Texas Fertilizer plant explosion

[Mott the Hoople]

It appears that this company grossly violated Federal EPCRA (Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act) and CFATS (Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Act). Apparently they had more 1350 times the 400# reporting requirement for CFATS (DHS) and more than 20 times the EPCRA (EPA) reporting requirments of 25,000#.

It's just these kind of incidents that EPCRA, in particular, is dessigned to prevent. If the investigation shows that this was a willful violation of EPCRA reporting requirments then the management of this plant should be looking at some serious jail time.

What unconscionable morons were running this plant?

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

 

[Don Quixote]

It appears that this company grossly violated Federal EPCRA (Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act) and CFATS (Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Act). Apparently they had more 1350 times the 400# reporting requirement for CFATS (DHS) and more than 20 times the EPCRA (EPA) reporting requirments of 25,000#.

It's just these kind of incidents that EPCRA, in particular, is dessigned to prevent. If the investigation shows that this was a willful violation of EPCRA reporting requirments then the management of this plant should be looking at some serious jail time.

What unconscionable morons were running this plant?

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

i started a thread on this in APP, however, the more on this the better

 

[Steelplate]

It appears that this company grossly violated Federal EPCRA (Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act) and CFATS (Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Act). Apparently they had more 1350 times the 400# reporting requirement for CFATS (DHS) and more than 20 times the EPCRA (EPA) reporting requirments of 25,000#.

It's just these kind of incidents that EPCRA, in particular, is dessigned to prevent. If the investigation shows that this was a willful violation of EPCRA reporting requirments then the management of this plant should be looking at some serious jail time.

What unconscionable morons were running this plant?

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

Who cares? They were making money, creating jobs, etc....just like BP in the Gulf, just like Fukushima in Japan, PG&E(of Erin Brockovich fame), the Love Canal, and probably a dozen more that I can't think of.

Yes, there will be lawsuits....yes, money will be paid out. But to them? It's nothing more than a losing bet. They gambled, they lost....eventually.

 

[Don Quixote]

Who cares? They were making money, creating jobs, etc....just like BP in the Gulf, just like Fukushima in Japan, PG&E(of Erin Brockovich fame), the Love Canal, and probably a dozen more that I can't think of.

Yes, there will be lawsuits....yes, money will be paid out. But to them? It's nothing more than a losing bet. They gambled, they lost....eventually.

most of the money the 'losers' pay out is but a fraction of their profit, sometimes even of a day's profit...just a cost of doing business - or they declare bankruptcy and leave the mess that they made for someone else to pay to cleanup, like us via the government

 

[Steelplate]

most of the money the 'losers' pay out is but a fraction of their profit, sometimes even of a day's profit...just a cost of doing business - or they declare bankruptcy and leave the mess that they made for someone else to pay to cleanup, like us via the government

Oh hell, you're preaching to the choir. This is all part of our vampire economy.... privatize the profits, socialize the cost.

EDIT: In short, I am agreeing with you. You know what ought to happen? Every fire station, every EMS provider, and every citizen affected ought to present that company with an itemized bill of THEIR losses and demand payment. I would also go after local, and perhaps State government as to why nursing homes, apartment buildings and s freaking MIDDLE SCHOOL was allowed to be constructed so close to the equivalent of a potential 10 kiloton blast.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Who cares? They were making money, creating jobs, etc....just like BP in the Gulf, just like Fukushima in Japan, PG&E(of Erin Brockovich fame), the Love Canal, and probably a dozen more that I can't think of.

Yes, there will be lawsuits....yes, money will be paid out. But to them? It's nothing more than a losing bet. They gambled, they lost....eventually.

My ass, I bet you they pay dearly.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

most of the money the 'losers' pay out is but a fraction of their profit, sometimes even of a day's profit...just a cost of doing business - or they declare bankruptcy and leave the mess that they made for someone else to pay to cleanup, like us via the government

I don't think cleaning this up is going to be that big of a deal compared to typical remediation costs as CERCLA site. Though obviously it won't be insignificant either. I don't know who the owners of this plant are but they will pay dearly regardless and the managers responsible for plant operations will probably do jail time for not submitting the required reports. Which is justified, their incompetence cost peoples lives and destroyed a lot of property. They should pay dearly.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Oh hell, you're preaching to the choir. This is all part of our vampire economy.... privatize the profits, socialize the cost.

EDIT: In short, I am agreeing with you. You know what ought to happen? Every fire station, every EMS provider, and every citizen affected ought to present that company with an itemized bill of THEIR losses and demand payment. I would also go after local, and perhaps State government as to why nursing homes, apartment buildings and s freaking MIDDLE SCHOOL was allowed to be constructed so close to the equivalent of a potential 10 kiloton blast.

I have news for you, that's probably what's going to happen. Assuming they have insurance, which is highly probable, you'll be seeing a large number of civil suits for property damage and loss of life. EPA and DHS will both come down on them like a ton of bricks, and that's fines and penalties they can't write off via insurance or bankruptcy. Then there's going to be a blame game for those responsible for managing this plant. Any person responsible for the day to day management of the plant who should have known that they had exceeded reporting requirements and did not file the required reports typically goes to prison for 6 months to a year. The ciminal penalties could be more severe since lives were lost.

 

[Steelplate]

I have news for you, that's probably what's going to happen. Assuming they have insurance, which is highly probable, you'll be seeing a large number of civil suits for property damage and loss of life. EPA and DHS will both come down on them like a ton of bricks, and that's fines and penalties they can't write off via insurance or bankruptcy. Then there's going to be a blame game for those responsible for managing this plant. Any person responsible for the day to day management of the plant who should have known that they had exceeded reporting requirements and did not file the required reports typically goes to prison for 6 months to a year. The ciminal penalties could be more severe since lives were lost.

OK. I've read your post and I get it.

But, what if.....and this is only hypothetical, because I truly don't know....this particular fertilizer plant was part of a large conglomerate or consortium that has the financial resources to at the very least, tie up this incident for a decade, or however long it takes for the outrage and passion to die down?

Would it not be conceivable that the risk was worth the loss?