General Discussion

drokhole

(1,230 posts)

68. For those who don't seem to get it...

Reply to Playinghardball (Original post)

Mon Apr 22, 2013, 07:35 PM

Apr 2013

West Fertilizer Co. Failed To Disclose It Had Unsafe Stores Of Explosive Substance

"It seems this manufacturer was willfully off the grid," Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D-MS), ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said in a statement. "This facility was known to have chemicals well above the threshold amount to be regulated under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Act (CFATS), yet we understand that DHS did not even know the plant existed until it blew up."

(snip)

"I strongly believe that if the proper safeguards were in place, as are at thousands of (DHS) CFATS-regulated plants across the country, the loss of life and destruction could have been far less extensive," said Rep. Thompson.

(snip)

It reported having 270 tons on site.

"That's just a god awful amount of ammonium nitrate," said Bryan Haywood, the owner of a hazardous chemical consulting firm in Milford, Ohio. "If they were doing that, I would hope they would have gotten outside help."

In response to a request from Reuters, Haywood, who has been a safety engineer for 17 years, reviewed West Fertilizer's Tier II sheets from the last six years. He said he found several items that should have triggered the attention of local emergency planning authorities - most notably the sudden appearance of a large amount of ammonium nitrate in 2012.

Texas Fertilizer Plant Failed To Disclose Massive Amount Of Ammonium Nitrate

"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security requires fertilizer plants and depots to disclose amounts of ammonium nitrate, which can be used to make a bomb, above 400 lbs. The West, Texas plant, West Fertilizer, reportedly held 270 tons of the substance, 1,350 times that limit."

West Fertilizer Co. had spotty regulatory history, records show
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-fi-mo-west-fertilizer-co-had-spotty-regulatory-history-records-show-20130418,0,519911.story

This wasn't merely an "accident" waiting to happen and went way beyond gross "negligence". Their actions in what lead to creating what was, in effect, a massive bomb was deliberate. They then not only purposefully withheld this fact, they had a history of violating safety regulations. All in the name of the mighty dollar.

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A massive manhunt and siege in West Texas now? [View all] Playinghardball Apr 2013 OP

Is there a need for one? onenote Apr 2013 #1

-1 villager Apr 2013 #4

+2 zappaman Apr 2013 #5

-3 villager Apr 2013 #8

That cuts both ways. zappaman Apr 2013 #29

- infinite. Javaman Apr 2013 #96

Hey, you started it so you must think it means something. zappaman Apr 2013 #106

I'm rubber your glue...nt Javaman Apr 2013 #109

Oh I dunno, you need to take a chill pill friend. He is right you know. If a terrorist off southernyankeebelle Apr 2013 #7

I dunno is the CEO in custody that owned the plant? Rex Apr 2013 #26

Ever hear of Don Hughart? I kinda doubt it. onenote Apr 2013 #28

Wrong. Rex Apr 2013 #33

I don't think you know what the word "wrong" means. onenote Apr 2013 #36

You just listed people that are not in jail Rex Apr 2013 #38

that would ccme as a shock to gary may. onenote Apr 2013 #39

Perhaps you did not understand the OP? Response to OneNote. JDPriestly Apr 2013 #46

I concur mikeysnot Apr 2013 #54

I understand it. I just don't agree with it. onenote Apr 2013 #61

But how can you assume what the intent was in the fertilizer factory? JDPriestly Apr 2013 #113

Blankenship, a real terrorist, will never be prosecuted. He has too many friends in power and too sabrina 1 Apr 2013 #82

Well, hate to break it to you but you couldn't be more wrong about the Gulf explosion onenote Apr 2013 #83

The supervisors are charged with manslaughter. The Corporation admits to manslaughter but is fined sabrina 1 Apr 2013 #85

+1 ctsnowman Apr 2013 #97

BP workers charged with manslaughter in deadly Deepwater Horizon Gulf blast Sgent Apr 2013 #64

Do I understand you are choosing to stand with the corporate killers? nm rhett o rick Apr 2013 #60

If you're talking to me, the answer is no. onenote Apr 2013 #62

I hadn't heard that the owners of that MineralMan Apr 2013 #2

It's sarcasm. JDPriestly Apr 2013 #47

Since you are not the OP, MineralMan Apr 2013 #66

I don't know whether Jonathan Swift wrote satire... truth2power Apr 2013 #99

And now we've moved two people beyond the OP. MineralMan Apr 2013 #100

I have no idea what you're talking about, but anyone who posts on DU truth2power Apr 2013 #103

They will be held to account. That doesn't happen MineralMan Apr 2013 #105

It seemed easy enough to figure out to me. JDPriestly Apr 2013 #112

Realization of a right-wing wet dream: laizze-faire capitalism run amok indepat Apr 2013 #3

Even worse if capitalism is completely laizze-faire it immediately xtraxritical Apr 2013 #42

Fascinating, the deliberate missing-of-the-point in this thread villager Apr 2013 #6

So you're saying the point about whether there is a manhunt was completely irrelevant to the thread. onenote Apr 2013 #10

Apparently not so dumb as to keep you from participating in it villager Apr 2013 #11

As I'm not very clever (nor pretend to be)... LanternWaste Apr 2013 #17

Please see my post at number 46. If I didn't get the number right, please check for my posts on JDPriestly Apr 2013 #49

These disasters happen in every economic system. former9thward Apr 2013 #9

Do you really think a record of ignoring environmental regulations and safety standards.... villager Apr 2013 #12

