West Memorial - Honoring The Brave

There was a memorial service for the brave first responders who lost their lives in West, Texas. The president was there, and here's some of what he said:

"America needs towns like West. That's what makes this country great, towns like West."

"This small town's family is bigger now, it extends beyond the boundaries of West." 

"We are here to say you are not alone, you are not forgotten."

"We'll be there even after the cameras leave and after the attention turns elsewhere. Your country will remain ever ready to help you rebuild and reclaim your community."

But the most moving tribute I've read came from my friend Jackiesue, who writes the blog Yellowdog Granny. She is a resident of West, and she wrote:

So I'm sitting here watching the live feed ...watching all the people of Texas and all parts of the country come pay their respects to the brave citizens of West, Texas. Then my mind started turning ...I'm looking at the coffins, and thinking of the people in them. I'm thinking of the families..not how they are mourning them today and will for  the coming years. I'm thinking of the birthdays, anniversary's, football games, graduations, weddings, and more celebratory events they won't be here for. Because they were a first responder.

We will miss them for a year or two, and will celebrate their bravery every year but the loss is greater than just one day or a year..Because they were a first responder. It's many lives and life times. Each  death touches so many hearts and lives. A baby  will be born without every knowing it's Dad, that sweet young man will never hold that baby, kiss his wife in gratitude and love for making him a Dad..Because he was a first responder. And he would have been a Dad, not just a father. Because he was a good man. 

They were all good men and they will be remembered for not just the heroic's they showed that night, but for the life they lived right up until that moment. Because they were first responders. Daughters will go to Father Daughter dances with a beloved Uncle. Son's will win trophy's in sports with out their Dad there to cheer them on. Because they were first responders. Wives will remember each anniversary and picture in her heart how they were when they got married but he won't be there because he was a first responder. Fathers and Mothers will age and lament that sons shouldn't die before the parents, that they should have gone first, but their sons  were first responders. West, Texas will continue to live and live their lives, but  for only one reason...the first responders, never hesitated, did not shirk their duty..because they were first responders.

A Disaster That Was Waiting To Happen

By now, you've heard of the disaster in West, Texas -- where a fertilizer plant blew up, killing more than a dozen people (many of them first responders) and injuring nearly 200 people. But as we learn more about that situation, it becomes apparent that this was a disaster just waiting to happen.

The plant was storing about 270 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. To put that in perspective, the federal building in Oklahoma City was blown up using this same type of fertilizer -- but the bomb in Oklahoma City only used about 40 of the 50lb bags of ammonium nitrate, or about one ton. It's no wonder that the explosion in West created a mushroom cloud, since it had the potential of being 270 times as large as the Oklahoma City blast.

The sad part was all of the building that had happened near this dangerous plant. Note on the map above, that there was a park, a retirement home, a middle school, a high school, and many individual family homes very close to the fertilizer plant. I would like to believe that the city leaders in West had no idea just how dangerous the plant was, and how much of the explosive ammonium nitrate was being stored at the plant -- because if they did know, then it was inexcusable to allow this much construction near the plant.

How many other small cities in this country are in the same shape? How many others, many of them so small they don't even have zoning commissions, are allowing construction near fertilizer, chemical, and other dangerous manufacturing facilities? These plants provide many needed good-paying jobs for the residents of these small communities, but it is time to rethink where these plants are allowed to locate (and what kind of construction is allowed around them).

Notes On Disaster In West, Texas

(The image on the left of Willie Nelson is used courtesy of photographer Larry Philpot. More of his images can be seen at soundstagephotography.com and and at onstagemagazine.com.)

The search and rescue efforts in West (the site of the fertilizer plant explosion) has nearly been completed, and the death toll stands at 14 -- many of them first responders sent to fight the initial fire at the plant. It could climb still, but officials don't think that is likely. Nearly 200 people were injured. These are devastating totals for a small city with less than 3,000 inhabitants.

