Explosion at fertilizer plant north of Waco, Texas

[Planogirl]

I went through West today and supported their economy by getting some kolaches!

I wondered about the kolache shops! I hope that they get lots of business.

 

[AC7179]

The community has stepped up and the town is actually asking for a hold on donations ( good) as they lack adequate storage. It's been said cash is the best donation, although I know that's harder for many people, and it is being accepted online at http://www.pointwestbank.com/default.aspx?v=27b33d93-0d3c-4009-8790-1cb7c23972c7. Someone posted the Red Cross link as well. I haven't seen as much of that locally but I know they have been active and am sure donations there would be appreciated as well.

I also can give an address to a school that is taking donations. MSG me is interested.

3 of the 4 public schools in town were damaged and will be closed the remainder of the year. Grades k-6 will be at the elementary school and grades 6-12 will be held at a neighboring district through the end of the year.

So much devastation. It's unbelievable. There are tons of cars in the town that had airbags deploy during the blast and they're still just there. A friend's uncle was killed. My daughter's former teacher's father was killed. A friend's husband lost FIVE friends. A friend's son has a classmate who lost a father.

We didn't know any of the victims personally, and we live probably 25 minutes away. So even though we are not anywhere near ground zero or intimately connected, it is so surreal to see the devastation everywhere. It doesn't feel like real life. I can only imagine how difficult it is for those from the town and those who lost loved ones.

On a positive note, the community has come together in a way that is amazing. I think everyone wants to help, and although they can't make it better, they can help in small ways and are doing so.

 

[Robbi]

The community has stepped up and the town is actually asking for a hold on donations ( good) as they lack adequate storage. It's been said cash is the best donation, although I know that's harder for many people, and it is being accepted online at http://www.pointwestbank.com/default.aspx?v=27b33d93-0d3c-4009-8790-1cb7c23972c7. Someone posted the Red Cross link as well. I haven't seen as much of that locally but I know they have been active and am sure donations there would be appreciated as well.

I also can give an address to a school that is taking donations. MSG me is interested.

3 of the 4 public schools in town were damaged and will be closed the remainder of the year. Grades k-6 will be at the elementary school and grades 6-12 will be held at a neighboring district through the end of the year.

So much devastation. It's unbelievable. There are tons of cars in the town that had airbags deploy during the blast and they're still just there. A friend's uncle was killed. My daughter's former teacher's father was killed. A friend's husband lost FIVE friends. A friend's son has a classmate who lost a father.

We didn't know any of the victims personally, and we live probably 25 minutes away. So even though we are not anywhere near ground zero or intimately connected, it is so surreal to see the devastation everywhere. It doesn't feel like real life. I can only imagine how difficult it is for those from the town and those who lost loved ones.

On a positive note, the community has come together in a way that is amazing. I think everyone wants to help, and although they can't make it better, they can help in small ways and are doing so.

Just donated, thank-you for the link. My prayers are with everyone affected by the explosion.

 

[JessicaR]

I went through West today and supported their economy by getting some kolaches!

I would love to try one!

 

[MichelleVW]

I would love to try one!

They are sooo good!! I'm sure I will probably stop tomorrow on the way home!

 

[jojo9610]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/West-Texas-The-victims-4450894.php

This picture was heartbreaking

 

[Thundergod]

you show me the Ammonia converter and I'll believe it was an anhydrous ammonia plant.

It was nothing more than a terminal where locals could buy their fertilizers and feeds and possibly where they batched together some fertilizers.

I honestly think there were bullet tanks with Anhydrous but what caused the explosion was the fire hitting dry urea fertilizer. BOMB! Think OKC on a much larger scale and not a terrorist attack.

Hey look, come to find out they had 1300 times the amount of ammonium nitrate on site than they should have.. that's what blew.. Just like what was used in OKC by McVeigh

dry urea, urea pellets, I was incorrect saying urea as it's a slang term and should have said ammonium nitrate (urea ammonia nitrate or UAN)

Again they are using the term plant here loosely, this was a terminal used by farmers to get their fertilizers from. Anhydrous, liquid UAN and obviously way to much Ammonium nitrate..

Terrible tragedy.

http://news.yahoo.com/texas-fertili...isclosure-rules-blast-171654800--finance.html

 

[mjantz]

Re: Donations. My DH donated to an organization that is providing meals to those displaced as well as any volunteer workers. It's called Mercy Chefs.
I also found out that I have a connection to the plant owners. I don't know any details but I do know enough to say that this is not a 'Ross Perot' family with millions in a bank somewhere. Most of the plants assets probably went up in flames.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Time for a Grand Jury?

