Friday, January 13, the Costa Concordia luxury liner struck the rocks off the Italian island of Giglio, tearing a 160-foot gash in its hull and causing the vessel to capsize. The Costa Concordia, owned by the Italian company Costa Crociere SpA, a subsidiary of Miami-based Carnival Corporation, was carrying 4,200 passengers and crew at the time of the crash that left 16 dead and at least 22 passengers and crew missing, including an American couple.

The ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, remains under house arrest and has been accused of causing the wreck, manslaughter, and abandoning ship. Schettino allegedly detoured from the planned route to navigate closer to the island.

Now, unharmed passengers are being offered $14,460 apiece as compensation, said MSNBC. Compensation will also include the full cost of the cruise, travel expenses, and medical expenses incurred after the ship ran aground. The announcement followed negotiations between representatives from Costa Concordia and Italian consumer groups representing 3,206 people from 61 countries who suffered no physical harm in the crash, noted MSNBC.

The offer also followed announcement of the first of what is expected to be many United States lawsuit filings that seek class action status in the matter, said MSNBC, which noted that passengers and crew are free to pursue legal action if they are unsatisfied with the liner’s announced deal. In addition to seeking class action status, the lawsuit seeks to determine if the liner’s owner, Carnival, departed from established international safety standards for operating a cruise ship, said MSNBC.

Testimony presented by Costa Crociere to the Italian Senate revealed that it was aware—within minutes and, shockingly, more than one hour before the 4,200 passengers were told to evacuate—that the ship was flooding as a result of a crash off the Tuscan coast, wrote The Wall Street Journal. The testimony delivered by Pier Luigi Foschi, chief executive of Costa Crociere was, said The Journal, the first time the company publicly acknowledged that Captain Francesco Schettino had been keeping the company advised on crisis events.

On January 13, the Costa Concordia struck a rock off Tuscany’s Giglio Island, said NewsInferno. The crash tore a 160-foot gash in its hull, capsizing the vessel, and has left at least 16 people dead; 19 remain missing.

A Costa Crociere spokesman declined to comment on the matter to the Journal and Foschi has never said if the Costa Crociere’s head of marine operations, Roberto Ferrarini, tried to reach the Coast Guard. “Either one of them should have called the Coast Guard,” said Bill Doherty, an experienced shipmaster with Nexus, a maritime-safety consultancy, wrote The Journal. When a ship collides with rock, the standard operating procedure for ship commanders is to immediately advise the coast guard, alert other ships in the area, and ensure passengers are positioned for evacuation, Doherty told The Journal.

It seems, noted The Journal, that Foschi’s testimony was based on a memo that Ferrarini wrote. Ferrarini “fielded” at least six calls from Schettino during the 73 minutes from when the ship crashed and its evacuation alarm was sounded, said Foschi, who also said that the first four calls, made between 9:57 and 10:33, involved Schettino discussing water flooding the hull and problems in keeping the vessel upright and afloat. Foschi’s recent account, said The Journal, contradicts what he first said on January 16, in which he alleged that Schettino only first alerted the cruise line of an “unidentified” emergency at 10:06.

Ferrarini, despite the numerous phone call attempts from the liner’s captain, said he “didn’t understand that the situation was taking such an extreme form,” according to Ferrarini and a lawyer for Schettino, wrote The Journal

While Schettino and Ferrarini were on the phone, the Italian Coast Guard began receiving passenger complaints, which led to the Coast Guard radioing the ship’s bridge at 10:14. In his testimony last week, Schettino, told the Italian judge that passengers were not immediately advised of the situation because he didn’t want to create a panic situation, wrote the Journal. Instead, said Schettino, he focused on evacuation.

NewsInferno recently wrote that Tuscany’s chief prosecutor, Beniamino Deidda, said Schettino is not the only one responsible for the disaster and that investigators should focus beyond Schettino’s behavior and into that of the luxury liner’s owners. Initially, Costa Cruises blamed Schettino for the accident, citing, in part, his cowardly behavior during the crisis, said NewsInferno.

Captain Francesco Schettino claims his abandoning the doomed Costa Concordia cruise ship was accidental, that he slipped and fell onto a lifeboat while helping passengers exit the ship that went aground late Friday on the rocks of Giglio Island, an island off Italy’s Italian coast. While the liner continued to sink into the Tyrrhenian Sea, off northern Italy’s coast, and rescue crews frantically worked to recover the dozens missing and collect the dead, Schettino maintained he was faultless during a three-hour hearing yesterday, said La Repubblica, wrote The Guardian.

