TX - Fertilizer plant explodes in West, Texas

[BeginnersLuck]

BBM. The Chemical Safety Board has NOTHING to investigate. The ATF guy at the presser quantified the amounts and types of chemicals on site at West Fertilizer. The blast force has been measured in tons of Ammonium Nitrate converted to TNT ( explosive nitroglycerine).

What more could a brand new agency do except stick its nose into and come up with a different answer? This is political posturing and I think I speak for the majority of Texans in saying that the ATF. State and Federal Fire Marshalls, and the Texas Rangers ALL take precedence. The quality of their work is known.

There IS some background on the CSB in West, TX already. There was an article in the Waco newspaper about how he CSB is new, underfunded and understaffed. It was published about 1 week before the link I posted was published in the paper.

We need QUALITY on the scene, not QUANTITY. And how dare the CSB cat criticize the ATF for digging into the blast site crater?:banghead:
They absolutely did quantify and qualify the chemicals stored at the now- flattened crater of a plant. The talking head for CSB is really making me mad.

Sorry, but this is a very serious ongoing investigation and I do not want to see some Goober mess it up.
I am very sure you feel the same way.. I'm just venting ( again).

It is CRITICAL that the investigation go forward, especially in light of the undetermined results and the new info about one POSSIBLE suspect, IMO.

Thanks! I have no idea what is left for them to investigate either that wasn't already documented.

I think it should be a given, that you don't build around fertilizer plants or you don't build a fertilizer plant in a populated area. (I don't know which came first) You can take every safety precaution in the world but it's not going to ensure that a natural or man made disaster won't occur.

The CSB needs to concentrate on the still standing facilities.

 

[mysteriew]

At least 800,000 people in the United States live within a mile of 440 sites that store potentially explosive ammonium nitrate, which investigators say was the source of the explosion in West, according to a Reuters analysis of hazardous-chemical storage data maintained by 29 states.

Hundreds of schools, 20 hospitals, 13 churches and hundreds of thousands of homes in those states sit within a mile of facilities that store the compound, used in both fertilizers and explosives, the analysis found.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/23/us-chemical-emergency-specialreport-idUSBRE94L19020130523

The plant foreman was one of the volunteer first responders who died in the blast.

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

Thanks! I have no idea what is left for them to investigate either that wasn't already documented.

I think it should be a given, that you don't build around fertilizer plants or you don't build a fertilizer plant in a populated area. (I don't know which came first) You can take every safety precaution in the world but it's not going to ensure that a natural or man made disaster won't occur.

The CSB needs to concentrate on the still standing facilities.

I don't have a link, but I did read an article that stated the plant was there, and that other buildings seemed to be built around it. Now, I don't remember if or when it was always a fertilizer plant. (I'm hating my old brain, LOL)

 

[SeekingJana]

I don't have a link, but I did read an article that stated the plant was there, and that other buildings seemed to be built around it. Now, I don't remember if or when it was always a fertilizer plant. (I'm hating my old brain, LOL)

Yes, the fertilizer and grain company was built OUT of the tiny town of West, in 1962.
There was only pasture land around it at the time. This has been well documented on several news reports and I believe it is also accessible in a Wikipedia entry now.

The Adair family bought the West Fertilizer Co. in 2004 because they were ( are) farmers and the plant was about to go under. There was an elderly plant supervisor in place already, based upon the article I posted about the Adairs. Prior to the blast, they were quoted in the local newspaper as saying " We will celebrate 50 years of employment with him in 2 years" ( Paraphrasing).
So their main man in charge was probably near or past 70 years old.

There is blame to share, of course. One, for the plant not having a safety inspection or a safety engineer on board. They had the equivalent of Nitro sitting in massive quantities in wooden bins. TONS and tons of it. Next, as most of us raised in the country know, their grain silos are also highly combustible due to the dust from the grain, etc. TWO major reasons to have a younger, experienced leader for their operation. They seem to speak of the Fertilizer Co as if it was a " Mom and Pop general store" which it wasn't by nature.

Second, as we all know, zoning common sense was totally ignored. I'm sure the land around the tiny town was very cheap but mistakes were made for a LONG time in building without safeguards in place for school children and residents in general, none of whom should have been there.
It should have remained pasture land. It's NOT like they didn't have space to build elsewhere.

 

[SeekingJana]

West Fertilizer Company explosion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Note: It was built in 1962.

 

[marycarney]

Anything new??????

 

[SeekingJana]

Anything new??????

All I've been able to find recently are statements about litigation against West Fertilizer and laments about their under-insuring.

