The attorney representing Bryce Ashley Reed says hisclient will plead not guilty to a federal charge of possessing anexplosive device.

Reed, a West, Texas paramedic, was arrested in May, weeks afterthe deadly explosion at West Fertilizer Co. According to an affidavit,Reed admitted to possessing the components of a pipe bomb. Heapparently handed over the ingredients—chemical powders, a fuse, alighter, a digital scale and other items—to an acquaintance.

Reed responded to the explosion on April 17, 2013 at WestFertilizer Co., which killed 15 people and left hundreds morewounded. The massive explosion also damaged or destroyed 140 homes,an apartment complex, two schools, a retirement center, and variouslocal businesses.

Authorities have not officially linked Reed to the blast at thefertilizer retailer in the small rural community of about 2,800.His lawyer says Reed had “no involvement whatsoever” in theexplosion at the plant.

Several hours after the arrest was made public, authorities saida criminal investigation was launched into circumstancessurrounding the West Fertilizer explosion. I'm wondering how thiscould change the public's perception of this unfortunate disasterin Texas.

In the weeks following the blast, various news agencies unveileda patchwork regulation for facilities such as West Fertilizer,which stored hundreds of tons of the highly-volatile chemicalcompound ammonium nitrate at the site. West Fertilizer, or itsparent company Adair Grain, did not notify the Department ofHomeland Security it possessed so much ammonium nitrate—asfacilities dealing with this quantity of the substance arerequired. In fact, it seemed no one whom outsiders might assumeshould have known actually did know much aboutthis facility site.

The Texas Department of Insurance says four state agencies withsome oversight (as in maybe, maybe not and to what extent is notparticularly known) of facilities like West Fertilizer do notrequire general liability coverage. The search for information andanswers ­following this explosion was not easy. Still isn't. Therewas a lot of finger-pointing at the start—many referrals. “Maybeyou should try [fill in the blank]. Yeah, call them.” Or worse,“Call the plant.”

Turns out (so it would seem) no one was intentionallyscapegoating, because no one actually knew whom to call. For daysafter this tragedy, I received as many calls and emails seekinganswers as I was making to get them myself. In this case, when acommunity is literally rocked and its well-being is at stake, well,that is terrifying.

Ammonium nitrate is the same type of stuff Timothy McVeigh usedto blow up the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995—stored withinquick walking distance to a middle school entrance. Gov. Rick Perryhas been heavily criticized, with local editorialists citing hismovement toward what some may call over-the-top deregulation in aneffort to lure businesses to Texas. It has worked, apparently.

Meanwhile, federal and state lawmakers havecalled for intense debate regarding the oversight and regulation offacilities like West Fertilizer.

But will this soap-boxing stand up against the potential thatthe explosion at this facility was no accident? Does politicaloutrage wane? Do reporters turn to exposing Reed in every wayimaginable? Say authorities find enough on Reed to connect him tothe fire that eventually led to the explosion at the plant.

All the points regarding holes in insurance requirements,workplace safety, risk management, oversight, and land-use planningremain as firm as the days prior to us learning of Reed. But dothey persist against a backdrop of what could be a criminal act? Ifand when the West Fertilizer explosion fades as a springboard forchange, will change indeed occur?

My inkling in Texas (again, creating a hypothetical scenario inwhich Reed is to blame) is that no matter how much you attempt toconvince those responsible for change the disaster as we knew itbefore Reed entered the picture could have happened andstill exposes a multitude of inadequacies in the system,folks would shoot back with, “It hadn't happened inX-number of many years and it wouldn't have happenedwithout a guy planting an explosive device.”

As it is, the earth-shattering blast in West seems to have donelittle to sway the local perception of government regulations, atleast according to what I have read in local Texas media.

Whether a young paramedic is tied to this disaster, I'm hopingthe journalism world continues to reveal the roots of theunderlying problems that seem to permeate the state. And I hopelawmakers continue to demand answers and seek solutions.

I'm no proponent of burdensome regulation. But it just seemsthis disaster screams for any measures put in place with the intentto prevent something like it from happening again. And no matterthe outcome of the criminal investigation—no matter how this siteand its incredible dangers were exposed—that will remain true.