Isotec/Sigma Aldrich Nitric Oxide Explosion

On September 21, 2003, a violent explosion destroyed an underground distillation tower at the Isotec chemical manufacturing plant in Miami Township, Ohio, injuring one worker. The explosion ruptured a carbon monoxide gas pipe and led to a precautionary evacuation of about 2000 residents. The Isotec facility manufactures rare forms of oxygen and nitrogen, known as stable isotopes, which are used in research and medicine.