Apache Nitrogen Products facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Apache Nitrogen Products

Formerly	Apache Powder Company
Industry	Explosives
Founded	1920
Headquarters	St. David, Arizona
Number of employees	95 (2012)

Apache Nitrogen Products (once called Apache Powder Company) started in 1920. It was an American company that made explosives, which are special materials that can cause big blasts. At first, they made explosives like black powder.

In the 1930s, they switched to making explosives based on nitroglycerin, which is a powerful liquid. These were used mostly by mining companies and other businesses that needed dynamite. In 1990, the company changed its name to Apache Nitrogen Products. This was because they started making a different type of explosive called ammonium nitrate, which is safer and often used in mining today. They also began making products for the fertilizer industry. The company is located in a historic area in Cochise County, Arizona and is one of the biggest employers there.

The company's plant is on Apache Powder Road, near St. David, Arizona. In the 1920s, this area and the nearby train stop were known as Curtiss, Arizona.

History of Apache Nitrogen Products

The company officially started in May 1920. Charles E. Mills, who was the president of Valley Bank, helped set up the company after World War I. He got support from many mining companies in the area.

This was a team effort by several large mines in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. The mining companies owned most of the company, and Mills and his partners owned the rest. Charles Mills was a mining engineer who went to Harvard University. He moved to Bisbee, Arizona in 1888 and worked for the Copper Queen Mine. He became very successful and later led Arizona's Valley Bank.

The dry weather in southern Arizona was good for making high-quality explosives. Also, the hilly land helped protect the buildings from explosions. The plant was also in a good spot to send its products to customers using the existing railroads.

Building the plant started in March 1920 and finished in April 1922. The first shipment of dynamite went out in April 1922. By 1923, the company was making about one million pounds of explosives every month.

Apache Powder Company was the only maker of these explosives in the Southwestern United States. In 1956, they made 41 million pounds! They supplied explosives to mines in Arizona, New Mexico, northern Mexico, and nearby areas. The plant grew to have about 140 buildings spread over more than 700 acres. Even during the Great Depression, hundreds of people worked there. Eventually, it became the biggest single place for dynamite production in the country.

As mining technology changed, the company started making new products in the 1940s. These were blasting agents made from ammonium nitrate and nitric acid. Ammonium nitrate was produced starting in the 1950s. The original nitroglycerin-based products were stopped by 1983.

In the 1990s, the company also made detonating cord and liquid ammonium nitrate for farm fertilizer. This fertilizer was sold to farmers in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Mexico. They grew crops like alfalfa, asparagus, cotton, citrus, lettuce, pecans, and wheat. However, most of the company's sales (about three-quarters) were still to the mining industry.

One of the first buildings at the site, a red brick building called the Powderhouse, was built around 1922. It was still being used in 2012. It has boilers that make steam, which then turns machines to create electricity for the plant.

In the mid-1980s, the company was owned by several large companies like Phelps Dodge and Magma Copper, along with the family of Charles Mills. By then, their land had grown to 1040 acres.

Railroad at the Plant

The plant had its own special narrow-gauge railroad to move materials around the complex. The tracks were about 1.857 miles long in 1922. It was a three-foot wide railway.

Because of the danger of sparks causing an explosion, mules were first used to pull the freight cars. Later, the mules were replaced with special fireless locomotives made by the H.K. Porter Company. Apache Powder bought seven of these locomotives. They could run for about an hour on very hot steam (400°F) after being refilled at a boiler that was kept far away from the dangerous areas of the plant.

The company's railroad was connected to the main national rail network by a 1.3-mile long track that joined the nearby El Paso and Southwestern Railroad.

Here's where six of the Porter locomotives are today:

Incidents at the Plant

In 1923, an accident involving an explosion happened at the plant. Five small buildings and a warehouse were destroyed.

In 1927, about 3000 pounds of nitroglycerin exploded at the plant, destroying several buildings. The explosion was heard for many miles around. Luckily, a worker noticed a problem and quickly warned others, so they were able to get to safety before the explosion.

In 2014, a serious incident involving a large amount of anhydrous ammonia occurred, affecting several employees and a contractor. This event led to the company being fined $1,500,000 by the EPA in 2018.

Superfund Site Cleanup

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named the Apache Powder site a Superfund site. This means there was pollution from dangerous materials that needed a long-term cleanup effort.

The site covers about 9 square miles. The groundwater (water under the ground) was polluted with chemicals like arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, and perchlorate. The soil was also polluted with chemicals from making the products.

In 1994, the EPA decided on a plan to clean up the site. This plan involved pumping out the polluted water and letting it evaporate. Some water was also treated using wetlands and then put back into the ground. Polluted soils were either covered up on the site or dug up and moved to a special disposal area.

All the construction work for the cleanup was finished in 2008. By 2010, the area was considered "Ready for Reuse and Redevelopment," meaning it was safe enough to be used again.

Historic Housing District

In 1925, the company bought land in Benson, about 8 miles north of the plant. They wanted to provide homes for their managers. Eight plots of land were sold to company officials, who then built houses.

Later, the company bought these plots back and rented the houses to employees at a lower cost. Apache also built a small hospital building. The company owned these properties for many years, selling them in the 1970s and 80s.

A 1.75-acre piece of land on the north side of the street was used as a park. The company gave this land to the City of Benson in the 1960s. These eight houses, the hospital building, and the park were recognized as the Apache Powder Historic Residential District and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

Images for kids

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  These "Angel Buggies" were used to transport nitroglycerin at Apache Powder Company. Moving nitroglycerin was very dangerous, as any strong bump could cause an explosion.