DOWINV10292007AGRICHEMNH3 II INCIDENT 2266772 J277 CHRISTIAN COUNTY AGRICHEM HERNDON KENTUCKY NH3 RE

1
DOWINV10292007AGRICHEMNH3 II INCIDENT 2266772
J277 CHRISTIAN COUNTY AGRICHEM HERNDON KENTUCKY
NH3 RELEASE DUE TO VANDALISM

• by L. Peyton Adams and Mac Cann
• Madisonville DOW and Owensboro DAQ
• Environmental Response Team

2
The Hazmat 2 with Alan Gregory FM in Level A
suits have put the plug in the liquid valve on
the red pipe underneath the NW tank and the plume
is dying down.
3
The manifold is used to reduce the pressure on
the lines as they are closed. The site had more
check valves in the lines than required as an
extra safety precaution, but cutting fences and
unscrewing plugs defeated those precautions.
4
The Level A team finishing up where frozen
ammonia ice is on the piping.
5
Level A suited team checking saturated ground
near the piping as the ice begins to melt in the
sunlight
6
Level A group examines the valve and the cut
fence area
7
Agri-Chem officials and fire department confer on
findings
8
Mist system in place and plume ends by 930 am
after the plug was replaced in the hole on the
liquid valve
9
NW tank was the damaged one. View west. Red
piping on the liquid phase.
10
Fire officials working the edges. Note frozen
ammonia ice on the piping still.
11
Fire officials checking out the edges and the
manifold system
12
Tank no longer releasing plume
13
Level A team examining the frozen piping and
valve area for evidence before running out of air
14
End of tank inside fence looking SW from the NE
tank toward the crew efforts taken while working
from upwind
15
Portable truck and trailer used to transport
Level A crew back to decon station before running
out of air.
16
Fire officials after successful end of release at
a time the cloud was so thick they entered tied
with ropes to keep together with 6 inches of
visibility while working at the source
17
Debriefing fire teams reporting on findings
18
Fire teams debriefing and updating teams on
findings. Agri-Chem officials in green and white
caps listening to findings.
19
Level A team of Hazmat 2 and fire officials
leaving to return to decon station
20
Team leaving for decon while officials debrief
the next step.
21
Command truck for Hazmat 2
22
Agri-Chem officials examining the piping from the
upwind area
23
Team examining the piping on the other tanks
24
Tank farm after the plume was cut off and the
smell dissipated in the gravel east of the tank
farm.
25
Manifold on south side of tank farm after
shutting off system and restoring it to normal
operation.
26
Iced ammonia piping looking at the red pipe by
the white ice where the release happened from the
NW tank.
27
Puddles and iced piping with the cloth releasing
ammonia as the ice thaws below the valve. Note
the white pipe used by the intruders lying on the
ground and the fire extinguisher shell lying
inside the fence.
28
The red pipe iced coated is where the release
started. The plug in the valve was removed. Note
the cut fence used for entry that night.
29
Gauge and piping below the tank
30
Frozen ammonia ice below the release still
evaporating in the sunlight
31
The cut fence and piping at the release point
32
The release came from the plug on the red liquid
valve on back left of photo with NW tank viewed
from fence. Note fire extinguisher shell and
white pipe left behind by intruders.
33
Piping under tanks and ammonia water
34
Red piping under the tank viewed looking toward
the cut fence
35
Red pipe is iced still with gauges on feed lines.
This is the area south of the release point
between the tanks. View west from fence gate.
36
View of piping and still evaporating ammonia from
cloth saturated under the tank.
37
West side of tank farm looking north towards the
tree line where the surface water drains in the
farmland owned by Mr. Hunt the owner of Agri-Chem.
38
Steve Hunt on the left and the fire department
monitoring the site
39
Trailing surface runoff patterns north towards
the tree line
40
Fire Department and Sherriff on north side of
tank.
41
Looking north at the run off trail and natural
drainage of field to the north tree line
42
North end of tanks
43
View of the wrecked cars from the corner of the
warehouse
44
The wrecked car that ran until its battery quit
45
View of the field looking SW from the north end
of the tanks where the plume crossed.
46
The closest house across the field north from the
source
47
Wrecked car trail
48
Debriefing
49
Pool in field below the release
50
Reflected light off pool in field drainage
51
The runoff pattern in the field looking south
back at the tanks from the puddle at the end of
the field by the tree line