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Explosive Politics of the West Chemical and Fertilizer Incident 2

The meager amount of $2,300 in penalties provides evidence of the extremely lax financial punishment to the fertilizer plant by the EPA. Therefore, West Chemical and Fertilizer and the governmental regulatory agencies are mutually responsible for not providing an adequate deterrent for non-compliance under the law. These aspects of government and corporate interaction define the limitations of financial penalties, which can easily be paid off by the well-funded industrial offender. Therefore, the liability of the private sector and the laws created by the public sector government is equally important for preventing these tragically devastating industrial accidents. These are the contingent responsibilities of the fertilizer company and government's regulatory agencies are both involved in the non-enforcement of public safety regulations in the fertilizer industry. In the case of West Chemical and Fertilizer Plant, the government needs to end the corruption of lobbying and enforce the rule of law on non-compliant plants that put other people lives in danger.

In conclusion, the problematic issue of government non-enforcement of zoning regulations in the fertilizer industry has been examined within the context of the explosion at the West Chemical and Fertilizer Plant explosion in Texas. By understanding the strict legal mandates regarding zoning laws for fertilizer plants, the premise of government non-regulation is defined by the power of corporations to lobby the government and defund industrial regulatory agencies. The corruption and power of corporate lobbying in Washington D.C. defines why West Chemical and Fertilizer has not been inspected, investigated, or penalized for major infractions in chemical production and zoning requirements in the plant's location. More so, fertilizer corporations lobby local politicians through monetary contributions to defund agencies like the EPA and OSHA, which laid the foundation for the explosion in West, Texas. The dual responsibility of the government and the private corporation is vital to upholding the law and by refusing to allow industry to lobby politicians for non-regulation. Therefore, the current explosion at West Chemical and Fertilizer defines the liability of the private sector and the government's non-enforcement of existing legal codes in preventing these types of major industrial disasters. These facets of regulatory mandates define the contingency of liability and responsibility that West Chemical and Fertilizer and the government define through the corruption of corporate lobbying and the defunding of industrial regulatory institutions.

References:

Raasch, C & S. Jayson. (2013). Fertilizer facility in Texas was cited, fined in past. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/18/fertilizer-west-texas-epa-state-regulations/2094445/ [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013].

Resnikoff, N. (2013). Exploded fertilizer plant had prior regulatory issues – MSNBC. [online] Retrieved from: http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/04/18/exploded-fertilizer-plant-had-prior-regulatory-issues/ [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013].

The Environmental Protection Agency. (2000). Air Enforcement | Enforcement | US EPA. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/air/ [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013].

"West Fertilizer plant explosion highlights regulatory shortfalls." (2013) [online] Retrieved from: http://rt.com/op-edge/west-fertilizer-plant-explosion-090/ [Accessed: 19 Apr 2013].

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Explosive Politics of the West Chemical and Fertilizer Incident 2