Loud noise in Cambria County caused by exploding target

PORTAGE - There are new details about a loud explosion heard in Cambria County earlier this week.

Dozens of people reached out to 6 News asking about what caused the ground to shake late Monday afternoon in the Summerhill, Wilmore and Portage areas.

On Wednesday, Summerhill Township Police Chief Paul Bonfanti confirmed that a loud explosion was caused by a group of people setting off a mixture of ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder. It's commonly marketed as Tannerite and used as an exploding target for firearms practice.

Bonfanti said 50 pounds of mixture was set off on private property.

His department is still investigating the incident but he said right now he doesn't see any wrongdoing, noting the group was not trespassing and did not intend any harm.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Tannerite and mixtures like it are legal.

"Binary explosives are pre-packaged products consisting of two separate components, usually an oxidizer like ammonium nitrate and a fuel such as aluminum or another metal. These components typically are not listed separately on the list of explosive materials and do not meet the definition of ‘explosives,'" the ATF says on its website.

"Therefore, ATF does not regulate the sale and distribution of these component chemicals, even when sold together in binary 'kits.'"

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