Did you do a lot of work building up that strawman? former9thward Apr 2013 #14

yes. we are living in a golden age of corporate responsibility. villager Apr 2013 #19

Whether the corporation is responible or not is besides the point. former9thward Apr 2013 #50

for some of us, it's the exact point villager Apr 2013 #76

"sanctions" and "civil suits" are a far cry from having the guilty parties do time 0rganism Apr 2013 #27

If there was a crime then they will do time. former9thward Apr 2013 #48

We should prevent these incidents. JDPriestly Apr 2013 #53

Yes. former9thward Apr 2013 #58

Do you really think?... MineralMan Apr 2013 #13

Exactly my point. former9thward Apr 2013 #15

Yes. It should be rejected. Industrial accidents are caused MineralMan Apr 2013 #16

Actually, the lack of regulation zipplewrath Apr 2013 #18

Of course a lack of regulation contributes to industrial accidents MineralMan Apr 2013 #20

You appear to be saying that if you didn't happen to be with your father nothing would have happened Fumesucker Apr 2013 #21

No, I am not saying that at all. MineralMan Apr 2013 #65

Complacency doesn't happen in a vacuum zipplewrath Apr 2013 #23

No, but a dirt bag happens in a vacuum. Wednesdays Apr 2013 #86

Industrial Accidents are Caused by Violations of Procedures Stainless Apr 2013 #22

Yes, sadly true. The last fine they got was for $30. (yes, the decimal is in the right place) SunSeeker Apr 2013 #24

It's even more dangerous when all the rules are broken BobbyBoring Apr 2013 #35

Interesting grouping: truebluegreen Apr 2013 #25

Germany is an industrial society Fumesucker Apr 2013 #31

Well, there was an accident at a chemical plant in Oestrich-Winkel last year Art_from_Ark Apr 2013 #67

Yeah but Germany has an advantage CBGLuthier Apr 2013 #98

I'm not sure [MHO] lsewpershad Apr 2013 #32

An issue that is usually overlooked is the relation between these employers and the towns. freshwest Apr 2013 #72

This place only had 9-13 employees (the number varies between sources) LeftInTX Apr 2013 #75

Well, they may rebuild and they may let it go. Rebuilding it would make a few jobs for a while. freshwest Apr 2013 #79

On a human scale, the media is very good LeftInTX Apr 2013 #90

I remember a bad pipeline explosion in what was then the lovely town of Brenham. freshwest Apr 2013 #91

I moved to Texas from Wisconsin when Reagan was president so it's alway seemed low regulation to me LeftInTX Apr 2013 #93

You say accident, I say willful negligence leading to tragic outcomes.nt Ed Suspicious Apr 2013 #37

Amen. nt snappyturtle Apr 2013 #55

We can do better. I heard a radio program about how little, how infinitesimal our budget JDPriestly Apr 2013 #52

I agree. former9thward Apr 2013 #56

People are touchy here today, aren't they? I understand completely what snappyturtle Apr 2013 #30

Is the guy that intentionally fails to lock the gate on his swimming pool onenote Apr 2013 #34

I know where you're going with this. Don't let the owner of the plant snappyturtle Apr 2013 #43

I have never suggested that he should or will be let off the hook onenote Apr 2013 #44

It just looked like you were making possible excuses for the owner. snappyturtle Apr 2013 #45

well, that would be a mistaken understanding of my point. onenote Apr 2013 #63

You're telling me it "takes a while" to bring a corporate criminal to justice. snappyturtle Apr 2013 #71

If the perpetrator has engaged in deliberate, premeditated, intentional murder, it definitely moves onenote Apr 2013 #74

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. snappyturtle Apr 2013 #77

The company that owned the plant is a local company with a handful of employees onenote Apr 2013 #78

Thank you. You've told me more than I knew. I knew snappyturtle Apr 2013 #84

Others on DU have sleuthed the company LeftInTX Apr 2013 #92

Thank you. I guess what I really don't understand is why snappyturtle Apr 2013 #94

paradise JeaneRaye Apr 2013 #40

OH how soon we forget. This country had G.W.Bush for President snappyturtle Apr 2013 #51

I totally agree. JeaneRaye Apr 2013 #104

I totally agree with you too! The secession thingie? snappyturtle Apr 2013 #107

We forget that people can die from lack of regulation just as they can die from terrorism JDPriestly Apr 2013 #41

Message auto-removed Name removed Apr 2013 #57

After 9/11 they talked about terrorist attacks at chemical plants.... Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #59

For those who don't seem to get it... drokhole Apr 2013 #68

Great 1,000th post mojowork_n Apr 2013 #87

A society only responds strongly when it feels its core story is under threat. GliderGuider Apr 2013 #69

That's West, Texas, not West Texas. GreenStormCloud Apr 2013 #70

Is someone running? NCTraveler Apr 2013 #73

k & r lonestarnot Apr 2013 #80

How about a Citizen's Arrest itsrobert Apr 2013 #81

Where's Gomer when you need him? AAO Apr 2013 #102

They're just "savvy businessmen." blkmusclmachine Apr 2013 #88

Gonna add my nickel thought. Separation Apr 2013 #89

wow when some people get hold of a meme, no matter how fucking stupid it is, CBGLuthier Apr 2013 #95

Can we at least agree the fertilizer plant was a weapon of mass destruction? BlueStreak Apr 2013 #101

Wilfull neglect is also a form of violence. hay rick Apr 2013 #108

And no federally-funded "compensation," either. WinkyDink Apr 2013 #110

Is that picture supposed to be humorous? George II Apr 2013 #111