TX - Fertilizer plant explodes in West, Texas

[momtective]

News conference live feed http://www.wfaa.com/video?id=203623031&sec=553117

 

[mysteriew]

West Fertilizer Co. Failed To Disclose It Had Unsafe Stores Of Explosive Substance
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/20/west-fertilizer-company_n_3121110.html

Hazards at West Fertilizer plant were largely unknown to public

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/04/20/4789931/hazards-at-west-fertilizer-plant.html#storylink=cpy

Interactive timeline: Fire at West fertilizer plant
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/data...e-timeline-fire-at-west-fertilizer-plant1.ece


I would guess that there is a strong possibility that criminal charges may come from this. And lawsuits galore.

 

[mysteriew]

First wave of West residents will return to their homes this afternoon

Update at 2:54 p.m. Saturday from staff writer Brandon Formby: Small fires have broken out at the West, Texas blast site, but they are contained and will not require evacuations, a city spokesman said Saturday.
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/west...-tons-of-potentially-explosive-fertilizer.ece

God please give them strength

 

[mysteriew]

MsF thank you for posting about those lost.

RIP May your families be supported and find some way to heal. I know they will always remember.

 

[mysteriew]

West, Texas, Fertilizer Plant Explosion: Some Residents Allowed to Return Home
http://abcnews.go.com/US/west-texas...allowed-return/story?id=19006786#.UXMvtE7D_mQ

 

[Sonya610]

West Fertilizer Co. Failed To Disclose It Had Unsafe Stores Of Explosive Substance
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/20/west-fertilizer-company_n_3121110.html[/url]


I would guess that there is a strong possibility that criminal charges may come from this. And lawsuits galore.

Holy sheesh! This is not good. How well does the Gov track that stuff it they didn't find out where 270 tons went???

Fertilizer plants and depots must report to the DHS when they hold 400 lb (180 kg) or more of the substance. Filings this year with the Texas Department of State Health Services, which weren't shared with DHS, show the plant had 270 tons of it on hand last year.

 

[Softail]

West, Texas: The resolve

The people of the small town of West now must move ahead rebuilding their lives and their community

http://interactives.kxan.com/photomojo/gallery/7001/1/

 

[mysteriew]

Texas fertilizer disaster: Willie Nelson to hold benefit concert
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/18/nation/la-na-texas-fertilizer-blast-willie-nelson-20130418

 

[mysteriew]

An outpouring in West after explosion at fertilizer plant

Texans are driving hundreds of miles to deliver beds, clothes and food to a town still recovering from a blast that killed 14 and injured scores more.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-texas-explosion-20130421,0,1062540.story

 

[corundogs]

I know this was an accident with maybe criminal issues due to not following codes etc...which is in fact different than terrorism.

But this tragedy is worse to me than the one in Boston. Yet it's not getting nearly the reporting. Can't believe they haven't released an official count of those deceased yet.

Where do they think these missing people are? I think it's disrespectful to not acknowledge their passing and the families are in limbo - they can't let go but can't grieve.

I was very happy to hear Obama address West on Friday night, after the hell day in Boston.

Like Anderson Cooper says...we will not forget!!!! Let us see their names and faces, learn about those lives lost so we can honor them. Let the family of each lost person feel our prayers to help lift them up to find a way to carry on!!!

 

[TGIRecovered]

West Fertilizer Co. Failed To Disclose It Had Unsafe Stores Of Explosive Substance
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/20/west-fertilizer-company_n_3121110.html

Hazards at West Fertilizer plant were largely unknown to public

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/04/20/4789931/hazards-at-west-fertilizer-plant.html#storylink=cpy

Interactive timeline: Fire at West fertilizer plant
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/data...e-timeline-fire-at-west-fertilizer-plant1.ece


I would guess that there is a strong possibility that criminal charges may come from this. And lawsuits galore.

I live in a city a couple of hours northwest of Waco/West. We have emergency drills for first responders, Red Cross, and citizen volunteers. I think most cities do this every year or so.
Last year I asked my Hubby, who is one of the primary coordinators of the drill, what was the most scary worst case scenario that they prepare for. I'm talking most likely accident, (not an act of nature ). He said that it was train derailment...volatile, toxic hazardous substances; anhydrous ammonia in particular! Our fire department , police, ambulances and hospitals drilled for this very scenario because they knew that the stuff came through here on trains which speed right through the middle of town at 70mph, (if they obey the speed limits). I'll bet those tanker cars were headed straight to that fertilizer plant, its in the right direction.

My point is that our Firefighters saw the hazard labels on the tankers and took the trouble to find out what kind of substance it carried. To my knowledge, no one from the factory or the train carrier called us up and warned us.

West is a tiny town, I'm not blaming their volunteer firefighters. I'm sure that they didn't realize how huge a blast would be if it ever did blow. It was no secret that very dangerous substances were being sent by train to that plant. The hazard labels are right there on the tanker cars. The problem is, someone has to make inquiries to know exactly what substance it carries. If I wasn't married to a cop, I wouldn't have known this stuff was being regularly shipped through here in great quantities. First responders must know in order to properly handle a spill or fire, putting water on it would make it worse by spreading it!

I do have a big problem with the city planners in West, the builders and developers who planned the homes and schools nearby. They failed big time. They would have known how dangerous that place was if they had just taken the trouble to find out, like the leaders in my city did. That being said, my city was prepared to handle a tanker or two of the toxic explosive stuff. It seems the plant in West kept way more than that on a daily basis. Very very irresponsible on the part of the fertilizer plant owners!

MOO


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MsFacetious]

I agree, I can't blame the volunteer firefighters.
Many lived there and at least one lived only 2 houses from the plant.
Had he known, at the very least HIS family wouldn't have been that close. :twocents:
One even worked there. I wonder how much the employees knew about what the government knew?

 

[TGIRecovered]

I think that most of the employees probably assumed that "higher ups" had to comply with government standards and were likely doing so, since the place was being allowed to operate. There are nosy people like us who would want conformation that all was as it should be, but many, many good people in this world tend to assume that someone else ( the government) is taking care of all that. They forget, (or never learn) to take the initiative for their own safety instead of gambling on the integrity of others.

MOO


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SwampMama]

I know this was an accident with maybe criminal issues due to not following codes etc...which is in fact different than terrorism.

But this tragedy is worse to me than the one in Boston. Yet it's not getting nearly the reporting. Can't believe they haven't released an official count of those deceased yet.

Where do they think these missing people are? I think it's disrespectful to not acknowledge their passing and the families are in limbo - they can't let go but can't grieve.

I was very happy to hear Obama address West on Friday night, after the hell day in Boston.

Like Anderson Cooper says...we will not forget!!!! Let us see their names and faces, learn about those lives lost so we can honor them. Let the family of each lost person feel our prayers to help lift them up to find a way to carry on!!!

I agree. The magnitude of destruction and loss in West is horrific and yet it gets little press, no doubt because the Boston situation dominates the news. I'm not saying the Boston situation isn't important, not at all. But we have 12 first responders dead, plus many others unknown as of yet. I am astonished that it has gotten so little press.

 

[Sonya610]

But this tragedy is worse to me than the one in Boston. Yet it's not getting nearly the reporting. Can't believe they haven't released an official count of those deceased yet.

Yes it is much worse. Many more dead, homes and lives shattered, huge destruction.

Much worse.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

I agree. The magnitude of destruction and loss in West is horrific and yet it gets little press, no doubt because the Boston situation dominates the news. I'm not saying the Boston situation isn't important, not at all. But we have 12 first responders dead, plus many others unknown as of yet. I am astonished that it has gotten so little press.

What happened at Boston was a terrorist attack. What happened at West was an accident. A terrorist attack can happen anywhere, and most people can relate to being at an event with a lot of people. Most people cannot relate to living next door to a fertilizer plant because most people don't. Viewers have more interest in what happened in Boston (bombing and manhunt) than they do in West so the media responds to that.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

Yes it is much worse. Many more dead, homes and lives shattered, huge destruction.

Much worse.

There should not be a hierarchy of tragedy. :facepalm: However, I would rather lose my home than lose my leg. More people might have died at West but most of the injuries will heal. At Boston, there are many people who are now amputees. Having to live without a body part(s) is much worse than having to rebuild your home.

 

[Jewels53]

My Daughter and her family live just outside of West, TX and this has affected many of their friends. My granddaughter also goes to the HS is West. I haven't been able to talk to them much because they have been very busy with helping their friends. I know my son in law helped with bringing in a semi truck for collections and then organized a BBQ to be served at the VFW for the workers and displaced people. If I find out anything else I will let you know.

 

[mysteriew]

What happened at Boston was a terrorist attack. What happened at West was an accident. A terrorist attack can happen anywhere, and most people can relate to being at an event with a lot of people. Most people cannot relate to living next door to a fertilizer plant because most people don't. Viewers have more interest in what happened in Boston (bombing and manhunt) than they do in West so the media responds to that.

Do you know what you are living next to?

When I ran squad, an abandoned factory caught on fire in our town. It had made boxes or something. We had to evacuate. It seems they found out there was a lot of paint stored in that factory and it seems burning paint lets off a lot of dangerous chemicals. We weren't aware of that until they located the owner during the fire.

At one point it was determined that our town's water supply was next door to a dumping area. And in that dumping area, was the debris from 5 mile island. Of Course they said the debris was in containers, spill proof. But investigation determined that some were leaking.

Visiting a nearby town, I heard on the radio there was a major fire at a grain dealer. Pregnant women and children were advised to remain indoors. I was pregnant.

A nearby area town had an early factory that did something with uranium. They were still working on that disaster a few years ago.

Point being we don't always know what is out there. And whether or not it is safe.

From my reading, it may not have been known just how much explosive material was in that plant. And locals trying to investigate probably wouldn't have known either. Because the amounts they were holding was being misrepresented to the government.

If it had been known how much they had, they would have had to install more safety procedures and equipment. Meaning it would have cost them.

Oh yeah, I don't live in an industrial area. I lived in small towns and rural areas.

 

[cbanning]

I know this was an accident with maybe criminal issues due to not following codes etc...which is in fact different than terrorism.

But this tragedy is worse to me than the one in Boston. Yet it's not getting nearly the reporting. Can't believe they haven't released an official count of those deceased yet.

Where do they think these missing people are? I think it's disrespectful to not acknowledge their passing and the families are in limbo - they can't let go but can't grieve.

I was very happy to hear Obama address West on Friday night, after the hell day in Boston.

Like Anderson Cooper says...we will not forget!!!! Let us see their names and faces, learn about those lives lost so we can honor them. Let the family of each lost person feel our prayers to help lift them up to find a way to carry on!!!

The families are not being left in limbo. Just because you aren't hearing it in the news, doesn't mean that the families aren't being informed. They are.

I wonder if Obama will come visit West. I doubt it as he didn't come when Bastrop burned and most of those folks are still waiting for their FEMA reimbursements...