The Ammonium Nitrate (AN) explosion in West, Texas on April 17, 2013, which killed 14 people and wounded 200 others, destroyed and damaged the town’s 700 homes and left a crater 93-ft wide and 10-ft deep.
The Chemical Safety Board released findings of an investigation on the explosion on April 22, 2014. The chairman of the Chemical Safety Board, Rafael Moure-Eraso told reporters that the Board found “at all levels of government, a failure to adopt codes to keep populated areas away from hazardous facilities.” There are 1,351 that store AN, and communities are just beginning to collect data on exactly where the material is stored and processed and how close this is to homes and schools.
While no other single chemical has caused more harm, there is very little regulation of AN. Existing regulations include:
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives regulates it as an explosive, but the rules do not apply when the material is used as a fertilizer.
- OSHA does have some regulations for AN, but it does not prohibit storage in wooden bins, and requirements for sprinklers don’t kick in until after 2,500 tons are on-site. The West, Texas explosion had between 40 and 60 tons on site with an additional 100 tons on rail cars adjacent to the site.
- The EPA has a rule to prevent environmental damage from hazardous substances, but AN is not a trigger chemical.
- Texas does not have a statewide fire code and actually prohibits smaller counties from adopting a fire code. There are no siting regulations or requirements for AN near homes, schools, and hospitals.
Agencies, such as the EPA are looking at a number of policy options to address chemical safety.
Click below for additional details on the results from the West, Texas investigation and associated findings.
