Environment Pollution - State of California, Atwater Village : Oil Spill

Earth Watch Report  -  Environmental Pollution  -  Oil Spill

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Environment Pollution

USA

State of California, Atwater Village

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RSOE EDIS

Environment Pollution in USA on Thursday, 15 May, 2014 at 12:53 (12:53 PM) UTC.

Description The Los Angeles Fire Department says a ruptured oil pipe near the suburb of Glendale has spilled about 50,000 gallons of crude oil onto streets. According to the Fire Department, the leak from a 20-inch pipe was reported at about 12:15 a.m. Thursday in Atwater Village and the oil line was remotely shut off. No injuries were reported. Oil spilled over approximately half a mile and is knee-high in some areas. Firefighters and hazardous materials crews are on the scene. A handful of commercial businesses are affected, including a strip club that was evacuated. Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott says there's no "visible evidence" that the oil has entered storm drains, which empty into the Los Angeles River. But he says it's possible that oil has seeped under manhole covers.

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TEN THOUSAND gallons of crude oil covers half a mile of Los Angeles after pipe bursts amid fears of environmental disaster

• Oil covers a huge area near the Atwater Village suburb and is said to be knee-high in many places
  

• Leak occurred after a 20-inch above-ground pipe burst outside The Gentleman's Club strip bar
  

• Flow to pipe was shut off remotely just after midnight local time - but leak continued for 45 minutes

• Two workers at nearby industrial plant were taken to hospital to be treated for 'respiratory concerns'
  

By John Hall

Published: 05:37 EST, 15 May 2014 | Updated: 04:44 EST, 16 May 2014

The Los Angeles Fire Department says a ruptured oil pipe has caused about 10,000 gallons of crude oil to spill on to the city's streets.

The oil - which covers a half-mile area and is knee-high in some places - escaped after a break in an above-ground pipeline outside 5175 West San Fernando Road in the Atwater Village suburb.

According to Los Angeles Fire Department, oil was spurting 15 to 20 feet into the air from a burst 20-inch pipe, with the leak reported shortly after midnight local time.

Clean up: Hazardous material specialists are also working at the scene amid concern that the massive spill could cause an environmental disaster. Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott says there is currently no 'visible evidence' that the oil has entered storm drains

Sweep: Workers try to prevent the vast quantities of crude oil flowing into storm drains. The drains empty into the Los Angeles River and there is concern the spill could cause serious harm to wildlife if the oil gets into the water supply

Washed away: The clean up operation is focusing on storm drains and manhole covers amid concern that the crude oil could seep into the water supply and cause public health problems and damage to wildlife

Spill: The oil - which covers a half-mile area and is knee-high in some places - escaped after a break in an above-ground pipeline outside 5175 West San Fernando Road in Atwater Village

Evacuated: Five commercial businesses - including The Gentlemen's Club strip bar - were affected after LAPD completely shut down the Atwater Village area

The flow of oil to the pipe was remotely shut down shortly within 10 minutes of the burst being detected, but the leak continued for another 45 minutes.
A 20-inch oil pipeline is medium-sized by industry standards and would generally transport about 200,000 barrels per day based on average rates. There was no immediate information about the specific capacity or throughput of the line.

'This oil comes from the Bakersfield area, this is a pumping transfer station and pumping transfer station then transfers the oil to a storage facility in Long Beach,' Batallion Chief David Spence said.
Four workers at the nearby Baxter industrial plant were reportedly evaluated for general illness and respiratory concerns, with two of them taken to hospital, according to NBC Los Angeles,
Oil was seen shooting towards the sky and on to a nearby strip bar, The Gentlemen’s Club at around 1am local time. The Gentlemen's Club was subsequently evacuated, Los Angeles Fire Department said.

Four other commercial businesses are known to have been affected after LAPD completely shut down the Atwater Village area.

