Yet another example of why I have always refrained from jumping to righteous conclusions in advance of getting all the pertinent facts. Such actions only seem to result in pulled muscles and red faces.
The infamous PEPCON Disaster occurred because the company was storing particulate oxidizer (ammonium perchlorate) intended for use in the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motors (SRM) in HPDE barrels outside owing to running out of inside storage space. HDPE barrels were used for temporary storage because they are essentially non-reactive with common oxidizers and resistant to natural elements, but because of the large stockpile that developed due to suspension of the STS program after loss of the Challenger there was a considerable inventory. Welding on a building adjacent to the storage area caused barrels to catch fire, and an the resulting chain of events which led to the spectacular detonation you see in the clip.
As a practical matter, we’re surrounded by all kinds of potentially flammable and noxious substances, and despite efforts to reduce flammability in building codes and consumer product regulations there are plenty of substances that could pose a hazard given sufficient impulse is applied. While it is, in retrospect, inadvisable to store such materials under an overpass, this probably didn’t occur to anyone involve and likely didn’t violate any regulations. I’m sure Georgia and other states will be rethinking those policies in the future.
Stranger
How about building the Fukushima nuclear power plant right next to the ocean?
:smack: :rolleyes:
Nuclear power plants (and in fact, all large power plants) have to be built near a source of cooling water. Japan has little in the way of large rivers or lakes and so building on shoreside is essentially a requirement.
Stranger
A Crack Pipe strikes again.
https://www.google.com/amp/abcnews.go.com/amp/US/wireStory/arrested-atlanta-fire-underneath-interstate-bridge-46509148
Several homes have burned in a neighborhood a 2 miles from my house. Crackheads and their pipes. They buy “flowers” in glass tubes. Then use the tubes and steel wool to make the crack pipe. The thin glass often shatters and red hot material hits the floor.
If you see these for sale at a gas station or convience store. They are selling drug paraphernalia. The flower makes it legal.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/221952311810?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F711-117182-37290-0%252F2%253Fmtid%253D1588%2526kwid%253D1%2526crlp%253D177782895069_324272%2526itemid%253D221952311810%2526targetid%253D284532625628%2526rpc%253D0.15%2526rpc_upld_id%253D114485%2526device%253Dm%2526mpre%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.com%25252Fulk%25252Fitm%25252Flike%25252F221952311810%25253Flpid%25253D82%252526chn%25253Dps%2526adtype%253Dpla%2526googleloc%253D9025854%2526poi%253D%2526campaignid%253D753747355%2526adgroupid%253D48029464708%2526rlsatarget%253Daud-281204642796%253Apla-284532625628%2526gclid%253DCj0KEQjwn_3GBRDc8rCnup-1x8wBEiQAdw3OAXgUEqQNCfFDpHeIa0swwwXltxK0DuMfvKD2kMXkmewaAoST8P8HAQ%2526srcrot%253D711-117182-37290-0%2526rvr_id%253D1193760614198&ul_noapp=true
I’m not sure it’s fair to compare welding in the vicinity of rocket fuel to storing plastic in the vicinity [under] of a bridge.
I’d still be surprised, but maybe.
IME, most regulations/codes/rules etc, are in place either to prevent people from accidentally doing something that will get them hurt or to prevent something from happening on it’s own that will hurt people. So, for example, you cover up electrical j-boxes so someone can’t put their finger in one and get a shock, or you keep gasoline bottles by the water heater because the water heater could turn on and ignite the gas vapor.
But, off the top of my head, and I don’t know much about this area, I’ll admit, I don’t know of any rules or regulations that are designed to protect against arson. Those spools weren’t going to ignite on their own and based on what I’ve read, someone likely had to put a bit of effort into it to get them going.
Anyways, my guess is that if there are new rules, they’ll probably be to make the area containing these types of items (however they classify them) more secure, or bring them up to code if they should have been secure. If they had put the fire out after it was big enough to get the attention of the public/media, but before it caused any real damage, it may have just meant putting up (much) higher fences (as well as setting them into the earth as well) and some better locks, cameras and filling any gaps. As it stands, especially since they have to rebuild anyways, I’m sure they’ll move them somewhere else, out in the open, probably behind some DPW building where they’ll be out of sight and out of mind.
I’m not sure it’s fair to compare welding in the vicinity of rocket fuel to storing plastic under a bridge.
Both are examples of lapses in safety culture and oversight because of ad hoc solutions. In the case of PEPCON, the AP was stored outside in barrels as a temporary inventory overflow measure, and the normal safety precautions that would have been taken in a warehouse were not diligently applied to the outside storage area. In the case of the Atlanta fire, I don’t know the details but I suspect the storage area under an overpass was intended for interim storage as a precursor to end user application and became an unplanned depot for extra material to be kept on hand as maintenance needs dictated. It is easy to become lax of safety for processes or areas that occur outside of established procedures, and like many people in this thread it may not occur to people managing the inventory that these materials could poss a mass flammability hazard.
Stranger
The land under a freeway, as well as the sky above, are owned by whatever State agency owns and maintains the freeway. Sometimes the land underneath is leased to farmers, for growing crops. In urban areas, land may be leased for parking. The lease contract will be very specific that there is a freeway above!
Construction and maintenance on any roadway is perpetual. Projects need storage at or near the staging area. Under a freeway is pretty handy. This very large and destructive fire occurred in some stored construction material, authorized by the State agency, for the benefit of the State. The State is not going to allow dangerous or hazardous materials in a place which would endanger its own property!
But there are risks with everything. A burn just as damaging could have happened if a semi carrying fireworks drove through a surface street underpass of a busy freeway.
~VOW
The tubing is thought to have been there since 2006-2007. That’s not storage, that’s a dumping ground.
I-20 Westbound closed between 285 & Gresham Road due to buckled highway. Crews hope to have at least two open lanes by 5.
A motorcycle and car traveling along I-20 hit that section of road and went airborne. The motorcyclist landed about 200 feet from the road failure and was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The car traveled about 15 feet before landing back on the ground. Amazingly, that driver was not injured.
I’ve long come to expect this kind of thing from Florida, but there seems to be an infection of decay that has spread to Georgia. I fear amputation may be the only effective treatment.
Stranger
This is on top of the Connector (the combined I-75 & 85 corridor through downtown for those who don’t know) having been shut down in both directions for hours this morning due to a hazmat spill.
I’m just glad I take the train to work. There’s a lot of red on that traffic map.