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Originally Posted by A_Princess'_Daddy View Post
It sounds like the company was an OSHA and EPA disaster waiting to happen and I believe that a lack of regulatory oversight will likely soon be shown to have been the cause of this disaster. It sounds like they had no, or at best grossly inadequate, disaster management plans, safety training plans, etc., and because of that, innocent people needlessly died.

Why anyone thinks regulating these types of businesses is bad is beyond me.

 

[kwelch10377]

I hate that the lost in this town is being overlooked by the tragedy in Boston, this people are hurting as well. The nation need to remember them as well.

Well the city of Boston hates the circumstances that caused them to be the "center of attention" and just because they aren't the top story on the news doesn't mean that they nation isn't remembering what has happened there.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I hate that the lost in this town is being overlooked by the tragedy in Boston, this people are hurting as well. The nation need to remember them as well.

How about the 189 who died in a earthquake in China? Or the flooding in the Midwest.

 

[kwelch10377]

How about the 189 who died in a earthquake in China? Or the flooding in the Midwest.

It is sad that we have to deal with all these tragedies and none of them should ever be about who gets the most media coverage or the most thoughts and prayers, they should be about how the communities can work together and overcome these events.

 

[happygirl]

How about the 189 who died in a earthquake in China? Or the flooding in the Midwest.

I agree with you. There should be more mention of this events. Just seems wrong that Boston has got all the news coverage

 

[Thundergod]

Had this been an actual Anhydrous Ammonia plant or a UAN or Ammonium nitrate plant it would have been heavily regulated. They are PSM(process safety management sites) and are held to strict guidelines and regulations.

I am not sure how terminals and coops are regulated when it comes to OSHA but one would think if you had over a certain amount of inventory you would fall under the same conditions. Inventories is one of things that puts plants under heavy regulation and puts them into the PSM category.


Being spring and heavy fertilizing season this place had way to much Ammonium nitrage onsite obviously.

Picture 10-12 uhaul trucks loaded with Ammonium nitrate sitting across the street from your house. You probably wouldn't feel very comfortable knowing what one truckload did in OKC.

The owners definitely should be held accountable.

 

[kwelch10377]

I agree with you. There should be more mention of this events. Just seems wrong that Boston has got all the news coverage

It isn't a competition on who gets more news coverage. I am sure if you ask most of the people affected, they could care less whether or not their events are being covered by the news, they are too busy trying to pick up the pieces of their lives and communities.

 

[phorsenuf]

I agree with you. There should be more mention of this events. Just seems wrong that Boston has got all the news coverage

Hmmm.....an explosion at a fertilizer plant versus a manhunt in a city that just had a bombing and uncertainty of other bombs throughout the city that could go off. While it's sad and tragic what happened in West Tx, It's pretty obvious where the attention will be. Sometimes I think you just like to take the other side to get a rise out of people. But that's IMHO.

 

[Ponygirl]

Sometimes I think you just like to take the other side to get a rise out of people. But that's IMHO.

So you think it is on purpose? Hmmm.

 

[Thundergod]

Hmmm.....an explosion at a fertilizer plant versus a manhunt in a city that just had a bombing and uncertainty of other bombs throughout the city that could go off. While it's sad and tragic what happened in West Tx, It's pretty obvious where the attention will be. Sometimes I think you just like to take the other side to get a rise out of people. But that's IMHO.

lets see, would this have got your attention?


There is a large out of control fire started at an Ammonium Nitrate storage facility that is situated across the street from a middle school and nursing home. A fire at a facility that houses 10x the amount of ammonium nitrate that Domestic Terrorist Timothy McVeigh used to kill 168 people and it's unclear if this fire is an accident or intentionally set but if it reaches the ammonium nitrate it could level this entire town.

Boston=three deaths(crazy man or terroist)

West Texas=15 deaths(accident or unknown)?

 

[phorsenuf]

So you think it is on purpose? Hmmm.

I'm trying to be nice.

lets see, would this have got your attention?


There is a large out of control fire started at an Ammonium Nitrate storage facility that is situated across the street from a middle school and nursing home. A fire at a facility that houses 10x the amount of ammonium nitrate that Domestic Terrorist Timothy McVeigh used to kill 168 people and it's unclear if this fire is an accident or intentionally set but if it reaches the ammonium nitrate it could level this entire town.

Boston=three deaths(crazy man or terroist)

West Texas=15 deaths(accident or unknown)?

Oh please. I am not insinuating that Texas was a trivial matter. Far from it. But it just makes more sense from a news standpoint that people will be all over the Boston story.
And if I recall weren't you the one who kept going on that TX was nothing more then a fire that got out of control and to put the foil hats away?