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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, November 16, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Delaware Water Gap NRA Tanker Accident Leads To Hazmat Spill, Highway Closure A tanker truck heading north on Route 209 through the park went off the edge of the highway and rolled onto its side just after 5 p.m. on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 14th, leaking hazardous materials and forcing closure of the highway. The driver was not hurt in the accident, but the truck hit a pole, causing an area power outage and starting a small fire on the pole that went out when the power failed. The truck, owned by Enterprise Transportation Corporation of Houston, Texas, was carrying 4,000 gallons of chlorinated alkaline cleaners manufactured by Johnson Diversey, Inc., including one compartment containing a potassium hydroxide based soap called Enduro Kleen. The material is alkaline and corrosive to the skin; eye contact can cause severe eye irritation. Responding rangers and firefighters from Bushkill FD and Delaware Township FD, recognizing the hazard, immediately closed Route 209 and cordoned off the area at the recommended distance of 80 to 160 feet. Traffic was diverted from the highway via Route 739, Route 2001 and Bushkill Falls Road. An estimated 40 gallons of Enduro Kleen leaked from the truck before a cleanup crew arrived on scene around 8 p.m. that evening. The cleanup was handled by Minuteman Spill Response, Inc. The closure was maintained through the night, but was lifted at 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning after the cleanup was completed and the truck was removed. The driver was cited for failing to maintain control of his vehicle. [Bill Halainen, Incident Information Officer] Canyon de Chelly NM Trailer Truck Nearly Rams Visitor Center An 18-wheeler hauling a load of non-hazardous Gilsonite resin ran through the North Rim intersection and missed hitting the park visitor center by only a few feet just before 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 8th. Three employees were in the building at the time. They evacuated the driver and those in the visitor center from the area in case of a fuel explosion. In addition to a fuel spill, damage was inflicted on a fence line, native vegetation, and a community garden. The cleanup is ongoing. The driver was treated and released from a local hospital; no other injuries were reported. Faulty brakes and excessive speed are the suspected causes of the accident. [William Yazzie, Chief Ranger] Yosemite NP Life Saved By Park Medics On the afternoon of November 6th, the park's emergency operations center received a 911 call from a man on the Vernal Falls footbridge who was complaining of chest pains. Park medics Barry Lewis and Chad Andrews responded on foot and began immediate intervention. Additional assistance was provided by the staff of Medic 3, including paramedics. The 60-year-old man was littered down the trail and transported by ambulance and medevac helicopter to a local hospital. While en route, he experienced symptoms consistent with a heart attack. The advanced care provided by the two medics is credited with saving his life. [Charles Cuvelier, Deputy Chief Ranger] Hot Springs NP Successful Investigation Of Illegal Dumping Incident On September 27th, rangers learned that a sizable number of auto parts had been dumped in the woods off Blacksnake Road. Examination of the site revealed that 30 wraparound plastic front and rear auto bumpers had been dumped in the park. Ranger Jeff Johnson headed the investigation and had them removed. Two front bumper caps were found to have vehicle identification number imprints. Johnson traced the VINs to the registered owners, which in turn lead to a local auto collision center where work had been performed on the associated vehicles. The shop owner supplied the phone number and first name of the man who he claimed had removed the bumpers. Initial efforts to identify and contact the man proved unsuccessful, but Johnson eventually found him - incarcerated in the Garland County jail. He was interviewed at the jail on November 8th and confessed to the dumping. Johnson issued him a mandatory appearance citation. [Dennis Stock, Chief Ranger] OTHER NEWS Other news from today's edition of InsideNPS, the National Park Service's home page: Corps of Discovery II - The bicentennial of America's first great road trip ends this month when a group of re-enactors returns to President Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Andersonville NHS - Over 300 volunteers worked all day on Saturday, November 11th, to prepare 13,000 luminaries to display to visitors on the evening of the national holiday remembering the sacrifices of all veterans. Dry Tortugas NP - The final element needed to complete the largest marine reserve in North America off Florida's southwest coast won approval Tuesday from Gov. Jeb Bush and the state Cabinet. The panel voted 3-1 for a management plan banning fishing in a 61 square-mile section of Dry Tortugas National Park in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits about 75 miles west of Key West. Glen Canyon NRA - The park is hiring a permanent GS-5/6 dispatcher. To link to InsideNPS, click on HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |