Records: Texas plant hadn't told feds about explosive fertilizer

[alp227]

Source: CNN

The fertilizer plant that blew up in Texas last week warned state and local officials but not federal agencies that it had 270 tons of highly volatile ammonium nitrate on site, according to regulatory records.

The April 17 fire and explosion at West Fertilizer Co. killed 14 people and devastated the small town of West, Texas. Investigators have said they're not sure how much ammonium nitrate was actually on site at the time of the explosion, however, since plant records were destroyed in the blast.

The company sold ammonium nitrate and anhydrous ammonia, both commonly used as fertilizers. It had notified state and local emergency management officials of its stock of both in its most recent declaration of hazardous chemicals, filed in February.

However, the risk management plan it filed with the federal Environmental Protection Agency in 2011 mentioned only anhydrous ammonia, which produces suffocating fumes and can cause burns if mishandled. The plan listed as a worst-case scenario "the release of the total contents of a storage tank released as a gas over 10 minutes" and did not warn of the risks of explosion.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/25/us/texas-explosion-plant/index.html

[Brimley]

1. Texas? Hold 'em?

Why?

[MynameisBlarney]

2. At the risk of sounding like a mad tinfoil hatter

Been thinking about this whole thing.
And while it is most likely a case of zero regulatory oversight and greedy business owners, I thought of something else that could be possible.
Maybe this was something else. No, not terrorism, though that's a possibility, however remote...but what if they were hiding the amount of this fertilizer from the feds because they were gonna be selling to people that weren't exactly farmers.

Like militia types.

Ok...talk me down now, please, lol.

[adieu]

3. If you're going down the conspiracy route

I'd say a simpler claim would be insurance fraud or help in disposing of some unkind documents.

[MynameisBlarney]

4. Sure, but where's the fun in that?

I thought conspiracy theories were supposed to be more complex than that.

[LanternWaste]

9. The ammonia was going to be used to enhance

The ammonia was going to be used to enhance the intelligence of flying monkeys for the eventual U.S. Flying Monkey Army to be ferried up the Trinity river to DFW and lead an assault against the forces of Mordor-- who live in Fort Worth and weekend along the gulf coast (be stupid to put the monekys into the Air force because super-intelligent flying monkeys can't pilot very well-- duh!).

The nitrate was to keep the monkeys happy during their weekend leave to vegas.

Somehow, those militia types were one step ahead of the Flying Monkey Army of Texas. Damn them to hell.

[MynameisBlarney]

12. See...now THAT is a great conspiracy theory!!!

[tonekat]

5. Regulations? In Texas?

Heck, they don't need no damn regulations. If'n you got a problem, you settle it like adults. With guns blazing.

[baldguy]

6. Can we start putting corporations on the terrorist watch list?

They have Mama Tsarnaeva listed, and she's only guilty of shoplifting & believing weird CTs.

[frylock]

7. so arrest warrants for negligent homicide will be shortly forthcoming..

or is Holder too busy trying to figure out how to fuck over CO and WA.

[Mr.Bill]

8. I'm sure the fines levied

will run into the hundreds of dollars.

[GeorgeGist]

10. "America needs towns like West"

President Obama, April 25, 2013.

[blm]

11. They should be charged with murder. The firefighters died because THEY lied

because those firefighters would have cleared the area if they had known the actual contents of that building.

[Igel]

13. Read.

"The fertilizer plant that blew up in Texas last week warned state and local officials but not federal agencies that it had 270 tons of highly volatile ammonium nitrate on site."

The locals had the information, or at least sufficient information. So did the state.

Whether they shared it with the fire dept. is another question.

Note that the Federal Fire Department (if there were such a thing) had nobody on the ground.

It's also highly dubious that every time a small-town fire department is called to a fire they check a series of federal databases to see what's been listed as being stored there.

Now, when the owner was contacted as the fire was raging--assuming he was, and that there was enough time--he might have offered the information. Perhaps he did. Perhaps he didn't. Haven't seen that discussed.

[leanforward]

14. Silence to not report is the same guilt.

These managers need to be put away. When I say "hang'em" I mean throw the book at them. They were taking a shortcut, which I'm sure made the shareholders (owners) smile. Greed needs to be penalized. To me their income needs to be reduced to the poverty income level for that county. Records were lost.

To repeat, their short sightedness, caused irreparable harm. What about the Volunteer Firemen? Why weren't they dealing in a more educated manor? Lack of Information? Was there any of the plant staff hanging around? Waving them off? I'm sure there is an insurance company involved? I would hope that every negative from the insurance company hits the blogs.

Doesn't anyone remember Texas City, TX, 1947?

Business lobbying through the GOP is too heavy handed.