The West, Texas, ammonium nitrate explosion: A failure of regulation

Abstract

On 17 April 2013, the West Fertilizer Company’s ammonium nitrate storage building exploded, killing 15 persons and injuring over 200. Numerous Federal and State agencies regulated the facility. But none of the agencies demonstrated a viable understanding of what is liable to cause accidental ammonium nitrate explosions, nor what is needed to prevent these. Specifically, none of them recognized the fact that ammonium nitrate fertilizer explosion accidents, when they occur, are inevitably the consequence of an uncontrolled fire and that such fires can be precluded by well-known fire safety measures. In fact, existing regulations have generally focused on everything but features needed to make such storage facilities incapable of sustaining an uncontrolled fire. Ammonium nitrate manufacturers, however, did have technical knowledge concerning safety and were aware of the ineffectiveness of governmental regulations. Espousing proper Product Stewardship principles by the manufacturers would have precluded selling dangerous chemicals to buyers who cannot safely store them.