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Critical Infrastructure Disasters 2013 May to Dec 2/16/2014 2:05:13 AM

Critical Infrastructure Disasters 2013 May to Dec

News etc. digested by Alister William Macintyre

CI Boom 2013 May to Dec describes critical infrastructure disasters. What can be done
to mitigate such incidents are in my main analysis document.1 Last updated 2014 Feb 15
Version 1.43

Table of Contents, allow up to level 3 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 2 Notable CI disasters 2013 May to December ..................................................................... 2 2013 May 3 Toledo Ohio ............................................................................................ 3 May 5 Houghton, Michigan ........................................................................................ 3 May 10 Free Markets vs. Safety Regulations ............................................................. 3 May 16 Federal Fracking Regulations Change = Controversy................................... 4 May 28 Week of Natural Gas Leaks and explosions .................................................. 4 2013 June ........................................................................................................................ 5 Jun 3 Week of Natural Gas Leaks and explosions...................................................... 5 Jun 10 Glasgow Scotland............................................................................................ 5 Jun 10 Week of Natural Gas Leaks and explosions.................................................... 5 Jun 13 Geismar LA Chemical Plant disaster .............................................................. 6 Jun 17 Week of Natural Gas Leaks and explosions.................................................... 6 June 18 Chemical 8,000 disasters report..................................................................... 7 Jun 22 Indianapolis recycling facility ......................................................................... 7 June 25 Keystone Defense .......................................................................................... 7 2013 July......................................................................................................................... 7 July 5 Canada Oil Derailment..................................................................................... 7 July 10 Indy Trial........................................................................................................ 8 Aug 15 Indy Trial........................................................................................................ 8 Aug 24-25 national problems...................................................................................... 8 2013 Sep.......................................................................................................................... 8 Sep 29 ND pipeline spill ............................................................................................. 8 2013 Oct 19 Canada Oil Derailment........................................................................... 9 2013 Nov pipeline explosions in China ...................................................................... 9 2013 Nov 8 Al Oil Derailment.................................................................................... 9 2013 Dec ......................................................................................................................... 9 Dec Mexico radiation incident.................................................................................... 9 Dec China mall ......................................................................................................... 10 2013 Dec 30 ND Oil Derailment .............................................................................. 10 Continued in more documents .......................................................................................... 10

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Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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Critical Infrastructure Disasters 2013 May to Dec 2/16/2014 2:05:13 AM

Summary
The following is also description in Scribd upload, of what is relevant to this time line segment. Events, in this time line segment, occurred in: Britain; Canada; China; Mexico; USA. They include: chemical industry; natural gas; crude oil; pipelines; railroads; trucking; construction work; medical radiation; criminals. FOIA = Freedom of Information Act. Organizations periodically publish results of FOIA requests to get at the results of investigations, and statistics known to the government, which the news media previously had neglected.

Gas leak reporting continues to be a disaster, causing more disasters. People

witness gas leak smell, many are clueless what to do about it. Sometimes when people report this up the chain of command, they get ignored. People need to learn to bypass local management, report this directly to 911. NTSB = National Transportation Safety Board. They periodically publish results of investigations of some past disasters. Thanks to statistics about high levels of various incidents, and consequences in terms of people maimed and inconvenienced, there is a public perception that certain industries are extremely dangerous. This leads to activist opposition to certain industries moving into their community, and push back PR by industry promoters. This adversary relationship is doing nothing to make the industries operate more safely. The news media loves to tell us about some explosion, fire, lots of people killed or inconvenienced, but only with the most spectacular incidents are they interested in communicating how come this happened, what mitigation is needed to lower the risk of history repeating. Thus there are many incidents in which what we know about them, merely aids statistics of how often this sort of thing happens. Companies, storing and transporting dangerous chemicals, need to do a much better job training their employees. 8 Tags Natural gas explosion, gas leak, fracking, Sissonville WV, oil derailment, pipeline, NTSB, chemical industry,

Notable CI disasters 2013 May to December

Here is an installment of my incident time line for my notes on Critical Infrastructure (CI) disasters. I collect info about many disasters, see what they have in common, then consider what improvements could be made in efforts to mitigate risk of high damage in the next similar incident, or even reduce the frequency in which they occur.

Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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Critical Infrastructure Disasters 2013 May to Dec 2/16/2014 2:05:13 AM

My overall analysis and mitigation evaluation is in a separate parent document, from these incident time-line chunks.2 Scribd loses statistics when we change document name, so I kept the original name Indy Boom because I first started looking into this topic on the occasion of a gas explosion which demolished a housing sub-division of Indianapolis. That incident turned out to be deliberate sabotage for insurance fraud, which is not the typical cause of these industrial disasters. There seem to be many causes, such as: ignorance about risks, on the part of companies, government officials, and the general public; criminal negligence, more commonly unintentional than intentional; insufficient corporate reporting to local government what dangerous chemicals they have, so that zoning can avoid schools and high density population right next door; a lack of public education to get witnesses to promptly report leak odors; government safety and environmental regulations poorly communicated to where there is need to know them typically government inspectors visit a microscopic fraction of places they know about, and educate thru infraction notification, while there are many thousands of relevant places unknown to regulatory agencies; certain stupid behavior leads to totally avoidable disasters, but this happens piecemeal in community after community, different places which fail to learn from a million other communities, until it is their turn to experience the same type event.

2013 May 3 Toledo Ohio

In Toledo, Ohio, a Columbia Gas worker in suffered serious injuries when the natural gas pipeline he was working on caught fire. No one else was injured in the event, which a Columbia Gas spokesperson characterized as a flare -up instead of an explosion, although authorities did evacuate several area residents.3

May 5 Houghton, Michigan

Local authorities evacuated inmates from the Houghton County Jail in Houghton, Michigan, while they investigated a natural gas leak in the area. Inmates were returned to their cells after the area was deemed safe.4

May 10 Free Markets vs. Safety Regulations

According to Reason magazine, the states of California and Texas are in a competition for business. Texas is controlled by Republicans who say low regulation and low taxes is
2 3

http://www.scribd.com/doc/114094060/Indy-Boom http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=1980 http://www.firehouse.com/news/10934556/ohio-worker-hurt-in-natural-gas-explosion 4 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=1980 http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/news/story.aspx?id=893840#.UYf-UYKd6Yt

Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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Critical Infrastructure Disasters 2013 May to Dec 2/16/2014 2:05:13 AM

good for business. California is controlled by Democrats who say a safe place to live and work is good for business. QUOTE The latest flare-up centers on a Sacramento Bee cartoon in which Perry says Business is booming in Texas. It then shows the recent, tragic fertilizer plant explosion in West Texas. Cartoons are rarely subtle, and the message here is that Texas lower-regulation climate is responsible for a blast that killed 14 people and injured 200. UNQUOTE Texas Governor Perry wrote an angry response to this. I disagree that the Sacramento Bee is not independent of state worker unions, but in any case, it had a reply to Gov Perry, then had a similar cartoon with a parallel to the building which fell down in Bangladesh, killing hundreds of people. Reason rightfully points out that the PG&E explosion in San Bruno California was not prevented by California state regulations, or their enforcement. Every state in the USA has these events. I agree that poorer nations cannot afford better standards, but the article did not make clear that richer nations, like the USA, cant seem to enforce them.

May 16 Federal Fracking Regulations Change = Controversy

According to Natural Gas Watch:5 There is a controversy over new rules proposed by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for hydraulic fracturing. You can download the entire 171 page document and read it for yourself here: BLMs Revised Hydraulic Fracturing Rules. Environmentalists feel the rules do not go far enough. Hydraulic fracturing or fracking, is a process in which tens of thousands of gallons of water, laced with a toxic brew of carcinogenic chemicals and several tons of sand, is injected deep underground into rock formation to free up the natural gas trapped within so that it may harvested and brought to market by the natural gas companies. There was an initial rules proposal, made early in 2012: requiring operators to disclose the chemicals they use in fracturing activities on public lands; improving assurances of well-bore integrity to verify that fluids used during fracturing operations are not contaminating groundwater; and confirming that oil and gas operators have a water management plan in place for handling fluids that flow back to the surface.

May 28 Week of Natural Gas Leaks and explosions

From Natural Gas Watch:6 Austintown Oh vacant home was destroyed by natural gas explosion and fire, thanks to crooks looting the home for copper wire. Bedford Ma home was seriously damaged when crooks tried to steal copper pipe carrying natural gas, which led to an explosion. Bushnell Nb had an interstate gas pipeline rupture, and catch on fire.
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http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=2016 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=2046

Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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Critical Infrastructure Disasters 2013 May to Dec 2/16/2014 2:05:13 AM

Greenwich Ct: A vehicle collided with a utility pole, causing electrical sparks, which ignited a previously undetected gas leak, creating what the neighborhood called a perpetual flame. New Milford Pa experienced an explosion and fire at a Williams Co gas compressor facility. Scio Ohio had a blast heard for miles, demolishing a home. Western NY had a gas leak explosion and fire, destroying a home, and closing 4 miles of roadway.

