The beaches are not closed, but Quintana Island was reportedly closed to all incoming traffic during the afternoon. The asphalt in this case was a combination of asphalt and diesel fuel. An unexpectedly high concentration of vapors emitted by the heavy oils is likely to play a role in both types of explosions, these experts say. "We have multiple calls reporting a loud boom and we have multiple units investigating at all the different locations callers reported," Enrique Dueas-Aguilar with the El Paso Fire Department told The US Sun. We had two tanks right next to each other that we were dealing with: one with fire, one with rescue, Slovak said. He said that "for now" there were no indications that nearby residents would need to evacuate the area or shelter-in-place. The explosion that injured Chambers was unexpected, but similar accidents had occurred in other places. Who knows how many tanks around the country are an explosion hazard but have yet to get a spark?. Instead, they are mixed with heavy fuels like asphalt or No. Across the street, at the U.S. Polyco plant, Patel saw smoke. In this case it is inside Tank #17, Jones wrote, according to court documents. The incident occurred around 1 a.m. local time, according to a statement from ExxonMobil. The dramatic scenes of the nighttime fire have reverberated across Iranian social media. Harley said she was personally concerned about the potential impact incidents like this one and the fire in 2019 could potentially have on air quality. NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) President Joe Biden said Wednesday it was unlikely that a missile that killed two in NATO-ally Poland was fired from Russia, but he pledged support for Poland's investigation into what it had called a Russian-made missile. The explosion happened Wednesday while a truck was pumping waste chemicals from the Quick Turn Anodizing facility in Guthrie, Todd County Emergency Management Director Daniel Smith told news outlets. A dredging vessel in Corpus Christi hit a submerged pipeline, sparking an On June 30, 2020, a tank holding asphalt mix at the Blueknight Energy Partners terminal in Gloucester City, New Jersey exploded. Jefferson County Emergency Management coordinator Mike White told the Beaumont Enterprise that five residents were being treated for minor injuries, mostly related to shattered glass. A massive explosion and fire occurred at one of the nations largest ExxonMobil refineries in Baytown, Texas, early Thursday morning, sending several workers to a local hospital. By Jason Murdock On 1/24/20 at 7:14 AM EST. The plant in Port Neches in southeast Texas, about 80 miles east of Houston, makes chemical and petroleum-based products. We rely on donations from readers like you to keep going. In states that do require that emissions be reported, companies estimate them, typically using a formula developed by the petroleum industry that is often wrong and leads to underestimates of vapor pressure and the levels of air pollution the tanks are emitting. Im in east El Paso.". MINOT, N.D. (AP) A small explosion and fire disrupted care on the third floor of a Minot hospital. It is now common for additives to comprise up to 20 percent of stored asphalt or No. But Monk said that "Real time air quality reading collected thus far do not indicate levels of human health concern.". 6 fuel oil despite temperatures never reaching the flash point. At least three people were transported to hospital by air ambulance as authorities responded to the "major industrial accident" in Baytown, just over 25 miles east of Houston. The EPA has been aware of problems with the formula since at least 2007, but has not called for its field offices to investigate the emissions or required that companies directly measure and report emissions. Updated on: November 27, 2019 / 9:34 PM MOSCOW (AP) An explosion during repairs on a section of a Europe-bound natural gas pipeline in western Russia killed three people on Tuesday but didnt affect export supplies, officials said. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Federal regulators have determined that a lack of safeguards during a maintenance shutdown led to a 2018 explosion at an oil refinery in Superior. like, a wave," Sarah Martinez, who lives right across from the plant with her 4-year-old son, told NBC News. These kinds of explosions in asphalt tanks have been documented at least since the 1980s. Five days after a home exploded in Westworth Village, Atmos Energy said there was "no evidence" to suggest its system was involved. They cut a hole through the tank wall to extract him. A fire burns at ExxonMobil's refinery in Baytown, Texas, on Dec. 23, 2021. A digest of the most pressing climate-related news, released every Tuesday and Friday. For more on this story, follow Erica Simon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Inside a tank, asphalt is often heated to about 300F, meaning that technically, it should be well below the point at which it could light on fire. Courtney Wallace, a BNSF spokesperson, confirmed that an investigation is underway and said 13 of the train's 110 cars derailed, 10 of which continued to burn Tuesday evening. First published on November 27, 2019 / 5:31 AM. Video footage from the scene shows debris and lumber scattered across the home's yard and into the street. We've received your submission. At a press conference Wednesday night, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said that there were also a number of smaller explosions throughout the day. