Records: Texas plant hadn't told feds about explosive fertilizer

[Igel]

13. Read.

"The fertilizer plant that blew up in Texas last week warned state and local officials but not federal agencies that it had 270 tons of highly volatile ammonium nitrate on site."

The locals had the information, or at least sufficient information. So did the state.

Whether they shared it with the fire dept. is another question.

Note that the Federal Fire Department (if there were such a thing) had nobody on the ground.

It's also highly dubious that every time a small-town fire department is called to a fire they check a series of federal databases to see what's been listed as being stored there.

Now, when the owner was contacted as the fire was raging--assuming he was, and that there was enough time--he might have offered the information. Perhaps he did. Perhaps he didn't. Haven't seen that discussed.