Posted on 04/18/2013 2:02:16 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
(Newser) – News outlets are digging into the West Fertilizer plant's regulatory filings and finding that, in light of the explosion that may have killed as many as 15 people and injured about 160, the plant might have undersold the risks a tad. While the company did tell regulators it had up to 54,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia on hand, it said there was "no" fire or explosive risk, Fox News reports. It said the absolute worst-case scenario would be an essentially harmless 10-minute gas leak.
In other developments:
Good idea. Google Earth it is.
Large, brown tank.
1) There appear to have been 2 large storage tanks there in the past. The circle on the ground is the remains of the pad for that tank that is no longer there.
2) The existing tank is approximately 115 ft in diameter.
3) The old pad is also approx 115 ft in diameter.
4) Roof of this tank is made up of what appear to be 5’x15’ pieces of metal.
SILVER TANKS: TWO
1) Little one to North of large tank appears to be 54 feet in diameter. It is sitting on the old 115 foot diameter pad.
2) Bigger one to North east of that appears to be 80 feet in diameter.
TRUCK to West of Large Tank
1) It is sitting on the rail spur, but it appears to be a truck.
2) Aprox 9 foot wide by 43 foot long for the truck
3) Cab is the same width but another 15 foot long.
4) So what loading/unloading operation are they doing here?
WHITE BUILDING - Middle East side.
1) 65 foot wide by 120 foot long.
2) 3 trucks parked to east.
3) 2 SUV’s parked on south side.
4) Unid’ vehicles parked, 1 on North and 2 on West.
It appears that they are cabs pulling square hoppers.
5) May be an overhang on the roof.
GRAY BUILDING - Middle West side.
1) Another truck parked to west of this building - at the North end. Same size as first.
2) Funny shape to this building, it is multistory of some kind.
3) Overall shape appears to be 150 feet by 80 feet.
CLUSTER OF WHITE STORAGE TANKS - Lower Middle of lot.
1) 4 white vertical tanks in first row
11ft; 8 ft; 8 ft; 8 ft diameters estimated
2) 3 white vertical tanks in second row
9ft; 12 ft; 14 ft diameters estimated
3) 5 white vertical tanks in third row.
6ft; 9ft; 9ft; 6ft; and 6ft; diameters estimated
Presumed NH3 Storage: - Lower Left side of lot
1) 2 horizontal white cylinders (typical of Ammonia)
6 ft diameter by 42 foot long
2) Two additional cylinders running North-South instead of east west.
Also presumably Ammonia storage.
6 ft diameter by 32 foot long (may be foreshortened in photo)
WHITE BIN:
1) Just south of gaggle of White storage tanks
22by 22 foot by 8 foot tall
Appears to have 4 6x8 empty square haulers by it.
EAST SIDE OF White Storage Tanks
1) Two ‘baby’ ammonia storage tanks
15 ft long x 5 foot diameter.
Lots more of these ‘delivery’ units on site.
I count 22 more to the South and East.
And another 33 South of that in the ‘extension’.
SMALL ROUND TANK - South Lot, West side
1) 48 foot in diameter
2) Connection to offloading facility on rail spur
3) Two, regular sized trailer trucks (42 ft plus 15 ft cab) parked East and West near it.
4) Perhaps 40 foot tall.
GREEN ROOF BUILDING:
1) 50 foot by 50 foot
2) 5 Cars parked in front
3) 6 car shelters to east of building
4) 1 car parked to south west
SOUTH:
1) 6 - Vertical white storage tanks.
6 foot diameter by 8 foot tall.
The two ‘structures’ to the West of the facility were:
PLAYGROUND:
1) 105 feet diameter circle.
2) Appear to be 4 swings; 4 teeter totters; and 2 unidentified clumps, probably slides.
TENNIS COURT:
1) 2 Side by side Courts.
2) Overall square 114 ft by 222 ft
3) Looks like we have found a standard ruler to check google maps measurements.
Overall is 78 feet. Check 2 times 39 feet.
Fore court is 20-23 feet. Should be 21 feet.
So easily off by 1-2 feet on short distances with less
accurate fix points.
Width 27 ft by 36 foot - Check.
Easy to be off by a foot or too if measuring quick.
Approximately 420 feet from the Gray building (center of explosion) to the Near wall of the apartment complex.
School is 580 feet South West from Building that exploded.
EPA Explosion Hazard from Ammonium Nitrate
http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/docs/chem/ammonitr.pdf
“Ammonium nitrate can be exploded under certain conditions. These must include added energy (heat, shock), especially under conditions of confinement or presence of contaminants. Although ammonium nitrate generally is used safely and normally is stable and unlikely to explode accidentally, accidental explosions of ammonium nitrate have
resulted in loss of lives and destruction of property. These accidents rarely occur, but when they do, they have high impacts. Many of the safe handling procedures were developed after learning from these accidents.”
