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File: 082696_doc1_620.txt
categories: petrochemical products which are flammable, toxic
gases such as ammonia and chlorine, and corrosive liquids.
Corrosive liquids are harmful only on direct contact with the
skin. The other categories are described below.
b. Petrochemical Products
1) The large number of highly flammable materials in
the area increases the likelihood that a serious fire will result
from an attack or accident. All of the companies indicate they
have the capability to control large-scale fires. Expertise in
this area, however, is believed to vary significantly from
company to company.
2) In general, individuals within 500 feet of an
explosion at any of the oil refinery tanks would be killed due to
the percussive impact of the explosion, the extreme heat
generated by the explosion and fire, and the consumption of
oxygen at ground level by the fire.
3) Outside the 500 foot radius, the greatest danger is
from the airborne acids, sulfur compounds, and dense smoke
resulting from the explosion. The M-17A1 gas mask provides
sufficient protection against these substances unless the air
becomes completely saturated.
4) As far as the petroleum products themselves, the
masks provide limited protection against liquid hydrocarbons such
as methane, ethylene, propylene, butylene, benzene, toluene,
xylene, and hexane. After 15 minutes of exposure to these
compounds, breakthrough of the masks occurs. The Mission Oriented
Protective Posture (MOPP) suit, however, provides sufficient skin
protection from the hydrocarbons unless complete saturation of
the air occurs.
c. Anhydrous Ammonia
1) Ammonia tanks are present in the industrial city and
the port. The two companies in the industrial city with ammonia
holdings are Fertilizer 1 (Ibn Baytar) and the Al Jubayl
Fertilizer Company (Samad) (Figure 1). These companies have
reduced their stocks of this material in response to the present
crisis. For example, tanks belonging to Fertilizer 1 which used
to hold 22,000 measurement tons (MT) are now holding 1000 to 8000
MT. The Al Jubayl Fertilizer Company stores only 2000-5000 MT of
ammonia and transfers the ammonia to Fertilizer 1 when the 5000
MT-level is reached.
2) Fertilizer 1 has two tanks of ammonia at the port.
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