Supplies have been flowing into West for those who lost their homes. In fact, they have received so much that officials are asking that no more goods be sent. Instead, they say people wishing to help should either give blood or send money.

Among those who will be providing aid to the victims in West is Texas icon Willie Nelson. Willie was scheduled to hold a concert on April 28th to celebrate his birthday (he will turn 80 on April 30th). He has said that the concert is no longer a birthday party, but is now a concert to help the victims in West. All proceeds from the concert will be donated to those victims. Willie said:

"West is like our backyard. It's where I grew up. I rode my bike from Abbott to West and back all the time on that road where all this stuff happened."

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of West. There are a lot of our friends and loved ones and neighbors down there. We talked to some of them and some of them made it out OK, and some of them didn't. But they're strong and they'll be back. It's one of those things you don't get over. But you will get through it."

The government of the Czech Republic has also sent a representative to West. The Czech Ambassador Petr Gandalovic, who is stationed in Washington (D.C.), was sent to West by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg on behalf of Prime Minister Petr Necas. West was founded in the 1800s by Czech immigrants, and about 70% of the current residents have Czech heritage. Ambassador Gandalovic said:

"You see it on those storefronts. You see Czech names. You see words like kolache and polka. They're very proud of their Czech descent. They maintain their culture."

"This is a very proud Czech town and unfortunately it has been so terribly hit by this tragedy."

"I hope this will at least console the people here, that they will know that their motherland, the Czech people, are following this and they really are sorry for that."

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/04/19/4788589/the-motherland-mourns-for-battered.html#storylink=cpy

"I hope this will at least console the people here, that they will know that their motherland, the Czech people, are following this and they really are sorry for that,"

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/04/19/4788589/the-motherland-mourns-for-battered.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/04/19/4788589/the-motherland-mourns-for-battered.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/04/19/4788589/the-motherland-mourns-for-battered.html#storylink=cpy

Tragedy Strikes Small Texas City

We haven't even recovered from the tragedy in Boston, when another one hits -- this time in the small city of West, Texas. As firefighters were fighting a blaze at a large fertilizer plant it exploded, killing at least two people (although the final death count could climb much higher) and injuring at least 100. The city is near Waco, and just south of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

For those of you who are regular readers, this blogger has a friend living in West -- blogger and frequent commenter on this blog, Yellowdog Granny. She was not hurt, but has to be psychologically wounded because of the tragedy. My thoughts are with her -- and the other good people of West, as they deal with this devastating incident. Here is part of what the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting:

The number of dead could rise much higher, perhaps to 70, Dr. George Smith, the town's emergency management director, told CNN.

"That's a really rough number," he said. "I'm getting that figure from firefighters. We don't know yet.

"We have two EMS personnel that are dead for sure, and there may be three firefighters that are dead."

About midnight, DPS trooper D.L. Lewis said "a number" of people had been killed.

This is "an unbelievable tragedy," said Lewis, who likened the blast aftermath to Iraq or the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City after the 1996 bombing.

Lewis said he did not have a confirmed number of casualties. He said emergency workers were going to search door to door throughout the night for victims of the powerful blast, which was felt as far north as Arlington and sent a mushroom cloud high into the sky.

He said 75 to 100 homes had been damaged or destroyed in the town of fewer than 3,000 people.

The blast at West Fertilizer, about 20 miles north of Waco, happened shortly before 8 p.m.

At an 11 p.m. news conference, Mayor Tommy Muska said: "We need your prayers. There's a lot of people that I'm sure are not going to be here tomorrow."

Muska said the plant was "fully engulfed in flames" when the explosion happened. Muska, a volunteer firefighter, said he was on his way to fight the fire before "the very powerful" explosion occurred.

The blast "blew my hat off," he said.

Buildings in a five-block radius, including a nursing home with about 130 residents, were significantly damaged, he said. West Middle School on West Shook Street burned.

The fires were under control by late evening, Muska said.

But a big concern was toxic gas.

