City OKs $10M Settlement for West Fertilizer ExplosionCity OKs $10M Settlement for West Fertilizer Explosion

January 25, 2018

2 Min Read
City OKs $10M Settlement for West Fertilizer Explosion
An animation of the West Fertilizer explosion in 2013 issued by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Image courtesy of CSB

The city council of West, TX agreed upon a $10.4 million settlement from several companies involved in a 2013 explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. plant that left 15 dead and injured several hundreds of others.

El Dorado Chemical Company, CF Industries, Adair Grain Inc., and International Chemical Company – all manufacturers or suppliers of ammonium nitrate – were sued by the City of West following the Apr. 17, 2013 incident for negligence and failure to properly inform West Fertilizer about the dangers of the product.

“The resolution brings to a conclusion more than 4 ½ years of litigation by the city against the fertilizer manufacturers. This is a very good outcome for the community and we could not be more pleased for the folks of West,” attorney Steve Harrison, who represented the city in the suit, told the Waco Tribune.  

Officials filed the lawsuit seeking to pay for damages not covered by insurance or government programs.

A report by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) described the West Fertilizer explosion “one of the most destructive incidents ever investigated” by the agency “as measured by the loss of life among emergency responders and civilians; the many injuries sustained by people both inside and outside the facility fenceline; and the extensive damage to residences, schools, and other structures.”

CSB investigators said flaws in the construction of bins and other building materials, and the facility’s lack of an automatic sprinkler system contributed to the explosion of ammonium nitrate. The plant was completely destroyed in the blast and hundreds of structures close to the facility were damaged.

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