a strange question about things that make a big bangg

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I did not want put too discriptive of a word in the title
and will try to avoid them in my question. (it's also the reason for mis-speelings)
This is regarding those who are licensed in the use of dinomyte.

If a licensed person (sole proprietor) dies, does the Fed Gov automatically
come out and deal with the person's inventory or is that
the responsibilty of the family ?

Let's just say this person passed away 20 years ago,
and if he had a license, he would have gotton it in the late 40's or 50's.
Maybe he never had a license ? Maybe learned it in the service ?
I just don't know ?

His Son (my friend) and his family live on this farm now.
I was under the impression, he may have been taught by
his Dad how to use it, but I suspect no one else in the family was.
I am one of very few that know about this inventory.
because I did some tree cutting, about 10 years ago,
near this small tin outhouse in the middle of his woods,
where the inventory is stored.
My friend said, becareful where you drop this tree,
then he unlocked the door and showed me the contents,
5 to 10 cases, stacked up, sitting on a dirt floor and leaning to one side,
due to the bottom two cases are obviously
decaying and slumping...a whiteish mold precititating (yeah, I know it's not
mold and I know it's dangorous...hence this question.)
He hadn't opened that shed since the year his dad passed away 12 years earlier,
when he seen the condition, he was a little worried, but we didn't do anything
about it then...I assume nothing has been done since, but I'm not sure.

This woods is more like a 100 acre junkyard with trees,
it's an obsticle course just to get to the middle where the tin outhouse is.
Also, it's a strange family situation, I can't really go into it.
I think the rest of the family may know of this inventory,
but I am not sure, even if they know or knew of it, I don't know
if they know where it is?

I never gave this stuff much thought...til yesterday, when I found out
my friend committed suicide last week. I worry about what will happen
to that property (ownershipwise) because of the strange family situation.
I suspect the widow and children will not stay on that farm.
I also worry what could happen if the wrong people discover that tin outhouse,
if those wrong people are innocent children ? or a new landowner cleaning
up the place with a skidsteer or worse, a uneducated redneck with a stump
he doesn't like...there are some of those in the family tree.

I feel I should talk to the widow about this as soon as she seems comfortable with
the subject,
Or should I contact the local authorities ? or should the Fed's should be notified ?
Or should I mind my own beeswax and just forget it and not talk to anyone about it ?
thanks for any input you may have.
Jon

[tomme boy]

Call the Sheriff and tell him. He will contact the right people. Do this NOW, before someone gets hurt. If that stuff is leaking, it is very dangerous. There are a lot of old farms that have this stuff laying around.

[mpbarry1]

I'm guessin the sqad will come out and burn it. Hopefully he didn't store any capts with it. Good luck!

[mooman76]

I agree, call someone to take care of it. Dynamite has to have proper care and needs to be turned occationally otherwise the nito in it seep down to the bottom and even leak out. It becomes more dangerous to handle with the nito concentrated in one area. That's why the military doesn't like to deal with it any more.

[x101airborne]

I have dealt with some of this at the SO. Here is my professional suggestion.

1. Talk with the widow. Tell her the dangers associated with it and voice your concerns. Tell her that there is no penalty for her alerting the authorities. There is no penalty for her admitting to it being on her property. Once the facts come out that this belonged to someone who is deceased and at one time licensed, there should be no problem. Now to not report it makes her liable for any damage / death that may occur.

2. Talk to the Sheriff with her. I would not give any information that was not requested, but if asked, be honest. If asked, say you knew, but you also knew that it was bought under license so it was figured to be legal. Also, the crates should be dated. If that date was before the requirement to be licensed to own that stuff, it may be a mute point.

3. Down here, I have never heard of a landowner being charged (money) for reporting. Disposal is considered a community safety service and is usually gratis of the Fed.

4. Tell her early that you hope she doesn't like that shed. If they cant move it safely, they may try to remove the top couple boxes and blast the rest. Also, they could opt for a 24 hour chemical hose down. For that old stuff, the fire dept usually can wash it with a water line (NOT A HIGH PRESSURE! LOL!) and a lot of that stuff will dissapate in water making it safer to handle.

No matter what, it should be a show. But I feel you are correct. It is a safety hazard and we all know God protects children, drunks and idiots, but that stuff may speed up a meeting and that is what we all wish to advoid.

