[Ann357]

[Ann357]

5.7 million litres of oil spilled in Lac-Mégantic MONTREAL — It might take weeks before the extent of the damage from the July 6 train derailment in Lac-Mégantic is known, but 16 days after a train carrying crude oil crashed into the heart of Lac-Mégantic, the provincial government has revealed just how much oil appears to have been spilled. There were 7.2 million litres of light crude oil aboard the ill-fated Montreal Main & Atlantic Railway train, but Quebec’s Department of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks says about 5.7 million litres were released into the air, water and soil during the derailment. Of the 72 tankers, which were carrying 100,000 litres each, only nine withstood the impact. Twenty tankers were completely emptied, and an additional 43 — with an estimated 600,000 litres among them — were drained and moved in the cleanup efforts following the deadly explosion. Earlier reports indicate it took first responders roughly 72 hours after the crash to plug the spilling crude and minimize damage to the nearby Chaudière River, which has its source in Lac Mégantic. Using a dam between the lake and the river, as well as a system of downstream dikes, cleanup crews slowed the flow of contaminated water and were able to pump it out. The department said that as of Friday, 150,000 litres of oily water had been removed from the lake, and confirmed 51,200 gallons had been removed from the river. All pools of oil on Lac Mégantic have been recovered as well. Since the oil in the tankers was a light crude, it has been easier for cleanup crews to remove because it floats on water. “It is still too early to make an overall assessment of the situation,” the department said in an official news release on Monday afternoon, “however, an aerial survey conducted on July 21 reveals no traces of oil on the river, and the points of sporadic accumulation observed last week have disappeared.” Only small deposits of oil were observed by respondents upstream and downstream of the Sartigan dam in nearby St-Georges. Following the water cleanup, the land in Lac-Mégantic’s city centre will still have to be decontaminated. Officials said Monday that some houses in the Red Zone — the epicentre of the accident — will have to be destroyed if they stand on soil that is too badly contaminated. Inspectors are determining which structures will be taken down on a house-by-house basis.

Bringing this over from the previous thread:

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post) Especially considering experts say it may take up to 5 years to completely decontaminate the rivers, lakes and grounds that were affected by the explosion/inferno.

The loss of life is terrible from this "accident". The community must now deal with the long term environmental impacts. I've read a few articles tonight that have conflicting information about the type of product released. Not knowing more about the crude, I really suspect that the extent and magnitude of contamination is not fully understood yet.

Sadly, I think it will take longer than 5 years for environmental clean up.

[sunnykerr]

Just bringing this over so that Christina knows I responded to her on the last thread:

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post) Well, it's better news than if they hadn't pledged anything, of course. I'm not sure how $35 million in "economic development" will be welcomed by the locals, considering the bad record our federal government has with those, but then again, it's still better than nothing. Today we learned that the train companies hadn't been paying the people who've been working for two weeks to try and clear away the rubble and begin decontamination and look for bodies. The town has had to fork over $4 million to pay those workers. Again, this is a town of 6,000 inhabitants, so I can't imagine they had much of a budget for unplanned emergencies like that. If two weeks of clean-up is $4 million, I can't imagine the combined pledged amount of $120 from both the provincial and the federal level will accomplish all that much. Especially considering experts say it may take up to 5 years to completely decontaminate the rivers, lakes and grounds that were affected by the explosion/inferno.

Ann Thank you for starting the new thread!

And I think you're right, it may very well take more than 5 years to decontaminate, especially since Lac-Megantic is a hilly spot filled with rivers and the lake that gave the town its name.

The oil, whatever kind it was (we've been hearing "shale" here), will have gotten a lot further than just the immediate vicinity.

I do hope the talks of increasing rail-transport security will lead somewhere. It just seems a matter of common sense all around. It's a matter of human and environmental safety, but also a business thing. Because I can't imagine anyone will be too thrilled about this lost cargo, even though that's obviously the least of it.

[Ann357]

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post) Just bringing this over so that Christina knows I responded to her on the last thread: Ann Thank you for starting the new thread! And I think you're right, it may very well take more than 5 years to decontaminate, especially since Lac-Megantic is a hilly spot filled with rivers and the lake that gave the town its name. The oil, whatever kind it was (we've been hearing "shale" here), will have gotten a lot further than just the immediate vicinity. I do hope the talks of increasing rail-transport security will lead somewhere. It just seems a matter of common sense all around. It's a matter of human and environmental safety, but also a business thing. Because I can't imagine anyone will be too thrilled about this lost cargo, even though that's obviously the least of it.

