Authorities have launched a multi-agency investigation following the disappearance of a 30-ton shipment of ammonium nitrate that vanished from a rail car during transit. The chemical, which can be used for explosives or as a fertiliser, was reportedly in pellet form when it was loaded into a covered hopper car, departing from Wyoming on 12 April this year. The rail car was bound for California, but two weeks into its journey, it arrived at a rail stop in the Mojave Desert empty. Reports suggest that around 61,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate went missing during transportation.
Dyno Nobel, which transported the chemical, claimed the pellet form ammonium nitrate fell from the covered hopper car during transport after the bottom gate on the railcar leaked. However, a representative from the Federal Railroad Administration challenged this claim and suggested that one of the hopper car gates had not been properly closed. An investigation is underway to assess the likelihood and cause of each claim.
The investigation also involves Union Pacific, which transported the railcar, and the California Public Utilities Commission. The California Public Utilities Commission oversees the safety and security of important infrastructure and services, including the transport and storage of hazardous materials. This shipment had been declared as a hazard in transit.
Ammonium nitrate is widely used in industries, such as agriculture, construction, and demolition, but it is also a powerful explosive. The chemical was widely used in the past for commercial explosives and was the primary element in one of the most horrific attackers in US history. In 1995, Timothy McVeigh used ammonium nitrate-based explosives in the Oklahoma City bombing, which caused irreparable damage to both property and lives, killing 168 people and injuring more than 600 others.
Following the recent disappearance of the ammonium nitrate shipment, there are concerns that it may have reached the wrong hands. Americans are worried that any stolen ammonium nitrate could be used for terrorism or in other nefarious purposes. Moreover, any accidental exposure to ammonium nitrate could have life-threatening consequences. Around five years ago, a fire in a port in China caused an explosion that killed more than 200 people. The incident was caused by ammonium nitrate being stored in close proximity with combustible materials, such as fuel oil.
As of now, there is no indication of who might be responsible for the disappearance of the ammonium nitrate shipment. Union Pacific and the California Public Utilities Commission are carrying out investigations into how the empty rail car went unnoticed. Dyno Nobel has stated that it is cooperating with all Federal and local authorities but has not commented any further.
In light of the Oklahoma City bombing and other incidents that have been attributed to ammonium nitrate, it is essential that a comprehensive investigation is conducted, addressing all possible causes. The investigation should cover the loading of the material onto the rail car, the sealing of the car, the transport procedures, and the offloading process. The findings of the investigation should then lead to the development of new procedures to protect these hazardous materials from theft and to protect the general public from unsafe exposure.
In conclusion, the discovery of the missing shipment of ammonium nitrate has raised many concerns, particularly in the current environment of heightened fears of terrorism, and has triggered multi-agency investigations across a 30-ton shipment. The shipment is the latest reminder of the dangers associated with hazardous chemicals and the need for heightened security around their transportation.
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