West Fertilizer Company explosion
Explosion site several days after the event
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| Time | 7:50:38 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
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| Date | April 17, 2013 |
| Location | West Fertilizer Co., 1471 Jerry Mashek Drive, West, Texas, United States |
| Coordinates | 31°48′58″N 97°05′17″W / 31.816°N 97.088°WCoordinates: 31°48′58″N 97°05′17″W / 31.816°N 97.088°W |
| Cause | Arson |
| Deaths | 15 |
| Non-fatal injuries | Approximately 160-200 |
| Property damage | West Fertilizer Company building obliterated, 60–80 homes destroyed, 50–75 homes damaged, 50-unit apartment building destroyed,West Middle School damaged |
 "Dangerously Close: Explosion in West, Texas". U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board safety video about the fire and explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas |
On April 17, 2013, an ammonium nitrate explosion occurred at the West Fertilizer Company storage and distribution facility in West, Texas, eighteen miles (29 km) north of Waco, while emergency services personnel were responding to a fire at the facility. Fifteen people were killed, more than 160 were injured, and more than 150 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Investigators have confirmed that ammonium nitrate was the material that exploded. On May 11, 2016, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said that the fire had been deliberately set.
West Fertilizer Company has supplied chemicals to farmers since it was founded in 1962; as of 2013[update] it was owned by Adair Grain, Inc. and employed nine workers at the facility.
At the time of the incident, the plant had last been inspected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1985. According to records obtained by the Associated Press, OSHA cited the plant for improper storage of anhydrous ammonia and fined it $30; OSHA could have imposed a fine of as much as $1,000. OSHA also cited the plant for violations of respiratory protection standards, but did not issue a fine. OSHA officials said the facility was not on their "National Emphasis Plan" for inspections, because it was not a manufacturer, had no record of a major accident, and the Environmental Protection Agency did not consider it a major risk.
After a complaint in 2006 about an ammonia smell coming from the facility, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality investigated and cited the operator for not having obtained a permit for its two storage tanks containing anhydrous ammonia. A permit was issued once the operators brought the facility into accord with agency regulations and recommendations. Also in 2006, the EPA fined the owners $2,300 for problems that included a failure to file a risk management program plan on time. In June 2012, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration further fined the facility $5,250 for violations regarding its storage of anhydrous ammonia.
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