hazmat

Another Hazmat Situation at Pentagon City Metro

By ARLnow.com

 

Police and firefighters are again on the scene at the Pentagon City Metro station for a hazardous materials situation.

Eight bottles filled with a cloudy, yellow liquid were found on both platforms at the station, according to scanner traffic. The situation mirrors an incident on Friday when 10 bottles filled with a yellow liquid were found on the platforms.

No word yet on what the substance might be. Citing an “ongoing investigation,” Metro spokesman Dan Stessel declined to divulge details.

“I can say that the substance in the previous incident was not harmful,” he said.

So far, the station has remained open during this morning’s investigation.

Update at 10:05 a.m. — The incident has been cleared and emergency responders are leaving the scene.

Hazmat Investigation at Pentagon City Metro

By ARLnow.com

 

Update at 11:15 a.m. — The all-clear has been given and emergency responders are leaving the scene.

Earlier: Arlington County firefighters and Metro Transit Police are on the scene of a hazardous materials investigation at the Pentagon City Metro station.

Initial reports suggest a series of nearly a dozen soda bottles filled with a yellow-ish liquid were found on the platform. Authorities are trying to determine whether the liquid is hazardous.

The station is still open during the investigation, with only a portion of the platform closed to foot traffic.

“The station is open,” WMATA spokesman Dan Stessel tells ARLnow.com. “They’ve just cordoned off a portion of the platform. Trains continue to service the station normally.”

Stessel said authorities are “investigating unattended items.”

Metro Transit Police officers with bomb sniffing dogs could also be seen searching the area around the station entrance,

Two Arrests in Suspected Meth Lab Bust

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 1:40 p.m. on 12/23/21) Two men have been arrested in connection with last night’s bust of a suspected meth lab in Virginia Square.

Arlington resident William [redacted], 31, and Leonard [redacted], 44, have been arrested and charged with Attempted Manufacturing of Methamphetamine.

Police were called to an apartment building at 801 N. Monroe Street around 9:30 p.m. on Monday for a dispute. When they got inside, officers noticed items consistent with the manufacturing of meth.

Due to the volatile nature of methamphetamine production, residents on three floors of the 225-unit building were evacuated as a safety precaution. Hazmat and bomb squad teams assisted police in their investigation of the suspicious materials.

Once the scene was deemed safe, members of the ACPD Vice Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant, and arrested [redacted] and [redacted].

The police investigation is ongoing.

Penrose Square Plaza Expected to Open This Fall Despite Oil Spill

By ARLnow.com

The new public plaza at the Penrose Square development along Columbia Pike is still expected to open this fall, despite a recent setback.

The contractor working on the $2 million project found and accidentally ruptured an oil tank earlier this month during excavation work, we’re told. The rupture contaminated part of the site, but the county and contractors worked quickly to remedy the situation.

According to Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish:

The tank’s presence was previously unknown by the County. [Arlington] County’s construction manager immediately stopped contractor from working and notified our 3rd party consultant. Samples were taken and the fire marshal and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ) were notified. VADEQ directed County to have the tanks removed by a licensed contractor in the presence of the fire marshal. Samples were also taken to determine the extent of the contamination. Remediation steps have been approved by VADEQ.

Kalish said the plaza is still on track to open this fall.

“Construction is scheduled to be completed and the project opened in fall 2012,” she told ARLnow.com. “This issue will cause some delay, but is still expected to be completed and open in fall 2012.”

The plaza will consist of “a tree-covered, upper terrace with movable tables and chairs; an inner plaza with a water feature; a unique two-piece sculpture called ‘Echo’; an inscription of the historic significance of the site, and a grass mound area shaded with trees for informal seating,” according to the county.

Hazmat Investigation at Gov’t Office in Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

Update at 11:15 a.m. — The all-clear has been given and the hazmat team is packing up their gear.

Some roads are being shut down in the area of 2800 S. Randolph Street in Shirlington due to a hazmat investigation.

According to scanner traffic, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office at 2800 S. Randolph received an envelope with a white powdery substance in it. The Arlington County Fire Department’s hazmat team is checking to see whether the substance is hazardous.

A similar investigation into a suspicious substance was conducted at the same office last Tuesday.

Hazmat Investigation at Shirlington Office Building

By ARLnow.com

Update at 7:40 p.m. — The all-clear was given at about 5:00 p.m. and the scene has since been cleared.

The Arlington County Fire Department’s hazmat team is investigating a suspicious substance at a federal office in Shirlington.

Hazmat personnel are preparing to enter an office at 2800 S. Randolph Street, according to scanner traffic. They will be performing tests on the substance to determine whether or not it is hazardous.

