West Fertilizer Co., West, TX Explosion-15 Dead, Over 200 Wounded

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/FEMA-to-give-West-ISD-20-million-to-rebuild-schools-244723911.html
FEMA to give West ISD $20 million to rebuild schools
February 10, 2014

WEST –– FEMA has granted the West Independent School District a $20 million grant to rebuild the high school and middle school that were completely destroyed in the fatal April 17 explosion.
Congressman Bill Flores (R – Texas) announced the grant Monday morning from the gym of West High School’s temporary home. About $1.9 million will go toward rebuilding the city’s 49,000 square foot intermediate school while $18.8 million will help fund the rebuilding of the high school, said Kevin Hanes, FEMA’s coordinating officer for the region.
The school board is expected to approve the schematic designs for the schools this week and take it to bid in June or July, said West ISD Superintendent Marty Crawford. He hopes to find a contractor by July and begin “moving earth” in early August. The schools should be finished by late 2015 or early 2016, he said.
 
The West Fertilizer Co. plant exploded on April 17, leaving a 10-foot deep, 93-foot wide crater in the northern edge of town. Fifteen people were killed and more than 300 were injured. The middle school and high school were completely destroyed, as was a nursing home.
Estimates by The Insurance Council of Texas put the cost of damages north of $100 million, including $17 million to fix ruined infrastructure under the town.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency initially balked at providing money to help the town rebuild after the explosion. In a letter sent in June, FEMA initially said the blast “is not of the severity and magnitude that warrants a major disaster declaration.”
Gov. Rick Perry appealed the decision in July and by August the feds had reversed track.  The state initially requested $40 million to rebuild the destroyed campuses.  On Monday, Hanes said, “both the intermediate and the high school were completely destroyed and met our requirements for complete replacement costs.”
“This is the seed money that will help them put the pedal to the metal in the planning process and the reconstruction process shortly after that,” Flores said.
In the 10 months since the explosion, Mayor Tommy Muska said 56 new houses have been built, 122 new building permits have been issued for new construction and the rebuilding of the nursing home should start by March 15. He also said the city is waiting on state approval to begin fixing the road infrastructure and the pipes under the city.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kwtx.com/ourtown/home/headlines/West--Town-Hall-Meeting-Scheduled-246954751.html
West: National Design Team To Help West Move Foward
February 25, 2014

WEST (February 25, 2014) An Atlanta-based firm of architects, engineers and designers has been hired by an organization of the local Catholic Diocese to help West residents dream and plan for the future in the aftermath of the deadly April 17, 2013 fertilizer plant explosion.

Forward West, a newly formed group of 14 city and business leaders, hosted a meeting Tuesday evening at the West Community center led by the firm, KAI Design Consultants.
 
West’s new city administrator, Shelly Nors, says she is excited about the effort and hopes it will help residents look to the future rather than focus on the past.

“This team hopes to hear ideas and thoughts from the town’s residents to figure out how to get more people to come into our town even possibly stay for a night or two or even move here."

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kbtx.com/news/tamu/headlines/Disaster-City-Adding-Props-Based-On-Scenarios-From-West-Explosion-and-Moore-Tornado-246969401.html
Disaster City Adding Props Based On Scenarios From West Explosion, and Moore Tornado[/b
February 23, 2014

Firefighters and first responders from around the world come to College Station each year to train at Disaster City.

And instructors want to make sure they're prepared for emergency situations of all sizes.

News 3 looks at some new additions coming after members of Texas Task Force 1 responded to the explosion in West, and the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma last year.

From fighting fires of all different types to searching through rubble, a simulated train derailment and building collapses, Disaster City is a hands-on place to learn and train to potentially save lives.

Jeff Saunders is the Texas Task Force 1 Operations Chief and says the new simulations being built include scenarios they encountered after the fertilizer explosion in West including not being able to use the stairs on some second story apartments.

"So a lot of the work we had to do was on an exposed front and this building is going to have a two story section to it that's going to let us teach our people how to access that second story without the use of anything on the building," Saunders said.

The newest additions to the most famous urban search and rescue training facility in the world is just one more way first responders can simulate disasters they might encounter in real life.

After the devastating E-F 5 Tornado last May in Moore, Oklahoma, they are also adding an underground tornado shelter covered in debris, to see if rescue dogs can find a person taking shelter underground.
 

Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Texas-fire-marshal-to-continue-ammonium-nitrate-tour-248224411.html
Texas fire marshal to continue ammonium nitrate tour
March 3, 2014

ATHENS, Texas (AP) — State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy is continuing to meet with local officials in Texas counties about the dangers of ammonium nitrate, the chemical that detonated in the West fertilizer explosion.
 
The fire marshal's office has been tasked with studying the potential dangers of ammonium nitrate in Texas following last year's explosion in West, which killed 15 people and leveled schools and homes in the tiny Central Texas town.

In the absence of new regulations, Connealy is embarking on a 68-stop tour where significant quantities of ammonium nitrate are stored

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/health/west-nursing-home-ready-for-its-comeback-after-blast/article_9336e1a1-a582-55da-912b-66165ae91af5.html
West nursing home ready for its comeback after blast
March 6, 2014

The rebuilding of West Rest Haven nursing home is almost ready to begin 11 months after a fertilizer explosion destroyed the facility that had been West’s largest employer.
Construction will begin in the next two months on a new building, set to open in mid- 2015 across North Davis Street from the old nursing home.
Mayor Tommy Muska, who sits on the nursing home’s board, said the new facility will be a “milestone” in West’s recovery, bringing back dispersed elderly residents and nursing home staff.
More...

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Town-hit-by-explosion-prepares-to-mark-one-year-anniversary-249662221.html
West prepares to mark one year since deadly plant explosion
March 11, 2014

WEST, Texas -- In just five weeks, the community devastated by a fertilizer plant explosion last April that killed 15 people will hold an anniversary memorial to honor those that lost their lives.

The April 17 event will be West's official tribute, one year to the day from when the West Fertilizer Plant caught fire and exploded.

"It's a high-profile thing and we don't want to mess it up," said Benet Ayers, who along with eight others is heading up a "West 4/17 Forever Forward" committee to oversee the evening.

Ayers said up to 3,000 guests could show up to the town's fair and rodeo grounds.

"We're going to start with a prayer, some remarks, and then do a moment of silence at 7:51," she said. "Then, we'll see the faces of the 15 we lost, just in silence."

There also will be songs, a video tribute, and a speech by Mayor Tommy Muska.

City Secretary Jennifer Schaffer said the event will also strike an optimistic tone, emphasizing just how far the town has come in its rebuilding efforts.

"We can either build on [the explosion], or we can let it define us," she said.
 

http://www.cityofwest.com/417memorial

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kvue.com/home/254127801.html
'Rise up: West' debuts almost a year after blast
April 6, 2014

WACO -- More than 1,000 people attended the debut of the WFAA documentary "Rise Up: West" on Sunday afternoon.
The 66-minute story chronicles the journey of the West High School football team in the months after the April 17, 2013 fertilizer plant explosion that killed 15 people in the Central Texas town.



Coach David Woodard said he was a little weary before seeing the final product. He said he hopes the film resonates with the town as the one-year anniversary of the explosion nears.
“Despite what happens in our life, we have to pick ourselves up the next day and move forward," said Woodard, who is in his first year as coach of the Trojans.
WFAA photojournalist Mike Richard spent weeks with the Woodard family, recording images sunrise-to-sunset to capture the challenge of coaching a team that just experienced enormous devastation and loss.
 
WFAA senior reporter David Schechter is the voice of the story. He said from the beginning it was important to focus on the town's future as seen through the eyes of the players.
“We tried to capture the essence of what it means to keep going forward," Schechter said.
The documentary will be broadcast on WFAA Channel 8 on Saturday, April 12 at 6 p.m.
Producers Jenny Lyon and Meagan Harris, along with photojournalist and editor Greg Johnson, were also integral parts in helping piece together the finished product.
West ISD also provided incredible access to its schools and students.
West Mayor Tommy Muska told News 8 after the screening he thought the end product was "really very good. A lot of time went into that."
The Trojans only ended up winning one game this past season, but Kolacek said the documentary does a good job of showing they're actually ahead in all the ways that matter.
"We went in there and tried our best," he said.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/25243759/fire-chief-urges-changes-ahead-of-west-anniversary
Fire chief urges changes ahead of West anniversary
April 14, 2014

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The state fire marshal wants 46 facilities that store ammonium nitrate in Texas to make safety improvements following the deadly West fertilizer plant explosion last year.

