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Texas fertilizer plant had 1,350 times the amount of ammonium nitrate that would normally raise red flags.
The factory in West, Texas, did not report its massive amount of the potentially explosive fertilizer to the Department of Homeland Security, a source familiar with DHS operations said. At least 14 people died and more than 200 were injured following the blast on Wednesday.
This accident might have been much less of a disaster had the company NOT maintained the large amount of product stored at the facility. They failed to report information to agencies about how much they had at the plant. The city and nearby residents would have not have experienced such a massive disaster if a lesser amount of product had been stored and reported properly.
This accident might have been much less of a disaster had the company NOT maintained the large amount of product stored at the facility. They failed to report information to agencies about how much they had at the plant. The city and nearby residents would have not have experienced such a massive disaster if a lesser amount of product had been stored and reported properly.
Yep. I am interested to hear updates on this in the future.
FYI: While the term "plant" is being throw around it the facility may be licensed as a "plant" they were NOT a true fertilizer plant that made, mixed, combined, etc ingredients to make fertilizer. This was simply more of a storage facility for fertilizer. The designations that the government has for businesses can be very misleading.
Also, anhydrous ammonia is NOT a flammable gas. It is an inhalant danger and that is why the evacuations were going on in the town last night. When we carry anhydrous ammonia our placards are for "non-flammable" and "inhalant hazard". The only way anhydrous ammonia will do something like this is if it is mixed with another chemical or gas.
I do hope that this was not any kind of sabotage or terroristic plot. Wishing it never happened but please let it be some fluke incident that happened and not the fault of man nor at the hands of man.
As anhydrous ammonia evaporates very quickly, the chemical molecule can be easily transformed when a lot of it is present:
Combustion
When mixed with oxygen, it burns with a pale yellowish-green flame. At high temperature and in the presence of a suitable catalyst, ammonia is decomposed into its constituent elements. Ignition occurs when chlorine is passed into ammonia, forming nitrogen and hydrogen chloride; if chlorine is present in excess, then the highly explosive nitrogen trichloride (NCl3) is also formed.
All the dry fertilizer that was already on fire created the conditions necessary for an explosion. High heat, oxygen, and the presence of a chlorine catalyst in the fumes from the dry fertilizer.
Looks like the victims are going to get less then $5,000 each. Apparently Texas requires less liability insurance for a fertilizer plant, then many people carry on the their personal automobile policy.
Quote:
Texas fertilizer plant that exploded carried only $1 million in liability coverage
Published: May 4
McALLEN, Texas — The Texas fertilizer plant that exploded last month, killing 14 people, injuring more than 200 others and causing tens of millions of dollars in damage to the surrounding area had only $1 million in liability coverage, lawyers said Saturday.
Quote:
Roberts said he expects the plant’s owner to ask a judge to divide the $1 million in insurance money among the plaintiffs, several of whom he represents, and then file for bankruptcy.
Quote:
“It’s rare for Texas to require insurance for any kind of hazardous activity,” he said. “We have very little oversight of hazardous activities and even less regulation.”
That is truly sad. I would like to think that there would be some sort of change to prevent this from happening again one day in the future, but unfortunately, I doubt it.
This is almost like poking the victims in their still open wounds.
If the plant was there first zoning laws should of not allowed S FAMILY housing and a school to be built
great zoning laws .
If homes and school were there first why would zoning laws allow a plant which is a walking time bomb to to be built?
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1,350 times the amount of ammonium nitrate
Apparently Texas requires less liability insurance for a fertilizer plant, then many people carry on the their personal automobile policy.
