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. 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. Two package bomb blasts a few miles apart killed a teenager and wounded two And thats what brought Chambers to the site that Spring morning. Some industry experts believe that the changes in the volatility of the heavy fuel oils from additives may be behind many explosions in tanks containing asphalt and No. A fourth person was also being transported to hospital, he said. Several residents on El Paso's eastside heard a loud explosion on the morning of December 30, 2021. Instead, they are mixed with heavy fuels like asphalt or No. Five days after a home exploded in Westworth Village, Atmos Energy said there was "no evidence" to suggest its system was involved. (AP) A fiery explosion that injured more than a dozen people at a Maryland condominium building was ignited by a resident who intended to kill himself and died in the blast, police said. Most surrounding homes also sustained damage. Six people were hospitalized after a home in a Dallas suburb was leveled by an explosion Monday afternoon, fire rescue officials said. Witnesses told local news outlets that they heard a series of booms, which sounded like lightning. When hydrogen sulfide interacts with oxidized iron inside a tank (in the form of rust, for example), it can form a new compound called iron sulfidea pyrophoric substance that, when exposed to air, can ignite. CAIRO (AP) A towering blaze at a notorious prison housing political prisoners and anti-government activists in Iran's capital killed four inmates, the country's judiciary said Sunday. These kinds of explosions in asphalt tanks have been documented at least since the 1980s. 'Explosion' at Baytown, Texas ExxonMobil oil refinery leaves several injured U.S. news Several people injured after fire at ExxonMobil oil refinery in Texas At least three The Juarez news outletEl Diarioreported the blast took place on a hill along Camino Real. A shelter-in-place order was also issued, affecting around 5,000 people in the area. 6, resulting in changes to the way the products performand what they emit. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Several residents on El Paso's eastside heard a loud explosion on the morning of December 30, 2021. The beaches are not closed, but Quintana Island was reportedly closed to all incoming traffic during the afternoon. 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. But I feel as if this one was louder and bigger than the one in 2019, she said. 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. A recent publication by the Asphalt Institute, the main trade group for the industry, warned tank owners and operators about the dangers of pyrophoric material formation in asphalt tanks and advised them to evaluate whether their tanks could be affected. 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. Shrapnel from the tanker tore into residential buildings and into the soccer pitch. 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. BERLIN (AP) Nine men suspected of involvement in blowing up dozens of cash machines in Germany and stealing some 5.2 million euros (nearly $5.7 million) have been arrested in the Netherlands and Belgium, German authorities said Thursday. a 2018 explosion at an oil refinery in Superior. As is often the case in explosions without injuries or fatalities, there was no official investigation into the cause by the fire department or any state or federal regulatory agencies. (AP) A house explosion in southwestern Indiana that injured three people has been traced to a heater that began leaking natural gas during maintenance work, authorities said. The county has previously sued ExxonMobil, accusing the company of violating the federal Clean Air Act. 6 fuel oil has a lower flash pointcompanies list it between 140F and 200Fand is stored around 130F. In court records, he is quoted saying that only skin was keeping his foot attached to his leg. ", Tim Fitzsimons is a reporter for NBC News. A gas explosion in an apartment building Saturday killed at least nine people, including four children, on the island of Sakhalin in far eastern Russia, according local authorities. He said that so far, there appeared to be no adverse impact due to the blaze. The Baytown Fire Department said its crews had not responded to the incident. 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). The Veracruz state civil defense office said most of the people injured in the explosion Tuesday in the town of Agua Dulce suffered first-degree burns. 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. 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. He said that "for now" there were no indications that nearby residents would need to evacuate the area or shelter-in-place. FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas -- Emergency crews brought the flames from a pipeline explosion in Texas under control about an hour after the blaze occurred. As refineries have gotten more efficient at squeezing every valuable drop of more profitable petroleum products, like gasoline or jet fuel, from crude oil, the products at the bottom of the vacuum stack, like asphalt or No. Norfolk Southern train derails in Springfield, Ohio, At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Promising drug could provide alternative to statins, new study finds, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Iran to allow more inspections at nuclear sites, U.N. says, NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead, Texas chemical plant explosions force evacuations, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Watch: Another major explosion just rocked the TPC plant in Port Neches. "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. 