US, Belgian Energy Companies Accused of Criminal Negligence

Southern California Gas Company & Belgian energy company Electrabel sued for criminal negligence

California Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against SoCal Gas Co, the company responsible for a massive gas leak near Los Angeles. There are now 11 local, state and federal agencies that are either suing or investigating the company, owned by Sempra Energy, a San Diego-based corporation whose board of directors includes Kathleen Brown, the sister of Gov. Jerry Brown.

The leak in Porter Ranch, which was discovered on 23 October, has forced more than 13,000 nearby residents from their homes.

More than 92,000 metric tons of methane have escaped from Aliso Canyon since Oct. 23.

The following statement was issued by Brown’s office in January, two months after the leak was first reported:

Given the prolonged and continuing duration of the Aliso Canyon gas leak and at the request of residents and local officials, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued a proclamation that declares the situation an emergency and details the administration’s ongoing efforts to help stop the leak. The order also directs further action to protect public health and safety, ensure accountability and strengthen oversight of gas storage facilities.

German city to sue Belgian nuclear power plant

The German city of Aachen is suing a nearby nuclear station for failure to fix safety issues at the aging plant. “The suit alleges that a reactor was brought back online with cracks in the protective concrete,” said a report.

The German city of Aachen and the federal government are launching a lawsuit against Tihange nuclear power plant in Belgium.

The Tihange nuclear power plant lies about 71 kilometers (44 miles) from Aachen, and the city itself is directly on Germany’s border with Belgium. According to city authorities, they are suing for breach of European law over re-commissioning a faulty reactor in an effort to have the entire power station shut down.

German media reported that one of Tihange’s reactors, called Tihange 2, was taken offline in March 2014 due to hairline cracks in the concrete blocks. The reactor was then put back in service in March 2015 without the necessary repairs, according to Aachen’s legal claim.

A series of dangerous incidents

“In recent weeks, the nuclear power plants Doel and Tihange have had several hazardous incidents. People in the ‘three-country region’ [of German, Belgium and the Netherlands] are deeply unsettled and worried,” according to a press release issued by the Aachen officials.

The suit will be heard by the Belgian courts first, but could also be lodged with the EU Court in Brussels, “with the aim of decommissioning Tihange 2,” said the report.

Related Links

• State of Emergency Declared in California over Methane Leak January 7, 2016
• Gas Well Blowout at Porter Ranch, California Sickening Residents  December 29, 2015
• GHG Concentrations Hit Yet Another Record  November 9, 2015
• Tap Water Catches Fire in North Dakota January 1, 2014
• Expect ‘Methane Explosions’ in Siberia, Researchers Warn September 23, 2015
• Hundreds of Flares Expelling Methane Gas off NZ Coast April 30, 2015

Japan Disaster PM Declares Izu Oshima Island “Severe Disaster Area”

Once again Japanese authorities stand accused of “criminal negligence” for failing to save lives

Japan’s disaster Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited typhoon-hit volcanic island of Izu Oshima on Sunday and declared the devastation caused by the Typhoon WIPHA as a “disaster of extreme severity.”

Just about everyone and their uncle knew typhoon WIPHA was a very intense storm capable of causing major damage, possibly multiple deaths.

Even Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) had earlier warned about the severity of the typhoon, which failed to make a direct hit, describing it as a “once a decade” type of storm.

The storm triggered deadly mudslides on the island destroying homes and burying residents alive on October 16. At least 32 people were killed and about a dozen were missing, presumed dead.

Once again the authorities in Japan have been accused of “criminal negligence” for failing to issue adequate warnings and evacuation alerts as the deadly storm approached, which would have saved dozens of lives.

Related Links

• 70,000 People Told to Evacuate as FRANCISCO Pounds Japan October 25, 2013
• Typhoon WIPHA Dumps 800mm of Rain Over Tokyo October 16, 2013
• Typhoon WIPHA Targets Tokyo October 15, 2013
• Typhoon NARI Chased by TS WIPHA October 12, 2013
• Vietnam Evacuates 250,000 ahead of NARI October 14, 2013

TEPCO Continues to Contaminate the World

What would it take for the Asian countries most at risk from Fukushima nuclear disaster to team up and declare the Japaneses government ‘Legally Incompetent,’ on grounds of their inability to deal with an ongoing major nuclear disaster that would likely pose an existential threat to other nations in the region and beyond, and then appoint an international team of guardians and conservators to oversee the day-to-day running of the country?

