OEM Equipment in the ready near the Wetzel-Tyler County border

NOTE: Article by Ed Parsons, Tyler Star News, December 12, 2018

Tom Cooper, Director of the Tyler County Office of Emergency Management, occupies storage and office space in the Paden City Industrial Park through a lease agreement with the Tyler County Commmission and the Paden City Development Authority.

On a recent visit to the site, Cooper gave a detailed description of the equipment and supplies his office currently manages. Inside the building, located on the South end of the Industrial Park, is approximately 40,000 square feet of space available to the OEM. Cooper, along with county volunteers and LEPC members, have an array of emergency equipment to their disposal.

“Everything here is for the citizens of Tyler County. We have search and rescue equipment, emergency supplies, temporary shelters, communication devices, bottled water, first aid equipment, trailers set up for disasters, and much more. However, everything here is available, not only for the local people, but anyone in the state who may need assistance,” Cooper said.

Tyler County OEM has a treasure trove of equipment at the ready, in case disaster strikes. “We work for you, but we also partner with industry, business and response agencies. We partner with healthcare facilities. We have emergency shelter for 72 people, including special needs and pets.”

To say the amount of equipment, -which also includes at least 15 trailers, all which are full of supplies and materials in case of disasters – is impressive would be an understatement.

Cooper and a handful of volunteers have put together a treasure of life-saving equipment. There is anything from communication devices to generators powerful enough to power the city of Paden City if needed. Two huge generators, portable lighting, and training equipment for search and rescue dogs are located in the warehouse.

One trailer, which is known as the command center, houses several computers and weather forecasting machinces hooked into the National Weather Service. These centers include radios, televisions, and meeting rooms, along with outside electrical outlets for the generators to run the trailer in rural areas.

Also in the storage area is a trailer with several smaller generators for emergency use and two water rescue boats, one which is state-of-the-art and another which has been in use for around 19 years.

“Most everything we have here has been purchased with grant money. We work directly with Homeland Security, and we have strong support from our county commissioners,” added Cooper. “Alot of what we do and what you see is a direct result of our relationship with other counties and respect we have with them and for them. We are partners with many different emergency response agencies, and we try to keep good relationships with them all. Everything that we have here is at the disposal of any agency who needs our help.”

Cooper also gave a brief tour of his office space, which includes phone lines computers, monitors, and way too much to list. Cooper, who formerly worked in local industry, said he recognizes the needs of industry, and he recognizes there are ways they can help the communities in which they are located. He pointed out, as an example, two fork lift trucks which he said were donated by a local plant. According to Cooper, the OEM has had a need for both of them, and currently one is on loan to another facility. He said one was used to lift water and food a couple years ago when power was out in the county due to a major storm.

While speaking about the two boats, Cooper said they are set up for the dogs that are trained to find bodies in water. He showed where the dogs sit and how they can move from the front of the boats, along the side, sniffing the water for scents. He said the small boat was actually used to locate a body in the Ohio River, with the assistance of one of the dogs provided by trainers and owners who partner with Tyler County. He said some are even members of the Tyler County LEPC.

Tom Cooper, director of the Tyler County OEM, can be reached at his office in Paden City via e-mail tjcooper@frontier.com

URL: http://www.tylerstarnews.com/page/content.detail/id/563512/OEM-Headquarters-Is-Prepared-for-Disaster.html?nav=5008

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Rover Pipeline donating $270,000 to emergency responders in 4 states | Michigan Live, February 26, 2018

https://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2018/02/rover_pipeline_donating_270000.html

Methane Geyser Capped  — Flammable gas had spewed from gas well  10 days

Santa, Mrs. Claus and 7 Elves arrested at Seneca Lake in NY State

From an Article by Casey Junkins, Wheeling Intelligencer, December 24, 2014

Sardis, OH — After 10 days of being displaced, people living near Magnum Hunter’s Stalder well pad can spend Christmas at home as workers capped the huge well that had been spouting methane into the air since December 13th.

Now, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Agency will work with the company to determine the cause of the blowout at the Triad Hunter Stalder well, which led an undetermined amount of methane to escape into the atmosphere. Triad Hunter is the local operating subsidiary of Houston, Texas-based Magnum Hunter.

“ODNR will do a full investigation to determine the cause and ensure proper mechanical integrity of the well before the company can move forward with operations,” Bethany McCorkle, spokeswoman for the natural resources department, said.

Magnum Hunter officials said Tuesday they do not believe the well blowout caused environmental damage because 97 percent of the gas released was methane. They also indicate the company plans to have all wells on the Stalder pad sending natural gas to market next month.

Monroe County Emergency Management Director Phillip Keevert said during the first several days of the ordeal, the damaged wellhead led the escaping gas to remain close to the ground, which he said created a more dangerous situation. Once Wild Well Control employees removed the old wellhead, the methane shot directly upward, similar to hot water spewing from a geyser. Keevert said this was not as dangerous to the residents, so he reduced the evacuation area to three-quarters of a mile Saturday.

As those affected can now celebrate the holidays at home and emergency responders can finally get a break, environmental regulators and company officials must determine what went wrong with the well that has a vertical shaft about two miles deep and a horizontal leg about one mile long.

According to Magnum, company and contract employees had to excavate the area around the wellhead while continuously spraying fresh water on the escaping gas to reduce the risk of ignition. After arriving from Texas, workers with Wild Well Control began the relatively slow process of replacing the entire wellhead assembly.

Magnum officials also said they maintain “customary control of well insurance coverage,” which they believe will cover all losses.

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Let me begin by wishing you all Happy Holidays from Western Penna. !

Many of you have been following the ongoing story of EQT’s fracking on Trax Farms (now being called ‘Frax Farms’) and the serious issues being faced by neighbors living close by. It’s kind of like the movie Groundhog Day but this is no comedy for them or their families.

Last night’s supervisor’s meeting brought about the latest update to their story, with discussions about excessive fracking noise, township decibel limits, rotten egg odors, and vibrations. Two policemen were posted at the full house meeting.

Apparently someone complained from a past meeting of whether someone is allowed to record a public meeting or not. As you will see in this video, it is the chairman’s impression after consulting legal counsel that someone openly recording for all to see is A-OK, but it is illegal for someone to record a meeting without announcing they are doing so first. The solicitor later comments that he did not know of any restrictions on recording a public meeting.

You will also get to hear from the individuals living on Cardox Road and beyond, including Gary Baumgardner whose family was supported by the recent petition for EQT to stop fracking on Christmas Day so his grandbaby could visit for dinner. One lady, who lives several miles away, commented that she can hear the noise with her windows closed.

The township is now ready to take more serious action, as they discuss further here:

http://youtu.be/XKxvmHOFi8E

Bob Donnan, Peters Township (McMurray), Washington County, PA