[rktman]

Uh, who in their right mind would allow a middle school, nursing home, apartments anywhere in the vicinity of a fertilizer plant knowing the energy potential involved? Holy crap. The amateur video was scary to say the least. Looked like an oversize IED going off.

[TexanByBirth]

Uh, who in their right mind would allow a middle school, nursing home, apartments anywhere in the vicinity of a fertilizer plant knowing the energy potential involved?

West is a small rural farming community. It is surrounded by miles of rich farm land. Fertilizer is used throughout the area. I would venture a guess that the fertilizer plant was there a long time before the middle school, nursing home and apartments were ever built.

With I-35 running north and south through the middle of town, there is not a lot of places to build except east and west out into what was farm land. I guarantee you the people in West didn't the danger a second thought.