Nitrate fertilizers, I take it? Those made up the main body of the OK City bomb, as well as being the main ingredient in what we used to call HME in Iraq. ("HomeMade Explosive"). Bad stuff. There are new fertilizers that are better and non-explosive, too, but I understand that the costs of production are so far out of line with the economics of farm production.
Maybe this would be a rare, reasonable case for government subsidies.
The CNN anchor is learning now about volunteer firefighters in rural Texas communities, and is pretty surprised. He had a woman on the line whose husband was off fighting the fire. Her house had been destroyed and her dog killed. I'm afraid they're going to find a lot of people were killed, just vaporized, depending on how many were on duty at the plant. Of course there are bad injuries, lots of burns. A nursing home was partially collapsed.
Yes, I assume it was nitrate fertilizers. That's the same thing that blew up Texas City so long ago. They're saying something about anhydrous ammonia now.
Alas, the lawyers are already circling. Sounds like 5 blocks around the plant were leveled, and the shock damage goes another 4 miles or so. As of 0750 CDT, the weather remained too bad for aerial surveys.
At this point I'm more inclined to treat this as a terrible industrial accident rather than an act of terrorism. There was a fire at a refinery near Beaumont yesterday, too, during down-time maintenance.
Douglas -- I know, what with the Atlanta-area firefighters being taken hostage, not to mention the marathon attack.
LittleRed -- Yes, I haven't seen or heard anything to suggest a deliberate act. Fertilizer in large quantities is notoriously unstable. From what I understand, you do not ever ever ever shoot water onto anhydrous ammonia. Those poor people.
Witnesses reported feeling quite a large shockwave 50 miles away, so you can imagine how powerful the blast was up close.
My future mother-in-law was having dinner with her fiance in Hillsboro, which is about 12 miles from the plant. She told my fiance the whole building shook.
News reports this morning are saying 5-15 killed (not everyone is accounted for). The fiance also has a friend who lives in West. We knew last night that he and his grandmother had been evacuated to a church in Gholson. BJ was seen being interviewed on CBS this morning, however briefly. BJ knows at least one of the unaccounted for.
Texan, it registered on the seismographs up here, 400 or so miles away.
Terrible coincidence, April 18 is also the anniversary of Texas City. My mom remembers hearing that blast in Houston. And of a refinery explosion in Skellytown, up here.
I've worked with anhydrous (fertilizer tanks) and we treated it like you would a rabid rattler.
Nitrate fertilizers, I take it? Those made up the main body of the OK City bomb, as well as being the main ingredient in what we used to call HME in Iraq. ("HomeMade Explosive"). Bad stuff. There are new fertilizers that are better and non-explosive, too, but I understand that the costs of production are so far out of line with the economics of farm production.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this would be a rare, reasonable case for government subsidies.
The CNN anchor is learning now about volunteer firefighters in rural Texas communities, and is pretty surprised. He had a woman on the line whose husband was off fighting the fire. Her house had been destroyed and her dog killed. I'm afraid they're going to find a lot of people were killed, just vaporized, depending on how many were on duty at the plant. Of course there are bad injuries, lots of burns. A nursing home was partially collapsed.
ReplyDeleteYes, I assume it was nitrate fertilizers. That's the same thing that blew up Texas City so long ago. They're saying something about anhydrous ammonia now.
Ace is reporting that firefighters already were fighting a fire at the plant when it blew up, and 20 of them may have been lost, in a town of 3,000.
ReplyDeleteDamn. My father was a Captain in the volunteers when I was a boy. This will break his heart.
ReplyDeleteThere's some history here, you probably know.
ReplyDeleteFirst responders. I know they're a different breed, but it would be nice not to be reminded of it every other day.
ReplyDeleteAlas, the lawyers are already circling. Sounds like 5 blocks around the plant were leveled, and the shock damage goes another 4 miles or so. As of 0750 CDT, the weather remained too bad for aerial surveys.
ReplyDeleteAt this point I'm more inclined to treat this as a terrible industrial accident rather than an act of terrorism. There was a fire at a refinery near Beaumont yesterday, too, during down-time maintenance.
LittleRed1
There's a reason why those chemical plants get built 'way out of town. But then, people come to it. My heart goes out to the families and friends.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is also that this was simply an accident.
Valerie
Douglas -- I know, what with the Atlanta-area firefighters being taken hostage, not to mention the marathon attack.
ReplyDeleteLittleRed -- Yes, I haven't seen or heard anything to suggest a deliberate act. Fertilizer in large quantities is notoriously unstable. From what I understand, you do not ever ever ever shoot water onto anhydrous ammonia. Those poor people.
Witnesses reported feeling quite a large shockwave 50 miles away, so you can imagine how powerful the blast was up close.
My future mother-in-law was having dinner with her fiance in Hillsboro, which is about 12 miles from the plant. She told my fiance the whole building shook.
ReplyDeleteNews reports this morning are saying 5-15 killed (not everyone is accounted for). The fiance also has a friend who lives in West. We knew last night that he and his grandmother had been evacuated to a church in Gholson. BJ was seen being interviewed on CBS this morning, however briefly. BJ knows at least one of the unaccounted for.
Prayers for your friends and his neighbors, ML.
ReplyDeleteTexan, it registered on the seismographs up here, 400 or so miles away.
ReplyDeleteTerrible coincidence, April 18 is also the anniversary of Texas City. My mom remembers hearing that blast in Houston. And of a refinery explosion in Skellytown, up here.
I've worked with anhydrous (fertilizer tanks) and we treated it like you would a rabid rattler.
LittleRed1
Thanks, Doug.
ReplyDelete