Blast plant fined for lack of risk management plan, claimed ‘no fire danger’

[dixiegrrrrl]

The West Fertilizer Co factory of Texas, which exploded late Wednesday, was fined in 2006 by the Environmental Protection Agency for not having a risk-management plan. The same year the plant reported it posed ‘no risk’ of fire.

Complaints were made in June 2006 regarding a strong smell of ammonia emanating from the plant, according to reports publicized by The Dallas Morning News (DMN).

A later report filed by the plant itself with EPA stated “no” under fire or explosive risks, saying that the, “worst possible scenario … would be a 10-minute release of ammonia gas that would injure no one.”

They went on to say that their ‘second-worst’ scenario would be a leak from a broken hose used to transfer the product, which would also not result in any injuries.

The facility stated that it had no other dangerous chemicals on hand, adding that the plan was on file with the local fire department and that the company adhered to proper safety rules.

http://rt.com/usa/west-fertilizer-plant-safety-051/

[elfin]

1. Owned by Adair

Looks like privately owned.

http://companies.findthecompany.com/l/898755/Adair-Grain-Inc-in-West-TX

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. ohhh...GOOD job.

and cool link.

[Scuba]

2. Don't worry, the "invisible hand of the market" will sort it all out.

Now, about those tort reforms.

[daleo]

4. Yes, a little more deregulation will help

The invisible hand needs a little more money before it can do its job. Like so many invisible agents.

[HereSince1628]

5. And the invisible mouth says..."Minor production disruption has small effect on ag. supply"

[Sheldon Cooper]

6. How in the world do you claim 'no fire danger'?

When you have tons of flammable material stored in your plant, there is ALWAYS the risk of fire and explosion. WTF is wrong with them???

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Some references claim it's not explosive on it own

Labeling and Shipping

Hazard Class: (US Domestic): 2.2 (Non-Flammable Gas) (International): 2.3 (Poison Gas) subsidiary 8 (Corrosive)
Proper Shipping Description:
• (US Domestic): UN1005, Ammonia, Anhydrous, 2.2, RQ, Inhalation Hazard
• (International): UN1005, Ammonia, Anhydrous, 2.3, (8), RQ, Poison-Inhalation Hazard Zone "D"
Placard: (US Domestic): Non-Flammable Gas,
(International): Poison Gas, Corrosive (Subsidiary)
Identification No: UN 1005
National Fire Protection Assoc. Hazardous Rating and Hazardous Materials Identification System Labels:
Anhydrous Ammonia
HEALTH = 3
FLAMMABILITY = 1
REACTIVITY = 0
PERSONAL PROTECTION = H

http://www.tannerind.com/anhydrous-msds.html

(Flammability=1 means "Materials that must be preheated before they will ignite&quot

What that page does say is that it can form explosive compounds when it reacts with some other chemicals, such as some hydrocarbons.

However, chemistry professors disagree:

In this letter I will refer only to the literature that is on
most chemistry teacher’s desks, not the fire and explosion
profession’s literature. The Merck Index, 11th edition in article
510 states: “Mixtures of ammonia in air will explode
when ignited under favorable conditions but ammonia is generally
considered to be nonflammable.” Lange’s handbook,
11th edition in Table 11-10 lists the lower explosive limit
for ammonia in air at 4.5%. There are many other references
that support the fact that ammonia–air mixtures are explosive,
but difficult to ignite. These two are available and familiar
to most chemists.
...
I thank John Odom for his comments. Before I wrote
the paper, I put a lecture bottle of ammonia in a fume hood,
opened the valve slightly and, somewhat timorously, put a
lighted match in the ammonia stream several times. The flame
flickered but whenever the match was removed, the flame
went out. I was unable to make ammonia burn in the absence
of the flame and I therefore support the U. S. Department
of Transportation’s classification of it as a “nonflammable
gas” under ordinary conditions. Can an ammonia–air
mixture explode? Handbooks vary in their assessment but
Bretherick’s Handbook (4th Ed., Butterworth) quotes 15.8%
in air as a lower explosion or flammability limit. This is an
order of magnitude higher than the value quoted in the article;
nevertheless my statement that ammonia does not form
potentially explosive fumes in air under ordinary conditions
is probably wrong.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/ed075p1087.1

[FarCenter]

8. More likely an ammonium nitrate explosion than an anhydrous ammonia release

Ammonium nitrate decomposes into the gases nitrous oxide and water vapor when heated (non-explosive reaction); however, ammonium nitrate can be induced to decompose explosively by detonation. Large stockpiles of the material can be a major fire risk due to their supporting oxidation, and may also detonate, as happened in the Texas City disaster of 1947, which led to major changes in the regulations for storage and handling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_nitrate

Especially if powdered fertilizer gets wet and forms a solid block which can support detonation.

[FarCenter]

11. Ammonium nitrate and poor fire fighting approach. You should probably use foam.

“It was a small fire and then water got sprayed on the ammonium nitrate, and it exploded just like the Oklahoma City bomb,” said Jason Shelton, a clerk at the Czech Best Western Hotel in West. “I live about a thousand feet from it and it blew my screen door off and my back windows. There’s houses leveled that were right next to it.”

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20130417-texas-gov.-perry-praises-emergency-response-to-nightmare-scenario-after-west-explosion.ece

[jambo101]

9. I wonder how many other.

Fertilizer factories are situated in residential neighborhoods.

[Sheepshank]

10. And (literally) with their dying breath

Republicans believe that corporations will self regulate and be peaceful and contiensious stwards of the people and the environment. Just how many times do corporations get to do this and keep going on with impunity? "Corporations are people, my firend". Can this corporation be tried in court for manslaughter and put in jail?

[Blue Owl]

12. Does anyone know if the plant was unionized?

I have a hunch they weren't, but don't know for sure...

[LeftInTX]

13. 2011 revenues were only $4 million

Less than 10 employees.

The owner was responsible for maintaining safety, and he failed.

I highly doubt there is a union.

[lpbk2713]

14. They donated to the RNC instead.

They don't need no stinking risk-management plan.

[avaistheone1]

15. Is this the same incident for this company, or a different incident for them?

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal regulators fined the company that operates the Texas fertilizer plant that exploded overnight $10,000 last summer for safety violations. But the government accepted $5,250 after the company took what it described as corrective actions.

Records reviewed by The Associated Press show that the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration determined that the West Fertilizer Co. planned to transport anhydrous ammonia without making or following a security plan. An inspector also found that the plant's ammonia tanks weren't properly labeled.

The same plant just outside Waco, Texas, exploded Wednesday night, killing as many as 15 and injuring over 160. The blast had the impact of a small earthquake and was heard from more than 40 miles away.

It is not unusual for companies to negotiate lower fines with regulators.

http://www.kmph.com/story/22015660/regulators-fined-texas-plant-for-safety-violations

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. Dunno...

From everything I have been reading over the last 2 days, I seem to remember that as recently as 2 weeks ago there was an incident at the plant also.