MEC&F Expert Engineers : 11/12/18

Monday, November 12, 2018

Russell Helquist and Matthew Johnston were electrocuted to death at the Intrepid Potash Mine in Moab, Utah when industrial equipment the men were operating came in contact with a power line

Russell Helquist, center, died at the Interpid Potash Mine





The Grand County Sheriff's Office, along with San Juan County Sheriff's Office, Grand County EMS, and Moab Valley Fire Department are responding to an incident down Highway 279 near the Intrepid Potash plant. Please avoid the area. We will provide an update when possible.

2:00 PM Update: The lead agency for the investigation into the explosion near the Intrepid Potash plant is going to be San Juan County. Grand County Sheriff's Office will remain on scene and provide assistance as long as necessary. All media and information requests need to contact San Juan County Sheriff's Office.

UPDATE FROM SAN JUAN SHERIFF'S OFFICE:
San Juan County Sheriffs Office
25 mins ·
Media Release 11/10/18
Industrial Accident
Potash Mine- South of Moab in Northern San Juan County

Today just after 12 O'clock noon, at the Potash Mine, three men were electrocuted when the industrial equipment they were operating touched a power line. Russell Helquist and Matthew Johnston died at the scene while the 3rd victim, Arthur Secrest, was found unconscious but breathing. He was flown to a medical facility in Salt Lake. All men were living in the Moab area. The incident is still under investigation. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of these good men.
Update: 2 workers electrocuted, third critically injured in Moab industrial accident


November 10, 2018




SAN JUAN County, Utah, (Gephardt Daily) — 


Two men were killed and a third critically injured in an industrial accident at the Intrepid Potash Mine in Moab early Saturday afternoon.

According to a statement by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, the accident happened when industrial equipment the men were operating came in contact with a power line.


“Russell Helquist and Matthew Johnston died at the scene while the 3rd victim, Arthur Secrest, was found unconscious but breathing,” the sheriff’s office statement said. “He was flown to a medical facility in Salt Lake. All men were living in the Moab area. The incident is still under investigation. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of these good men.”

Crews from multiple agencies responded to what was first reported as an explosion at about 12:06 p.m. near the Intrepid Potash Plant.

The Grand County Sheriff Office tweeted on Saturday afternoon that they were responding to the scene, as were the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Grand County EMS and the Moab Fire Department.

Intrepid Potash, a fertilizer plant, is located on Highway 279, west of the Colorado River.

People in the area are asked to steer clear of the location while emergency crews are on scene.



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Intrepid is a self-proclaimed leader in the utilization of solar evaporation production, one of the lowest-cost, environmentally friendly production methods for potash. With three solar solution facilities in Moab and Wendover, Utah and Carlsbad, New Mexico, Intrepid’s southwestern location affords certain logistical advantages given the moderate climate and easy access to trucking and rail.






Intrepid operates three solar evaporation mines in Wendover and Moab, Utah and Carlsbad, New Mexico. Solar evaporation ponds provide one of the safest, lowest cost, environmentally friendly production methods for potash and salt. Our southwestern locations have the advantages of proximity to western markets and an arid climate, ensuring minimal weather-related delivery days by truck or rail.

Intrepid also operates an underground mine in Carlsbad, New Mexico for the extraction of langbeinite, the naturally-occurring mineral we sell as Intrepid Trio. Langbeinite, K2Mg2(SO4)3, is a unique geological material found only in a few places in the world. Highly prized as an all-natural fertilizer with international demand, Intrepid’s mine in Carlsbad sits on one of the world’s largest known reserves of langbeinite.

USEPA and Indiana DEM Cite Whiting Metals Recycling Facility for Lead Air Pollution in Hammond, in Northwest Indiana


EPA and IDEM Cite Whiting Metals for Lead Air Pollution in Northwest Indiana
11/09/2018
Contact Information:
Joshua Singer (singer.joshua@epa.gov)
312-353-5069
Ryan Clem (media@idem.IN.gov)
(317) 232-8596
 

CHICAGO, IL November 9, 2018—


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) have issued notices of violation against Whiting Metals, LLC, for excessive lead emissions from the company’s facility in northwest Indiana.

EPA and IDEM determined that lead concentrations exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) near the Whiting Metals recycling facility at 2230 Indianapolis Boulevard in Hammond, IN. The NAAQS for lead and its compounds are 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), averaged over a 3-month period. Based on the most recent data collected at IDEM’s monitor, the three-month average lead concentration at the monitor reached 0.31 μg/m3 for the period of August through October 2018.

IDEM installed a lead ambient air monitor adjacent to the Whiting facility and began sampling in August 2018. In response to elevated lead concentrations detected by the air monitor, EPA and IDEM inspected the facility in September. EPA in coordination with IDEM then installed a meteorological tower and an additional air monitor that collects hourly lead concentrations. EPA and IDEM determined that the Whiting Metals facility is the primary contributor of the lead emissions at that location, as the highest lead concentrations have been detected during the facility’s operating hours and coming from the direction of the facility. The notices of violation provide Whiting Metals with an opportunity to confer with, respectively, EPA and IDEM regarding these allegations as the agencies evaluate potential enforcement options under the Clean Air Act and state authorities.

Lead can adversely affect the nervous system, kidney function, immune system, reproductive and developmental systems, and the cardiovascular system. Infants and young children are especially sensitive to lead, which may contribute to behavioral problems and learning deficits.

For more information from EPA: https://www.epa.gov/in/whiting-metals

For more information from IDEM: https://www.in.gov/idem/airquality/2346.htm