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Political & Elections -> Political & Elections - 2014 -> Regulation_Texas Fertilizer Mixing, Distribution, & Storage Plant Explosion and Fire
Post Info TOPIC: Regulation_Texas Fertilizer Mixing, Distribution, & Storage Plant Explosion and Fire
conyat


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Date: Apr 29, 2013
RE: Regulation_Texas Fertilizer Mixing, Distribution, & Storage Plant Explosion and Fire
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They knew what the facility was, but not the risks. The risk management plan filed by the plant did not mention ammonium nitrate, and its a fairly rare chemical these days. 

>Richard Brown is a former Kaufman County volunteer fire chief. He says news of the fire responders’ death in West has sickened him. 

>"It should not have happened,” said Brown. “Those men should not have been where they were." 

>Brown says county and fire officials should have planned for the worst and any fire that involves ammonium nitrate should mean evacuation. 

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Federal-regulations-emergency-protocols-not-followed-in-West-204932411.html

>>There are more than 6,000 fertilizer facilities in the United States but few of them stock ammonium nitrate and the number has been falling steadily, says Kathy Mathers of the Fertilizer Institute, a trade group in Washington, D.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/25/texas-explosion-fertilizer-ammonium-nitrate/2108571/

>>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.

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

>The plant had 1,350 times the legally allowed amount of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, yet hadn’t informed the Department of Homeland Security of the danger.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mike-elk-the-texas-fertilizer-plant-explosion-cannot-be-forgotten/2013/04/23/48eb770c-ac26-11e2-b6fd-ba6f5f26d70e_story_1.html



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longprime


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Date: Apr 28, 2013
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I'd guess that the first responders knew that this was a agricultural chemical facility. Afterall, the volunteers are local to this town. More questions need to be asked.  How are the FR trained? 

In the era of Good Manufacturing Practices, and General Accepted Accounting Practices, we push down responsibility to the managers  and owners who are,  supposedly, experts in their plants and field. We unfortunately have a laws, rules, and regulation because of the failures of these owner-managers and common sense. 

IMO, commerical and homeowner' insurance rates will trend upward in Texas when the underwriters realize that local inspectors  have not inspected and regulated, and come to the conclusion that insurance is expected to assume nearly all of the risk. 



-- Edited by longprime on Sunday 28th of April 2013 11:16:54 PM

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conyat


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Date: Apr 28, 2013
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What's tragic is that first responders didn't have to die. Had they known what was stored at that plant, they never would have been where they were. They would have evacuated the area and let it burn itself out instead of trying to use water on the flames.

Rick Perry is expecting the taxpayer via FEMA to fund West's recovery instead of the corporation whose law-breaking caused the damage.

He is also crying foul because a newpaper did an editorial cartoon making a play on words that business in Texas is booming thanks to deregulation. Strange sense of priorities.

 



-- Edited by conyat on Sunday 28th of April 2013 09:23:06 PM

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longprime


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Date: Apr 24, 2013
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http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2013/04_-_April/Texas_fertilizer_plant_owner_sued_after_deadly_explosion/

IMO: Mr Adair owner of said plant is going to go down. The plaintives are insurance companies(W.R. Berkely Inc. NYS-WRB) I wouldn't be surprised that the plant was insured by said insurance companies as was most of the insured parties also insured by said company. 

Gov Rick Perry is going to beef up state government regulatory oversite. 

Local officials are going to get forceful in zoning and fire inspections. 

Homeland Security (The Feds) are going to wonder why Mr Adair never registered his plant for having explosive materials. 

EPA is going to wonder what happened to the pesticides normally found at agricultural distibution sites. 

Firemen families are going to demand a criminal investigation. Life insurance companies are going to ask for indemification. 

 

 



-- Edited by longprime on Wednesday 24th of April 2013 10:42:38 PM

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