A Tragedy Due to Lack of Awareness

On April 17, 2013, a fire and massive explosion occurred at the West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas. This facility was a typical fertilizer retail, blending, and distribution business; like those located in rural farming communities all across America. This catastrophe resulted in 15 fatalities, 260 injuries, and widespread community damage totaling over 230 million dollars in damages.

CSB animation of West Fertilizer Co. initial fire, before the explosion.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) recently released their final report of their investigation into this incident. They labeled it as one of the most destructive incidents ever investigated by the agency due to the extent of fatalities, injuries, and damages sustained both inside and outside of the facility’s fence line. Through their investigation they determined that the explosion was the result of nearly 30 tons of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate (FGAN) being ignited by a structure fire at the facility. In concluding their investigation, the CSB determined several factors that contributed to the severity of this incident.

Since West Fertilizer Company was built in the 1960’s, growth of the city resulted in schools, a nursing home, a park, and residential housing being built within a little as 500 feet from the property. This was allowed to occur because were no federal or state regulations addressing these types of facilities being built near chemical facilities. These zoning regulations in Texas are left to the local government, as is common place all across the country.

The destruction to an apartment complex less than 400 feet from West Fertilizer Co., 

OSHA and the EPA both have a multitude of regulations for chemical facilities, but fertilizer grade Ammonium Nitrate and the fertilizer industry fell through the cracks. Lack of knowledge about the dangers of handling fertilizer grade ammonium was also evident in the way emergency responders handled the initial fire. They had no previous training or plans in place to deal with an incident like this. There are no standard hazardous materials training requirements for volunteer firefighters across the nation. Thirteen of the deaths in this explosion were emergency responders.

These findings can most all be summed up as lack of awareness. Not realizing the true dangers of hazardous materials in facilities like West Fertilizer Company. Through the CSB’s recommendations to various government agencies and their new safety video Dangerously Close: Explosion in West, Texas they hope to prevent history repeating itself.