Read More  and Watch Video Here
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Environment Pollution - United Kingdom, England, Marlborough [Esso pipeline, Wiltshire] - Oil Leak

Earth Watch Report  -  Environmental Pollution  -  Oil Leak

About 150,000 litres of fuel have contaminated soil close to the River Kennet, just upstream from top public school Marlborough College, pictured, in Wiltshire

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Environment PollutionUnited KingdomEngland, Marlborough [Esso pipeline, Wiltshire]

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RSOE EDIS

Environment Pollution in United Kingdom on Thursday, 15 May, 2014 at 11:05 (11:05 AM) UTC.

Description Up to 150,000 litres of fuel leaked into farmland in Marlborough after thieves drilled through a major Esso pipeline. The attack on the pipeline running through the estate of the late multi-millionaire Robert Sangster in Manton happened on April 2, causing a high risk of an explosion. News of the incident, in which a tapping device was used to break into the pipeline 8ft underground, has only just emerged. It pumps fuel from the Fawley Refinery in Hampshire to a distribution terminal in Birmingham. A hose had been connected to the pipe, which carries a range of fuels, and was then hidden with soil. It was disturbed by a farmer, resulting in the leak. Esso does not yet know how much fuel has leaked but says 150,000 litres would be the worst case scenario. A spokesman said: "The pipeline was quickly repaired and has resumed operation and there is no indication of any impact on human health as a result of the leak. "We remain committed to resolving the situation fully. At the moment we are trying to determine whether there has been a leak and if there has, where the fuel has gone." A 500-metre safety cordon was put into place while the scale of the incident was established and people living nearby moved as a precaution. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service fire engines, from Marlborough, Calne and Devizes, together with an operational support unit and an incident command vehicle from Swindon. A fire crew remained at the scene for 32 hours as a precaution. Police and the fire service said this week that they didn't release details of the incident because they were acting on behalf of the Wiltshire and Swindon Local Resilience Forum, a body including fire, police and ambulance, Wiltshire Council and Public Health England, and it was up to the forum to make the incident public. Town councillors were sent an email marked confidential by town clerk Shelley Parker giving brief details of the incident days afterwards. At a full council meeting on Monday Carl Barber, the Marlborough fire crew manager, told councillors: "It's extremely dangerous. That is an extremely pressurised line at times and it can be a danger."It was brought to our attention by the police as some was seen to be leaking and it did take 32 hours and seven appliances because our attendance was required while they isolated and dealt with the issue." Esso has depressurised the pipeline to limit leaks. It says there is still a quantity of diesel and petrol mixture in a hole approximately 1.4 metres deep on the Manton estate. The firm contacted Action for the River Kennet to identify suitable monitoring points along the river in case of pollution. The Environment Agency is working with Public Health England to evaluate the impact on water courses. An Environment Agency spokesman said: "At present there is no impact to the River Kennet, but we continue to monitor the situation closely." Police in Hampshire are investigating a large quantity of diesel found in a large industrial unit in East Wellow on April 17. It is believed that the tanks found were being filled from a sophisticated system which had tapped into a main fuel line. Two men, aged 32 and 34, from the Salisbury area, were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to steal fuel. They are on bail pending further inquiries. Detectives from Lyndhurst CID in Hampshire are working with other police forces, including Wiltshire, as part of a wider investigation into breaches of fuel lines in the south of England.

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Thieves drill down 8ft into Esso pipeline - and spark major pollution alert at top fishing river

• 150,000 litres of fuel contaminated soil close to River Kennet in Wiltshire

• Thieves drilled underground pipeline causing the leak near fishing spot

• Attack on Esso refinery pipe believed to be first of its kind in Britain
  

By Alun Rees

Published: 19:22 EST, 10 May 2014 | Updated: 19:22 EST, 10 May 2014

Petrol thieves have drilled into an underground pipeline and caused a leak of thousands of litres of fuel next to a popular fishing river, sparking a major environmental alert.

About 150,000 litres of fuel have contaminated soil close to the River Kennet, just upstream from top public school Marlborough College in Wiltshire.

Police are investigating the attack on the Esso refinery pipeline, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.

150,000 litres of fuel have contaminated soil close to the River Kennet, pictured, in Wiltshire

A Wiltshire Police source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘We’re used to fuel being stolen from farms by rural criminals but this is quite a step further. Two men have been detained in the Somerset area with a large amount of illicit fuel but at this stage we don’t know if the two incidents are linked.’

