Local refrigeration company finds chemicals missing

San Antonio Express News ^ | October 2, 2001 | Dayle Cedars

[caddie]

Towelheads love chemistry.

[spunkets]

1200 lbs, that's ~80 in a 100 gal tank. That's just what they had available to steal. They'll then fill smaller tanks and distribute it, or just take what they want. They're not too careful about wasting it either. These bozos even steal the farmers ~300 gal trailers, or fill their little tanks from them in the night.

[The_Victor]

I vaguely recall that incident. I assume you are pointing out this incident as bomb potential being the cause of the theft. Refrigerants are an explosion hazard if you lose pressure and temperature control of the material. Expansion of the gas will create a blowout (explosion). Regardless of the potential hazard, this is not a particularly good choice of material for a terror attack. Perhaps combined with nitrates and then with diesel fuel, but this would require significant chemical process control. I would say it's far less likely than the meth lab scenario.

[spunkets]

~80 gals in a 100 gal tank. A full tank.

[Marie]

Oh please. Most of the housewives I know have gassed themselves at one time or another until they learn that mixing cleaners isn't a good idea. It's not like it's a state secret.

[Catspaw]

How do they process the vegetables? What is the end result?

LOL!! Well, first they aged the corn & green beans until they were really, really tough, then they put them in generic cans with lots of salt & water....then processed them for the shortest amount of time so they'd blow up in the pantry.

We used to be able to watch the trucks full of corn, beans and peas rumble down the street to the plant, and the plant would sell fresh ears of corn cheap--I think we paid about 50 cents a dozen. Alas, the plant moved and now someone's remodeling the building into offices and condos.

Of course, my grandma had the best scam: she lived in a tiny town that had a sauerkraut factory. She lived at an intersection of two state highways, and the trucks full of cabbage would have to negotiate the turn from one highway onto another. If a head or two of cabbage would happen to roll off the truck, she'd be out there in a flash to grab that cabbage. We never wanted for cole slaw.

[Straight Vermonter]

Hey, that gives me an idea!!!! What we do under the new terrorism laws (which we give up freedom) is turn the heat up organized crime.

Too late, we already have RICO.

[JudyB1938]

My maternal grandfather, Ernest Scott, died from mustard gas he inhaled during World War I. He was a Frenchman from Canada who served in the United States Army. However, he didn't die until after he was discharged and had returned to the States.

[Slyfox]

Hey, that gives me an idea!!!! What we do under the new terrorism laws (which we give up freedom) is turn the heat up organized crime. Tell them that things will go back to normal once the domestic terrorism threat is over.....

That is one heck of an idea!

[borntodiefree]

Oh NOoooo!!!

Dr Freeze is back...

Sorry, I just needed a laugh... I wonder how serious this could turn out to be...