National Fire Protection Code 490 on the Storage of Ammonium Nitrate.
NFPA 490: Code for the Storage of Ammonium Nitrate
http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=490
Looks to me like the center of the blast location was in the North West corner of the large building. Or possibly right outside where the Trailer was parked in the Google picture.
We don’t know if there was a trailer there that day. But we do know that they park them in that location.
Implies a fork lift operation lifting pallets of fertilizer out of a trailer and into their warehouse.
7:29 pm April 17, 2012. Firefighters respond to fire.
7:53 pm “There has been an explosion”.
Whatever happened, the fire got very big, very quick.
The explosion followed 24 minutes later.
A very rough transcript of the fire scanners.
Just from the first report of fire to the explosion.
8:00 pm
Anhydrous tanks are reported full and still a hazard after the explosion.
• 7:16 PM - 7:47 PM CST
http://areg.radioreference.com/20130417/2/201304171916-537771-2663.mp3
• 7:46 PM - 8:17 PM CST - (Blast occurs at the 4:35 minute mark)
http://areg.radioreference.com/20130417/4/201304171946-675211-2663.mp3
• 8:17 PM - 8:46 PM CST
http://areg.radioreference.com/20130417/4/201304172016-611642-2663.mp3
• 8:46 PM - 9:16 PM CST
http://areg.radioreference.com/20130417/1/201304172046-170795-2663.mp3
• 9:15 PM - 9:46 PM CST
http://areg.radioreference.com/20130417/2/201304172116-364674-2663.mp3
7:16 to 7:47 (30:15)
http://areg.radioreference.com/20130417/2/201304171916-537771-2663.mp3
(7:29 is 13 minutes in)
16:22 86 Enroute
16:27 Dispatch: 19:33
16:54 201 Enroute to station
17:00 Dispatch: Can you take this phone message off of unclear
17:05 Dispatch: 1934
17:10 ??? Female: Fire ? PD 201 Involved That one of the mills is on fire
17:18 ???: unclear?
Male: Can you tell me if the Delta inn on 1320 Barracks circle is in belmeat?
17:33 Dispatch: 19:34
17:39 Fire to West 209
17:42 West209: Go Ahead
17:46: Fire: Have you made it over their yet?
17:48 West209: I am actually the one that called it in. There is heavy smoke coming out of one of the buildings behind the fertilizer one of the grains here
17:58 Fire: Ten-Four
18:22 ???: Can you look up the emergency contact number for West Fertilizer and see if I can get in touch with the owner.
18:27 Dispatch: I’ll look into it and see what I can find out
18:34 Lady: Dog is constantly making noise and I am not sure if he has any food or water
18:36 Dispatch: I’ll look into it
18:42 ???: Transporting one to Loraina(?) Five times one
18:48 Dispatch: Did you want us to call or are you going to call
19:29 Dispatch: First one I have a name for is [audible but redacted] (repeat)
Then I have a first name [audible but redacted] (repeat)
20:04 ???: (Faint) Can you advice fire that flames are coming out the ? ?.
20:13 Dispatch: 10-4 West 209 be advised he now can see flames coming out
20:34 ???: Roger, showing in one enroute
20:34 Dispatch: I have ya’ll enroute
20:45 Dispatch: Dispatch to 423
20:50 ???: Go Ahead I’ll take Highway 6 person on overpass.
20:57 ???: Ten-Four
20:57 ?: Jim?
21:00 ?: That’s a ?
21:08 ?: 917 (audible redacted name)
21:11 ?: 419 to 38
21:14 Dispatch: Dispatch to ? 423
21:15 ?: Go Ahead
21:17 Dispatch: We have a phone message when you are ready ? ?
21:26 ?: alright?
21:28 Dispatch: Going to be calling [audible but redacted] first name last name [audible but redacted]. Her phone number is [audible but redacted] (repeated)
21:36 ?: ?
21:42 ?: Your safe
21:45 ?: Check the ?
21:52 Dispatch: Ten-four 19:39
21:59 ?: Who is Sam ????
22:07 Dispatch: I am sorry, 830 Sam what was the rest of it
22:10 ?: 830 Sam 545
22:25 ?: One of your firefighters already on the scene. I am going to head towards the park and evacuate the park. A lot of people over there.
22:29 ?: (sirens in background) appreciate it, you can show us on scene, we have flames, ah, F8 to F9, need to go ahead and hook to a hydrant.
22:40 ?: What ? if we can have PD to make sure nobody runs those hoses over.
22:48 ?: 209 can you help with traffic, make sure nobody runs over our hoses.
