West Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Investigation
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released an article about the catastrophic explosion at the West, Texas fertilizer plant in April 2013 that killed 12 first responders along with 3 other residents, wounded 200 people, leveled dozens of homes and other structures including a school and pretty much wiped the town off the map. It is worth a read. NFPA Journal: In West’s Wake
It turns out that Texas is one of only two States in the USA that does not have a State fire code. The building was a wooden structure with no fire protection system sprinklers and 60 tons of fertilizer grade Ammonium Nitrate were stored inside. This was a bomb waiting to explode in the middle of a neighborhood.
When Rick Perry brags about Texas’ business friendly environment that shuns all those costly needless regulations, he should be reminded him of this story and all the lives that were ruined. And don’t let anyone ever get away with calling this totally preventable catastrophe an Act of God.
It was an Act of Greed.