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It's early, but Lebanon's prime minister says ammonium nitrate likely fueled the devastating explosion that leveled part of the city. For those in the U.S., there are some things you should know about ammonium nitrate: 1/11
Ammonium nitrate is a common fertilizer. It's also fueled industrial accidents like the explosion in Texas that killed 15 and injured 260. 2/11
Ammonium nitrate also plays a deadly role as a bomb-making component in terrorism, including the 1995 bombing of the federal building that killed 168 in Oklahoma City -- where I lived before joining @publicintegrity 3/11
There are federal rules meant to prevent these kinds of tragedies. After the Texas accident, there was an effort to toughen them. But industry groups argued against them. 4/11
The Agricultural Retailers Association said tougher rules proposed by Obama's #EPA would "increase operating costs, paperwork burdens, and compliance costs rather than making it more likely to prevent an accidental release." 5/11
Another rule released under Obama's watch didn't list ammonium nitrate as a "highly hazardous" chemical that need additional regulation. Critics said the federal rules finalized under #Obama weren't great, but they were better than nothing. 6/11
When #Trump took office, his administration tried to postpone the rule. Then they gutted it, eliminating third-party audits and safer-technology assessments in a revised rule that saved the industry an estimated $88 million. 7/11
Today, the public has a "right to know" if ammonium nitrate and other dangerous chemicals are stored in their community. On paper, it doesn't really work that way. 8/11
Concerns about terrorism have prompted many states to keep ammonium nitrate facilities secret. And it's wildly inconsistent. The same info that's publicly available in Nebraska is a state secret in Texas. In Iowa, you can get the info online. In Kentucky? Nada. 9/11
For more info, please read the @publicintegrity investigation I did with @JimGMorris earlier this year https://publicintegrity.org/environment/growing-food-sowing-trouble/fertilizers-explosive-potential-west-texas/ #SowingTrouble 10/11
Beyond ammonium nitrate, fertilizer is fascinating. We did a whole series with @grist and @prx on the #ClimateChange climate, environmental, health and human consequences of our fertilizer addiction. Read more here -> https://publicintegrity.org/topics/environment/growing-food-sowing-trouble/ 11/11
