Massive explosion in Waco area Fertilizer plant

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Current sitrep from the state:
ftp://ftp.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/sitrep/Fertilizer%20Plant%20Explosion%20Sitrep%201%20041813.pdf

[fhdz]

Government's Society's view of risk and risk management is incredibly immature.

Fixed.

Much time is spent trying to predict disasters (x) with very little effect outside of getting lucky instead of focusing on exposure to risks - F(x).

[mongers]

Why wasn't this plant a good 2-3 miles out of town, it's not like Texas lacks the necessary space or that Texans insist on walking to work.

[Legbiter]

Why wasn't this plant a good 2-3 miles out of town, it's not like Texas lacks the necessary space or that Texans insist on walking to work.

Zoning laws are for pussies.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

From Reddit:

While not official (we consider "official" based upon what is posted by USFA/NFFF) - details from reliable and involved fire service leadership at the scene in West, Texas (20 miles north of Waco) are indicating that, at this time it appears that: 5 West Firefighters, 4 EMS Medics, 1 Off Duty Fire Captain from Dallas (who was in town at the time and was assisting) and 1 unconfirmed (unknown agency at this point) Firefighter have been killed in the Line of Duty.  Active search and rescue operations are continuing.

The 11th may be a currently-missing firefighter from Navarro Mills.

[jimmy olsen]

Why wasn't this plant a good 2-3 miles out of town, it's not like Texas lacks the necessary space or that Texans insist on walking to work.

The plant was built in the '50s. I presume it was in the middle of nowhere at the time and town grew up around it over time.

[mongers]

Why wasn't this plant a good 2-3 miles out of town, it's not like Texas lacks the necessary space or that Texans insist on walking to work.

The plant was built in the '50s. I presume it was in the middle of nowhere at the time and town grew up around it over time.

If so it should have been re-zone and if necessary the municipality help with a few local tax breaks to get it relocated. 

[dps]

Why wasn't this plant a good 2-3 miles out of town, it's not like Texas lacks the necessary space or that Texans insist on walking to work.

The plant was built in the '50s. I presume it was in the middle of nowhere at the time and town grew up around it over time.

If so it should have been re-zone and if necessary the municipality help with a few local tax breaks to get it relocated. 

The population of the city's only about 2800--it didn't do much growing at all.  And it's area is only 1.6 sq. mile, so there's nowhere within town it could be relocated to that's not close to anything, tax breaks or not.  And generally when things are rezoned, anything already there is grandfathered in.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Why wasn't this plant a good 2-3 miles out of town, it's not like Texas lacks the necessary space or that Texans insist on walking to work.

The plant was built in the '50s. I presume it was in the middle of nowhere at the time and town grew up around it over time.

West has been a town since 1892 and was already substantially populated by the 1920s.

Why the plant is at that specific location I don't know, but it is tied to that rail line.  That's how all the material gets in.  Its possible the town did grow north along 35 after the plant was built, since the center of town is well away from it and was far enough away to not be significantly affected.

[mongers]

What's the risk-reward of these plants given they tend to go up quite regularly ?

Handful of jobs vs risk that half the town gets flattened once a century ?

[CountDeMoney]

There's 100s of towns in Texas, Oklahoma and other states just like West, built around fertilizer plants.
And as long as there's been ammonia nitrate fertilizer, there's been explosions destroying towns.

Chemical blast brings echoes from ship explosion disaster 66 years earlier
The deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant that ripped through the town of West, Texas, on Wednesday, stirred echoes of one of the worst industrial accidents in United States history, which struck the state 66 years ago earlier this week.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/18/17805986-chemical-blast-brings-echoes-from-ship-explosion-disaster-66-years-earlier?lite

To this day, there is no definitive death toll. The Texas State Historical Association notes that 576 people are listed on the site's memorial wall but that many more may have died.

Because so many victims were so horribly mangled, and because of the number of foreign sailors and itinerant dockworkers, it is impossible say how many people actually perished, both the library and the historical association say.

My Dad lived in Texas City as a kid a couple years after that.  Grew up hearing true horror stories about that day.

[mongers]

There's 100s of towns in Texas, Oklahoma and other states just like West, built around fertilizer plants.
And as long as there's been ammonia nitrate fertilizer, there's been explosions destroying towns.

Chemical blast brings echoes from ship explosion disaster 66 years earlier
The deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant that ripped through the town of West, Texas, on Wednesday, stirred echoes of one of the worst industrial accidents in United States history, which struck the state 66 years ago earlier this week.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/18/17805986-chemical-blast-brings-echoes-from-ship-explosion-disaster-66-years-earlier?lite

To this day, there is no definitive death toll. The Texas State Historical Association notes that 576 people are listed on the site's memorial wall but that many more may have died.

Because so many victims were so horribly mangled, and because of the number of foreign sailors and itinerant dockworkers, it is impossible say how many people actually perished, both the library and the historical association say.

My Dad lived in Texas City as a kid a couple years after that.  Grew up hearing true horror stories about that day.

Yeah, that was the one I was remembering. 

These plants go up the world over, remember that French one from a few years back ? 

Though there's a disturbing trend in trucks carrying around 20 tons going off in recent years; wiki had long list.

[MadImmortalMan]

What's the risk-reward of these plants given they tend to go up quite regularly ?

Handful of jobs vs risk that half the town gets flattened once a century ?

It's gotta go somewhere.

[garbon]

These plants go up the world over, remember that French one from a few years back ? 

France? As if.

[mongers]

Kind of a odd coincidence that this happens in the week of the 20th anniversary of the Waco siege.