State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy on Monday proposed new building requirements ahead of this week's anniversary of the April 17 blast at West Fertilizer Co.
 
Connealy testified to a House committee that facilities similar to West Fertilizer should be given three years to either install sprinklers or retrofit their buildings to mitigate the potential for explosions.

But lawmakers are already warning of industry pushback.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Memorial-park-in-West-starts-to-take-shape-255366491.html
Memorial park in West starts to take shape
April 15, 2014


Credit: David Baldwin
West City Park

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Exclusive-new-video-of-West-TX-explosion-shows-power-of-blast-255538931.html
New video of West explosion shows power of blast
April 16, 2014

WEST, Texas — News 8 has obtained an exclusive new video of the deadly fertilizer plant explosion in West that illustrates just how powerful it was.
The images, taken by a father and son, give a clearer picture of the giant shock wave released by the explosion.
“I just happened to throw it up at about that time,” said Jeff Tobola, who shot the video with only a moment to spare.
He’s kept it private until now.
“You almost felt it," he said. "It was almost like electricity in the air because you actually saw it before  it actually happened."
 
News 8 shared the video with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to get an explanation of what can be seen in the video. Citing an ongoing criminal investigation, the ATF declined to comment, but said it is reviewing Tobola’s video to help them determine the cause of the fire, which is still unknown.
However, Lt. C.T. Payne with the Garland Bomb Squad did review the video for News 8. It shows the entire ignition took only two frames of the footage — a fraction of a second.
“The first thing you’re seeing is the light from the blast itself,” Payne said.
Payne added the white cloud rising from the blast is a cloud of gas. Around it is what Payne says is the massive shock wave.
“What you’re seeing is as it’s coming off of it, that’s the shock wave that’s pushing out at the same time,” he said.
Which is exactly what Tobola felt.
“You felt that wave of energy just right through you," he said. "There’s no doubt you felt that."

[MuffyBee]

Note:  There's a video at the link in the above article ^^^. 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/25266161/state-awards-48m-to-west-recovery-efforts
State awards $4.8M to West recovery efforts
April 16, 2014

WEST, Texas (AP) - State officials say an additional $4.8 million in disaster assistance will be provided to the Central Texas community of West as it continues to rebuild from the devastating fertilizer plant explosion last year that killed 15.

 
It will be used for work on water treatment and storage facilities, infrastructure repairs and other needs.
 
The explosion that was so intense it registered as a small earthquake and left a 93-foot crater.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/25264705/victims-in-texas-blast-choose-closure-over-answers
Victims in Texas blast choose closure over answers
April 16, 2014

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kvue.com/news/255545081.html
Faces of West tragedy struggle to push forward
April 16 2014

Watch video.  Also includes how to donate to the schools.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Year-after-blast-Texas-town-ponders-new-plant-5413496.php
Year after blast, Texas town ponders new plant
April 18, 2014

WEST, Texas (AP) — Leaders in a Central Texas town devastated last year by a deadly fertilizer plant explosion are contemplating building a new one, calling it a crucial step in West's economic recovery.

The idea has raised anxieties among locals, who say the continued lack of state and local regulations would put them at risk of another disaster. But many residents and officials see a new plant as a necessary risk for a town whose economic lifeblood is agriculture.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2014/04/17/photos-west-one-year-later
PHOTOS | West: One Year Later
April 17, 2014

Photo Credit: Charlie Pearce | Daily Texan Staff

[MuffyBee]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/22/us/west-texas-fertilizer-plant-explosion-investigation/
West, Texas, fertilizer plant blast that killed 15 'preventable,' safety board says
April 22, 2014

[MuffyBee]

This was no surprise to me.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Year-after-Texas-plant-blast-no-new-safety-laws-256151121.html
Year after Texas plant blast, no new safety laws
April 22, 2014

DALLAS -- It has been a year since a fire caused a huge explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant that killed 15 people, yet companies in the state can still store hazardous chemicals in flammable wooden containers in buildings without sprinklers and volunteer firefighters like those who rushed into that plant still aren't required to train how to fight such fires.

Despite investigations that have yielded new information about safety deficiencies at the plant in West and voluntary safety steps taken by the fertilizer industry, there hasn't been a single state or federal law passed since the explosion requiring change.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which is leading one of those investigations, will present its findings and recommendations at a meeting Tuesday in West, a city of 2,800 people about 70 miles south of Dallas.

