Frack Check WV » truck accidents

Truck Accidents Often Fatal on the Region’s Roadways

Duane Nichols — Sun, 08 Oct 2017 11:02:47 +0000

Brine Water Tanker Truck crashes & rolls off US Route 50 on Oct. 3, 2017

“It was so loud,” eyewitness describes crash that killed four (4)

From an Article by Jeff Jenkins, MetroNews (WV), January 12, 2017

SALEM, W.Va. — A driver who heard the collision between two trucks on U.S. Route 50 in Harrison County Wednesday evening knew it was bad.

“It was so loud, even though the windows were up and I wasn’t there yet, you could still hear it,” Jason Barr told MetroNews. “It was big.”

Barr was traveling west after work at about 6 p.m. when the head-on crash between the pickup truck and flatbed commercial truck occurred. He quickly got out of his vehicle and tried to help the victims.

“The driver of the pick-up was the only one that had any type of responsiveness to him. He would just let out low-level moans with every time he breathed out. He couldn’t speak to us,” Barr said.

Harrison County Sheriff’s Department deputies said the driver was in critical condition at Ruby Memorial Hospital but the four others in the extended cab pickup, a man, woman, boy and girl, were killed.

Barr tried to help the two women in the back of the cab. He jumped up in the bed of the truck and reached through the broken out back window.

“There was no really obvious trauma signs really. I was doing the best I could to check for their pulse on their neck. I never did feel anything and this was just like seconds, ya know, after the crash,” Barr said.

The crash occurred near the Raccoon Run exit when the pickup, heading west, went through the median and into the path of the flatbed. Deputies suggested Thursday the state Division of Highways should consider a cable barrier for that stretch of highway.

“That is a right hand curve,” Barr said. “The pickup truck is headed west and if they would have hydroplaned a little bit it wouldn’t have took much to slide out of that curve and cross the median.”

The driver of the flatbed had been released from the hospital by Thursday afternoon.

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US Route 50 rerouted in Ritchie County after water truck accident

From an Article by Alex Wiederspiel, WV MetroNews, April 13, 2017

BOND’S CREEK, W.Va. — An accident late Wednesday night in Ritchie County will shut down a portion of US Route 50 west and east bound in Ritchie County for at least the rest of the day Thursday.

The Doddridge/Ritchie County 911 Center confirmed a water truck hit a guard rail on a bridge near Bond’s Creek on US Route 50 west bound. According to the Department of Highways, west and east bound lanes are closed. Traffic is being rerouted to WV Route 16.

The driver suffered undisclosed injuries. Dispatchers at the Doddridge/Ritchie 911 Center could not confirm what hospital treated the driver.

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Dump truck accident leaves one dead in Jefferson County

From an Article by Hans Fogle, WV MetroNews, September 29, 2017

MIDDLEWAY, W.Va. — An accident involving a dump truck and a passenger vehicle left one person dead in Jefferson County.

Authorities at the scene say the accident took place around 10 a.m. Thursday when the truck traveling west on Middleway Pike blew its front driver side tire, causing the driver to lose control. The dump truck was carrying a full load of gravel when it merged into the eastbound lane and rolled onto a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze.

Jack Dudley lives off Middleway Pike and told WEPM News he was checking his mailbox when he witnessed the accident. “I saw the truck tire blow and the car was passing me at the time when the truck tire blew,” Dudley said. “I saw the truck just swerve all over the road and land right on top of the car.”

Emergency crews respond to the scene of a fatal accident involving a dump truck. Sgt. Ronald Fletcher with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department told WEPM News there will be many factors in determining a cause of the accident.

“They’ll be looking at the tread on the vehicle, the load size, checking books and all of that,” Fletcher said.

There were two people in the Chevrolet when the crash occurred. The passenger was reportedly breathing and was airlifted to Innova Fairfax Hosiptal. Extraction took 40 minutes.

The driver of the Cruze was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the dump truck did receiver medical attention and was taken to a hospital with minor cuts and bruises. Five different fire departments responded to the accident as well as authorities from 3 different states.