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Two people have together been awarded $10.4 million at trial after a jury found they suffered hearing loss and emotional trauma when they narrowly escaped a natural gas explosion in Portland. Yet there is reason to believe that changes in the way asphalt and No. In these cases, it is unclear whether the workers did. MEXICO CITY (AP) A fireworks explosion at a Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico injured 17 people, authorities said Sunday. The noise caused a flurry of reaction on social media,with one person questioningif it was a sonic boom from military aircraft. A key indicator of how safe a product might be is its flash pointthe temperature at which it becomes flammable. Asphalt naturally contains both sulfur and hydrogen, which, when they react, form hydrogen sulfide. Shutterstock As least 10 people were injured in a fire caused by a natural gas explosion in Texas Friday night, officials said. News Houston Texas Explosion. In that case, it turned out the refinery had previously stored other, more volatile materials in the tank, and small amounts had remained and mixed in with the carbon black, leading to a build up of vapors inside the tank. A number of other residents took to Twitter to share their concerns following what they too described as an "explosion. One of the asphalt tanks at the plant had been damaged and needed to be demolished, and the 32-year-old foreman was part of a five-man crew of contractors charged with getting it done. Hot workthe use of tools for cutting, grinding and welding that can create sparksis common at industrial plants, and asphalt plants are no exception. ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) An explosion and fire near an illegal oil refinery site in Nigerias Niger Delta region killed at least 12 people Friday, police said, although local residents reported a much higher death toll. Even in amounts far less than companies routinely use, the additives can have a dramatic effect on how explosive a product is, research shows. Paul Bommer, a petroleum engineer and senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, said he once was called as an expert witness in a case in which a tank containing carbon blacka substance similar to asphalt and No. Flames and smoke billowed into the air after the tanker exploded on US Route 15 in Maryland, according to Ron Snyder, public information officer for Maryland State Police (MDSP). On the way to the scene, ABC Houston affiliate KTRK's helicopter noticed the flames could be Several of our residents were injured," Plano Mayor John Muns said in a statement, reportedKXAS-TV. Just months before, in March 2019, another fire had also broken out at the refinery. However, the institutes publication acknowledges that the additives can include lighter hydrocarbons. A shelter-in-place order was also issued, affecting around 5,000 people in the area. Judge Branick told Beaumont TV station KBMT the blast awakened him early Wednesday at his home, and that it initially sounded like someone firing a gun into his house. It included a section on the role that additives can play in contributing to these kinds of explosions. The Milam County town of 5,400, about 72 miles northeast of Austin, was rocked by the boom around 6:45 a.m., according to Cameron Sheriff Chris White. And thats what brought Chambers to the site that Spring morning. Our first priority is people in the community and in our facilities, the company said. Whereas some highly volatile materials can have low flashpoints, like gasoline at -40F or ethyl alcohol at 55F, asphalts can be listed as high as 450 or 500F. You have no clue whats being distributed and being released in the air that could possibly be extremely harmful and toxic.. U.S. Polyco later determined it to be operator error, according to court documents, but did not give any details about the incident. All Rights Reserved. We deliver climate news to your inbox like nobody else. All of the sudden I heard what I thought was my sliding glass door breaking, one neighbor told KTVT. On Nov. 19, 2014, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, an employee used a torch to heat a clogged valve, igniting flammable vapors in a mostly empty asphalt tank and causing it to explode. News Exxon Texas Explosion. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) A Swedish prosecutor wants a supplementary crime scene investigation" at the site of explosions that damaged two natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea and said Friday that a preliminary probe concluded the cause was suspected gross sabotage.". TOWN OF MAPLE GROVE, Wis. (AP) Authorities investigating a bonfire explosion over the weekend in eastern Wisconsin said Monday that as many as 40 people might have been injured in the blaze, including some who were seriously hurt. Carl Bradley Johansson, 64, of Newport Beach also was sentenced for tax evasion and for using fraud to receive more than $954,000 in COVID-19 relief money, according to the U.S. MORGANTOWN, Pa. (AP) A furnace explosion damaged the roof of a titanium plant in southeastern Pennsylvania on Thanksgiving Day, but no one was injured, authorities said. In some states, regulators do not require reporting, based on an incorrect assumption that there are no emissions to report. This is the second in a series of articles. The accident occurred Saturday in the township of Huejutla in Mexicos Gulf coast region known as the Huasteca. