[14][15][16] In June 2012, the US Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration further fined the facility $5,250 for violations regarding anhydrous ammonia storage.

[13] According to an open records request by Reuters, the plant had a long history of minor thefts, presumably by people wanting to use anhydrous ammonia to make methamphetamine.

[17] In an emergency planning report filed with the EPA in 2011, company officials said the anhydrous ammonia storage tanks did not represent a significant fire or explosion hazard.

[20] A week after the explosion, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told Senate investigators that the company did not appear to have disclosed its ammonium nitrate stock to her department.

[1] This finding is widely disputed, however; there were no named suspects or arrests made, leading to legal and forensic experts criticizing the ATF investigation.

[27] The massive explosion obliterated the West Fertilizer Company plant and caused heavy damage and further destruction to surrounding areas.

Furthermore, according to The Dallas Morning News, Texas law allows fertilizer storage facilities to operate without any liability insurance at all, even when they store hazardous materials.

[31] West Mayor Tommy Muska told the Waco Tribune-Herald that as of late evening, April 17, six or seven volunteer firefighters from the city were unaccounted for.

[34] Sergeant William Patrick Swanton of the Waco Police Department said the operation has gone into a "search-and-rescue mode", aiming to find survivors and recover those who might be trapped in buildings.

Swanton quoted local environmental officials and emergency personnel in saying there was no risk to the community from the smoke fumes rising from the facility.

[35] Over 100 people were reported injured in the blast, and were originally transported to a makeshift triage set up at West High School's football field.

[42] Texas Governor Rick Perry issued a statement on the evening of April 17: We are monitoring developments and gathering information as details continue to emerge about this incident.

[43]President Barack Obama issued his own statement on April 18: Today our prayers go out to the people of West, Texas in the aftermath of last night's deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant.

My Administration, through FEMA and other agencies, is in close contact with our state and local partners on the ground to make sure there are no unmet needs as search and rescue and response operations continue.

West is a town that many Texans hold near and dear to their hearts, and as residents continue to respond to this tragedy, they will have the support of the American people.

[53][54] On April 18, the Texas National Guard sent members of the 6th Civil Support Team to the area to test the air quality and assess chemical and biological hazards.

[55] On June 13, 2013, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declined additional aid to the town, based in large part on the ability of the state of Texas to provide the necessary funds to rebuild.

[57] In 2015, David Schechter of WFAA-TV created a news documentary, titled Rise Up, West: Recovery Starts on the 50-Yard Line, about the plant's explosion.

It found that company officials failed to safely store the chemicals in its stockpile, and that federal, state and local regulations about the handling of hazardous materials were inadequate.

[61] In a statement released alongside the report, the board's chair, Dr. Rafael Moure-Eraso, stated: "The fire and explosion at West Fertilizer was preventable.

It resulted from the failure of a company to take the necessary steps to avert a preventable fire and explosion and from the inability of federal, state and local regulatory agencies to identify a serious hazard and correct it.

[62] Moure-Eraso urged new and revised regulations, stating "there is no substitute for an efficient regulatory system that ensures that all companies are operating to the same high standards.

[65] Some people complained that it delayed victims' lawsuits against the fertilizer company, gave the defendants more legal ammunition, and prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to put a hold on new chemical plant safety rules.