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. U.S. Polyco later determined it to be operator error, according to court documents, but did not give any details about the incident. he/him. With more than 2 billion gallons of asphalt or residual fuel, much of it No. Just months before, in March 2019, another fire had also broken out at the refinery. It was later revealed that there was in fact a construction site explosion in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Justin Chambers arrived at the U.S. Polyco plant in Ennis, Texas, on the morning of April 23, 2018, with a job to do. The incident occurred around 1 a.m. local time, according to a statement from ExxonMobil. By Jason Murdock On 1/24/20 at 7:14 AM EST. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) There is no indication that either a collision or an explosion caused the 1994 sinking of a ferry in the Baltic Sea in one of Europes deadliest peacetime maritime disasters, the accident investigation boards of Estonia, Finland and Sweden said Monday. By The Associated Press. Police have said that the two blasts that rocked Austin, Texas, today are related to a similar one that occurred on March 2. Shutterstock As least 10 people were injured in a fire caused by a natural gas explosion in Texas Friday night, officials said. Across the street, at the U.S. Polyco plant, Patel saw smoke. He said that all other personnel at the facility, which houses a chemical plant, an olefins plant and a 560,500 barrel-per-day oil refinery, according to Reuters, had been accounted for. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. IE 11 is not supported. 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. Smoke billows from a fire following an explosion caused by a crash between a train and an 18-wheeler near Cameron, Texas, on Feb. 23, 2021. But Monk said that "Real time air quality reading collected thus far do not indicate levels of human health concern.". No injuries were reported and there was minimal property damage as a result. 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. BAGHDAD (AP) A gas tanker exploded near a soccer field in northeastern Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least nine people and wounding 10 others, according to security officials. 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. Updated on: November 27, 2019 / 9:34 PM The explosion happened in Wallis, Texas, about 50 miles west of Houston. As a recent investigation by Inside Climate News showed, those increased emissions are going largely unreported by companies. PLANO, Texas The explosion that destroyed a house in suburban Dallas and heavily damaged the two next 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. Julia Kane is currently pursuing her masters at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where she is focusing on narrative writing and investigative reporting. CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) Authorities in Moldova said Sunday that specialist teams have carried out controlled detonations of explosives that were discovered in parts of rocket debris that border officials found in a northern village near the countrys border with Ukraine. QUINTANA, Texas (KTRK) -- No injuries were reported Wednesday after what police initially described as an explosion at a liquefied natural gas terminal near Freeport. In these cases, it is unclear whether the workers did. In that incident, more than 60 people were sent for medical evaluation following the blast. In 2012, she produced the online interactive A Perfect Terrorist: David Coleman Headleys Web of Betrayal, which won an Overseas Press Club of America award. 6 fuel oil, have become more depleted than in the past, making them hard to work with. 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. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. 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.. GAITHERSBURG, Md. 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. DENVER (AP) A man who put three failed explosive devices inside a worship hall of Jehovahs Witnesses in suburban Denver before killing his wife and himself there on Christmas morning is suspected of causing an explosion at a union building, police said Wednesday. "Plano Fire-Rescue is working diligently to determine the cause of the blast. An Explosion in Texas Shows the Hidden Dangers of Tanks Holding Heavy Fuels - Inside Climate News A tank used to emulsify asphalt caught fire and exploded early Officials say firefighters were called to Trinity Hospital shortly On the way to the scene, ABC Houston affiliate KTRK's helicopter noticed the flames could be seen from 30 miles away. Flames shot out of the top of the damaged tank, and firefighters let the blaze burn out. Police and fire dispatchers said all local utility companies had been contacted, but none had reported any issues. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news, By SEUNG MIN KIM, ZEKE MILLER and MICHAEL BALSAMO. (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. This article was produced in collaboration with Berkeley Journalisms Investigative Reporting Program. The explosion happened just before 8 p.m. when workers for the utility company CenterPoint Energy were trying to shut down a gas line outside a home in the town of Spring, KXAN reported, citing the Harris County Fire Marshals Office. PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) A methane gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, killing nine miners and injuring four others, a government official said. KHOU reports that Mike White, the Jefferson County Emergency Management coordinator, said there are a few chemicals housed at the facility, including Butadiene. Do not 'push a slower friend down' if you encounter bear: Park Service, Robbery, shooting occur at same time inside Galleria parking lot: HPD, Family holds vigil for 16-year-old killed while riding his dirt bike. Thus, the potential of asphalt additives to influence the formation of pyrophoric materials in an asphalt storage tank cannot be ruled out.. Several people have been injured after an explosion at the ExxonMobil plant in Baytown, Texas, early on Thursday morning. In a separate statement, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at least four people had been injured, with three taken to hospital by air ambulance. The more asphalt is heated, the more hydrogen sulfide is created, and over time, high concentrations can build up. Surfside Beach Police Department's Marine Division assisted Port Freeport police and the U.S. Coast Guard on the waterways. All employees at the facility were accounted for, Houston-based Freeport LNG said in a statement. 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. 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. TPC officials know that at least three tanks have been damaged, but firefighters have not been able to fully assess the harm, Monk 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. Firefighters responded to Neptune Welding on Virginia Beach Boulevard just after 11 a.m., news outlets reported. Whats more, even a small amount of a lower flash point additive could affect the point of ignition of the substance its added to. Officials say firefighters were called to Trinity Hospital shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday where the explosion and subsequent fire and smoke caused patients and staff to evacuate the third floor. When vapors above a certain concentration come into contact with an ignition source, Rosselot said, thats when explosions can happen. Troy Monk, TPC's Director of Health, Safety and Security, said at the press conference that all three of the injured workers have been released from the hospital. A meteor fell in Mission, Texas today around 5-5:30 pm, making a loud bang, shaking house in a 10 mile radius. 6 fuel, because their emissions were thought to be negligible, are vented, allowing oxygen in and vapors out. PALMDALE, Calif. (AP) Would-be thieves tried to blow up an ATM in Southern California, but didn't get away with any cash, authorities said. Firefighters who arrived at the scene managed to contain the flames, Fox affiliate KRIV reported. In the years since, companies increasingly have mixed additives into residual products. Yes. It is now common for additives to comprise up to 20 percent of stored asphalt or No. Our #1 newsletter delivers the weeks climate and energy news our original stories and top headlines from around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report. However, the institutes publication acknowledges that the additives can include lighter hydrocarbons. OSHA, the American Petroleum Institute and other organizations have standard protocols to ensure the work is done in as safe a manner as possible. One witness said he believed the missing man had fallen inside the tank that was to be demolished. Seven or eight homes in the "very rural area" are affected, and those residents could be displaced for several days, White said. There was a pipeline explosion today in Fort Bend County, Texas, and flame could be seen from 30 miles away. 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. If you add something that has a different explosive limit, youre going to change the properties of the mixture, he said. 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. Fort Bend County Judge KP George said that residents surrounding the area were evacuated as a precaution. In many cases, there was hot work or torch heating on or near the tanks, wrote the author, Robert Zalosh. She is the author of Meltdown: Terror at the Top of the World. 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 "Air quality tests in the area are ongoing. Port Neches, Texas Two explosions at a chemical plant in Texas put 60,000 people under evacuation orders Wednesday. Another personposted, "Anyone else felt a big boom or house shaking just now? Download the NBC News app for breaking news, "They have got a lot of people working on it," White said Tuesday evening. On June 30, 2020, a tank holding asphalt mix at the Blueknight Energy Partners terminal in Gloucester City, New Jersey exploded. Another explosion took place on March 23 in Suffolk County on Long Island. Video footage from the scene shows debris and lumber scattered across the home's yard and into the street. Colombia plans to send 70 'cocaine hippos' to India and Mexico, How Paul Murdaugh helped solve his own murder, At least 13 people are dead as severe storms sweep across US. The explosion in the city of Sulimaniyah destroyed three homes and also injured 16 people. Please enter valid email address to continue. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Officials are assessing water damage at the Ohio Statehouse after a pipe burst during freezing weather, sending water pouring into the Senate chamber, an adjacent lounge for lawmakers, and other areas on Tuesday morning. Smoke plumes fill air after 18-wheeler collides with train. 