Schettino told the judge, “The passengers were pouring on to the decks, taking the lifeboats by assault,” according to La Repubblica. “I didn’t even have a life jacket because I had given it to one of the passengers. I was trying to get people to get into the boats in an orderly fashion. Suddenly, since the ship was at a 60-70° angle, I tripped and I ended up in one of the boats. That’s how I found myself in the lifeboat … Suspended there, I was unable to lower the boat into the sea, because the space was blocked by other boats in the water,” Schettino added.

Schettino finally admitted he was responsible for the crash, which ripped a huge gash into the Costa Concordia, forcing him to ground the liner. “I made a mistake on the approach,” he said, wrote The Guardian. “I was navigating by sight because I knew the depths well and I had done this maneuver three or four times. But this time I ordered the turn too late and I ended up in water that was too shallow. I don’t know why it happened. I was a victim of my instincts,” he continued. Schettino also confirmed that he sailed too close to Giglio in order to salute retired captain, Mario Palombo, and was speaking, by telephone to Palombo at the time, said The Guardian. Regarding drug testing, Schettino said “I don’t do drugs and I had not drunk.” By grounding the luxury line, Schettino maintains he saved many lives.

Schettino jailed since the crash that has caused 11 deaths, so far, was appearing before a judge in Grosseto, Italy. His attorneys advised reporters that Schettino was being held under house arrest and Italian media reported he was returning to his Naples home. Criminal charges against the captain include manslaughter and abandoning ship (which could total 12 years, alone) and are expected soon, said CBS/AP.

Meanwhile, said CBS/AP, Italian workers were forced to suspend operations today when the liner shifted, again, on the rocks, endangering diver and firefighter safety. The shift renewed fears that the massive ship could slip off the rock ledge on which it now rests, plunging it into the deep water, explained CBS/AP. Sadly, said CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey, the prevailing feeling is that no one is expected to be found alive at this point. The cruise liner is the largest ever to be involved in a crash.

Yesterday an audio was released in which Schettino can be heard whining and making excuses as the Italian coast guard continually ordered him to return to the Costa Concordia and oversee evacuation to completion. At first, Schettino is heard describing the historic crash as simply being only a “small technical failure” according to the recovered radio conversation that Italian media obtained.

A passenger report to port officials of a “shipwreck” alerted authorities to the magnitude of the problem. And, although passengers were still on board, Schettino allegedly said he was no longer on board at 12:42 a.m. Although repeatedly commanded to reboard the stricken liner by Captain Gregorio De Falco of the Italian coast guard in Livorno, it was later discovered that Schettino was allegedly nearing the Tuscan shore and entering a taxi when he claimed to be on board. Eyewitness and survivor reports contradict Schettino’s original allegations that he never left his ship.

The Costa Concordia ran aground last Friday evening. Around 4,200 passengers and crew were aboard the cruise ship at the time. Twenty-two remain missing, and hopes that they might be found alive are dwindling.

And, while teens are transporting themselves to and from school, texting habits, as well as inexperience and their inherently fearless attitudes, creates a recipe for disaster that endangers other drivers and pedestrians. Consider younger students who walk or bike to school, said US Politics. The fear is well founded. According to the NHTSA, teenagers are the demographic with the largest amount of distracted driving accidents—a massive three- to four-fold more than older drivers.

US Politics explains that distracted driving refers to those nondriving activities that take attention away from driving. Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Tim Hull further explains that, “Anything you do that takes your attention away from the full-time task of driving is dangerous. Whether that is texting, talking on the phone, changing the radio station, or changing a song on your iPod, it takes your eyes off the road. Texting is the latest thing that’s creating issues and becoming a major distraction,” US Politics wrote.

Teenagers appear to be aware of their driving distractions. As a matter-of-fact, following an analysis of distracted driving practices, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that 40% of drivers age 18-29 acknowledged that they routinely drive while talking on their cell phones; over 25% admitted to regularly using their devices to text or compose emails, also while driving, said US Politics. Another 2010, study—a Consumers Union poll—revealed increased percentages and supported the CDC’s results indicating how broad the issue is among teen drivers.

NewsInferno wrote that following U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s online video series, “Faces of Distracted Driving,” the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) was considering technology to disable cell phone operations in automobiles. The video series explores the tragic results of distracted driving, featuring stories across the country of injuries and deaths due to distracted driving crashes.

Secretary LaHood has said that “distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America’s roads, and teens are especially vulnerable.” Ron Replogle, Missouri Highway Patrol colonel, agrees. “If you’re focused on sending a text message, then you aren’t paying attention to your driving. Cell phone usage, particularly texting while driving, can lead to tragic consequences,” according to US Politics.

