"At approximately 2:30 am, there appears to have been an electrical fire at the New York Times plant. Fire lit up the sky as cars drove along the neighboring Whitestone expressway. Several fire trucks were on the scene by 2:45 am. ... Can we find out more? Why did this happen? Lights dimmed in the nearby Mitchell Gardens buildings." - Anonymous #1"My next door neighbor said he heard a grinding noise around 2 a.m. which was followed by an electric explosion, as he described it. There was a lot of black smoke and flames. He called 911 and the operator didn't know where the NY Times printing plant was located! However, fire engines arrived a short time later and extinguished the flames, according to my source. I could see some damage to the building earlier today but it didn't look as bad as what was described to me. I observed there were a lot more vehicles parked near the front of the complex than usual. For a while, 2 fire trucks were parked out front as well. I just checked and the printing plant is lit up and I'm assuming they're spitting out Sunday's Times as we speak." - Anonymous #2
After a little bit of searching, here's what I came up with:
QNS ALL HANDS 25-70 WHITESTONE EXPWY W, COMMERCIAL (NY TIMES) TRANSFORMER FIRE WITH SLIGHT EXTENSION TO BUILDING, UNDER CONTROL
— FDNY (@FDNY) June 8, 2013
11 comments:
Oh great, most transformer heat transfer oil is about as toxic as it gets.
I live in Mitchell Gardens and missed last night's fire at the New York Times printing plant. Slept right through it, sirens and all. A neighbor who heard the explosion and saw the fire said that a black smoke cloud drifted over the area.
I've been suspicious of my industrial neighbor to the west and videotaped the installation of the transformers on the east side of the building in 2008. In my narration, I made comments about environmental concerns about the printing plant. When will local elected officials and Community Board #7 take note of these concerns and request a proper environmental study?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq7UTeYej3w
Why wasn't the fire covered by the media? After using a couple of search engines, nothing was posted as of 10 p.m. Saturday night, 20 hours later.
Surprised theu dodn' have the HazMat unit oit there.My dad waz a fireman in Rescue 4 back in the day andbthey did lots of that type fire with no to minimal gear.The guys all got splashed by the PCB laced oil.Later,he and most of his m
ates contracted nonHodgkins Lymplhoma and that as they say,was that.
I wonder what caused it...over development strain on the power grid...or was the transformer was made in China?
Hopefully, some of you watched my NY Times rant about environmental concerns on YouTube (link above). That's not the only video about health concerns I posted on YouTube. I'll post another link shortly.
In 2003, I was diagnosed with a mild form of leukemia and began online research to learn more about the condition. One of the facts I uncovered was the incidence rate of Polycythemia Vera is approximately 1 in 100,000. After speaking with 3 hematology departments at Queens hospitals and 7 hematology practices in various parts of the borough, I found well over 100 patients and I was expecting 25-30 in Queens!
Through casual conversations with neighbors during that time period, I learned that many people in my community had blood conditions as well and most were far more serious than my treatable disorder. I contacted several local elected officials but the one who championed my concerns was then City Councilman Tony Avella. Unfortunately, most ignored our efforts to bring light to this issue, including then U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton and the city's health department.
I suspect that the proximity to both the heavily trafficked Whitestone Expressway combined with the NY Times printing plant emissions may be linked to this area's high blood cancer rate. Actually, is it higher than other areas? That's why I continually request an environmental impact study. Let's get real numbers because this isn't a task I can take on my myself.
All this is leading me to the aforementioned additional YouTube link. I confronted our mayor in 2004 and specifically told him what I felt was happening and he compared my cancer concerns to people smoking, falling out of windows, and getting gunshot wounds. Here---give a listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkV6yBXHODg
I suspect that the proximity to both the heavily trafficked Whitestone Expressway combined with the NY Times printing plant emissions may be linked to this area's high blood cancer rate. Actually, is it higher than other areas? That's why I continually request an environmental impact study. Let's get real numbers because this isn't a task I can take on my myself.
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Hey political candidates! Are you paying attention? Here's an issue you need to pursue if you want my vote. I live nearby and want answers!
Let me assist the candidates with credible information about Polycythemia Vera (PV). Sorry if some of you feel that I'm obsessing about PV but it's a silent killer. Undiagnosed, it can cause heart attacks, strokes, embolisms, and other potentially fatal medical conditions. After death, it can't be diagnosed because living cells are required. I was lucky. I was having a phone conversation with the late David Oats who was recuperating from a stroke. He recognized some of the signs during our phone conversation and told me to get medical help immediately.
My doctor was sick of my complaining and was treating me like a hypochondriac until he reviewed my chart and finally saw extremely elevated blood count levels. I was sent to a hematologist immediately and a phlebotomy saved my life. My blood was so thick that it looked like reddish-purplish cottage cheese. Without David's warning, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
When I felt better, I started my research because of my concerns for my neighbors. If medical providers were more aware, other lives can be saved. Maybe my research and advocacy went nowhere in New York City but clusters of PV have been found in Pennsylvania. People there have worked together bringing this condition out in the open:
http://www.hometownhazards.com/2007/10/feds-confirm-polycythemia-vera-epidemic.html
"the researchers were reluctant to acknowledge that documented environmental risk factors for PV exist and are present in the area by virtue of its being a center for waste dumping and incineration."
"While the average national incidence of PV is about 1 case per 100,000 people, the incidence in Luzerne and Schuylkill counties is about 4 per 100,000. Other Pa. counties with significantly elevated incidence rates are Montour and Somerset at 4.5/100,000 and Potter at 5.5/100,000, according to Dearwent."
http://carbonwaters.org/category/polycythemia-vera/
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/polycythemia_vera/background.
html
The people in Hometown were unrelenting and are getting answers. More importantly, their advocacy may have saved many lives in their respective counties. Bringing this comment back to our own hometown, I'm asking that the NY Times printing plant be the subject of an independent environmental impact study. It could save your life or the lives of your friends and families. As one poster suggested, chemicals used are potentially toxic and/or carcinogenic and the black cloud that resulted from the printing plant fire a few nights ago and wafted over this community is disturbing. And I parrot the previous query about the media blackout. If the media doesn't report it, did it really happen?
Hey...
the district manager of CB#7 lives in Alan Gross' building. What has Marilyn Bitterman got to say?
Not much if she wants to keep her sweatshop job.
Kelty and Apelian would have her fired.
They treat her like an indentured servant as it is.
It's Chuck and Gene who should be dumped.
Anyone on the job as long as they have, are either burned out or corrupt!
Marilyn was very helpful to me in my research. I can't complain about her role at CB#7 as she addressed my concerns a decade ago when I was more proactive with various issues. I've seen her work very hard for members of the community.
After a few years, I saw that things were going nowhere so I chose to back off. However, my health concerns today haven't changed. The truth is, I ran out of steam and focused on other personal matters.
What caused it? Try looking into the company who is charged with maintaining the sub-station which powers the printing plant.....
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