NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, December 9, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET (DELAYED)

INCIDENTS

97-687 - Mojave NP (CA) - Follow-up on HazMat Spill Cleanup

Pacific West Region's Type II incident management team assumed responsibility
for the cleanup operation from the Alaska team on November 12th and is
managing the incident under a unified command with BLM.  The team is managing
the cleanup of over 235,000 gallons of hazardous waste which was released
from a Molycorp mine wastewater pipeline onto the Ivanpah Dry Lake area,
which provides habitat for the threatened desert tortoise.  There were at
least nine unauthorized releases of mine waste effluent containing heavy
metals and radioactive material between July 24 and August 25, 1996.  Work
crews are shoveling waste effluent precipitates into metal drums or
suctioning other hazardous materials directly into covered bins.  Plans are
being made for the proper disposal of this material, pending the outcome of
testing.  A total of 54 people are currently assigned to the incident,
including 25 overhead.  Molycorp has funded the cleanup and incident costs,
which have so far come to $3.6 million, with projected total costs of $11
million.  The NPS cost to date has been $116,000.  The cleanup of visible and
radioactive waste should be completed by the target date of January 8th. 
Additional cleanup of non-visible wastes may be necessary, depending on lab
results.  [Frank Dean, IO, 12/9]

97-738 - Biscayne NP (FL) - Grand Theft Arrest

On the afternoon of December 7th, ranger David Pharo stopped a 17-foot vessel
with four occupants near Boca Chita key.  One of the passengers had a loaded
pistol tucked in his trousers.  An NCIC check revealed that the vessel had
been stolen in Key West a year earlier, and that the outboard motor was
stolen from Hollywood, Florida.  The hull identification numbers had been
removed from the stern and the forward compartment, but the operator had
renewed the vessel's registration with the state in the actual owner's name. 
The subjects and vessel were turned over to Florida Marine Patrol officers. 
A check of the operator and supposed owner's criminal history indicated that
he had a previous conviction for grand theft.  Biscayne rangers recovered
three other stolen vessels last month, two with their Yamaha outboard motors
removed.  Their total value exceeds $500,000.  [Wayne Elliott, CR, BISC,
12/8]

                   [Additional reports pending...]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

EXCHANGE

No entries.

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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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