2013 June
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Jun 3 Week of Natural Gas Leaks and explosions

From Natural Gas Watch:7 Branchburg NJ had a Williams Co natural gas compressor station have an explosion injuring 13 workers, 2 seriously. The cause was a torch igniting vapors. Greensboro GA has a high pressure gas pipeline, with lots of leaks, leading to multiple explosions and fires. Queens NY had an explosion, attributed to natural gas, injuring an elderly woman. South Nyack NY had a natural gas explosion at a Christian college which damaged a building and injured 8 people. The Pennsylvania Dept of Environmental Protection fined a company for violations during the construction of a pipeline.

Jun 10 Glasgow Scotland

The fire at Glasgow's new Hydro 12,000 seat arena was caused by sparks from welding on the roof.8

Jun 10 Week of Natural Gas Leaks and explosions

From Natural Gas Watch.9 The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a trove of nearly 1,400 pages of documents relating to the ruptured natural gas pipeline that triggered a powerful natural gas explosion near Interstate 77 in Sissonville, West Virginia, destroyed three nearby homes and leaving an enormous crater in the ground. The full load of documents is available here. For more info on this disaster, see 2012 Dec 11 and 2013 Jan 16. Fri June 7, a tremendous explosion destroyed a house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to recent media reports, knocking out a wall and sending bricks flying.
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http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=2067 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22840462 9 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/

Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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Critical Infrastructure Disasters 2013 May to Dec 2/16/2014 2:05:13 AM

Mon Jun 10, a massive explosion at a natural gas storage depot in Huntingburg, Indiana, destroyed a dehydration facility, according to recent media reports detailing the incident.

Jun 13 Geismar LA Chemical Plant disaster

A ground-rattling explosion 8.37 am at a chemical plant in Louisiana, about 20 miles SE of Baton Rouge, ignited a blaze that killed at least one person and injured dozens of others.10 The facility is owned by The Williams Companies Inc., based in Tulsa, Ok.

Jun 17 Week of Natural Gas Leaks and explosions

From Natural Gas Watch.11 Tu Jun 11, a natural gas explosion ripped the roof off of a school gymnasium and sent school doors flying up to 75 feet away in Santa Ana, Ca, with 4 students to the hospital. The source of the explosion remains under investigation, according to local authorities, but several students and school employees said they warned administrators about the stench of gas in the schools basement in the days leading up to the incident. Parents should educate their students what this smell means, then students should have told their parents, so they could be kept safe until the situation was resolved. Wed Jan 12, a truck driver in Leoni Township, Mississippi, suffered severe burns after his rig ruptured a natural gas pipeline that subsequently exploded, according to recent media reports. The driver remains in critical condition at an area hospital and authorities said the investigation into the incident continues. Thurs Jun 13, the Geismar Louisiana facility that processes natural gas liquids exploded violently, sending killing two and injuring dozens of others as employees fled an inferno that sent flames as high as 200 feet into the air, according to media reports describing the incident. According to a story in NOLA.com, the website of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Williams facility had a history of non-compliance with pipeline safety regulations. June 13, a natural gas explosion in Westminster, Colorado, destroyed a home, injuring two and seriously damaging a handful of nearby houses, according to recent media reports describing the incident. After the blast X-cel Energy, which supplies the area with natural gas, shut off service to the affected neighborhood, and area residents said they smelled natural gas in the vicinity before the explosion occurred. Jun 15, a natural gas explosion ripped through a home in Horseheads, NY, injuring one man. According to recent media reports describing the incident, the blast has become the subject of a criminal investigation. Sun June 16 San Francisco authorities had to evacuate hundred of people from homes and businesses near Moscone Center at in the South of Market

10 11

http://www.indystar.com/usatoday/article/2419151 http://www.naturalgaswatch.org/?p=2098

Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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neighborhood, after a construction crew severed an underground gas leak during work on the new Central Subway line currently under construction.

June 18 Chemical 8,000 disasters report

Thanks to a FOIA request by Muckrock,12 the US Chemical Safety Board released a report showing the USA has had 8,000 chemical factory disasters since 2001. 13 You can find the entire CSB database as a .csv file here.

