Quote:
Originally Posted by KeepingItReal
After many years of using ammonia nitrate and sodium nitrate to side dress both corn and tobacco I wanted to note a couple items. It was not unusual for us to have many tons stored in our barns for this purpose and there was no danger of it exploding...... Texas is one of only a very few that still use ammonia nitrate in this form. 270 Tons for a fertizer plant to have on hand is not really that much, after all a single farmer may use up to 100 tons and maybe more....
Ammonium nitrate is the fertilizer compound that can be used in explosives, "The ammonium nitrate is like the engine behind the explosion, but the engine needs fuel,"
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Your post was accurate. Ammonium nitrate is not if lacking a triggering event, explosive. However both Mr. McVeigh and this facility managed to have a triggering event occur. The largest non nuclear explosion in US history which killed nearly 600 was caused by ammonium nitrate and was in Texas
Texas City disaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Once the full details of the storage and handling of this material, as well as the wisdom of having it near propane tanks will make future writing of regulations more germane and hopefully enforcement of existing rules, whatever they may be in Texas, more vigorous.