NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Thursday, July 24, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Jean Lafitte NYP
Oil From Major Spill In Mississippi Coats Chalmette Unit
A barge and tanker collided on the Mississippi River near New Orleans around 2 a.m. yesterday morning, resulting in a discharge of about 9,000 barrels of number 6 fuel oil from the barge, which broke in two. Among the areas threatened by the fuel oil are two DOI sites - Delta National Wildlife Refuge and the Chalmette Unit of Jean Lafitte NHP&P. Number 6 fuel oil is a heavy viscous oil commonly used for fueling power plants and large vessels. Booms have been placed in passes that exit the main river, but by mid-afternoon the oil was beginning to appear on the unit's shoreline. An area measuring about 2,350 feet long by 75 feet wide was impacted. A complete assessment is underway. [DOI; John Hughes, Chief Ranger]
Crater Lake NP
Structural Fire Damages Concession Facility
A fire started in the laundry room of the camper store in Mazama Village sometime between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on the morning of Monday, July 21st. Xanterra concession employees who were working near the area at the time noticed smoke coming out of the store, discovered flames and a small fire just inside the exterior laundry room door at the back of the building, and called 911 and park protection rangers via radio. They then returned to the laundry room door and used handheld fire extinguishers to attack the fire through a crack in the door. Ranger Pieter Sween soon arrived on scene and set up an incident command. He was followed by ranger Marshall Neeck and the park's structural engine, which was staffed by firefighters Liza Wall, Bill Devereaux and Cory Wall. Sixty minutes after the initial call, the Chiloquin Volunteer Fire Department company arrived with two engines, a water tender, and a full complement of firefighters. Working in concert with park staff, the Chiloquin company had the fire contained within 20 minutes. Mop-up operations continued until approximately 6:30 a.m. The laundry room itself sustained considerable damage. The fuel dispensing electronics that control the gas pumps were destroyed and will take at least a few days to repair. All three commercial grade washers and three commercial grade dryers were destroyed, along with three-fifths of the linen/laundry stock of the entire concession operation. Numerous electrical circuits were also damaged, which in turn shutdown propane service, phone service, computer functions, and refrigeration units. Structural damage to the building was minimal and was restricted mainly to the door and exterior entry to the laundry room, but smoke damage was widespread (the full extent has yet to be ascertained). Xanterra has made an initial estimate of damages in excess of $75,000. The company hoped to have partial power restored by early Tuesday. They plan to reopen the camper store in a limited capacity as soon as possible, and anticipate that fueling operations will be up and running by the end of the week. Emergency purchases have been made to replace lost linens and towels, and temporary laundry functions will be performed at the Rim Dorm and Mazama Dorm. An assistant state fire marshal conducted an investigation immediately after the incident and has ruled the fire accidental. The cause of the fire has been determined as spontaneous combustion as a result of oil/grease rags that had been recently laundered and piled in large plastic cart. [Marshall Neeck, Park Ranger]
Chattahoochee River NRA
Illegal Filmmakers Cited For Weapons, Permit Violations
A park visitor spotted five men with assault rifles and pistols in the woods near a popular visitor area early on the afternoon of July 11th. The five men had a sixth man on his knees with hands handcuffed behind his back and were pointing two AK-47's at his head. They also had a video camera on a tripod nearby and were filming this apparent execution. Local police responded and detained the men, ages 18 to 24, at gunpoint. Ranger Jose Rochez also responded and helped officers collect evidence and conduct interviews. It turned out that the six were filming a movie without a permit, using several BB/pellet guns and two real AK-47s. The owner of those guns was arrested, while the others received violation notices for weapons and permit violations. [Scott Pfeninger, Chief Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
Other stories can be read on InsideNPS at one or the other of these two sites:
NPS readers - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index
Non-NPS readers - HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/
Please note that both publications carry a combined NIFC/NPS fire report. That is generally posted around 8 a.m. Eastern.
Among the stories in today's edition are the following:
Point Reyes NS - On Wednesday, July 16th, the park and its partners began construction of the final phase of a $6 million wetland restoration effort. The 613-acre project will restore more than 50 percent of the wetlands in the Tomales Bay watershed.
Workforce Management - The NPS workforce plan, "Developing, Valuing and Sustaining a World Class Workforce: 2008-2013," has been finalized and is now posted on InsideNPS.
Central Incident Management Team - The Central Incident Management Team is recruiting for several specific positions and is also accepting applications for all command and general staff positions.
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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:
HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).
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