This post was also written by Peter Cassidy.
The April 17, 2013 explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, has sharpened the ongoing debate over the adequacy of present federal safety requirements for chemical facilities. With over 14 persons killed and some 200 injured, controversy exists over the cause of the explosion. Congress and the Federal Executive Branch agencies have also sharpened their discussion over what should be done – if anything – to enhance risk management and other ways to prevent, or lessen, the continued threat of catastrophic damage and loss of life.
Click here to read the issued Client Alert by members of the Global Regulatory Enforcement Practice Group and Energy and Natural Resources Industry Group, which reviews this controversy in the context of existing requirements, those being considered in Congress, and the demands being made for direct regulatory action.