Senators refuse to clamp down on Lithium ion fires due to personal stock investments. Sony recalls notebooks. FedEx/UPS trucks/Planes on fire.

Senators refuse to clamp down on Lithium ion fires due to personal stock investments. Sony recalls notebooks. FedEx/UPS trucks/Planes on fire.

Calif. FED-EX truck & bus crash & fire: Suspicious. At least 2 Calif. Fed-Ex trucks burn in same time-frame. More Lithium ion disasters? Link to this page: http://wp.me/p4e1uX-2f3

 

[wpvideo H9Hp5TZH]

Witnesses: "FED-EX truck was already on fire from cargo area before it hit the bus in California" Another Lithium ion explosion?
Witnesses: “FED-EX truck was already on fire from cargo area before it hit the bus in California” Another Lithium ion explosion? Lithium ion fires vent white carcinogenic smoke, notice the venting on the lower right side of the Fed-Ex truck. Is that leaving residue we can test?

IS DRIVING A FED-EX OR UPS TRUCK CARRYING LITHIUM ION BATTERIES A BAD THING? DO YOU WANT ONE PARKED NEXT TO YOUR HOME OR OFFICE? YOU DECIDE:

 

THE LARGEST CARRIER OF LITHIUM ION BATTERIES IN AMERICA SEEMS TO BLOW UP ON A REGULAR BASIS,,,
THE LARGEST CARRIER OF LITHIUM ION BATTERIES IN AMERICA SEEMS TO BLOW UP ON A REGULAR BASIS… (THESE PICTURES ARE A MICROSCOPIC FRACTION OF THE ACTUAL U.P.S., FED-EX and AIRPLANE LITHIUM FIRE THAT ARE ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE. COVER-UP?)

Senators with personal investments, family investments and backer investments in lithium ion, acquired in the AFGHANI-SCAM scandal, are waiving safety investigations, stalling safety investigations and generally avoiding the topic.

Senator Schumer tried to regulate lithium ion but got crushed by lobbyists for the lithium ion miners and makers. Although there are thousands of other, safer, technologies to store energy, the invested Senators protect this ONE kind of energy storage because it ties directly to their personal bank accounts.

Senator Charles Schumer, The Consumers Union, and a variety of consumer groups across the nation, have called for an investigation of lithium ion batteries based on reports of extensive explosions and fires which have, literally, set consumers on fire. Standing in front of a Best Buy, Senator Schumer revealed that research has shown that lithium ion batteries in cars, cell phones and other products are now known to explode for no reason. Asian produced batteries are said to be produced with no OSHA, safety or security standards. A vast number of Asian battery factory workers have died from toxic poisoning and/or are suffering from various cancers from exposure to the chemistry. Tesla uses the lithium ion batteries.

Lithium ion companies have a number of lawsuits filed for organized crime.

————————-

FEDEX crash Cover-Up?: Why are Fed-Ex officials and lithium ion-invested politicians going to so much effort to say that the truck was not on fire, first, even though multiple witnesses say it was on fire first and many drivers on that freeway have dash-cams? It is highly suspicious in that, in every other truck fire in the last 4 years, there was never such an outpouring of press releases seeking to deny that truck cargo had any part in the fire. Someone seems to be angling for liability re-direction. Modern testing technologies can pinpoint any lithium ion burn residue on the charred chassis and frame of the truck. Independent reporters are seeking to acquire sample parts, from each wreck, for unbiased testing.

T- LA Times

—————————–

California fatal bus crash: Was FedEx truck cargo involved?

Last week’s fatal crash involving a bus full of California high school students wasn’t the first instance of a FedEx truck bursting into flames. There have been several other recent fires as well.

By / April 13, 2014

A California Highway Patrol officer walks past the charred remains of a tour bus at a CalTrans maintenance station in Willows, Calif. Ten people were killed and dozens injured in the fiery crash between a FedEx truck and a bus carrying high school students on a visit to a Northern California college. Jeff Chiu/AP

 Last week’s fatal crash involving a bus full of California high school students wasn’t the first instance of a FedEx truck bursting into flames.

Staff writer and editor

Brad Knickerbocker is a staff writer and editor based in Ashland, Oregon.

In Corte Madera, Calif., Friday – the day after the head-on crash along the I-5 interstate highway that killed 10 people – the driver of a smaller FedEx truck saw smoke coming out of the cargo area. By the time he had driven it to the back of a parking lot, the cargo area was ablaze.

Fire investigators suspect either an electrical malfunction or a chemical reaction caused the fire. The truck was carrying chemicals, although none of them appears to have leaked.

There have been other recent FedEx truck fires as well.