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One person dead after brine water truck crash in Doddridge County

From an Article by Brittany Murray, WV MetroNews, October 3, 2017

SALEM, W.Va. — A brine water truck driver is dead following an accident on U.S. 50 in Doddridge County Tuesday.

The crash occurred on U.S. 50 eastbound between Tarklin Road and the West Salem exit. Dispatchers received the call about 11:40 a.m. The driver was traveling westbound near Tarklin Road when he crossed the median into the eastbound lanes. The truck appeared to have blown a tire.

Doddridge County Sheriff’s Department is continuing to investigate. Smithburg and Salem fire departments, Doddridge County Ambulance Authority and the Doddridge County OES director also responded.

NOTE: The name of the Pennsylvania man who died in this accident has not been released at this time. See the photo above.

Comment Period Still Open for Doddridge County Frack Waste Treatment Facility

Duane Nichols — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 15:29:42 +0000

Speakers at Antero Hearing

The Written Comment Period for the Antero Clearwater Facility Extends to September 3rd

Letter from April Keating, Mountain Lakes Preservation Alliance, August 28, 2016

Antero Resources has been holding meetings for its proposed landfill and water processing facility, ironically named “Clearwater.” The 400-acre facility, a 25-year project located upstream of the Hughes River, will affect 11 wetlands and over 5 miles of streams in the area.

The WV Rivers Coalition, in its letter to the WV-DEP, states that there is no mention of a Groundwater Protection Plan in its stormwater permit, a document that must be made available to the public at all times, according to WV law. “The landfill will discharge into streams that are located within the Zone of Peripheral Concern (ZPC) for the Hughes River Water Board, which sells bulk water to Pennsboro, Harrisville, and Cairo in Ritchie County,” states the letter. The ZPC is the riparian land between a 5- and 10-hour travel time upstream of a public water supply.

The Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) also does not include a section about spill prevention and response procedures, as required by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities.

The stormwater permit is not the only permit being sought for the facility. A 401 permit is required to show that the company will comply with Clean Water Act regulations.

Nine speakers spoke for almost an hour about their concerns for the project at Tuesday’s stormwater permit hearing, which took place at Doddridge County High School and was sponsored by the WV-DEP.

>> Charlotte Pritt, Mountain Party Candidate for governor, spoke about the health hazards of radiation found in frack waste, and called for a ban on fracking.

>> Lew Baker of the West Virginia Rural Water Association noted that there should be continuous monitoring at the facility, not just at the water intake.

>> Bill Hughes of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition noted that this project is experimental and should never be done on this scale.

>> Cindy Rank of the WV Highlands Conservancy mentioned the inadequacies of the permit applications, and the fact that the effects of such a project should be looked at in aggregate and not separately.

>> April Keating, of Mountain Lakes Preservation Alliance, pointed out that 4,000 new wells were planned over the next 40 years, and the water supply would be adversely affected. She also noted that leaking pipelines and gas infrastructure, such as compressor stations, would affect air quality and accelerate climate change rapidly, leading to numerous effects on the environment and economy.

The WVDEP is taking comments on the stormwater permit until September 3. Comments can be submitted electronically at DEP.comments@wv.gov, or by writing to:

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Permitting Section, Division of Water and Waste Management, 601 57th Street, Charleston WV 25304

Contact: April Keating, 115 Shawnee Drive, Buckhannon, WV 26201

Internet: www.mountainlakespreservation.org

Email: apkeating@hotmail.com See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

Large Propane Truck Rolls off US Route 250 in Wetzel County, Area Evacuated

Duane Nichols — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 13:48:10 +0000

Leaking Propane Truck off US 250 in Wetzel Co.

Truck Accidents Keep Ohio Valley First Responders Busy

From an Article by Casey Junkings, Wheeling Intelligencer, February 6, 2016

Wheeling, WV — Reports of accidents involving large trucks related to the Marcellus and Utica shale industry continue, as a tractor-trailer carrying propane crashed along U.S. 250 in Wetzel County Thursday, just one day after a water truck wrecked in Marshall County.

