| Contents Notes |
The explosion on April 17, 2013, at the West Fertilizer Company fertilizer distribution facility in West, TX, has led to questions about the oversight and regulation of agricultural fertilizer. As congressional policymakers consider the ramifications of the explosion in West, TX, they may face several policy issues. These policy issues include the: challenges arising from relying on reporting of chemical inventories by regulated facilities; potential for omission and duplication in existing regulatory reporting; long intervals between inspections at many such facilities; ability of federal, state, and local government agencies to share information effectively among themselves; and public and first-responder access to regulatory information. |
