General Discussion

Daemonaquila

(1,712 posts)

39. Not really their fault.

Thu Apr 18, 2013, 11:20 AM

Apr 2013

I was listening to the radio this morning during a discussion about how the plant's federal reports described the "worst case scenario" as a 10-minute chemical emission that would be irritating but not fatal. The guest was talking about how this is the norm - plant managers report the worst that they expect to happen, not the worst that could happen. "Otherwise," he said, "no plants would ever be built."

This open corporate lie is a huge problem. When they're this brazen about mis-reporting for emergency planning, we clearly have a broken regulatory scheme and officials at every level who are complicit. This goes a lot farther than blaming officials in that town for allowing various things to be built in potentially dangerous areas.

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Look at West, Texas on Google Maps [View all] sharp_stick Apr 2013 OP

And Perry is inviting 'business' to Texas because they lack regulation. sinkingfeeling Apr 2013 #1

I'm glad you got the order of things right. The plant and storage tanks were there before... slackmaster Apr 2013 #2

It is too bad that local planning/zoning officials cannot be sued over allowing the building of pampango Apr 2013 #3

Land rights! n2doc Apr 2013 #10

Well you do have a right to your land... wercal Apr 2013 #20

Were there any local planning or zoning laws? surrealAmerican Apr 2013 #29

Not really their fault. Daemonaquila Apr 2013 #39

You can tell the plant sharp_stick Apr 2013 #4

The people who worked at the plant probably wanted to live close to it. slackmaster Apr 2013 #42

You know, it's not like this town was built yesterday, kentauros Apr 2013 #5

I'm sure it has sharp_stick Apr 2013 #7

People buy the homes and rent the apartments that are built in proximity to these sites. bike man Apr 2013 #13

It's called complacency. kentauros Apr 2013 #14

That's why you need sharp_stick Apr 2013 #19

Almost right nadinbrzezinski Apr 2013 #28

I hear you. I live in a small Texas town. sammytko Apr 2013 #12

West, Texas, is incorporated. kentauros Apr 2013 #17

Well...truth is Horse with no Name Apr 2013 #43

It looks like the old Main Street is south of the plant... wercal Apr 2013 #18

From what I've read, the company had been in business for 55 years. kentauros Apr 2013 #21

I imagine there were very few regulations in the 1950's wercal Apr 2013 #24

That kind of regulation would be easy (and cheap) enough for most towns. kentauros Apr 2013 #26

chlorine leak from a train wreck in rural part of san antonio killed a couple people in 2004 sammytko Apr 2013 #31

Thanks for that link. kentauros Apr 2013 #36

Anhydrous ammonia also is transported by rail in tank cars pinboy3niner Apr 2013 #40

Thanks for your work in that :) kentauros Apr 2013 #41

The regulation is likely in place wercal Apr 2013 #37

I'm sure when all is said and done we'll find out ... Ganja Ninja Apr 2013 #6

If only they had more guns..... TexasProgresive Apr 2013 #8

Add: Nonexistent or poorly managed safety protocols. n/t FSogol Apr 2013 #9

From what I heard, the plant had been there since the 50's. It's quite likely that... Poll_Blind Apr 2013 #11

I think you're right sharp_stick Apr 2013 #15

There are anhydrous tanks in almost every farming town in the Midwest. Coyotl Apr 2013 #16

Zoning is obviously socialism RyanThomas Apr 2013 #22

It happens all over the country. I saw it yesterday in my town. progressoid Apr 2013 #23

Yay, Free-Dumb! Arugula Latte Apr 2013 #25

Tell me how safe it is around the Chevron refinery Downwinder Apr 2013 #27

I'm not trying to say sharp_stick Apr 2013 #32

A gasoline pipeline exploded at the end of my street in L.A. in 1976; 4 dead, 16 injured pinboy3niner Apr 2013 #33

Texas - the home of deregulation Governor Rick Perry. bushisanidiot Apr 2013 #30

The plant has been there since 1955. n/t tammywammy Apr 2013 #34

A lot of small towns are like this... cynatnite Apr 2013 #35

Ignorance of small (and older) towns seems to be rampant these days. X_Digger Apr 2013 #38