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. Were asking all of you to keep the victims in your prayers.. Fire officials said they were joined at the scene by members of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in addition to Plano police. Please be aware that there is a mandatory evacuation for everyone within a 1/2 mile of the TPC plant in Port Neches. Texas has seen multiple petrochemical industry blazes this year, including a March fire that burned for days near Houston and another that killed a worker at a plant in nearby Crosby. SAN ANTONIO (AP) Authorities on Sunday continued investigating the cause of an explosion that killed three people at a San Antonio construction company. At least one house was damaged in the blast, and residents were evacuated from the area, according to the outlet. 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. An investigation is underway at Freeport LNG in Surfside Beach after reports of an incident Wednesday. KHOU reports that Mike White, the Jefferson County Emergency Management coordinator, said there are a few chemicals housed at the facility, including Butadiene. Nearly a year later, Gloucester City Fire Marshal Patrick Hagan said the explosion is still under investigation, but that pyrophoric material buildup in the tank is one of the hypotheses about what caused it. 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. These materials are more volatile, can cause greater emissions and become explosive at lower temperatures than asphalt without the additives. We deliver climate news to your inbox like nobody else. And I just noticed two picture frames on the wall fall down and the sound and that didnt match up. Get a daily email of our original, groundbreaking stories written by our national network of award-winning reporters. Around 1 a.m. on 12/23/2021, a fire occurred at our facility. 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. 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. We had two tanks right next to each other that we were dealing with: one with fire, one with rescue, Slovak said. The impact sent debris flying through the air as frightened homeowners scrambled for cover. The accident occurred Saturday in the township of Huejutla in Mexicos Gulf coast region known as the Huasteca. The windows on both sides of the building shook, and Patel, the general manager of the motel, said he could feel the blast inside his body. ", Tim Fitzsimons is a reporter for NBC News. 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. As least 10 people were injured in a fire caused by a natural gas explosion in Texas Friday night, officials said. He ran out of the building to see what had happened. A number of other residents took to Twitter to share their concerns following what they too described as an "explosion. 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. GAITHERSBURG, Md. A dredging vessel in Corpus Christi hit a submerged pipeline, sparking an More such explosions have probably gone unreported, said Kirsten Rosselot, a chemical engineer and the owner of Process Profiles, an environmental consulting firm, who has studied this type of tank. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 6 fuel oil, have become more depleted than in the past, making them hard to work with. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The beaches are not closed, but Quintana Island was reportedly closed to all incoming traffic during the afternoon. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. Fort Bend County Judge KP George said that residents surrounding the area were evacuated as a precaution. The Asphalt Institute did not respond to questions submitted to them by Inside Climate News. FARMERSVILLE, Texas (AP) A valve leak and a spark of unknown origin combined to cause a North Texas natural gas pipeline explosion last year that killed two workers and injured two others, federal investigators said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Two months before Tank #17 exploded, on Feb. 2, 2018, there had been an explosion in the other tank, Tank #18. In court records, he is quoted saying that only skin was keeping his foot attached to his leg. 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. As a recent investigation by Inside Climate News showed, those increased emissions are going largely unreported by companies. The explosion a night earlier in the city of Sulimaniyah destroyed three homes and also injured 16 people. 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. BEIRUT (AP) A British court has ruled a London-based company that delivered the explosive ammonium nitrate to Beirut's port is liable towards the victims of a devastating blast in 2020, Lebanon's Beirut Bar Association said Thursday. 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. Speaking at a news conference at around 5:30 a.m. The first explosion occurred just after 1 a.m. Wednesday. But over the last 30 years, companies have increasingly used additives to enhance the products, changing their makeup. MINOT, N.D. (AP) A small explosion and fire disrupted care on the third floor of a Minot hospital. Chambers was thrown across the catwalk and about 30 feet down into Tank #18, which held a few feet of cold, hardened asphalt, topped by about eight inches of stagnant water. Who knows how many tanks around the country are an explosion hazard but have yet to get a spark?. In some states, regulators do not require reporting, based on an incorrect assumption that there are no emissions to report. Witnesses told local news outlets that they heard a series of booms, which sounded like lightning. Hot workthe use of tools for cutting, grinding and welding that can create sparksis common at industrial plants, and asphalt plants are no exception. In this case it is inside Tank #17, Jones wrote, according to court documents. IE 11 is not supported. A construction crew was working with explosives to extract material when the explosion occurred. ET). VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) Two people were killed Monday when a storage tank exploded at a Virginia welding business, a fire official said. 6 fuel, because their emissions were thought to be negligible, are vented, allowing oxygen in and vapors out. Officials say firefighters were called to Trinity Hospital shortly Across the street, at the U.S. Polyco plant, Patel saw smoke. These kinds of explosions in asphalt tanks have been documented at least since the 1980s. In a statement several hours after the fire broke out, ExxonMobil said its emergency response teams were still working to extinguish the fire. By Jason Murdock On 1/24/20 at 7:14 AM EST. 