Another tanker truck leaving a Utica Shale drilling site on McClainesville Road near Bellaire spilled 20 gallons of hydrochloric acid Saturday night.

According to West Virginia State Police First Sgt. James Stout, the driver of the propane truck lost control of the vehicle near the U.S. 250 intersection with Long Drain Road near Littleton Thursday. This caused the road to be closed for several hours, forcing motorists – including Wetzel County school bus drivers – to use detours.

“You hate to see so many affected by one person’s mistake,” Stout said. “It’s a mess.”

Stout said emergency officials evacuated an undetermined number of area residents as a precaution. He said a small amount of propane was leaking from the truck, although he did not believe this would impact any water sources. Hazmat officials responded to mitigate the spill.

Stout said officials transported the driver, an Illinois resident, to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown for unspecified injuries. No other vehicles or people were involved in the accident.

In addition to the Wednesday water truck wreck in Marshall County, officials in Belmont County confirmed a tanker leaving a well pad crashed along McClainesville Road near Bellaire late Saturday. Neffs Fire Department Chief Mike Knowlton said about 20 gallons of hydrochloric acid leaked onto the ground.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, inhalation exposure to hydrochloric acid may cause coughing, hoarseness, inflammation and ulcers in the respiratory tract and chest pain.

“It was not enough to cause a problem, but we did send in the hazmat team,” Knowlton said.

Most natural gas production companies hire subcontractors to perform services such as well drilling, fracking, construction and transportation. Knowlton said much of the problem is the drivers’ unfamiliarity with Ohio and West Virginia roads.

“So many of the companies are from Texas. They aren’t used to roads with dips and sharp turns,” he said.

Belmont County Sheriff Dave Lucas said when his department receives complaints about truck traffic, officials do their best to address the problem. “Most companies are responsive in addressing the problems,” he said. “If there is a problem, we address it.”

Why Worry about Frac Sand in PA, WV, OH, WI, MN, etc.

Duane Nichols — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 14:07:07 +0000

Informative Work of Art

The DCS Frac Sand Poster is Here, Incredibly Informative, Work of Art

Letter from Barb Arrindell, Director, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, June 1, 2015

Frac sand mining companies come at local communities like a runaway bulldozer going 100 mph. – Ric Zarwell, Allamakee County Protectors

“Frac Sand, Why Worry…” is an educational folding poster that summarizes in easy-to grasp-form the nature and impacts of frac sand mining and ways in which the public can act to put the brakes on it.

This project was designed with a graphic arts team of advanced students and their teacher at Messiah College, and was all done over one semester. With a lot of time and effort invested and the students really responding to the material, what their teacher thinks is a possible award winner has been hammered out in a very short time. I worked intensively with them – having filed a grant proposal with their college’s DesignAsService program to get this graphics help, but also working with Pat Popple (Chipewa Concerned Citizens), Robert Nehman and Ric Zarwell (Allamakee County Protectors) and Ted Auch (FracTracker.org in Ohio) and others as well as my own research, to have the content be both ample and accurate. For DCS, this frac sand poster is another effort to help our fellow citizens, and foster a precautionary approach to the Commons.

Barb Arrindell, Director, DCS, P.O. Box 147, Milanville, PA 18443

From the poster: Frac Sand — Why Worry?
(See the full poster for more information, including what you can do.)

As a vital part of the full cycle of fossil fuel mining, frac sand is the proppant that holds the induced fractures open for the gas or oil to flow when the pressure is released. According to research from The FracTracker Alliance, the average horizonal shale gas well is currently using 4,300-5,300 tons with demand increasing by 344 tons per year as the wells are drilled longer.