In mid-February, a FedEx truck making a pick up in Sweetwater, Texas, caught fire. Later that month, a FedEx tractor trailer caught fire and was totally destroyed along I-81 near Roanoke, Virginia. In March, a FedEx truck fire shut down a portion of I-80 near Park City, Utah.

It may just be coincidental, but witnesses say the large FedEx two-tractor trailer that barreled across a median and into the bus was emitting flames before the crash that killed five students and their three chaperones on the way to a college visit, plus the drivers of both vehicles.

Bonnie and Joe Duran were in their Nissan Altima in front of the bus when the truck came across the grassy median, side-swiping their car before hitting the bus.

“I just looked to the left, and there it was coming through right at me at an angle. I can tell I wasn’t going to outrun him, so I just kind of turned to the right and he hit me,” Bonnie Duran told a local TV affiliate. “It was in flames as it came through the median…. It wasn’t like the whole thing was engulfed. It was coming up wrapping around him.”

Although the investigation is just beginning, such a fire might suggest that the truck driver had been overcome by smoke or chemical fumes. There were no truck skid marks, apparently indicating that he had not applied the brakes. Details of the tractor-trailer’s cargo – whether or not it might have included chemicals or batteries, for example – have yet to be reported.

Federal investigators say they haven’t found any physical evidence that the FedEx truck was on fire before the collision. National Transportation Safety Board member Mark Rosekind said Sunday that investigators are not ruling out a pre-impact fire, but they did not find any physical evidence at the crash scene.

The bus was gutted and the truck was a mangled mess, making it difficult for investigators to determine whether a fire started in the truck before impact. Mr. Rosekind said investigators planned to look at blood tests to determine whether the FedEx driver inhaled smoke before the collision, and whether he was impaired.

A blood test will also be conducted for the bus driver, who had only been driving a short time after relieving another driver during a stop in Sacramento. Rosekind said more than 145 feet of tire marks showed that the bus driver tried to brake and swerve to the right to avoid being hit.

Fire safety has been a longstanding concern of the NTSB.

After a 2005 bus fire killed 23 nursing home evacuees escaping Hurricane Rita in Texas, the agency called for safety standards that could make buses less vulnerable to fire, including improved protection of fuel tanks. More recently, the NTSB says buses must have sophisticated suppression systems to control fires, much as high-rise buildings have sprinkler systems.

As part of its investigation into Thursday’s crash, the NTSB will also evaluate whether there should have been a barrier on the median to help prevent head-on collisions. Barriers are required when medians are less than 50 feet wide; this one was 60.

This report includes material from the Associated Press.

—————————————————–

FedEx Freight Recorded More Than 600 Violations for Dangerous Driving

FedEx Freight drivers racked up 679 violations for dangerous driving nationwide over the last two years

Digging through public records, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit discovered FedEx has been involved in hundreds of accidents. Elyce Kirchner reports in a video that aired on April 11, 2014.

The Investigative Unit has found that drivers for FedEx Freight, a division of FedEx, have been in 730 accidents in the past two years, and have been cited more than 679 times for unsafe driving.

The collision near Orland between a FedEx truck and a bus carrying high school students has the Investigative Unit wondering about the company’s driving history. Records NBC Bay Area obtained from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration show that out of 679 violations they recorded, nearly half were for speeding. Other violations include “failure to obey traffic control device” (81) and improper lane changes (57). 47 violations were issued for using a cell phone or texting while driving.

Traffic accidents are even more common than traffic violations. Over the past two years, FedEx drivers have been involved in 730 nationally 43 of those incidents happened in California, which include two fatalities prior to Thursday’s accident.

The accident on Thursday was the worst FedEx has experienced since November of 2012 when it was involved in a 100-vehicle pileup in east Texas.

It’s important to keep in mind that FedEx Freight is just one part of the larger FedEx. The company is massive and has more than 20,000 vehicles and 35,000 employees. And as with all companies who employ drivers of truck and buses, their employees undergo drug and alcohol testing.

In terms of company size, the tour bus involved in the accident, Silverado Stages, is a much smaller carrier. It’s based in San Luis Obispo and has fewer than 2,000 employees. It’s never been involved in a fatal accident.

NBC Bay Area also took a long look at the road where the accident occurred [map]. The collision happened on a stretch of I-5 roughly 160 miles north of San Francisco near the city of Orland. California Highway Patrol data NBC Bay Area analyzed showed there have been just nine accidents along that stretch of roadway since 2008. However none resulted in severe injuries. The majority of those accidents occurred with a mile of Thursday’s fatal accident.

None of the nine recorded accidents were head-on collisions like the one involving the tour bus on Thursday. The closest head-on collision on I-5 since 2008 was over 10 miles away from the FedEx crash site.