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 was later revealed that there was in fact a construction site explosion in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The Baytown Fire Department said its crews had not responded to the incident. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas An explosion at an ExxonMobil plant in Texas injured four people early Thursday, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas -- Emergency crews brought the flames from a pipeline explosion in Texas under control about an hour after the blaze occurred. 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. The explosion happened just before 8 p.m. when workers QUINTANA, Texas (KTRK) -- No injuries were reported Wednesday after what police initially described as an explosion at a liquefied natural gas terminal near Freeport. The Harris County Sheriff's Office said deputies were responding to the incident and that "some injuries" had been reported. 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. 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. 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. "Plano Fire-Rescue is working diligently to determine the cause of the blast. 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. On June 30, 2020, a tank holding asphalt mix at the Blueknight Energy Partners terminal in Gloucester City, New Jersey exploded. The dramatic scenes of the nighttime fire have reverberated across Iranian social media. The bulletin was released in the wake of several incidents in which workers were killed or injured and includes summaries of 11 incidents, none of which involve residual fuels. 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. Dan Gearinos habit-forming weekly take on how to understand the energy transformation reshaping our world. 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. Two foreign residents were injured when they jumped out of windows to escape, said Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government's spokesman. "They are indicating that it could take up to two or three days to actually extinguish the entire fire.". (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. Yet there is reason to believe that changes in the way asphalt and No. 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. Six days earlier, a similar incident in Stafford, Texas left one man injured and another dead. 6, resulting in changes to the way the products performand what they emit. Seven or eight homes in the "very rural area" are affected, and those residents could be displaced for several days, White said. RELATED: Explosion rocks mysterious Georgia monument called satanic by some, America's Stonehenge by others. And thats what brought Chambers to the site that Spring morning. 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. As least 10 people were injured in a fire caused by a natural gas explosion in Texas Friday night, officials said. The Juarez news outletEl Diarioreported the blast took place on a hill along Camino Real. The explosion happened in Wallis, Texas, about 50 miles west of Houston. He said that "for now" there were no indications that nearby residents would need to evacuate the area or shelter-in-place. The explosion happened in Wallis, Texas, about 50 miles west of Houston. PRINCETON, Ind. 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. 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 Davis said he could not confirm whether an explosion had taken place at the facility. She worked as a co-producer, field producer or associate producer on the Frontline films League of Denial (2013); Money, Power and Wall Street (2012); A Perfect Terrorist (2011); Dr. Hotspots (2011) and Law and Disorder (2010). 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. A figure from the Chemical Safety Board report on the West explosion shows an unidentified ammonium nitrate storage facility. Several residents on El Paso's eastside heard a loud explosion on the morning of December 30, 2021. It's about 70 miles south of Houston. She has also reported for ProPublica, the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press. It wasnt long before sirens began wailing and fire engines arrived on scene. Flames shot out of the top of the damaged tank, and firefighters let the blaze burn out. NASA has officially confirmed that a loud explosion felt and heard in South Texas Wednesday evening came from a 1,000-pound meteor that crashed near McAllen, Texas at approximately 5:23 p.m. Justin Chambers arrived at the U.S. Polyco plant in Ennis, Texas, on the morning of April 23, 2018, with a job to do. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news, By SEUNG MIN KIM, ZEKE MILLER and MICHAEL BALSAMO. Plano Fire Over the last decade, at least 17 heated storage tanks containing asphalt or No. If you add something that has a different explosive limit, youre going to change the properties of the mixture, he said. Thats where additives come in. Volkswagen is recalling nearly 42,000 Beetles in the U.S. and Canada because they have potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators. 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. 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. These additives are often proprietary chemicals or lighter hydrocarbons that would normally be further refined into diesel. 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. 