Texas explosion: Plant 'ignored safety rules'

[white cloud]

snip
Failure to report significant volumes of hazardous chemicals at a site can lead the DHS to fine or shut down fertiliser operations. Though the DHS has the authority to carry out spot inspections at facilities, it has a small budget for that activity and only a "small number" of field auditors, according to someone familiar with the agency's monitoring regime.




Firms are responsible for reporting their volumes of ammonium nitrate and other volatile chemicals to the DHS, which then helps to measure plant risks and devise security plans based on them. Since the agency never received a so-called top-screen report from West Fertilizer, the facility was not regulated or monitored by the DHS under its CFAT standards, which are largely designed to prevent sabotage of sites and to keep chemicals from falling into criminal hands.



The DHS focuses "specifically on enhancing security to reduce the risk of terrorism at certain high-risk chemical facilities", said a spokesman, Peter Boogaard. "The West Fertilizer Co facility in West, Texas is not currently regulated under the CFATS programme."



The West Fertilizer facility was subject to other safety programmes, spread across at least seven state and federal agencies, a patchwork of regulation that critics say makes it difficult to ensure thorough oversight. An expert in chemical safety standards said the two major federal government programmes that are supposed to ensure chemical safety in industry – led by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – do not regulate the handling or storage of ammonium nitrate. That task falls largely to the DHS and the local and state agencies that oversee emergency planning and response. More than 4,000 sites nationwide are subject to the DHS programme.
more
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/americas/texas-explosion-plant-ignored-safety-rules-29211063.html

[Politicalboi]

1. So I guess cameras are out

It should be LAW that cameras be set up in storage places and monitored by the proper authorities 24/7. They want to put black boxes in future cars, I say we put something similar for these big corporations to function.

The plant should have to pay for EVERYTHING since they bypassed inspections of ANY kind. Just like drivers without auto insurance, they should get the bill for ALL of this.

[firenewt]

3. They were functioning based on Texas laws - nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

[mbperrin]

20. Yes, they should. And some jail time for the people in charge.

I know, but I can dream.

[Eddie Haskell]

2. Texass

Companies in Texas don't comply with federal laws.

http://www.rhlawgroup.com/personal-injury/food-poisoning-injury-death-lawyer/peanut-butter-salmonella-poisoning/

[kentauros]

5. Your first post in this group and you have to insult us off the bat?

You might want to edit that out.

The rest of your post is mostly acceptable, other than the fact that there are companies in Texas that do comply with federal laws. No, I can't name them, but if they all didn't comply, we likely wouldn't have any industry here.

[Eddie Haskell]

17. If the shoe fits ...

Remember the peanut butter/salmonella outbreak? http://www.foodwhistleblower.org/the-lifecycle-of-food/the-problems-of-processing/contamination/kenneth-kendrick

Between September 1, 2008 and April 20, 2009, salmonella-tainted peanut butter originating from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) sickened 714 people across 46 states, contributing to nine deaths. Prior to the outbreak, former PCA assistant plant manager in Plainview, Texas, Kenneth Kendrick, had made multiple attempts to alert both state and federal officials to numerous public health violations he was witnessing.

The State of Texas, embarrassed, has at last taken action. The Department of Health conducted a statewide probe, discovering that 355 companies were manufacturing and selling food without a state license.

[kentauros]

18. No, the shoe doesn't "fit"

because the use of "Texass" is an insult to everyone, Democrats included, that live in, reside in, or call Texas home. Please edit your original post to remove the extra 's'. It doesn't belong in this group.

[Eddie Haskell]

19. Really?

From Truthout:

While Americans were still trying to absorb what happened in Boston, a fertilizer plant exploded in West, Texas, killing and maiming dozens. This was the result of corporate terrorism, built on years of campaign contributions to legislators and promises of lucrative jobs for oversight personnel by the larger corporate powers. Thanks to this pernicious lobbying, the plant hadn't had a health and safety inspection since 1985.

Investigations into the West explosion will take longer than the mainstream media will want to stay. Once the memorial services are over, reporters will be required by their editors to move on. The corporate terrorists count on it: They can start the cycle over again with the same influence peddling and intimidation of whistleblowers.

Truthout is dedicated to exposing corporate terrorists, but the deep reporting this requires is time-consuming and costly. We count on our readers to help us do it, and we still need to raise at least $37,000 more this month.

Help us strike a blow against corporate terrorism - make a tax-deductible donation today!