Jun 22 Indianapolis recycling facility

A recycling facility caught fire. 100 homes were evacuated, with residents able to return the next day. 4 fire fighters injured. The blaze took 8 hours to get under control as more than two-dozen 30-gallon propane tanks continually exploded and the fire sent up an acrid cloud that could be seen for miles over the city. 14

June 25 Keystone Defense

Keystone opponents have been arguing that the tar sand oil is more corrosive on pipelines than ordinary oil, and thus cause greater risk of leaks and ruptures. This then is one of the reasons for opposing the building of the Keystone pipeline. As we have seen with other pipeline ruptures, this oil is already coming into the USA, and being involved in multiple disasters. So the increased risk of rupture, if true, just means that opposing a new pipeline because of increased risk, means that many other pipelines are subjected to that risk. Now comes a report from the Natural Research Council (NRC) arguing that the increased risk is a false story.15 The study was sponsored by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The National Research Council is the principle operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.

2013 July
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July 5 Canada Oil Derailment

According to U.S. Rail Transportation of Crude Oil: Background and Issues for Congress, February 6, 2014:16
Lac Mgantic, QuebecOn July 5, 2013, a train with 72 loaded tank cars of crude oil from North Dakota moving from Montreal, Quebec, to St. John, New Brunswick stopped at Nantes, Quebec, at 11:00 pm. The operator and sole railroad employee aboard the train secured it and departed, leaving the train on short line track with a descending grade of about 1.2%. At about 1:00 AM, it
12 13

https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/csb-chemical-incident-database-5658/ https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2013/jun/18/chemical-safety-board-least-8000-chemicalaccident/ 14 http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-indianapolis-fire-20130616,0,3899997.story 15 http://reason.com/blog/2013/06/25/piping-oil-sands-crude-no-more-dangerous https://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=18381 16 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43390.pdf 25 pages

Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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appears the train began rolling down the descending grade toward the town of Lac-Mgantic, about 30 miles from the U.S. border. Near the center of town, 63 tank cars derailed, resulting in multiple explosions and subsequent fires. There were 47 fatalities and extensive damage to the town. 2,000 people were evacuated. The initial determination was that the braking force applied volatile than expected. to the train was insufficient to hold it on the 1.2% grade and that the crude oil released was more

July 10 Indy Trial

Marion County Court, Judge Sheila Carlisle said she will take more time to decide if three people charged in a fatal explosion, that almost demolished an Indianapolis subdivision, can be sentenced to life without parole if convicted. 17

Aug 15 Indy Trial

Two of the 3 defendants have asked for the trial to be separated, so they are not treated as a group of equally charged individuals.18 The Indiana Court of Appeals is ruling on an issue, which one defendant alleges is relevant to this trial, and has asked the judge of this trial to hold proceedings until the Appeals Court has finalized whatever it is.19 The news stories lack clarity for me.

Aug 24-25 national problems

According to a study by the Dallas Morning News, 90% of the national government statistics on chemical disasters are incorrect, and there is no effort underway to fix this.20

2013 Sep
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Sep 29 ND pipeline spill

The oil pipeline spill, of approx 20,600 barrels, was on a wheat farm near Tioga from a pipeline owned by Tesoro Corp.21 This disaster has caused some of North Dakotas politicians to be educated about their responsibilities. There was a lot of stuff they believed, which was simply not true. The governor thought: There were sophisticated monitors on pipelines NOT TRUE if it is not required by law (hint hint), companies do not spend the money on mitigation.
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http://www.courier-journal.com/viewart/20130710/NEWS02/307100131/Indianapolis-judge-stillweighing-possible-blast-penalty 18 http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/indy-blast-suspect-seeks-higher-court-intervention-19962672 19 http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/defendant-in-fatal-indy-house-explosion-wants-case-haltedwhile-he-appeals-to-higher-court/2013/08/14/be68dc0e-0527-11e3-bfc5-406b928603b2_story.html 20 http://www.dallasnews.com/news/west-explosion/headlines/20130824-after-west-disaster-news-studyfinds-u.s.-chemical-safety-data-wrong-about-90-percent.ece 21 http://bismarcktribune.com/bakken/large-pipeline-accident-surprised-governor/article_9b509b34-798111e3-92e2-001a4bcf887a.html

Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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The logical solution is to have a government study. Hey, there have been hundreds of studies in other states, and at the national level.

