Todd - your numbers aren't exactly right, but there are definitely going to be some very compelling questions asked over the next few days and weeks. The plant had 270 tons of ammonium nitrate; Federal law states that you must make a declaration to Homeland Security if you keep over a ton. The company apparently did file a disaster plan with the EPA, but various reports hint that it was for an airborne release of anhydrous ammonia only, and hadn't been updated since 2011. It has also been reported that the company may have made declarations to state and local agencies, but this begs the question of why there wasn't a HSA declaration and whether or not the good-old-boys network was working to facilitate this local business keeping their ammonium nitrate storage under wraps, so to speak. Timothy McVeigh used approximately 2 tons of this stuff in OKC; 270 tons is a wee bit more than that. The family that owns this business is obviously in deep voodoo, as are the regulatory agencies that missed this - or worse, covered it up.
Steve Leyton -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Steve Mackinnon Sent: Friday, April 26, 2013 9:39 AM To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: RE: West, TX explosion OMG! -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Todd - Work Sent: Friday, April 26, 2013 12:09 PM To: [email protected] Subject: West, TX explosion >From reading the latest reports, the fertilizer facility in West, TX that exploded had 270 tons of ammonium nitrate on site. They had previously told authorities that they had nothing hazardous. They were required to file with DHS if they have more than 400 pounds on site and only exceeded that by 1350 times. (Don't forget, Timothy McVeigh used a lot of that at the OK City bombing). Obviously there is a problem at the management level. So when we evaluate facilities for sprinkler protection, how are people handling hazardous materials? As a PE, I will address it one way. If a contractor is looking at it in a design/build project, how is that being addressed? Todd G Williams, PE Fire Protection Design/Consulting Stonington, CT www.fpdc.com _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/listinfo.cgi/sprinklerforum-firesprinkler .org _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/listinfo.cgi/sprinklerforum-firesprinkler .org _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/listinfo.cgi/sprinklerforum-firesprinkler.org
