1 YEAR AFTER MASSIVE AND CATASTROPHIC EXPLOSION, JNS BIOFUELS PLANT IN NEW ALBANY, MISSISSIPPI HAS PERMITS TO REOPEN
January 25, 2015
NEW ALBANY, Miss. — A year after an explosion ripped
apart the JNS Biofuel plant, the rebuilt plant in New Albany has all the
permits it needs to reopen. However, state and local officials don't know when
that will happen.
TJN Biofuel LLC's president and owner, Steve Bolin, has
not given official notice yet. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports
(http://bit.ly/1wwe6G4) that he did not respond to texts or messages left at
the plant or his business in Arkansas.
Union County Board of Supervisors president Danny Jordan
said he speaks regularly to Bolin but hasn't gotten an indication from him.
"Our emergency management director keeps a good eye
on what's going on, and MDEQ says they've met the requirements to open,"
Jordan said.
The plant has all three permits needed to start
operating but officials don't know when it will do so, the Mississippi Department
of Environmental Quality said.
The explosion and fire on Jan. 22, 2013, all but leveled
the plant, which converted chicken fat into biodiesel. Nobody was hurt.
The estimated damage to property and contents was $3.5
million.
The state fire marshal ruled the incident an accident,
though there was so much damage that investigators could not pinpoint the
cause.
A five-page report in April said it probably started in
an oil heater or pump.
Bolin said afterward that he would rebuild the plant
even though his insurance would cover only the cleanup.
Before the fire, the plant could store 8,000 gallons of
methanol, 37,000 gallons of glycerin, 46,000 gallons of feedstock oil, 8,000
gallons of sodium methylate and 2,000 gallons of fuel oil.
The equipment list for the new plant states that it can
store more than 12,000 gallons of methanol, more than 60,000 gallons of
glycerin; 130,000 gallons of feedstock oil; 9,000 gallons of sodium methylate
and 1,850 gallons of diesel fuel.
It also has a 130,000 gallon biodiesel fuel tank and has
a 17,000-gallon finished biodiesel tank.
//____________________________________________________//
MISSISSIPPI
BIODIESEL PLANT FIRE IN JANUARY RULED ACCIDENT.
THE JNS BIOFUELS PLANT USED CHICKEN FAT, SOYBEAN OILS AND OTHER OILS TO
PRODUCE B100 BIODIESEL. THE LIKELY CAUSE
OF THE INCIDENT WAS A PROBLEM WITH A THERMAL OIL HEATER OR PUMP USED IN THE
DISTILLATION PROCESS TO PRODUCE BIODIESEL.
April 4, 2014
NEW ALBANY, MISS.:
The state fire marshal’s has ruled as an accident the
January fire and explosion at JNS Biofuels plant near New Albany.
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported the
fire marshal found the likely cause of the incident was a problem with a
thermal oil heater or pump used in the distillation process to produce
biodiesel.
However, investigators couldn’t determine an exact cause
for the fire and subsequent explosions because of extensive damage to the area
of the blast.
The estimated damage to property and contents was $3.5
million.
Most of the damaged equipment has been removed from the
site, and crews have been seen working there.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality says
it has had discussions with JNS, “but they have not applied” for permits to
resume production, said spokesman Robbie Wilbur.
“In addition, we would need specifics on the facility to
determine what permits would be needed,” Wilbur said.
The JNS Biofuels plant used chicken fat, soybean oils
and other oils to produce B100 biodiesel. It was equipped to store 8,000
gallons of methanol, 37,000 gallons of glycerin, 46,000 gallons of feedstock
oil, 8,000 gallons of sodium methylate and 2,000 gallons of fuel oil.
According to the fire marshal’s report, JNS employee Jimmy
Clowers walked out to take a sample from one of the chicken fat container
tanks. Clowers heard a hissing sound around 5:45 a.m. and saw an orange glow
from one of the chicken fat tanks.
While he didn’t see a fire, he told investigators he
knew the glow was a fire. He then ran to a trailer where another JNS employee,
James Rhodes, was sleeping and woke him up. As they ran, the plant exploded.
The men were not injured and no other injuries were
reported. The fire spread to the other tanks, and two explosions later followed
the initial blast.
