First off - this was an explosive rupture of a high pressure supply line (clearly noted in the article quoted). The explosive force sent huge chunks of the roadway and concrete into nearby houses. Let me be honest - if you have a big chunk of concrete in your backyard that wasn't there the day before - you don't care what the physicist might call it - it was an explosion.
The rupture caused a leak and the fire crew and the gas supplier decided to vent the tank - they evacuated because of the potential for other problems (remember the precautionary principle). The "evacuation" was only three hours.
Take a look at some of the video of the damage. You wouldn't have wanted to be standing there-
Dave
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of Monona Rossol
Sent: Saturday, August 22, 2020 6:54 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (19 articles)
I do zoom covid training for union radio and TV reporters and technicians. If they are any measure of the newspaper reporters as well, the writer of this article probably has much of the technical information just plain wrong. It was better in the old days when no one could get a degree without basic chemistry and physics.
Monona
-----Original Message-----
From: Debra M Decker <00001204b93f9a5e-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Sent: Fri, Aug 21, 2020 2:55 pm
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (19 articles)
As to this tidbit:
<LARGE UNDERGROUND EXPLOSION CREATES MA HAZMAT INCIDENT https://www.firehouse.com/rescue/hazardous-materials/news/21150920/large-underground-explosion-creates-ma-hazmat-incident
Tags: us_MA, industrial, explosion, response, carbon_dioxide
An explosion beneath a fire equipment company in Ashland that forced multiple people to evacuate their homes Tuesday evening was caused by a carbon dioxide leak, officials said.
Authorities responded around 6:20 p.m. to "numerous 9-1-1 calls" about a large explosion at Kidde Fenwal, a business on Main Street, according to the town's police department.
"Firefighters immediately checked for injured workers, began searches of adjacent buildings and conducted air monitoring to avoid a secondary explosion. A Tier-1 Hazardous Materials incident was declared," the department said in a Facebook post.
Carbon dioxide was leaking from a ruptured supply line at the company, which prompted the blast and subsequent hazmat response, the Ashland Fire Department said.>
Y'all know my bias about the willy-nilly use of the term "explosion." This really doesn't make any sense to me at all. Was the risk of additional catastrophic failure of the compressed gas system the reason for the level of response? Was there a risk to other compressed gas systems which are hazardous (carbon dioxide is a simple asphyxiant)? Other issues?
Debbie
Debbie M. Decker, ACS Fellow
Division Councilor
Programming Co-Chair
Retired Chemistry Dept. Safety Manager
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu
(916)616-7548
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