Among the tenants listed for the 2800 S. Randolph Street building, also known as Randolph Square, is the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

County Cautions Residents to Avoid Four Mile Run

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County is warning residents to avoid human or pet contact with the water from Four Mile Run. A petroleum product has reportedly been found in the water.

From a county news release:

Arlington County today advised residents to avoid the water in Four Mile Run, downstream from highway 395 to the Potomac River.

The County issued the warning after the Arlington County Fire Department discovered the petroleum release, from an unknown source, at about 8 a.m. Thursday morning. ACFD was responding to a business owner’s report of a “fuel odor” in Four Mile Run stream. County staff are investigating the source of the release and have placed booms in the stream to collect the petroleum.

To eliminate the risk of exposure to the petroleum, until further notice, residents should:

  • Stay away from the affected waters
  • Keep your pets away
  • Avoid recreational use of Four Mile Run downstream of 395
  • Do not fish, wade or swim in the stream

The advisory to avoid all contact is an extra precaution to allow the effect of the discharge to be diminished by natural flushing of the stream.

NOTE: Residents are reminded that stream water can contain microorganisms that can make people sick, whether the stream is located in an urban area or in the middle of a forest. Even after the discharge is naturally flushed from the stream, the County’s normal precautions for safe use of streams apply. You can find information and safety tips on Arlington streams, including information on reporting stream pollution incidents, on the Department of Environmental Service website.

Green Dye in Water Along Four Mile Run

By Katie Pyzyk

A mysterious green dye has been spotted in the water along Four Mile Run Dr. near S. George Mason Dr.

Arlington County Fire Department’s Hazmat team is on the scene. They say the dye is a non-hazardous drainage detection substance. Bags of this type of dye are sometimes released into a building’s drainage system to make sure there are no leaks or breaks. A nearby building performed this type of test today, and it drains into the creek at Four Mile Run.

The dye does appear to be moving downstream, so other areas may soon see a green hue in the water.

Courtesy photo

Police Investigate Incident at Capital One Bank in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Update at 5:00 p.m. — “This occurred outside the bank near the ATM in the mall,” Arlington Police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal tells ARLnow.com. “It does not appear to be hazardous at this time and was not a robbery or attempted bank robbery.”

Update at 4:20 p.m. — We’re told that tests have revealed the substance to be “non-hazardous.” At least one patient was transported to the hospital, however.

Police are investigating an incident at the Capital One bank on the ground floor of the Ballston Common Mall (4100 Wilson Blvd).

According to initial reports, an unknown man entered the bank and splashed a “caustic liquid” in the face of two female bank employees. The employees reportedly suffered a burning sensation and the inability to open their eyes. Police are looking for the man, who fled the scene.

Paramedics treated the employees and a hazmat team responded to try to identify the substance. At this time the injuries are not reported to be serious.

1/6

Hazmat Situation Near Roosevelt Island

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) The Arlington County Fire Department is on the scene of a hazardous materials situation near Roosevelt Island.

U.S. Park Police, Arlington County Fire Department, and Alexandria Fire Department all responded when someone called in concerns about an odd smell.  Crews found the small spill in a creek near the entrance to the island and put booms in the water to contain it. Arrangements are being made to reinforce the boom when the tide changes so no containment is lost.

U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. David Schlosser says tests are being done on the substance to determine exactly what it is.  Based on the odor, coloration and gelling it is believed to be a petroleum product, possibly a type of diesel fuel.

Nobody was injured from inhaling fumes. Schlosser says it would be very unlikely that this type of product would cause respiratory harm, but workers stationed at the spill are being monitored for any signs of illness.

The National Park Service has arranged for a hazmat mitigation company to clean up the product, but is not sure yet when that team will arrive. Emergency crews will remain at the scene until the clean up is complete.

It’s possible that the bridge connecting Roosevelt Island to the parking lot may have to be shut down temporarily, but for now, pedestrians are being allowed to pass. Investigators are now working to find 0ut who or what spilled the substance.

Fire Rips Through Glebe Road Paint Store

By ARLnow.com

A fire broke out at the Duron Paint store near the corner of Glebe Road and Lee Highway this morning.

The Arlington County Fire Department responded to the store around 6:30 a.m. after a passerby saw smoke and called 911. Firefighters had the bulk of the fire knocked within 10 minutes, according to department spokesperson Lt. Gregg Karl.

The paint store suffered “pretty significant damage” from the flames, while two adjacent businesses in the same shopping plaza — Papa John’s pizza and Cardinal Bank — suffered smoke damage. All three businesses are expected to remain closed at least through today, although it may take much longer for the paint store to reopen.

A hazardous materials team was called to the scene to assist with the cleanup inside the Duron store. The county fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Photos courtesy Jamie N.

View More Stories