NEW: Salty Brine Explosion Due to Copper Cable, Hydrogen Combustion
Friday, July 24, 2015
The explosion at Salty Brine Beach in Narragansett on July 11 has been deemed "very likely" to have been caused by the combustion of a build-up of hydrogen gas in the beach sand, due to the corrosion of an abandoned copper cable that was previously used by the United States Coast Guard, according to Dr. Arthur Spivack, an oceanographer with expertise in geo-chemistry at the University Of Rhode Island Graduate School Of Oceanography (URI GSO).
The announcement was made on Friday, with Governor Gina Raimondo and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit praising scientists at URI for determining the cause of the combustion incident the beach.
Investigation - and Reaction
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTFollowing the July 11 incident, the State Police and the State Fire Marshal’s Office began an investigation, ruling out a malicious attack, explosive materials or use of an incendiary device oas the cause of the incident. Subsequent lines of inquiry – such as a live electric cable – were also ruled out, and Director Coit requested help from a team of scientists from URI GSO, in cooperation with a soil scientist from the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Since determining the likely cause of the incident, DEM has removed the source of energy, aerated and swept the area, and the beach is safe and open to the public. According to the state, the issue is particular to Salty Brine State Beach, with the DEM stating "there are no other state beaches that have any such abandoned USCG cables and no other combustion incident has ever occurred at any other state beach."
“I’m grateful to the extraordinary scientists at URI, especially the team from the Graduate School of Oceanography, whose hard work led to this explanation,” said Governor Raimondo. “Having the talent and research expertise of the teams at URI to turn to for quick results has proven invaluable. I also want to thank the public for their cooperation and patience as we worked to reach this conclusion. Our top priority is keeping people safe, and our state agency staff -- investigators and scientists -- never lost sight of this goal. Rhode Island’s beaches are one of our most precious natural resources, and one of my family’s favorite ways to spend time together. I hope families across Rhode Island and visitors from around the country continue to take advantage of all our great state beaches and parks have to offer.”
“The talented scientists at our world renowned Graduate School of Oceanography at URI have given us an explanation for what happened when the ground shook at our beach,” said Coit. “There was coordination and collaboration around the investigation from Colonel Steve O’Donnell and the RI State Police, the State Fire Marshal, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service soil scientist Jim Turenne, and other state and federal government officials. We appreciate everyone’s dedication, expertise, and professionalism.”
