EPA’s failure in West, Texas explosion is “outrageous,” says Senator
Despite urging, agency didn’t add ammonium nitrate to its oversight list
The chair of the Senate committee that investigated the West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion yesterday slammed the EPA for failing to include ammonium nitrate – the substance which caused the fatal blast – in its list of hazardous chemicals that require oversight.
Fifteen people were killed in the April blast and hundreds were injured. With three then-unoccupied schools among the many buildings which were damaged or destroyed, the fatality rate could have been much higher if the incident had occurred during the day.