2013 Oct 19 Canada Oil Derailment

According to U.S. Rail Transportation of Crude Oil: Background and Issues for Congress, February 6, 2014:22
Gainford, AlbertaOn October 19, 2013, nine tank cars of propane and four tank cars of crude oil from Canada derailed as a Canadian National train was entering a siding at 22 miles per hour. About 100 residents were evacuated. Three of the propane cars burned, but the tank cars derailment is under investigation. carrying oil were pushed away and did not burn. No one was injured or killed. The cause of the

2013 Nov pipeline explosions in China

Apparently there were a series of pipeline explosions in the city of Qingdao, China. 23 I dont have date of this incident.

2013 Nov 8 Al Oil Derailment

According to U.S. Rail Transportation of Crude Oil: Background and Issues for Congress, February 6, 2014:24
Aliceville, AlabamaOn November 8, 2013, a train hauling 90 cars of crude oil from North Dakota to a refinery near Mobile, AL, derailed on a section of track through a wetland near Aliceville, AL. Thirty tank cars derailed and some dozen of these burned. No one was injured or killed. The derailment occurred on a shortline railroads track that had been inspected a few days earlier. The train was travelling under the speed limit for this track. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

2013 Dec
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Dec Mexico radiation incident

In Mexico, auto and truck theft and hi-jacking is a common crime risk. So if you ship stuff without any security, maybe you dont care if it gets hi -jacked. A cancer therapy clinic in Tijuana Mexico was shipping a highly radioactive radiation therapy source to Mexicos radioactive waste disposal facility near the center of the nation, without any security whatsoever at the time of the theft the source consisted of over 2500 curies of cobalt-60. The truck driver said he had pulled over to the side of the road to get some sleep, and was awakened by the truck hi-jacking. It is presumed that the crooks just wanted the truck. They had no idea what was inside it. People exposed to this much radiation can die, depending on how close they get to it, and how much exposure.25
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http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43390.pdf 25 pages http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303848104579312201882800282 24 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43390.pdf 25 pages

Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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See similar incidents: 1987 Brazil 2010 India

Dec China mall

A natural gas explosion triggered a fire at a mall in Luzhou City, China. 26 4 dead 30 injured

2013 Dec 30 ND Oil Derailment

According to U.S. Rail Transportation of Crude Oil: Background and Issues for Congress, February 6, 2014:27
Casselton, North DakotaOn December 30, 2013, an eastbound BNSF Railway train hauling 106 tank cars of crude oil struck a westbound train carrying grain that shortly before had derailed onto the eastbound track. Some 34 cars from both trains derailed, including 20 cars carrying crude, but no injuries were reported. The cause of the derailments and subsequent fire is under investigation. which exploded and burned for over 24 hours. About 1,400 residents of Casselton were evacuated

Continued in more documents

Time Line of these disasters to be continued in related documents to be named: CI Boom 0 thru 199928 CI Boom 2000 to 200629 CI Boom 200730 CI Boom 2008 to 200931 CI Boom 2010 to 201132 CI Boom 201233 CI Boom 2013 Jan-Mar34 CI Boom 2013 Apr35 CI Boom 2013 May-Dec CI Boom 2014 Jan W Va Water36
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http://blogs.fas.org/sciencewonk/2013/12/mexican-radiation-accident-part/ http://blogs.fas.org/security/2013/12/radioactive-theft-mexico-thief-doesnt-know-can-kill/ 26 http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/12/27/Explosion-triggers-fire-at-Chinese-mall-fourdead-35-injured/UPI-98641388148404/ 27 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43390.pdf 25 pages 28 http://www.scribd.com/doc/203317455/CI-Boom-0-thru-1999 29 http://www.scribd.com/doc/203688481/CI-Boom-2000-to-2006 30 http://www.scribd.com/doc/204262969/CI-Boom-2007 31 http://www.scribd.com/doc/206714326/CI-Boom-2008-to-2009 32 http://www.scribd.com/doc/206962922/CI-Boom-2010-to-2011 33 http://www.scribd.com/doc/204042682/CI-Boom-2012 34 http://www.scribd.com/doc/204889417/CI-Boom-2013-Jan-to-March 35 http://www.scribd.com/doc/204575461/CI-Boom-2013-April 36 http://www.scribd.com/doc/203973261/CI-Boom-2014-Jan-9-W-Va-Water

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Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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CI Boom 2014 Jan

These other time line history segments shall be uploaded to the same SCRIBD Critical Infrastructure collection.37 Revision history will be maintained in the main parent document.

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http://www.scribd.com/collections/4108500/Critical-Infrastructure

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Critical Infrastructure disasters 2013 May to Dec

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