ABERDEEN, Wash. (AP) — The explosion at a Grays Harbor biodiesel plant apparently started when a tank used to mix glycerin and sulfuric acid become overpressurized.
A spokesman for Imperium Grays Harbor says he doesn't know why the tank was overpressurized and why it exploded Wednesday afternoon.
John Williams told The Daily World newspaper that glycerin is not an explosive substance and the sulfuric acid makes it less, not more, volatile.
In the explosion, a large piece of the tank blew about 100 feet, crashing through a chain link security fence. No one was injured and Williams says the biodiesel tank is intact.
Officials estimate that about 500 gallons of sulfuric acid leaked out the tank at the time of the explosion. But state officials say air quality in nearby neighborhoods is safe.
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Information from: The Daily World, http://www.thedailyworld.com
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