IL has another TOTAL LOSS of NH3 from MC331 during loading/unloading @ fertilizer facility
UPDATE 4/9/2016 Shelby County Emergency Management Agency Director Jared Rowcliffe described in an email Wednesday afternoon that the driver connected the truck’s tank to the storage tank to offload, but the truck rolled. Instead of the hose breaking, causing an automatic shut-off, the fitting on the truck failed and the product was released. Fire Chief Troy Agney said the cause of the spill was due to “fractured plumbing” on the transport truck. Official release is stated to have been 19 tons (38,000 pounds). CLICK HERE for the news story On April 24, 2007, the town of Seward, IL was slammed with a catastrophic release of 40,000 pounds of NH3 at a fertilizer facility. That release covered most of the small rural town and it too was caused when the UNLOADING HOSE failed. Flash forward to April 5, 2016 and we have yet another TOTAL LOSS of a MC331 carrying NH3 which occurred during the UNLOADING process in Stewardson, IL. The Coast Guard's NRC Reports does not yet include April 5th so I am unsure of the amount lost, but from photographs we can see that it was a substantial release and the Shelby County Emergency Management administrator stated it was a 20 Ton (40,000 pounds) container being unloaded. One news account states the release was 19 Tons (38,000 pounds). According to the safety and regulatory director for the facility, "a contractor was hauling ammonia to the facility and off-loading product before the spill. The vehicle moved, causing the hose to stretch and then the break happened." News accounts state 200 were evacuated, with 20-25 injuries transported to a hospital and one admitted for further treatment/observation. |
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