TCEQ Concludes Massive Chemical Fire In Waxahachie Could Have Been Avoided
WAXAHACHIE (CBSDFW.COM) - Thick black smoke and huge fire balls became part of the Waxahachie landscape, October 3, 2011, after the blending of chemicals triggered a massive fire at the Magnablend Central Facility.
A report just released by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) cites Magnablend with four alleged violations that occurred while the plant was engulfed in flames.
* Violation one states that air contaminants from the fire caused a traffic hazard.
* Violation two states that Magnablend failed to report the details of the event electronically within a 48-hour period.
* Violation three cites the plant for exceeding emissions while the fire raged out of control.
* Violation four states the fire sent dangerous contaminants into the air which posed a health risk to nearby residents.
Perhaps the most damning part of the report can be found in the investigator's summary, which concluded that Magnablend should have known that the chemicals involved would likely produce a "flammable gas cloud when mixed."
The investigator also concluded that "the incident could have been avoided with better maintenance or engineering practices."
The TCEQ's findings come three weeks after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Magnablend with seven serious safety and health violations, including failing to install a sufficient ventilation system and failing to train workers in specific hazardous chemical protection procedures.
CBS 11 News attempted to contact the CEO of Magnablend, but we were unsuccessful.