In 2009, the DOT reported that nearly 5,500 people died and half a million were injured in accidents involving a distracted driver, said NewsInferno; however, according to Paul Atchley, a University of Kansas scientist and distracted driving expert, injuries are underestimated. The Secretary’s data includes actual known distracted driving injuries and deaths; however, suspected deaths and injuries are not included and believed to be significantly higher and on the rise, said NewsInferno.

US Politics pointed out that nearly 40 states have enacted some form of anti-texting legislation.

The Seattle Times reported that the contract workers’ bodies are being sent to Colorado for autopsies to positively identify the three who were working for Samson to restore production at the site. The men were laying a fuel line that was supplying a heater treatment facility. The facility, said Dennis Neill, a Samson Resources Co. spokesman, separates oil and water pumped from the ground.

According to Neill, the well, Black Island Federal No. 44-18X, was not directly involved in the blast or fire, said the Wyoming Trib. Samson Resources Co. owns the oil storage site, which resides on the Hornbuckle Ranch; authorities and the owner of the ranch have restricted access to the area, said the Wyoming Trib. “Obviously we’re very concerned about the family and friends in this situation,” Neill said, wrote the Seattle Times.

Tina Wells, spokeswoman for Samson, issued a statement yesterday concerning transport of the men to Colorado indicating that it was not known how long it would take to release the men’s names. “It takes an autopsy to get a positive identification in this case,” Wells said. “And the authorities will not release any notification to you of who the victims might be until they have very definitive, positive identification,” she added, reported the Seattle Times.

According to Wells, the men worked for Wild West Construction and Double D Welding and Fabrication, two area construction companies. Samson stopped construction on other Wyoming facilities until the explosion’s cause can be determined, said the Seattle Times.

Wyoming has long ranked as one of the highest states in terms of workplace facilities, only losing its number one standing last summer to Montana and due, greatly in part, to a decrease in its gas industry, explained the Seattle Times. Meanwhile, the state of Wyoming rejected a bill supported by industry groups and then-Governor Dave Freudenthal and that would have raised employer penalties for workplace safety violations.

Just last week, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported that the number of occupational fatalities there rose to 34 in 2010, representing a 79 percent increase from 2009; 10 deaths took place in the natural resources and mining industry, noted the Seattle Times. J.D. Danni, manager of the Wyoming Occupational Safety & Health Administration program, told TheRepublic.com that Samson hasn’t received any citations from the state in recent years.

The agency has sent two investigators to look into the accident and are expected to release a report in about 18 months . An initial report on the cause of the blast is expected in about 180 days, said the Wyoming Trib.

Locane-Bovenizer is charged with aggravated manslaughter and third-degree assault by auto for killing Seeman, who was a passenger in her husband’s vehicle. On June 27, the 39-year-old actress was drunk when she slammed into the car as it was turning into a driveway.

Helene Seeman was pronounced dead at the scene while her husband, Fred Seeman, was critically injured. He was airlifted to a hospital in New Brunswick after sustaining 10 broken ribs, reported New Jersey.com.

William Wilkes’ testified that on the night of the crash, Locane-Bovenizer urinate in her hospital bed, accused medical technicians of being dramatic and refused to comply when she was placed into an ambulance and while receiving medical attention.
Wilkes said the actress rambled incoherently for hours after the crash.

A CBS News report says that upon arrest, officers detected alcohol on Locane-Bovenizer’s breath. The officers also observed that her eyes were bloodshot and glassy and her speech was slurred.

Witnesses told police that prior to the fatal crash, Locane-Bovenizer rear-ended a driver and fled the scene as witnesses called the authorities. The actress was being pursued by the driver at the intersection of Cherry Valley Road and Route 206 in Princeton Township, when she slammed into the Seeman’s car.

The presiding judge will determine if statements made by Locane-Bovenizer to police after the crash are admissible at trial.

In January, Locane-Bovenizer pled not guilty and was released on $50,000 bail.
If convicted, she faces 30 year in prison.

Locane-Bovenizer is best known for her work in the movies “Cry-Baby” and “School Ties,” as well as in the TV show “Melrose Place.”

Fred Seeman is being represented in a civil lawsuit by the national law firm of Parker Waichman Alonso LLP.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier ruled yesterday that BP cannot characterize Feinberg as “neutral,” and said BP must disclose in all communications that the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) and Feinberg are acting on behalf of BP in fulfilling its legal obligations under the Oil Pollution Act.

