FW: Explosives lost in Liberty County

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Subject: Explosives lost in Liberty County

Search Continues For Nearly 4 Dozen Lost Explosives in Liberty County

Texas

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Posted: 13 Apr 2008 02:04 AM CDT

Authorities in Liberty County are searching for nearly four dozen

explosive devices that fell out of a pickup truck earlier this week.

Anyone who discovers the brass, bell-shaped devices is urged to leave

them alone and call authorities.

" It is going to be like a small grenade and there will be an internal

flash fire " if they explode, Ken DeFoor, Liberty County emergency

management coordinator, said today.

Fifty of the explosives, which are detonated about 250 feet underground

to take seismic readings in oil fields, were being moved from one Key

Energy Services construction site to another on Wednesday afternoon,

DeFoor said.

They had been packed in a cardboard box, which usually is placed inside

a 64-quart cooler for such trips, but was not on this occasion, he said.

The truck left a Key Energy site near County Road 337 in north Liberty

County about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, DeFoor was told. The driver traveled

on CR 337 to Plum Grove Road and had gone about 15 miles when he noticed

the box was gone.

" He looked back and the tailgate was down and the box missing, " DeFoor

said.

The cooler, which was in the truck bed with the cardboard box, also is

missing.

Four teams searched on Wednesday, DeFoor said, and six of the explosives

were found near the first construction site.

" There are still 44 unaccounted for, " he said.

Officials with Key Energy Services could not be reached for comment this

morning.

The devices have two electrical contacts. They measure 1 1/2 inches

wide, 2 inches long and 5 inches around.

Besides worrying about people handling the explosives, officials are

concerned that someone may try to melt them down to sell the brass.

DeFoor said he was told that they probably would not explode if stepped

on, but could explode in response to a greater impact, such as being

thrown against a hard object.

Anyone with information about the devices is asked to call the Liberty

County Sheriff's Office at or the Liberty County Emergency

Management Office at .

Shad Lancaster

Senior Emergency Preparedness Specialist

North Central Texas Council of Governments

PO Box 5888

Arlington, Texas 76005

Office:

Fax:

slancaster@...

http://www.nctcog.org/ep <http://www.nctcog.org/ep>

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