83S10891 BPG-D
By: Kacal H.R. No. 227
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The town of West was devastated by the fertilizer
plant explosion on April 17, 2013, which claimed 15 lives, injured
hundreds of people, and laid waste to a 37-square-block area; and
WHEREAS, The President of the United States issued an
emergency declaration under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and when he
participated in an April 25 memorial service, he indicated that the
federal government would support recovery efforts; after providing
initial assistance, however, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency denied a request for additional aid for the repair and
replacement of infrastructure, claiming the destruction "is not of
the severity and magnitude that warrants a major disaster
declaration"; and
WHEREAS, The explosion in West damaged some 350 homes,
representing about half of the town's houses; moreover, three of
the four schools in the West Independent School District were lost,
and much of the city's street and water infrastructure was damaged;
at the same time, the school district and the city lost about $40
million of their tax base, making it difficult to pay for
rebuilding; this catastrophe will affect every resident for years
to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby extend sincere sympathy to
the residents of West and encourage all citizens in their efforts to
rebuild their lives in the aftermath of this horrific tragedy.