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West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion was intentional, officials say

May 16th, 2016 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion was intentional, officials say

The 2013 fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas recently occupied a unique and notorious place among the worst recent industrial disasters in the U.S. The force with which the plant exploded, the very high numbers of deaths and injuries - 15 fatalities and about 300 non-life threatening injuries - the severe damage to surrounding communities and other unique factors made the disaster especially remarkable.

From an EHS compliance perspective, the explosion of ammonium nitrate stored at the facility and subsequent injuries and deaths were powerful reminders of the need for comprehensive and strongly enforced health and safety policies. While the lessons of emphasizing safety still apply, there's now an additional concept to consider: intentional and malicious acts.

A major announcement from the ATF
In mid-May, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it confirmed the fire that caused the explosion was intentional and man made, according to EHS Today. The ATF and other officials involved in the investigation conducted a long series of tests to determine the initial source of that fire. The results of those tests eliminated any realistic accidental or natural cause. The announcement marks a major change in the way the public views the explosion going forward, as there previously weren't many strong indications that the fire was intentionally set and the media as well as many local residents commonly addressed it as an accident or mishap that led to grave consequences.

CNN noted the fertilizer storage plant received citations from federal regulatory agencies twice in the period between 2006 and the explosion in April 2013. Additionally, the business told state and local organizations, but not applicable federal ones, that its storage tanks housed 270 tons of ammonium nitrate. One year after the event, an investigation conducted by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board ultimately found the blast was preventable. The board's chairman, Rafael Moure-Eraso, said the blame was split between the business, for failing to take necessary steps to avert the fire, and regulators, because they didn't notice the hazard or try to correct it.

The ATF announced a reward for information along with the reveal of the fire's source. The agency will pay as much as $50,000 for tips that lead to the arrest of the person or people responsible for the fire and resultant explosion.

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