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas An explosion at an ExxonMobil plant in Texas injured four people early Thursday, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. The Baytown Fire Department said its crews had not responded to the incident. The hole in the sewer undermined the soil beneath the gas pipes, causing them to sag and then crack open. Thus it was the combination of the two circumstances which caused the disaster. Nederland Volunteer Fire Department - NVFD, Inc. Four injured in refinery fire at Baytown, Texas. It was later revealed that there was in fact a construction site explosion in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Captain Josh Slovak, a 15-year veteran of the Ennis Fire Department at the time, was on the second engine to arrive at the plant. SAN ANTONIO (AP) Authorities on Sunday continued investigating the cause of an explosion that killed three people at a San Antonio construction company. These materials are more volatile, can cause greater emissions and become explosive at lower temperatures than asphalt without the additives. "There is no risk to the surrounding community. "However, we havent found anything yet. Laboratory tests have shown that addition of only three volume percent of heptane to Number 6 fuel oil, transformer oil, and asphalt, causes flash point reductions of between 60C and 137C, he wrote in the 1997 study. Four people were inside the two-story home when it was heavily damaged by Tuesday's explosion in the city of Princeton, leaving two people hospitalized with burns while a third person complained of back pain, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and State Fire Marshal said. "Plano Fire-Rescue is working diligently to determine the cause of the blast. Neither OSHA nor the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, an independent federal agency charged with looking into industrial chemical accidents, has conducted a systematic investigation of these explosions. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit Monday against a milling company for multiple violations at a plant that was the scene of a fatal explosion five years ago. The blast was so powerful that it sent the 12-foot diameter lid of the tank flying, before it landed on an employees car. Tank explosions occur in two main ways: Vapors ignite after hot torches or other ignition sources are lit nearby, or no ignition source is identifiable and the explosion seems to have occurred spontaneously. She is the author of Meltdown: Terror at the Top of the World. In that case, the blaze was extinguished hours after it began, but Harris County officials said it continued to release toxic pollutants for eight more days. Even after it exploded, the asphalt tank was on fire for at least 3 hours, putting out thick, dark, toxic smoke into the community.. It's about 70 miles south of Houston. They were hospitalized but their conditions were not immediately known. 6 fuel, because their emissions were thought to be negligible, are vented, allowing oxygen in and vapors out. The Surfside Beach Police Department said the facility had experienced "some sort of explosion," but no evacuation orders had been issued. A section of the five-story building in the town of Tymovskoye collapsed after a gas cylinder exploded in one of the apartments at around 5:30 a.m. NEWFANE, Vt. (AP) A man was found dead in a home explosion and fire in the southern Vermont town of Newfane early Friday morning, state police said. Justin Chambers arrived at the U.S. Polyco plant in Ennis, Texas, on the morning of April 23, 2018, with a job to do. She spent four years at sea, serving aboard ships based in Honolulu, Hawaii and Key West, Florida, and two years as the military aide to a flag officer in Alameda, California. An asphalt tank at a plant owned by Rason Asphalt exploded in the early afternoon, causing a loud blast that rattled nearby homes. There were lightning storms in the area on Monday afternoon. The tripwire set off the explosive device that was placed near a fence at 8:32 p.m. Sunday, police said. More:Texas SWAT commander killed, 4 officers injured in standoff with gunman; suspect captured. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The explosion ripped through a section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod pipeline in the Chuvashia region during repair work. Download the NBC News app for breaking news, "They have got a lot of people working on it," White said Tuesday evening. She graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a bachelors of science in electrical engineering. The personnel were killed when an explosive device detonated during a security operation in the Khan area of the Tarmiyah district. Chantal Da Silva is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital based in London. Surfside Beach Police Department's Marine Division assisted Port Freeport police and the U.S. Coast Guard on the waterways. An 18-wheel truck hit a train carrying chemicals and fuels in Cameron, Texas, early Tuesday, causing a huge explosion and starting a fire that is expected to burn for Freeport