"The most important thing is to see that everyone is accounted for," he said.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/04/18/4783711/explosion-at-fertilizer-plant.html#storylink=cpy

Cause Of Gas Explosion Still Unknown

About a month and a half ago, a natural gas pipeline fractured near the rural town of Bushland in the Texas Panhandle. There was an explosion that sent flames over 700 feet into the air, and a nearby home was burned to the ground. The explosion rattled windows in Amarillo several miles away, and it took two hours to get the pipeline shut down and the fire under control.

It is still unclear just what caused the pipeline to fracture and explode. El Paso Natural Gas, who owns the pipeline, said there was no corrosion involved, no leaks and no defects in a weld connecting the pipes at the junction. In other words, they just don't know how or why the pipeline exploded.

They are moving the pipeline a little farther from the town though. After they have updated the pipeline, it will not be closer than 400-600 feet from any residence in Bushland (population 1500).

Are you listening Fort Worth? Do you think this can't happen to you. Driven by greed, the Fort Worth City Council has approved the drilling for natural gas in its newly renovated downtown area. Making matters even worse, many property owners inside the city and its suburbs have also signed leases to allow the gas companies to drill.

These politicians and citizens have virtually set off a ticking time bomb inside their own city. I'm sure they all believe nothing can happen. After all, the gas companies have assured them they will be safe and all precautions will be taken. But don't you think the people of Bushland were told the same thing?

Not only will there be gas drilling in the city limits, but to transport that gas there will be miles of pipelines criss-crossing the city. It's not a matter of if, but when an explosion similar to the one in Bushland happens in Fort Worth. And that explosion will be a lot worse and cause a lot more damage in an urban or suburban area.

Wake up Fort Worth! The few dollars you are putting into your pockets now are small payment for what the future destruction will be. It's time to throw the gas companies out and outlaw drilling within the city limits.

Gas Explosion In Potter County

Things got a little dicey here in Potter County early Thursday morning. A gas pipeline ruptured at a pumping station near the rural community of Bushland (about 14 miles east of Amarillo), resulting in a huge explosion and a 700 foot high fireball.

The explosion was heard and rattled windows in Amarillo. At least three people were injured and one house was completely destroyed. It took nearly two hours to get the main gas pipeline shut down and control the fire.

The lucky thing was the explosion happened in a rural area, and injuries and property damage were kept to a minimum. What if this had happened in the middle of a highly populated urban area?

The people of Fort Worth should consider this as a warning for what could happen to their city in the future. I have posted before about how the citizens of that city are signing leases that will let the gas companies drill within the city limits of the urban area. Even if the drilling goes without a calamity happening, it will leave miles of pipelines and pumping stations within the city.

If (or when) this happens in Fort Worth, there will be a lot more than one house burned down or three people injured.

Was BP's Plea Deal Appropriate ?

In 2005, the BP refinery in Texas City exploded, killing 15 people and injuring 170 others. The Justice Department negotiated a plea deal that resulted in a $50 million fine. That may sound like a lot of money to some, but victim's families point out that federal sentencing guidelines called for a fine between $400 million to $3.2 billion.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce is now questioning the appropriateness of the plea deal. They have written a letter to Attorney General Mukasey detailing their concerns and asking to meet with Justice Department officials. They have asked for an answer within 10 days.

The committee has five areas of concern about the plea deal:

- why BP's parent company was excluded from the plea deal and whether parent company executives might have any culpability because of cost cutting measures at the plant.

- whether the "totality of BP's corporate misconduct," the company's history of fines and accidents at other facilities, was fully considered when deciding a criminal penalty.

- why future compliance with the Clean Air Act is not called for in the agreement.

- whether the $50 million fine is sufficient to achieve the goal of deterrence.

- whether prosecutors violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act by not consulting victims about the plea agreement.

After looking at the sentence guidelines and the committee's concerns, it does make the $50 million fine look like a sweetheart deal for the company. The Bush administration does have a history of siding with corporations. Have they once again taken the corporation's side and ignored the victims and the safety of the general public?

It sure looks like it.