Posted on 04/21/2013 11:22:36 AM PDT by OKRA2012
The West, Texas fertilizer plant where a powerful explosion killed at least 14 and injured dozens on Wednesday failed to disclose a massive ammount of ammonium nitrate ordinarily regulated by federal officials, according to Reuters.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security requires fertilizer plants and depots to disclose amounts of ammonium nitrate, which can be used to make a bomb, above 400 lbs. The West, Texas plant, West Fertilizer, reportedly held 270 tons of the substance, 1,350 times that limit.
(Excerpt) Read more at livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com ...
Occasionally?! Apparently I’m above average!
You, darling, are not merely above average, you are outstanding!
I’d be curious to know if they had an H-1B from, say, Saudi Arabia working there...
Oh wait...
You wrote, "but there aren’t any regulations about how close you can put an ammonium nitrate plant?"
And in answer to you question, there are regulations about where you can put an ammonium nitrate plant. The plant owner was violating them. That's how the first sentence answered your question. To wit: "The West, Texas fertilizer plant where a powerful explosion killed at least 14 and injured dozens on Wednesday failed to disclose a massive ammount of ammonium nitrate ordinarily regulated by federal officials, according to Reuters."
They failed to tell the regulators what they had. Whether they did so because they knew it wasn't allowed in the zone they had the business will be determined in the courts, but in answer to your question, it is regulated. I would hazard a guess if the owner wasn't killed in the blast he's going to wish he had been after they're through with him. He might even end up charged with murder or manslaughter for each person killed. I'd bet he's going to be made example (particularly because they want to be able to track those materials for bomb making concerns).
Rhetorical questions don't require answers.
Interesting point.
400 lbs would be about 5-7 bags of fertilizer.
270 ton is only about 185 - 300 cubic yards of ammonium nitrate, depending upon the actual fertilizer composition.
I believe the plant had anhydrous ammonia, as a process feedstock. So I doubt they had that much on hand, but they probably had more than several 20yd dumps of fertilizer available on stock.
Figure about 50-100 lbs/Acre for Sorgham-Sudan crops and that is only enough production for about 10-20 sections of crops.
People are just looking to blame somebody, when life is much simpler.
A more significant issue is to investigate if the fire was just an accident or intentionally set in close proximity of the Texas City explosion.
Yeah, we don’t need to grow crops any more, just have everybody plant their own arugula for their own consumption and just watch us become the breadbasket of the world. /s
The 400 lb threshold is about enough fertilizer for 5-10 acres of hay.
That’s less than a 660ft x 660 ft parcel.
The viral video was taken further away than that of an industrial site which more safely produced the fertilizer from raw components, than shipping it hundreds of miles. Best to produce the more volatile stuff closer to its destination in those quantities.
One can argue about producing it several miles out of town,....but then again, West, Texas isn’t in Waco, is it? It’s several miles down the road from the larger suburban complex.
People can still live nearby. The location of the plant isn’t obscene. It’s fairly normal. We can also discuss the dangers of grain dust in silos nearby farming communities, which in many cases are far larger risks.
Your local gas station has more volatile chemicals stored in larger concentrations with far less qualified operators handling it daily, than the subject fertilizer plant.
The "plant" didn't produce anything.
It, like the "propane plants" in our town, was a sales/storage facility: it sold fertilizer to farmers; and bought/stored their harvested grain.
They did report the 270 tons of ammonium nitrate to state regulators (and perhaps other fed agencies) but not to DHS.
That amount is enough to fertilize from about 2,500 to 6,000 acres, depending on crop, starting fertility level, and number (if any) of re-applications during the growing season.
270 tones of ammonium nitrate and tank car after tank car of anhydrous ammonia.
The average gas station has tank capacity for maybe 30,000 gallons and they are rarely full. All of it is underground and away from potential ignition sources. They are also designed by people who know what they are doing. Something this facility in Texas could have used.
So your statements just arent true.
Well there are about 200 dead and injured who would disagree with you. Not to mention all of those who no longer have a place to live.
In Texas?
Considering they missed the fact that the company had tons of the stuff on hand I'd say DHS wasn't up anyone's a**.
http://www.atf.gov/explosives/how-to/explosive-storage-requirements.html
It isn't a 'furmula' per sey but guidance on storage of explosives certainly DOES exist. Down to the type of lock, hinges, doors, and of course distance.
Each type of explosive has a specific table of distance:
27 CFR § 555.218 is for storage of high explosives (including flash powder and bulk salutes), blasting agents, and display fireworks over 10,000 pounds.
27 CFR § 555.219 is for storage of low explosives.
27 CFR § 555.220 is for storage of ammonium nitrate and blasting agents from explosives or blasting agents.
27 CFR § 555.222 is for distances between fireworks process buildings and between fireworks process and non-process buildings.
27 CFR § 555.223 is for distances between fireworks process buildings and other areas.
27 CFR § 555.224 is for storage of display fireworks (except bulk salutes).
Then they are in big trouble, aren’t they?