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Another tank leaking toxic water at Fukushima nuclear plant: Operator

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of Japan’s nuked Fukushima nuclear power plant, said another tank holding highly radioactive coolant is leaking, and that some of the toxic liquid likely entered the Pacific Ocean.

The leaked fluid contained 200,000 becquerels per liter of beta-emitting radioactive isotopes including strontium 90, according to the company. The legal limit for strontium 90 is reportedly 30 becquerels per liter.

In August, at least 300 tons of highly toxic water escaped from one of the hastily built holding tanks. TEPCO has been pumping hundreds of tons of water a day to keep the reactors cool. The tanks are used to store the highly toxic wastewater.

On October 1,  TEPCO admitted it had found yet another leak at the plant, which caused 4 tons of radioactive water to enter the sea.

The criminally negligent government of Japan and TEPCO apparently won’t rest until the entire region, the country, the sea and all of its content, is contaminated with radiation.

This is now a matter of urgent global security, but the government in Japan has not taken any steps to address the worsening disaster.

Japan’s False Bravado

Hubris can only stem from ignorance, and it usually results in major downfalls and death. And no one could possibly know this better than the Japanese.

Yoshinoya Holdings, a Japanese fast-food chain, announced yesterday plans to grow rice and vegetables on a farm in Shirakawa, located less than 100 km (60 miles) from the nuked Fukushima power plant.

Up to quarter of a million people living nearest to Fukushima nuke plant were ordered to move out after the March 2011 mega earthquake and tsunami caused triple reactor meltdowns, contaminating the ground, water air and everything.

The government reluctantly established a 20-km compulsory evacuation zone and various voluntary evacuation zones have since been set us from site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

FIRE-EARTH experts have advised all of their colleagues and friends who live anywhere in Japan to obtain a Geiger counter and to NOT leave home without it.

What would it take for the Asian countries most at risk from Fukushima nuclear disaster to team up and declare the Japaneses government ‘Legally Incompetent,’ on grounds of their inability to deal with an ongoing major nuclear disaster that would likely pose an existential threat to other nations in the region and beyond, and then appoint an international team of guardians and conservators to oversee the day-to-day running of the country?

FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NPS Prompt Report

• Overflow of Water from the Dike of H8-South Area at Fukushima Daiichi NPS Oct 2, 2013

• Overflow of Water from the Notch Tank Which Locates at the East of the H5 Area Tank and Stores Water inside the Dike at Fukushima Daiichi NPS (Follow-up Information) Oct 1, 2013

Rig Explosion Suit Cites Criminal Negligence by BP, Others

Rig Explosion, Deaths and Oil Leak Caused by Criminal Negligence

TRANSOCEAN, BP and HALIBURTON Sued for Employee Death

Lawsuit filed by Plaintiff, Natalie Roshto (on behalf of herself and her 3-year-old son, Blaine Roshto,) suing  TRANSOCEAN, BP and HALIBURTON for criminal negligence in the loss of her husband, and her son’s father, Shane Roshto.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig caught fire after exploding on April 20, 2010. Fire boat response crews are seen in the US Coast Guard photo trying to extinguish the remnants of the semisubmersible platform off the coast of Louisiana, on April 21, 2010. Shane Roshto and 10 of his colleagues were killed in the explosion, while 17 others were injured, at least 8 of them seriously.  The rig sank Thursday morning local time some 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana, and was discovered to be leaking at least 1,000 barrels of crude oil per day, despite earlier assurances that the well would not leak.

The defendants cited in the criminal negligence suit are:

(A) TRANSOCEAN, LTD, (TRANSOCEAN ENTITY), a foreign corporation doing business in the State of Louisiana;
(B) TRANSOCEAN OFFSHORE DEEPWATER DRILLING, INC.,
(TRANSOCEAN ENTITY), a foreign corporation doing business in the State of Louisiana;
(C) TRANSOCEAN DEEPWATER, INC. (TRANSOCEAN ENTITY)
(D) BP, PLC, hereinafter referred to as “BP,” a foreign corporation doing business in the State of Louisiana;
(E) BP PRODUCTS NORTH AMERICA, INC., hereinafter referred to as “BP Products,” a foreign corporation doing business in the State of Louisiana; and (F) HALIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC., hereinafter referred to as “Haliburton,” a foreign corporation doing business in the State of Louisiana.

