Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), sent a letter to every state governor on July 9 asking them to take action to prevent explosions of ammonium nitrate, the chemical that was responsible for the April 17 explosion at the West Fertilizer facility in West, Texas.
While offering no specific recommendations, Boxer urged the governors to review their state’s applicable requirements for ammonium nitrate, “and in the interests of saving lives, adopt policies that you believe will prevent loss of life while allowing the use of ammonium nitrate with appropriate protections or the use of alternatives.”
Boxer’s letter follows a June 27 oversight hearing held by the EPW (GM July 1, p. 1) during which testimony was heard from the Chemical Safety Board (CSB), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the federal Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), and other witnesses.
“I trust you will agree with me that we must ensure that all available measures are used to prevent explosions of this dangerous chemical,” Boxer’s letter states. “Ensuring proper controls on ammonium nitrate can be lifesaving.”
“Ammonium nitrate can explode when it is heated or contaminated and threatens the lives of first responders and people in communities located near facilities that handle this material,” the letter continues. “Chemical explosions can have tragic consequences, but best practices can prevent disasters.”