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Explosives

An aggregate quarry requires the blasting and crushing of rock (versus a pit where gravel and/or sand are readily and naturally available).  A quarry requires the use of explosives, which means transportation, onsite storage and detonation.

Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO)

Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) typically contains 94% Ammonium Nitrate (AN) and 6% No. 2 Diesel Fuel (DF).  The product can be transported as prills (pellet sized crystals) in bulk and mixed on site, or brought in as a “ready-mix” slurry or emulsion.  The product is classified for transport purposes as a non-dangerous good defined as an “oxidizer”. 

U.K. govt. environment agency 'netregs' states: Ammonium nitrate will dissolve on contact with water. If ANFO is left to stand the fuel oil and ammonium nitrate can separate, causing both safety and environmental problems. The fuel oil can pollute groundwater as it leaches from the mixture. It is therefore important to consider the risk of groundwater pollution before using ANFO within waterlogged drill holes.

sciencelab .com states: "Acute Potential Health Effects: Skin: Causes skin irritation. It may be absorbed through intact skin. Eyes: Causes eye irritation.  Inhalation: Causes respiratory tract (nose, throat), and mucous membrane irritation. Symptoms may include: coughing, severe lung congestion, difficulty breathing. Inhalation of large amounts may cause systemic acidosis, Methemoglobinemia with symptoms similar to acute ingestion. Ingestion: Gastroenteritis with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Exposure to large amounts may affect behavior/central nervous system, and blood and cause Methemoglobinemia, and systemic p. 5 acidosis. Symptoms of Methemoglobinemia include cyanosis (blue lips, eyelids, earlobes, and skin), headache, fatigue,weakness, convulsions, dizziness, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, dyspnea, and drowsiness. It may also affect the cardiovascular system and cause increased or decreased heart rate, and hypotension. Chronic Potential Health Effects: Ingestion: The toxicity of nitrates is due to in vivo conversion to nitrites. Chronic ingestion of more than 5 mg/kg/day is considered unacceptable. Primary overdose effects include orthostatic hypotension and Methemoglobinemia. Orthostatic hypotension, faintness, fatigue, weakness, depression, mental impairment, dizziness, shortness of breath, and reflex tachycardia are common; headache, nausea and vomiting may also occur. Chronic ingestion may also cause nephritis.

Amount of ANFO quarry plans to use on a daily basis is 20 tonnes.  However, when Garry Hunter calculated the amount based on annual aggregate tonnage, the amount was closer to 50 tonnes.  5% is expected not to detonate and end up in the air, water, and soil. Based on the former 20 tonnes,  the "Amount of residual ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) explosive that immunologist, Unitarian and antiquarry activist Neil denHollander calculates could be released by quarry blasting into the air, water and soil each day is 1 tonne.”

In other words, detonated and undetonated ANFO is an environmental hazard.

For Wikipedia article click here

Here are some comments/questions from the lay-person who does a little bit of research:

1. If the company ships the ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) and mixes it on-site, what kinds of gases are released?  How harmful are the gases?

2. For every kilogram of ANFO that is detonated, approximately 1,000 litres of gas are produced (nitrogen, water vapour, hydrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide and ammonia).  How harmful are the gases?

3. What are the dangers involved with the mixing process? 

4. What precautions have been taken to avoid air pollution? 

5. What precautions are in place to avoid spillage? 

6. What precautions are taken to protect the workers from breathing in the fumes and getting the liquid on their skin?

7. Orica in Luther Marsh is a likely source for ammonium nitrate (AN).  That means 20 tonne trucks (or 50 tonnes?) will be exiting the marsh on a gravel concession road and driving north up past Shelburne onto Airport Road to the mega quarry site, 6 days per week, twice per day.  Since blasting is supposed to happen at 10am, those trucks will be traveling during peak commuter hours and past school buses.

8. So ammonium nitrate (AN) is an “oxidizer” and not dangerous for transport unless it is on fire or spilled into water, right?

9. Link to John B. Henstock’s March 19, 2009 letter to the Orangeville Banner:  Orica rezoning will create an accident waiting to happen

10. Health Discussions.org says “AN is highly hygroscopic, readily absorbing water from air. It is dangerous when stored in humid environments, as any absorbed water interferes with its explosive function.”  Isn’t Luther Marsh (Orica) a humid environment?  YES

11. Health Discussions.org says “AN is also water soluble. When used in wet mining conditions, considerable effort must be taken to dewater boreholes.”  Is Melancthon a headwaters area (aka wet)?  YES

12. Doesn’t that make Luther Marsh a stupid place for a fertilizer plant?  YES, but that is another discussion

13. Link to Mining & Engineering July 1996 technical paper Practical methods to control explosives losses and reduce ammonia and nitrate levels in mine water.

News:  Accidents Do Happen

Date	Posted by	Article Link	Comment
2018-07-23	CBC	CP Rail manager guilty in case of train left on B.C. mountainside without handbrakes	Bethany Lindsay
2012-11-30	Bloomberg	Osisko Says Quebec Mine Probe Linked to Faulty Explosives	Sonja Elmquist Some of the explosives supplied by Orica Mining Services Ltd. released levels of nitrous oxide that exceeded environmental rules
2011-09-16	Creemore Echo	Duntroon Road Block	Jack-knifed truck going north through Duntroon
2011-09-16	Creemore Echo	Driver Jumps and Gravel Truck Crashed on Duntroon Hill
2009-03-11	CourierMail.com.au	Cargo ship spills 31 containers of ammonium nitrate off Brisbane
1998-03-12	Orlando Sentinel	Truck Overturns, Dumping Fertilizer
1997-05-01	Orlando Sentinel	Truck Carrying Explosives Overturns
1990-11-28	Orlando Sentinel	Truck Spills Explosives – Part of Highway Closed
1947-04-16	Wikipedia	Texas City Disaster	Deadliest industrial accident in US history

“Jones said DEP [Department of Environmental Protection] officials think the water table in the Sugarloaf Mountain area is high enough from recent rains that the chemical spill won't be a problem. If residents taste or smell something odd in their drinking water, however, Jones said they should call the Lake County Health Department.”  Orlando Sentinel

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Disclaimer: This information has been compiled through private amateur research for the purpose of allowing the reader to make an informed and educated decision.  However, while the information is believed to be reliable, accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

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