 

[SeekingJana]

BTW, these are the news sources I check for info/ updates about West. Some days, I forget to check. So y'all help me keep on top of any news, K? :seeya:

http://www.kwtx.com/

http://www.wacotrib.com/

http://www.dallasnews.com/

 

[BeginnersLuck]

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/homes-starting-to-be-razed-in-blast-damaged-town

Work crews funded by a church are beginning an effort to knock down 50 unlivable homes in West, where a fertilizer plant explosion devastated the town.

The First Baptist Church of West has committed $200,000 to demolition efforts. Crews had cleared the foundation on two homes Wednesday and were planning to start a third.

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

I don't have a link, but saw something today about there being a Waco church that is coordinating a clean-up/lawn service type project for this weekend - to go clean up yards/ mow lawns, etc of those properties that were damaged - both occupied and those unoccupied. Pretty neat idea!

Just kinda weird how it's all quiet now.

 

[MsFacetious]

FEMA denies additional West assistance

West Mayor Tommy Muska said he received Tuesday night a copy of a letter sent from FEMA officials to Gov. Rick Perry. The letter signed by FEMA administrator W. Craig Fugate and dated June 10 says the agency reaffirms its original decision that the explosion “is not of the severity and magnitude that warrants a major disaster declaration ...”

Muska said he called FEMA officials in Washington D.C. on Wednesday morning to make sure he was reading the document correctly.

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/west_e...cle_f839ef2e-cb71-54ee-bddb-ad3a89e04904.html



Perry referred to the president’s vow Wednesday in a statement issued in response to the denial.

"The day of the West memorial service, President Obama stood in front of a grieving community and told them they would not be forgotten,” Perry said.

“He said his administration would stand with them, ready to help. We anticipate the president will hold true to his word and help us work with FEMA to ensure much-needed assistance reaches the community of West."

---------------------------

“Along with damaging or destroying the schools and local infrastructure on which the West community relies, this incident took the lives of 15 citizens and injured countless others—the very people President Obama promised his administration would stand behind,” Birdwell said.

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/FEMA-Wont-Provide-Money-To-Help-Rebuild-West-211215191.html

 

[Betty P]

FEMA denies additional West assistance

West Mayor Tommy Muska said he received Tuesday night a copy of a letter sent from FEMA officials to Gov. Rick Perry. The letter signed by FEMA administrator W. Craig Fugate and dated June 10 says the agency reaffirms its original decision that the explosion “is not of the severity and magnitude that warrants a major disaster declaration ...”

Muska said he called FEMA officials in Washington D.C. on Wednesday morning to make sure he was reading the document correctly.

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/west_e...cle_f839ef2e-cb71-54ee-bddb-ad3a89e04904.html



Perry referred to the president’s vow Wednesday in a statement issued in response to the denial.

"The day of the West memorial service, President Obama stood in front of a grieving community and told them they would not be forgotten,” Perry said.

“He said his administration would stand with them, ready to help. We anticipate the president will hold true to his word and help us work with FEMA to ensure much-needed assistance reaches the community of West."

---------------------------

“Along with damaging or destroying the schools and local infrastructure on which the West community relies, this incident took the lives of 15 citizens and injured countless others—the very people President Obama promised his administration would stand behind,” Birdwell said.

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/FEMA-Wont-Provide-Money-To-Help-Rebuild-West-211215191.html

FEMA has provided assistance to individuals in the community, but they were unable to approve the city's request for funds for infrastructure repair, since they didn't meet the minimum amount required.

This was a preventable industrial accident. These kinds of expenses should be covered by the county and state.

 

[faw720]

My opinion only, but I think it smacks of politics. Perry has long been a very vocal critic of the federal government & now it has come back to bite him in the @#$%. It's pitiful that the poor citizens of West are the ones who have to suffer!

I can remember back in the early 1990s when Dick Cheney just about wiped out every federal job in Ft. Worth. Jim Wright, a Democrat from Ft. Worth, had previously been speaker of the house for many years & had no doubt, stepped hard on many Republican toes. Payback is hell.........only problem is that it's always the citizens that are the victims of political posturing.

 

[BeginnersLuck]

I will wait to hear more on FEMA's decision before I jump to any conclusions. I'm not sure how funds are typically allocated in disasters like this. There is insurance, local, state and federal funds to consider. Was the paperwork submitted properly and have other funding sources that would apply first been tallied. When reading the article, there is a lot more involved that what the Mayor mentions in his interview.

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/west_e...cle_f839ef2e-cb71-54ee-bddb-ad3a89e04904.html

Though FEMA is denying aid to the city, agency representatives note that millions of dollars have gone directly to residents in the form of grants and low-interest loans.
The governor’s office has up to 30 days from the date of the letter to appeal the decision.

As noted above FEMA has provided some help so far. I noticed the Mayor and Attoney General didn't mention this, but threw a low blow to the President.

