[88keys]

from the Daily Mail article: " The emergency planning report uncovered by the News shows that the plant had as much as 54,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia on hand, but no other dangerous chemicals."...

This was a Texas EPA or some such inspection and report from 2006, apparently the last major plant inspection. It's worth following the link to see this; it's way at the end of the article.

My two questions: is anhydrous ammonia the same thing as ammonium nitrate? and if NOT, did West Fertilizer for some reason acquire massive amounts of ammonium nitrate in the seven years since the report was made?

Coincidentally, seven years is the amount of time Mr. Adair has owned the plant...he is quite elderly, and may not be a "hands-on" manager. Or, the whole "ammonium nitrate" story could be wrong on what caused the explosion. OR, if there WAS an amount of ammonium nitrate there, could it have showed up there as recently as the day of the explosion??

[Repeal The 17th]

“...is anhydrous ammonia the same thing as ammonium nitrate?...”
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no, it is not.

[Jonty30]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_nitrate

anhydrous ammonia is the same as ammonium nitrate. You’re probably right in that the owner had trusted managers he let run the plant on his behalf.

I’d be interested in why the plant wad producing so much ammonium nitrate, unreported, if they are supposed to,report anything over 400 lbs.