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PADM 5391 Emergency Management Wen Juin Wang, PhD

Sam Houston State University Spring 2019

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Memo

Date:            24 February 2019

To:               Wen Juin Wang

Associate Professor

                Emergency Management Department

               Sam Houston State University

From:           Eric J. Neal

                PADM 5391 Emergency Management

Subject:       Memo: Description of the Incident

Professor Wang,

As you know there was a tremdous explosion in West Texas on April 17, 2013. The explosion was caused by ammonium nitrate which was store at the West Fertilizer Company. The West Texas Plant supplied farmers with chemicals and fertilizers for the local farming industry around the area. The company stockpiled these products without having proper inspections by OSHA authorities. As quality control went unnoticed for years, the dangers of mishandlings products and questionable documention practices created a recipe for destruction.

The fertilizer company caught fire on the evening of April 17, 2013. As the firefighers arrived with intentions of containing the fire, an explosion the size of 10 tons of TNT rocked the town. The explosion created a crater measuring 93 feet wide, leveling all signs of the fertilizer plant. This unfortunate event killed a reported 15 people and injured over 100 people. The explosion was so large that it demolished several nearby buildings, including a nursing home, apartment complex, schools and private homes. Crawford stated in a report, “A triage center that had been set up at West High School was being moved after emergency personnel became concerned that harmful fumes might spread. Authorities were also monitoring a second tank near the blast site that was prompting concerns of another explosion.” (Crawford, 2013) The next day Texas Task Force 1 and 2 were activated to assist with search and rescue of potential victims that may have been trapped in homes and businesses.

Since the West Texas plant explosions, many OSHA procedures have been restructered to eliminate from it ever happening again. Before the explosion, the last inspection was in 1985. At that time OSHA cited the company for improper storage and charged a fine of $30. In an article written in The Dallas Morning News it stated, “Nearly six months after the West fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 people, injured 300 and caused an estimated $100 million in damage, federal workplace safety regulators on Thursday proposed fines totaling $118,300.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is so far the only agency to move against West Fertilizer or owner Adair Grain, which since the April 17 blast have become symbols of a system that let companies go uninspected and potentially deadly substances go virtually unregulated.” (Formby, 2013) Formby also added, “Under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, OSHA must cite violations within six months of occurrence, a deadline that runs out next Thursday. However, Boxer said OSHA's investigation is not complete. Each violation that OSHA ranks as serious can carry a fine of up to $7,000. A "willful" violation, one done intentionally or in "plain indifference" to the law, can bring as much as $70,000.” (Formby, 2013) After the disasterous event, the road to recovery has been a long one. Not just a structural but also emotional. The lives lost in the tragic event on April 13, 2013, continues to haunt citizens of the area. The constant reminder of the explosion comes from vacant lots were building use to stand. Signs and symbols cover the town as a memorial of those who lost loved ones. The people who survived the event don’t want it to happen again. Citizens of West don’t belive the State of Texas has done enough to prevent it from happening again. Doug Swanson writes, “Texas has taken no measurable steps toward adopting a statewide fire code, which could have prevented the blast. The state has not tightened rules for storing or securing ammonium nitrate, the chemical that exploded at West. Texas still does not require facilities that stockpile such materials to carry liability insurance.” (Swanson, 2013)

The corrections of such an event should become more evident as more and more companies are cited for violations such as West Fertilizer Plant. The state of Texas has to become vigilant in the battle of protecting workers in those types of environment. But, the responsibility is not solely on the state. The owners of these companies should do more to protect their employees and the surrounding area on a day to day basis. We all have to work together to ensure that safe measures are taken and this never happens again.

References:

Crawford, S. (2013). Casualties mounting in West fertilizer plant explosion. Staff writers Emily Goldstein and Jeff Cavallin and freelance writer Caroline Brewton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Formby, B., Wilkins, E. (2013) Obama, House target chemical regulation. Staff writers James Drew, Todd J. Gillman and Sarah Mervosh contributed to this report. Drew reported from Austin, Wilkins and Gillman from Washington, D.C., and Formby and Mervosh from Dallas.

Swanson, D. (2013). It could happen again. The Dallas Morning News. Written by

DOUG J. SWANSON and DAVID TARRANT | STAFF WRITERS

Best Regards,

Eric J. Neal,

PADM 5391 Student

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