The theft was from the Midline pipeline, which carries fuel from the Fawley Refinery near Southampton to the Birmingham Fuels Terminal.

Read More Here
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A Team of Scientists is Exploring A Dangerous Underwater Volcano in Caribbean to Determine if it Could Cause a US Tsunami

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Could Dangerous Underwater Volcano in Caribbean Cause a US Tsunami?

May 14, 2014

By GIO BENITEZ, MICHAEL CAPPETTA and LAUREN EFFRON

View from "Hercules," a 5,000-pound submersible used by Robert Ballard and his team.

National Geographic

Next Video Rare Video Shows Underwater Volcano

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A team of scientists is exploring the darkest corners of a huge underwater volcano in the Caribbean in hopes of better understanding the mysteries of earthquakes and tsunamis, ultimately saving lives.
Kick'em Jenny is a dangerous and active volcano sitting roughly 6,000 feet below the surface of the Caribbean Sea, and located off the coast of the island of Grenada, south of St. Lucia.
Robert Ballard, famous for discovering the Titanic 12,000 feet below the surface of the icy North Atlantic in 1985, set his sights on exploring the Kick'em Jenny to study its eruption history and learn more about how underwater volcanoes can pose a threat.
Ballard, the president of The Ocean Exploration Trust and the director of the Center for Ocean Exploration at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, said the Kick'em Jenny volcano has a history of explosive eruptions, which could have the potential to trigger tsunamis, the effects from which could be felt as far away as the northeastern United States.

Read More Here

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Afghanistan Landslide Updates : Trucks full of food aid have arrived but no one has distributed the bags of rice, oil and other necessities, survivors say

Hunger and desperation as Afghan mudslide survivors wait for food

• Emma Graham-Harrison in Aab Barik
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• theguardian.com, Sunday 4 May 2014 14.46 EDT

Mudslide survivors in Argu village, Afghanistan. Photograph: Nasir Waqif/EPA

Lailema's soft wailing filters through the canvas of her tent, a 12-year-old's hopeless lament for her mother and a life that is gone forever. Her three younger siblings play on the dusty floor as her grandmother cries silently nearby and her uncle wonders how to feed his new dependents.
None of them have eaten since the landslide in the village of Aab Barik – in the north-eastern province of Badakshan – that took away their home and six relatives two days earlier, despite trucks full of food aid parked just a few metres away. No one has distributed the bags of rice, oil and other necessities, they say.
"They promised that they would hand them out after the government officials leave today," said Khan Baay, the uncle, who was heading out to hear the vice-president, Yunus Qanuni, lead prayers for the dead and promise survivors whatever help they need, backed by a delegation of ministers, members of parliament and European ambassadors.
But many on the ground were less interested in pledges from dignitaries helicoptered in to survey the damage than getting their hands on something edible. "I am so hungry I could scratch your eyes out," said Bibi Jaahan, a grandmother in her early 60s who lost her home and several relatives to the mud. "I haven't eaten for over two days."
Sharing her tent is Zaina, breastfeeding her 11-month-old son but worried that her milk is drying up, as he grumbles then starts crying. She has only scavenged a few biscuits to feed him, and knows he needs more solid food.
The Afghan Red Crescent was quick to hand out tents to those who lost their homes in last Friday's devastating mudslide, and in the corner of newly motherless Lailema's cramped new home, barely two metres wide and perhaps three times as long, there are new plates and tea cups but nothing to eat off them.
They were part of their package of "non-food items", explains Ahmad, an official from the charity who stops by to check on the family. "We started handing out tents on Friday, but other organisations are responsible for food. We cannot provide everything ourselves."

Read More Here

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5

May 02 2014 03:32 PM

Landslide

Afghanistan

Province of Badakhshan, [Argu district]

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Landslide in Afghanistan on Friday, 02 May, 2014 at 15:32 (03:32 PM) UTC.