23:00 209: Ten-Four, if you can get trucks to block the road by the high school, I can block the North end
23:13 Dispatch: You are the only PD unit on right now, are you going to be able to contain everything?
23:25 ?: West Fire to SO?
23:37 ?: What Up
23:42 ?: Having them rolling up here with another engine.
23:50 ?: Who else did you need?
23:52 ? Male: Go ahead ? with Hill County. and have him come up we are fully involved, big time.
24:00 ? Female: Ten-Four
24:08 ? Male: 23
24:31 ? Male: Have have a small on fire ?
24:38 ? Male: Received into ?
24:41 ? Female dispatch: I don’t have another unit to block off the south end now
25:30 ?: unclear
25:37 ? Male: 2320
25:39 ? Male: something about a something please
25:45 ?: Unclear ?:36
25:49 ?: Unclear
26:15 ? Male: ? to dispatch. One of the fire fighters advised they need a ladder truck if you can ? them out
26:22 ? Female: 419:33?
27:20 ? Male: at ??? ??? road
27:36 ? Female: ? about stepping out of it all
27:53 ? Male: ?01 ??? no report. And I’ll take that on ?
28:01 ? Female: 1?? was that your 20 on the suspect?
28:25 ? Fire: ? Fire to dispatch
28:30 Dispatch: What ?
28:33 ? Male: It was 3103
28:35 Dispatch: Ten-Four
28:39 (morse beeps)
28:41 ?: unclear
29:26 ? Male: 2230
29:32 ? Male: All ? that report ? ?
29:30 ? Male: ? we have a ? i
-——— Next tape 7:46 to 8:17
http://areg.radioreference.com/20130417/4/201304171946-675211-2663.mp3
Overlap with earlier tape.
00:26 ?: ? am good
00:35 Fire: Yes, send him down, I’ll get ? on the road.
00:47 PD Male: Ten Four, I’ll send him to the first red truck with the flashers on.
00:59 ?: ?? Fire to West Fire.
1:20 Dispatch: ? ?? is trying to get you on this channel.
1:25 ?: ??? go ahead
1:26 ?: ???
1;38 ?: Units 10-8, we have checked ? unable to locate
1:41 ?: Ten-Four ???
1:43 ?: ??? ??? 5858 ??? ?? 5858
2:04 Dispatch: 55858 July 2012 2001 Nissan to allendale road 31017 ?
2:13 ? Male: 10-4 Do we have a ???
2:23 ? Dispatch: ??? trying to get a hold of you, apparently they do not have a ladder truck.
2:26 ? Female: we do think I might?
2:39 ? Female: ? 99 out of ??
2:44 ? Male: Unclear
2:49
2:50 ? Male: I am on the line with [audible but redacted] right now, they are trying to get hold of him. They are talking to him on the radio, not able to get hold of him here.
3:01 ? Male: 3 ?
3:07 ? Male: 328
3:18 ? Male: I’ll ? at 84 ? ?? I’ll be around
3:22 ? Male: 10-4. I’ll try to make contact by phone. ??
3;24 ? Male: ?
3:38 ? Female: You are not ? one of you just 21’d me.
3:55 ? Female: I’m sorry, I was still on ? are you still on ?
4:01 ? Male: 10-4
4:01 ? Female: Okay 10-4
4:03 ? Male: ? are ya’ll able to make contact with him or dispatch is they are not able to get any of their traffic.
4:18 ? Female: ? with ? to injury out of mso
4:22 ? Male: County dispatch advises that their traffic is unreadable and they are not able to get their response
4:35 ? Male: Received, we are aware of it. We are ? on a ?
4:45 ? Male: We need every ambulance we can get this way. A bomb just went off inside. We have a lot of firemen down.
4:56 ? Female: 10-4 What
5:02 ? Male: We need ?. We had a bomb go off in here.
5:09 ? Female: 10-4
5:15 ? Female: Enroute to you
5:18 ? Male: Go ahead
5:19 ? Female: I got West fire out on a fire at West Fertilizer Plant, they just advised that something exploded there and they have firefighters down. Can I send anybody to assist, we do have EMS enroute.
5:34 ? Male: 10-4
5:31 ? Female: 10-35
5:44 ? Male: Show me in front of 700 block
...
{lots more units setup and responding}
...
13:57 ? Male: Everybody needs to get away from there. Back all trucks away from the ? plant. Everybody needs to back of with all the inverter? tanks. Everybody needs to get away.
14:02 ? Male: 3102, they need to load up and get out of there right now. We still have anhydrous (ammonia) tanks filled there.
...
14:37 Same Male: ? to Lakeview? Go ahead and stay enroute, but stay in background until all this clears up. We do have a lot of anhydrous tanks that are filled over here, they are full. So if you can go ahead and stay enroute.
...
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