La - Doyline - Town Evacuates; Police Relocate Explosives

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http://www.centurylink.net/news/read.php?id=19176943&ps=931&cat=&cps=0&lang=en

DOYLINE, La. (AP) — Weather could complicate the transfer of roughly 6 million pounds of explosives that were haphazardly stored at an industrial site in northwestern Louisiana and led to the evacuation of a small town, a state police spokeswoman said Monday.

If lightning is spotted within five miles of the site, authorities will suspend efforts that began on Saturday to move the artillery propellant, Lt. Julie Lewis said..................

"We got outside the evacuation area when they said there was a million pounds. Now it's six million," said Frank Peetz, 71, who was staying with his wife in a camper. "Maybe we ought to be up in Arkansas somewhere."

Edmondson was hesitant to estimate when it would be safe for Doyline residents to return home. He also said state police weren't sure how much damage an explosion of the material could cause, even after consulting with Department of Defense officials........

It was discovered there, stored indoors and outdoors, sometimes in containers that had spilled open, by a trooper following up on an October explosion at the facility.

Explo is now the subject of a criminal investigation, state police said.........more at link......


[This is dated Monday but I haven't seen it posted yet ..... if I missed it please merge, TIA]
 
6 million pounds? How did that all get there?

Manohgeez.

Best-
Herding Cats
 
6 million pounds? How did that all get there?

Manohgeez.

Best-
Herding Cats

Here is another article about the situation in La. and problems with this company before. From what I understand, some of these munitions where there already since the military used to manufacture them at the base and now more have been brought in for storage, which this company was contracted to do...couple of quotes:

Explo Systems Inc. was cited for safety violations by the federal government in 2007 for its use of old Army explosives in mining operations in West Virginia, where a blast with "outdated deteriorated military ordnance" injured one worker and exposed others to toxins. And the company had fallen hundreds of thousands of dollars behind on its rent at a Louisiana National Guard base even as it processed an Army contract to demilitarize hundreds of thousands of propelling charges used for artillery..................

The Explo facility is located on Camp Minden, a Louisiana National Guard base. The U.S. government had acquired the land in 1941 to build the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant. It was handed over the state of Louisiana in 2005. Because it was set up as a munitions factory, the site was suitable for private companies in the explosives business.

Kazmierzak, the Guard spokesman, said Explo is responsible for cleaning up its mess.

Much more at link:

http://www.centurylink.net/news/read.php?rip_id=<DA33LSO80@news.ap.org>&ps=1011&page=1
 
A federal judge has set aside all of June for the trial of an owner and three former officials of a company that abandoned tons of potentially explosive artillery propellant in Louisiana.

Prosecutors say in court papers that they'll need up to three weeks for their case against Explo Systems co-owner David Fincher, of Burns, Tennessee, and the ex-officials.

The other co-owner, who's from Kentucky, has pleaded guilty. Prosecutors say a fourth former company official plans to do so.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...s-aside-june-for-camp-minden-explosives-trial
 
Camp Minden explosives: Last defendant's trial now Jan. 7

A federal judge's office said Tuesday that William Terry Wright is now scheduled for trial Jan. 7.

He and Charles Ferris Callihan had been scheduled for trial Monday, but Callihan pleaded guilty Friday to a reduced charge.

Documents made public Tuesday show Callihan pleaded guilty to making a false representation by leaving the explosive TNT off of a list of substances sent to a landfill that couldn't take hazardous waste.
 
Thanks for these updates, JerseyGirl. I can't believe I haven't heard of this before. Crazy!!
 

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