Explosion and fire destroys Idaho biodiesel plant, one dead

[IDemo]

Idaho Statesman
Edition Date: 07-07-2006

An explosion and fire today at Blue Sky Biodiesel in the Payette County town of New Plymouth likely led to the death of a worker and shut down Highway 30 through the city for over four hours, according to an Idaho State Police spokesman.

The portion of Highway 30 through New Plymouth which has been closed since noon is now reopened to traffic as emergency crews continue to work at the plant.

A worker at the plant, Blaise Black, 25, was welding on top of a large indoor tank containing soy oil just before noon when there was an explosion at that tank. Blaise Black, son of plant owner Rob Black, is unaccounted for and could be dead; a body near the explosion scene has been located but has yet to be identified, according to ISP reports.

The initial explosion was followed by another, at which point Rob Black ran into the area but had to back off because of the intense heat. The father sustained some second degree burns on his arms.

[jobycom]

1. Sad. Can soy oil explode? Biodiesel also uses methanol or ethanol

which seems more likely to cause an explosion. If he was welding near methanol...

[IDemo]

3. I can't locate a MSDS (material safety data sheet) for pure soy oil

Only for soy-based B100 or cleaning products. I believe this tank contained straight soy oil.

Possibly an explosion caused by acetylene leaking from a welding outfit, with the soy providing the combustible material for the fire?

[jobycom]

4. I don't have the chemical knowledge, but I was thinking something

like that. I don't think soy oil is explosive by itself, it's just a cooking oil. I wondered about a leaking torch, too. I can't imagine anyone being dumb enough to weld near methanol. I always hear that biodiesel is "non-explosive" and even "non-flammable," but obviously it's job is to explode in an engine, so it can't be completely so. Still, could a torch set it off, say from fumes or rags used for cleaning purposes?

[NNadir]

5. Soy oil can be explosive if its hot, especially in an aerosol.

If you've ever seen a kitchen grease fire, you know.

Energy is dangerous because it's energy.

[rosesaylavee]

2. Very sad. n/t

[hunter]

6. Sad. Welding on or near a fuel tank is very, very dangerous.

Any kind of fuel can explode.

Generally only well trained and experienced people do this kind of work.

My mom's parents were both welders during World War II & afterwards, and they had some pretty grim stories about similar accidents.

[Appal Energy]

7. Explosion and fire destroys Idaho biodiesel plant, one dead

A more precise acounting of the event.

http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-jul1406-explosion_cause.113ae8b1.html

Cause of New Plymouth biodiesel explosion released

02:30 PM MDT on Friday, July 14, 2006

KTVB.COM

PAYETTE -- Investigators say they now know what caused an
explosion at a New Plymouth biodiesel plant last week that
killed a Meridian man.

KTVB

One man died at a fire and explosion at a New Plymouth
biodiesel plant last Friday.

The Payette County Sheriff's Office released its findings
today into the explosion and subsequent fire at the plant that
left 25-year-old Blaise Black dead.

The cause of the fire was determined to be an explosion of a
25,000 gallon steel holding tank that Blaise was working on.
The tank contain about 30 to 40 gallons of glycerin and
methanol liquid mix. Both products are flammable and give off
flammable vapors.

Investigators say at the time of the explosion Blaise was
working on the top of the tank attempting to install a
two-inch steel pipe with a 90-degree elbow on the end to
function as a vent on the top of the tank. During the
installation of the vent tube a steel two-inch cap was removed
from the side of the tank where the vent was to be installed.
This allowed the vapors to escape from the tank. When Blaise
lit his cutting torch it ignited the vapors, which triggered
the fire and explosion.

The Payette County coroner says Blaise it appears Blaise died
from blunt force trauma as a result of the explosion.

The explosion would have thrown him violently upward against
the ceiling and a large beam that was above him. As a result
of the explosion, the ceiling and beam came down and trapped
him on the top of the tank. The force of the impact would have
killed him immediately. 

[Massacure]

8. Hi, and welcome to DU!

:hi: