North Carolina polyester plant explosion kills 2

Copyright ) 1999 Nando Media Copyright ) 1999 Associated Press

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GROVER, N.C. (September 15, 1999 8:04 a.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Two maintenance employees were killed and two others were injured when an outdoor chemical tank exploded at a Cleveland County polyester plant, county officials said.

The names of those killed in Tuesday's explosion at the Ticona operations were not released pending notification of the victims' next of kin.

Plant officials said all the employees worked for a company called Becon, a maintenance contractor doing work at the plant on N.C. 198 between Grover and Earl.

The explosion occurred about 4:30 p.m. as employees were welding on the tank, said Linda David, Ticona's human resources manager.

"It was a big boom," said Freddie James, the owner of a convenience store across the street from the plant. "I didn't know what it was, but figured it was some sort of explosion. It rattled the windows in the store."

County emergency management director Beau Lovelace confirmed the two deaths and two injuries. One of the injured was taken to Cleveland Regional Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition, a hospital spokesman said.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, officials said.

After the explosion, anxious friends and relatives gathered on the roadside in front of the plant waiting for word of loved ones still inside. The plant was not evacuated, and there was no danger of contamination, Lovelace said.

Ticona operates at the same facility as KoSa, a polyester fiber manufacturer and the county's second largest industrial employer.

http://www.nando.com/noframes/story/0,2107,93407-148131-1047083-0,00.html

I assume the plant operator voided the tank and aerated it or filled it with an inert substance or this is gross incompetence or ??

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), September 15, 1999

Answers

Please Delete.......completely off topic.......do some of you guys get off on reporting any bad news you can possibly find anywhere???

My God, perhaps you should get checked out for manic-depressive behavior..........

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), September 15, 1999.

Homer, pay no attention to the little wimp Craig. He's just upset over the loss of his wardrobe's basic material. As always, the loss of lives is a tragedy.

-- Truth (at@the.ready), September 15, 1999.

Ployester comes from a plant? I didn't know that. Is it like a grove or a farm or what? Will it grow in New Jersey? Fascinating. You got anything on this Squire?

-- Jimmy Bagga Doughnuts (jim1bets@worldnet.att.net), September 15, 1999.

Polyester is a synthetically manufactured material...which all of us old folks thought had been buried and forgotten till the grandchildren decided it was cool and brought it back from the dead where it belonged.

-- Shelia (Shelia@active-stream.com), September 16, 1999.

Truth.......of course the loss of lives in a tragedy you bonehead! I never implied it wasn't.

The point I made.....clearly.....is that this site has become not just a place for discussing Y2K, but rather a place where some people post ANY bad news they can find.

I can only come to the conclusion that their agenda is to constantly talk about bad things whatever they may be in order to paint as bleak a picture as possible. This is not fair and balanced discussion of the facts but merely extreme emotionalism.

Perhaps someone should start a forum specifically about explosions and loss of life.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), September 16, 1999.

JBD, you prepped for Floyd?

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 16, 1999.

Craig,

It sounds like you might be having a bit of trouble dealing with reality.

"their agenda is to constantly talk about bad things whatever they may be in order to paint as bleak a picture as possible. This is not fair"

"Fair"? Real life is "not fair"? You are going to have difficulty accepting Y2K as "fair" also. It wouldn't hurt to take some of your own advice:

"perhaps you should get checked out for manic-depressive behavior...."

-- @ (@@@.@), September 16, 1999.

No doubt this explosion will get on the list of "plant explosions." I forget whose keeping track, but there's a list somewhere. Homer, thanks for the post.

-- ~~~~~ (~~~~@~~~.com), September 16, 1999.

Eat your heart out Squire I've been acknowledged by well meaning but goofy doomers Ashton & Leska in Cascadia. Actually while I was typing this the power went out for 30 seconds. It's not even windy, just raining. Power went out from RAIN!! If this y2k happens they'll never get the power back on.

-- Jimmy Bagga Doughnuts (jim1bets@worldnet.att.net), September 16, 1999.