Description Around 250 people were feared dead following a landslide in northeastern Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. According to local government officials, the incident took place in Argu district and dozens of others have been trapped under the rocks. A local official in Badakhshan province said around around 250 people have been killed following the landslide while 200 houses and dozens of more people were trapped following the rockslide. Provincial police chief, Fazluddin Ayar confirmed that over 250 people were trapped following a landslide in Aab Khoshk village. Mr. Ayar further added that the incident took place around 12:00 pm local time and Afghan secuirty forces and rescue teams have been deployed to the area to assist the local residents. This comes as deputy Afghan interior minister Gen. Ayub Salangi earlier said around 200 houses were affected following the rockslide. Gen. Salangi had said preliminary reports suggest that the casualties due to the rockslide is around 200 people.

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Landslide in Afghanistan on Friday, 02 May, 2014 at 15:32 (03:32 PM) UTC.

Back Updated: Friday, 02 May, 2014 at 16:13 UTC Description A landslide triggered by heavy rains buried a village Friday in northeastern Afghanistan, leaving as many as 2,000 people missing, a top official said. Badakshan province Gov. Shah Waliullah Adeeb said more than 2,000 people were missing after a hill collapsed on the village of Hobo Barik. Adeeb said the landslide buried some 300 homes in the area - about a third of all houses there. The governor said rescue crews were working but didn't have enough equipment, appealing for shovels. "It's physically impossible right now," Adeeb said. "We don't have enough shovels; we need more machinery." He said authorities evacuated a nearby village over concerns about further landslides. Faziluddin Hayar, the police chief in Badakshan province, said the landslide happened about 1 p.m. Friday. Badakshan province, nestled in the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges and bordering China, is one of the most remote in the country. The area has seen few attacks from insurgents following the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

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Landslide in Afghanistan on Friday, 02 May, 2014 at 15:32 (03:32 PM) UTC.

Back Updated: Saturday, 03 May, 2014 at 04:09 UTC Description A landslide triggered by heavy rain buried large sections of a northeastern Afghan village Friday, killing at least 350 people and leaving up to 2,500 missing. Villagers looked on helplessly and the governor appealed for shovels to help dig through the mass of mud that flattened every home in its path. The mountainous area in Badakhshan province has experienced days of heavy rain and flooding, and the side of a cliff collapsed onto the village of Hobo Barik at midday, burying it under up to 60 feet of mud and rocks, officials said. Landslides and avalanches are frequent in Afghanistan, but Friday's was one of the deadliest. It was one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory in Afghanistan, where spring rainfall and snowmelt make the mountainous northeast susceptible to flash floods and mudslides. U.N. officials said more Afghans had been killed in natural disasters in the past seven days than in all of 2013. Gov. Shah Waliullah Adeeb said up to 2,500 people were missing after the landslide buried some 300 homes, about one-third of all the houses in the area. At least 350 people were confirmed dead, according to Ari Gaitanis, a spokesman from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. He said the U.N. was working with authorities to rescue trapped people. The governor said rescue crews were working, but didn't have enough equipment. "It's physically impossible right now," Adeeb said. "We don't have enough shovels; we need more machinery." The Badakhshan provincial police chief, Maj. Gen. Faziluddin Hayar, said rescue workers had pulled seven survivors and three bodies from the mounds of mud and earth, but held out little hope that more survivors would be found. "Now we can only help the displaced people. Those trapped under the landslide and who have lost lives, it is impossible to do anything for them," Hayar said. Video footage showed that a large section of the mountain collapsed, sending mud and earth tumbling onto the village below. The landslide was likely caused by heavy rain, said Abdullah Homayun Dehqan, the province's director for the National Disaster Department. He said the landslide happened about 1 p.m. Friday, a day of worship in Afghanistan when many families would have been at home instead of at work. President Obama said the United States was ready to assist. "I want to say on behalf of the American people that our thoughts are with the people of Afghanistan, who have experienced an awful tragedy," he said at the White House during a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. U.N. humanitarian officials said some areas remained difficult to reach, making the scale of the damage unclear. Officials fear more landslides are possible because of more rain and melting snow. About 700 families living on a hillside near Aab Barik were told to move to higher ground and wait for emergency aid to reach them, Adeeb said.