LNG reported that an incident occurred around 11:40 a.m. at its facility in the 1500 block of Lamar Street at the facility on Quintana Island, according to Brazosport CAER. All Rights Reserved. A fourth person was also being transported to hospital, he said. As a recent investigation by Inside Climate News showed, those increased emissions are going largely unreported by companies. Seven or eight homes in the "very rural area" are affected, and those residents could be displaced for several days, White said. Engineering experts say that such seemingly spontaneous explosions can be caused by the formation of whats known as pyrophoric material. The word pyrophoric comes from the Greek fire-bearing and means capable of igniting spontaneously upon exposure to oxygen. "It was like a weird feeling, like a wave and then there was a rumble in my apartment and then the next thing I know, all my pictures in my living room are on the floor. Inside Climate News made repeated attempts to speak with Chambers, but messages left on his phone and email and with his family and his attorney were not returned. "Nobody was injured or killed," White said. Former Mexican President Vincent Fox expects cannabis bill Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, Buster Murdaugh got 'very drunk' with dad 2 months after mom, brother murdered: source, I'm a professional cleaner ditch these 4 household products immediately, Tom Sandoval speaks out on Raquel Leviss affair: I deserve your anger, Shoeless Ariana Madix awkwardly tries to avoid cheating Tom Sandoval, Prince Harry was scared to lose Meghan Markle after fight that led to therapy, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant allegedly flashes gun at a strip club, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval have awkward moment amid cheating scandal. By The Associated Press. People in the surrounding neighborhood were forced to evacuate and seek shelter in a nearby community center until fire crews extinguished the flames four hours later. he/him. This story has been shared 128,919 times. Smoke plumes fill air after 18-wheeler collides with train. LONDON (AP) The death toll in an explosion and fire at an apartment building on the English Channel Island of Jersey has risen from five to seven, police said Tuesday. recent investigation by Inside Climate News, Lawmakers Urge Biden Administration to Permanently Ban Rail Shipments of Liquefied Natural Gas, In Pennsylvania, Home to the Nations First Oil Well, Environmental Activists Stage a Peoples Filibuster at the Bustling State Capitol. Fire officials said that of the six people hospitalized, one was extricated from the rubble of the home that exploded and the other five were in a home next door. At least three people were transported to hospital by air ambulance as authorities responded to the major industrial accident in Baytown, just over 25 miles east of Houston, officials said. ", Download theNBC News appfor breaking news and politics. Davis said industrial hygiene staff were monitoring the air quality at the site and fence line following Thursday's fire. An investigation is underway at Freeport LNG in Surfside Beach after reports of an incident Wednesday. (AP) Twelve people were injured, two of them critically, in an explosion and fire at a Maryland apartment building Wednesday and the residents of one unit have not been accounted for, a fire official said. The cause of the fire was found to be a leaking natural gas line. The explosion, which was captured on video, launched wooden boards, window glass, insulation and other debris at least 100 feet into the air in Evansville, the Evansville Courier & Press reported. TOWN OF MAPLE GROVE, Wis. (AP) Sheriff's investigators in Wisconsin are willing to forgo any possible underage drinking violations in order to get more information about a bonfire explosion that injured more than a dozen people, including some critically, officials said Tuesday. ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) A gasoline tanker crashed and then exploded in north-central Nigeria, killing at least 12 people, police said Friday. ABC-7 reported that police and fire officials could not explain the Police brought in an explosives detecting dog, though the dog did not discover any explosives or hazardous materials, and police determined that the site was not a crime scene. It is also a possibility it may have happened on the other side of the border. Please enter valid email address to continue. The presence of these higher volatility molecules means that the concentrations of vapors in the tanks are higher than they used to be, said Rosselot. The February explosion had no obvious causeno nearby sparks or fires. At least 37 people were injured and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, The company declined to respond to detailed questions sent by Inside Climate News, citing its ongoing lawsuit with Chambers, said Alisa Rhyno, a spokeswoman for the company. Officials added that it's not yet clear when the evacuation order will be lifted. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. When asked directly what type of chemical may have been released from the tanks, company officials told ABC13 they were not sure, and advised to ask Freeport police. 