West Fertilizer Co.

12 Stories

Only 3 Things Could Have Caused Texas Blast

Official cause of West Fertilizer disaster: 'undetermined'

(Newser) - Investigators working in the remnants of an exploded Texas fertilizer plant sifted by hand through untold grains of corn, moved tons of debris, and conducted more than 400 interviews while searching for the missing piece to solve what many officials compared to an extraordinary puzzle. One month after a fire...

Texas Pipe Bomb Mystery Deepens
Texas Pipe Bomb Mystery Deepens
May 11, 2013 4:13 PM CDT

Texas Pipe Bomb Mystery Deepens

Bryce Reed was 'let go' as paramedic after fertilizer plant blast

(Newser) - The Texas fertilizer plant blast first responder charged with possession of a "destructive device" will plead not guilty and maintains he had nothing to do with the explosion. Paramedic Bryce Reed, 31, was arrested after he allegedly gave materials for a pipe bomb—including galvanized metal pipe, a fuse,...

Explosive in Texas Plant Blast Revealed

West Fertilizer expected to file for bankruptcy

(Newser) - As expected, investigators have confirmed that the explosive behind the West Fertilizer plant blast last month was ammonium nitrate. However, they still don't know how it was ignited—the investigation will take another one to two weeks to determine that, the AP reports. As you may recall, the plant...

Meth Ingredient Continually Stolen From Texas Plant

Thieves stole gallons of anhydrous ammonia

(Newser) - First we learned the exploded Texas fertilizer plant was lacking in basic fire safety protection, then that it didn't report several hundred tons of ammonium nitrate to Homeland Security. This week's revelation: West Fertilizer Co. was a repeat target of thieves stealing anhydrous ammonia and tampering with tank...

Obama at Texas Memorial: 'You Are Not Forgotten'

President travels to Waco near site of plant explosion

(Newser) - President Obama and the first lady took part in a memorial service in Waco, Texas, this afternoon for the victims of last week's fertilizer plant explosion . While the "eyes of the world may have been fixed on places far away, our hearts have also been here in your...

What Texas Plant Didn't Reveal to Homeland Security

'A god awful amount of ammonium nitrate'

(Newser) - A lack of sprinklers and fire walls wasn't the only safety issue at the Texas fertilizer plant that exploded, killing at least 14 and injuring hundreds, on Wednesday: West Fertilizer had failed to report the 270 tons of ammonium nitrate it was storing to the Department of Homeland Security,...

Texas Plant Had No Sprinklers, Fire Walls

10 first responders believed to be among the dead: mayor

(Newser) - Authorities are coming to grips with the extent of the devastation following a Wednesday night explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant . About 200 people were injured and 12 bodies have been recovered so far, the AP reports. That's far fewer than the nearly 40 victims Mayor Tommy Muska had...

Wow: Runner Escapes Boston Bombs, Texas Blast

Joe Berti was there for both

(Newser) - Not too many people can relate to this week better than Austin's Joe Berti. He raced in the Boston Marathon and figures he crossed the finish line about 30 seconds before the first bomb went off, reports AP . His wife got hit with shrapnel but escaped serious injury. The...

Nelson to Play Benefit for Blast Victims—His Neighbors

He grew up few miles away in Abbott, Texas

(Newser) - Willie Nelson will turn an upcoming Texas concert into a benefit for victims of the explosion at a fertilizer plant not far from where he grew up. Nelson still has a home in Abbott, Texas, about five miles north of West, which was rocked by last night's explosion that...

Texas Plant Told State It Could Not Explode

Governor Perry requests federal state of emergency

(Newser) - News outlets are digging into the West Fertilizer plant's regulatory filings and finding that, in light of the explosion that may have killed as many as 15 people and injured about 160, the plant might have undersold the risks a tad. While the company did tell regulators it had...

Dozens Feared Dead in Texas Plant Blast

Locals evacuated amid concerns of another explosion

(Newser) - At least five to 15 people have died in a fertilizer plant explosion near Waco, Texas, NBC News reports—and the toll could ultimately be in the dozens, notes the Dallas Morning News . The number of people injured has already passed 160 as patients grapple with "blast injuries, orthopedic...

Scores Hurt as Blast Rocks Fertilizer Plant Near Waco

Devastating explosion hits West, Texas

(Newser) - A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant near Waco tonight injured dozens of people, left the factory a smoldering ruin, and damaged buildings for blocks in every direction. The blast at the plant in West, a community north of Waco, happened shortly before 8pm and could be heard 45 miles...

12 Stories