[runfiverun]

your deposition to your local sheriff should give him enough probable cause to search the premises.

i have a couple of old dynamite boxes.
the sticks were 8" long by 1-1/8th around, the boxes i have will hold 10 across and 5 deep x2
which equals 100 sticks per box.

[darkroommike]

Licensing of "stump grades" did not occur until the 60's as I recall, if this stuff is that old and stored above ground it may be completely inert or REALLY, REALLY, REALLY NOT inert. It is water soluble and biodegradeable but could also have leached into the boxes and soil. Boom sticks sweat nitroglycerin and (as stated above) need to be turned, etc. Get somebody that really knows their stuff to check it out, impress on them how old the stored sticks may be, how many you suspect may be present, and don't be anywhere near the place when they make their inspection (like 5 miles away--for me yes--I respect this stuff a lot).

[429421Cowboy]

I have seen a freezer full of the stuff packed in sawdust at a ranch i worked at, from about the '40's that they hauled out and piled, under supervision of the county Sherrif, and burned it. I would suspect that the final outcome of this situation will result in burning the boxes in place and calling it good. You mentioned that there is a family dynamic involved which always complacates the entire matter, but this is a public safety issue and can likely be solved at no cost or penalty to them is they discuss it with the Sherrif

[WILCO]

I assume nothing has been done since, but I'm not sure.

First things first. Contact an attorney to see what your liabilities are based upon what you know/do not know. Act upon his counsel. Sorry to hear of your friends passing.

[waksupi]

It can't always be burned. There are cases when it was burned, that the pile exploded. If I lit it off, I would put a bunch of fuel around the shed, light the whole thing, and leave the area.

[Bent Ramrod]

I used to work at the Apache Powder Co. When we disposed of dynamite the practice was to spread the material out along a shallow trench on top of papers, wood and other trash, put enough diesel fuel in the combustibles to get them going, light it at one end and watch the proceedings from a safe distance. Unconfined and spread in a thin layer, the stuff generally just burns vigorously. If it is confined or in a place where heat can build up, it will detonate.

It doesn't matter how old or wet or cruddy the stuff looks. Add a cap and a lit fuse and it works just like it was brand new! We used to get abandoned material from old mines, bootleg holes and storage areas all the time for disposal. It would be dead gray, dripping wet, oozing ominous oily liquids, covered with white crystals--didn't matter a bit. Always worked. 100% reliable.

There were a handful of people at Apache with "match permits;" i.e. we could carry matches (under certain rigid conditions) and light fires and set off explosions (only under certain circumstances). It took a few months to a year of training to get a "match permit." So I would say this disposal job would be one for the pros. Also, the environmental people now take a dim view of the old "open burning" methods, so the disposal might be even more involved than it used to be. Since the 60's, all the Sheriff's and Police Depts. have been schooled in what to do in cases like this. They would be the ones to call.

[45FP]

I.M.O. I would speak with the widow or another family member, and express your concerns. I absolutely would not inform any L.E. agency, no way- no how!

[Bret4207]

I've seen dozens of similar situations with the material mentioned to various "war trophies" to stolen ordnance. I never saw an arrest or prosecution or even any trouble of any kind for the innocent widow, landowner, etc. Talk to the widow, call the proper LE agency and get it taken care of.

I worked at a club that had an old magazine that hadn't been used in years. They'd had stumping charges and charges for busting rock. We burned it one rainy day after the head guy checked it and found the boxes leaking. Quite a blaze. The last recorded entry of new stock was in the late 60's. The previous head guy had been licensed and left, the SP advised the burn.

[Goatwhiskers]

Shouldn't be too great of a problem. My next door neighbor had a couple of cases that his dad had from back in the 50's or 60's. Was sweating nitro all over the place and he wanted me to haul it back to a canal for dumping. I know enough to tell him to call the State Police, they have trained people. They sent out a guy who simply stacked it outside, poured diesel on it, and burned it. Then there was a guy in Bryan, Tx whose kids found a WW2 potato masher grenade minus handle and pin down in a creek bottom in town. Called the cops who set it in the back seat of a unit, brought it to the main office, and put it under the shift sergeant's desk with a few sandbags around it. Needless to say he nearly tore a new door out when they told him what was under his desk. Anyway, Ft Hood sent a EOD team. Guess what, that sucker was live!! GW