Jacksonville: Blast at Florida Chemical Plant kills 3 and injures at least 14!

[KoKo]

Smoke billows into the sky from today's blast in Jacksonville, Fla.
Bob Self: AP
Dec. 19, 2007, 4:05PM
Blast at Florida chemical plant injures 13


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An explosion and fire at a chemical plant injured at least 13 people today, sent flames and debris into the sky, and left three peoBple missing, officials said.

Six people were initially missing at the plant of T2 Laboratories Inc., but three were found, said Tom Francis, a fire rescue spokesman. He did not say what their condition was.

Hospitals reported 13 patients brought in from the accident, but there was no immediate word on their injuries or conditions.

T2 Laboratories makes chemical solvents and fuel additives. An emergency number listed on the company's Web site was answered by a woman who said she was an owner's friend. She said the only details she had were from media reports and then hung up.

Witnesses told The Florida Times-Union that debris from the afternoon explosion flew several stories into the air.

Derek Pratt, 24, was flying a remote control airplane field at a field about a mile away when he heard a series of thudding explosions.

"Those shock waves came straight through these hills," he told the newspaper. "It was like a great ball of fire in the air."

The fire was across the street from a JEA power plant, a spokeswoman with the utility said.

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Blast at Fla. Chemical Plant Kills 3

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An explosion and fire at a chemical plant killed three people Wednesday and injured at least 14, fire officials said.

Six people were initially missing at the T2 Laboratories Inc. plant, but three were found, said Tom Francis, a fire rescue spokesman. Fourteen were taken to hospitals, but he did not say what their condition was.
(enlarge photo)
Columns of smoke rises from the site of T2 Laboratories, Inc, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007 in Jacksonville, Fla. T2 Laboratories, Inc. manufacturers chemical solvents and fuel additives. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Bob Self)

The chemicals at the plant made the environment "incredibly dangerous for the first responders," Francis said. "Explosions were generating all kinds of side brush fires and other kinds of blazes."

Hospitals reported one patient in critical condition, three fair and five good. Conditions for the rest were unknown, or it wasn't clear where they were being treated.

T2 Laboratories makes chemical solvents and fuel additives. An emergency number listed on the company's Web site was answered by a woman who said she was an owner's friend. She said the only details she had were from media reports and then hung up.

Witnesses told The Florida Times-Union that debris from the afternoon explosion flew several stories into the air.

Derek Pratt, 24, was flying a remote control airplane field at a field about a mile away when he heard a series of thudding explosions.

"Those shock waves came straight through these hills," he told the newspaper. "It was like a great ball of fire in the air."

The fire was across the street from a JEA power plant, a spokeswoman with the utility said.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/National/Industrial_Fire.html

[NightWatcher]

1. Um, the explosion knocked out 2 of the 3 NUCLEAR generators!?!

The blast was so powerful it knocked out two of the three generating units at a JEA electric utility plant across the street, a company spokeswoman said.

"It is not our facility. It's across the street," JEA spokeswoman Jane Upton said. "Two of three units were knocked off but we're having a low demand day so we're not expecting any problems. We don't expect any permanent damage."

Workers were evacuated from businesses in the area. Florida Power & Light, the largest Florida utility, said it was evacuating nonessential personnel from the St. Johns River Power Park, a few blocks from the explosion.

St. Johns River is a 1,252-megawatt power plant owned by FPL and JEA. The unit was operating at the time of the explosion and continued to operate after it. (Reporting by Jim Loney, editing by Jane Sutton)
http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN1939600720071219?sp=true

The plant makes ECOTANE,

http://www.t2labs.com/
T2 Labs is your only source for Ecotane® and advanced terpene solvents

Ecotane® is a manganese-based octane improver for gasoline that reduces tailpipe emissions. Ecotane® is now used by refineries and gasoline blenders worldwide..

__________________________________________

So, a gasoline additive blows up causing a shockwave that knocks out two of the three NUCLEAR generators across the street, but "all is well"?

I'll sleep safe tonight some three miles away from the site of the explosion site and nuclear power plant. I hope if I do start to glow it comes in a nice 'day-glo yellow or green"

[NightWatcher]

2. Explosion was across the street from a Nuclear Power Plant Folks (pic)

Ok, maybe I am a tad freaked out by the lack of details about this story coming out some 8+ hours after the 'near miss', but can you blame me?

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=108279

Watch some video from today http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=98412