Feds: New laws, oversight needed after Texas blast
WEST, Texas (AP) — Federal investigators and experts say Texas and federal agencies have a long way to go to prevent another disaster like the catastrophic fertilizer plant blast that killed 15 people a year ago.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board held a hearing Tuesday night in West, Texas, where an explosion of ammonium nitrate one year ago also injured 200 people and leveled part of this tiny city.
They spoke before a packed room of local officials and residents a few miles from where the plant once stood.
Experts say the patchwork of federal, state and local regulations still needs to be improved.
They say volunteer firefighters are still given conflicting guidance and not enough training on whether to fight a fire with ammonium nitrate and when to retreat.