Your welcome.

I read some stories that called it light crude and others called it shale oil. This type of contamination and the jargon is in line with my profession.

I'll try and learn more about this type of crude oil to better understand how it might behave.

Edit:

This article has an amazing slide show of pictures of the impacted area.

Lac-Megantic Mayor: We're Suing MMA For Not Paying Clean-Up Workers

[sunnykerr]

Shale, crude, etc. Whatever kind of oil it turns out to have been, the lives of an entire community have been shattered.

And I do find the federal response... lackluster.

Obviously, it's better than nothing. But I don't suppose they could have gotten away with doing nothing either.

[Ann357]

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post) Shale, crude, etc. Whatever kind of oil it turns out to have been, the lives of an entire community have been shattered. And I do find the federal response... lackluster. Obviously, it's better than nothing. But I don't suppose they could have gotten away with doing nothing either.

Yes, the lose and long term impacts are terrible.

I'm concerned that the railroad company isn't paying the clean-up workers. I wonder if they don't have the funds. Sad that at this time the community has to worry about money.

[sunnykerr]

Well, the police have officially launched an investigation into MM&A. They've gone into their offices.

If those bastards welch on paying for clean-up... I may just have a fit.

These people's lives have been destroyed.

[sunnykerr]

Hundreds march to protest deadly Toronto police shooting; officer suspended Hundreds of protesters marched the streets of Toronto Monday, calling for justice as they walked past the site where an 18-year-old was fatally shot in a standoff with police over the weekend. Sammy Yatim’s sister and mother were among the crowd of demonstrators that stretched for more than a block. The teen’s mother was visibly shaken and barely able to speak. She was heard repeating her son’s name while reaching out for a photo of him. The protesters began their march at the Yonge-Dundas square in downtown Toronto, chanting “Shame” and carrying signs such as “Patience before decisions and irrational thinking.” Some of them angrily confronted police officers who were dispatched to monitor the demonstration. Yatim was gunned down on a stopped 505 streetcar on Dundas Street near Grace Street just after midnight on Saturday. Witnesses say they saw the teen holding a knife. By the time police arrived on scene, the streetcar had emptied. Eyewitness accounts and video captured at the scene indicate police told Yatim to drop his weapon. At least nine shots were fired. Yatim was taken to St. Michael's Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Suspension with pay The Toronto Police Association said the police officer involved in the shooting has been suspended with pay. Association president Mike McCormack confirmed the suspension to CP24. “He’s just overwhelmed by the magnitude of everything,” McCormack told The Canadian Press earlier. An investigation has been launched by Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit. McCormack stressed that the public shouldn’t jump to conclusions before investigators gather all the facts surrounding the shooting. “All we’re asking is to wait until all the information comes in, and then we can look at the officer’s actions appropriately and make the right decisions as it were,” he said. The suspension follows a commitment by Toronto’s police chief Bill Blair that his force will do everything it can to determine why the teen was killed. At a news conference on Monday morning, Blair said he had seen widely-circulated eyewitness videos of the incident and shares the public’s concerns about police conduct. “I am aware of the very serious concerns the public has," Blair said. "I know that people are seeking answers as to what occurred, why it happened and if anything could have been done to prevent the tragic death of this young man. I am also seeking answers to these important questions." According to the SIU, Yatim sustained multiple gunshot wounds. They say a Taser was also deployed. Blair said his force would co-operate with the SIU, the arms-length provincial agency called in to examine cases of injury, death or alleged sexual assault in which police are involved. "We will act as quickly as circumstances and the law allow," he said. He also offered his condolences to the teen’s family. "As a father, I can only imagine their terrible grief and their need for answers," Blair said. The SIU has assigned six investigators and two forensic investigators to the case. The police watchdog said it will be interviewing 22 witness officers. In addition to the SIU investigation, Blair said he will be conducting a separate probe to see if police protocols and training guidelines were followed. “A full report of my review, actions and recommendations will be submitted to the Toronto police services board within 30 days of being notified that the SIU has reported the results of their investigation to the Attorney General,” he said. Yatim’s death a “tragic situation” Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne described Yatim’s death as a “tragic situation.” “My heart goes out to the family,” said Wynne, adding that she couldn’t comment on the shooting while it was under investigation. Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin also commented on the incident, saying his office will review the shooting to determine if it could lead to a wider probe. "It's important that I look at it from a provincial angle, and that's what we're considering right now," Marin said. "The government of Ontario...has the ability to issue guidelines and directions to police services on de-escalating conflict. We're going to have a discussion tomorrow to decide whether or not we should launch an investigation into whether or not those guidelines are sufficient." A makeshift memorial for Yatim has been set up at the scene of Saturday’s shooting. Messages left for the teen read: “You asked for help and we failed you,” and “You were everyone’s son, everyone’s child.” In addition to the site of the shooting, protestors on Monday also briefly stopped at Toronto Police 14 Division, near Exhibition Place on Manitoba Drive.