P.S. - Guess I hit the S key twice ... so sue me.

[mbperrin]

21. Guess I hit the s key twice? Really.

I teach 15 year olds, and I would not accept that lameass excuse from them. Own it if you do it. Admit it. Revel in it. Be gleeful. I mean, anyone who would pick Eddie Haskell as a screen name, well.

Just admit to what you did.

What state are you from? Please do show us a paradise where no businesses do wrong, ever.

Here, I'll wait.

[kentauros]

22. I was only, and originally, talking about the "Texass" part,

as that's become a common and popular insult from the DUers that love to hate Texas. If it was a typo, then I apologize.

I was never disputing any of the political and corporate stuff you've been posting. You won't find many Texans here that will, either. We know what our politicians are up to. We live here. We know

[rdharma]

4. IMHO this says it best.....to Gov. Perry NOT THE PEOPLE WHO LOST.....

[kentauros]

6. Yeah, except that the federal funds we've been talking about

are for the victims, not the company.

[rdharma]

7. Duh! No kidding.

And Gov. Perry takes credit?

[kentauros]

8. As I recall,

Obama called him first.

Any why does it matter who takes "credit"? The victims need assistance. Why is that so hard to focus on?

[rdharma]

9. Are certain victims "special"?

THAT'S THE QUESTION!

Ask Gov. Perry,,,,,,, maybe he has an answer for you!

Ask your two US Senators!

Ask your Congressmen!

[kentauros]

10. I don't know what your definition of "victims" is,

but mine is all the people who lost family members and all the people directly injured by the blast are victims. If you mean something different than that, perhaps you should define it succinctly. Because all I'm seeing at the moment is more of the same and insensitive "punish Texans for the actions of our politicians" kind of rhetoric.

Please do remind our senators and representatives directly of their voting record, even as you allow the federal government to offer assistance. What's so hard about doing that? People are injured or dead, homes lost, personal (that is, non-corporate) and public property destroyed, and all the Anti-Texas DUers can think of is to disallow that assistance just to punish our elected officials. Do you see how insensitive that is? Or do I need to get out the dictionary?

[rdharma]

11. Texans against emergency relief!

Last edited Mon Apr 22, 2013, 05:59 PM - Edit history (1)

http://culberson.house.gov/why-i-voted-for-emergency-spending-to-aid-victims-of-hurricane-sandy/

[DhhD]

12. I have not heard any thing about aid from the governor's office. There is private aid just like

when Perry told the state food stamp workers to go home as Churches were going to feed the hunger children of Texas. Please Google the entire story as the State got fined about 3.7 million dollars for messing up the paperwork, by temporary workers, after the Churches told the TEA Party that they could not handle the needs of the poor and get the Federal Food Stamp program back up and running.

I believe that Perry will get Cornyn and Cruz to weasel under and bypass a FEMA application by going to the Senate and asking for aid the old fashioned way. Perry said he would shut down all kinds of federal agencies and departments when he became president. Perry has been practicing deregulation and succession using the people of Texas. I believe that there is an atmosphere in Texas in which some business follow the lead of, do not worry about regulations. Will Perry hand Obama another letter Thursday instead of submitting an application to FEMA? Perry will try to find blame in Obama.

Perry has absolutely no respect for the people of this state, this country. It is only business and deregulation that he stands up for. Please Google his dealings with Hurricane Rita and the EPA.

Edited to add a link to Mother Jones:

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/04/texas-run-secessionist-guv-has-received-federal-disaster-relief-more-times-any-state

[rdharma]

13. Big Hearts....... in Texas

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/01/hurricane-sandy-relief-bill-votes/60606/

[Downwinder]

14. Who supplied the ammonium nitrate to West?

Did they file sales records with DHS?

Isn't the a tracking system of some sort for hazardous materials?

Or do those things apply only to prols?

[LeftInTX]

15. I was wondering the same thing too

I would assume they would have some inventory record. Not necessarily because it is hazardous, but because most places keep records of purchases, sales, and inventory etc.

I don't know what prols means in your question..

Someone at a Texas Tribune public meeting speculated that the ammonium nitrate was in a railroad tanker car. I'm scratching my head....Why would this need to be speculated??? Either the railroad or the owner of West Fertilizer would know this.

[white cloud]

16. Like nobody keep a record or care any more.. Look at the list

Ammonium nitrate disasters


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_nitrate_disasters