This undated file aerial photo provided by the Louisiana State Police via The Shreveport Times shows part of the smokeless explosive powder improperly stored outside Explo Systems Inc., a munitions dismantling facility at Camp Minden at Doyline, La. Documents reviewed by The Associated Press show Explo Systems Inc. misstated its storage capacity for dangerous materials when it sought a multimillion dollar Army contract in 2010. (AP Photo/Louisiana State Police via The Shreveport Times)
Louisiana State Police estimate 10 million pounds of a military propellant called M6 was improperly stored at Explo Systems Inc. near Doyline, La. The previous estimate was 6 million pounds.
Doyline was evacuated for a week in December over concerns a chain-reaction blast was possible.
The Army hired Explo to dismantle artillery propellant charges at the company’s facility on a National Guard base. Explo planned to sell the M6 to mining companies, but demand is down and the material piled up.
Most of the M6 has been moved into bunkers, but state police spokesman Matt Harris says authorities are still looking for space to house 3.5 million pounds of material.
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