So there is something totally wrong with this accusation....
In the safety regulation world of explosives or explosive nitrates, the state of Texas or by federal regulation, the facility could or should have been "sited" prior to storage for how much they can keep at their location at any one time.
It is called an explosive license for how much explosives for the facility or complex. Did the facility have an explosive license or did they not? Were they in compliance or not with that license? Or did they even need an explosive license? Based on the powerful mass detonation of the ammonia nitrate on hand, they should have had an explosive license if they did not.
One major reason we are overwhelmed with govt regulation is that industry will typically fail to regulate themselves. Executives refuse to spend money to do the right thing because it will impact their bonuses.
HIPAA exists because the healthcare industry wouldn’t spend the money to protect patient data. The govt added random audits, massive fines and more regulation because the industry largely ignored HIPAA laws.
This particular plant not only ignored regulations and laws, but they ignored common sense. Storing massive amounts of these chemicals when you have people living next door is criminal. The town leaders did the same by allowing homes to be built so close.