"WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Thursday ordered federal agencies to review safety rules at chemical facilities in response to the deadly April explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant."
"In an executive order, Obama tasked agencies with identifying new ways to safely store and secure ammonium nitrate, the explosive chemical investigators say caused the blast. Agencies are also being told to determine whether additional chemicals should be covered by federal regulatory programs.
The massive explosion at the plant in the community of West, Texas, killed 15 people, leveled hundreds of structures and damaged three of the town's four schools. It also prompted new scrutiny of regulations at chemical plants and the risks posed by deadly chemicals to people living in surrounding areas."
Juile Pace reports for the Associated Press August 1, 2013.
SEE ALSO:
"Updated Database Reveals Significant Chemical Risks Are Distributed Across the Country" (Center for Effective Government)
"Chemical-Board Probe Delays May Harm U.S. Prevention Role" (Bloomberg)
"Obama Orders Tighter Rules on Fertilizer Plants After Blasts" (Bloomberg)
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