Per Operator Group on FB.
Real Arkema Update: (thank God!): Arkema had a representative from Pennsylvania corporate office call me. She talked to me for 20 minutes and answered most of my questions. There are some that are still outstanding. Here's what I learned directly from Arkema:
1. There are several refrigeration units. Refrigeration failed on units one by one beginning last night. Some have been without refrigeration for almost 24 hours. Some are still refrigerated. For those that have already failed, there is no way to know how far they have degraded, and thus no way to know when they will ignite. It could happen soon, or up to 6 days from now. Because they do not know when the ignition will happen, there will be NO ATTEMPTS to reenter the plant to try and restore refrigeration.
2. They are keeping personnel far from the site. There won't be a "controlled burn" in the traditional sense. They are simply relying on the acceleration properties of the chemicals to aid them in consuming themselves before the fire gets to other parts of the plant.
3. When I asked Arkema which MSDS product sheets we need to look at for what's onsite, she pointed me to the LUPEROX line. You can find the MSDS sheets on the companies' site. When I asked about the ammonia substances, the answer was (again) a very timid, [paraphrasing] 'I can't tell you that because...well, I don't know.' They are supposed to follow up on this issue with me tonight or in the morning. The link for the LUPEROX line MSDS sheets is here:
http://www.quickfds.com/cmt_bin/wfds-rechfds?NSoc=1234&NCli=Jane+Doe&EMai=JaneDoe%40gmail.com&View=Pdf&Lang=EN&NFou=ATO%C2%A7US_PI.EN&CCli=&NPro=luperox4. The chemicals will smolder white at first. They will then ignite and burn black like a gas fire. Eye, skin, and nose irritation should be expected.
5. There could be an explosion. The concussion should not cause property damage beyond the 1.5 mile evacuation radius. The radius is, in their opinion, "conservative." They don't expect damage outside the plant.
6. They do not have air, water, or soil contamination scenarios yet. I have asked them to put those scenarios together and disclose what the contamination potential is, what can be done to avoid contaminated substances, and what symptoms to look out for to recognize contamination.
7. There will be a Q&A about the Crosby site available on the website (supposedly) soon. The "help" line is still running, but they are really just taking questions. If you still want to call, the number is 1-877-4Arkema.
Hope this helps. Stay safe