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Fertilizer Plant Failed To Get Reauthorized

Ryan Poppe
/
TPR News

Gov. Rick Perry said details are coming in about the destruction in West, Texas and there is still an on-going search and rescue effort for missing families near the blast site.

"We know there were 75 residencies that are either going to have minor to substantial damage, up to and including being pushed off their slabs, and you have a school that has a substantial amount of damage," Perry said.

In 2006 the Texas Commission on Environmental Qualitywas called out to the plant.

"There was an odor complainant so we went out and did the inspection. There was a transition - this facility has been here since 1962 so they were grandfathered up to a certain point. I believe in 2004 they were supposed to come in and get reauthorized - they failed to do so," said TCEQ Executive Director Zak Kovar.

At this point Kovar said the TCEQ has not detected any residual volatile chemicals in the air following the initial blast.

According the EPA there are 108 of these types of facilities listed for Texas, many of them are labeled as oil refineries and chemical plants.

The governor's office said Perry is flying over the blast site, but will not be stopping in the town of West.

Ryan started his radio career in 2002 working for Austin’s News Radio KLBJ-AM as a show producer for the station's organic gardening shows. This slowly evolved into a role as the morning show producer and later as the group’s executive producer.