F.3d 302, 308 (3d Cir. 2008). 

UNREASONABLE SEIZURES ARE PROHIBITED BY ARTICLE I, PAR. 7 OF THE NEW JERSEY CONSTITUTION

They also violated the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures (see also Article I, Paragraph 7 of the New Jersey Constitution).  They seized and confiscated a residential property valued at $475,000 (plus his business as well) for a small amount of disputed taxes.  These are truly criminal acts. 

If you can listen and publish my story, you will be shocked of what these judges have been doing to shake people up for money.  They essentially blackmailing them: you either pay, or you lose your home;  you either pay or we put you to jail; you either pay or we take your license away,  and so on.

Here is a link, if you want to learn more about this case.   You will be really-really-really shocked regarding what they have done to me. 

http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-dishonesty-of-new-jersey-judges.html

See also the corruption tip regarding Ronald Lucas who defrauded the police and firemen fund by claiming on the job disability.

http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2018/06/corruption-tip-passaic-county-sheriffs.html

We have evidence that Dr. Stephanatos was targeted by the government employees because he had filed lawsuits asking for equal protection regarding his excessive property taxes.  That is why they violated the constitution and confiscated his property for taxes that he did not even owe.  These are absolutely unethical and even criminal acts.  Please investigate.