FedEx expressed their “deepest personal sympathies and the condolences of over 300,000 other FedEx team members” in a written statement from CEO Frederick Smith. Smith cautioned that it would take some time to determine exactly how and why the accident occurred, but pledged the company’s willingness to comply with investigators.

Investigators have estimated that it could take anywhere from three to six months to determine a cause.

 

  1. Battery-Fire Crashes Seen Every Other Year as U.S. Rules Fought …

    Dec 21, 2011 … Shipments of lithium batteries have been suspected of contributing to … On Sept. 3, 2010, fire broke out on a UPS Boeing 747-400 jetliner 22 …

    www.bloomberg.com/ news/ 2011-12-21/ battery-fire-crashes-seen-every-other-year.htmlView by Ixquick ProxyHighlight

  2. PED battery fires on 777s prompt call for action … – Runway Girl

    Feb 27, 2014 … “This Lithium–Polymer-type (Li-Po) battery has a capacity of 1 Ah and …. lithium ion batteries was transported on UPS#0213 on 04-AUG from …

    www.runwaygirlnetwork.com/ 2014/ 02/ 27/ ped-battery-fires-on-777s-prompt-call-for-action/ View by Ixquick ProxyHighlight

  3. Lithiumion Safety Concerns – Battery University

    Learn what causes Li-ion to fail. … Therefore, lithium batteries are not suited for UPS systems. Lead-acid batteries are still the chemistry of choice for UPS …

    www.batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/lithium_ion_safety_concernsView by Ixquick ProxyHighlight

  4. Why Investigators Should Focus on the LithiumIon Batteries Aboard …

    Mar 21, 2014 … A package of 18 lithiumion batteries melted through their plastic wrap and set fire to their outer package at the UPS flight center in Louisville, …

    www.thedailybeast.com/ articles/ 2014/ 03/ 21/ the-secret-far-deep-hunt-for-mh370.htmlView by Ixquick ProxyHighlight

  5. Lithium cargo clue to MH370 fate? | Air Traffic Management | Air …

    Mar 21, 2014 … Officials in Malaysia said they suspected that someone on board the … as the UPS 747-400 lithiumion battery fire in Dubai; the Valujet 594 …

    www.airtrafficmanagement.net/ 2014/ 03/ lithium-cargo-clue-to-fate-of-mh370/ View by Ixquick ProxyHighlight

  6. ASN News » Report: UPS Boeing 747F uncontained cargo fire likely …

    Jul 25, 2013 … Report: UPS Boeing 747F uncontained cargo fire likely caused by lithium … However, at least three of the shipments contained lithium ion …

    news.aviation-safety.net/ 2013/ 07/ 25/ report-ups-boeing-747f-uncontained-cargo-fire-likely-caused-by-lithiu m-batteries/ View by Ixquick ProxyHighlight

  7. Lithium Ion Battery Fires Could Turn Boeing 787 Dreamliner into a …

    Jan 17, 2013 … An inflight lithiumion battery fire broke out Wednesday on an All …. from lithium ion batteries was responsible for the fatal crash of a UPS 747 in …

    blogs.scientificamerican.com/ observations/ 2013/ 01/ 17/ lithiumion-battery-fires-could-turn-boeing-dreamliner-into-a-nightma re/ View by Ixquick ProxyHighlight

  8. Amazon.com: Portable 12v UPS Battery 6800mah Lithium Ion

    Amazon.com: Portable 12v UPS Battery 6800mah Lithium Ion Battery for 12V LED Products, CCTV … Amazon Fire TV … APC BG500 APC Back-UPS Pro 500.

    www.amazon.com/ Portable-Battery-6800mah-Products-Electronics/ dp/ B00AVLC9OIView by Ixquick ProxyHighlight

  9. HowStuffWorks “What is causing lithiumion laptop batteries to catch …

    In a lithiumion battery, you’ll find pressurized containers that house a coil of metal and a flammable, … If it creates a spark, the flammable liquid can ignite, causing a fire. … A UPS protects a computer against four different power problems.

    computer.howstuffworks.com/dell-battery-fire.htmView by Ixquick ProxyHighlight

  10. Opinion: Did flammable cargo doom Flight 370? – CNN.com

    Mar 25, 2014 … Sylvia Adcock says authorities say Flight 370 was carrying lithiumion batteries. … The source of the fire was traced to a shipment of oxygen canisters that ….. lithium ion batteries were the main suspect in the crash of a UPS …

    www.cnn.com/2014/03/25/opinion/adcock-flight-370-lithium-batteries/View by Ixquick ProxyHighlight