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Landslide in Afghanistan on Friday, 02 May, 2014 at 15:32 (03:32 PM) UTC.

Back Updated: Saturday, 03 May, 2014 at 05:22 UTC Description About 2,250 people are feared dead after a mudslide Friday buried an Afghan village in the far-north-eastern province of Badakhshan, a spokesman for the provincial governor said. More than 300 houses in Ab-e-Barik were swept away in the mudslide, which occurred after heavy rainfall, Naveed Ferotan said. "Our rescue teams have so far found 150 bodies in the area, and they are working hard to save the villagers," he said. About 2,100 other people are missing and also feared dead, officials said. The mudslide first struck a wedding party, killing 250 people, and then buried nearly all of the village as well as farmland, said Haji Abdul Wadood Saeedi, governor of the Argu district, where Ab-e-Barik is located. About 300 families are missing, he said. The ground is still unstable, and people in nearby villages are scared they could also become victims, Saeedi said. Rescue teams were dispatched to the area and at least 1,500 people have been evacuated from Ab-e-Barik so far, Saeedi said. The United Nations said 700 families lived in Ab-e-Barik and at least 120 houses were destroyed. "Reportedly, 350 people have died and 580 families are at severe risk of further landslides," said Ari Gaitanis, a UN spokesman in Kabul. "The village is flooded, and a drainage channel must be opened to prevent further destruction," he said. The national government and United Nations planned their own rescue and aid response.

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Landslide in Afghanistan on Friday, 02 May, 2014 at 15:32 (03:32 PM) UTC.

Back Updated: Saturday, 03 May, 2014 at 14:26 UTC Description At least 300 families have been burried under a hill that collapsed in a remote mountain village in northeast Afghanistan on Friday. The confirmed death count at present is 2,100, and is expected to rise in the coming days. "More then 2,100 people from 300 families are all dead," Naweed Forotan, a spokesman for the Badakhshan provincial governorsaid. The United Nations said the focus was now on the more than 4,000 displaced by Friday's disaster. There is a risk of further landslides in the area, officials said.

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Landslide in Afghanistan on Friday, 02 May, 2014 at 15:32 (03:32 PM) UTC.

Back Updated: Sunday, 04 May, 2014 at 15:23 UTC Description The Afghan government officially named the scene hit by a massive landslide in Badakhshan province as a mass grave and started focusing on helping the survivors on Sunday. "The religious scholars and high level officials has convinced the locals to give up looking for dead bodies," Haji Abdul Wadoud, governor of Argo district in Badakhshan told Anadolu Agency. "It is almost impossible to search for dead bodies," he said. "When muslims die, they must be buried, and they are already under a huge hill of mud." The first Vice President Mohammad Younus Qanooni also visited the area on Sunday along with some cabinet members and religious authorities. "All agreed that it would be named as the mass grave of Abe Barik martyrs," Abdul Wadoud said. Early Friday afternoon, a massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall engulfed the village of Abe Barik in northern Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. At least 300 families have been trapped under dirt and mud, whereas only 255 of the dead bodies have been identified so far, but the local authorities estimate that more than 2,100 people are dead. Heavy rains in the last few weeks have also caused flash floods in different parts of the country, taking dozens of lives and damaging hundreds of houses. Turkey's IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation has delivered humanitarian aid to 350 families hit by Friday's landslide disaster in Badakhshan province in northeast Afghanistan. "Emergency packages were prepared for 350 families in the first stage of the aid campaign," Orhan Sefik, Central Asia regional coordinator of the foundation, told Anadolu Agency. He said the packages contained food, rugs, blankets and kitchen utensils, adding that the foundation would continue to provide aid to the area. Earlier, Noor Mohammad Khawari, head of the Badakhshan central hospital told Anadolu Agency that it would be tragic if the locals agreed to the village becoming a mass grave although he said it would require an extraordinary effort driving by a big number of professionals and machinery to find the buried individuals. "Now they are discussing securing the scene from the threat of floods so that members of the victim families can come here to prayer" Khawari added. In a statement released from his office late Saturday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he was deeply saddened after hearing the news of the landslide. The Afghan government has also announced a day of national mourning in the country.

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