Source

The footage has gone viral, so I've seen it. And it's pretty devastating.

I mean, I want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and the footage doesn't cover the angle of the policeman who fired all those shots, so who knows what he saw.

But the kid was defiitely alone on that bus. And if he had a weapon besides a knife, no one's saying it.

So it's hard to understand why gunfire was the response the police had.

Like I said, I didn't see what the police officer saw.

But, from what I saw, there's a million other things that could have been done.

[quaist]

This article's the first thing I'm to read about this incident, so I'm absolutely not in any position to make a judgment.

However, a young life was lost and that's always horrible.

[sunnykerr]

The provincial ombudsman is looking into whether or not this incident warrants an investigation into use-of-force protocols.

No decision's been met.

I think there's tremendous outrage at the moment, because (like I said) the video went viral and it is very shocking.

My gut reaction is, till proven otherwise, to give the police officer the benefit of the doubt. Because, even though it seems impossible that nine gunshots could be accidental, it may just be that he didn't see the situation the way that the video leads me to see it.

Emotionally, though, it's very difficult to even consider that the police officer might have a side. That video made it look like that kid was just gunned down, pure and simple.

[sunnykerr]

Children of missing woman file 6th lawsuit against Robert Pickton, police VANCOUVER -- The children of yet another woman whose DNA was found on Robert Pickton's farm are suing the serial killer, the Vancouver police and the RCMP, bringing to six the number of families who have launched lawsuits this year. Shari Murdock and Ryan Murdock filed a notice of civil claim in mid-July over the death of their mother, Jacqueline Murdock, who disappeared in August 1997 and whose DNA was later found on Pickton's property. Murdock is among six women whose DNA was found on the farm, but no charges were ever laid in her murder. Like the earlier statements of claim, the Murdock children's lawsuit alleges the Vancouver police and the RCMP put their mother at risk by failing to properly investigate reports of missing sex workers or warn the public of a potential serial killer. The lawyer for the families has previously said the lawsuits, if they go to trial, would allow him to call Pickton as a witness, forcing the serial killer to answer for his crimes for the first time. The other women whose families have launched lawsuits include Stephanie Lane, Dianne Rock, Sarah de Vries, Cynthia Feliks and Yvonne Boen.

Source

I can't imagine any court in this land will find the cops guilty of not having investigated thoroughly enough.

That doesn't mean I think they investigated enough, but I think the courts in this land will find that cops do the best they can with the limited sources they have.

Having said that, it's appalling that nothing was ever done about these disappearances till they multiplied to such an extreme.

So, really, I think the problem is deeper than a lawsuit.

[sunnykerr]

Snake 'strangles two children' in New Brunswick, Canada A snake escaped from a pet shop and killed two children in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, police say. In a statement, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they believed the reptile had strangled two boys, aged five and seven, in Campbellton. The boys were staying overnight at a friend's apartment above the pet shop. Police said they believe the snake slipped out of its cage overnight and travelled through the ventilation. The serpent has been captured by police. 'Tragedy' Experts say attacks by exotic snakes are extremely rare. Officers were called to the address on Monday morning where the two boys were found dead, said a police statement. The flat was located above the Reptile Ocean exotic pet store. "The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store sometime overnight, and got into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment," said the statement. Post-mortem examinations will be performed on the two boys, thought to be brothers, on Tuesday. No charges have been laid so far. Campbellton's deputy mayor, Ian Comeau, said the incident was a "tragedy". "The city is in shock," he added. In a Facebook message, Reptile Ocean wrote: "Deepest sympathies goes out to the family of the children. A terrible accident without a meaning." The store said it would temporarily suspend its online account because users had posted "demeaning comments". Initial reports suggested the reptile may have been a boa constrictor, but officials later said they believed it was an African rock python. The owner of Reptile Ocean told CTV News that he had had the snake since 2001.

