BASF last week announced the discovery of a half-ton WWII-era U.S. bomb at its Ludwigshafen, Germany site, which has multiple plants producing chemicals used in lubricants manufacturing. A disarming is scheduled to take place in late September.
The 500-kilogram (1,100 lbs) bomb represents no danger for employees or neighbors, and production is not affected, said BASF spokeswoman Jennifer Moore-Braun.
It was found during the probing we always conduct when building on the site, Moore-Braun told Lube Report. The bomb was secured by the state munitions removal team. There is no danger for employees or neighbors. Together with the state munitions removal team, BASF has defined the measures to disarm the bomb. The disarming will take place on September 26.
Moore-Bran confirmed the company will surround the bomb with a pyramid of sandbags 23 meters (75 feet) long, 23 meters wide and 6.5 meters tall as a security measure.
BASF produces a variety of chemicals used in lubricants manufacturing at plants in Luwigshafen, including polyisobutene, and specialty amines such as ethanolamines and ethyleneamines. It also has an oxidized polyethylene wax manufacturing plant at the site.