WHY WORRY… The essential frac sand is obtained by strip mining, which leaves behind it a range of devastation from lunar landscapes similar to mountaintop removal in the case of surface operations, to destruction of vital aquifers in the case of subsurface mines, and water contamination (ex. Rockwood Quarry, Newport, MI). As is evident in the experience of Wisconsin and other states in which frac sand mining has already progressed, the list of health, safety, economic, and environmental problems caused is devastating. To start mining operations before essential controls could be put in place for this entirely new industry, mining companies have financed propaganda campaigns that have overwhelmed township and county officials lacking the knowledge of the industry required to make foresightful decisions on behalf of those they represent.

As the frac sand mining industry proceeds without extremely tight controls, the degradation it is causing could well exceed all other damages since white settlement; and the social fabric, tax burden, and quality of life, and health in rural communities is being negatively impacted, perhaps for decades, if not forever.

Contact DCS to get your hard copy of the poster. Donations to support this work are greatly appreciated.

WV Citizens Seek Dominion over Their Own Land

Duane Nichols — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 14:18:39 +0000

Proposed Large Long Distance Pipelines

Update from the Appalachian Chronicle: ‘Then & Now from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Allegheny Plateau’

From an Internet Post by Michael Barrick, Appalachian Chronicle, March 22, 2015

Seeking Dominion over His Own Land: Randolph County landowner on the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline route: ‘It’s my land; it must be my choice!’

Mill Creek, WV – Joao Barroso spent years looking for the perfect parcel of land on which to eventually settle his family and build a natural preserve for others to enjoy. Finally, in September 2011, Barroso, 57, found such a place in an approximately 500-acre forested tract near Mill Creek, a small community situated in a picturesque valley in Randolph County.

Beginning in 2014, Barroso added extra acreage to his property, bringing it to a total of about 650 acres. This expansion, he pointed out, demonstrates his determination to acquire land to preserve its natural wonder and beauty.

Now, however, the home place he dreamed of having for more than 40 years is in the sights of Dominion Energy, which wants to cross his land with the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). So, what started out as a dream may well turn out to be a nightmare.

MarkWest Propane Tanker Truck Accident on I-64 in Cabell County WV

Duane Nichols — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 19:45:38 +0000

Propane Tanker Accident Closes I-64 in WV

I-64 Remains Closed Between Huntington Mall and Milton in Cabell County, WV, Due to Tanker Crash

Update Report from WSAZ, News 3, Huntington, WV, February 13, 2015

Cabell County, WV (WSAZ) — The WV DOH and Milton Police are still saying that the eastbound lanes of I-64 between the Huntington Mall and Milton could reopen in a couple of hours, while the westbound lanes will be closed most of the day following a propane tanker crash early Friday morning.

The lanes were closed after an ambulance driver noticed the tanker on its side about 3:30 a.m. Friday at the 23 mile marker.

I-64 between the Huntington Mall (Exit 20 A & B) and Milton (Exit 28) is shut down in both directions. All traffic is being diverted off the interstate onto Route 60 at those exits. Traffic on US Route 60 in backed up in both directions due to the detour.

Crews are continuing to work to drain the propane from the tanker. Several wreckers were brought in to tilt the truck so that the remaining 70% of the propane on-board could be suctioned off.

Carrie Bly with the DOH says crews were having a hard time draining the tanker because when it crashed, it landed on the valve used to pump the propane out.

Investigators say it appears the driver veered off the highway and hit the guardrail. They say it looks like he over corrected, and his truck overturned. He had to be removed from the truck with the Jaws of Life. He was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where we are told he is currently in critical condition. His name has not been released.

Cabell County Schools sent a recorded message Friday, telling parents and guardians to expect significant delays in transporting students in eastern Cabell County, due to the interstate closure. School officials say they hope more buses are able to leave on schedule. Cabell Midland students who drive will be able to leave a little early, at 2:30 p.m.

Keep clicking on WSAZ Mobile and WSAZ.com for the latest on this story.