Source

This is all so senseless.

I just hope those boys never felt any of it, being asleep.

I understand that accidents happen, but I also believe it behooves the owners of dangerous pets to keep them beyond secure.

[sunnykerr]

Railway at centre of Lac-Megantic tragedy granted creditor protection A Quebec Superior Court judge has granted creditor protection to the Canadian subsidiary of Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Ltd., the railway at the centre of last month's deadly train derailment in Lac-Megantic, Que. The ruling, which was handed down Thursday morning, follows an application made Wednesday by MMA and its Canadian subsidiary for bankruptcy protection. Justice Martin Castonguay said he hopes the decision will limit the potential "judicial anarchy" of multiple creditors all seeking compensation from the railway. He noted that the behaviour of MMA has been "lamentable" since the rail disaster, which killed 47 people and destroyed much of the town's downtown core on July 6. "The court is not at all impressed with the conduct of MMA since the start," he said shortly after making his decision. Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Canada Co. filed documents seeking relief from its creditors under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. Under the CCAA, companies are granted protection while they work to avoid bankruptcy. Castonguay said another judge will preside over future hearings on the matter, with the next hearing scheduled for Aug. 23 in Lac-Megantic. He noted that the residents of the town have "a right to know what's going on," and shouldn't have to make the roughly 250-kilometre drive west to Montreal to attend the hearing. Montreal lawyer Ian Rudnikoff told CTV's Canada AM that the company's decision to file for bankruptcy protection does not mean that the company is off the hook, but that the affected residents of Lac-Megantic will now be added to the same list of all the creditors seeking compensation from the company. "They're in the same position as every other creditor," he said Thursday, speaking from Montreal. Rudnikoff said eventually an offer will be made to all the company's creditors, but warned that the amount will likely be less than what's owed. "Ultimately an offer will be made to all of the classes, or all of the creditors, where each of the creditors who have a valid claim will receive their pro-rated share of what's available," he said. "But to say that they will receive 100 cents on the dollar is highly unlikely." Rudnikoff said there is a certain pecking order in terms of which class of creditors will receive compensation first and the amount of compensation given. Among the different creditors who will likely seek compensation from MMA will be trade creditors, employees, those Lac-Megantic residents who lost a loved one and those who suffered property damage, he said. MMA chairman Ed Burkhardt said in a statement Wednesday that the company remains committed to working with the province and the municipality to help rebuild the community. The cost of cleaning up Lac-Megantic is estimated to be around $200 million. The railway said in court documents that the Canadian branch has just under $18 million in assets and around $25 million in insurance coverage, which it has yet to receive from its insurer. Court documents, which were posted to the Bangor Daily News website, said the company's U.S. parent firm has between $50 million and $100 million in estimated assets and between $1 million and $10 million in estimated liabilities. To date the town says it has spent $8 million toward the cleanup and recovery. The federal government has pledged $60 million to the town. A number of class-action lawsuits are being planned against the company and the town has said it's considering suing MMA to recoup the $8 million spent so far. Forty-two bodies have been recovered from the disaster zone, while five others were never found.

Source

Lac-Megantic and its residents are so screwed, it's not even funny.

[sunnykerr]