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. It asked residents to avoid the area following the blaze, which broke out at around 1 a.m. local time (2 a.m. Dan Gearinos habit-forming weekly take on how to understand the energy transformation reshaping our world. While the information contained in these trade publications rarely makes its way to the general public, the threat to homeowners and others in residential neighborhoods is real, given the dispersed location of such tanks throughout the country. As least 10 people were injured in a fire caused by a natural gas explosion in Texas Friday night, officials said. After the explosion in Ennis, Tank #17 was left damaged beyond repair and in need of removal. An internal, floating roof is used to keep oxygen out and vapors in. In some states, regulators do not require reporting, based on an incorrect assumption that there are no emissions to report. A key indicator of how safe a product might be is its flash pointthe temperature at which it becomes flammable. "There is no risk to the surrounding community. 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. ET, Rohan Davis, a refinery manager at the ExxonMobil site, said that all four people in hospital appeared to be in stable condition. On the way to the scene, ABC Houston affiliate KTRK's helicopter noticed the flames could be The first 11 cars of the train were filled with gasoline, coal and petroleum products, causing the initial explosion and fueling a fire that was still burning Tuesday evening, White said. Six days earlier, a similar incident in Stafford, Texas left one man injured and another dead. WebThe map below, compiled from data provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is the most accurate nuclear attack map and fallout demonstration available for 2023: (Image courtesy of FEMA and Halcyon Maps) The fallout would rapidly spread, turning targeted cities into whole affected regions. According to Amy Hodges, the plants spokeswoman, no fire broke out and no one was seriously hurt. ", I was just laying in bed and then all of a sudden I felt. "Kind of like a little mini earthquake.". Officials said the blast could be felt up to 30 miles away, and that by sunrise, toxic plumes could be seen for miles. Flames were seen at the Baytown, Texas refinery after a possible explosion. Officer Kyle Tranovich of the Caernarvon Township police department said a skeleton crew of only six people was working in the TIMET Morgantown plant due to the holiday before the 2:30 p.m. GRASS VALLEY, Ore. (AP) A small town in central Oregon was evacuated and five people were hurt due to a hemp manufacturing plant fire Sunday. Dont miss a beat. GAITHERSBURG, Md. Chambers and his wife are suing U.S. Polyco and the plant safety manager for negligence that resulted in his injuries. 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. Though that is closer to the flash point, it still allows for a buffer. Overturned gas tanker explodes, killing 1 person. As black smoke wafted from the nearby tank, two men ran over and let Slovak know that someone was missing. 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. We had two tanks right next to each other that we were dealing with: one with fire, one with rescue, Slovak said. Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to a 10:21 a.m. call of a natural gas odor at 5726 Highland Hills Road in South Dallas, officials there said Wednesday. Harley said the experience was reminiscent of a similar incident in July 2019, when an explosion and fire broke out at the same facility. Over the last decade, at least 17 heated storage tanks containing asphalt or No. She said her windows, air conditioning unit and television started rattling following what she believed was an explosion. 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Hot workthe use of tools for cutting, grinding and welding that can create sparksis common at industrial plants, and asphalt plants are no exception. A Texas pipeline explosion sparked a fire that could be seen from 30 miles away. One Twitter user recorded feeling the concussion from the explosion 25 miles away. WebShortly before 9 a.m. this morning, loud noises disrupted work in a nitric acid unit at the Invista Chemical Plant in Victoria, Texas. It was so loud.. Plano Fire A fire at an ExxonMobil oil refinery in Texas left several people injured early Thursday after what officials and local residents suggested may have been an explosion. PRINCETON, Ind. She graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a bachelors of science in electrical engineering. ET). As least 10 people were injured in a fire caused by a natural gas explosion in Texas Friday night, officials said. At 12:12 p.m., as he stood with one foot on the catwalk and the other on the lid of the Tank #17, Chambers lit his cutting torch, sending sparks flying. Chambers climbed to the catwalk and got ready to separate it from the tops of the tanks. The explosion happened in a remote area in Orakzai, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, said Mohammad Arif, an adviser for the Mines and Minerals Department. "We are keeping them and their families close to our hearts and hoping for a swift and full recovery. Heptane, one of the main components of gasoline, is a lighter-end chemical that is sometimes included in the additives used in heavy fuels.