“But now, once the cameras have stopped rolling, President Obama’s FEMA has denied our state and our neighbors the necessary opportunities to rebuild critical infrastructure in the town, including an entire school.”

Crawford said superintendents in Kansas and Joplin, Mo., told him their districts initially had been denied aid for tornado recovery efforts but later were awarded funds during the appeals process.
Crawford said the school district cannot afford to fund the construction projects from its own coffers. He added that a bond package also wouldn’t be a feasible option because overall property appraisals are expected to drop by as much as $40 million because of the damage to properties.
The West ISD board of trustees Wednesday night interviewed two construction companies and appointed a construction manager to oversee rebuilding efforts. Crawford said the district is still in negotiations with insurance provider Trident for a settlement to fund the initial projects.
“I’m tending to not focus on the disappointment of today’s letter but saying, there’s been precedent set, and we won’t worry about other funding options until we are just flat-out looked in the eye and told ‘no’ by the decision-makers,” Crawford said.
While the ruling is a blow to West’s infrastructure and school rebuilding efforts, FEMA spokeswoman Carmen Rodriguez said the decision does not affect homeowners’ ability to receive federal aid to repair or rebuild their houses.
The agency already has provided more than $7 million in direct federal disaster assistance grants and low-interest loans to residents, according to a statement from FEMA spokesman Dan Watson.

BBM: It sounds like there is still a lot of work to be done determining the amount of aid that is needed and who is responsible for what. Also, there is the appeal process. Was the paperwork in proper order when submitted the first time? IMO, there are still many yet unanswered questions.

 

[mysteriew]

One thing that FEMA needs to keep in mind is that the government could be thought to have had a role in this tragedy. Remember all the questions about whether the plant met all the safety criteria? Where was the government oversight and action and followup on that? Government failure to track the chemicals, government failure to monitor the plant even after issues were identified.

My question is, why save the government money by denying the assistance for this. But hand out the money to agencies that fail to do what they are supposed to do to prevent this?

 

[Elley Mae]

I will wait to hear more on FEMA's decision before I jump to any conclusions. I'm not sure how funds are typically allocated in disasters like this. There is insurance, local, state and federal funds to consider. Was the paperwork submitted properly and have other funding sources that would apply first been tallied. When reading the article, there is a lot more involved that what the Mayor mentions in his interview.

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/west_e...cle_f839ef2e-cb71-54ee-bddb-ad3a89e04904.html



As noted above FEMA has provided some help so far. I noticed the Mayor and Attoney General didn't mention this, but threw a low blow to the President.





BBM: It sounds like there is still a lot of work to be done determining the amount of aid that is needed and who is responsible for what. Also, there is the appeal process. Was the paperwork in proper order when submitted the first time? IMO, there are still many yet unanswered questions.

FEMA Denies Texas Request for Full Disaster Aid, Rankling Stricken Town

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/u...l-disaster-aid-rankling-stricken-town.html?hp

The state’s request to the president was denied because Texas failed to provide evidence that it “lacked the fiscal resources to address the remaining $17 million,” a FEMA spokesman said.

 

[SeekingJana]

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/police...cle_9f99ef48-9c71-5657-94f7-b0d098f73156.html

Psych. detention and eval. finished .Reed’s trial ( for unspecified charges at this time) is set for Aug. 19 in Waco’s U.S. District Court

The article isn't very enlightening, except to note that he is back in the regular detention center and that there is a 6 inch thick file on him related to alleged misconduct.

I hope things turn out well for him if he is innocent. I hope there can be closure on what appears to be the only questionable element related to the events in West.

 

[PassTheMotrin]

We were in West this past weekend; we took our Explorers camping on a friend's property. On the way home Sunday morning, we drove through town on our way to the Czech Stop for breakfast. The neighborhood we drove through was fairly well cleaned up, and there were large construction dumpsters lined up everywhere. The windows on the homes were boarded over because they had not yet been replaced. What amazed me was the church about halfway down the street; the stained glass windows were intact.

 

[mysteriew]

This is from July 21 but is a good outline of the Bryce Reed case to date, with info both for and against him. Seems officials are still stonewalling on his arrest and if it relates to the plant explosion.

Family of arrested West man says feds should clear him of ties to plant explosion
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/west...ould-clear-him-of-ties-to-plant-explosion.ece

 

[TGIRecovered]

FEMA Denies Texas Request for Full Disaster Aid, Rankling Stricken Town

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/u...l-disaster-aid-rankling-stricken-town.html?hp

The state’s request to the president was denied because Texas failed to provide evidence that it “lacked the fiscal resources to address the remaining $17 million,” a FEMA spokesman said.

What a crock of poop. The one time this administration is truly transparent.

MOO