Two teens charged in Rehtaeh Parsons case Two 18-year-old males are facing child pornography charges in the case of Rehtaeh Parsons, the Nova Scotia teen who hanged herself after months of cyberbullying linked to an alleged sexual assault. The suspects were arrested in their Halifax homes Thursday morning. At an evening news conference, Halifax Police and the RCMP announced that one of them has been charged with two counts of distributing child pornography. The other 18-year-old was charged with making and distributing child pornography. Both have scheduled appearances in youth court next Thursday. Their names were not released because they were minors at the time of the alleged offences. There was insufficient evidence to support charges of sexual assault, police said. Parsons was taken off life-support in April after she hanged herself in her Halifax home. She was 17 years old. Her family says she suffered months of cyberbullying after a photo of her allegedly being sexually assaulted began circulating in her school. Parsons’ mother, Leah, said she’s happy that charges have been laid. “We’ve been waiting for a very long time for something to be done with this situation and this is the first time anything has been done,” she told CTV News Channel in a telephone interview Thursday evening. “I just wish there would have been more charges laid.” Earlier Thursday, Parsons’ father Glen Canning said he felt “divided” when police told him about the arrests. “At one point I thought I was going to cry and at the other point I was just almost in shock,” he told CTV News in an interview at his home. “We have waited such a long time for something to come out of this. I was just emotionally divided.” Canning said the arrests won’t bring him closure, but they gave him a sense of relief because of the people who doubted Rehtaeh’s story. “It was a bittersweet kind of moment because Rehtaeh is dead,” he said. “She’s never going to know justice.” RCMP Chief-Supt. Roland Wells said police hope the arrests will help the community heal. "A young girl has died in what is a tragic set of circumstances. We all need to reflect on how we as a community can come together in Rehtaeh's memory and see what we can do to work together to support our youth," he told the news conference Thursday. Halifax Police Chief Jean-Michel Blais said he doesn’t expect the child pornography charges to bring Parsons’ family “all the answers they seek.” He acknowledged that some people may feel that other charges are warranted, but said police “cannot act on innuendo or speculation.”

Full story

I think the cops really did try to give Rehtaeh justice, but they had limited means of doing it.

I also think the law is still struggling to catch up with new technologies.

[sunnykerr]

Toronto cop faces 2nd-degree murder charge in streetcar shooting The family of a Toronto teenager who was fatally shot after a standoff with police says it is “relieved” that the officer involved will be charged with second-degree murder. The Special Investigation Unit, Ontario’s police watchdog, announced Monday that an arrest warrant has been issued for Const. James Forcillo in connection with the death of Sammy Yatim, 18, who was shot and killed on a Toronto streetcar in the early morning hours of July 27. The SIU said arrangements have been made for Forcillo to surrender himself into custody on Tuesday morning. “We have been waiting patiently and cooperating with the police investigation and want to hold accountable all those responsible for Sammy’s death,” Yatim’s family said in a statement. “Our family hopes that the SIU investigation will continue looking into the actions of the supervising police officer(s) and the other officers in attendance for their lack of intervention in this tragedy,” the statement reads. “We want to work now to ensure that Sammy’s blood wasn’t wasted and to prevent any other families from enduring such a tragedy. We would like to thank the public again for their continued support throughout this trying time for us.” The SIU said Forcillo “has been the recipient of threats,” and so the agency will not be releasing the location of his planned surrender. The earlier statement from the agency said that SIU director Ian Scott, “has reasonable grounds to believe that a Toronto Police Service (TPS) officer committed a criminal offence in relation to” Yatim’s death. After he turns himself in, Forcillo will then be transported to Old City Hall court. “Pursuant to the provisions of the Criminal Code, he will be detained in custody,” the agency said. “The Criminal Code allows an accused to have the detention order reviewed in Superior Court and seek bail at any point in time.” The SIU is an independent body that probes incidents of serious injury or death involving police officers. Earlier Monday, Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack said the union is “very disappointed” to learn of the charge, but also “not surprised. “But what we do is we stand by due process,” McCormack told CP24. “Now that we’re into this process, the charges are going to be before courts and let’s see where the evidence leads. And let’s start talking about evidence and truth and facts instead of people just jumping to conclusions.” Yatim’s final moments were caught on local surveillance video and cellphone images taken by passersby that were then posted on YouTube. The videos show Yatim, holding a knife, pacing back and forth on the empty streetcar as police shout, “Drop the knife.” Then, over the course of 13 seconds, nine shots ring out. A Taser was also used during the incident. Forcillo was suspended with pay while the SIU conducted its investigation. McCormack said Forcillo is “devastated” by the incident. “This has not been an easy process for him,” McCormack said. “It’s been a lose-lose situation for everybody.”

Source

I hope that "lose-lose" comment was just a bad turn of phrase, because (if not) it's really repugnant.

A kid died here.

I don't know if it was second-degree murder. But a kid died because a cop riddled his body with bullets.

How is it "lose-lose" when a kid is dead and the person who did kill him (whether it was homicide or not) will face charges? That's what should happen.