About 60,000 pounds of a chemical used as both a fertilizer and an explosive is missing after likely disappearing during a rail trip from Wyoming to California last month, according to federal records.
A rail car carrying ammonium nitrate left a plant operated by explosives manufacturer Dyno Nobel in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on April 12, according to an incident report filed May 10 by a representative of the company with the National Response Center.
Thirty tons of the stuff. Half-a-ton of urean nitrate fertizer (similar stuff) was used to try and bring down the Word Trade Center in 1993. McVeigh used about 2.4 tons of ammonium nitrate to blow up the OKC Federal Building in 1995.
One can only hope that some inattentive worker didn't lock a valve shut on the hopper car and it all dribbled out along the tracks. Otherwise, we may be in for some interesting times.
30 tons, they know where the car has been, shouldn't they try to, you know, find it?
ReplyDelete-Doug in Sugar Pine
Apparently they have the car in question, Empty!
ReplyDeleteSo the question is when did it become empty, and how?
All that in one place makes for a big boom.
Eck!
I immediately imagined a "Breaking Bad" style train robbery. Did it stop anywhere, unexpectedly?
ReplyDeleteThat is the official story: a valve was left open and it all leaked out
ReplyDeleteI have ocean-front* property for sale. Cheap. Cash only though, in small bills. Idaho is awesome
* It once was, back in the good old days. 90 million years ago ...
Is this stuff a liquid? Years ago before it was commonly known as a bomb making material I bought ammonium nitrate for my lawn and it came in a bag just like other fertilizers? Strapped to the back of my bike with a bungee I came close to fertilizing the highway a few times.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete* It once was, back in the good old days. 90 million years ago ...
Ten Bears, yeah I grew up in Idaho. Left in 97 for Florida.
Had to drive back to the home state , just last year.
Idaho has become a place I'd not want to live anymore.
dan, pellets.
ReplyDelete