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One lane of I-64 westbound will remain closed one to two days following tractor trailer accident

From a News Broadcast, WOWK, News 13, Huntington, WV, October 17, 2013

Cabell County, WV (WOWK) — According to dispatchers, the right westbound lane of I-64 will be closed for at least one to two days due to bridge and guardrail repairs. The left westbound lane of I-64 has been reopened following an accident involving a tractor trailer carrying mail.

The westbound lanes of I-64 in Cabell County, WV had been closed due to an accident. Crews are on the scene of an overturned truck near mile marker 9, just before the 5th Street exit.

The driver of the truck says he has been driving for nearly 30 years. He said this is his first accident. The man was heading to Ashland, KY to drop off a truckload of mail. He lost control as he went around a curve and flipped, he said. Firefighters said slick road conditions are to blame.

A propane tanker truck ran into the back of the tractor trailer after it wrecked. Both drivers managed to escape without injury. Firefighters said the propane tank was 90 percent full. They said the situation could have been much worse if the tank was punctured.

Crews hope to have the westbound lanes reopened by 3 p.m. Traffic is backed up for miles. Drivers can take the Hal Greer Boulevard exit as an alternate route, in Huntington, WV.

Propane Truck and Flat-Bed Truck Accident Closes I-79 for 12 Hours

Duane Nichols — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:34:51 +0000

Propane Tanker Against Building

Propane Tanker Accidents Not Uncommon (See Photo)

I-79 Reopens More Than 12 Hours After Monongalia Co. Collision

Update: March 20, 2013, NBC-news.com

Monongalia County Office of Emergency Management issued a statement that the highway reopened at 3:39 a.m. Wednesday, almost 12 hours after the collision occurred.

See WBOY story and video here.

Original Story: March 19, 2013, NBC-news.com

An accident involving a propane tanker truck and a flatbed truck closed both northbound lanes of Interstate 79 near the 146 mile marker in Monongalia County Tuesday afternoon.

State troopers said a flatbed truck and a propane truck were headed north on I-79 around 2 p.m. near Goshen Road when the flatbed veered off to the left of the road, came back on, and hit propane truck. This caused the propane truck to go over an embankment on the right side of the road.

The driver of the propane truck was transported to a hospital by ambulance. It’s not known whether the other driver was transported from the scene.

Following the accident, both northbound lanes and one southbound lane on I-79 were closed, according to MECCA 911. One northbound lane has since reopened. Traffic is being detoured off exit 146 on I-79.

HAZMAT is bringing in emergency crews from the propane truck’s company from Charleston and Pittsburgh to help clear the scene. It will take those crews approximately five hours to clear the truck from the embankment, according to HAZMAT officials. Both northbound lanes of I-79 will be closed again late Tuesday evening.

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Propane Truck Overturns in Lee Township, Michigan

By Josh Marshall, January 29, 2013, Midland County, MI, NBCnews.com

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“The driver is well trained and if he didn’t act she would have been dead and the kids would have been dead too,” said Kimmel Propane owner Scott Kimmel.

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A near head-on collision left a propane truck overturned into a ditch leaking propane. “The safest thing to do is evacuate the immediate area on an incident like this with a propane tank involved at least a half mile in all directions,” said the Lee Township Fire Chief.

The propane company says less than a half gallon of product leaked out. When hitting the air the compressed gas grows exponentially, giving cause for evacuations.

“My wife had called and said volunteer firemen had shown up saying we would have to evacuate the house because of a propane leak,” said homeowner Chad Martin.

Firefighters said foggy conditions, high humidity and relatively low winds kept the propane from leaving the area. “Propane is flammable it will travel distances if it finds a source of ignition with the proper air fuel mixture it will ignite,” said the Fire Chief.

Hours after the accident Chad Martin was still trying to get home just a block from the spill. “I called 911 to get a heads up on it and they told me it was going to be a while,” said Martin.

The propane truck was towed away around 3 PM and the area is safe. Now the owner of the propane company, Scott Kimmel is shifting his focus to the health of his driver who he says avoided a worse collision. “His leg is badly injured, they are working on it right now. But his first words were, is she alright?”

See other propane tanker accident pictures here.