BP is paying Feinberg’s law firm $850,000 a month to run the claims fund. Feinberg has been accused of using misleading tactics to persuade thousands of potential claimants to sign away their rights to sue the company in exchange for smaller payments than they might win in a lawsuit.

“A full disclosure of the relationship between Mr. Feinberg, the GCCF, and BP will at least make transparent that it is BP’s interests” that Feinberg is promoting in his role as head of the fund, Judge Barbier said in a 15-page ruling.

In the wake of the spill, BP agreed to provide at least $20 billion to compensate victims of the disaster, to be administered by Feinberg via the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. Claimants may accept interim payments without waiving any of their legal rights. Accepting a final payment of long-term damages requires claimants to release BP and any responsible parties. Claimants are able to Emergency Advance Payment(s) and reject the final payment if they find it to be unsatisfactory.

The BP oil spill claims fund has so far disbursed around $3.5 billion. Half of the 484,000 claims filed have been denied because of ineligibility or lack of documentation.

“This spill was initially estimated at more than 13,000 gallons by the company and has polluted an unnamed tributary to Sugar Run and a spring,” said Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Northcentral Regional Director Nels Taber. “There are also two private drinking water wells in the vicinity that will be sampled for possible impacts.”

The spill was discovered last week when DEP inspectors found an open valve on a 21,000-gallon tank that was storing fluids left over from hydraulic fracking at the site of a producing natural gas well.

DEP inspectors have collected samples of nearby soil samples and surface water. Initial field meter readings showed elevated levels of conductivity and salinity in the spring and unnamed tributary, both of which indicate the presence of fracking fluid.

In addition to hiring a contractor to cleanup the site, XTO Energy has installed a fence to prevent a neighbor’s cattle from grazing in the impacted area of the pasture.

A notice of violation letter will be sent to XTO Energy this week and the company will be required to remediate the site properly, the DEP said.

Though the cause of the crash has yet to be determined, the FAA said the plane was carrying a large quantity of lithium batteries in its cargo hold. According to a report from Bloomberg News, initial analysis of the plane’s on-board recorders showed a fire warning followed by smoke in the cockpit. The crash killed both pilots.

According to the same Bloomberg report, the National Transportation Safety board said in 2008 that lithium batteries had triggered fire, smoke or heat aboard aircraft 13 times from February 2001 to July 2007. A UPS plane was destroyed in February 2006 in Philadelphia after a fire probably began in containers storing electronic equipment, the NTSB concluded in 2008.

In the alert issued to airlines last week, the FAA said new research shows lithium batteries are sensitive to heat and can ignite in flight if transported in cargo compartments that get too hot. The explosive potential of lithium metal cells can easily damage (and potentially perforate) cargo liners, or activate the pressure relief panels in a cargo compartment, the FAA said. Either of these circumstances can potentially lead to a loss of Halon 1301, a suppression agent found in Class C cargo compartments.

The FAA recommends better identification and tracking of lithium-battery cargo shipments, along with “special attention to ensuring careful handling” of such cargo. Experts believe that limiting the number of batteries in a cargo container, or the total number on a plane, can substantially reduce risks.

According to The Wall Street Journal, certain types of lithium batteries already are banned from the holds of passenger jets. And pilot groups have been pushing for years for more-stringent safeguards covering cargo planes.

Last week, the FAA confirmed that Transportation Department officials already have submitted a final rule restricting airborne shipments of lithium batteries for White House review, the Journal said. It isn’t clear how long that will take.

The settlement addresses violations stemming from two fires that occurred at the BP Texas City refinery in March 2004 and July 2005, and a leak that occurred in August 2005. During the three incidents, each of which resulted in the surrounding Texas City community being ordered to shelter-in-place, thousands of pounds of flammable and toxic air pollutants were released. The settlement also resolves allegations that BP failed to identify all regulated hazardous air pollutants used at the refinery in plans submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The violations covered by the settlement were discovered by the EPA during a series of inspections of the Texas City refinery initiated after a catastrophic explosion and fire in March 2005 that killed 15 people and injured more than 170 others.

“The Clean Air Act is intended not only to prevent accidents like the fatal March 2005 accident, but also to penalize companies with poor practices that cause harmful air pollution,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement reflects the serious nature of the fires and releases of hazardous air pollutants that occurred at BP’s Texas City Refinery and puts industry on notice that the Department of Justice and EPA will aggressively pursue those who fail to comply with the laws that protect human health and the environment.”

The settlement still must be approved by the US District Court in Houston.