Updates on Texas Plant Disaster

My hot new piece at The Nation yesterday found found famed EPA whistleblower calls for criminal probe of Texas fertilizer plant--and claims media falling down on the job, citing NYT, Reuters, Huff Post.  Now today a major update (among several) from Randy Loftis of the Dallas Morning News, who I mentioned in my piece.  How's this for an opener:

Texas’ environmental agency knew in 2006 that West Fertilizer Co. was handling 2,400 tons a year of potentially explosive ammonium nitrate in a warehouse near schools, houses and a nursing home, documents show.  The notation in a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permit form apparently raised no concerns, either internally or with other agencies, about explosion risks or the proper management of a chemical already notorious in Texas history for its deadly qualities when heated to extreme temperatures or exposed to shock.

Meanwhile, Rick Perry touts the state's weak regulations in bid to get companies to move there.