6 oil, in bulk storage tanks across the United States, theres the potential for more explosions like the one that injured Chambers or the ones that kill and injure other workers each year. In 2010, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board issued a safety bulletin on preventing worker deaths during hot work in and around tanks. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas An explosion at an ExxonMobil plant in Texas injured four people early Thursday, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. One Twitter user recorded feeling the concussion from the explosion 25 miles away. A car further down the train filled with phosphoric acid solution was unhooked and moved to safety before it could be ignited by the burning fuel cars, and a specialized fire crew sent from BNSF arrived with heavy equipment to extinguish the blaze. Gas and electricity was turned off to most of the homes on the street until about 9:30 p.m., when Atmos Energy and Oncor Electric representatives determined it was safe to restore gas and power. USA TODAY 0:00 1:13 Six people were hospitalized after a home in a Dallas suburb was leveled by an explosion Monday afternoon, fire rescue officials said. "We're extremely grateful that nobody was killed," he said. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) Two people were killed Monday when a storage tank exploded at a Virginia welding business, a fire official said. She joined InsideClimate in the fall of 2013, after helping produce documentaries and interactives for the PBS show Frontline since 2010 with 2over10 Media. We are saddened by todays tragedy of a house explosion in our City. In the years since, companies increasingly have mixed additives into residual products. this week: 4.1 in Mentone , Texas , United States. No. TPC officials know that at least three tanks have been damaged, but firefighters have not been able to fully assess the harm, Monk said. Blast from rail cars carrying gasoline, coal and petroleum product ignited a fire that could take days to put out. TOWN OF MAPLE GROVE, Wis. (AP) Investigators are recommending criminal charges against two teens in connection with a bonfire explosion at a party in northeastern Wisconsin last month that resulted in critical burns to some in attendance. Firefighters who arrived at the scene managed to contain the flames, Fox affiliate KRIV reported. The explosion happened just before 8 p.m. when workers Witnesses in the area described hearing a noise that sounded like a thunderstorm and say they saw a big fireball in the area of the plant. Thanks for contacting us. WebIf you or loved one has been injured in a serious accident in a chemical plant refinery accidents, call our San Antonio Plant & Refinery accidents lawyers today. 6 fuel oil, another heavy oil, have exploded at asphalt plants or terminals around the United States, according to news reports and filings from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Dan Gearinos habit-forming weekly take on how to understand the energy transformation reshaping our world. Port Neches, Texas Two explosions at a chemical plant in Texas put 60,000 people under evacuation orders Wednesday. WebShortly before 9 a.m. this morning, loud noises disrupted work in a nitric acid unit at the Invista Chemical Plant in Victoria, Texas. ICN provides award-winning climate coverage free of charge and advertising. 6 fuel oil has a lower flash pointcompanies list it between 140F and 200Fand is stored around 130F. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. Environmental and Alaska Native advocates rallied outside the White House ahead of an expected final decision on ConocoPhillips Willow Project. Rosselot added, The potential for higher vapor concentrations needs to be recognized, so that care is taken to prevent the vapors in these tanks and the vapors being emitted from these tanks from coming into contact with a source of ignition.. When fugitive vapors are ignited the flame will follow the vapors back to their origination. PRINCETON, Ind. Though each accident had different particulars, all resulted from a flammable vapor coming in contact with an ignition source created by welding or cutting that was performed in, on, or near tanks that contained flammables.. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, One killed in Jackson Heights apartment building fire, At least five died, including two children, in devastating Rockland County fire, Federal judge upholds demotions of FDNY chiefs, Retired NYC firefighter helps Spirit crew put out fire that broke out on plane. The explosion a night earlier in the city of Sulimaniyah destroyed three homes and also injured 16 people. Chambers and his team went over the plan and reviewed the permits, including one that cleared the crew to use a cutting torch to detach a catwalk that connected Tank #18, the damaged tank, to Tank #17, an asphalt tank six feet away, according to court documents. Shortly after 4 p.m., they declared the situation was under control and contained to the immediate affected area of the plant. But central to making determinations about safe protocol is knowing the dangers posed by the specific product youre working with. "I didnt know what it was. All the victims are believed to be from the energy company. Harley, a 22-year-old living with her boyfriend about two miles from the ExxonMobil facility, said she thought the blast was "a bomb or an earthquake.".

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