It's stuff like this that bugs me about the explosion in Texas

[Tab]

Zak Covar, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, said during the governor’s news conference that the company has been in business since 1962 and is one of a number of small fertilizer companies across rural Texas. The company has “an average compliance history,” with one air quality complaint registered in 2006. In that episode, on June 9, 2006, according to state records, residents complained to the commission about the “ammonia smell” that was “very bad last night.”

That occurrence was investigated by the agency and resolved with the granting of two air permits to the company by the end of that year, Mr. Covar said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/us/huge-blast-at-texas-fertilizer-plant.html?pagewanted=2

So, maybe it was nothing, but if I lived next to an ammonia facility, with ammonia being highly explosive, and had a strong smell of ammonia in the air, I'd be very concerned. I would hope that investigation would fix the problem originating the smell, not just granting them permits to have that leak.

[Warpy]

1. Anhydrous ammonia can be used in meth labs

and since the fire started after the plant had closed for the day, the nasty, suspicious part of my brain wants to now if there was a bleed off scheme to generate a little black market profit by tapping off some of the ammonia for local cookers.

Those people are likely dead, most likely, so there's no way to know.

Chances are bigger that it was just a terrible accident.

[Buzz Clik]

2. odd conspiracy.

[Warpy]

5. It works better than the Pox News "them Ay rabs is everywhere"

Fertilizer companies tightened security a hell of a lot after the OKC bombing.

I honestly think this was just a terrible accident. However, the scenario I pointed out is the only likely criminal one I could come up with, and it's a long shot. That stuff is just too hard to deal with.

[Mnpaul]

20. They have added a pink dye

to discourage people from stealing it for meth production. In Texas, they are probably getting supplies south of the border.
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/press_release/10594374/fertilizer-retailer-adds-dye-to-prevent-thefts-intended-for-crystal-meth-production

[sonias]

3. As a Texan I have to explain to you that TCEQ is worthless

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality(TCEQ) is a sham. In fact we pronounce TCEQ as "toxic". TCEQ is a captured agency that works for big business - not for the protection of the citizens of Texas. They hardly ever fine any company, let alone really monitor the environmental quality of any business. Rick Perry appoints all the commissioners to this agency and the pretty much rubber stamp every business deal. Or side with the business against citizen complaints. Citizen complaints may get a cursory write up but I doubt that anything tangible came from the inspection back in 2006. No one in Texas should be naive enough to think that we have an environmental protection agency. We reply on the federal government (EPA) to do the real work. Sad but true.

[Ilsa]

8. My understanding is that the mission of the TCEQ

to replace doing inspections normally done by the EPA, which won't let business get away with this crap.

This sounds criminal. It's certainly unethical and immoral.

[sonias]

10. Yes but neither of those bother the TCEQ Commissioners

I mean the unethical or immoral part. Really all of them are corporate criminals.

And Texas Legislators are trying to make TCEQ even weaker and less receptive to citizen complaints (also known as contested cases).

Case in point:

State Impact 3/20/13
Coming Soon to the TCEQ: Greenhouse Gas Permits?

(snip)
Contested Cases

David Power, Deputy Director of Public Citizen, a watchdog group, said contested case hearings, which can be part of the EPA permitting process, should be included in the TCEQ’s process.

Contested case hearings allow citizens, such as a resident living near a soon-to-be-built fractionator ( or anything else that requires an environmental permit), to come forward, protest the permit and insert themselves into the bureaucratic process. Power told StateImpact that the bill would put an end to such hearings.

“If we ended up doing this with contested case hearings, we wouldn’t be achieving anything.”
-State Rep. Wayne Smith.

If they’d keep contested case hearings, “we think that it would be a good bill.” Power said.

Rep. Smith said those hearings are exactly the type of process he’s trying to get rid of. Contested case hearings can string the permit process out a year or more.

Republicans can't stand any thing getting in the way of big business. Not even safety concerns.

[susanr516]

14. +1000

TCEQ exists to provide cover for the dirtiest, most toxic industries. Before it was "toxic" TCEQ, it was called "trainwreck" TNRCC.

[CanSocDem]

4. The Canadian equivalent of this plant...

...is isolated in a type of 'rural industrial zone'. Complete access to all that mother nature has to offer, thanks to a legacy of free-market governments that long ago sold the public interest to the 'energy' industry. No towns within '30 miles' at least...

No pesky townsfolk complaining about foul petro-chemical smells.

.

[Buzz Clik]

6. Yeah, but it isn't a manufacturing facility. It merely distributed.

What the heck were they storing that could have blown that hard?

[elehhhhna]

15. 25 tons of fertilizer-

this time of year I suspect there's alot of fert being packaged and sold

[Buzz Clik]

17. That's likely the key.

[Blue Owl]

7. Gov. Perry likes his regulations fast and loose

n/t

[sendero]

9. I guess the thing that bothers me..

... is WHY WERE THE FIREFIGHTERS THERE? Would you try to put out a fire in a gunpowder factory? Because it was practically GUARANTEED that this thing was going to blow and blow big.

They should have evacuated everyone alive and LET IT BURN.

[sonias]

11. Totally understand and agree

If this company actually had a hazard management plan in place like the EPA fined them for not having. It probably would detail that no one should try to enter the building and it should be allowed to burn. Not salvageable. I doubt these poor firefighters even had a clue. Most were probably volunteer fire fighters.

[Sheepshank]

12. I think they may have been more concerned of life safety than property safety.

with people having been killed and with other still MIA....walking away was likely not an option.

Had the plant been empty of personnel, I would agree with you 100% let it burn and let the insurance company work it out.

[sendero]

13. The video we saw.

... clearly shows a stream of water being dumped on the building.

I think this was more a case of people not understanding what they were dealing with.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

21. Like the Texas City explosion in 1947.

If they were dealing with ammonium nitrate (Texas City disaster) or anhydrous ammonia (West, TX case) they should know better than to spray water on it b/c it's explosive.

[Zoeisright]

16. Let's hope those company owners

get their asses sued off and have to live in cardboard boxes. Along with the "regulators" and "planning commissioners". If there are any in Texas. What a hellhole.

[KinMd]

18. Hey we don't want to burden business

with unnecessary regulation, plus if it all blows up, we'll ask the Kenyan Marxist for help

[Tab]

19. The "Kenyan Marxist", eh?

Welcome to DU! TTYL.