Explosion at fertilizer plant north of Waco, Texas

Taking a look at the other thread on this there was one liberal Huffpost comment that does have merit.
[rquoter]They can thank Rick Perry for allowing self regulation in his State. Companies will virtually always take the cheap route. [/rquoter]

I heard on the news this morning that the owners of the plant had assured state regulators that a fire and explosion couldn't happen and the worse that could happen would be a release of gas. Leaving aside for the moment that anhydrous ammonia is toxic and a gas release would be dangerous to begin with I think there are going to be some big questions about what sort of regulations this plant was subject to, if the plant was following the regulations, and if the regulators were doing their job.

 

posted this in the other thread, but i guess it should go here....... terrible zoning by the city.

 

Does West have zoning? I know many Texas cities don't have zoning or either didn't until recently.

 

i would really doubt it if they did probably should have said planning instead of zoning as the latter would imply there are laws on the books.

 

I kind of agree with this. That is ridiculous. Guess who is running to the fed for aid now after promoting this kind of deregulation btw?

 

Are you saying you don't want Perry to ask the Feds for aid? He does lots of stupid stuff, but I'm not going to deride him the one time he puts the stupidity to the side and does the best thing for his constituency.

 

He wanted to secede a few months ago. Have him go ask the people of Texas to help out.

 

nope I don't, but flaunting the fact he never asks the govt for aid and his policies are ground breaking is something worth noting.

Its amazing how much the school this guy graduated from can't even stand him. Almost every one at A&M thinks the guy is a tool.

 

I was concerned about how toxic the fumes maybe

Rocket River

 

I'm not sure why they are worried. Mining safety reform wasn't a big deal after tragedies in that industry and it sounds like the fertilizer industry is well wired with the lobbyists they have on board.

 

It has been a sad day for me: my great uncle is a volunteer firefighter from West. He is one of the seven confirmed deaths so far. Please pray for my uncle.

 

I'm not religious, but your late uncle has my deepest respect. I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't know what we'd do without those like him, who put their lives on the line for us everyday. What a tragedy.

 

Prayers sent. A friend of my friend is still missing and a high school friend of mine lost her house in this blast. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

 

Thoughts and energy to your family.

 

Very sorry for your loss. Prayers sent.

 

Last Inspection Of West, Texas Fertilizer Plant Was In 1985

The Associated Press is reporting that the fertilizer plant in West, Texas that exploded on Wednesday night hasn’t been inspected by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) since 1985, nearly three decades ago. It was issued a fine on its last inspection for a violation related to storing ammonia:

Records reviewed by The Associated Press show that OSHA issued the West Chemical & Fertilizer Co., as the plant was called at the time, a $30 fine for a serious violation for storage of anhydrous ammonia.

OSHA cited the plant for four other serious violations of respiratory protection standards but did not issue fines. The maximum fine for a serious violation was $1,000.

The plant was also cited for failing to get a permit in 2006 after a complaint of a strong ammonia smell. That smell was reported to be “very bad” on the night of the explosion. Storing ammonia at fertilizer plants can be very hazardous; in 2008, the Center for American Progress found a fertilizer plant that stored millions of pounds of anhydrous ammonia in Pasadena, Texas to be among the most hazardous chemical facilities in the country, with more than 3 million people living in range of a worst-case ammonia gas release.

A day after the explosion in West, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report documenting a widespread lack of workplace inspections by state OSHA programs. After surveying 22 state-run programs, it found that the agencies had problems with hiring and retaining inspectors, in part due to low pay. State budget cuts have had a big impact, leading to funding problems, and the federal agency often hasn’t taken over state plans because its own budget is too tight. This has meant that a workplace only gets a visit from OSHA inspectors every 99 years on average, with some state programs even worse. In Texas, a plant can only expect an inspection every 126 years.

The report led Rep. George Miller (D-CA) to introduce a bill to give the federal agency more authority to intervene in state plans and strengthen fines and prosecutions against violations. The lack of OSHA inspections contributes to a high rate of workplace deaths in the U.S., with over 4,500 in 2010 alone. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has already stated its opposition to Democrats’ efforts to strengthen workplace safety regulations.

 

The disparity between the reactions to this preventable tragedy, and the more-or-less unpreventable tragedy in Boston, will be interesting (and probaby depressing) to watch.

 

Very sorry to hear that and your uncle has my deepest respect as a man who gave his life to save others.