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. I didnt want there to be an evacuation and I wouldnt know because I was sleeping.. Staff with the Childrens Museum of Indianapolis said a frozen sprinkler line had burst, flooding the Welcome Center in the museum that's located on Indianapolis' near north side. It was so loud.. All Rights Reserved. Most of the explosions of heated storage tanks have taken place at asphalt plants, but in cities and towns across the country the tanks are often knit into neighborhoods, near schools, daycares and retirement homes. 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. 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. The first blast, which blew out the windows QUINTANA, Texas (KTRK) -- No injuries were reported Wednesday after what police initially described as an explosion at a liquefied natural gas terminal near Freeport. 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. 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. 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. BAGHDAD (AP) The death toll from a heating gas tank that exploded in a residential complex in northern Iraq has risen to 15, an civil defense official said Friday. In that incident, more than 60 people were sent for medical evaluation following the blast. like, a wave," Sarah Martinez, who lives right across from the plant with her 4-year-old son, told NBC News. On the way to the scene, ABC Houston affiliate KTRK's helicopter noticed the flames could be The employee suffered minor burns, and the tank lid was blown into the air and landed 150 yard away. BEIRUT (AP) Two soldiers were killed and three were injured in an explosion in northern Iraq, Iraqi state news said Thursday. Police have said that the two blasts that rocked Austin, Texas, today are related to a similar one that occurred on March 2. We were able to look in a small cut that was in the side of the tank and actually see that he was there, Slovak said. Asphalt naturally contains both sulfur and hydrogen, which, when they react, form hydrogen sulfide. ET, Rohan Davis, a refinery manager at the ExxonMobil site, said that all four people in hospital appeared to be in stable condition. A fire burns at ExxonMobil's refinery in Baytown, Texas, on Dec. 23, 2021. Instead, they are mixed with heavy fuels like asphalt or No. The US Geological Survey also told ABC-7 that there was no earthquake in the area. Five days after a home exploded in Westworth Village, Atmos Energy said there was "no evidence" to suggest its system was involved. 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. "There is no risk to the surrounding community. All employees have been accounted for, TPC said, confirming two employees and a contractor were injured. Chantal Da Silva is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital based in London. BAGHDAD (AP) A heating gas tank exploded in a residential complex in northern Iraq on Thursday, killing six people, Iraqi Kurdish officials said. MEXICO CITY (AP) Authorities in the Mexican Gulf coast state of Veracruz said 19 people were injured where a pipeline carrying ethane gas exploded. MINOT, N.D. (AP) A small explosion and fire disrupted care on the third floor of a Minot hospital. Updated on: November 27, 2019 / 9:34 PM Asphalt additives affect the rate and type of chemical reactions during asphalt processing and storage, the article said. Harley said the experience was reminiscent of a similar incident in July 2019, when an explosion and fire broke out at the same facility. Surfside Beach Police Department's Marine Division assisted Port Freeport police and the U.S. Coast Guard on the waterways. Firefighters who arrived at the scene managed to contain the flames, Fox affiliate KRIV reported. When fugitive vapors are ignited the flame will follow the vapors back to their origination. 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. Texas SWAT commander killed, 4 officers injured in standoff with gunman; suspect captured, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. OSHA, the American Petroleum Institute and other organizations have standard protocols to ensure the work is done in as safe a manner as possible. She said her windows, air conditioning unit and television started rattling following what she believed was an explosion. 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 several days. 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. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. WebMost of the booms that people hear or experience are the result of human activity, such as an explosion, a large vehicle going by, nearby construction, or sometimes a sonic boom, but there have been many reports of booms that cannot be explained by man-made sources. 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. Pulitzer Prize-winning, nonpartisan reporting on the biggest crisis facing our planet. 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.". Our #1 newsletter delivers the weeks climate and energy news our original stories and top headlines from around the web. There was a pipeline explosion today in Fort Bend County, Texas, and flame could be seen from 30 miles away. The plant in Port Neches in southeast Texas, about 80 miles east of Houston, makes chemical and petroleum-based products. A helicopter ambulance was waiting to take him to a hospital in Dallas, but with his clothes covered in asphalt, they decided against it out of fear that the fumes from Chambers clothes and body would overtake the pilot, Slovak said. By continuing to use this site, you accept this policy. 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. Plano Fire Rescue said on Twitter that an explosion was confirmed at the site, but they did not know the cause. 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. PLANO, Texas The explosion that destroyed a house in suburban Dallas and heavily damaged the two next 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. Dont miss a beat. "Nobody was injured or killed," White said. 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.