Natalie Roshto claims that HALIBURTON, on of the Defendant cited in the negligence law suit “was engaged in cementing operations of the well and well cap” immediately prior to the explosion that killed her husband.  Based on the information since obtained Mrs Roshto believes  HALIBURTON acted “improperly and negligently” while performing those duties, which was a cause of the explosion.

Her husband Shane Roshto was employed by TRANSOCEAN ENTITIES as a Jones Act seaman, the lawsuit states, and was assigned by TRANSOCEAN ENTITIES to
work aboard the ill-fated DEEPWATER HORIZON.

Paragraph 11 of the lawsuit states:

At all times material hereto, the vessel on which Shane Roshto was injured and/or died was owned, navigated in navigable waters, manned, possessed, managed, controlled, chartered and/or operated by defendants, TRANSOCEAN ENTITIES, BP and/or BP PRODUCTS.

Paragraph 15 of the filed lawsuit, which has been filed with the UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA, states:

The above-described incidents were caused solely by the negligence of defendants, TRANSOCEAN ENTITIES, BP, BP PRODUCTS and HALIBURTON, through their agents, servants and employees, which are more particularly described as follows:

NEGLIGENCE OF TRANSOCEAN ENTITIES
a. Failing to provide a competent crew;
b. Failing to properly supervise its employees;
c. Failing to properly train and/or supervise plaintiff and other employees;
d. Failing to provide plaintiff with a safe place to work, and requiring plaintiff to work in unsafe conditions;
e. Failing to provide sufficient personnel to perform operations aboard the vessel;
f. Failing to properly follow drilling protocols and policies, proper well monitoring
and control practices;
g. Failing to exercise due care and caution;
h. Failing to avoid this accident;
i. Failing to provide decedent with a seaworthy vessel;
h. Other acts of negligence which will be shown more fully at trial.

NEGLIGENCE OF BP AND BP PRODUCTS

a. Failing to properly train and/or supervise its crew and other employees;
b. Failing to ensure that its crew worked in a safe and prudent manner;
c. Failing to provide plaintiff with a safe place to work, and requiring plaintiff to
work in unsafe conditions;
d. Failing to exercise due care and caution;
e. Failing to avoid this accident;
f. Failing to provide decedent with a seaworthy vessel;
g. Other acts of negligence which will be shown more fully at trial.

NEGLIGENCE OF HALIBURTON

a. Failing to sufficiently and competently perform cementing operations aboard the
vessel.;
b. Failing to properly supervise its employees;
c. Failing to properly train and/or supervise plaintiff and other employees;
d. Failing to provide plaintiff with a safe place to work, and requiring plaintiff to
work in unsafe conditions;
e. Failing to provide sufficient personnel to perform operations aboard the vessel;
f. Failing to exercise due care and caution;
g. Failing to avoid this accident;
h. Other acts of negligence which will be shown more fully at trial.

Related Links:

• Gulf of Mexico Oil Leak – Update Apr 27
• Disasters Caused by Oil and gas Drilling, Oil Spills, Leaks, Land, Water and Air Pollution

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Agitated Orca Kills Dolphin

Agitated orca (killer whale), kills and devours dolphin, as tourists watch

An agitated female orca attacks dolphins, a female with her young pup, eventually tossing her into the air and snapping her back. Photo: Tommy Hatwell/Explore Images/Ferrari Press Agency. Image may be subject to copyright.

The attack occurred just a few weeks after the tragic death of Dawn Brancheau, 40,“trainer” at SeaWorld’s Shamu Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

[Note: The news of the attack which occurred on or about March 28, 2010, was buried by Google, and only became known to us when a reader submitted a link to the photo.]

The dolphin died moments later as  the rest of the whales began to devour her and her helpless pup.

The attack occurred at a seaside spot called Black Rocks, in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, where tourist flock to watch dolphins, invariably agitating and harming the animals.

“The boat was just 50 to 100m away while the killing occurred, as the other pseudo orcas fled.” one of the tour operators declared proudly, calling the incident a “one in a million” chance.

Related Links:

• Leave Orcas (Dolphins) Out of Your Circus Act
• How the US Woman Emily May Harper Was Killed in NZ

• US Woman killed Swimming with Dolphins in NZ
• Another American Woman Killed in New Zealand
• Sick kiwis harm generous dolphin
• Tourist boats destroying dolphin community in New Zealand

Serial No  1,561. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by the authorities/Google in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).