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Deadly West, Texas, Fertilizer Plant Explosion Was 'Criminal Act': Feds

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[h=1]Deadly West, Texas, Fertilizer Plant Explosion Was 'Criminal Act': Feds[/h]
A 2013 fertilizer plant blast in West, Texas, that killed 15 people and injured 160 others was caused by a "criminal act," federal officials said Wednesday.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revealed the findings of its investigation of the deadly fire and explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. on April 17, 2013 — the same week the nation was gripped by the Boston Marathon bombing.
ATF Special Agent Robert Elder said they agency is offering a $50,000 reward to help find the person who committed the "crime," which was determined to be the reason for the explosion after "we ruled out all accidental and natural causes."
Elder couldn't say why someone would have set the fire.
"I think it's too early to speculate on murder charges," he added.


No arrests have been made, but more than 400 interviews have been conducted amid the investigation, Elder added.
Among those who dead in West were 10 first responders and two volunteers who were killed while fighting the initial fire before the blast occurred just before 8 p.m. local time.
The explosion flattened the rural farming community of 2,800 people, just north of Waco, turning it into rubble as people tried desperately to flee the horrific scene.
Deadly West, Texas, Fertilizer Plant Explosion Was '''Criminal Act''': Feds - NBC News
 
The phrase 'Criminal Act' is broad and subjective, do they mean arson, or criminal neglect,
I.E. someone did not close a valve, that they should have, and it resulted in deaths.

It is interesting the word terrorist was not used as well.
 
The phrase 'Criminal Act' is broad and subjective, do they mean arson, or criminal neglect,
I.E. someone did not close a valve, that they should have, and it resulted in deaths.

It says in the article,

ATF Special Agent Robert Elder said the agency is offering a $50,000 reward to help find the person who committed the crime, which was determined to be deliberate after "we ruled out all accidental and natural causes." But he could not say why someone would have set the fire.
 
Didn't that happen a few days after Rick Perry held a press conference boasting about how business friendly Texas is because they don't have a lot of regulations? Or was that a different plant?
 
A piece on Fox,
Investigators: 2013 West fertilizer plant blast a 'criminal act' | KDFW
said the fire was “incendiary,” saying it was set.
I am still not sure why they are being vague about it.

They're being vague so that when they question a suspect, and the suspect gives details that have not been released by the police and are only known by the police and the perpetrator, they will have more proof that they have the correct suspect. It's tactics like that which lead to reasonable suspicion for arrests and probable cause for search warrants and so on.
 
Didn't that happen a few days after Rick Perry held a press conference boasting about how business friendly Texas is because they don't have a lot of regulations? Or was that a different plant?

A piece on Fox,
Investigators: 2013 West fertilizer plant blast a 'criminal act' | KDFW
said the fire was “incendiary,” saying it was set.
I am still not sure why they are being vague about it.
I hope Texas isn't being a bit too business friendly here, by vaguely calling the fire "incendiary" and "criminal". Such would seem to ameliorate some of the legal repercussions in my non-lawyer's mind, and the cynic in me can't help but wonder.

That being said, I remember seeing this harrowing video on CNN:

 
I hope Texas isn't being a bit too business friendly here, by vaguely calling the fire "incendiary" and "criminal". Such would seem to ameliorate some of the legal repercussions in my non-lawyer's mind, and the cynic in me can't help but wonder.

That being said, I remember seeing this harrowing video on CNN:



This was a FEDERAL investigation

And I distinctly remembering how the big government loving Leftists jump all over this.
 
This was a FEDERAL investigation

And I distinctly remembering how the big government loving Leftists jump all over this.
Whoa!

Alright, fair enough. I missed that it was a fed investigation. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. So I agree, it's likely more immune to local economic pressures.

But I tend to be cynical about the crookedness of government in general, especially local govs like mine. I would never trust my local guys to get it legit, that's for sure.
 
Whoa!

Alright, fair enough. I missed that it was a fed investigation. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. So I agree, it's likely more immune to local economic pressures.

But I tend to be cynical about the crookedness of government in general, especially local govs like mine. I would never trust my local guys to get it legit, that's for sure.

There were some highly dangerous situations that were addressed after the blast which was a good thing. Using it as an excuse for bigger government and to trash the owners, residents and the state of Texas was just wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdDuHxwD5R4
 
There were some highly dangerous situations that were addressed after the blast which was a good thing. Using it as an excuse for bigger government and to trash the owners, residents and the state of Texas was just wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdDuHxwD5R4
Thanks for the video.

But I didn't see any evidence of trashing in the video. It appeared to me to be factual and even-handed.

And I'm not sure about your claim to "bigger government" and it "being wrong". I see several regulatory changes taking place, and they seem appropriate to me.

If there's evidence to your claims above, I honestly didn't see it at all in the video you presented - if that's the point you're attempting to make.
 
It says in the article,

ATF Special Agent Robert Elder said the agency is offering a $50,000 reward to help find the person who committed the crime, which was determined to be deliberate after "we ruled out all accidental and natural causes." But he could not say why someone would have set the fire.

That's not something they could have independently verified. It could very well have been accidental and the person responsible may not have even realized their mistake. It could have been negligence and no one is owning up to it. They're saying it was intentional. I say they'll never have enough evidence to indict anyone let alone convict.
 
This was a FEDERAL investigation

And I distinctly remembering how the big government loving Leftists jump all over this.

Edit: wrong post
 
I hope Texas isn't being a bit too business friendly here, by vaguely calling the fire "incendiary" and "criminal". Such would seem to ameliorate some of the legal repercussions in my non-lawyer's mind, and the cynic in me can't help but wonder.

That being said, I remember seeing this harrowing video on CNN:



Note to self... do not stop to watch building burn when said building is full of fertilizer. :shock:
 
Especially with your kid. That guy is an idiot.

Thankfully some of us can learn from other's idiocy. Maybe I now qualify as no longer being an idiot... or not. :lol:
 
That's not something they could have independently verified. It could very well have been accidental and the person responsible may not have even realized their mistake. It could have been negligence and no one is owning up to it. They're saying it was intentional. I say they'll never have enough evidence to indict anyone let alone convict.
When this first happened, I was thinking someone made a mistake, and there is nothing left of them to find or blame.
The blast that leaves a crater 93 feet wide and 12 feet deep, is really big!
 
Thanks for the video.

But I didn't see any evidence of trashing in the video. It appeared to me to be factual and even-handed.

And I'm not sure about your claim to "bigger government" and it "being wrong". I see several regulatory changes taking place, and they seem appropriate to me.

If there's evidence to your claims above, I honestly didn't see it at all in the video you presented - if that's the point you're attempting to make.

No, I posted the video for additional background. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

There was a big debate in social media trashing TX/Perry, the plant owners, etc...
 
"we cant figure out what happened so it must have been a criminal act" does not work for me.
 
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