I'd say so, yeah.
The company will likely go out of business, perhaps the owner will be charged with negligent homicide, or something less. But this is the way free markets work unless we want everything regulated. The plant won’t be operating anymore and others in the same market will be more careful. Whatever money is left over from the owner/company should go to pay the injured and families of those who died. But taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for it.
The Quantity-Distance (QD) is determined by a formula using the Net Explosive Weight (NEW ) of the explosive material as seen below that is expressed for distance in 'K' or 'K-factor'. It is about how much risk do you want to accept. Wiki has got a good review of this:
"Quantity-Distance
Quantity-Distance (QD)[4] criteria represents physical limits which cannot be breached without incurring risks, and acceptance of these risks at the appropriate command level. QD applies the “Cardinal Principle” of Explosives Safety which is to expose the least amount of people to the least amount of explosives for the least amount of time. QD experts (Explosives Safety Specialist) determine the risk of exposure by examining blast, fragment, and thermal hazards of a given amount of explosive using the net explosives weight (NEW) and applying accepted protection principles to determine levels of hazard a person is exposed to at a given distance from the explosives. The quantity (amount of NEW) and a given distance from the explosive equals the QD. There are factors that can be used to provide some protection from the effects of the detonation of explosives; however the effects of a blast wave from an explosion cannot be mitigated. Only distance from the blast will provide protection from the blast wave of an explosion.
"Net Explosives Weight (NEW)
The net explosives weight (NEW) is based on explosives compounds that are equal to one pound of trinitrotoluene (TNT). A compound may weigh two pounds but have the blast effects of only one pound of TNT it is then said to have a NEW of one pound. If the compound weights one pound but has the blast effects of two pounds of TNT the NEW is considered as two pounds NEW. NEW is used to calculate QD by means of a formula of the type D (ft) = K•W^1/3, where “D” is the distance in feet, “K” is a factor (also called K-factor) that is dependent upon the risk assumed or permitted, and “W” is the NEW in pounds. When metric units are used, the symbol “Q” denotes Net Explosive Quantity (NEQ) in kilograms. In the formula D (m) = Km•Q^1/3, the distance “D” is expressed in meters. Thus, the units of the K-factor ("K" in the English system) are ft/lb^1/3 and ("Km" in the metric system) m/kg^1/3. The value of “K” in English units is approximately 2.52 times “Km.” For example, if D (m) = 6•Q^1/3, then D (ft) = 15.12•W^1/3. Distance requirements determined by the formula with English units are sometimes expressed by the value of “K,” using the terminology K9, K11, K18, to mean K = 9, K = 11, and K = 18."
And some history on how this came about...,
"Explosives safety originated as a formal program in the United States in the aftermath of World War I when several ammunition storage areas were destroyed in a series of mishaps. The most serious occurred at Lake Denmark Naval Ammunition Storage Depot, New Jersey, in July, 1926 when an electrical storm led to fires that caused explosions and widespread destruction.[citation needed] The severe property damage and 19 fatalities led Congress to empower a board of Army and Naval officers to investigate the Lake Denmark disaster and determine if similar conditions existed at other ammunition depots. The board reported in its findings that this mishap could recur, prompting Congress to establish a permanent board of colonels to develop explosives safety standards and ensure compliance beginning in 1928. This organization evolved into the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) and is chartered in Title 10 of the US Code. Today, the DDESB authors DOD Manual 6055.9, Ammunition and Explosives Safety Standards. It also evaluates scientific data which may adjust those standards, reviews and approves all explosives site plans for new construction, and conducts worldwide visits to locations containing US title munitions. "
...
And the military explosive safety research and development has been adopted for the civilian world as seen in Title 10 of US Code.
"Explosives Safety Specialist must often travel to different storage sites to verify that the military installation is meeting the service explosives safety regulations.
Explosives Safety Specialist often works with other safety professionals. They are required to know OSHA, EPA, NFPA and other consensus standards when looking at safety and if these regulations are stricter than their service regulation they must apply these standards and regulations. They must also know Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) regulations dealing with A&E and apply those standards if it is required. They must be able to convince people the need for following prescribes explosives safety standards/regulations. They must also work with ammunition cleanup sites insuring that safety laws and regulations as well as industry standards are followed. They should be good at solving problems.
The military is not the only industry to use explosives safety specialist but are by far the largest employer. Mining and construction also use explosives safety specialist to evaluate hazard and risk from explosives and blasting operations. Ammunition and explosives manufactures also use these professionals. Outside the military explosives safety specialist must apply and be knowledgeable of ATF, OSHA, EPA, NFPA, as well as state and local regulations dealing with safety of A&E."
-end snip-
The rest here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosives_safety#Quantity-Distance
One more comment about the excerpt:
"There are factors that can be used to provide some protection from the effects of the detonation of explosives;"
The cheapest means that the plant should have done is built an earth berm around where they stored their ammonia nitrate, which could have deflected the explosive blast upwards instead of going into the town.
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