Today marks the 11th anniversary of the catastrophic West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion. The explosion of tons of ammonium nitrate that night killed 15 people, including 12 emergency responders, injured 252 and damaged or destroyed 500 buildings in the small town of West Texas. You can read much more about the explosion, government action (and inaction) following the explosion, the comical, unproven attempt by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to blame the explosion on arsonists and how the Trump administration and the chemical industry used ATF’s false assertion to undermine protections for workers and communities around chemical plants.
But this is also April, the darkest month for workplace disaster. And the month where we commemorate Workers Memorial Day, where, in the immortal words of Mother Jones, we recommit to our vow to Mourn the Dead, and Fight Like Hell for the Living.
Here is what Aprils of the past have brought us here in the U.S. and abroad:
Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster, Raleigh County, WV, April 5, 2010: An explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine killed 29 miners. The Mine Safety and Health Administration concluded that flagrant safety violations contributed to the explosion. It issued 369 citations at that time, assessing $10.8 million in penalties
Ammonium Nitrate Explosion, Texas City, TX, April 16, 1947: A fire on the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp detonated her cargo of about 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate. This started a chain reaction of fires and explosions in other ships and nearby oil-storage facilities, ultimately killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire department. It was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history and one of history’s largest non-nuclear explosions.
West Fertilizer Explosion, West, TX, April 17, 2013: An ammonium nitrate explosion occurred at the West Fertilizer Company storage and distribution facility in West, Texas. Fifteen people were killed, including 12 firefighters, more than 160 were injured, and more than 150 buildings were damaged or destroyed.
Deepwater Horizon Explosion, April 20, 2012: A fire and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 workers and resulted in the largest marine oil spill and environmental disaster in history.
L’Ambiance Plaza Collapse, Bridgeport, CT, April 23, 1987: The L’Ambiance Plaza apartment building collapsed due to a faulty lift slab construction technique while under construction, killing 28 construction workers.
Rana Plaza Factor Collapse, Bangladesh, April 24, 2013: The eight-story Rana Plaza factory building collapsed, killing 1134 people. The shops and the bank on the lower floors were immediately closed after cracks were discovered in the building the day before the collapse. But the building’s owners ignored warnings ordering garment workers to return the following day and the building collapsed during the morning rush-hour.
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster, Ukraine, USSR April 26, 1986: No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded during a safety test It was the worst nuclear disaster in history. Dozens of operators and response workers died due to massive radiation exposure and hundreds more from the nuclear fallout.
Willow Island Collapse, Willow Island, WV, April 27, 1978: A cooling tower under construction at the Pleasants Power Station at Willow Island, West Virginia, collapsed, killing 51 construction workers. It was the deadliest construction accident in U.S. history