The federal agency has interviewed West Fertilizer Co. employees and victims of the explosion and conducted studies of how the blast occurred. A fire at the plant led to conditions that caused the detonation of up to 34 tons of ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer component and industrial explosive.

Daniel Horowitz, the board's managing director, told The Associated Press on Monday what some other experts have also said: The plant's storage of ammonium nitrate was potentially dangerous and West's firefighters and residents didn't realize how dangerous a fire there could be.

While key questions remain unanswered, including the exact cause of the fire, "we know more than enough to keep this from happening again," Horowitz said.

He said several developments since the explosion have helped. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued guidelines for the storage of ammonium nitrate and the national industry group for fertilizer producers has created an organization that will offer voluntary inspections of U.S. dealerships.

"What we don't have at this point is any change whatsoever to federal or state mandatory codes," Horowitz said. "Without that, it's still permissible for a company to store ammonium nitrate in wooden bins. It's still permissible for ammonium nitrate to be stored near a school or a hospital."

Texas Fire Marshal Chris Connealy is traveling to small towns with ammonium nitrate storage facilities to discuss its safe handling and disaster preparation, and his office created a Web page where users can type in their zip codes to see if they live near a storage facility. It doesn't provide the names of facilities and has been little used thus far.

Connealy has said 46 facilities in Texas should be required to install sprinkler systems or retrofit buildings with non-combustible materials. He is working with state lawmakers on a potential bill to be considered by the Legislature when it reconvenes in January.

Texas law still prohibits small counties from adopting a fire code, and the volunteer firefighters who serve much of rural Texas are not required to obtain training on how to deal with fires like the one at the West Fertilizer Co. plant, though many of them do.

The Chemical Safety Board, which has no regulatory authority, held a separate inquiry from the main investigation led by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Texas State Fire Marshal. That investigation narrowed the possible causes of the plant fire to three things - a golf cart battery, an electrical system or a criminal act - but didn't go further.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/No-answers-no-closure-for-residents-of-West-256299541.html
No answers, no closure for residents of West
April 23, 2014

After the deadly fertilizer explosion in West, residents of that Central Texas town got a chance to hear directly from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board Tuesday evening.
The CSB placed blame for the blast on the fertilizer company and a lack of government oversight. It said the incident was entirely preventable.
Although the board has no power to enforce its recommendations, it is calling for tougher regulations on ammonium nitrate, which is what exploded with such ferocity on April 17, 2013.
 
"I think it's important people get a finality... to know what did really happen," said Dr. George Smith of West EMS.
But that's not what happened on Tuesday night.
More than 100 West residents did not learn what caused the initial fire at the West Fertilizer Company plant, because the preliminary findings of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board didn't offer a cause.
"If the lessons from West don't cause any change in Texas or throughout the U.S., I would consider that a second tragedy," board member Dr. Beth Rosenberg said.
Instead, the CSB and its investigators conveyed that massive lapses in emergency planning and regulations surrounding the storage of ammonia nitrate set the stage for a tragedy that was "preventable."
The investigation placed some of the fault on the shoulders of local officials. "McLennan County's local emergency planning committee didn't have an emergency response plan for West Fertilizer," the report said.
The county's emergency manager, Frank Patterson — who was featured in a series of News 8 Investigations — said guidelines should be made more clear about just what is expected from whom when it comes to regulation.
Between 40 to 60 tons of ammonia nitrate was being stored at the plant when the fire exploded.
A separate investigation done by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms last year also failed to identify a cause.
Residents of West now worry that a concrete determination as to what sparked that fire may never be known.

[MuffyBee]

http://kxan.com/2014/05/02/west-explosion-trials-delayed-to-june-2015/
West explosion trials delayed to June 2015
May 2, 2014

WACO, Texas (AP) — A judge has delayed the first of three civil trials in the West fertilizer explosion that killed 15 people.

State District Judge Jim Meyer in Waco agreed on Thursday to postpone the first trial six months to June 2015.

The Waco Tribune-Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1nPXWZ0 ) that an attorney for one of West Fertilizer Co.’s suppliers said he needed more time to prepare for what’s already become a complex process.

More than 100 residents, business owners and insurers have sued Adair Grain, the plant’s owners, as well as Illinois-based CF Industries and other companies that sold ammonium nitrate to the plant.