|
REPLY TO THREAD
|
|
Subject
|
West Blast Investigation Could Be Completed By May 10
|
|
User Name
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Font color:
Font:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Original Message
|
The Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety hearing in Austin was held Wednesday. State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy and Assistant State Fire Marshal Kelly Kistner hope to complete their onsite investigation. Article states there are now 80 working on the investigation instead of 70.
[link to www.kwtx.com]
The committee plans to hear testimony from representatives of state agencies with jurisdiction over such facilities including the Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management, Emergency Management Council, Office of the State Chemist, Commission on Environmental Quality, Department of Agriculture, Department of State Health Services, and the State Fire Marshal's Office.
The force of the explosion damaged or destroyed dozens of homes and buildings including a nursing home, a two-story apartment complex and three of West’s schools, only one of which can be repaired, according to a report from a firm hired to assess the impact of the blast on the facilities.
[link to austin.ynn.com]
"Safety as far as the storing of the chemicals, I think this will give all state agencies the ability to go back and look at the rules they propagate," Homeland Security and Public Safety Chairman, Democrat Joe Pickett, said.
State agencies that help regulate the highly volatile ammonium nitrate were aware of the chemical stored at the plant.
Details released at the hearing also discredited early speculation that members of the volunteer fire department attacked the fire outside of proper procedure. First responders did everything correctly and according to their training, Connealy said.
Approximately 110,000 lbs of anhydrous ammonia was also on-hand at the plant.
Investigators say that even after the blast, that chemical was found safely contained, so they do not believe it played a role in the fire or explosion. Statewide there are more 1,100 facilities like the West plant holding explosive compounds.
The state department of insurance says the amount of liability insurance on hand at the property was insufficient to cover the risk considering the amount of chemicals on hand.
It was also made public at the hearing that no local emergency plan was in place that would have told the proper authorities the amount and type of materials stored at the plant. In West, the community would fall under the McLennan County Plan. In comparison, Harris County has 17 such local planning groups.
They are comparing McLennan County to Harris County. Harris is Houston, so how does that compare?
|
|
Pictures (click to insert)
|
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | Next Page >> |
|
