A WA parliamentary question investigates a truck fire involving ammonium nitrate, inquiring about the substance's nature, origin, destination, safety protocols, and handling procedures following the incident. The response clarifies details about the ammonium nitrate and the handling of the containers.

AnsweredQoN 1431Legislative Council
Asked
26 June 2018
Portfolio
Mines and Petroleum

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the ABC News story of 23 April 2018 entitled Lucky escape for driver as truck full of ammonium
nitrate catches fire on WA highway , found here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-23/critical-incident-as-ammonium-nitrate-truck-destroyed-by-fire/9686882, and I ask: (a) what was
the nature of the ammonium
nitrate; (b) was it ammonium nitrate prill or ammonium nitrate liquid; (c) where did the load initiate from; (d) where was the load going to; (e) why was there a one kilometre exclusion zone around the accident site; (f) how were the containers moved from the site; and (g) what happened to the contents of the containers?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
28 August 2018
Responded by
Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum
Response time
9 days
(a) – (b)          UN2426 Ammonium nitrate, liquid (hot concentrated solution)
(c)                   Rockingham, Western Australia
(d)                   Port Hedland, Western Australia
(e)                   The Department of Fire and Emergency Services as the relevant emergency responding sets the exclusion zones for fires and hazmat incidents as per published guidelines.
(f)                    The prime mover fire did not affect the ammonium nitrate load. A replacement prime mover then removed the trailers/isotainers.
(g)                   The two isotainers resumed transportation to their final intended destination.

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