Princeton, Ky.-The risk of a fire – or even worse – existed all the while granular ammonium nitrate and ANFO were being scooped up and removed after being spilled from an overturned semi last Monday (March 21) on Kentucky 91 three or four miles north of Princeton. “Our concern was that there were blasting caps also aboard the truck that could have ignited and detonated the whole 20,000 pounds aboard the truck,” Princeton Fire Chief Brent Francis advised Green Markets. “Just as a precaution we moved seven families living near the scene out of the area while the cleanup continued. Everyone knew a fire would have immediately involved the product and no one recommends fighting a fire involving a blasting agent. We would have to have allowed it to burn itself out. Everybody would have had to withdraw and let it burn itself out. Fortunately it didn’t happen.” The truck was traveling north on rural Ky. 91, one of the main highways in Caldwell County, hauling 14,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate, about 7,000 pounds of ANFO, and an undetermined number of blasting caps for Memsco Mine Equipment and Milling Supply of Dawson Springs, Ky. When the rig dropped off the shoulder, the driver overcorrected and landed in the southbound lane, where he overcorrected again. The load shifted and overturned the truck, which emptied about half of the load. Francis said Kentucky EPA handled the cleanup by mixing the ammonium nitrate and ANFO with dirt and scooping it up and loading it aboard a dump truck with a forklift. The driver was transported to Caldwell County Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The highway was reopened after about six hours by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain