This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/15/texas-fertilizer-explosion-what-happened
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Why has America lost interest in the West, Texas fertiliser explosion? | Why has America lost interest in the West, Texas fertiliser explosion? |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Four weeks ago today, Adair Grain Inc's fertilizer plant in the small rural town of West in central Texas caught fire and exploded. Fourteen people died, most of them first responders, and 200 more were injured. The Insurance Council of Texas estimates that damage to surrounding homes and businesses totals $100m. Of the 157 homes in the area closest to the plant, building inspectors determined that only three were safe for habitation. | |
| Investigators will announce tomorrow what caused the fire and explosion. What has already been uncovered, though, indicates that this tragedy likely could have been prevented. And that there are plenty of places throughout Texas and the US where such a disaster could happen again. So why doesn't the national media seem to care? | Investigators will announce tomorrow what caused the fire and explosion. What has already been uncovered, though, indicates that this tragedy likely could have been prevented. And that there are plenty of places throughout Texas and the US where such a disaster could happen again. So why doesn't the national media seem to care? |
| For one, the failures in regulation and oversight are complex and can make for a dry story. That doesn't mean that story should go untold. | For one, the failures in regulation and oversight are complex and can make for a dry story. That doesn't mean that story should go untold. |
| On 7 May, the Texas State Fire Marshal's office announced that they had determined that ammonium nitrate stored at the plant had exploded that night, leaving a 93-foot crater in the ground. Ammonium nitrate has a high level of nitrogen, which makes it excellent for plant growth and, when heat is applied to it and there is enough of it, a combustible explosive. It was the cause of one of the largest industrial disasters in US history when it exploded in Texas City in 1947, leaving nearly 600 people dead. In 1995, Timothy McVeigh used an ammonium nitrate bomb to blow up the Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City killing 168 people. | On 7 May, the Texas State Fire Marshal's office announced that they had determined that ammonium nitrate stored at the plant had exploded that night, leaving a 93-foot crater in the ground. Ammonium nitrate has a high level of nitrogen, which makes it excellent for plant growth and, when heat is applied to it and there is enough of it, a combustible explosive. It was the cause of one of the largest industrial disasters in US history when it exploded in Texas City in 1947, leaving nearly 600 people dead. In 1995, Timothy McVeigh used an ammonium nitrate bomb to blow up the Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City killing 168 people. |
| Following the Oklahoma City bombing, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) created a voluntary program with The Fertilizer Institute to encourage people in agriculture to report any suspicious behavior or thefts around sites that housed the compound (no one has reported that ATF was ever contacted about West even though "sheriff's deputies were called more than 10 times to West Fertilizer in the 11 years before the blast" with "multiple calls involv[ing] suspicion that anhydrous ammonia was being stolen"). More recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed the Ammonium Nitrate Security Program in order to keep better track of large supplies of ammonium nitrate so that it did not end up being used in an act of terrorism. | Following the Oklahoma City bombing, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) created a voluntary program with The Fertilizer Institute to encourage people in agriculture to report any suspicious behavior or thefts around sites that housed the compound (no one has reported that ATF was ever contacted about West even though "sheriff's deputies were called more than 10 times to West Fertilizer in the 11 years before the blast" with "multiple calls involv[ing] suspicion that anhydrous ammonia was being stolen"). More recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed the Ammonium Nitrate Security Program in order to keep better track of large supplies of ammonium nitrate so that it did not end up being used in an act of terrorism. |
| Adair Grain told the Texas Department of Health Services in late February that its plant in West had the capacity to store 270 tons of ammonium nitrate, which is, according to Reuters, "1,350 times the amount … that would normally trigger safety oversight by" the DHS. The plant had no sprinklers, no fire walls, and no deluge systems, according to the Associated Press. The insurance policy on the plant was only for $1m. Texas does not have liability insurance mandates for plants like the one in West in case people are injured or killed. It does, however, require those liability mandates for all kinds of businesses like those that rent out inflatable bounce houses for kids' birthday parties and air-conditioner repair outfits. | Adair Grain told the Texas Department of Health Services in late February that its plant in West had the capacity to store 270 tons of ammonium nitrate, which is, according to Reuters, "1,350 times the amount … that would normally trigger safety oversight by" the DHS. The plant had no sprinklers, no fire walls, and no deluge systems, according to the Associated Press. The insurance policy on the plant was only for $1m. Texas does not have liability insurance mandates for plants like the one in West in case people are injured or killed. It does, however, require those liability mandates for all kinds of businesses like those that rent out inflatable bounce houses for kids' birthday parties and air-conditioner repair outfits. |
| In Adair Grain's 2011 report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it stated "no" under fire or explosive risks. The worst possible scenario, the report said, "would be a 10-minute release of ammonia gas that would kill or injure no one". This report was filed after Adair Grain had received a $2,300 fine in 2006 from the EPA for "failing to have a risk management plan that met federal standards". The EPA has said that it does not expect plants to disclose levels of ammonium nitrate because the compound does not affect the Clean Air Act, which is its concern. | In Adair Grain's 2011 report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it stated "no" under fire or explosive risks. The worst possible scenario, the report said, "would be a 10-minute release of ammonia gas that would kill or injure no one". This report was filed after Adair Grain had received a $2,300 fine in 2006 from the EPA for "failing to have a risk management plan that met federal standards". The EPA has said that it does not expect plants to disclose levels of ammonium nitrate because the compound does not affect the Clean Air Act, which is its concern. |
| The Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) had not been to the site since 1985, when it fined the plant $30 for "a serious violation for storage of anhydrous ammonia," a gas that also has the potential to explode and which was on stored at the plant. OSHA not inspecting the site more regularly is no surprise. According to Bryce Covert at Think Progress, "a workplace only gets a visit from OSHA inspectors every 99 years on average, with some state programs even worse". Due to Texas' more lax oversight, a plant there "can only expect an inspection every 126 years". | The Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) had not been to the site since 1985, when it fined the plant $30 for "a serious violation for storage of anhydrous ammonia," a gas that also has the potential to explode and which was on stored at the plant. OSHA not inspecting the site more regularly is no surprise. According to Bryce Covert at Think Progress, "a workplace only gets a visit from OSHA inspectors every 99 years on average, with some state programs even worse". Due to Texas' more lax oversight, a plant there "can only expect an inspection every 126 years". |
| Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) inspected the site only two years ago and fined Adair Grain over $10,000 for "for missing placards, transporting anhydrous ammonia in non-specification tanks, and not having a security plan in violation of Hazardous Materials Regulations." The company was also fined in 2011 by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for not having the correct licensing. Donald Adair, the current owner of the plant, has owned it since 2004. | Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) inspected the site only two years ago and fined Adair Grain over $10,000 for "for missing placards, transporting anhydrous ammonia in non-specification tanks, and not having a security plan in violation of Hazardous Materials Regulations." The company was also fined in 2011 by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for not having the correct licensing. Donald Adair, the current owner of the plant, has owned it since 2004. |
| Another reason the national media may not be paying much attention to West is that a lot of it is a Texas story. Conservative politicians have responded as many expected – that there is no reason to increase regulation or oversight – thus feeding an idea that this tragedy could only happen there (or in states with similar permissive laws). | Another reason the national media may not be paying much attention to West is that a lot of it is a Texas story. Conservative politicians have responded as many expected – that there is no reason to increase regulation or oversight – thus feeding an idea that this tragedy could only happen there (or in states with similar permissive laws). |
| There are no state laws in Texas that regulate how close buildings, including residences and schools, can be constructed around a potentially dangerous site like the one in West. Local governments make those decisions. | There are no state laws in Texas that regulate how close buildings, including residences and schools, can be constructed around a potentially dangerous site like the one in West. Local governments make those decisions. |
| The director of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Steve McCraw, testified before the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety on 1 May and told them that it is not his agency's job to alert residents of those possible dangers. That is up to local officials. When pushed on existing oversight, McCraw told the committee, "too many threats and too little time". Within the state of Texas, 112 facilites house ammonium nitrate or ammonium nitrate-based chemicals, 44 have significant amounts of the former (at least 10,000 pounds), and 2 sites have as much ammonium nitrate on site as the plant in West did (over 500,000 pounds). On top of it all, a significant amount of plants at risk for explosion have never been inspected by state or federal agencies for emergency preparedness. | The director of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Steve McCraw, testified before the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety on 1 May and told them that it is not his agency's job to alert residents of those possible dangers. That is up to local officials. When pushed on existing oversight, McCraw told the committee, "too many threats and too little time". Within the state of Texas, 112 facilites house ammonium nitrate or ammonium nitrate-based chemicals, 44 have significant amounts of the former (at least 10,000 pounds), and 2 sites have as much ammonium nitrate on site as the plant in West did (over 500,000 pounds). On top of it all, a significant amount of plants at risk for explosion have never been inspected by state or federal agencies for emergency preparedness. |
| What to do with all of this failure? | What to do with all of this failure? |
| Governor Rick Perry says nothing, that no more regulation would have stopped this tragedy. Republican Texas State Senator Donna Campbell echoed these thoughts in an interview with the Texas Tribune. She said that there is "a point at which you can overregulate" companies. "I think we're doing a good job," she said. "Just periodically something happens that's not predictable." | Governor Rick Perry says nothing, that no more regulation would have stopped this tragedy. Republican Texas State Senator Donna Campbell echoed these thoughts in an interview with the Texas Tribune. She said that there is "a point at which you can overregulate" companies. "I think we're doing a good job," she said. "Just periodically something happens that's not predictable." |
