Biodiesel plant explosion and fire in New Plymouth (Idaho)

KTVB ^ | 7/7/06 | KTVB

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Biodiesel plant explosion and fire in New Plymouth

01:15 PM MDT on Friday, July 7, 2006

KTVB.COM

BOISE -- Idaho State Police say an explosion has rocked a biodiesel plant in New Plymouth and at least one worker may not be accounted for.

Robbie Johnson-KTVB

Fire broke out at a New Plymouth biodiesel plant today.

ISP spokesman Rick Ohnsman tells NewsChannel 7 there are injuries and the plant is fully engulfed in flames. The explosion occurred before noon today.

Nearby homes are being evacuated as a precautionary measure. It is not known if the fumes from the fire are toxic.

The Payette County Sheriff has put out a call to several agencies in the area for assistance.

U.S. 30 east and west of New Plymouth has been shutdown.

Ohnsman says authorities are worried about railroad tanker cars parked near the plant. Fire crews are working to secure them.

The plant was to be Idaho's first biodiesel production facility, producing up to 10 million gallons of biodiesel per year.

The plant is operated by Blue Sky Biodiesel LLC. The facility was originally scheduled to open two months ago, but was delayed by safety concerns.

The plant occupies the old Emmett Valley Fruit building in the Jiano Industrial Park in New Plymouth.

City leaders were excited about the new jobs and tax base it would bring to the rural community.

Bio-diesel is seen as a fuel alternative that will reduce the dependence on foreign oil sources, with additional benefits of less pollution, extended engine life and a lubricating quality. Biodiesel is made from soy and canola oils.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

This I think has just happened. No talk about cause.

[the invisib1e hand]

that sucks.

prayers.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

SW Idaho is having a rough morning: A brush fire, a power outage because of a truck accident, and this explosion.

[Red Badger]

Well, it ought to show everyone how much energy biodiesel contains!..........

[Red Badger]

"Diesel doesn't explode without help." ...........

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I am not sure the plant was in full production yet...I think it was just about to start that, and it may have still been under construction. I haven't been keeping up on the Boise news, but I was looking for info about that brush fire.

[Red Badger]

That was a quote from a Charles Bronson movie, Assassination. he was a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the First Lady. The yacht she was about to board blew up and she thought it was just an "accident" while re-fueling. But the engines were diesels, not gasoline.......

[Knitting A Conundrum]

here's a pic:

[RobRoy]

Sounds like a "grease fire" at the worlds biggest mcdonalds.

[Izzy Dunne]

The facility was originally scheduled to open two months ago, but was delayed by safety concerns.

This is certainly no help.

[Red Badger]

How long before the conspiracy theorists complain that "Big Oil" did it to keep prices high?.......

[B Knotts]

An explosion at a biodiesel plant would, as far as I know, involve ethanol and/or methanol that are used in processing.

Biodiesel itself is considered non-flammable, having a flash point of around 150 C.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

This is true...gasoline is more volatile...but I reread this statement in the story:

--The facility was originally scheduled to open two months ago, but was delayed by safety concerns.---

Maybe they were on to something.

[Dallas59]

How much pollution is this fire putting into the atmosphere???

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I was thinking of eco-terrorists myself...

[Red Badger]

...., but was delayed by safety concerns.

They were obviously correct.......

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I have no idea.

[Red Badger]

Eco-terrorists? Diesel is supposed to be better for the environment than gasoline.............

[COEXERJ145]

How long before the conspiracy theorists complain that "Big Oil" did it to keep prices high?.......

With the help from the Bush administration, an group of illegals, and the NWO army that is hidden under the Denver Airport. /tinfoil hat mode

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I think it counts what you're measuring.

I suspect this will turn out to be just an industrial accident - probably someone doing something in the way of construction when it caught fire, like welding.