Tanker Filled With Acid Shuts Down Traffic After Accident
(Le Mars) — Traffic on Business Highway 75 from 6th Avenue to 18th Street southwest was shut down for a couple of hours Monday afternoon, while the contents of a semi-truck and tanker were unloaded. The tanker was hauling more than 4,000 gallons of two different types of acid. The truck had turned the corner too short from Hawkeye Avenue or Business Highway 75 on to 12th Street southwest, causing the accident. The tanker struck a concrete barrier that was in place so to protect a railroad crossing standard. That concrete barrier was wedged between the back axles and the tanker. Fortunately, no leaks had occurred during the mishap, but officials did not want to take a chance of moving the vehicle until its contents were unloaded. Le Mars Fire Chief Dave Schipper says officials wanted to use extreme caution when dealing with the corrosive phospheric acid.
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The accident happened a few minutes before 12:00 noon, but the intersection of 12th Street Southwest, and Business Highway 75 was closed for nearly five hours. Both the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department’s Hazard Materials unit and Sioux city Haz Mat team were called to the scene. Chief Schipper says the tanker had four separate containers. He says the clean-up process may have taken some time, but everything worked smoothly, with no further danger to the community.
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Schipper says several people were helpful with the emergency scene.
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Two Teens Killed During Buena Vista County Auto Accident
(Storm Lake) — A fatal traffic accident occurred in Buena Vista County, Monday morning claiming the lives of two teen agers. Buena Vista County authorities responded to the accident that happened a half mile east of County Road M-50 on 570th Street, northeast of Storm Lake. The accident involved two vehicles, a pick-up truck driven by 43 year old Kent Erickson of Albert City, and a passenger car driven by a 17 year old male from Sioux Rapids. The 17 year old male was pronounced dead at the scene, as was a 16 year old female passenger from Marathon. Also injured in the passenger car was a 15 year old female from rural Storm Lake who suffered serious injuries and was airlifted by helicopter from the scene to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. Rose Joens, age 19, of Schaller was also a passenger in the car and suffered serious injuries and was transported to the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake by ambulance. Erickson suffered minor injuries in the mishap. 49 year old Trent Jackson of rural Alta was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated by rescue personnel from Newell and Storm Lake Fire Departments having suffered incapacitating injuries. Authorities are withholding the names of the fatalities pending notification of family. Assisting at the scene were the Iowa State Patrol, the Newell Fire Department, the Storm Lake Fire Department, Newell Ambulance, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Paramedics, and the Buena Vista County Medical Examiner’s office. The investigation is continuing by the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s office and Iowa State Patrol.
Council Bluffs Pipe Company Fined For Environmental Violatons
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Environmental officials say a pipe company must pay $950,000 for air and water violations at its former Council Bluffs facility.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 7 says Griffin Pipe Products must pay the civil penalty after multiple violations.
The company is accused of illegally discharging untreated process wastewater to the city’s wastewater collection system between 2007 and 2008. It is also accused of violating its storm water permit in 2011. The EPA says the company also discharged zinc, lead, copper and other pollutants in violation of its permit levels.
Griffin Pipe Products has ceased production at the Council Bluff facility. It says it is now in compliance with the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
A message left for Griffin Pipe Products was not immediately returned Monday.
Lab Results Show Capsules Found In Prison Not To Have Controlled Substance
ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa (AP) – Lab results show hundreds of capsules found at a northern Iowa prison tested negative for any controlled substances.
The state Department of Public Safety made the announcement Monday about the 300 to 400 capsules found earlier this month at the North Central Correctional Facility in Rockwell City. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory completed an analysis of the capsules.
The pills contained an unknown substance, prompting a state drug investigation. Initial field testing indicated they contained cocaine and the pain killer Demerol, but later testing came back negative for controlled substances. State officials have not said how the capsules got inside the prison.
Dead Girl Found In Car’s Trunk Is Thought To Be Missing College Girl
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa City police continue to investigate a homicide after finding a body in the trunk of a car belonging to a missing Iowa State University student.
Police are careful not to identify the body as that of 20-year-old Tong Shao but say it was her Toyota Camry in which the body was found Friday night at an apartment complex in southeast Iowa City.
Iowa City Police spokesman Sgt. Scott Gaarde says an autopsy has been completed and efforts are being made to identify the body.
Shao, a junior chemical engineering student from China was last seen in Ames more than three weeks ago.
She is believed to have gone to Iowa City to visit her boyfriend, who police say is a person of interest they believe has flown to China.
