In her response to my recent op/ed, Jackie Barron claimed that the company only uses anhydrous ammonia that "doesn’t explode." Excuse me, but that is false. The Texas explosion of 2013 was caused by anhydrous ammonia.
The MSDS for anhydrous ammonia claims, "Anhydrous ammonia forms explosive mixtures in air with hydrocarbons, chlorine, fluorine and silver nitrate." The family of hydrocarbons includes diesel fuel, stored in huge tanks locally, which is moving thousands of tons of this material every day, by rail and truck.
Both forms of ammonia are potentially explosive, hence one need not make distinctions between the two in a public forum. The concerns are the same.
Furthermore, "Exposure to even small amounts of anhydrous ammonia can cause serious burning of the eyes, nose and throat. Exposure to higher levels causes coughing or choking to occur and can cause death from a swollen throat or from chemical burns to the lungs.“
Anhydrous ammonia is the feedstock for ammonium nitrate, which is a weapons-grade explosive.
If it’s so harmless, why did the HCSD do a blast disaster scenario?
As for the SWFWMD’s opinion of that clay breach 50 years ago, everyone knows that the SWFWMD board was appointed by Rick Scott, and is now shorthanded because DeSantis isn’t filling environmental positions statewide. There are no representatives from the many distinguished environmental defense groups on that board.
In personally sampling Charlotte Harbor I have found nearly twice the levels of nitrogen pollution as Sarasota Bay, and Sarasota Bay has lost 20% of its seagrasses over the past 5 years. To say that Charlotte Harbor is "a relatively healthy estuary“ is damning with faint praise.
The Peace River Water Authority did receive 5 alerts from Mosaic. That is a matter of public record.
My opponent in this Florida Statehouse race for District 71 takes money from every polluter in the state, including Mosaic. I am sure Ms. Barron thought she would improve his position, as a reliable vote for any polluting enterprise, by attacking me.
The fact is, a blast of the size that the Sheriff’s Department envisioned would be shattering windows in Bradenton. Maybe Mosaic should spend more time on its safety procedures, and less time on making up alternative facts.
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