| Some experts disagree. Richard John Smythe, a PhD chemist with 40 years of experience investigating fires and explosions in Canada and the US, told the Dallas Morning News, | Some experts disagree. Richard John Smythe, a PhD chemist with 40 years of experience investigating fires and explosions in Canada and the US, told the Dallas Morning News, |
| "You would think Texas would have learned its lesson from Galveston," referring to the 1947 Texas City disaster. "This is not rocket science. We've had this happen so many times." | "You would think Texas would have learned its lesson from Galveston," referring to the 1947 Texas City disaster. "This is not rocket science. We've had this happen so many times." |
| Beyond Texas, there is also an important national story here. Bryce Covert at Think Progress reported soon after the explosion that the Fertilizer Industry has pushed at the federal level for more lax regulations on safety, specifically trying to weaken the EPA's ability to regulate sites that blend fertilizers, sites like the one in West. Additionally, Covert reports that across the US there are | Beyond Texas, there is also an important national story here. Bryce Covert at Think Progress reported soon after the explosion that the Fertilizer Industry has pushed at the federal level for more lax regulations on safety, specifically trying to weaken the EPA's ability to regulate sites that blend fertilizers, sites like the one in West. Additionally, Covert reports that across the US there are |
| "nearly 7,000 facilities – 6,985 to be exact – report that they pose a risk to populations greater than 1,000, with 90 that could impact more than 1 million people in a worst-case scenario. 4,425 would likely impact a population similar to the town of West, or between 1,000 and 9,999 people." | "nearly 7,000 facilities – 6,985 to be exact – report that they pose a risk to populations greater than 1,000, with 90 that could impact more than 1 million people in a worst-case scenario. 4,425 would likely impact a population similar to the town of West, or between 1,000 and 9,999 people." |
| It may seem like this could only happen in Texas but that simply isn't true. And yet, West has made very small waves in the national media. One potential outcome of the media's failure to draw attention to the complicated systemic problems that the West explosion unveiled is that it has a left a gaping hole in our collective understanding of what happened there. And so, when an easier story of causation comes along, it trumps and washouts these critical issues. That easy story may well be Bryce Reed, a former West EMS officer who reported to the plant after the explosion but who left the EMS two days after the disaster. | It may seem like this could only happen in Texas but that simply isn't true. And yet, West has made very small waves in the national media. One potential outcome of the media's failure to draw attention to the complicated systemic problems that the West explosion unveiled is that it has a left a gaping hole in our collective understanding of what happened there. And so, when an easier story of causation comes along, it trumps and washouts these critical issues. That easy story may well be Bryce Reed, a former West EMS officer who reported to the plant after the explosion but who left the EMS two days after the disaster. |
| Reed was arrested last Thursday by ATF for possession of a small pipe bomb. Despite officials saying that his arrest was not linked to the explosion, images of Reed's face were all over the news, especially of him crying at the 25 April memorial service held at Baylor University that was attended by President and Mrs Obama. | Reed was arrested last Thursday by ATF for possession of a small pipe bomb. Despite officials saying that his arrest was not linked to the explosion, images of Reed's face were all over the news, especially of him crying at the 25 April memorial service held at Baylor University that was attended by President and Mrs Obama. |
| Since Friday, the main coverage in the media about the West explosion has been a focus on and parsing out of all the details of Bryce Reed's life. If the news tomorrow is that authorities are charging Reed with murder, the media will shift their attention away from the failed inspections, the lack of communication between agencies, and the inadequate oversight on all levels. | Since Friday, the main coverage in the media about the West explosion has been a focus on and parsing out of all the details of Bryce Reed's life. If the news tomorrow is that authorities are charging Reed with murder, the media will shift their attention away from the failed inspections, the lack of communication between agencies, and the inadequate oversight on all levels. |
| Even if Reed did have a direct hand in the explosion, choices that Adair and his company made in the years leading up to the tragedy a month ago certainly played a role in how huge the explosion was and how much death and damage it caused. Adair has steadfastly refused to the talk to the media, only releasing a single statement immediately following the tragedy. | Even if Reed did have a direct hand in the explosion, choices that Adair and his company made in the years leading up to the tragedy a month ago certainly played a role in how huge the explosion was and how much death and damage it caused. Adair has steadfastly refused to the talk to the media, only releasing a single statement immediately following the tragedy. |
| In our country where people buy into stories about the power of the free market, the magic of being able to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and the belief in the Protestant work ethic, painting a man who is just trying to run his business and make a buck as the bad guy is a hard narrative to sell. A guy with a pipe bomb who responded as an EMS officer to the site after the explosion? That's a whole other story, one the national media will probably pay much more attention to. | In our country where people buy into stories about the power of the free market, the magic of being able to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and the belief in the Protestant work ethic, painting a man who is just trying to run his business and make a buck as the bad guy is a hard narrative to sell. A guy with a pipe bomb who responded as an EMS officer to the site after the explosion? That's a whole other story, one the national media will probably pay much more attention to. |