Emergency and disaster management briefing for February 5, 2021: A multi-vehicle crash shut down I-80 in central Iowa on Thursday; several people were injured when an explosion rocked a Red Cross building in southern Germany; two explosive-detecting K-9 teams are now helping secure the El Paso International Airport; despite earlier assurances PSPS would end, PG&E alleges that they will continue indefinitely for California; the University of Alabama is looking for volunteers to help with a severe weather study to be conducted this spring; Vale SA has reached a settlement with Brazilian authorities in the Brumadinho tailings mine collapse; a recall was issued by the CPSC for space heaters due to potential carbon monoxide poisoning and a fire hazard; and a newly published study covers an extensive review and analysis of existing Cesium 137 in the Fukushima Prefecture after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in 2011.
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1. A multi-vehicle crash due to snowy weather shut down I-80 in Central Iowa on Thursday. State troopers were responding to several vehicle crashes in the area when the larger pileup occurred. Several people sustained serious injuries; however, no deaths occurred.
Serious injuries reported after massive 40-vehicle pileup on snowy section of I-80 in Iowa https://t.co/LF7TWRo6KP
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 5, 2021
2. Several people suffered injuries when a Red Cross building in Memmingen, Germany, was rocked by an explosion early Friday morning. According to reports, the incident was caused by a defective gas line that runs under the street in front of the building. The building suffered serious damage in the explosion and allegedly, another explosion has not been ruled out.
Germany Regional News – Memmingen
— TSC International News (@news_tsc) February 5, 2021
At least five people were injured on Friday in an explosion at the Red Cross in the Bavarian town Memmingen, local media reported.
Click on either link to read the article in full:https://t.co/hjC5NmNte1https://t.co/sQ1xH3ePPv pic.twitter.com/U6sHH59UaW
3. Two K-9 teams have joined security efforts at the El Paso International Airport. The highly trained dogs are able to detect explosives and will be stationed at the security checkpoint on the main floor. The primary location for the dogs will be at the airport; however, their use may include deployment across the city to ensure safety at major events.
The El Paso International Airport has just received two new canine teams that are trained in the detection of explosives. Official say the dogs will be stationed at the security checkpoint area on the main floor of the airport. https://t.co/gEL8RompFM
— KVIA ABC-7 News (@abc7breaking) February 3, 2021
4. Pacific Gas & Electric admits that Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are likely to continue in the state of California indefinitely. Despite assurances from the company that once compliance issues were addressed the PSPS would stop in five to 10 years, lawyers noted that the shutoffs would be part of wildfire risk management into the future. The company said that it is focusing on making the PSPS smaller, shorter and smarter.
ICYMI: PG&E: Public Safety Power Shutoffs Likely ‘A Reality' Indefinitely https://t.co/sCi2c4oYC4
— Jaxon Van Derbeken (@jvanderbeken) February 4, 2021
5. The Center for Advanced Public Safety at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, is looking for volunteers to participate in a severe weather study. The study will cover the 2021 spring severe weather season and focuses on participant preparations and reactions before, during, and after the weather. Data from the study will be shared with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), along with the National Severe Storms Laboratory to help improve distribution and communication of tornado warnings.
University of Alabama seeking volunteers for #alwx study into severe weather events to help improve tornado warnings: https://t.co/Sla4PuV6xC pic.twitter.com/H9HhcXgQWW
— #WVTM13 (@WVTM13) February 5, 2021
6. A settlement has been reached between Vale SA and Brazilian authorities over a dam collapse in 2019 that killed at least 270 people. Vale SA has agreed to pay $7 billion in compensation and reparations to affected individuals, along with investments in environmental projects. A torrent of mud swept workers away and wiped out buildings when a tailings dam collapsed in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil in January of 2019. It was the second iron ore tailings dam owned by the company to collapse in just five years.
Vale SA reached a settlement agreement with Brazilian authorities for a dam collapse that killed 270 people and led to production cutbacks that stripped the company of the title of world’s biggest iron ore producer. https://t.co/RaDgZLIFMm
— Bloomberg Australia (@BloombergAU) February 4, 2021
7. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a recall of space heaters for a potential carbon monoxide poisoning and a fire hazard they present. The recall includes two model numbers of the DeWalt cordless kerosene forced-air heaters. The heaters being recalled were sold at Lowe’s and farm supply stores from June to November of 2020, and consumers are urged to immediately stop using the product and contact Enerco for a free replacement heater that is corded.
#Recall: Enerco Group recalls DeWALT Cordless Kerosene Heaters due to fire and carbon monoxide poisoning hazards. Sold at Lowe’s stores and farm and supply stores from June 2020 through November 2020.
— NYS Division of Consumer Protection (@NYSConsumer) February 3, 2021
Units: 4,500https://t.co/UESZcAUA08
8. The study of radiocesium contamination after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) disaster in Japan includes its impact on area forests and ecosystems. A newly published study in an ongoing Technical Document produced by the International Atomic Energy Agency covers extensive review and analysis of existing data on Cesium 137 levels in Fukushima Prefecture’s forests. To help protect people, scientists need to understand how long Cesium 137 — a radioactive isotope — remains in the environment in order to identify radiation in food and wood products sourced from Fukushima.
— Dennis Carlin Inc. (@3DennisCarlins) February 4, 2021
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