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Subject: NPS Morning Report - 4/1/99
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Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 08:36:33 -0500
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, April 1, 1999
INCIDENTS
98-588 - Ozark NSR (MO) - Follow-up: Attempted Homicide
On September 3, 1998, R.S. was arrested by rangers, ATF agents and
state police following his indictment on four felony counts of attempted
murder and assault and one count of felony possession of a firearm. The
indictments followed an extensive investigation by the NPS, ATF and FBI, and
stemmed from an incident which occurred at Blue Spring campground two months
earlier in which R.S. assaulted or threatened several individuals with a
firearm and crowbar. R.S. subsequently pled guilty to the single count of
firearm possession in a plea bargain arrangement. On March 15th, he was
sentenced to 48 months imprisonment without parole and three years supervised
probation upon release. The park's criminal investigator and the U.S.
attorney are continuing the investigation of another suspect in the assault.
[Tim Blank, CR, OZAR, 3/30]
99-109 - Glacier Bay NP (AK) - HazMat Spill Conviction
The Holland-America Line (HAL) has pled guilty to two felony violations of
the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships for the discharge of oily bilge water
from its cruise ship SS Rotterdam into park waters. HAL also pled guilty to
a charge of failing to keep records for such discharges, as required by law.
The incident occurred between midnight and 4 a.m. on August 29, 1994, in an
area near Juneau, Alaska. An engineer on the ship informed the Coast Guard
of the discharge and an investigation was begun. The settlement was made
possible by a cooperative effort by the NPS, Coast Guard, U.S. Attorney's
Office, and DOJ's Environmental Crimes Division. HAL agreed to pay a
criminal fine of $1 million and also agreed to pay the National Park
Foundation (NPF) $1 million in restitution, earmarking the money for marine
ecosystem management and protection of national parks in Alaska. The NPS and
NPF have agreed to place the funds in an endowment and use the interest to
fund resource management and research projects in Alaska's national parks. A
separate investigation is now being conducted by DOJ against those who
actually discharged the oily bilge water. [Mike Sharp, Pilot/SA, GLBA, 3/30]
99-110 - Mojave NP (NV) - MVA with Multiple Injuries
On the evening of March 30th, NPS and BLM staff from the Hole in the Wall
Interagency Fire Center responded to a mutual aid request on Interstate 15.
A tour bus with 51 passengers collided with a semi, with both vehicles ending
up on park land. The semi became entangled with the bus and overturned;
miraculously, the bus stayed upright. The driver and a passenger in the semi
were both ejected and sustained critical injuries. The bus driver sustained
major injuries and had to be extricated from the vehicle. Many bus
passengers were also hurt. Those with critical injuries were flown to Las
Vegas. The investigation is being handled by the California Highway Patrol.
[Sean McGuinness, CR, MOJA, 3/31]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION
Cape Hatteras NS (NC) - Lighthouse Move
The Cape Hatteras lighthouse, which has been threatened by coastal erosion
since the 1930s and has been the focal point of contentious issues pertaining
to coastal shoreline stabilization for the last 20 years, will soon be moved
to a new site 2,900 feet from its current and risky position at the edge of
the Atlantic Ocean on North Carolina's barrier islands. The lighthouse now
stands alone at the old light station site, as the other six structures
associated with the site - the principle and double keepers quarters, the oil
house, and three cisterns - have already been lifted and moved to the new
station site. The lighthouse is currently being cable-sawed from its below-
ground granite foundation; about 40% of the foundation has been mined,
removed, and replaced with shoring towers. Once the below-ground foundation
is removed and the lighthouse sits upon shoring towers, it will be lifted
about six feet and main beams and cross beams will be placed underneath. The
whole rig will then be lowered to rolling beams and the lighthouse will be
moved using unified push jacks. The process will then be reversed when the
light arrives at its new location. The project has a long history and many
associated political and socio-economic issues that make this particular
preservation effort an interesting study. The project has a web site which
can be accessed at www.nps.gov/caha. Click on the main site and select the
menu item for the lighthouse relocation project. The site is updated
frequently with new images and information. [Bob Woody, PIO, CAHA]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No entries.
MEMORANDA
No entries.
INTERCHANGE
No entries.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Entries pending.
* * * * *
Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators. Please address requests
pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing hub
coordinator.
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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