Longview 'Implosion'

[Unshaven2897]

I've been following the news on this incident. The white liquor, or sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, is a strong caustic.

"Ultimately this compound is extremely dangerous. The chemical solution is so hot and caustic that it will almost immediately cause second and third-degree burns upon contact with skin. Vapors released by white liquor are also flammable, and can cause damage to the eyes, lungs and throat if inhaled." https://www.midlandco.com/

What I can't make sense of is the 'implosion' part. This doesn't seem to be a misstatement in reporting. Does any one here have any idea of the physics of this?

 

[Larry]

In incidents like this, implosion usually isn’t about the chemical itself, it’s about the vessel. If a pressurized tank or digester suddenly loses internal pressure...the higher external atmospheric pressure can crush it inward.

 

[Hilldweller]

Longview is less than 30 miles north of us. A ways, yes…..but still too close for comfort.

When the report came on I first thought they were talking about the incident in Garden Grove, CA. (Caught it after the intro). We cancelled the plans we had to go to lunch near there.

 

[Unshaven2897]

Longview is less than 30 miles north of us. A ways, yes…..but still too close for comfort.

When the report came on I first thought they were talking about the incident in Garden Grove, CA. (Caught it after the intro). We cancelled the plans we had to go to lunch near there.

Agreed. I've tracked both events and caught myself intermixing the two separate incidences.

 

[VancMike]

Way back when, I was a claims adjustor for an insurance company. As a new guy, my territory was east of Vancouver (Skamania is and Klickitat counties) and northwest (Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Pacific and Lewis counties). I learned to carry my fishing gear and ended up making lots of friends...and learned a lot about the area.
Loved it all...except Longview. It could be a gorgeous day, with warm sunshine and puffy clouds and as soon as one turned off the highway into town, a pall of noxious smoke would greet you. It stuck into my lungs until at least an hour after leaving it....unfortunately, every Tuesday and Thursday ("Don't let it bother you. It's the smell of money!").
The air has improved much since then and Bob's Sporting Goods is a favorite. But the town is much too eager, even today, to excuse the sins of industry.

 

[Unshaven2897]

... to excuse the sins of industry.

Seems to be a lot of that going on these days? As for the incident in Longview, that paper facility has been around for a long time. I was told that it used to be a Weyerhaeuser facility. The person I was chatting with was a specialist in the mill/paper and he said the problem had to be operator error or more generally a maintenance issue.

 

[Unshaven2897]

And all the 'stuff' being pushed into channels and canals. And fish are dying. Well, duh. But an accident shouldn't happen unless something went wrong. Famous last words: "Unless something went wrong." I am all about our industries and business. But stuff WILL go wrong in time.

 

[Hilldweller]

Maintenance of older facilities is critical to longevity, as well as improvements the infrastructure.
During my time on the fire dept we had several conversations over the years regarding issues with older tank farms and aging underground pipeline systems that were 50+ years old. We had several incidents, one of which (a pipeline that was used to transport naphtha) that sprung a leak. The product (highly flammable) was running down the gutters, ignited and burned down almost a city block in December 1980.
Profit was their driving force and an attitude of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” were major contributing factors; as well as no system to quickly identify which companies line it was and have them shut it down. It continued to spew product which further fed the fire.

Remember driving over a bridge to the west side and seeing all the trees on one side of the street burning like huge torches. Ominous looking at night.

The incident caused the creation of an identification system to help with future incidents.

 

[VancMike]

Ugh! Where was this?

We complain about "too much government interference," but history has shown, going clear back to the 19th century, good government means a check and regulation of unrestrained industry. Longview would still smell like your old uncle's underwear, if it were not for the EPA.

 

[Hilldweller]

Ugh! Where was this?

We complain about "too much government interference," but history has shown, going clear back to the 19th century, good government means a check and regulation of unrestrained industry. Longview would still smell like your old uncle's underwear, if it were not for the EPA.

Long Beach, CA
We called it the “Gale Avenue Fire”.
The street was literally covered with 2-4 feet of foam. The product found ways to disperse the foam, get close enough to a still burning area and “WOOSH”…big fireball. Intense night.

 

[torchedpaper]

Way back when, I was a claims adjustor for an insurance company. As a new guy, my territory was east of Vancouver (Skamania is and Klickitat counties) and northwest (Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Pacific and Lewis counties). I learned to carry my fishing gear and ended up making lots of friends...and learned a lot about the area.
Loved it all...except Longview. It could be a gorgeous day, with warm sunshine and puffy clouds and as soon as one turned off the highway into town, a pall of noxious smoke would greet you. It stuck into my lungs until at least an hour after leaving it....unfortunately, every Tuesday and Thursday ("Don't let it bother you. It's the smell of money!").
The air has improved much since then and Bob's Sporting Goods is a favorite. But the town is much too eager, even today, to excuse the sins of industry.

It was pretty rancid driving past Tacoma back in the day and lets not forget Lacey refuse collection on I5 before dropping into the Nisqually valley.

 

[VancMike]

And in Clark County, we had Camas as well as a paper mill in Chelatchie Prairie...both also on my route. Gee, wonder why I have asthma?!

 

[Unshaven2897]

When we had an appmt in Portland/Vancouver, depending on the wind, we'd smell the paper mill first. Then when we got to the mix master of bridges the smell of exhaust would hit us. But now it's just the stench exhaust. That's one big problem with living a few hours out of the city is we are spoiled with clean, fresh air (and water with no chlorine). I need not mention the problem of moving around in an F350 crew cab with an 8' box and people driving like they or in little tiny bumper cars.